'What does it mean to be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma? Today, I can easily explain the meaning of my diagnosis, but I had to investigate, to ask and to study a lot. It is a long story.

'In April 2001, during my holidays, I found a swollen gland in my neck but, as I felt well, I didn't worry about it too much. When I came back, several changes in my life were waiting for me. I knew some of them, like moving to another house, but I didn't know that something was changing inside me and that, six months later, I was going to receive the worst news of my life.

'During those six months, I felt several symptoms, like fatigue and fever - in the summer nights I sweated more than usual - and I was losing weight. I always found an explanation for everything - working a lot of hours, moving house - and I thought that everything I was feeling was perfectly normal.

'By the end of the summer, my feet were also swollen and I went to see my doctor. During the check-up, he told me that I could have anaemia, and sent me for a series of tests. That was when alarm bells started to ring. My haemoglobin level was very low, I needed a blood transfusion and my spleen was very inflamed.

'On 8 October 2001, I was admitted into hospital. I received blood transfusions and underwent blood and bone marrow tests. In just two days, we knew the results: I had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. When I received the news, I only knew that lymphomas were a type of blood cancer. Through fear of receiving more bad news, I stopped myself asking for more information from the doctors. I thought that it was the end, I believed that I was going to die soon.

'The following days clarified the diagnosis. With a biopsy of that first swollen gland I had found in my neck, the doctors informed me that my lymphoma was stage I follicular lymphoma, and that there was a treatment. The more I knew about my diagnosis, the more questions I had about my illness. I knew that I had cancer, I was going to receive chemotherapy, I was going to be fitted with a Hickman line and I was going to go bald. In those moments, I wasn't able to assimilate all the information, but I needed to know more - if I was ill and if I needed to receive aggressive treatments, I had to know exactly what was happening.

'From then until now, I have dedicated myself to studying and learning about lymphomas. I follow advances in the investigation of new treatments and now I never think about death, I only think about life.

'First, I received a treatment of six cycles of chemotherapy plus monoclonal antibody therapy. However, my bone marrow continued to be affected and my spleen continued to be inflamed. I received four more cycles of monoclonal antibody and my bone marrow improved.

'As my spleen remained swollen, the doctors explained to me that it would be necessary to operate. On 13 September 2002, my spleen was removed and, only a month later, I was ready to have a bone marrow transplant. By Christmas 2002, I was in hospital. I had just received a bone marrow transplant and I needed to be isolated. It was a difficult treatment, but it was well worth it.

'On 17 January 2003, I could return home and begin my life again. During my last days at hospital, I met Antonio. He told me about the Spanish Association of Lymphoma Sufferers, which he had just founded. Since then, I have belonged to the association.

'We think that it's very important to inform people about non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. By knowing the symptoms, an early diagnosis is possible. It also has to be made known that treatments are available and, in a lot of cases, a cure. Of course, the number of cases increases every year and the cause is, as yet, unknown. Specialists believe that it could become the third biggest cause of cancer death in the world.

'A month and a half after leaving hospital, I went back to work. Since then, although I am aware that I may need further treatment, I live a normal life, working, collaborating with the Spanish Association of Lymphoma Sufferers and enjoying my family and friends. I want to live...'