As a freshman at Michigan State, life was pretty normal for Todd Zynda.
But halfway through his first year there, Zynda, a 1997 Lake Orion High School graduate, was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma.
After he noticed a lump in his neck was not going away, Zynda paid a visit to the doctor.
‘When the fourth person came into the room to look at me, I knew something was wrong,’he said of his visit to an MSU clinic in January of 1998.
In spite of his parents? desire for him to return home, Zynda remained a full-time student at MSU, while also undergoing an aggressive chemotherapy program.
His treatment ended in late May of 1998, and Zynda was in remission by the time he returned to school for his sophomore year.
‘I must have gotten about 150 cards in the mail in the week leading up to my birthday,? he said, noting that his parents, in collaboration with LOHS, helped to make his May birthday that year an unforgettable one.
Also unforgettable for Zynda was the experience of being a patient.
‘All of the people I dealt with were just great,? he said.
So great, in fact, that Zynda is now going into the medical field himself.
He recently graduated from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, and will soon begin a three-year residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California at Irvine.
‘I initially entered Michigan State pretty open (about a career path),? he said. Zynda was considering medicine, in addition to law and teaching.
After his experience with Lymphoma, he settled on pre-med.
Now, Zynda is leaning towards a career in cardiology, though he admits his mind is not quite made up yet.
There’s little doubt that no matter what field of medicine he pursues, Zynda will have an ability to relate to his patients on a much deeper level than most doctors.
‘It’s part of me,? he said. ‘I’ve been the patient, so it makes me more apt to better explain things.?
He spent the past two years doing his rotation period in Michigan hospitals, and though he’ll reside in Long Beach for the next few years, Zynda would like to return closer to home in Michigan when his residency and ensuing fellowship are completed.
‘I think when it’s time to settle down and raise a family, I’d like to be in Michigan,? he said.
Wherever he ends up practicing, Zynda’s outlook on life will surely be a comfort to his patients.
‘I learned at a young age not to get caught up with those things you have no control over,? he said, noting that both of his grandfathers had Lymphoma, though there is no apparent genetic correlation.
No one wants to get cancer, Zynda said, but his form has a very high survival rate.
‘They say that if you’re going to get cancer, this is the one to get,? he said.