recurrent lymphoma??
note:
I wish I was posting some great news but its not. I saw my oncologist/hematologist yesterday and unfortunately, it looks like to him that I have recurring lymphoma. He has set me up for some imitate CT scans for this evening. Depending on where these new masses are I may or may not have a biopsy. So far from what we can tell I have 2 masses in my abdomen and possible another close to my left armpit. I will have a follow up appointment in week, to discuss my treatment plan. However I told me that in his professional opinion, the treatment would be a
stem cell transplant. This will require a 4-6 week hospital stay and an extended home stay in semi isolation until my immune system will recover and is functioning properly.
For now the main concern out side of the new growth is that I have a blood platelet count that is below normal, which is called
thrombocytopenia (if you can pronounce it you should win some thing). This is a symptom of leukemia or an immune system malfunction (in other words lymphoma). Im not showing any other major symptoms other then I had night sweats a few weeks ago, but it was for only one night and this is a difficult symptom to track as it could have been that the heat was higher then normal in my apartment. I am having some itchy skin but its not like what I had the first time around, where I scratched off my skin pigment or I scratched until I was bleeding. Im not having any significant pain any place so really the only symptom is my blood platelets are abnormal and I am showing some swollen nodes, which is in line with recurrent lymphoma.
I also met with my cardiologist who from the looks of things will move forward asap with my
angioplasty before I head into treatment. He wont use a medicated stent but rather use a regular stent, so I dont have to be on
plavix for 12 months and instead Ill just need it for a month. My cardiologist told me that he will see about putting in a medicated stent in a year post this round of cancer treatment with the 12 month plavix support, but wants me to get through this round of cancer treatment first. Once the heart damage done from my first round of chemo is corrected I can move forward onto the next leg of my cancer journey.
So it appears like I am about to dawn my cancer fighting warrior fatigues and head into another battle only a year after the initial war was won. I go into this new battle with the wisdom and knowledge I have gained from my previous one, which will help me to gain control over the enemy and once again kick cancers ass out of my body and into the scummy gutter it came from in the first place.
note:
I wish I was posting some great news but its not. I saw my oncologist/hematologist yesterday and unfortunately, it looks like to him that I have recurring lymphoma. He has set me up for some imitate CT scans for this evening. Depending on where these new masses are I may or may not have a biopsy. So far from what we can tell I have 2 masses in my abdomen and possible another close to my left armpit. I will have a follow up appointment in week, to discuss my treatment plan. However I told me that in his professional opinion, the treatment would be a stem cell transplant. This will require a 4-6 week hospital stay and an extended home stay in semi isolation until my immune system will recover and is functioning properly.
For now the main concern out side of the new growth is that I have a blood platelet count that is below normal, which is called thrombocytopenia (if you can pronounce it you should win some thing). This is a symptom of leukemia or an immune system malfunction (in other words lymphoma). Im not showing any other major symptoms other then I had night sweats a few weeks ago, but it was for only one night and this is a difficult symptom to track as it could have been that the heat was higher then normal in my apartment. I am having some itchy skin but its not like what I had the first time around, where I scratched off my skin pigment or I scratched until I was bleeding. Im not having any significant pain any place so really the only symptom is my blood platelets are abnormal and I am showing some swollen nodes, which is in line with recurrent lymphoma.
I also met with my cardiologist who from the looks of things will move forward asap with my angioplasty before I head into treatment. He wont use a medicated stent but rather use a regular stent, so I dont have to be on plavix for 12 months and instead Ill just need it for a month. My cardiologist told me that he will see about putting in a medicated stent in a year post this round of cancer treatment with the 12 month plavix support, but wants me to get through this round of cancer treatment first. Once the heart damage done from my first round of chemo is corrected I can move forward onto the next leg of my cancer journey.
So it appears like I am about to dawn my cancer fighting warrior fatigues and head into another battle only a year after the initial war was won. I go into this new battle with the wisdom and knowledge I have gained from my previous one, which will help me to gain control over the enemy and once again kick cancers ass out of my body and into the scummy gutter it came from in the first place.