I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in August of this year and have been going through treatment for almost 3 months now. So far, everything has gone smoothly. During my last chemo treatment my doctor mention it was time for me to have another PET Scan done (to serve sort of as a progress report for my doctor to see how the chemo has been working thus far). So, on Monday I went to Seattle to have the scan done.
Today, while I was at the doctor here in Federal Way, I asked about my PET Scan results and the news was extremely good. She told me there were no findings of of any residual/recurrent lymphoma anywhere in my body! I am cancer free! The results could not be any better!
Although I no longer have cancer, I have to continue getting chemo to make sure the cancer stays gone. According to my doctor, the general rule is to continue chemo 2 cycles past the date of being announced cancer free. Assuming nothing changes, my last day of chemo will be January 6th, 2011. Talk about starting the new year off right!
Thank you for all the prayers and support. It means so much and has clearly been working!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Chemo can cause hiccups....who knew!?
Wow, so ALL day I have had these really bad hiccups and they have been painful! My throat is really sore now and even a small hiccup is painful. I've tried everything to get them to go away but nothing works! And when they do go away, it only lasts for maybe 5 or 10 minutes and then they come right back.
Out of curiosity (and hoping for some help) I called my doctor and, sure enough, hiccups are a rare side effect of chemo. Because hiccups are not a common side effects I wasn't prepared with a prescription to help them go away. Now, I know my problems could be worse, but seriously...I want these hiccups gone! My doctor said that there is medicine to relieve the hiccups...and I will definitely be going to Virginia Mason in the morning to get that medicine!
Hopefully the hiccups go away tonight because I'd really like to get some sleep!!
Out of curiosity (and hoping for some help) I called my doctor and, sure enough, hiccups are a rare side effect of chemo. Because hiccups are not a common side effects I wasn't prepared with a prescription to help them go away. Now, I know my problems could be worse, but seriously...I want these hiccups gone! My doctor said that there is medicine to relieve the hiccups...and I will definitely be going to Virginia Mason in the morning to get that medicine!
Hopefully the hiccups go away tonight because I'd really like to get some sleep!!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Update
I know it's been a while since my last post, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I have been doing really well since my first chemo treatment. I started school last Monday and I've been hanging out with friends - Just living life as usual.
Also, I finally got the results back from my bone marrow biopsy (which I had done like a month ago) and GOOD NEWS my cancer is NOT stage 4, which means I should be done with chemo around the end of December or early January.
My second chemo appointment was originally scheduled for last Thursday (Sept 23rd), but after looking at the results of my labs, the nurses noticed that my white blood cell count was way too low and my appointment had to be pushed back a week (currently scheduled for this Thursday - Sept 30th).
White blood cells are also called "fighter cells" and when a person's white blood cell count gets too low it makes them much more susceptible to illness and infection. The nurses told me that from now on, after each chemo treatment, I'll be getting "booster" shots to help my body produce more white blood cells.
Also, I finally got the results back from my bone marrow biopsy (which I had done like a month ago) and GOOD NEWS my cancer is NOT stage 4, which means I should be done with chemo around the end of December or early January.
My second chemo appointment was originally scheduled for last Thursday (Sept 23rd), but after looking at the results of my labs, the nurses noticed that my white blood cell count was way too low and my appointment had to be pushed back a week (currently scheduled for this Thursday - Sept 30th).
White blood cells are also called "fighter cells" and when a person's white blood cell count gets too low it makes them much more susceptible to illness and infection. The nurses told me that from now on, after each chemo treatment, I'll be getting "booster" shots to help my body produce more white blood cells.
Friday, September 10, 2010
First Day Of Chemo
Yesterday was my first day of chemo. Honestly, the experience was not as bad as I expected. Actually, it really wasn't bad at all. I just sat back while they pumped the chemo into me - I didn't feel a thing. Overall, the whole process took between 1 1/2 to 2 hours....and after that I was able to go home. And I have to say, having a portacath made things much easier.
Before I started chemo, the nurses gave me a ridiculous amount of anti-nausea medicines. They even said that if I get hungry I can eat lunch without feeling nauseous. So, luckily I had my parents there with me and my dad was kind enough to go out and get some lunch for us. (I hadn't eaten breakfast because I wasn't sure how the chemo would make me feel, so I was pretty hungry by lunch time).
When I got home later that afternoon I was feeling a little tired and the nausea started setting in. I took an anti nausea pill which helped, then went to bed shortly after. When I woke up this morning I felt fine, but I had a list of like 5 or 6 different pills that I had to take, some of which I have to continue taking throughout the day. So, in a nutshell - I am on a lot of medications and I'm feeling a little loopy. But overall, as of Day 2, I'm doing fine!
Before I started chemo, the nurses gave me a ridiculous amount of anti-nausea medicines. They even said that if I get hungry I can eat lunch without feeling nauseous. So, luckily I had my parents there with me and my dad was kind enough to go out and get some lunch for us. (I hadn't eaten breakfast because I wasn't sure how the chemo would make me feel, so I was pretty hungry by lunch time).
When I got home later that afternoon I was feeling a little tired and the nausea started setting in. I took an anti nausea pill which helped, then went to bed shortly after. When I woke up this morning I felt fine, but I had a list of like 5 or 6 different pills that I had to take, some of which I have to continue taking throughout the day. So, in a nutshell - I am on a lot of medications and I'm feeling a little loopy. But overall, as of Day 2, I'm doing fine!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Port Placement and Bone Marrow Biopsy.
Yesterday, I had my portacath put in as well as having two bone marrow biopsies done. From what I've heard, bone marrow biopsies are pretty painful so I was not looking forward to that proceedure. Luckily, the doctors decided to do the bone marrow biopsy at the same time time as my port placement surgery... So, long story short - I slept through the whole thing. But, I'm pretty sore today.
Although I was asleep during both proceedures, they explained to me before hand how the whole process was going to work. They started with the bone marrow biopsies. To do the biopsies, they used a large needle that went in through my lower back and into my pelvic bone to remove some bone marrow. They did this process twice, once on the left side and once on the right side. After they finished up with the bone marrow biopsies, they began working on putting in the portacath.
[The picture below is what a portacath looks like]
For the portacath (aka "port placement') surgery, they made a small incision just below my collar bone. The "stringy" end of the portacath is what they put into the artery, and the larger round part is under my skin but near the surface so the nurses can find it easily. The top of the rounded part is made of a rubbery "self healing" material, so each time a needle goes in it will "heal" itself so there isn't a hole left behind. The port can also be used to draw blood. So it works both as a way of putting medicine into my body, as well as a way of drawing blood out when that is needed.
The reason they use a portacath rather than just putting an IV into my arm is because the smaller veins in the hands and arms can scar easily from the chemo, whereas the larger arteries near the heart can handle having chemo put directly into them without being damaged.
Also, before I went into surgery, my oncologist talked to me and said that he thinks my cancer may actually be Stage 4. Here is how they classify the different stages:
Stage 1 - When there is one cluster of cancerous lymph nodes on one side of the diaphragm.
Stage 2 - When there are two clusters of cancerous lymph nodes, both on the same side of the diaphragm
Stage 3 - When there are two or more clusters of cancerous lymph nodes but they are on different sides of the diaphragm
Stage 4 - When the cancer has made its way into the organs and/or bones
My doctor said it looks like the cancer is in my spleen and possibly in my bones as well and it looked like it could be "borderline" Stage 4. Even with my cancer being a possible Stage 4, the doctor said my treatment will stay at 6 cycles of chemo and hopefully no radiation. The outlook is still VERY good and my doctor continues to tell me that I have nothing to worry about. So, until he tells me I have something to worry about, I'm not going to worry. Thanks again to everyone praying for me! I appreciate it.
Although I was asleep during both proceedures, they explained to me before hand how the whole process was going to work. They started with the bone marrow biopsies. To do the biopsies, they used a large needle that went in through my lower back and into my pelvic bone to remove some bone marrow. They did this process twice, once on the left side and once on the right side. After they finished up with the bone marrow biopsies, they began working on putting in the portacath.
[The picture below is what a portacath looks like]
The reason they use a portacath rather than just putting an IV into my arm is because the smaller veins in the hands and arms can scar easily from the chemo, whereas the larger arteries near the heart can handle having chemo put directly into them without being damaged.
Also, before I went into surgery, my oncologist talked to me and said that he thinks my cancer may actually be Stage 4. Here is how they classify the different stages:
Stage 1 - When there is one cluster of cancerous lymph nodes on one side of the diaphragm.
Stage 2 - When there are two clusters of cancerous lymph nodes, both on the same side of the diaphragm
Stage 3 - When there are two or more clusters of cancerous lymph nodes but they are on different sides of the diaphragm
Stage 4 - When the cancer has made its way into the organs and/or bones
My doctor said it looks like the cancer is in my spleen and possibly in my bones as well and it looked like it could be "borderline" Stage 4. Even with my cancer being a possible Stage 4, the doctor said my treatment will stay at 6 cycles of chemo and hopefully no radiation. The outlook is still VERY good and my doctor continues to tell me that I have nothing to worry about. So, until he tells me I have something to worry about, I'm not going to worry. Thanks again to everyone praying for me! I appreciate it.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Good News / Bad News
I got a call from my doctor today and he had some good news and bad news for me. Here's the bad news first:
After looking at my PET Scan results my doctor told me I have Stage 3 (not stage 2) Lymphoma. There are 4 stages total - stage 4 being the worst. Because it is worse than he had originally thought, I'll be doing more cycles of chemo than I was initially told. It has now been bumped up to 6 cycles (12 treatments) of chemo, rather than just 2 cycles. That means I wont be done with treatment until around February.
The good news is that there's still nearly a 100% chance of me being cured and I don't have anything to worry about (except for now I'll be bald in the family Christmas pictures...awesome...).
After looking at my PET Scan results my doctor told me I have Stage 3 (not stage 2) Lymphoma. There are 4 stages total - stage 4 being the worst. Because it is worse than he had originally thought, I'll be doing more cycles of chemo than I was initially told. It has now been bumped up to 6 cycles (12 treatments) of chemo, rather than just 2 cycles. That means I wont be done with treatment until around February.
The good news is that there's still nearly a 100% chance of me being cured and I don't have anything to worry about (except for now I'll be bald in the family Christmas pictures...awesome...).
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Getting ready for treatment
Yesterday, I spent a large chunk of the day at the doctor's office learning about my treatment. In my first appointmet, I learned about something called a portacath, which is a device the doctors will install under my skin, near my collar bone and it will go directly into a major artery. The portacath is used to make it easier to receive chemo. I'll be getting it put in next Thursday (Sept. 2nd), and I'll start chemo the following Thursday (Sept. 9th). Things seem to be happening so quickly!
For my other appointment, I spoke with the chemo nurse about my treatment. She informed me of how long treatment will last, what medicines I'll be on, the side effects I may have, etc. I will only be doing two cycles of chemo. Each cycle will consist of treatment "A" and treatment "B". So a total of four treatments (Cycle 1A & 1B, Cycle 2A & 2B). Each will be two weeks apart, which means it will last eight weeks. As of right now they don't think I'll have to do radiation. This is very good news because I was originally told I'd have to do both radiation and chemo, with chemo lasting 8 - 12 cycles. Now it's down to just 2 cycles of chemo and no radiation. The doctor believes that two cycles are enough to cure the cancer. If I have done my math right, that means I should be cancer-free before Halloween!
I have a PET Scan scheduled for tomorrow (Friday), which will give the doctors a clearer picture of exactly where the the cancer cells are located and will show any cancerous areas that may have gone unnoticed in the CT Scan. My treatment could change after they look at the PET Scan, but the nurse I spoke with yesterday said she doubts the PET Scan will have much of an effect on my treatment.
Also, the nurse told me about medicines they have that help counteract the negative effects of the chemo to make me feel less sick. She doesn't think I should have a problem going to school, but I will be taking time off of work during my treatment. At this point in my life, school is more important and I want to make sure I'm not doing more than I can handle.
I'll be getting chemo every other Thursday and I'll feel sick on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday following chemo, but the nurse said as long as I take my other medication, I should feel well enough to go to school on the following Monday. Again, I'm only getting four treatments of chemo, and its every other week. I figure missing 4 Fridays throughout the entire quarter wont have a huge impact on my grades. And if it does, I'll just use my sad cancer eyes to make my professors feel bad for me.
Overall, everything sound like it should go pretty smoothly and I'm glad to know treatment will be quick! There's a lot more I could write, but I don't want to ramble.
If you have any questions about anything, ask me and I'll explain in more detail (if I can).
For my other appointment, I spoke with the chemo nurse about my treatment. She informed me of how long treatment will last, what medicines I'll be on, the side effects I may have, etc. I will only be doing two cycles of chemo. Each cycle will consist of treatment "A" and treatment "B". So a total of four treatments (Cycle 1A & 1B, Cycle 2A & 2B). Each will be two weeks apart, which means it will last eight weeks. As of right now they don't think I'll have to do radiation. This is very good news because I was originally told I'd have to do both radiation and chemo, with chemo lasting 8 - 12 cycles. Now it's down to just 2 cycles of chemo and no radiation. The doctor believes that two cycles are enough to cure the cancer. If I have done my math right, that means I should be cancer-free before Halloween!
I have a PET Scan scheduled for tomorrow (Friday), which will give the doctors a clearer picture of exactly where the the cancer cells are located and will show any cancerous areas that may have gone unnoticed in the CT Scan. My treatment could change after they look at the PET Scan, but the nurse I spoke with yesterday said she doubts the PET Scan will have much of an effect on my treatment.
Also, the nurse told me about medicines they have that help counteract the negative effects of the chemo to make me feel less sick. She doesn't think I should have a problem going to school, but I will be taking time off of work during my treatment. At this point in my life, school is more important and I want to make sure I'm not doing more than I can handle.
I'll be getting chemo every other Thursday and I'll feel sick on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday following chemo, but the nurse said as long as I take my other medication, I should feel well enough to go to school on the following Monday. Again, I'm only getting four treatments of chemo, and its every other week. I figure missing 4 Fridays throughout the entire quarter wont have a huge impact on my grades. And if it does, I'll just use my sad cancer eyes to make my professors feel bad for me.
Overall, everything sound like it should go pretty smoothly and I'm glad to know treatment will be quick! There's a lot more I could write, but I don't want to ramble.
If you have any questions about anything, ask me and I'll explain in more detail (if I can).
Monday, August 23, 2010
Just to fill you in
Here's some background information for those of you who may not know what is going on:
Over the past few months I have been suffering from a cough that was keeping me from being able to hold a normal conversation, sleep through the night, or sit through class without having a cough-attack. After dealing with this cough for a few months I decided I should go to the doctor. I was expecting to be told that I would need my tonsils removed or maybe that I have athsma - cancer was the last thing on my mind! After the doctor listened to my lungs and heart and didn't hear anything abnormal he decided to do an x-ray of my sinuses as well as my chest and lungs to see if there was a possible "clog" in my airway that needed to be removed. After looking at the x-ray pictures they noticed a couple large masses that looked to be enlarged lymph nodes. This led to a CT Scan later that same day which was then followed by yet another scan.
A few days later I had a Biopsy done, and the results came back as Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Hodgkins Lymphoma has something like a 97% cure rate and I found it at a fairly early stage, which keeps me feeling positive about the situation. I will, however, have to go through chemotherapy and radiation, during which time I'll feel pretty crummy; but when it's over I should be cancer-free! I still don't know much about how long treatment will last or how agressive it will be and, of course, I have a ton of questions for my doctor. As I find out more details I'll make sure to update the blog and I'll make sure to let you know how I'm doing through this whole process.
Thank you for your love, support, and prayers! It means a lot to me.
Ryan
Over the past few months I have been suffering from a cough that was keeping me from being able to hold a normal conversation, sleep through the night, or sit through class without having a cough-attack. After dealing with this cough for a few months I decided I should go to the doctor. I was expecting to be told that I would need my tonsils removed or maybe that I have athsma - cancer was the last thing on my mind! After the doctor listened to my lungs and heart and didn't hear anything abnormal he decided to do an x-ray of my sinuses as well as my chest and lungs to see if there was a possible "clog" in my airway that needed to be removed. After looking at the x-ray pictures they noticed a couple large masses that looked to be enlarged lymph nodes. This led to a CT Scan later that same day which was then followed by yet another scan.
A few days later I had a Biopsy done, and the results came back as Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Hodgkins Lymphoma has something like a 97% cure rate and I found it at a fairly early stage, which keeps me feeling positive about the situation. I will, however, have to go through chemotherapy and radiation, during which time I'll feel pretty crummy; but when it's over I should be cancer-free! I still don't know much about how long treatment will last or how agressive it will be and, of course, I have a ton of questions for my doctor. As I find out more details I'll make sure to update the blog and I'll make sure to let you know how I'm doing through this whole process.
Thank you for your love, support, and prayers! It means a lot to me.
Ryan
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