Treating Asymptomatic Indolent Follicular NHL?

Don

Hey,

Thanks for asking. I have completed my third session of R-CVP and they have not been too bad. That week with Prednisone has it's ups and downs, but after that things get back to normal. My hair has thinned, which is a good thing, but has not completely fallen out...yet. My appetite is still good and I have NOT lost weight. People say I look good and say that the treatments do not look like they have affected me. Next week, I will have a scan to see the progress. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I have really been busy. My granddaughter is off school. So I have to take her to swim practice, fix her lunch, take her back to the pool if she wants to go. I have also been the team's photographer for many years and I still do the team picture. So, now I have about 150 - 8X10 prints to make. (Inches...not centimeters).

My mother has finished her chemo treatments for lung cancer and I have been traveling up to Maryland a lot to see her and take her to treatments. We had her 85th birthday party a few weeks ago. Her case is a lot rougher than mine. The treatments been successful in that they did what they were supposed to do (shrink the tumor to give her a bit longer to live), but when her's comes back, it is Hospice.

I have been riding my motorcycle a lot. When it is nice, I ride it to my Mothers. Once it was not so nice...the weather report was wrong, and I rode back home in the worst wind I have ever been in (on a motorcycle). I gained some experience that day.

My Step Sister just informed everyone that she has Stage III, inoperable lung cancer (non-small cell). I am trying to get her to join this forum...on the lung cancer side.

Well, good luck everyone. It sounds like you all are doing well after your treatments. Live for the day.

Don B
_________________
Don B
Dec 07 Dx Follicular NHL, Grade I (Indolent)
Stage IIIA - No Symptoms
Watch and Wait - 6 Month Checks
Jan 09 Scan shows Progression - no symptoms
May 18, 09 - Started R-CVP
After Third Round, CT scan showed some tumor shrinkage
July 31,09 - Completed 6 Rounds R-CVP

Don · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:10 pm Post subject: Treatment Six is Over

Treatment Six is over. So far so good...After treatment 3 the nodes have shrunk. We'll see how much more they are going to do. Treatment Seven looks like it is "on" only because I can't get an appointment with the Oncologist until about three days before the treatment. Here is what happened:

1. The nurse practicioner saw me last week and said she would ask him if he want more than six treatments; so she put the question in his file. She can't make those decisions.l He was not in today.
2. He responded that it all depends on how well I am doing, my preferences and my toxicity. I am doing fine and the chemo has not done bad things to my body. The only way to tell how well I am doing is to do a CT scan.
3. Whe I see him all he is going to do is ask me how I feel, then order a CT scan. There is no way I can get a scan scheduled and have the report back to him before the treatment starts.
4. I asked the nurses why they just couldn't leave out the "How am I doing" part and order the CT scan themselves; otherwise I will have a wasted office visit.
5. No, that is not the way is works.

Another thing. I have never bought a copy of that magazine called [u]Cigar Afectionato[/u] on the newstands because it is TOO expensive (once in a while I enjoy a good cigar). It is one of those super quality magazines with the glossy photos. Well, where did I fine a copy of it? You guessed it: at the Oncologist's office.
_________________
Don B
Dec 07 Dx Follicular NHL, Grade I (Indolent)
Stage IIIA - No Symptoms
Watch and Wait - 6 Month Checks
Jan 09 Scan shows Progression - no symptoms
May 18, 09 - Started R-CVP
After Third Round, CT scan showed some tumor shrinkage
July 31,09 - Completed 6 Rounds R-CVP

ChemoMan

Hi Don

nice to hear from you and even better to hear that it seems to be going well

RE the cigar story....... very funny Laughing

Probably the oncologist's private copy that he has finished with Very Happy

Your silver lining Wink

_________________
Age 53
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 2a
Finished six cycles of R chop 21 26th May 2008
Officially in remission 9th July 2008
Remission confirmed 1st October 2008
Remission confirmed 17 June 2009
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9620
RULE NUMBER 1.....Don't Panic
RULE NUMBER 2..... NEVER GIVE UP
RULE NUMBER 3..... Don't forget the first 2 rules

Don

The magazine DID probably belong to one of them. It has a mailing label, so someone subscribed to it, but the the address was inked over so no one could read it. I can't think of anybody else who would make enough money to subscribe to it. Perhaps if one day I caught one of the oncologists buying cigars at Virginia Tobacco (the local Cigar Shop).

I did find one of my Doctors (the surgeon) buying beer...but then, when I was teaching school, one of my students saw me buying LOTS of beer. We were having a party and that was the only commodity left to buy. My cart was full of only beer. The following Monday morning, that fact had spread through my classes.

One day, I will relay the story of when a student lit up marijuana in my class; but for now, it will take too long and I have NOT had a good nights sleep (Prednisone, you know).

How are things going with you?

Don
_________________
Don B
Dec 07 Dx Follicular NHL, Grade I (Indolent)
Stage IIIA - No Symptoms
Watch and Wait - 6 Month Checks
Jan 09 Scan shows Progression - no symptoms
May 18, 09 - Started R-CVP
After Third Round, CT scan showed some tumor shrinkage
July 31,09 - Completed 6 Rounds R-CVP

joepet · Senior User Joined: 18 Dec 2008 Posts: 375 Location: Japan

Hi Don. Glad to hear you're keeping your sense of humor through all of this, it certainly helps!

I still can't believe the number of smoking doctors I have seen in Japan. Must be an awfully hard habit to break if even THEY cannot stop.
_________________
Age 37 (36 at diagnosis)
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 1AE (localized in colon)
Began six cycles of R chop 21 3rd Dec 2008
Finished R chop 21 Apr 2009
Complete remission as of May 2009

Don · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 6:29 pm Post subject: Japanese Smokers

Yeah, When our unit was in Japan, we made the observation that Japanese men were probably born with cigarettes in their mouths,

How are you doing?
_________________
Don B
Dec 07 Dx Follicular NHL, Grade I (Indolent)
Stage IIIA - No Symptoms
Watch and Wait - 6 Month Checks
Jan 09 Scan shows Progression - no symptoms
May 18, 09 - Started R-CVP
After Third Round, CT scan showed some tumor shrinkage
July 31,09 - Completed 6 Rounds R-CVP

joepet · Senior User Joined: 18 Dec 2008 Posts: 375 Location: Japan

Thanks for asking. I'm doing alright. Next week I'll probably update my main post here with some more specific followup.
_________________
Age 37 (36 at diagnosis)
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 1AE (localized in colon)
Began six cycles of R chop 21 3rd Dec 2008
Finished R chop 21 Apr 2009
Complete remission as of May 2009

joepet · Senior User Joined: 18 Dec 2008 Posts: 375 Location: Japan

Hi Don,

I just came across your thread on the Lung Cancer board. I'm sorry to hear that your mother is entering the final stages of her battle. I hope she can be kept comfortable and that you will be able to enjoy some quality time with her.

Checking out the tone of the other cancer forums, I feel very fortunate to have "just" lymphoma.
_________________
Age 37 (36 at diagnosis)
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 1AE (localized in colon)
Began six cycles of R chop 21 3rd Dec 2008
Finished R chop 21 Apr 2009
Complete remission as of May 2009

Don · Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 7:39 am Post subject: Lymphoma vs Other Cancers

HI JoePet,

Thank you for you words of sympathy. We all pray that her battle to the end will be comfortable.

I have noticed that the Lymphoma forums are decidedly more upbeat than the forums for other cancers, which tend to be more morbid. Here, we can joke about beer, talk about our motorcycles, and even share opinions of the "best cigars"; whereas on the other forums, the tone is more about general survival.

When my General Practicioner saw the first radiologist report indicating possible lymphoma, he said: "If you have to get cancer, then lymphoma is the one to pick. It is easily treatable, if not curable."

Good Luck...God Bless...Don
_________________
Don B
Dec 07 Dx Follicular NHL, Grade I (Indolent)
Stage IIIA - No Symptoms
Watch and Wait - 6 Month Checks
Jan 09 Scan shows Progression - no symptoms
May 18, 09 - Started R-CVP
After Third Round, CT scan showed some tumor shrinkage
July 31,09 - Completed 6 Rounds R-CVP

aisha1

So sorry to hear about your mum, Don. I was in the same situation - but I have to admit I was a lot younger, and didn't have the pressures that you have.

Mum's are surprisingly tough. I remember my family being called down from Scotland to say goodbye to her on a number of occasions. Then all of a sudden, the next morning, she would be sitting up, drinking soup and talking. She would always rebound back. This can be tough at times because it's difficult to see that someone is so ill when they always seem to be on their last legs and then normal (as normal as you can be with morphine!).

In the end my mother went into a deep sleep, and drifted off. I never went to see her when she was laid out, but my sister said that she had a smile on her face, so death isn't really that bad for us, it is almost like a good thing and a relief at times.

As morbid as death seems to some, we must know that it is just a stage in life, that EVERYONE has to go through. No matter how rich you are, how knowledgable you are, or how much medicine you have - in the end, you will go through a process of dying.

We move into another realm. It is just a passing for us. Much like the passing from being nothing, to being a sperm, to being an egg, then a baby, then born. We were not thought of, then we were here! Now the next stage is to live, and then to pass onto the next stage. This is all just a matter of stages that we need to pass through, and everyone runs the same concurrent stages. Everyone.

Death need not be so morbid. It is just a stage and a fact of life. Your mother will move into another world (don't knwo what your beliefs are), but her power and energy that most of us call the soul, is not lost. It still remains, and even if you want to talk of it in a scientific way - energy is never lost, it is converted from one type to another but can never be lost. Her body will not work, but her energetic soul will remain, and she will always be the soul that made her who she is.

I am thinking about you, and hope that you and your mother have a good laugh (even if it's about me and my comments!). Wink

Aisha.
_________________
Diagnosed Hodgkins lymphoma, nodular sclerosis, grade 2.
Stage II/IIIa.
Chemotherapy ABVD started August 2009.
Still looking young Wink

Don · Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 5:48 am Post subject: Thank You

Thanks for you kind words.

My entire family has deeply held religious beliefs that will get us through this phase in our lives.

I am going up there today, after my Drs check.
_________________
Don B
Dec 07 Dx Follicular NHL, Grade I (Indolent)
Stage IIIA - No Symptoms
Watch and Wait - 6 Month Checks
Jan 09 Scan shows Progression - no symptoms
May 18, 09 - Started R-CVP
After Third Round, CT scan showed some tumor shrinkage
July 31,09 - Completed 6 Rounds R-CVP

ChemoMan

Hi Don

Hang in there and spread the love around. Take care of yourself and yours.

Wishing you many more trips around my friend Smile

_________________
Age 53
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 2a
Finished six cycles of R chop 21 26th May 2008
Officially in remission 9th July 2008
Remission confirmed 1st October 2008
Remission confirmed 17 June 2009
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9620
RULE NUMBER 1.....Don't Panic
RULE NUMBER 2..... NEVER GIVE UP
RULE NUMBER 3..... Don't forget the first 2 rules

Don · Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 7:41 am Post subject: Mom

Mom died September 13th. She was home. Family had been coming and going throughout the entire ordeal.

In her room next to her bed, we discovered albums and momentos that she had saved throughout the years...we never knew she had them. During the entire ordeal, we were going through those and having the best time reminising. It was as if she had planned that.
_________________
Don B
Dec 07 Dx Follicular NHL, Grade I (Indolent)
Stage IIIA - No Symptoms
Watch and Wait - 6 Month Checks
Jan 09 Scan shows Progression - no symptoms
May 18, 09 - Started R-CVP
After Third Round, CT scan showed some tumor shrinkage
July 31,09 - Completed 6 Rounds R-CVP

aisha1

Don,

I really feel for you. It's nice that she passed away in her own environment. No matter how strong you think you are as a family, it always hurts when someone you love passes away. I'm sorry for your loss.

Your mum had a great life, and had loving family. As I'm sure you already know, she has gone on to an even better one. Her soul is still alive and that is what made her really her! Her body is gone but her soul is still the person that she always was.

Take it easy. You haven't had an easy couple of years and I'm hoping it gets easier for you. Thinking of you.

Have a nice send off, with all the lovely memories that she obviously wanted you to share about her and your whole family.

Take care of yourself,

Aisha.
_________________
Diagnosed Hodgkins lymphoma, nodular sclerosis, grade 2.
Stage II/IIIa.
Chemotherapy ABVD started August 2009.
Still looking young Wink

ChemoMan

Hi Don

Its nearly 3 months since you finished R CVP , how is it going ? Hopefully you are feeling better. My thoughts are that you will probably have a checkup at 3 months ? Anyway I saw your post to another member today, nice to see you are still around Very Happy

_________________
Age 53
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 2a
Finished six cycles of R chop 21 26th May 2008
Officially in remission 9th July 2008
Remission confirmed 1st October 2008
Remission confirmed 17 June 2009
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9620
RULE NUMBER 1.....Don't Panic
RULE NUMBER 2..... NEVER GIVE UP
RULE NUMBER 3..... Don't forget the first 2 rules

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