Well...it is very true. Some days are harder than others. The last few days have been hard for me. Bob is doing really well, as you can see - very positive and confident. Bob says he feels the confidence deep inside. So do I. Bob will be fine out the other end of this. I know this in my heart. And I am overwhelmed by it all. The whole year has been rough (do I keep saying that?) and this is such a big thing - lymphoma! We are still in the stage of so many unknowns. I am looking forward to knowing more about the staging and the treatment.
We have one decision made - Bob likes the New Liskeard cancer treatment room better so he will be doing chemo there (what doesn't happen in Sudbury anyway). One small hurdle crossed.
There are so many things in my mind and heart. I am focusing on organizing what I can about appointments etc. It helps me to be doing something and I have the patience and persistence for it. Turns out it is recommended that we have more sperm banked...so I set that up. It has been a VERY frustrating week of trying to get a hold of medical people. They go on holiday and no one calls back!! We have a short time frame here people!! I am still grieving our recent miscarriages and that brings a particular intensity to this whole thing as well.
The range of emotions I am feeling in any given day this last 2 weeks is amazing...sadness, deep grief, frustration, anger, bitterness, laughter, joy, silliness, amazement and awe...
Bob and I are so lucky to have each other and so lucky that we both love to be silly. I think silly will get us through this.
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I saw Bob's video on the CFHQ site today and I just wanted to express how sorry I am but at the same time how impressed I am. To maintain such a positive outlook is truly fantastic and an inspiration to me. Stay strong, surround yourself with loved ones, and always remember to laugh. All my best wishes for a speedy recovery Bob, you're going to get through this.
Wicked. You are now truly famous. Don't be surprised if you get a call from my Aunt in a few weeks. She's a reporter in Ontario and loves stories like this.
I was diagnosed with Diffuse large B cell NHL in 11/2005 when I was 49. I am a lifelong weightlifter who has been doing crossfit for the past few months. I saw your posts about being diagnosed with NHL. I don't know all the details of your condition but here are my experiences for what they are worth.
My treatment was 8 sessions of CHOP/R - one session every 3 weeks. To alleviate the side effects of chemo I was given prednisone. It gave me a lot of energy and increased my appetite. In general the chemo didn't leave me tired or nauseous - in fact the prednisone gave me a huge appetite and I ate too much and put on a bit of weight. I was able to work full time (I am a computer programmer). During the treatment I worked out sporadically - partly from a busy schedule and partly from catching colds. From your chemo your white blood cell count will drop through the floor so your immunity will be very low. One time I was doing some windsprints and felt a little pain in my big toe from the toenail jabbing a little against the skin. Something you usually don't notice because it goes away. I ended up with an infected toe and fever and had to be treated with antibiotics. So be careful - small cuts or bruises can end up being a big deal. You don't want anything to cause you to postponne a chemo treatment. To minimize damage to your blood vessels chemo for CHOP/R is usally done by having an infuseport placed in your chest. It is a tube that connects a small cap just under your skin (just beneath the collarbone) to one of your coronary arteries. The surgeon will say that you can do anything but be very careful when doing exercises like heavy presses or cleans.
Good luck - NHL is very treatable. Now I am off to work on handstand pushups and kipping pullups neither of which I can do yet.
Rocco - Anna here.
Thanks so much for your post. I am so glad you are well! Hooray for treatment and CF! WE LOVE TO HEAR THESE POSITIVE STORIES! We will know more this coming Friday about treatment etc. Sounds like 6-8 cycles of RCHOP is what is likely.
Thanks!
Anna
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