We were off to Big City today for my six-month checkup with Dr. Hema. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I already had the blood test results in my hand and knew what the report was going to be before I walked in. To cut to the answer, my numbers are just about exactly in line with the last several visits, indicating that my lymphoma is still barely present but not getting any worse, or better, than it has been for the last two years.
This is excellent news, since the generally great health I've enjoyed for the last few years is likely to continue unhindered by lymphoma, chemo treatments, long hours in the infusion chair, etc. It is, instead, likely to be enjoyed to the fullest with my adorable wife and our family and friends.
I took the opportunity to seek out the people that treated me previously and thank them for their hard work and skill. They essentially saved my life.
After a few pleasantries and a thorough examination of my lymph nodes, Dr. Hema pronounced me approved to go enjoy life until my next six-month follow-up visit. Awesome!
I know that my particular strain of lymphoma will eventually return. Dr. Hema and I don't know if it will be six months, six years or even longer. It is, however, great to know that it won't be today!
We then joined friends for a very enjoyable lunch where we toasted, with sweet tea, life, health and happiness. It was a very welcome celebration of my good news.
Thank you, my friends, for all your support. Your well-wishes and encouragement buoyed me when I needed it the most.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
'Tis the season
It is almost time to begin my semi-annual series of check-ups with Dr. Hema, Dr. Cardio and Dr. Primary. Yesterday I went for blood tests so that the results will be available for discussion in a few days with Dr. Hema. As you may recall, I am mailed a copy of the results simultaneously so that I know in advance what to discuss with Dr. Hema. Yes, yes, yes; control freak, Type A and all that. I know. However, I do believe after years of doctors visits, MRIs and, yes, even hospital stays, that the best person to manage my health is me. I don't want to get a call from a technician in the doctors office a few days after my visit saying my results look good. Instead, I want to look the doctor him- or herself in the eye and ask the exact meaning of the result. I also want to know the long-term prognosis and the prescribed course of correction, if any. The technician in the back office doesn't know all this.
Having said all this, I really feel great! Unless I told you, I doubt you'd recognize me as a long-term lymphoma patient or even any serious issue and especially one who has been through some very tough times. I am actually looking forward to my doctor visits so I can see if the measurements match my expectations. I am pretty confident that they do.
I also look forward to seeing all of the great folks who have taken such excellent care of me and giving each a hug and a thank you.
Finally, I look forward to a nice lunch afterwards with my adorable wife and a pleasant drive home the long way!
Having said all this, I really feel great! Unless I told you, I doubt you'd recognize me as a long-term lymphoma patient or even any serious issue and especially one who has been through some very tough times. I am actually looking forward to my doctor visits so I can see if the measurements match my expectations. I am pretty confident that they do.
I also look forward to seeing all of the great folks who have taken such excellent care of me and giving each a hug and a thank you.
Finally, I look forward to a nice lunch afterwards with my adorable wife and a pleasant drive home the long way!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Another great result
Yesterday, I went for my semi-annual visit with Dr. Hema to discuss my progress and review the results of my regularly scheduled blood tests. As regular readers of this blog will remember, I get my blood tests locally well before the doctor's office visits. I have a copy of the test mailed to me so I can note the progress of my lymphoma and have an informed discussion with the doctor.
As a friend of mine says, "A little bit of a control freak, are we?"
My tests results are excellent! My M-spike number, the primary indicator of cancer cells in the body, is 0.26, or just about where it has been for the last several visits. That tells us that the disease is getting no worse over time. Since it can never be absolutely, positively cured, that is the best result I could expect. Woo hoo!!!
We had a frank discussion of the possibilities in the future. Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma usually returns after a period. It may be six months or six years or sixteen years or, as in a few cases, never. We will wait and see. Even if it does return, it may progress very slowly with no urgent need for immediate treatment. Accordingly, my adorable wife and I shall work hard to enjoy life to the very fullest.
As usual, we celebrated with a nice long lunch and a respectable Chianti Classico. We shall start planning our next trip. I hope we see you soon!
As a friend of mine says, "A little bit of a control freak, are we?"
My tests results are excellent! My M-spike number, the primary indicator of cancer cells in the body, is 0.26, or just about where it has been for the last several visits. That tells us that the disease is getting no worse over time. Since it can never be absolutely, positively cured, that is the best result I could expect. Woo hoo!!!
We had a frank discussion of the possibilities in the future. Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma usually returns after a period. It may be six months or six years or sixteen years or, as in a few cases, never. We will wait and see. Even if it does return, it may progress very slowly with no urgent need for immediate treatment. Accordingly, my adorable wife and I shall work hard to enjoy life to the very fullest.
As usual, we celebrated with a nice long lunch and a respectable Chianti Classico. We shall start planning our next trip. I hope we see you soon!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Three...count 'em, three great reports!
About a month ago, I was asked to visit my cardiologist for an annual follow-up visit including an echo-cardiogram. It is a sonogram of the heart. For those of you who have not had this procedure, it is the procedure where a sensor is rubbed around the area of interest with a quart or so, it seems, of sterile lubricant. The screen makes all sorts of interesting images and the machine bleeps and honks meaning, I surmise, that I do have an operational heart. After the procedure, Dr. Cardio saw me and after reviewing my test result, pronounced me fine and suggested I see him again in a year.
A few days later, I saw my primary care physician to follow up my slightly elevated triglycerides now being treated with medication. After reviewing my blood tests, he told me my triglycerides and cholesterol were within normal limits. Evidently, the medication is doing its job as expected.
There seems to be a trend here and I like it! I appear to be in fine health and expect the visit to Dr. Hema will continue the trend.
Today I visited with Dr. Hema, filled with optimism. Part of my optimism was generated because I choose to manage my health care a bit more aggressively that most. I knew the answer before I walked in the door! I knew the answer because I insist that my blood tests be administered prior to my visit and that I obtain a copy. I then compare my results from previous visits and I know if my progress is trending towards better, same or worse.
My M-spike number was 0.24, about the same as the last several visits. My particular lymphoma, known by the tongue-tying name lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, never really goes away, so a decline in my M-spike number is very unlikely. Therefore, the best result is just what I got, no significant change. Dr. Hema scheduled another visit in six months.
That sure was a long-winded way to get to WOO HOO!
I feel very healthy and I'm able to do just about anything I want to do. My beloved wife and I intend to enjoy life to the fullest.
Thank you all, gentle readers, for your prayers and support. I appreciate all the help I can get!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Another great report!
Today was a regularly scheduled six-month follow-up visit with Dr. Hema. That, in itself, is significant. At one point in my progress, I was seeing him every day! Once the rituxan and chemo were administered, I saw him every three months. Now I am scheduled for every six months.
The numbers and consequently Dr. Hema's comments were just wonderful. The only number that was not an improvement was M-spike which has risen to 0.27. If I am understanding Dr. Hema correctly, an increase from the last number of 0.19 is insignificant. Both numbers are quite small; however, they are not zero which would signal complete remission. We don't expect complete remission with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. We expect long periods of nearly complete remission followed by brief periods of re-treatment. According to Dr. Hema, there is no way to know if re-treatment will be needed in six months, six years or some other period. He has previously said to me that most patients eventually die of some other cause, not lymphoma.
My numbers were so unremarkable that we mostly discussed restaurants, travel and Nurse Kim's new baby girl! We scheduled my next visit in six more months.
My adorable wife and I celebrated with a big lunch and I enjoyed a big glass of Pinot Noir.
When I was first diagnosed and undergoing treatment, my attitude was that I have a possibly life-threatening lymphoma and I should bite my lip, write an intelligent estate plan and take what comes like a man. Now that I have been treated and it has gone so well, my attitude is that, like the flu, I used to have lymphoma and it has been treated and I am fine. If it comes back, I will get another treatment and I will be fine.
I expect to be around for a normal life expectancy for a non-smoking male who eats big lunches and drinks a bit of Pinot Noir!
The numbers and consequently Dr. Hema's comments were just wonderful. The only number that was not an improvement was M-spike which has risen to 0.27. If I am understanding Dr. Hema correctly, an increase from the last number of 0.19 is insignificant. Both numbers are quite small; however, they are not zero which would signal complete remission. We don't expect complete remission with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. We expect long periods of nearly complete remission followed by brief periods of re-treatment. According to Dr. Hema, there is no way to know if re-treatment will be needed in six months, six years or some other period. He has previously said to me that most patients eventually die of some other cause, not lymphoma.
My numbers were so unremarkable that we mostly discussed restaurants, travel and Nurse Kim's new baby girl! We scheduled my next visit in six more months.
My adorable wife and I celebrated with a big lunch and I enjoyed a big glass of Pinot Noir.
When I was first diagnosed and undergoing treatment, my attitude was that I have a possibly life-threatening lymphoma and I should bite my lip, write an intelligent estate plan and take what comes like a man. Now that I have been treated and it has gone so well, my attitude is that, like the flu, I used to have lymphoma and it has been treated and I am fine. If it comes back, I will get another treatment and I will be fine.
I expect to be around for a normal life expectancy for a non-smoking male who eats big lunches and drinks a bit of Pinot Noir!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
A call from Nurse Kim
I had a follow-up CT scan on Saturday to look at my lungs. I had a scan three months ago and a spot was found on one lung that was attributed to bronchitis. At the last scan, I was suffering from a cold or flu and coughing. The scan on Saturday was intended to make sure that the spot went away with the bronchitis. Dr. Hema ordered a scan of my body from neck to groin. He said that as long as I was filled with contrast dye and lying on the table, why not look at everything, not just my lungs.
Nurse Kim and I just spoke and she said the scan shows no sign of any spot on either lung and no sign of lymphoma. Now, having said that, I don't believe that means that there is absolutely, positively no lymphoma in my body. I believe it means that the resolution of a CT scan is too coarse to show the very tiny amounts of lymphoma I have in my body. I believe I still have some small amount because I have the indicators in my blood test numbers. As small as they may be, they are still not zero.
This is great news and I am still very happy with my progress. I shall continue to follow Dr. Hema's prescription to go forth and enjoy my life to the fullest.
Today's weight: a svelte 179.5. Notice that I don't post it if it's embarrassing!
Nurse Kim and I just spoke and she said the scan shows no sign of any spot on either lung and no sign of lymphoma. Now, having said that, I don't believe that means that there is absolutely, positively no lymphoma in my body. I believe it means that the resolution of a CT scan is too coarse to show the very tiny amounts of lymphoma I have in my body. I believe I still have some small amount because I have the indicators in my blood test numbers. As small as they may be, they are still not zero.
This is great news and I am still very happy with my progress. I shall continue to follow Dr. Hema's prescription to go forth and enjoy my life to the fullest.
Today's weight: a svelte 179.5. Notice that I don't post it if it's embarrassing!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
A visit to Dr. Hema
Today we traveled to Big City for a regularly scheduled visit to Dr. Hema. As I suspected, he said I am doing very well. He confirmed my estimation of the meaning of my recent blood tests. He said I looked excellent when he considered where I had come from 2 1/2 years ago. At that time, I felt and looked terrible and was fighting Rituxan. Now, I feel great and am fighting...well, nothing aside from an appetite for fattening foods!
At my last CT scan, part of the result was colored by the effects of then ongoing bronchitis. Dr. Hema is to schedule another test soon to be sure those effects are gone and not something more serious. I will have my next follow-up visit with Dr. Hema in six months.
All-in-all, this was a great visit. Everyone with a very serious illness hopes he or she can go to the doctor and hear he is in great shape and no follow-up visits are needed for six months. My adorable wife and I never miss an opportunity to celebrate. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch and I raised a glass of wine to toast good health and long life!
At my last CT scan, part of the result was colored by the effects of then ongoing bronchitis. Dr. Hema is to schedule another test soon to be sure those effects are gone and not something more serious. I will have my next follow-up visit with Dr. Hema in six months.
All-in-all, this was a great visit. Everyone with a very serious illness hopes he or she can go to the doctor and hear he is in great shape and no follow-up visits are needed for six months. My adorable wife and I never miss an opportunity to celebrate. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch and I raised a glass of wine to toast good health and long life!
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