Come Visit Me on 21 April!!!

I've finally got everything arranged and agreed for a Lymphoma Awareness Day on Saturday 21 April at the Basingstoke Discovery Centre (library).

You will find me in the centre of the library with awareness literature and collection boxes, hoping to increase peoples awareness of the 5th most common cancer.

Please do come along and say hello. Would be nice to see some smiling faces supporting the cause!

Patient & Carer Conference

I attended the Lymphoma Association & Leukaemia Care Patient & Carer Conference last weekend at the Marriott in Swansea. I felt priviledged to hear from the patient speakers who spoke about their first hand experience of Lymphoma and Leukaemia. It was endearing and very touching; brave people indeed.

I met some lovely people and I hope those touched by cancer continue to fight their disease for years to come.

The presentations from the medical professionals were excellent and I was encouraged to hear of some new treatments for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma first line treatment that are coming down the line and hopefully available from 2013.

I look forward to the next one.

Another Reprieve!

I had my 4-month check up today and all was well. The Lymphoma appears to remain stable, no obvious progress or spread and my bloods are looking very good, so I am reprieved a further 4 months until 29 June when we go through the process again.

If I can get through the next checkup and a further one later in the year then I will have achieved 3 years of watch and wait without treatment. Considering my fears of watch and wait at point of diagnosis and thinking my life was about to come crashing to it's sombre end, Lymphoma has not overcome me; there can be life beyond a cancer diagnosis. OK so my cancer remains incurable; it's always going to be there and it is going to worsen and I will need treatment, but life is about the here and now; so relish in the moment. We cannot change the past, we cannot predict the future but we can make the most of our here and now.

On the Colonoscopy front, despite the January procedure coming to an abrupt end due to equipment breakdown, my second Colonoscopy went without a hitch 2 weeks ago (Piccolax and Klean-Prep both remain on my hit list! - dreadful medicine) and I got the all clear today. An outpatients appointment on 24 April should ascertain the next way forward for the ongoing abdominal pain, but I'm relieved to find there's nothing serious that can be attributing to the cause.

Write again soon.
x

Northern Lights?

I understand that the Northern Lights might be seen as far away as South London this evening. I'm in Hampshire so not sure if I will be fortunate enough to see anything but I will be looking out anyway in eager anticipation. This has been a wonder I have always wanted to see so if tonight does not yield anything I think I may have to consider formulating a "bucket list".

Biopsy = Normal

Well the surgical procedure I had has been and gone, it wasn't pleasant but then I expected that. The biopsy has been returned as normal but my Consultant wants to still see me again on 3 February so I will need to discuss the ongoing pain I am in and how we move forward.

Welcome 2012

I have been meaning to update my blog for some time now and when I actually logged in just a few minutes ago to add a new post, I was taken aback by how long it's been since I was here!

There have been so many events that have taken place during 2011; too many to list quite frankly and most of which have not been positive or not things I wish to dwell on.

On a positive note, "Lenny" remains stable, and I have managed to stave off any treatment requirements for another 12 months; so it's now 2 years since my diagnosis and I continue on watch and wait. The enlarged lymph node that was at the original site in my groin (that confirmed my condition) has nonetheless returned; as have a further 2 in the same groin, but I remain asymptomatic so there's no additional action needed for now. I have no idea what Lenny may doing throughout the rest of my body as I haven't had any further scans. I never imagined getting to this point, so on reflection, perhaps I have been more courageous and have had more strength than I have given myself credit for.

I'm still getting professional support for the emotional impact cancer has had on my life from some outstanding Therapists and Medics and there have been some very dark and testing times. I remain on medical sick leave for both the emotional and physical aspects.

More recently I have been experiencing additional medical problems; which could be linked to my Lymphoma. To the credit of the NHS, in the last week I have been referred to Specialists, met with my Consultant, had tests and this week (Friday) will be admitted as a day patient to have a surgical procedure which will help diagnosis the problem. Lymphoma has been mentioned more than once and I know that the Consultants believe there could be a link so I'm grateful in some ways to be propelled through the NHS system, although I do not relish what's ahead in the coming days; and if I'm completely honest I'm very scared.

My New Year's resolutions are now set - and it's all about me....finally.

My next routine Lymphoma checkup is mid- February, so if I don't report back before then re; the above, I promise an update next month.

Happy New Year - best wishes for 2012.