So a few weeks ago I was scanned and had a bone marrow test. Scans showed no active cancer, nodes are shrinking and all the doctors and nurses are so happy. Bone marrow showed no cancer in either side. This is amazing news! To go from stage 4 to remission in 2 treatments is unbelievable. It should have taken at least 6 months to a year. This cancer med study is amazing, the doctors and nurses are calling me all the time getting updates, blood work weekly, constant attention and love from all the Dr's and nurses here. My family, friends, bosses and work family are all so great keeping my attitude in the right place, making life and work fun... so I rocked this just like I rock everything else...with amazing awesomeness. :)
so that whole "too good to be true" thing hits right about now.
NH Follicular Lymphoma almost always returns. Dr's don't have to deal with this often because the people normally getting this type of cancer are 60,70,80 years old, so they die of natural causes before it can return again. But since I'm 33 this cancer can return 1-2 times before I die. It could come back next year, 5 years, 10 years... no one knows. I have read about young people getting it back 3 times in 6 years after being in remission, and I have read about people that have been in remission for over 20 years with no signs of it returning.
So my Dr and I had a chat. First of all I have to keep going and complete my 6 treatments. I'm sitting thru #4 right now. In 35 more days I get another and 35 after that the last one of this mission.
Then the decision.
Option one. Continue with chemo after the 6th treatment, but this would be every 70 days and would run into Jan 2014. But this only continues the treatment I have been getting to be sure there are no cancer cells hiding and waiting to grow. This option does not cure the cancer forever just treats what I had in hopes it does not return.
Option two. "Hopkins Bone Marrow transplant" After my #6 treatment i would get a dose of chemo 10 times the power i have been receiving. Losing my hair most likely that day, killing just about everything inside of me including my bone marrow. Sitting in Hopkins for 2 weeks waiting for my blood counts to go up. Opening me up to all kinds of issues. Then after my blood counts come back up I would get a bone marrow transplant, from either a donor or my cleaned marrow that would be taken before the insane dose of killer chemo gets delivered.
It was put to me honestly and nicely... "if I don't die from an infection in the hospital in two weeks, I could die from the bleeding out during the transplant and or infection from the surgery not to mention chance for a rejection." The risk of death is somewhat small BUT if I died from something dumb when i could have maybe lived for 20 years cancer free, that would be a huge waste. Plus this option I would be out of commission for 2 months, we ALL know i CANT sit still that long.
I am a great candidate for this option and it would make it so i never get this type of cancer ever again. However the risks of infection and death are a little to high for me and dying this summer is just not in my schedule. I have WAY too much fun to have.
So I am doing option one, chemo until '14. the every 70 days thing is good. If it comes back I will start again and they rethink the bone marrow thing.
I feel amazing, other than being extra sleepy in the morning. I am working out at the gym, running, traveling, still working and I am managing my chemo brain far better now. Things are good.
So we will keep going with the same.
Sitting here getting chemo now. Dad is reading. Sun is shining. Its going to be a good life, I can feel it. This cancer BS just makes me stronger.
xoxo B
