Non Hodgkins Lymphoma Success

13

Comments

  • dixiegirl
    dixiegirl Member Posts: 1,043 Member
    bluerose said:

    What is this Riuxin all about?
    Joanie can you tell me about this Riuxin? I have seen it a few times mentioned on the boards and I was wondering if you could fill me in on this and when it is used? It wasn't around as far as I know when I had my transplant.

    Thanks

    Bluerose

    Rituxan
    Bluerose,

    Rituxan is a monoclonal antibody that attaches to specific CD20 cancer cells like a marker to help our immune system know what cells to kill. It's a mouse antibody and has been around for awhile, but not when you had your treatments. It's getting very good results and sometimes is used as a mainline treatment.

    With my last relapse I did Rituxan once a week for 4 weeks then maintenance once every two months. I am doing the maintenance for 2 years which is fairly common regime.

    It's pretty side effect free, at least for me.

    Thanks,
    Beth
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
    dixiegirl said:

    Rituxan
    Bluerose,

    Rituxan is a monoclonal antibody that attaches to specific CD20 cancer cells like a marker to help our immune system know what cells to kill. It's a mouse antibody and has been around for awhile, but not when you had your treatments. It's getting very good results and sometimes is used as a mainline treatment.

    With my last relapse I did Rituxan once a week for 4 weeks then maintenance once every two months. I am doing the maintenance for 2 years which is fairly common regime.

    It's pretty side effect free, at least for me.

    Thanks,
    Beth

    Wow Beth, amazing
    Sounds like great progress with Rituxan since my treatments. Very interesting. Fabulous to know that maybe others won't have to go through all the side effects I have resulting from treatments of 20 years ago.

    Hope you continue on your road to recovery without side effects of any kind.

    Blessings,
    Bluerose
  • CountryGal7557
    CountryGal7557 Member Posts: 164 Member
    bluerose said:

    Wow Beth, amazing
    Sounds like great progress with Rituxan since my treatments. Very interesting. Fabulous to know that maybe others won't have to go through all the side effects I have resulting from treatments of 20 years ago.

    Hope you continue on your road to recovery without side effects of any kind.

    Blessings,
    Bluerose

    Rituxan + new Chemo Treanda in 2010
    I was diagnosed March 2010,Stage 4a Follicular B-cell NHL indolent, coming up on my one year anniversary. Took 2-day treatment of Rituxan + Treanda for 4 months, Pet scan came back 'no activity' - clear scan in July 2010, 16 days before my daughter's wedding! then finished up with 4 weekly treatments in August. I am cancer free and my onc will be monitoring my progress thru blood draws. he said he's not a fan of too s tmany PET scans, which we were relieved to hear.

    I blogged my Journey @ http://lifeisgood2010.wordpress.com/ because I could not find a support group anywhere, this site didn't even show up when I googled for information. so I started my own journey in hopes to help others. I am so glad to finally have found all of you, better late, then never, as it's great to hear encouraging words and to hear success of others. I am now experiencing the aches and pains in joints - mostly ankles and have read on this site, that it's all a part of the late affects after chemo, and to take Aleve or Tylonol - is there nothing that can be done? I work at Swanson Health Products and found a Joint supplement that I am going to try for two weeks and see if that helps.

    Life is still pretty darn Good!
    Janelle
    Stage 4a Follicular B-cell NHL indolent (I've seen alot of abreviations on how to write the dx, but I'm not familiar with how it all yet.)
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104

    Rituxan + new Chemo Treanda in 2010
    I was diagnosed March 2010,Stage 4a Follicular B-cell NHL indolent, coming up on my one year anniversary. Took 2-day treatment of Rituxan + Treanda for 4 months, Pet scan came back 'no activity' - clear scan in July 2010, 16 days before my daughter's wedding! then finished up with 4 weekly treatments in August. I am cancer free and my onc will be monitoring my progress thru blood draws. he said he's not a fan of too s tmany PET scans, which we were relieved to hear.

    I blogged my Journey @ http://lifeisgood2010.wordpress.com/ because I could not find a support group anywhere, this site didn't even show up when I googled for information. so I started my own journey in hopes to help others. I am so glad to finally have found all of you, better late, then never, as it's great to hear encouraging words and to hear success of others. I am now experiencing the aches and pains in joints - mostly ankles and have read on this site, that it's all a part of the late affects after chemo, and to take Aleve or Tylonol - is there nothing that can be done? I work at Swanson Health Products and found a Joint supplement that I am going to try for two weeks and see if that helps.

    Life is still pretty darn Good!
    Janelle
    Stage 4a Follicular B-cell NHL indolent (I've seen alot of abreviations on how to write the dx, but I'm not familiar with how it all yet.)

    Congrats on your one year survivorship
    Just think, in a few years to come you will be blogging about your 20th year survivorship too !!!!

    Take care.

    Blessings,

    Bluerose
  • COBRA666
    COBRA666 Member Posts: 2,401 Member

    Rituxan + new Chemo Treanda in 2010
    I was diagnosed March 2010,Stage 4a Follicular B-cell NHL indolent, coming up on my one year anniversary. Took 2-day treatment of Rituxan + Treanda for 4 months, Pet scan came back 'no activity' - clear scan in July 2010, 16 days before my daughter's wedding! then finished up with 4 weekly treatments in August. I am cancer free and my onc will be monitoring my progress thru blood draws. he said he's not a fan of too s tmany PET scans, which we were relieved to hear.

    I blogged my Journey @ http://lifeisgood2010.wordpress.com/ because I could not find a support group anywhere, this site didn't even show up when I googled for information. so I started my own journey in hopes to help others. I am so glad to finally have found all of you, better late, then never, as it's great to hear encouraging words and to hear success of others. I am now experiencing the aches and pains in joints - mostly ankles and have read on this site, that it's all a part of the late affects after chemo, and to take Aleve or Tylonol - is there nothing that can be done? I work at Swanson Health Products and found a Joint supplement that I am going to try for two weeks and see if that helps.

    Life is still pretty darn Good!
    Janelle
    Stage 4a Follicular B-cell NHL indolent (I've seen alot of abreviations on how to write the dx, but I'm not familiar with how it all yet.)

    Blog???
    Janelle,
    I checked your blog but it comes up blank onmy end. John(FNHL-1-4A-5/10) REMISSION-10-15-2010
  • Bodoni
    Bodoni Member Posts: 8
    Amen to that. I had four
    Amen to that. I had four sessions of R-CHOP at 81 and I swear I have never felt better, now a few months later.
  • COBRA666
    COBRA666 Member Posts: 2,401 Member
    Bodoni said:

    Amen to that. I had four
    Amen to that. I had four sessions of R-CHOP at 81 and I swear I have never felt better, now a few months later.

    Success story
    There is only one thing better than a success story and that is another success story. John
  • rh7rh7
    rh7rh7 Member Posts: 1
    Long term survivor
    This is my first time on this site. I was reading your posts and am so thankful for the hope they bring people. I was diagnosed with NHL in 1980 at age 18 yrs old. I had 1.5 yrs of chemo and some radiation, CHOP included. They didn't do the bone marrow transplants back then. I have been in remission since or as they say after 10 yrs cured. I have personally felt alone until reading some of these posts, not many people know of the long term effects of chemo including my doctor. Do you have any ideas on how to get information about this?
    Blessings to you, rh7rh7
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
    rh7rh7 said:

    Long term survivor
    This is my first time on this site. I was reading your posts and am so thankful for the hope they bring people. I was diagnosed with NHL in 1980 at age 18 yrs old. I had 1.5 yrs of chemo and some radiation, CHOP included. They didn't do the bone marrow transplants back then. I have been in remission since or as they say after 10 yrs cured. I have personally felt alone until reading some of these posts, not many people know of the long term effects of chemo including my doctor. Do you have any ideas on how to get information about this?
    Blessings to you, rh7rh7

    Welcome to the site rh7rh7
    First let me congratulate you on your cure. Wonderful to hear that. I am sure you and I can relate on many levels, some of which unfortunately are some side effects of the treatments although of course I had total body radiation as well in the transplant and CHOP was before that.

    On the internet there is a site called ACOR which is the American Cancer Online Resource group and they have a ton of information on every kind of cancer plus a long list of resources for long term and late effects of treatments. They have a long term survivor group there as well.

    You can also google Late Effects in Long Term Cancer Survivors and I guess you would be considered a survivor of childhood cancers would you, or adult? Reason I ask is that you have to look at the which group they are talking about in late effects because late effects of those diagnosed as children and treated when they were kids is different from treatments as adults. To note, only go to reputable sites like Mayo Clinic or browse this site or ACOR as I said. Other cancer hospitals can be helpful too like the one in Canada in Toronto called Princess Margaret. I live in Canada and was partially treated there. They have a great site called Caring Voices and if you go there and look around you will see that they have actual online general meetings for online survivors/caregivers on a variety of topics. Google Caring Voices and you will get to the site and have a look at the meetings for the month. Anyone can attend and the leaders of the meetings are nurses who work in cancer care and there is an oncologist who comes in about once a month to chat too. The meetings deal with radiation treatments, chemo, side effects, emotional issues. Cancer is cancer no matter where in the world you live so check that out too.

    In the U.S., not sure where you live there are what they call Late Effects Clinics that deal specifically with long term effects of treatments, most are for those who were diagnosed and treated as childrern. If you want a late effects clinic that deals with treatment on adult patients you can get in touch with The Dana Farber Institute in Boston and in particular the Perini Clinic that deals with late effects for those who were treated as adults. They will no doubt put you in touch with a nurse practioner who will answer some of your questions.

    Back when we were diagnosed and treated we weren't validated when we complained about after pain and the like but it's different today because time is telling doctors that hey we are still around and we have issues too. This site is very helpful as well in supporting and helping to validate your concerns and issues, it's a great comfort to many. Wish I had this site when I was in treatment. Also check out the chatroom on this site, there aren't too many instant chat sites on cancer that are clean and supportive. Admin takes care of any issues that may arise in a speedy fashion, it's quite good really.

    Anywho I wish you all the best. See you in chat at some point I hope.

    Blessings,

    Bluerose
  • daisies
    daisies Member Posts: 2
    bluerose said:

    Welcome to the site rh7rh7
    First let me congratulate you on your cure. Wonderful to hear that. I am sure you and I can relate on many levels, some of which unfortunately are some side effects of the treatments although of course I had total body radiation as well in the transplant and CHOP was before that.

    On the internet there is a site called ACOR which is the American Cancer Online Resource group and they have a ton of information on every kind of cancer plus a long list of resources for long term and late effects of treatments. They have a long term survivor group there as well.

    You can also google Late Effects in Long Term Cancer Survivors and I guess you would be considered a survivor of childhood cancers would you, or adult? Reason I ask is that you have to look at the which group they are talking about in late effects because late effects of those diagnosed as children and treated when they were kids is different from treatments as adults. To note, only go to reputable sites like Mayo Clinic or browse this site or ACOR as I said. Other cancer hospitals can be helpful too like the one in Canada in Toronto called Princess Margaret. I live in Canada and was partially treated there. They have a great site called Caring Voices and if you go there and look around you will see that they have actual online general meetings for online survivors/caregivers on a variety of topics. Google Caring Voices and you will get to the site and have a look at the meetings for the month. Anyone can attend and the leaders of the meetings are nurses who work in cancer care and there is an oncologist who comes in about once a month to chat too. The meetings deal with radiation treatments, chemo, side effects, emotional issues. Cancer is cancer no matter where in the world you live so check that out too.

    In the U.S., not sure where you live there are what they call Late Effects Clinics that deal specifically with long term effects of treatments, most are for those who were diagnosed and treated as childrern. If you want a late effects clinic that deals with treatment on adult patients you can get in touch with The Dana Farber Institute in Boston and in particular the Perini Clinic that deals with late effects for those who were treated as adults. They will no doubt put you in touch with a nurse practioner who will answer some of your questions.

    Back when we were diagnosed and treated we weren't validated when we complained about after pain and the like but it's different today because time is telling doctors that hey we are still around and we have issues too. This site is very helpful as well in supporting and helping to validate your concerns and issues, it's a great comfort to many. Wish I had this site when I was in treatment. Also check out the chatroom on this site, there aren't too many instant chat sites on cancer that are clean and supportive. Admin takes care of any issues that may arise in a speedy fashion, it's quite good really.

    Anywho I wish you all the best. See you in chat at some point I hope.

    Blessings,

    Bluerose

    glad i found this site
    hi! my boyfriend was diagnosed with NHL in december 2009, at the age of 37. he completed R-CHOP treatments and is in remission as of july 2010. i pray everyday it stays that way.

    he actually had a followup catscan today. .. we're waiting on results.
    i try hard to not allow the fear of it all take over our lives, but weeks leading up to tests, it does creep in.

    bless you all for everything you've been through. thank you for posting your stories!!
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
    daisies said:

    glad i found this site
    hi! my boyfriend was diagnosed with NHL in december 2009, at the age of 37. he completed R-CHOP treatments and is in remission as of july 2010. i pray everyday it stays that way.

    he actually had a followup catscan today. .. we're waiting on results.
    i try hard to not allow the fear of it all take over our lives, but weeks leading up to tests, it does creep in.

    bless you all for everything you've been through. thank you for posting your stories!!

    Hi Daisies
    Welcome to the site and I hope you find alot of usefull information here and people who can help you through the process. There will be a fair amount of waiting for your boyfriend and you, what with test results and specialists and all kinds of health based appointments but with your support and good care I pray he will get through it all and soon be able to put this behind him.

    Cancer can be cured, I am a living example of that and so are alot of others on this site and off. All the best.

    Bluerose
  • JoanieP
    JoanieP Member Posts: 573
    bluerose said:

    Hello Cat
    Thanks for you nice comments in reply to my posting. I am happy to hear that you are well and got through your treatments as you did.

    Yes it was interesting 20 years ago in cancer treatment but exciting too with stem cells just starting to be introduced for my kind of cancer - to that point they only did bone marrow transplants for leukemia patients - not hodgkins patients but they do now. I also remember that when I was first diagnosed they didn't have good anti nausea drugs and that was not funny with chemo but flash forward 2 years later when the NHL reared it's ugly head again that they did have very good anti nausea mediations and that made all the difference in treatments for me for sure.

    Think what they will have for patients in the next 20 years? Hopefully the answer to that will be A CURE for all cancers.

    Take care.

    Bluerose

    Hi Bluerose and Cat
    HI
    Good to see you all posting. Bluerose thanks for giving Cat and I encouragement. It will be 3 years this Jan that I was diagnosed. My PET scan is Wed. and results the day after. I keep repeating my favorite Bible verse. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and HE will direct your path. Your relapse, Bluerose, was a blessing because your BMT has given you a long remission and CURE. I know what ever the Dr tell me on Thursday it is NOT in my control and God will lead my path. That is what I know for sure but my human emotions are a little anxious:) It has been a year since my last scan. I have chosen to have other tests but only scan once a year.
  • JoanieP
    JoanieP Member Posts: 573
    bluerose said:

    Hello Cat
    Thanks for you nice comments in reply to my posting. I am happy to hear that you are well and got through your treatments as you did.

    Yes it was interesting 20 years ago in cancer treatment but exciting too with stem cells just starting to be introduced for my kind of cancer - to that point they only did bone marrow transplants for leukemia patients - not hodgkins patients but they do now. I also remember that when I was first diagnosed they didn't have good anti nausea drugs and that was not funny with chemo but flash forward 2 years later when the NHL reared it's ugly head again that they did have very good anti nausea mediations and that made all the difference in treatments for me for sure.

    Think what they will have for patients in the next 20 years? Hopefully the answer to that will be A CURE for all cancers.

    Take care.

    Bluerose

    Hi Bluerose and Cat
    HI
    Good to see you all posting. Bluerose thanks for giving Cat and I encouragement. It will be 3 years this Jan that I was diagnosed. My PET scan is Wed. and results the day after. I keep repeating my favorite Bible verse. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and HE will direct your path. Your relapse, Bluerose, was a blessing because your BMT has given you a long remission and CURE. I know what ever the Dr tell me on Thursday it is NOT in my control and God will lead my path. That is what I know for sure but my human emotions are a little anxious:) It has been a year since my last scan. I have chosen to have other tests but only scan once a year.
  • JacquieK
    JacquieK Member Posts: 14
    Thank you
    Thank you for being an inspiration to us all. I'm almost 4 months in remission and feeling stronger most every day.
  • bluerose
    bluerose Member Posts: 1,104
    JacquieK said:

    Thank you
    Thank you for being an inspiration to us all. I'm almost 4 months in remission and feeling stronger most every day.

    Hi JacquieK
    I have a feeling that with your strength and positivity it won't be long before you will be receiving the same kind of 'Thank You' from a new cancer patient for your inspiration to them.

    All the best.

    Blessings,

    Bluerose
  • razmataz
    razmataz Member Posts: 1
    catwink22 said:

    Rituxin
    Hi Linda,
    I am receiving Rituxin which is a monoclonal antibody. Basically it's a manmade guided missile that marks lymphoma cells so your own immune system will kill them. I have had three treatments, one more to go and then a scan in July will tell me if it worked. It is also used with chemo but because I am not having the "B" symptoms (night sweats, weight loss, fatigue) my onc felt it wasn't necessary for me to have chemo. Keeping my fingers crossed!
    Cat

    low grade b cell lymphoma just diagnosed
    diagnosed via lymph node biopsy after double mastectomy. Am upset and not sure what is next.\
  • Jeen
    Jeen Member Posts: 24
    razmataz said:

    low grade b cell lymphoma just diagnosed
    diagnosed via lymph node biopsy after double mastectomy. Am upset and not sure what is next.\

    Hi
    I have had a mastectomy

    Hi

    I have had a mastectomy too and am also trying to find my way through this diagnosis, as it is new to me as well. Knowledge is a real anxiety reducer, and I have found everyone here to be very responsive.....This disease is very different form breast cancer,,,as it is more individual, and treatment follows that. Stay strong, and keep on! That's what I tell myself....

    Jeen
  • 1ladydiamond
    1ladydiamond Member Posts: 28
    razmataz said:

    low grade b cell lymphoma just diagnosed
    diagnosed via lymph node biopsy after double mastectomy. Am upset and not sure what is next.\

    Low grade b cell lymphoma

    Hi i was just diagnosed with follicular b cell lymphoma stage 4 it is a low grade slow moving cancer. I had a choice of watching and waiting but i discussed it with my doc and i started doing Rutixan in April of this year i was just diagnosed with it this April. I took it for each week until July then it has been each month July and August and Sept and Oct now i take it every 8 weeks i am so glad i did it. It has scaled back so much i am feeling so much better. Steroids is a major factor in it because it helps me from getting reactions which is not the normal with most people. Taking action instead of watching and waiting has added yrs to my life. They say 8-10 yrs is the life span but you can life far beyond that number. I feel and so does my doctor that taking action has added more yrs to me. My immune system is down of course especially after treatment so i have to be careful not to be around others that are sick with colds and virus. But overall i have a normal life tired alot but still enjoying life. So please don't be discouraged about this. Of all the cancers this is far the better one. So we are truly blessed my friend. If you have any more questions or would just like to talk you can reach me at first_ladydiamond on yahoo. Oh yes eventually it will come back to where it was but many yrs from now and yes it will keep happening and of course agressive treatment will happen but for now this is good. But please don't be discouraged
    Patricia
  • 1ladydiamond
    1ladydiamond Member Posts: 28
    COBRA666 said:

    20 years going strong
    Bluerose,I am fairly new to this site. What kind of lymphoma did you have? or do you have? I know you are a world of info on the subject. Just how far do you feel they have come with follicular lymphoma in the past 20 years. I was diagnosed in april with it and was told to wait and watch. Last month after my BMB which was postive with very little invasion, but none the less it was there. It put me at stage 4 with no B symtoms. I start R-chop next week. I am sure they have come a long way in 20 years but never having to look it up to now sort of puts me in the dark about any progress. thanks, john

    Follicular lymphoma stage 4
    Hi i was just diagnosed with follicular b cell lymphoma stage 4 it is a low grade slow moving cancer. I had a choice of watching and waiting but i discussed it with my doc and i started doing Rutixan in April of this year i was just diagnosed with it this April. I took it for each week until July then it has been each month July and August and Sept and Oct now i take it every 8 weeks i am so glad i did it. It has scaled back so much i am feeling so much better. Steroids is a major factor in it because it helps me from getting reactions which is not the normal with most people. Taking action instead of watching and waiting has added yrs to my life. They say 8-10 yrs is the life span but you can life far beyond that number. I feel and so does my doctor that taking action has added more yrs to me. My immune system is down of course especially after treatment so i have to be careful not to be around others that are sick with colds and virus. But overall i have a normal life tired alot but still enjoying life. So please don't be discouraged about this. Of all the cancers this is far the better one. So we are truly blessed my friend. If you have any more questions or would just like to talk you can reach me at first_ladydiamond on yahoo. Oh yes eventually it will come back to where it was but many yrs from now and yes it will keep happening and of course agressive treatment will happen but for now this is good. But please don't be discouraged
    Patricia
  • 1ladydiamond
    1ladydiamond Member Posts: 28
    bluerose said:

    Hello Natalie
    As I think I mentioned before I am a 20 year survivor of NHL with the first diagnosis made in 1989 and at that time I had the regular CHOP chemo treatments and localized radiation to the abdomen and pelvis. They had taken the lump in my groin out and biopsied that and hence the diagnosis. They were sure they got it all. A year and a half later it came back in a lump under my left breast and that's when I opted for a bone marrow transplant as my thinking then was that the other two alternatives for treatments, for me made no sense. They were 'wait and see' which was not my kind of way of dealing with cancer and the other was to repeat the CHOP which hello, hadn't worked well the first time so the only thing left that they offered me was the bone marrow transplant. I wasn't crazy about the odds that I wouldn't make it through transplant but then again I had two young children and my thoughts were that without the transplant I wouldn't be around in 5 years for them so I felt I had to take the chance.

    I prayed continuously for God to allow me to live to see my kids grow up and become independant and actually I had a healing take place in the hospital which sounds nutty to many people but it happened to me and I am no bible thumper I can tell you and was in no way even thinking of such an amazing intervention. But it happened to me and the cancer has never returned.

    I was one of the first stem cell bone marrow transplant recipeints for NHL, before me they only did them for leukemia patients, well I don't know if I was the very first but in the first group that they tried the transplant for the NHL. Seems to have worked. lol.

    It was no picnic back then. I had congestive heart failure in the early stages of treatment and nearly died from that but I didn't, had pneumonia about 3 times while in isolation too and the isolation was lonely but I had visitors and some could bring movies and the hospital provided tvs and vcrs then for the movies. Today I'm sure they do the same. The isolation away from my kids was hard but I was struggling the whole time in there so time didn't go slowly.

    However having said all of that today might be a whole new day in transplants, autologus as I had as well, and I have never heard of ICE but I assume its the chemo before the transplant starts like my CHOP was. I don't know if the drugs are different too, I know that one of my drugs which was adriamycin did damage my heart and that is an issue I deal with today as well but you would have to go over possible side effects with your doctors ahead of time.

    I think the bottomline is to look at your chances of survival without the transplant or by doing the 'wait and see' approach and then deciding from there for your own well being and that of your children. I can tell you that my prayers were always to allow me to live for my kids, til they became self supporting, and I do believe that this is the most powerful prayer there is, from a Mother for her children. Continue to pray that prayer and do it with the power of a Mother's love. I can tell you that that prayer does get through.

    I was 39 when I went through transplant and I have friends who did better than me after transplant as they didn't have pre chemo and rads they docs think but you have to understand that everyone is different and I was treated many years ago, they might have much better drugs and treatments nowadays, I don't know. Ask your oncologists how autologus bone marrow transplants have changed in 18 years.

    You know now that I think of it the CHOP wasn't before the transplant it was what I had when first diagnosed, sorry about that. Before the transplant I had a few shots of chemo before the transplant itself. Sorry about that. Memory issues are part of my side effects of the treatments, known to survivors and docs alike as chemo brain. I have many side effects as a long term survivor but the bottomline for me was that I did get to live to see my children grow up.

    It's not an easy decision by any means but hopefully together with your oncologists who I hope you trust and have faith in you will make the right decision for you. Are you healthy other than the cancer?

    All the best. Blessings, Bluerose

    Follicular lymphoma stage 4


    Hi BlueRose your story is encouraging i was diagnosed in April of this year with stage 4 follicular lymphoma. Yeah no waiting and watching with me. I started Rutixan and now i have scaled back still stage 4 I asked opinions about the cell therapy and was told that right now it wouldn't be best for me. I had a option of waiting and watching not for me i wanted to start treatment asap and i believe by making that choice it has increased my yrs of living/ I called the cancer treatment of America and talked to a researcher and he said it is a risky chance but i know after hearing you speak of your experience that i will down the road take a chance on that. I have lumps also but my doctor says nothing to worry about this is coming from a man that thought i was just in stage 1 or 2 and i fought to get a bone marrow biop and it turned out to be 4. I also read and was told by my doc 8-10 yrs life but with out that cell therapy i think this is correct.
    Doing research on it this is what really helped you and i am so happy that you are doing great. God is a amazing God i am not bible thump er but my faith is strong and i believe of all the cancers i am glad i have this one instead of the others. There is so much research happening in this area. I have watched and listened to the conferences and speeches online from some of the leading researchers in this area and Oh Gosh each day is closer to a cure. Thank you for sharing you story it has helped me realize that this is what i want in the future. Wishing you nothing but love and happiness always