Remission with Mantle Cell Lymphoma

I'm new to this site and would be happy to help anyone going thru MCL.
I was diagnosed with stage 4 MCL in 2009. I went thru many rounds R-HYPER CVAD then a stem cell transplant. Sept 1st was my 2 year remission birthday and am taking one day at a time and enjoying each and every one of them. Tony, Michigan

Comments

  • consuela
    consuela Member Posts: 1
    MCL
    I'm new too. My husband was diagnosed stage 4 in May 2011. We are headed into the autologous stem cell transplant (by leukopheresis). Ever since diagnosis, the illness seems to be almost our whole life. Does that ever change? Congratulations to you. Not only for still being here, but for your intention to live each day fully.
  • ub1012
    ub1012 Member Posts: 2
    consuela said:

    MCL
    I'm new too. My husband was diagnosed stage 4 in May 2011. We are headed into the autologous stem cell transplant (by leukopheresis). Ever since diagnosis, the illness seems to be almost our whole life. Does that ever change? Congratulations to you. Not only for still being here, but for your intention to live each day fully.

    MCL
    It also consumed our whole life also. Just the fear of the unknown. One thing I would suggest is not to take anything you read about MCL on the web to heart. Most of the statistics you read are out dated. Be sure to check the date the article was written. I went thru 6 months of intense chemo before transplant then another 8 months of being exhausted and tired. The one positve aspect of MCL is that it's an enviromental cancer so I didn't sit around thinking what I may have did wrong to cause it. If your husband is feeling down which I was ask the doctor for depression and or anxiety meds. They really help. My wife was the positive force thru all this. Always upbeat and positive. She kept a calendar and wrote down everything that happened each and every day, asked for copies of all reports so that all information was at hand, and always ask questions if their is something you don't understand.
    It will be your whole life for 12-18 months. He'll have his good days and bad but you'll have to be there with positive thoughts durning the bad. After it's all over he has to try and go back to his normal everyday life. It's tiresome at times but you just have to push yourself. After 2 years to me it seems just like a dream, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Also me and my wife are not saying anymore that we can't afford this or that. We've went on a few vacations,getting the things we have always wanted and living each day to the fullest.
    Please keep me posted during your husbands treatment and if their is anything I can help with let me know. I also have my journey in pictures from the start of chemo to the day of my discharge from transplant on my facebook page. Look up Tony Rea