Seeking infomation about Rheumatiod arthritis after non hodgkin's lymphoma

bexican73
bexican73 Member Posts: 3
in Long-Term Survivors #1

Hello there, my names Mike. I was first diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1994, right after my 21st birthday. Between 1994-2005 I've had 3 rounds of chemo and eventually a stem cell replacement. I've been cancer free ever since!!! My problem is for about the last 10 years I've suffered from horrible joint pain/arthitis. I was recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis. I'm wondering if anyone out there has also developed R/A after having NHL? I'm scared to take anything to treat it beacause so far all the drugs are known to cause Lymphoma. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!!

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  • cyanide
    cyanide Member Posts: 2
    #2
    long term cancer survivor

    I am in the same situation.  I had hodgkins when I was 38 that was caused (because at birth in 1945 the hospital decided to radiate all the new borns tonsils to prevent tonsilitis in their future years).  My whole life has been a medical enigma.  When the hodgkins was diagosed in 1984, I received 19,000 rads on the whole body.  Then it was called Total Body Irradition (TBI) which in this day and age is referred to as (disease dejure) Traumatic Brain Injury.  Thirty years post raidiaton, I cannot find any medical personnel who believes my story, who knows how to treat my myrid of post radiation ailments and seem to not be concerend at all about the drugs they want to give me and the fact that my  reaction to them may result in horrible cancer problems.  My gift of life came with a heart mumur that grows larger, fibrosis of the lungs, Barretts esophagus, and a T-cell suppressed immune system.  As the years have gone by the medical problems increase.  I now have an anurism in my corated artery, the vertibrae in my back have collaped ( I lost 2" height in 2yrs), my upper body muscles have weakened, I have acguired scroisis and rhumatoid artheritis, and my esphogus is now showing cell dysplasia.  Keep in mind that all of thses diseases are taken care of by a specific specailist.  None of the 7 specialists have attempted to look at the whole picture and if I menton it they seem to get offended.  I don't know where to go from here to find a medical person that will admit that my problems are the reslt of the radiation and that the crap they want to giive me may cause more inujurys then help.  I wish I knew where to go for help.  I am thinking of finding a good veternarian. LOL

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