I don't understand!

While it is sad to hear this news, there is always hope. I relapsed immediately after chemo, and many types of aggressive lymphoma do exactly this. I most strongly recommend a second opinion on both diagnosis and treatment, as a single pathologist or doctor can easily miss, or misinterpret something. My first pathology report did not even see cancer, and my first oncologist thought I had a virus. Please ask dad to travel if necessary to a large regional cancer center with extensive experience in DLBCL. A second opinion saved my life. Prayers ascending on his behalf.

trustinJesus said:

What treatment worked for you?
Time is of the essence. What treatment worked for you? My dad goes to the hospital this Tuesday to start r-dhap treatment for 6 months and then possibly stem cell transplant. His also relapsed immediately. Please respond to my message. I'm worried sick.

I had a different type
My lymphoma was a T cell and not a B cell type. They respond to different combinations of drugs. The mix that I got might not even work for someone else with the exact same sub-type that I had. I was blessed that doctor essentially aimed at a moving target with his eyes closed and hit it. As far as treatment goes, a second opinion might really help right now. Is there a clinical trial available?

If you trust in Jesus, and I know you do, turn to Him for your help. What I am about to say is rather difficult to hear, but when I let go of any claim I had to my life, and turned it completely over to God, He gave it back to me. He was waiting for me to let go and trust Him. It is as much a matter of faith as it is of medicine.

trustinJesus said:

Thanks
For some reason I thought you had the same type of cancer. Thanks for the info. I know that I need to put my faith in the Lord. I know I need to leave all my worries to him, but it is hard. My dad pushed his treatment back until next Monday. I don't like the idea of that. It seems like he gets worse daily. I'm trying to get my mom to change his diet and go to church. Did you radically change your diet? I feel like this is so important, but of course faith is the most important thing to have.

I tried to eat the same
A co-worker who beat pancreatic cancer in 1982 did so partially because he forced himself to eat normal amounts of normal food. I remembered that, as virtually no one triumphed over pancreatic cancer in those days. So, when I received my diagnosis, I knew that eating was as important as it had ever been - more so in cases of a high tumor load. I ate as much as I could, although the taste change and later anorexia from treatment made that difficult.

Many try to starve tumors and restrict sugar intake in an attempt to limit energy that the cancer uses for cloning itself. However, the cancer lives off of the same nutrients found in the same blood that the rest of the body uses to remain alive. Starve the tumor, starve the body. Keep dad's appetite up. If he is to receive prednisone, that will not be a problem, as prednisone is a strong appetite stimulant. He will be eating like crazy if that is the case.

The point is to keep his food intake up consistently. There is probably a nutritionist at the center where he receives treatment. A visit to that office would be a good idea, as some foods will no longer appeal to dad, and viable substitutes need to be found. Good overall nutrition is best, simply to support the body through the assault that chemotherapy amounts to.