I AM FINISHED WITH MY 6 ROUNDS!!!

Hi all!

I finished my final chemo today!!!!!!!! Bendamustine w/ Ofatumumab!!! Get a CAT scan in a month with a doctors visit to follow. Onc wants to put me on Ofatumumab maintanence for 2 years every other month. Waiting to see how I tolerate the drug this month. Last month I got a lot of side effects during the week after and she doesn't want me to be miserable with the maintenance.

So we'll see how I do this week , get the scan and blood work and discuss it all. I am torn. Part of me wants to be rid of any treatment for a long, long time. BUT I realize that if I can tolerate the Ofa it will be best and keep the beast at bay. At this point we are looking at a partial remission when they get my test results back so it will still be there, but at a much lesser burden than we saw in May, I trust!

The other BIG news of the day is that my brother got his results from a PET Scan and he is cancer free following treatment for lung cancer!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!


What a glorious day! If only I didn't feel like a truck hit me I would go out dancing tonight!! hehe

Thank you all for the continuous support, help, caring, humor, love and just for being there. God Bless you all. And special prayers for Denise and her family with whatever is going on with her at this point

Donna

Comments

  • jimwins
    jimwins Member Posts: 2,107
    Tonka size that truck ;).
    Hey Donna!

    Congratulations on finishing your treatment.
    Great to hear about your brother too!

    Here's hoping that truck gets down to "Tonka-size" and you
    can go out dancing. I know you're dancing in your heart.

    I'm thinking about Denise too.

    Hugs,

    JIm
  • Beatit8_3_12
    Beatit8_3_12 Member Posts: 7
    Congratulations Donna!!!!
    Congratulations Donna!!!! That's awesome! Wishing you a long, happy and cancer-free life from a fellow survivor-2months today Hodgkins
  • allmost60
    allmost60 Member Posts: 3,178 Member
    Great news!
    Hi Donna,
    So happy for you and your brother! I know what you mean about being torn...I want to be finished with my Rituxan maint, but also have this little voice in the back of my head saying "but...what if it comes back from doing nothing?" The idea of just doing watchful waiting after February is a bit un-nerving. Anyways...rest and heal now...ahhhhh!
    (big breath). Been hectic around here...Steve fell in the boat last Thursday and broke his ankle in 2 places and ruptured a tendon...surgery yesterday..required a 4 inch plate, 8 screws and a pin to fix it. Now I have him and Lizzy both to watch over...never a dull moment! :) My prayers are also with Denise...I'm worried sick if she is alright. Take care my friend and enjoy the Autumn season...it's cool and beautiful here in Yakima.
    Much love to you Donna...Sue (FNHL-2-3A-6/10)
  • miss maggie
    miss maggie Member Posts: 929
    Donna
    Dear Donna,

    It's been a long journey for you. Along the way, there was some happiness and Joy.
    Especially your daughter's wedding.

    I know you will do what you have to do to keep this beast at bay. You must realize, you
    have always inspired me to keep going. I still and always will share your struggles. I have
    no idea what OFA is and the side effects. Maybe every other month won't be too bad.

    I am so happy for your brother. Lung Cancer can be rough. I know they have come a long way
    with treatment for this cancer.

    All my prayers and hope for you. Love you Maggie
  • anliperez915
    anliperez915 Member Posts: 770
    Hi Donna
    Hi Donna,
    Thank God that your brother beat his cancer and I know that you will too. Those new medicines sound like miracle workers...I'm glad that you're doing better. Now we just have to wait for the scans to see where you stand hopefully in remission. I too am waiting for another BMB and CT scan in Nov. and hopefully I will be in remission also. Take care and sending you warm hugs.

    Sincerely,
    Liz
  • forme
    forme Member Posts: 1,161 Member
    Wonderful news
    Hi Donna

    I am so happy for you that you are finished with the chemo. That is a huge step in the right direction. I am hopeful that you will tolerate the Ofa and that it will continue to bring you a positive outcome.

    It truly is wonderful news about your brother. Hooray!

    I'll be looking for news about your next steps. Stay strong, you can do this.

    Huge hugs
    Lisha
  • onlytoday
    onlytoday Member Posts: 609 Member
    Match box car!
    Hi,
    Jim,Sue,Beat,Liz,Maggie,Lisha and all,

    Thank you so much for your wonderful encouragement and kind words and love. I'm feeling better each day, still tired and my stomach (as usual) is a big mess. That's a whole other issue... But the chemo symptoms have been surprisingly less than I anticipated since it's cumulative I expected a lot of discomfort and it just didn't go that way! :) Good for me! My appetite is off and I have some pains here and there but I would guess that I'll be walking the dog Wednesday morning as I usually do! (Max will be so happy- he's trying to get me to take him and just doesn't quite get why I'm not listening to him!!)

    So my Tonka truck has turned into a match box car! :)

    Hope you all have had great days.
    Extra prayers for Denise and her family.

    Love you all,
    Donna
  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,817 Member
    onlytoday said:

    Match box car!
    Hi,
    Jim,Sue,Beat,Liz,Maggie,Lisha and all,

    Thank you so much for your wonderful encouragement and kind words and love. I'm feeling better each day, still tired and my stomach (as usual) is a big mess. That's a whole other issue... But the chemo symptoms have been surprisingly less than I anticipated since it's cumulative I expected a lot of discomfort and it just didn't go that way! :) Good for me! My appetite is off and I have some pains here and there but I would guess that I'll be walking the dog Wednesday morning as I usually do! (Max will be so happy- he's trying to get me to take him and just doesn't quite get why I'm not listening to him!!)

    So my Tonka truck has turned into a match box car! :)

    Hope you all have had great days.
    Extra prayers for Denise and her family.

    Love you all,
    Donna

    Man !

    Way good news ! Both for you and your brother.

    Bless your results,

    max
    (Three years clean)
  • Folks24
    Folks24 Member Posts: 106
    Congradulations!
    I also

    Congradulations!
    I also finished my 6th chemo treatment this month and get PET scan the end of the month. Hope it shows ALL the cancer/lymphoma out of us. It has been a very very loooong haul for both of us.
  • Jencarr
    Jencarr Member Posts: 11
    Congrats! You did it!
    I am so happy for you. I can remember when I finished my 6 rounds and how elated I was. My pet scan came back in remission! Yay! I am on Rituxan Maintenance every 2 months for 2 years. I have done 3 treatments so far. It's a piece of cake! You can do it! You are a warrior!
    Happy for your bro, too! We live in an amazing time!
    Jenny
  • onlytoday
    onlytoday Member Posts: 609 Member
    Jencarr said:

    Congrats! You did it!
    I am so happy for you. I can remember when I finished my 6 rounds and how elated I was. My pet scan came back in remission! Yay! I am on Rituxan Maintenance every 2 months for 2 years. I have done 3 treatments so far. It's a piece of cake! You can do it! You are a warrior!
    Happy for your bro, too! We live in an amazing time!
    Jenny

    Thank you!
    Max,Folks,Jen, and all,

    Thank you so much !! And thanks for sharing that you have gone thru this similar place that I'm in!! I just want ALL of the bad cells out of us!!! OUT!!!! And we certainly do live in an amazing time! We can get rid of lung cancer with radiation (!!) and we can stop lymphoma in it's little tracks. Crazy!!

    Sometimes I think about how different this would have been even 10 years ago!! We are truly blessed!!

    So thank you. I will watch for posts updating us on you too!! Here's to clean Scans!! :)

    Hugs and big prayers,
    Donna