Husband diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoma stage IV-finished treatment but...

Terri4
Terri4 Member Posts: 4
in Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin) #1

My husband who is 69 yrs. and in excellent health prior to this shocking diagnosis (when is it not?), just completed 6 months (2 days each) of Bend/Rituxan 3-1/2 weeks ago. He did pretty well with each, aside from the apparently typical side effects, which were not fun; but he bounced back after about 7 days following each chemo treatment. He has a PET scan next week but he has been feeling small tweaks in his abdomen the last few days and of course is convinced that the chemo has not worked and has gone through this for nothing. He had a couple of nodes in his abdomen at the time of diagnosis along with a large one in his armpit. The "tweaking" he feels comes and goes but was non-existent the entire time he was being treated. Any thoughts?

Thanks

Comments

  • OO7
    OO7 Member Posts: 281
    #2
    Understandable

    I was in treatment in 2014 for stage IV follicular, mid way through my nodes reacted.  In fact one in my leg that I never knew I had (until PET scan) became visible.  I suppose I too felt something but because my node in my leg became so large I told my Oncologist and it turns out it/they were reacting.  My best friend is an oncologist she told me it was pissed off.  I very much liked that idea, it went down shortly there after.

    Several months later I recieved an excellent result.  I'm hoping the same is true for your husband.

    We're all different and each of us will react differently to the  pharmaceuticals.  I would tell his doctors but based on my experience perhaps his cancer cells are getting a beating!

    Best of Luck!

     

    His fears are warranted.  Just yesterday I was wondering when the itch on my skin will be just that and not lymphoma or fatigue will be just fatigue....

  • Terri4
    Terri4 Member Posts: 4
    #3
    Thank you for your

    Thank you for your response...funny I was imagining those nodes getting all pissed off with what they were being fed

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,818 Member
    #4
    Terri4 said:

    Thank you for your

    Thank you for your response...funny I was imagining those nodes getting all pissed off with what they were being fed

    Anything

    Terri,

    Congrats to your husband for completing treatment.

    I have a slightly different take on the sensations he is feeling: very unlikely that it is recurrent lymphoma. First, lymphoma tumors, unless they are grossly large and pressing on an organ, cannot usually be felt by any patient.  His strain of cancer is indolent, or non-aggessive, so the chances of something reoccuing this soon are also slight.  And finally, suspecting that any feeling or sensation is relapsed disease is very common among us survivors.  I have swollen sensations all over, aches and pains in a lot of places. Some have even linked this fright to PTSD, whichis probably reasonable.  I have had my swollen areas (mostly in the throat/necl)  investigated, and none were cancer related.

    Ask the doctor about them, but know that impressionistically, what he feels is most likely unrelated to lymphoma.  It is just too common for it to be fear, and too uncommon for nodes to be detectably internally, or for indolent disease to relapse that fast.

    max

  • lindary
    lindary Member Posts: 711 Member
    #5
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 said:

    Anything

    Terri,

    Congrats to your husband for completing treatment.

    I have a slightly different take on the sensations he is feeling: very unlikely that it is recurrent lymphoma. First, lymphoma tumors, unless they are grossly large and pressing on an organ, cannot usually be felt by any patient.  His strain of cancer is indolent, or non-aggessive, so the chances of something reoccuing this soon are also slight.  And finally, suspecting that any feeling or sensation is relapsed disease is very common among us survivors.  I have swollen sensations all over, aches and pains in a lot of places. Some have even linked this fright to PTSD, whichis probably reasonable.  I have had my swollen areas (mostly in the throat/necl)  investigated, and none were cancer related.

    Ask the doctor about them, but know that impressionistically, what he feels is most likely unrelated to lymphoma.  It is just too common for it to be fear, and too uncommon for nodes to be detectably internally, or for indolent disease to relapse that fast.

    max

    feeling stuff

    Terri4,

    Glad to hear your husband has gotten through the treatments. As others have said, feeling varous sensations and thinking they are a sign of cancer is normal for a cancer survivor. I know a few people who have battled cancer and won yet the slightest twitch could make them think "it's back". And htese are people who have been in remission for 8 years or more. I was told in November I was in remission yet there are times I wonder if this twinge or that ache means it is back. Like your husband I was diagnosed with Stage 4 follicular lymphoma but because of the large mass in my abdomen, thyroid off & pluerisy of right lung, the Dr treated it like an agressive form of lymphoma. Which adds to my slight paranoid feeling.

  • Terri4
    Terri4 Member Posts: 4
    #6
    lindary said:

    feeling stuff

    Terri4,

    Glad to hear your husband has gotten through the treatments. As others have said, feeling varous sensations and thinking they are a sign of cancer is normal for a cancer survivor. I know a few people who have battled cancer and won yet the slightest twitch could make them think "it's back". And htese are people who have been in remission for 8 years or more. I was told in November I was in remission yet there are times I wonder if this twinge or that ache means it is back. Like your husband I was diagnosed with Stage 4 follicular lymphoma but because of the large mass in my abdomen, thyroid off & pluerisy of right lung, the Dr treated it like an agressive form of lymphoma. Which adds to my slight paranoid feeling.

    Husband diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoma stage IV-finished tre

    Hi,

    Thank you all for your advice/opinions! This is a wonderful format for support and for answers to a multitude of questions and concerns regarding Lymphoma...I thank you :)  My husband's oncologist notified him a couple of hours after the PET scan last week that he has had complete response to chemotherapy!  We are going in to see her today.  Hoping the "response" will last for a while as I know there is always a chance of it coming back.  It is wonderful news though for now :)

     

     

  • lindary
    lindary Member Posts: 711 Member
    #7
    Terri4 said:

    Husband diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoma stage IV-finished tre

    Hi,

    Thank you all for your advice/opinions! This is a wonderful format for support and for answers to a multitude of questions and concerns regarding Lymphoma...I thank you :)  My husband's oncologist notified him a couple of hours after the PET scan last week that he has had complete response to chemotherapy!  We are going in to see her today.  Hoping the "response" will last for a while as I know there is always a chance of it coming back.  It is wonderful news though for now :)

     

     

    Good News

    Glad to read the good news on your husband. Hopefully this response will last a very ong time. 

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