More Adventures in ABVD: Follow Up Appoinment One Week After 1st Infusion

Background

I'm 43 years old and live in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts.

After decades of having a stuffy nose and breathing through my mouth I decided to have surgery to correct the blockages in my airway. The procedure included fixing a deviated septum, cauterizing enlarged turbinates and removing huge adenoids. The surgery was successful (and painless) and my breathing improved dramatically once the splints were removed from my nose a week later. My care at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital was top notch and the staff was kind and professional. I felt better than I had in ten years.

Two days later I received a call from the office of my ENT. I was told that the biopsy of the adenoid tissue that was removed was inconclusive and the doctor wanted to see me that day. I learned that two hospitals had reviewed my biopsy and thought I might have Hodgkin's lymphoma. I would have to wait a week to have more sophisticated tests performed at Massachusetts General Hospital. Boy was that a long week!

On November 16, 2007, the diagnosis was confirmed. I had cancer. I was told that it was a highly curable form of cancer and that a CT scan suggested that it may have been caught in a very early stage. A PET scan confirmed that it was located in a single area of my body. Since I had no symptoms I was diagnosed with stage 1A Classical Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer that affects only about 8,000 people per year in the United States.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Follow Up Appoinment One Week After 1st Infusion

My follow-up appoinment was scheduled for today. I had blood drawn and met with my doctors. As has become the custom, I got weighed and my temperature and blood pressure were taken. Then my doctors and I discussed my blood work and my experience with the first infusion. They were happy to hear that I experienced no nausea and said that my first experience was a good indicator of how future treatments would go. I was told that fatigue was the one symptom that might build up over the course of the treatments but even that was usually temporary.

I was told that my blood work was strong but I noticed drops in categories across the board.

One symptom I have experienced is constipation. When you're used to having no problem in this department it's a real drag when you can't go. I'm now taking Senna and Colace and it's starting to get better. I'm definitely going to try to keep on top of this. I'd recommend asking about medication and taking it at the first sign of trouble.

I'd rate my mood as an 8 out of 10.