TR Forums

So I get out of the doctor's office yesterday with some funny words to look up. Can anyone recommend a web site that will deliver some non-bogus information about my condition? I'd try Wikipedia, but I'm concerned that some punk kid will edit the page and make everything read like it's terminal in under two weeks.

Or if anyone knows the ins & outs of a "low grade B cell lymphoma", I would be much obliged.






PS - Yesterday sucked.

http://www.lymphomainfo.net/lymphoma.html
http://www.lymphomation.org/
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/defau ... =13300#low

Some links there. Geez Darkmage, this is scary news. Sorry to hear about the diagnosis.
You will be in my thoughts. Looks like there are 3 different treatment options.

Dude, that really sucks.

I hope you can treat it and live with it.

Cancer of any form really sucks. I grew up with my mother who was battling it for a long time, until she died a few years ago.

I'd hardly say worrying about lymphoma makes you a hypochondriac. I had a small tumor removed from my stomach lining when I was younger, it was benign so there was little risk...but when you hear that sort of thing...tumour....yeesh! I can imagine hearing the word Lymphoma.

Sorry man.

Google reveals a lot of sites you can probably trust from different foundations and the government, though.

Man, thought that said 'hydroponics' and was going to give you some links.

You may want to know about the hydroponics anyway.

Heh. Hydroponics is way too much like gardening. And I hate gardening.

I have my first oncologist appointment tomorrow afternoon. I'll let you know how it goes. It's entirely possible my time here on TR is limited, which should please the R&P posters to no end. On the other hand, what information I have managed to glean so far is encouraging.

And if I get the sudden urge to start a blog to document my heroic battle with cancer, you have my permission to find me and take away my internet access. Snark is good, pity whoring is not.

And on the positive side, the tech geek in me is looking forward to the chance to look at all the cool medical equipment.

Darkmage wrote:

And on the positive side, the tech geek in me is looking forward to the chance to look at all the cool medical equipment.

Heh, that reminds me of my younger days. The doc was pissed when I disassembled some piece of cool medical equipment while waiting for him.

Darkmage wrote:

And on the positive side, the tech geek in me is looking forward to the chance to look at all the cool medical equipment.

This is precisely why I love this site. Where else would you read something like "hey, I have lymphoma, but at least I get to play with more cool toys..."

In all seriousness though, I wish you the best of luck.


PS - Don't forget to post pictures if you happen to witness the unboxing of any of that cool medical equipment...

Dude, you'll beat this. You might not, but I have all the faith in the world of it.

The limited googling I did seems to indicate if caught early enough you've got very good odds.

Good luck and best wishes.

mattsteg wrote:

Heh, that reminds me of my younger days. The doc was pissed when I disassembled some piece of cool medical equipment while waiting for him.

See, I would be concerned that I might not be able to put it back together again and the doc might need that to work on me.

I did, however, flip just about every little switch I could get my hands on.

Here's to a good prognosis for your future. I'll keep you in my prayers.

Hoser wrote:

Here's to a good prognosis for your future. I'll keep you in my prayers.

X4
Good luck fella...if you havent yet..take up golf...good mental game to take your mind off sex

Sorry to hear about this. But it sounds like you've got a really positive attitude, and that it was caught early enough that you've got very good odds at a full recovery.

Good luck.

LicketySplit wrote:

Good luck fella...if you havent yet..take up golf...good mental game to take your mind off sex

Because, you know, playing with your club to put balls in a hole isn't suggestive at all...



"He's not too long off the tee, but he play's a good up and down game..."

zer0 wrote:

Because, you know, playing with your club to put balls in a hole isn't suggestive at all...

Gah, I've gone from "sink the pink" to "sink the green". Oh, how the mighty have pollen or some such... I hate golf. Waste of a perfectly good rifle range if you ask me.

Anyhow, the first oncologist appointment was today. I didn't get much that I didn't already know from the optico-plastic-chick (I really can't remember what her specialty is called. She's the one who dug out the piece they sent to pathology). The final typing was in from pathology and the results were somewhat encouraging. So here's what I learned:

1. The particular type of cancer indicated by pathology is very treatable and not very virulent.
2. It does, however, crop up in places other than the eye (where mine is). So next week we play find-the-cancer all over my systems
3. I start my tests Monday morning with my very first MRI.
4. Strike that, my first test was actually today. They wouldn't let me out of the office without extracting some blood.
5. Later in the week is a lumbar extraction of some sort (they mentioned the words "lumbar", "region", "extraction", "needle" and "designated driver". )
6. Later that same day they take some spinal fluid (again with mentioning "needle" a lot)
7. The day after that is a PET scan. I've heard... interesting stories about this one. I'll see what happens at work after this test. I have a theory...
8. If you really want to get a lot of tests scheduled in a very short amount of time for a fairly non-emergency lymphoma, tell the receptionist that you're deploying to Iraq in three weeks. They'll have stuff lined up for you in no time.

That last tidbit was going to be a surprise to the TR forum gerbils. Thanks to this little medical situation, that may not happen.

Lumbar....all i can say is try to get in the state of mind where you won't remember anything before you go in that day. Also, good luck in Iraq if you go. What is it you'd be doing there?

Darkmage wrote:

[*]If you really want to get a lot of tests scheduled in a very short amount of time for a fairly non-emergency lymphoma, tell the receptionist that you're deploying to Iraq in three weeks. They'll have stuff lined up for you in no time.[/list]

That last tidbit was going to be a surprise to the TR forum gerbils. Thanks to this little medical situation, that may not happen.

Oof. Good luck with that one.
...I thought your job was all "soft" stuff? (I don't even know if that terminology is appropriate here, but you know what I mean.)

Darkmage wrote:

If you really want to get a lot of tests scheduled in a very short amount of time for a fairly non-emergency lymphoma, tell the receptionist that you're deploying to Iraq in three weeks. They'll have stuff lined up for you in no time.

That last tidbit was going to be a surprise to the TR forum gerbils. Thanks to this little medical situation, that may not happen.

What branch of the military? Active or reserves, or guard? How long are they sending you for? (Former USAF myself)

The lumbar test is a little tough if you are very muscled.

I've had that test while super fit and super fat - when fat it goes easier. Doubt you have time to soften up 'pre test' tho.

I'd place the going to Iraq odds at a million to one. I doubt they're hard up enough for soldiers to send a cancer patient over there.

My dad is being treated for lung cancer at the moment - his outloook is a lot better than most lung cancer patients, they operated and think they got it all, but he is tired of being a human pincushion. It seems that you won't be leaving your house without getting stuck with a needle

LOL, find the cancer.

MethylONE wrote:

The lumbar test is a little tough if you are very muscled.

Well then, I'm sure I'll do fine!

I sounds like you have experience in this area. Care to share? I'm looking for as much information as I can get.

And to those of you who asked:

1. I'm not a soldier. I'm a computer programmer
2. Even with modern technology, telecommuting and global networks... some stuff still has to be done on-site as it were. Isolated networks, rapid system development, tiger teams and all that.
3. The work itself would be on-site computer programming for a Sharepoint based document storage & collaboration site.
4. I would be a civilian working for Multi-National Forces - Iraq... which is somehow different than the Multi-National Coalition in Iraq, but nobody can exactly tell me how they are different.
5. Yeah, the odds of my field trip are not looking good all of a sudden. Which is a real pain. I was kind of looking forward to it.

Good to hear that they think it's treatable. Hopefully they'll find it all. And if your deployment gets delayed or canceled, perhaps we can meet up again when I'm out there in August for a friend's wedding. Beer will be on me.

Glad to hear it's probably treatable. Take care of yourself, that crap is not fun.

You have my best wishes. Hope all goes well and you beat the rap.

An anecdote: My father, nearly three months into a six-month regimen of chemo and radiation begun in early August five years ago, asked the attendant technician if he could get a double dose that week. The woman told him, "No, the dosage has to be carefully controlled over a long period of time and the a double dose would cause great harm."

"Damn!" he responded with a straight face, "Tomorrow's Halloween and I wanted to glow in the dark."

She broke up, laughing.

Well today was the MRI. I'd love to tell you it was cool, with all kinds of nifty medical equipment... but MRIs are really boring.

If you've ever looked under the hood of a '67 and a '04 Corvette, you'll understand the difference. Under the hood of a '67, it's a mass of cool stuff! Hoses, wires, fans, belts, bolts, filters, chrome, rubber and wire. Under the hood of an '04, it's basically a bunch of flat plastic that you are not supposed to remove. It's freakin' boring.

That's pretty much an MRI. It's freakin' boring. It's a featureless plastic donut with a motorized shelf in front of it. They give you some ear plugs (because it's loud), they give you a blanket (because it's cold), you lie down, they stick this collar thing over your head and roll you into the machine. It makes a lot of clanging and clunking noises and they then roll you out. No drama at all, unless you're claustrophobic. There's even a little mirror in front of your eyes so you can look in the technician's window. Which isn't very exciting.

I did have to get an injection with "a heavy metal in a saline solution" to help the resolution on the last two tests. I was kind of hoping to avoid needles today, but oh well. On the plus side, I didn't have to wear the embarrassing medical gown.

One down, three to go.

But did you get to see the cool pics of your innards?

No, I didn't. They hustled me out of there like I had a disease or something.

First of all, you will beat this all the while remaining your entertaining self. That's an order. So get on it.

Second:

Darkmage wrote:

[*]I would be a civilian working for Multi-National Forces - Iraq... which is somehow different than the Multi-National Coalition in Iraq, but nobody can exactly tell me how they are different.

In a nutshell, MNF-I is the higher HQ for MNC-I (actually Multi-National Corps-Iraq, which controls all the Multinational Divisions). MNF-I has other subordinate commands as well IIRC.