You may want to read this when you have a few minutes. It ended up being longer than I thought it would. Kevin asked me a couple of times if I was writing a book.
I recently discovered some facts from the American Cancer Society. It sort of explained what my cancer actually is.
The body is made up of hundreds of million living cells. Normal ones grow, divide and die off. Normal cells (when your young) divide faster to allow a person to grow. When you grow into an adult they divide only to replace worn-out ,damaged or dying cells.
Cancer begins when cells in a part of the body start to grow out of control. There's many different kinds, but they all start because of the out of control abnormal cells.
The cells instead of dying, they keep growing and invading the other tissues & that's called a cancer cell and grow into a tumor. Some cancers like leukemia, rarely form tumors. Instead these cancer cells are in the blood or bone marrow. Sometimes both.
When the cancer cells travel to other parts of the body they can spread cancer to other areas besides where the cancer started. For example, If you get breast cancer and it spreads to the liver and forms cancer there. It's still called breast cancer not liver cancer. I found that fascinating.
I would have never know that if I hadn't read though this information.
My cancer is called Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. It's cells that start in the lymph nodes, which are not removed because your lymph nodes are part of the body's immune system. Several people have asked that very question. "Why don't they just take it out?"
Now we know why.
There are 2 different kinds of lymphoma's Hodgkin's lymphoma and non Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Hodgkin is named after Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, who first described it.
The difference can only be detected under a microscope, and in some cases, special lab test may be needed to tell them apart.
One of the other doesn't make it better or worst. It's just the type of cell format. There are 2 main types aside of the Hodgkins or Non Hodgkin, which are B cell or T cell. And all that is, is they do different jobs with in the immune system.
B cells help protect the body against germs by making protein called antibodies.
The antibodies attach to the germs and attract other immune system cells, surround & digest those germs. Antibodies also attract certain blood proteins that kill bacteria.
T cells are more common. Some T cells help protect the body against viruses. Fungi and some bacteria. T ells are thought to destroy some types of cancer. T cells can boost or slow your immune system.
So you can see they are just different. I have the B cell Lymphoma. One difference from what I've been told and read is that it drives the type of treatment path.
The B cell lymphona makes up 1 out of every 3 cases of lymphoma. The cells are large and they grow very fast. Mine grew several cm from the time it was detected to the time that I first started treatment.
And another fasinating fact I found is that my type is usually (mostly) found in much older patients usually 60 and older. And usually men. And in the white race. Asians & blacks rarely get it.
The cause is unknown. Some studies say chemicals, some radation exposure, like survirors of atomic bombs, nuclear reactor accidents etc. Weakened ummune systems autoimmune deseases, which is your immune system. Certain infections like arthritis and lupus, stomach ulcers, hepatitus C. Those are risk factors. Non of which I have, which makes it even more of a mystery.
Mine....I have no idea. It came totally out of left field. They said a weak immune system. But my doctor said to me at the first meeting. That I was the healtiest patient with no symthoms that he had, had in his office. I don't know if he says that to other patients or not. All I know is that I had a back ache after sleeping and that's it.
They didn't determine that the cancer was in my back at that time. So they didn't consider that a symthom.
They did how ever determine that after a Pet Scan. They found so many cancer cells that they couldn't count them the doctor said.
I told Kevin that I thought we needed a new mattress. Ha Ha.
Normally you'd have generalized symtoms such as.
*Weight loss with out a known reason.
*Fever
*Heavy night sweating (enough to soak through clothes and sheets)
These are called B symthoms. B symthoms are linked to again faster type of growning cancer cells. That's why mine grew so fast so quickly.
First a needle biopsy is done, which is a thin needle inserted though the skin to remove a small amount of fluid and tiny bits of tissue from the tumor. If that's not enough to make a diagnosis a core needle which is a larger needle to remove a slightly larger piece of tissue. Which was the case in my biopsy which was done under anastesia in an opperating room.
I also had a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy which was one in the doctors office. I layed on my stomach and the doctor numbed my back hip area. I can tell you about this because I was awake and aware of the whole process. He inserted a thin hollow needle that removed a small amount of liquid bone marrow (about a teaspoon full). Then a piece of marrow & bone were removed. That's done with a slightly larger needle that is twisted and pushed down into the bone to retrieve a piece of bone for testing. There was some pain but was over pretty quickly, but to me lasted for an eternity. I kept looking at Kevin sitting in the chair mouthing if I was ok? I just smiled back and said just do it and get it over with. I suprised the nurse holding my feet and legs that I didn't move. She said most patients wiggle and move and I didn't. He pushed so hard that he was up on his tip toes baring down as hard as he could. He said that I have strong back muscles. Which I attribute to tennis.
Blood test are done then to determine amounts of certain types of cells and chemials in the blood. It doesn't diagnose lymphoma just how advanced that lyphoma is and how fast it's growning. In my case fast! It will however tell if it's in the liver or kidneys. they do blood tests through out the chemo treatments to insure the lyphoma cells don't spread to those other organs. And your counts stay up. Like your platetet count and white blood counts for example.
The staging, 1,2,3,4 & 5 are done simply by where the cancer is.
STAGE 1 is a small tumor located & contained to a specific area.
STAGE 2 is large & may be more than one. In my case I was a stage 2, and what they called "Bulky". That was explained, because there was a large tumor (11.5 cm) size and a couple more beside it. One the size of a golf ball & th e other one the size of a quarter. And of course the ones in my back. I stayed in this stage because the tumors were contained to the central area. What I called the "tire" area. Just around the middle of the body, front and back.
STAGE 3 is if the lymph nodes area affected anywhere else in the body for example: neck, arm areas, or lower in the legs and ankles.
STAGE 4-5 are if the cells are detected in the bone marrow.
There are several types of scans used in and thoughtout the treatment. The first one was an ultrassound.
An ultrasound uses sound waves to make a picture. Like what is done for a pregancy. A wand is moved over your skin outlining the different organs & measuring the tumor or tumors. It's kind of a fuzzy picture so a CT scan is done next.
A CT Scan which means (Computed Tomography) An x-ray done when a white milky substance is taken by mouth. Which outlines the intestine for the scan. They also intravenously inject "dye" to out line the structures of the body. You feel a flushing of warmth as the dye courses through your body. The tech told me I may feel like I'm peeing. But not to be alarmed, because I wasn't. Ha Ha...
All the while your laying on an x-ray table while they do the imaging. This took a clearer picture. And that's the one the doctor showed Kevin and I in the doctors office. He warned us that what we were about to see was alarming and really huge. I told him my primary doc already told me. So I was prepared. Yay doc Cindy! He took us to his computer in his office and showed us the image. It was SO big, I now realized why I couldn't eat much. It literally took up so much room in my abdomal area that it was crowding my other organs out of room. And pushing my stomach up into my chest wall. He pointed out the main one and the other two. All in which were a white. So you could see what was a tumor and what was the stomach and liver, kidneys, splean etc.
Next was the Pet Scan.
A Pet Scan (Postron Emisson Tomography) This is a scan I continued to have throughout the treatment. It was the only one that detected the ones in my back in addition to the ones in my front.
Basically the day before your scan. Your instructed to eat only protein and vegs. No carbs or sugar. No carbs because they turn to sugar once digested.
They insert an IV and take a sample of blood which tests the level of glucose. They have to make sure your levels are low because they then inject you with a sugar mixture of radioactive sugar. And the ones injested by mouth won't through off the levels You wait for one hour until the "nuclear sugar" travels thoughtout the body attaching itself to any cancer cells prescent.
You lye on a table and go though what is best described as a donut that takes pictures of your body while you lay perfectly still. Your head is taped down to the table so you don't move. You can breath as normally and the test takes about 20 minutes.
The cancer cells light up a bright yellow. They then measure the cancer in different stages of growth or reduction. In my case it lit up a brighter than the normal yellow. The doctor explained that it was very active.
It was trying to grow but the chemotherphy was keeping it from increasing in size.
Staging the cancer was named after Ann Arbor Staging System. And as I mentioned before staging 1-5.
Staging is done at each Pet Scan to determine how many chemos are needed. Or whatever the treatment will remain the same or change as needed.
In my case the first two chemo's worked very well and the last 6 only kept it from growing not eliminating it. This is why radation was added to the treatment plan.
The chemotherphy is inserted through a "port" that was surgically implanted in my chest. Which also serves as place to get blood drawn. And that makes it alot nicer than being stuck over and over in the arm.
My chemotherphy was called R-Chop. The R is Reytuxan and a mix of drugs in the chop part often refered to as a cocktail. Mixed at the time of the chemo from the pharmacy on location. Delivered to the room by a nurse and check and crossed checked by both the administrating nurse and the nurse that delivers it, both while wearing gowns and gloves. Makes you think about what they are about to inject into you huh.
Your given a couple of tynenol and you sit in a reclining chair. First your given a dose of benadryl to make the body relax. Then they start the flow of the mixture. Your there for about aprox 6 hours. Depending on how fast or slow your body can take it. (I started at 8 but then stayed at 6 hours.)
I went on Mondays which is my day off work. That way my job wasn't affected. And fortunatly I didn't get sick.
After all the chemo treatments were completed, I started radation.
That was a different experience all together. I didn't really know what to expect. I was pleasently suprised.
They give you a card with an UPC label on it. And you self check in a tthe front desk by scanning the card which alerts the nurses that you are there. You go back to a back waiting room where other "patients" are sitting waiting to be called in.
My slot was at 8:20am. I was to be there at 8:00 am because sometimes if all was running smoothly they would take me in earlier & I was out by 8:20.
The nurses come out and call your name. You enter a room that has a huge machine with a table coming out of it. I layed flat on my back and the nurses line you up to beams located on either side of the room on side walls. And one beam that comes out of the ceiling to previously tatooed on dots/marks on your body. They also draw on your "area" with a purple marker that outlines your targeted area. It doesn't wash off but if it fades they will just reapply it for the next day. The machine then comes down to cover the area the girls (nurses) to to an area behind a heavy door that sucludes them from the radioactive waves ommitted from the machine. The beam then kicks on for about 10 seconds and then it rotates under the table and kicks back on for another 10 seconds and radiates from the back side. The whole process takes about 8-10 minutes. And it's all filmed so the doctor can change the layout if needed and the patient is lined up properly each time.
The nurses then reset the room for the next patient. This is repeated everyday for a month. You don't feel anything. But the radio active waves are attacking the tumor and frying it from the inside. Hopefully killing all the remaining cells from forming new cancer cells.
The nurses get to know you very well & are really genuine. They make the process a extreamly easy and pleasant experience. They greet you with a smile and call you by your first name. Not like a number on a chart.
After the radation treatment is completed. The process of the radioactive waves continue to work according to the radation doctor, for one month. After that one month has passed. Another Pet Scan is done to determine (again staging the tumor) what if any is left of the tumor. The nurses told me not to worry, that it always works.
That's good enough for me.
Through out this experience I have maintained an upbeat attitude which I believe in my heart has helped my healing and prevented me from getting sick. I truly believe that in my heart.
I feel like I'm blessed and that God is using me to teach people. Cancer effects every family one way or the other.
In mine it's changed the way we feel about the future & what our purpose is on this earth. It makes you appreciate what a gift our lives truly are. And God gave us one shot. And it's up to us how we treat it and what we do to the enviroment we live in.
One day and we don't know when or the time but the earth as we know it will change. So treat your body like it is the gift that it is. And one day you can think the man that intrusted it to you.
Make it a great day!
Patsy
P.S. I will have my next Pet Scan on April 6th and meet both with both doctors on April 7th to get my results. Thank you to those of you that continue to pray for me.
I love each and everyone of you more than you know.
