Checking In - still going well

It's been three months since my last post and there really isn't much to report. All is going really well, although I had a little scare last month when I found a lump on my arm. This is still being checked out (am awaiting an ultrasound), but the suspicion is it's a lipid or some other kind of fibrous growth, as there are no main lymph nodes where I have the lump (on my bicep).

The lump did prompt a CT scan and this came back completely clear. One thing that was noted was that my spleen is slightly enlarged - but we knew that already and we doubt it'll ever go back to normal after the stretching it got in 2015 when I last relapsed. A larger spleen is the new normal for me.

My journey to handling full-on pressure and workload at work continues and I think I have reached the level of output and productivity that I had before this all started six years ago. I still ensure (as in my previous post) that I am in control of my hours worked and stress levels as I never want to go back to the stressful days of old. Make time for all of life (and enjoy it) is my motto!

Another observation - my hair has very little grey these days. I am convinced (as is my hairdresser) that it is getting darker all the time (and I promise I'm not dying it!). Great while it lasts, but I am expecting my hair follicles to give in suddenly one day and I will wake up with a completely grey head of hair! Either that, or my name is Dorian Gray and there is a picture of me in the attic that is getting older while I am getting younger - I'll have a look and will report back :-)

Lymphoma: A lesson in life

I'm not blogging as much these days as I march towards full health, and the transplant moves further away in my rear view mirror. However, my hospital appointments are now proving to be a good time to reflect on my progress and how I live my life differently as a result of five years of fighting lymphoma.

I had another visit to the hospital today. While I was waiting for my turn, I thought about what I've been through since November 2011 and how I lived my life before diagnosis compared to how I am living it now. As there wasn't a lot from a treatment point of view to discuss with the doctor, I continued my musings with him - he was very interested in how I am coping mentally as it is a very important part of the recovery process.

Before lymphoma, I allowed myself to get far too absorbed into work. It frequently took over my life, leaving little spare time for the other important things in my life. I now also realise that I probably drank too much, even though I didn't consider this to be a problem, but my socialising and relaxation was primarily based around alcohol. My free time outside work was often spent worrying about work and didn't allow me to completely enjoy the moments, weekends and holidays that I had with my friends and family.

I now realise that I can work very hard and still be successful, but leave it aside when I am done for the day. My productivity has not reduced as a result of this mindset change - in fact, I think it has improved as I approach my days with great clarity after having a good night's rest and not working late the previous evenings. It's not all that black and white, as some days office things dwell on my mind, but I am managing to stick to this mindset as a rule.
My free time is very important to me and I try to make sure I live in the moment - enjoying the experience of being with my family, or friends, or exercising, or whatever I'm doing at the time.

As a result, I feel a lot happier with my life at the moment and I also enjoy everything a lot more. It has taken lymphoma to teach me that and if the disease is all behind me now, then maybe it was worthwhile.

Recovery continuing nicely

Another hospital visit, another step towards normality. The main thing I'm watching these days is my lymphocyte count. The expectation is that this will return to normal levels a year to a year and a half after the transplant. Well, I'm in that timeframe now and, right on cue, my Lymphocyte levels have risen to the low end of normal. I'm hugely encouraged by this, as for a while I thought it would never budge from its low levels. Definitely another big step in the right direction.

Now to watch the chimerism. As I produce more lymphocytes, I want to see the ratio of new ones to old get to the point that my old lymphocytes are undetectable. This will finally mean that the old lymphocytes, which mutated and became cancerous, are gone - and hopefully the Lymphoma gone with them.

I'm feeling really good these days. Cocky enough to increase my responsibilities at work too. Although I still need to take it slowly and carefully, as I still hit the fatigue wall if I push myself too hard - often by 3pm if I've been busy all day at work (I start these days at 7am).

Still a long way to go, but I'm slowly beginning to come round to the idea that this transplant might just have done the trick......

13 months on and I've still got a big one

I've reduced my blogging frequency these days, because there isn't a lot to say other than my recovery is progressing nicely, and as expected.

First of all, the big news - my latest scan is completely clear. I am thrilled with this. The only thing to note is my spleen is still enlarged slightly - but we still think this is its new size because of the amount it was stretched previously. You all have my permission to say "there goes Trev - he's got a big spleen, you know". Plus - you know what they say about big spleens :-)

My Lymphocyte chimerism (ratio of my old Lymphocytes Vs new donor ones) is 87% donor / 13% old. This is good, and slowly moving in the right direction. The old Lymphocytes are where I had the cancer, so I definitely want them gone.

My Lymphocyte count has increased to 0.9. This is still very low, but it has increased from 0.7 last time - so it also moving in the right direction. My antibodies are low too. While these are low, I continue to be at increased risk of catching viruses and not being able to get rid of them without medical intervention. Case in point - I have been suffering from a cold for the past 5 weeks. From week to week it varies in strength - it gets worse to the point where I'm sneezing and coughing with a fever and then suddenly it wanes and becomes hardly noticeable (as it is right now).

So, it's all positive at the moment. Life is good. Work keeps me busy full time now, plus we moved house two weeks ago and we're settling-in well here - plenty to be happy about.

Happy Birthday, new immune system!

On Feb 4th, it will be one year since my new immune system was injected into me in the form of stem cells. I remember being impressed that they were flown in from Germany that day and whisked straight to the hospital to be given to me. I still can't get my head around the miracle that our bodies are - how did the stem cells know they had to form bone marrow? How did they know where to go? I find it all fascinating.

Overall, it's been a good year. It took a few weeks to recover from the intensity of the transplant but from April onwards, apart from the chest infections that put me back in hospital, I've felt quite healthy. Of course, that statement is skimming over a lot of details - looking back at the blog, there were many bumps along the way. In general, though, it's been good.

I have a scan coming up later this month to see if there is any sign of Lymphoma. I doubt I'll have any problems with that. What I will watch closely, though, is when my Lymphocyte count starts to rise - hopefully then my chimerism ratio will improve and I will not create any more mutated (cancerous) Lymphocytes.

Still healthy and getting on with life

I haven't checked-in for a while. This is because I'm still doing well and staying healthy. In spite of lots of family members coming down with heavy colds over Christmas, I have managed to remain mostly bug-free. I feel that I spent the last few weeks running from people who were sick, but it appeared to work. I also continue to avoid crowded areas where there is a chance I might catch something.
Just before Christmas, I did come down with a slight cold. I feared for the worst at the time, but it cleared up within a few days and I've been feeling great since. I'm very happy that I beat a cold - I take that as a sign that my immune system is starting to ramp up.
I am also continuing with my work rhythm of 2-3 days in the office and the rest of the week working from home. This is working well for me and I feel very productive and have good concentration levels at the moment.
The next step for me is to have another set of scans within the next month. This will show any activity by the Lymphoma. I'm not expecting anything to show up, just based on how well I feel.