posted
So most of you have heard some or all of the Mooselet Saga. This time it isn't about him, or me, or Mama, or Superstation. It's my dad.
I got a call from my mom yesterday afternoon, during the time Hatrack was down. My dad had gone in a short time ago to have a golf-ball-sized cyst/mass/something (my mom couldn't remember exactly what they called it) from his neck. They did a biopsy on it, and turns out he has (or had?) Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. They didn't have all the results yet, so as is usual with our life, we're in a holding pattern for more info.
He'll be seeing an oncologist soon, whose first responsibility as I understand it is to find out if it's all gone. Not clear what all they were going to do to determine that. The doctor who removed it did say that he's pretty sure he got all of what was there, so I guess it wasn't connected to anything else. But there could be more somewhere else in his system? I'm not sure how this all works.
I'm kinda shocky right now, I guess -- it hasn't quite hit me. I'm worried for my father, and for my mother, and my sister. My brothers will probably handle this as well or better than I, so while my love for them is no less, my concern for them over this is. My sister got a double-whammie, as I heard from her this morning that she found out earlier this week that her father-in-law has lung cancer.
I don't even know what else to say. I'm getting tired. I think I could use some peace for a little while.
--Pop
[Edit -- put in wrong type cancer for sister's father-in-law.]
[ February 06, 2004, 04:06 PM: Message edited by: Papa Moose ]
Posts: 6213 | Registered: May 2001
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posted
Oh, Pop, if anyone deserves a break, it's you! For what it's worth, my brother in law had Hodgkins Lymphoma a few years back, and seems to be completely better now. Not the same disease, I know, but something like this isn't the automatic death sentence that one might assume.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Moose. I feel for you. I started reading and realized this was all too familiar. My Grandmother, about 3 months ago had the same golfball size lump appear. Non-Hodgkins Lymphnoma. She was on chemo for a while. Finished the treatments. Been doing great. Has most here hair back, happy and healthy. 10 days ago I get a phone call, she's had a number (~10) of lumps appear on her legs. More cancer. She's started the chemo again.
She's only 65-70, been doing aerobics 3 days a week for 20 years. Gah, this is hard. I feel for you Moose, I wish the very best for your father.
I will be praying for you and him, for a quick and succesful recession of the cancer.
(((Moose and family)))
Posts: 2102 | Registered: Dec 2000
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I completely understand where you're coming from. All I can say is that I wish you the absolute best.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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Lately, cancer has been bringing me down hard too. I just found out about 2 weeks ago that my mom has leukemia at 48 (myoblastic is the tentative diagnosis.) It was (and still is) a huge shock.
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Pop, there are over 20 different kinds of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, though two types account for 70% of all lymphoma (follicular (small-cell) and diffuse large B-cell.) First, they need to nail down what type it is exactly and what stage. More than likely, he'll be in chemo soon, unless it is a low-grade lymphoma. Things that you might try to find out are his age (though you probably already know this) his LDH levels, his performance (on chemo,) the stage of it, and other areas of the body involved with lymphoma (and if so, how many and what sites are involved.
Here is something from the FDA that might be of interest.
quote: A frequently used chemotherapy regimen for NHL combines cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride (marketed as Adriamycin), vincristine (marketed as Oncovin), and the anti-inflammatory drug prednisone. Although used for about 20 years, recent studies suggest this regimen is as effective and has less serious side effects than some of the newer drug combinations, according to Alan Aisenberg, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital.
An experimental NHL chemotherapy compound is a drug called fludarabine. FDA approved this drug as Fludara in 1991 for treating a type of leukemia, and, according to NCI's Bruce Cheson, M.D., early studies suggest that more low-grade NHL patients go into complete remission when they are treated with fludarabine than when they are treated with standard drugs such as chlorambucil.
Radiation therapy alone may be the treatment of choice for some patients, especially those who have only a single, small tumor. Some types of NHL respond best to chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy.
When you get more information, let us know. I'll be praying for you.
Posts: 171 | Registered: Jun 2001
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Your Dad is in my thoughts, as well as your whole family. I hope that you receive some good news in the next few days.
I say break out those fun movies and sit down with your kids and Mama Squirrel and just break away from reality for a bit. Or head out to a park and just enjoy each other. (Probably don't have to tell you that, though.)
Posts: 822 | Registered: Jul 2001
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You are in my thoughts. *hugs the Meese*
