My best friend suggested I write to this support group and AM SO happy I did...Thank all of you for your responses! I was so content in my life, prior to this..Certainly, my life was not the exciting one you read about in novels, but it was content and routine. I wake up, go to work, go home fix dinner, bake and tinker around in the yard. My youngest daughter and my 4 year old grandson live with us so evenings are full of general satisfaction. This nasty NHL has taken my routine away and I believe that is why I am so depressed. Again, thank all of you as writing feelings down do help!
Congrats to Rascal1 on your remission!
Hi All and newcomers Gianne and Kristen, welcome!
I have now been in remission for 5 months from 3A DLBCL. I am still experiencing aches, pain and soreness in joints but mainly in my hips and pelvis. I complained about this to my onco when I saw him 2 months ago and he ordered a CT scan of my hips. Nothing onerous showed up so I guess it something I will have to learn to accept and live with.
Yes Kristen their is always a chance that this could come back either as before or as leukemia. My onco doesn't like to do too many scans because of that risk from the radiation. But hey you good just as easily be run over by a bus! I know it is very difficult not to dwell on it but all we can do is try to live life to its fullest and worry about it when and if it happens.
Gianne chemo is a horrible thing to have to endure and the meds can make you unpredictable, especially the steriod prednisone/dexamethasone. I found that by each progression into treatment i dreaded it more and more and at times did not even want to go in for treatment but knew that I had toi
Take care all and be strong.
Lots of love and hugs
Kate
Thanks kate for your words!
And gianne Im glad you joined the group. I understand that youre just starting treatment? I hope that it all goes well for you. I wrote this paper in college that I recently found and I am going to post it to my blog- I would really appreciate it if you read it... and if anyone else wants to read it. But it talks about blessed trials and my experience with cancer and all the blessings reaceived. (be warned I went to a private religious university so there are references to God and scriptures and stuff.) heres the link http://onceuponalinford.blogspot.com/2011/09/bless-trials-paper-i-wrote.html
just saw this thread.
Welcome, such as it is, to us.
I read through, and listen to the wise words of my virtual friends.
We will get through this. ***** it.
Hey all. I had Chop-R 4 years ago for NHL . My oncologist (who has been doing this for over 30 years) told me that if you have a pre-existing condition(i.e., arthritis) that it will cause it to excel. I now have arthritis in my hips, my hands get stiff, my neck has arthritis, etc. I had it before, but now it is worse. I guess we have to take the good along with the bad.
I believe that this chronic disease of ours causes one to be more mindful of body aches and pains, and some that naturally occur with anyone. I would believe that treatment woudl exacerate pre-existing conditions. Good thinking to focus on the good.
Welcome Kristen......our family here is growing.
I was searching the internet for information on post-chemo pain and found this support group and in particular this thread. Thank you all for your comments. I had one round of chemo for metastisized "cancer of unknown primary" and then was dx with large B cell lymphoma and completed 8 rounds of RCHOP on 3 Feb 11. I had some muscle pain before diagnosis and a little bit of arthritis. I had no pain or symptoms during chemo but now that I am done; the arthritis is really bad and have joint pain where I've never had pain before and muscle pain all over my body. I am reluctant to take any pain medication because I feel my liver and kidney already took a beating with all the chemicals passed through me during the chemotherapy. Am I wrong to worry about that, is it safe to take pain and arthritis meds?
I had problems after my treatment and so I asked my MD if what I had heard was true....If you had any chronic problems before you took R-CHOP that they will be potentiated after the treatments. His answer was "We can't prove it but potentially yes". I would go back to your MD that gave you all the pain and arthrisis meds. I took all of my meds. all the way thru chemo and still take them. Talk to your MD about yor particular case and see what they say. Keep is posted...we worry about newbee's! Good Luck!
I agree with Rascal, get more info from MD and find new ways to deal with pain. Pain robs your quality of life, unless you like sleeping on a bed of nails, do what you can to relieve pain. How bout joint supplements, oils etc. i don't know if they work but some people swear by them. heat and massage also, basically as we age, we seem to be stuck with muscle and joint pain, which is increased by chemo. we have enter the era of choosing the lesser of two evils, we must have treatment to survived, but sometimes the side effects are worse than the B symptoms, but you can have cancer with few symptoms and lots of damage being done internally. unfortunately this may be your new normal, now you must research and discover new ways to exist wit it. Glad you are here. Please post if you discover anything new to treat this arthritis and muscle pain. We are always looking for new ways.
Hugs and good luck! KBeale
Hi All,
Iam continuing to have the odd bout of extreme pain in my spine radiating out to my pelvis. It seems to come on for no apparent reason, My GP/MD (I'm ******) ordered a lower back Xray and FBC with marker blood tests for DLBCL but everything came back normal.
Even though I walk several kilometres every day I have decided to get back into pilates and body balance to improve my core strength to see if it helps with my back pain. I figure it can't hurt, I have just been waiting to get some energy back which seems to be taking a long time. I am now 6 months post chemo.
My GP also said to try taking fish oil supplements and glucosamine. So I guesss I will add those to my already long list of supplements and see if there is any improvement.
Hope you are all doing well either post chemo or still undergoing treatment.
Love and hugs to all.
Kate
hello.. my husband is headed for this third rchop treatment next week. i expected him to feel better but he is hardly out of bed, eats like a bird, and does not sleep well. Will this be the experience until after the six treatments or will he begin to feel better?
Yes, he should.Granted he may never be what he was,but "life can still be good" after chemo.Some take the pitty train others run marathons.It will be up to him and his body how he wants to move on.Healing thoughts
Well said Michele! I know someone that is working 3 part time jobs AND doing chemo. That isn't me, wish it was, but I never spent my days in bed either. Sounds like he is in a depression...he needs to get out of bed and either get some help from someone for it or start walking outside and eating right so he has the strength to fight his cancer. He will be nauseous and very tired but he can do more than lay in bed. It is depression keeping him there! He needs to come on here and talk to us we will support him and help him out of his funk!
Welcome Ann,
I am still battling with pain in my lower spine and pelvis region. My Onco suggested to my GP that I have a CT scan done of my pelvis. I got the results back last Friday and they found 2 cysts near my right ovary one of which has significantly inccreased in size since my last scan back in April when there was only one cyst.
I rang my Onco and he said I should have an ultrasound done ASAP to help determine what type of cysts they are which I did yesterday but they couldn't visualise them from it. The CT report did say that an ultrasound may have difficulty in seeing them because of where they are located. So now I have to see a gynocologist and go from there.
My Onco did say that it was not related to my lymphoma but I needed to rule out that the cysts are not malignant. So my hunch is that I will have to have a laparotomy. I had a hysterectomy over 10 years ago when I was 38 but they spared my ovaries for the obvious reasons. So now that I am in menopause brought about by the chemo I guess if they have to do an exploratory op I should get rid of them at the same time to lessen the risk down the track.
I am still unsure if the cysts are the source of my back pain but it would seem likely. Here's keeping my fingers crossed for a good outcome!
Kate
I have had ovarian cysts many times, they were treated with provera and that type meds. that makes them shrink. The last one I had was the size of a small baby and wouldn't shrink so i had to have it removed. They were painful and I got sharp pains before they would break. Also lots of back pain before. You will feel beter after they remove them...good luck, take care!
Kate, I'm sorry that they have discovered some cysts and that you are going to have to have ongoing medical treatment. It must be a bit of a relief, however to find a reason for your pain. I wish you all the best. I started to take tylenol arthritis and they have given me relief to the point of everything being a dull ache and it is much more tolerable. Thanks all for your supportive comments.
I had cysts many years back and did have loads of pain.Yes, back pain went with it.Took lots of pain pills back then till I had a Hysterectomy.I feel your pain hope you feel better soon Kate.
Thanks all for your comments. I also have suffered from numerous cysts in the past before my hysterectomy. I also had several rupture the worst one being when i was pregnant which caused me to miscarry a few days after surgery. I remember the pain being excuriating, worse than labour.
Anyway I was fortunate enough to be able to book a appointment to see a gynaecologist/oncologist tomorrow. So hopefully the mystery will begin to unravel itself then. The worst case senario would be that it is ovarian cancer but it could also prove to be nothing serious.
I guess once you have had cancer you will always worry about every little ache and pain as we have learnt to be more intune with our body. At least part of the anxious wait will be over and I will know more about what I am dealing with or not.
Ann I am glad that the pain meds are helping dull your pain, hang in there. Stay well and strong everyone and I will keep you informed of my outcome.
Hugs,
Kate
Thanks Kate, i will appreciate hearing more about your situation.