I have cancer (low-grade lymphoma) and I don't know how I feel about it

Some of you may be aware that I was recently diagnosed with lymphoma--yep, that "C" word.

Now, before I go any further, let me say that I am OK, it's very slow-growing, or indolent. I have no symptoms and no pain. I do not need treatment now, and I might never need it. "It's cancer," my doctor said at the office, but bless him, he said it sitting down, and with all the matter-of-factness of wondering what to have for lunch. That put me at ease, at least in that moment. I've had some tests and a biopsy, and I'll be going back for a quick follow-up and a 20 questions session soon.

My head has been spinning ever since. I am thankful that the illness is not a worst-case scenario, yet I feel, well, sad that this...whatever is growing inside of me and could potentially be cause for concern at some point. It's a strange feeling.

What really surprised me is the reactions of other people. I haven't told many people except for my family and closest friends. Some of them freak out, which in turn freaks ME out. A very close friend said "It took me three days just to tell Dawn(his wife)". I wasn't ready for any of this. I'm not trying to freak people out. Some people are even more upset than I am, but I think some people should know, PLUS it would be nice to have people to speak to about this.

Most importantly, I don't want to seem like I'm calling attention to myself at the expense of others who have this worse than I do. I have Facebook friends who post from their hospital bed as they go for treatment and I certainly won't be mentioning this there.

I'm aware that some SWeeps have battled cancer. Also, I have a friend with a much worse version of lymphoma than mine, and I'm not certain that I want to burden him with my condition.

It's going to take a while. I'm bouncing between total acceptance and not really caring and sadness and anger. Of course, I never expected to have cancer, and now that I do, even saying "I have cancer" feels strange, and people reacting more dramatically than I feels stranger than that.

Thanks for reading and be well.

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uncalled4 · 56-60, M

Went for my second opinion today. Prognosis is similar, but this doctor wants me to get a PETscan. And they took A LOT of blood. I thought they needed enough for the crime scene of a CSI episode.

akindheart · 61-69, F

@uncalled4 my brother has leukemia and lymphoma. he is going for a pet scan in July then to the cancer center in Ohio.

Starcrossed · 41-45, F

@uncalled4 how are you feeling?

uncalled4 · 56-60, M

@akindheart Good thoughts going out to him.

uncalled4 · 56-60, M

@Starcrossed Fine, after I got some food in my system. Thanks for asking. I was loopy there for a while.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@uncalled4

Went for my second opinion today. Prognosis is similar, but this doctor wants me to get a PETscan. And they took A LOT of blood. I thought they needed enough for the crime scene of a CSI episode.

PET scans are very expensive so be sure that it's done by your network. Check to be sure.

uncalled4 · 56-60, M

@Diotrephes I will. Good idea to check.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@uncalled4 My PET scan was done at the university hospital with a retail cost of $11,849.80. I got off with just a $60 copay. It would have been less if it had been done in my network.

I had 20 radiation treatments, again out of network, for a retail cost in excess of $60,000. I had a copayment of $2,694. They had a lot of offices I could have gone to but this one was closest to home. They had a 5 star operation so it was worth the money although I might have been able to have gotten it for less in my network.

Best of luck with your treatment. It is a long process.

There is a theory that if a person fasts twice a week it will enable his body to kill the cancer cells. I think I will start doing it this week.

Intermittent fasting may supercharge ‘natural killer’ cells to destroy cancer
JUNE 17, 2024
"
NEW YORK — Could skipping a few meals each week help you fight cancer? It might sound far-fetched, but new research suggests that one type of intermittent fasting could actually boost your body’s natural ability to defeat cancer.

A team of scientists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has uncovered an intriguing link between fasting and the body’s immune system. Their study, published in the journal Immunity, focuses on a particular type of immune cell called natural killer (NK) cells. These cells are like the special forces of your immune system, capable of taking out cancer cells and virus-infected cells without needing prior exposure.

So, what’s the big deal about these NK cells? Well, they’re pretty important when it comes to battling cancerous tumors. Generally speaking, the more NK cells you have in a tumor, the better your chances of beating the disease. However, there’s a catch: the environment inside and around tumors is incredibly harsh. It’s like a battlefield where resources are scarce, and many immune cells struggle to survive.

This is where fasting enters the picture. The researchers found that periods of fasting actually “reprogrammed” these NK cells, making them better equipped to survive in the dangerous tumor environment and more effective at fighting cancer.

“Tumors are very hungry,” says immunologist Joseph Sun, PhD, the study’s senior author, in a media release. “They take up essential nutrients, creating a hostile environment often rich in lipids that are detrimental to most immune cells. What we show here is that fasting reprograms these natural killer cells to better survive in this suppressive environment.”
https://studyfinds.org/intermittent-fasting-fight-cancer/

read the entire article.