My 2 Years of Chemo Comes To An End

I'm writing this from the oncology center at CMMC, where I'm being hooked up for the last of my two-year-long chemotherapy treatments. I can tell you I won't miss these little bi-monthly meetings. I was diagnosed back in August of 2011 with cutaneous b-cell lymphoma. It's a rare type of lymphoma that is treatable, but chronic. It showed up as lesions on my head and has the ability to spread to other areas of the body.

The treatment involved getting this infusion every other month for two years. It seems to have done the trick as the lesions are now small and few. The next step will be to have a CT scan in two weeks to see how under control the cancer is.  Then, as my oncologist puts it, "we observe." If it comes back soon, we may have to hit it with more chemo. If it stays away, we keep observing until it comes back. It will come back, but can be controlled when it does.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm one of the lucky ones. My form of cancer doesn't require the heavy doses of chemotherapy that some have to endure. I don't have a loss of hair (at least nothing naturally) or miriad of other complications people have with chemotherapy treatment. I just tire easily after a treatment and have some joint pain that subsides after a week or two. I have so much respect for those people that endure so much more and fight this stupid thing to the end. You people are my heroes.

I've got a long life ahead of me. It may just have some of these speed bumps along the way...oh...there's the Benadryl kicking in...time for a nap now.