My best mate was diagnosed with lymphoma about 5 years ago. She had treatment and then it returned 2 years ago. Chemo and radiotherapy seemed to clear it up but sadly it’s back again (this time in the chest wall). It’s an aggressive type and she’s just had 5 days of intensive chemo in hospital. She’s then got 17 days ‘recovery’ followed by the same cycle another 2 times. There is talk of stem cell therapy after that. Has anyone any experience of having this / knowing someone having this therapy? I believe it would involve a longer stay in hospital.
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The rounds of intensive chemo will perhaps be followed by whole body radiotherapy - this is to ensure that any remaining cancerous cells are removed. Then the stem cell therapy can commence.
Likely to be a delayed reaction in the effects of the chemo (and in particular radiotherapy if given) that will continue after the stem cell treatment before starting to improve.
One of the main effects is that the immune system is basically knocked out cold and the threat of infection is raised as a result. But the medics know that and can react very quickly should an infection be contracted.
Having said the above, it may not be the same treatment regime for your friend.
Very best wishes to her and tell her that the experts know what they are doing and that there is great hope.
Glad you’ve got the all clear. I’ll tell my friend as this will give her some hope.
And best wishes to your friend, Arsenetatters, with hopefully a similar happy outcome as happyvalley
All the stories of it coming back on this thread have depressed me a little.
Grateful for his regular check ups.
Think I'll go see him on sunday.
Yes the discussions about the team, management, matches, tactics, and - sadly - the ongoing issues of ownership, the FA, EFL, etc. are the food and drink of a football forum, but it is these other threads which make Charlton Life special.
Between us we have a wealth of experience and knowledge, which is freely shared in such an open, caring way. @AFKABartram and @LoOkOuT have created something which, if not unique, is certainly unusual and valuable. And I'd better stop here before they put up the subs!
With that said, please don't take anything I'm saying as gospel, as I am of course not a doctor, nor have I been on the receiving end of treatment.
Stem cell therapy for your friend is very likely to be autologous (use of own stem cells) because this lowers the risk of complications, and you wouldn't need a donor, no matter whether it's Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A stay while the transplant takes effect would be a few weeks - anywhere between 4 and 8 is pretty usual, unless my memory serves me wrong, though longer isn't uncommon.
The best place for any further information on the process and recovery is the Anthony Nolan website: https://www.anthonynolan.org/patients-and-families/having-stem-cell-transplant
All the best to your friend, of course. I am not clued up on "success rates" or anything for stem cell transplantation, but it's not an overly gruelling process to go through from what I know. I'm sure @happyvalley is far more enlightened than I am in this regard though.
i do hope it’s not a dreadful process to go though as she’s having a very tough time with the intensive chemo. She’s very weak and could only nod on Monday. She was able to speak a little on Tuesday and has gone home for the ‘recovery ‘ period now she’s had the chest drain removed. Apparently she will feel pretty bad next week on ‘day 10’ as that’s when the chemo takes big effect. @happyvalley is this what you found during your intensive chemo?
By the way, thank you to everyone who’s replying.
The chemo attacks and destroys cancerous (and non-cancerous) blood cells. Once everything is clear, you are injected with stem cells which produce new blood cells. Without the stem cells you would die before you could replace the blood cells you have lost.
In my case, the stem cells came from a donor because this works better for Leukemia but for Lymphoma I think you get stem cells taken from you and stored before the chemo.
The chemo treatment makes you feel sick and there is no way you can continue with anything remotely normal while it's happening. It's like a really bad hangover lasting a month!
In my case, I was in an isolation ward and all I could do was lie in bed and let the saints at the Marsden look after me. In some ways being isolated helped because I couldn't really do anything but listen to the radio anyway!
But to put it into context, soon after my treatment, I contracted chicken pox and spent three months in bed at home. Physically, this was a much worse experience. Like having 'flu for three months. I just wanted to die.
Still here moaning abut Roland though!
so glad it worked well for you. This is making me feel more positive
Don't forget to look after YOU as well.
x
5 courses of chemo must have been awful. I’m glad you are in remission now - and long may it last. It sounds like my friend is going to be in for a very difficult time over the next few months.
When my Dad had pneumonia he was put on oxygen but they then took him to intensive care ‘to help with his breathing’. He did go back to a normal ward after a week but then got another infection and died. He was 87 so not the same situation at all as my friend. I am imagining that things could go the same way for her too - or am I being too negative? Does this happen with intensive chemotherapy?
When I was visiting this week I found myself desperately trying to find a positive thing to say. ‘Lovely that you’ve got a window’ was what I said. How ridiculous. But I noticed that the 2 other visitors that joined me said the same. We also started on ‘what a nice menu’. The truth is it’s difficult to know what to say, but by being upbeat it feels as though we’re not acknowledging how bad she feels. 🙁