Lymphoma

So sorry to hear your news. Can completely understand your shock…my SIL died 3 years ago from cancer..very sudden, no warning, no family history and only young, left behind my daughter and 2 grandchildren. It was during covid so everything was so hard … my prayers are with you and your family and I hope that he has a positive outcome.

So sorry. A cancer diagnosis is always a shock when it involves a member of the family. I was stunned for a while when DH was diagnosed.
After a time I had to accept what was happening and deal with the practical issues.
Your husband's son and family will need support through this but you need to look after yourself while you are in shock before you can give help.

Couldn’t pass without wishing you and your family well - I hope the results show treatment and cure is possible for your much loved (step) son.

I have Non Hodgkins lymphoma. Diagnosed in 2020. Been through endless blood tests, biopsies, CT scans PET scans, bone marrow biopsies. Then watch and wait for a year, then chemo for 6 months. Now in remission. Good thing about Lymphoma is that is treatable. No necessarily curable, but treatable.

The treatment is doable.

The diagnosis may take a while to be made as they have to get all results together. He will be staged. And stage 4 is not to be taken as disaster. It just basically means it has been found in more than one area of the body. So nothing like any hard tumour cancer result of stage 4.

DO NOT PANIC DO NOT GOOGLE. LOOK ON THE LYMPHOMA ACTION, MACMILLAN OR NHS sites only.

Googling will come up with irrelevant and inaccurate info.

It is a thunderbolt out of nowhere. I didnt see it coming. Felt fine but had 2 swollen nodes in my neck which were still there after more than 3 weeks. Best wishes to you all. You must be calm and patient.

There have been some advances in the treatment of lymphoma since I worked for the NHS, involving stem cells. My optician has been in remission for years following this therapy. I hope your stepson will be one of those for whom there is help.
Thinking of you all.

A good friend of mine had the same diagnosis although the lumps were in her neck. She had 6 months of treatment and all was well afterwards. At the time she was about 50. She’s now 71 and has been fine ever since.

I really can understand that this has been a shock for you all - it is good to hear the positive stories above. I hope very much that all goes well.

Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor here, well, 10 years' remission anyway.

RCHOP chemo, followed by radio.

I agree with Helterskelter1! Google is absolutely Not your friend.

Time feels to crawl as they get all their tests etc done but once treatment starts it feels more doable.

I was in your situation just under a year ago, Icanhandthemback with our oldest. Not lymphoma but equally horrid. We were left reeling, it came from nowhere, nought to a hundred mph in 48hrs and to make it worse, he lives overseas so we couldn’t be at hand for practical things.

We’re beginning to emerge out the other side now but it’s changed our lives forever. Wishing your dh’s son and your family the best for his treatment. Xx

Sending best wishes to you and your family

I’m so sorry. Such a terrible shock. I hope the further tests show that things aren’t as bad as you naturally fear, and that successful treatment is possible.
I will remember him, and you, in my prayers.
💐

I too had lymphoma but in my tum - the consultant showed us the scan and in fact only a tiny bit of the growth was the active cancer. I went into hospital here in France and had quite a few tests and things and more than one specialist looks at the results and together they decide on which one will treat you. I had a haematologist treat me. So no surgical intervention but 8 doses of chemo. My hair fell out which for me was the worst thing - it has grown back but not as thick as it was. I paid a lot of money for a good wig but never wore it as I found it too uncomfortable. I had a nice turban hat thing in a lovely pink with a fabric flower on the side. All the locals knew I had cancer and asked the ambulance/ taxi man how I was doing. When I was well enough we just went out as usual.
I am just coming up to my last check up with the consultant which will be five years since I was diagnosed. I feel fine but do feel tired at times - but of course I am older and now over 80 so would not expect to be running a marathon!

My DH has a non Hodgkins's lyphoma and is in the middle of R-CHOP. The chemo is tough, but the lymphoma symptoms (sinus problems and back pain) went after a couple of rounds. He has six months of treatment, but we are plodding through day by day. The prognosis is very good and as his is a fast growing lymphoma they aim for a cure.
Best wishes to you all, waiting for a precise diagnosis was the worst bit.

The cause is not known. And not known to be hereditary.

Once he has a diagnosis of the type of Lymphoma and there are 60 different types of Non Hodgkins....and a plan of action by his team, things will be easier to deal with. The Lymphoma Action telephone helpline are great. And on their website are numerous helpful booklets for him and you to read.

If he is put on watch and wait...or active monitoring ... he will have regular checkups. Treatment does not start until it is essential/necessary. A relative... not a blood relative...was on watch and wait for 30 years of good health.
Macmillan have good booklets I believe for explaining to small children.
I found it easier to not tell too many people until I had a definite diagnosis and a treatment plan. I found it best to tell my adult children in writing on the equivalent of Whatapp how things were going so that they got the same info at the same time and could re read and then ask me any questions.
He will probably get overwhelmed with questions which he may not be able to answer yet anyway.

Good luck for your son and i hope it’s better than you are thinking

Thinking of you and your lovely SS. A huge shock but some positive messages for you on GN. 💐💐💐

I hope you can let us know how your SS gets on. I suspect he’s a fit, youngish man able to withstand the grueling treatment. It’s certainly no picnic.
I wish him well.

Thank you for all your lovely messages. It is just a case of waiting game for the moment and I have everything crossed.

🤞🤞🤞