Chapter 1
On January 18th the colon doc told me I had lymphoma, but my oncology appointment was not until the 24th...(she was out of town.) I elected to stay off the Internet. I didn't want to fill my mind with info that it had no way to process. I was grateful for the time before the oncology appointment so that I could let my mind catch up to where my body had landed. Finally, the night before I met "Dr.Chemistry" I decided I should at least know the definition of what had been identified as my now "sit-u-a-shun." What follows is the first item that showed up on my google search...(since then it took several serious searches to re-find the site):
"Your Lymphatic System is Like a Map
The lymphatic system is like a detailed road map with large dots (cities), small dots (towns), and a bunch of thin lines (roads). You can think of the map as your body and the network of dots and lines as your lymphatic system.
On this map, each lymphocyte is a person. Each town is a lymph node, a place where there are a lot of lymphocytes. Each city is a cluster of lymph nodes. And each road is a lymphatic vessel. Just as people use roads to get where they're going, lymphocytes use lymphatic vessels to get where they're going.
That's why someone needs to monitor the city, and that someone is you. The first step is to realize that the mayor is nuts (via colon cancer screening or symptoms). The second step is to remove him from office (via treatment)." (from about.com)
Having worked for city government for the past 29 years this couldn't have hit the spot better...and trust me I've known a nutty Mayor or two in my time. You just can't make something this good up - I shut down the computer. I didn't need a bit more info to start my journey. Thank you angels of the Patron Saint of Lymphoma Release. You rocked my socks and set my head straight.
Chapter 2
Genius was attending her Radioactive Chemistry Class. The professor, feeling clever and in the object teaching moment I suppose, used the example of a Marshmellow Man (think Easter timing) who had and "egg" size tumor...yes...Marshmellow Man had lymphoma and would use radioactive chemistry (PET scan) to learn about the progress of the condition.
Genius turned to her friend Jessica and said,
"Uh...this is AWKWARD..."
Not so funny Mr. Professor-man.
Chapter 3
Trying to stay up until 10 pm (so that I wouldn't be up at 2 am) I flipped channels on the TV in search of something, anything, to watch. Ah, another medical show to watch - and lo and behold a woman (6 months pregnant) is taken into one of those serious doctor conference room and told....gulp...you...have...lymphoma. Treatment would be chemotherapy. Now the show had my attention. My full attention. And by the way, there were not two doctors in a nice conference room breaking the news to me gently - HA. The woman had to decide whether or not to deliver the baby early and start treatment...or wait and who knows what. Now I had to watch the WHOLE show to learn the outcome. There was some intervening dramatic details, but in the end she had a c-section and started treatment. Not a word about hair loss, nausea, aches and shakes, and treatment outcome. BARF - nothing exciting here. Sucked in by dumb TV. I better write my own scripts in the future. I want details on the treatments, the chemical impacts, and for crying out loud the RESULTS. Would probably end up on PBS with the only commercial endorsements from hemorrhoid remedy companies but I'm good with that business. My whole family, the entire extended clan, would tune in for sure and call in during the phone-a-thon to raise money for the station. Hell, they'd be working the phones.
On this map, each lymphocyte is a person. Each town is a lymph node, a place where there are a lot of lymphocytes. Each city is a cluster of lymph nodes. And each road is a lymphatic vessel. Just as people use roads to get where they're going, lymphocytes use lymphatic vessels to get where they're going.
Invasion of Lymph Node "Cities"
Lymphoma is like a city whose mayor has gone mad and designs a machine to crank out drones who have one purpose: to make sure he stays in office. These "people" consume resources but don't give back to the community. The mayor just keeps cranking them out and at first, no one notices because they fit in quite nicely. But eventually, they overcrowd the city and even cripple it. If given enough time, the drones will hitchhike down the road to a new town and cripple it as well.That's why someone needs to monitor the city, and that someone is you. The first step is to realize that the mayor is nuts (via colon cancer screening or symptoms). The second step is to remove him from office (via treatment)." (from about.com)
Having worked for city government for the past 29 years this couldn't have hit the spot better...and trust me I've known a nutty Mayor or two in my time. You just can't make something this good up - I shut down the computer. I didn't need a bit more info to start my journey. Thank you angels of the Patron Saint of Lymphoma Release. You rocked my socks and set my head straight.
Chapter 2
Genius was attending her Radioactive Chemistry Class. The professor, feeling clever and in the object teaching moment I suppose, used the example of a Marshmellow Man (think Easter timing) who had and "egg" size tumor...yes...Marshmellow Man had lymphoma and would use radioactive chemistry (PET scan) to learn about the progress of the condition.
Genius turned to her friend Jessica and said,
"Uh...this is AWKWARD..."
Not so funny Mr. Professor-man.
Chapter 3
Trying to stay up until 10 pm (so that I wouldn't be up at 2 am) I flipped channels on the TV in search of something, anything, to watch. Ah, another medical show to watch - and lo and behold a woman (6 months pregnant) is taken into one of those serious doctor conference room and told....gulp...you...have...lymphoma. Treatment would be chemotherapy. Now the show had my attention. My full attention. And by the way, there were not two doctors in a nice conference room breaking the news to me gently - HA. The woman had to decide whether or not to deliver the baby early and start treatment...or wait and who knows what. Now I had to watch the WHOLE show to learn the outcome. There was some intervening dramatic details, but in the end she had a c-section and started treatment. Not a word about hair loss, nausea, aches and shakes, and treatment outcome. BARF - nothing exciting here. Sucked in by dumb TV. I better write my own scripts in the future. I want details on the treatments, the chemical impacts, and for crying out loud the RESULTS. Would probably end up on PBS with the only commercial endorsements from hemorrhoid remedy companies but I'm good with that business. My whole family, the entire extended clan, would tune in for sure and call in during the phone-a-thon to raise money for the station. Hell, they'd be working the phones.
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