Thursday August 22

Finally after almost two weeks, the leg is extra tolerable. No Advil for three days!! As a matter of fact all over feeling pretty good and positive. Oh I know it is still there but this is one of the times where it is so far in the back.

I almost feel normal. Relish it, do some stuff, everyone warns don't over do it. But they don't get it....tomorrow I could be back to nothing. There is no rhyme or reason, it will just hit again, no warning, no more ignoring it, so I will go while I can thank you very much. I will clean up the house take off some layers of dirt that no one but me seems to get to! It is ok they mean well!

If I can just feel good until the weekend is over. The plan is relatives are coming in, beach on Sat. and just hanging out with them the rest of the time. It would be nice to be functional the whole time crossing fingers, still feeling positive.

I have started to do some reading and searching on-line.
Signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma:
Enlarged lymph nodes~NO
Swollen abdomen (belly)~NO (OR MAYBE :)
Feeling full after only a small amount of food ~NO
Chest pain or pressure~NO
Shortness of breath or cough~NO
Fever~NO
Weight loss~I WISH~NO
Night sweats~??~ NO~ EVIDENTALY YOU HAVE TO BE DRIPPING TO COUNT THIS ON
Fatigue (extreme tiredness)~OK~MAYBE JUST A TOUCH, BUT KIND OF GOING THROUGH A LOT HERE

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can cause many different signs and symptoms, depending on where it is in the body.

Yeah I got NONE of that people my muscle and bones hurt, can't be Follicular Lymphoma. Ed says I have a virus!! Love that man!!

• Low risk: no or 1 poor prognostic factor(s)
• Intermediate risk: 2 poor prognostic factors
• High risk: 3 or more poor prognostic factors

The study used to develop the FLIPI produced the following survival rates:

Risk group	5-year survival rate		10-year survival rate
Low-risk		91%		71%
Intermediate-risk		78%		51%
High-risk		53%		36%

SON OF A CRAP!! I think I am a 2, definitely a 1. Still not sure today and it is 9-23!! So gonna have to fight it out here, blow the chart up. I think I can do that!!

The average age for people with this lymphoma is about 60. It’s rare in very young people. Most of the time, this lymphoma occurs in many lymph node sites in the body, as well as in the bone marrow.
Follicular lymphomas are often slow-growing and respond well to treatment, but they are hard to cure.
Over time, about 1 in 3 follicular lymphomas turns into a fast-growing diffuse B-cell lymphoma.

Isn't that lovely.

And then they call I now have to go in very early morning on August 26th for a full body CT scan.

WHAT!!

Ok so I know it will have to happen to finish figuring out my stage etc. and my neurosurgeon wants it before my next  and first  appointment with the Oncologist. But somehow, this tidbit is not settling with me well. Makes it all to real that the Lymphoma may be in other parts of my body, which deep down I know we need to know for treatment, but a part of me does not want to know. Which of course is pretty ridiculous.

Battling on the inside between reason and ridiculousness.

Monday August 26

Barium Sulfate Suspension......GROSS. Have to drink 2 containers for the CT scan and well I only made three quarters through the first before it finds another way out. Bathroom is my friend and nothing I can do about it!! Still have to get through the next one too!

Ok so I do, pictures are taken, back home I go to ponder and wait. Feeling unsure about what they will find and have to wait until tomorrows follow up appointments to know for sure. Oh how the imagination can run, even without shoes!

~LeAnn Rimes~ "What I Cannot Change"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj__mu59Lbs