ISLA'S GRACE

Two days after my ‘haircut’, Doctor Goldman’s office called with the results of my CT scan. “Sir, the scan showed that you are having a nice response to your treatment.” Not the definitive report I was expecting but certainly enough to make me feel that Mike 2.0 was winning ROUND 3.

Encouraged by the news, I decided to do some long overdue research on my condition. Call it lack of courage, fear of information overload, or just plain inertia, I hadn’t been up to the task to this point. I knew that the success rate for the remission of all lymphomas was 85% but what about Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma? I had to know more and so I turned to the internet for information about my condition.

Lymphoma is a cancer of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Lymphocytes circulate in the body through a network referred to as the lymphatic system, which includes the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes. The organs and vessels of the lymphatic system work together to produce and store cells that fight infection.

There are two main types of lymphoma:

• Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)

• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the most common type of lymphoma. Although there are more than 30 types of NHL, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type, making up about 30 percent of all lymphomas. In the United States, DLBCL affects about 7 out of 100,000 people each year.

Almost all lymphocytes begin growing in the bone marrow or lymph nodes. B-cells instead continue to develop and mature in the bone marrow and lymph nodes. In DLBCL, the abnormal B-cell lymphocytes are larger than normal, and they have stopped responding to signals that usually limit the growth and reproduction of cells. DLBCL is a fast-growing, aggressive form of NHL. DLBCL is fatal if left untreated, but with timely and appropriate treatment, over half of all patients can be cured.

Most patients (about 60 percent) are not diagnosed with DLBCL until the disease is advanced to stage III or IV. (That’s me.) In the remaining 40 percent of patients, the disease is confined to one side of the diaphragm (above or below the diaphragm). This is called localized disease.

A 50 % cure rate…eek! It wasn’t reassuring to know that my chances going into this fight against this deadly disease came down to a coin toss. Further reading revealed that the average age at the time of diagnosis is 64 and DLBCL is more common in men than women.

It dawned on me why Dr.Goldman was so reserved when he relayed the news that my cancer was not Stage 4. He knew that I wasn’t out of the woods yet with a Stage 3 ninja left to fight.

I also thought, with deepest gratitude, about all those involved in this cancer battle: the researchers and doctors who tirelessly pursue cancer cures, the nurses who valiantly attend and bring hope to cancer patients and the thousands of lymphoma sufferers who bravely have gone before me testing drugs, some of which I now depend on for my cure.

Luckily, I can juxtapose my 50/50 prognosis with some brightness and optimism. My seven month old granddaughter Isla is here for the week with mom and dad. Isla is at that investigative, everything in your mouth stage. She is a wonderful escape from my cancer struggle, her affectionate hugs and sloppy kisses making me feel more alive and hopeful than ever. She is the perfect reflection of God’s grace and goodness and helps me put my struggles in perspective. Chemo ROUND 4 is not nearly so intimidating in light of a baby’s smile.