Last Updated on May 25, 2023 by Tom Kane
Tuesday 23rd May 2023 was a red-letter day for me. It was the day I received my all clear from cancer. I’m officially a cancer survivor. But (there’s always a but, it seems, with cancer) I’m not quite all clear. My lymphoma, Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma, has been reduced from an 80% invasive state to 5% and it’s at that point, apparently, they can’t reduce it anymore. At 5% it’s classed as dormant. It may, or may not, return. So, I suppose I’m more in remission that anything else. But I’ll still class it as having beaten cancer. If it returns, it will simply be round two.
So, next up I must undergo protein infusions every two months just to help my body keep the cancer at bay. This is a newish treatment. The infusion, via a drip, of monoclonal antibodies is a targeted therapy. It uses lab developed proteins to treat Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These antibodies attach to a target on cancer cells and either kill them, block their growth, or stop them from spreading. I also need haemoglobin transfusions over the coming winter, as my blood is currently weak or just plain knackered.
I now have two more battles to fight. I have to go back to my heart specialist for a checkup and see if my meds need changing for my cardiomyopathy and I need to build myself up. I have lost so much weight and my body is still in recovery mode after the chemotherapy, that I’m pretty beat-up, constantly tired and have major digestive problems.
But at the end of the day, after a year in treatment for my lymphoma, I’m finally at the end of that long dark tunnel and walking in the sunshine. It’s not only good to be alive, but also great to be able to appreciate life with a different outlook.
Copyright © Tom Kane 2023
