Angie's Stem Cell Transplant 2006: Day + 40

About Me

Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

In Sept./05 I was diagnosed with Primary Mediastinal Large Diffuse B Cell Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. The tumour in my chest measured 10cm x 10.6cm x5cm. After I completed 6 rounds of CHOP-R chemotherapy, a CT Scan in Jan.06 showed that my tumour had decreased by well over half the original size. A Gallium Scan showed negative for cancer cells in my mass. We decided to do 2 more treatments to be sure we killed any remaining cancer. We now had to decide if I should proceed with radiation. Did the risks of radiation outweigh the benefits? My hematologist and radiation oncologist had excellent arguments for both sides of the coin. The decision was to be mine. They set up appointments for me to see doctors in Toronto and Vancouver for 2nd opinions. In Vancouver I had a PET/CT Scan (a superior machine to a Gallium Scan) to see if my tumour was active. On March 17th this scan revealed that my tumour WAS still active and had INCREASED in size from an early scan. This meant that I had Relapsed or Refractory NHL....my best chance for cure was a Stem Cell Transplant. In my blog, I will describe what I am going through before, during and after my transplant.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Day + 40

Quote of the Day:
"REMEMBER THAT LIFE IS VERY SIMPLE. YOU CREATE YOUR EXPERIENCES BY YOUR THINKING AND FEELING PATTERNS."
-Louise L. Hay

This past Thursday, I received a phone call from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire De Sherbrooke in Quebec (University of Sherbrooke Hospital).
I was assigned a PET Scan appointment time for next Thursday, August 31st at 2:30pm. This test will indicate if there has been any change in the size of my mass & if there are any cancer cells currently lurking around.

We will probably make a holiday out of this trip to Quebec. I think we will take our truck camper & drive through Maine & New Hampshire on the way to Sherbrooke, as it is very close to the US border. On the way back from Sherbrooke, we may head to Vermont as I want to do some short hikes in the White Mountains......& we may also head to Mount Desert Island & spend some time in Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park ( I really enjoy this place as there are many short, scenic hikes).

We could also fly to Montreal & then drive to Sherbrooke, but I think we are leaning towards the first option.

Anyway, I am getting stronger each day & hoping for a full recovery!

3 Comments:

Anonymous said...: Hi, Angie. We just wanted to say good luck with your PET scan. Your Mom filled us in on it the other evening, and we are sure hoping (and expecting!) to hear good news. The idea of turning the trip into a vacation is great. Enjoy your hikes and that beautiful scenery. Love, Lee & Wendy; 3:32 pm
Anonymous said...: Hi Angie and, I trust, Sue! Today is Friday Sept. 1 - we are all hoping and praying for you to get the very best of news from your PET Scan.

So happy that you are getting a chance to meander....a vacation trip I'm sure is "just the ticket". Thinking of you, Karen (Ogilvie) Hartlen; 2:36 pm
Anonymous said...: Greetings from Ottawa,
I am thrilled to hear about your tremendous progress Angie. I am sure you will get good news with your upcoming PET scan... great idea to make a little holiday out of your trip. It was wonderful to spend some time with you in August; your strength and spirit inspire me!
Cheers, Dee; 6:26 pm