Living With Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma And Fighting Depression

When living with non-Hodgkins lymphoma there are many ups and downs, mentally, physically, and spiritually on the road to surviving cancer. Here are a few of the do's and don'ts that I've learned as time went on during and after my non-Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis. If they helped me become a cancer survivor, intact, beating the odds, why couldn't they help you? So here they are...

DO make sure you know and understand what your protocol is about while living with cancer, whether it's non-Hodgkins lymphoma, or any other type of cancer, to help maintain a level of control and reduce depression on your road to becoming a cancer survivor.

DON'T assume someone will stay on top of your protocol for you. Even doctors make mistakes from time to time!

DO take medications that are intended to help cure you of cancer EXACTLY when scheduled. Sometimes depression can be medically induced, so be proactive, be on the offensive while battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

DON'T be careless when it comes to taking medications intended to aid in your end goal - surviving cancer. Missing a dose and doubling up the next time scheduled, or not taking it at all could take a major toll on your odds of surviving non-Hodgkins lymphoma, or any other cancer for that matter. That's depressing!

DO make sure you stay focused on what is right with your life while living with cancer, even in the midst of the non-Hodgkins diagnosis, and throughout the protocol. Optimism, positive thinking, love, and humor all help to lessen depression, and make all the difference in the world when working toward becoming a cancer survivor.

DON'T dwell on the misery, the unknown, and the "I should have(s)" in life. Actually, all the word "should" does is induce guilt, whether living with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, or otherwise. Moreover, being negative while living with cancer is draining, both physically and mentally. And shutting loved ones out of your life during such a difficult time could be lonely and depressing!

DO make sure you get up in the morning, take a shower, get dressed, and if possible try to get some fresh air to help prevent depression. And remember, beauty comes from the inside out. People who truly care about you do not love you for your hair; they love you for the whole person you are. Cancer, including non-Hodgkins lymphoma, does not have the power to take away true love.

DON'T stay in your pajamas and robe all day. When you look good you feel good. And when you look happy, confident, and optimistic about your life, you look good... not depressed!

DO get busy LIVING when diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Face it head on! Deal with it in the best way you know how, keeping in mind that it's always a good idea to ask for help whenever you feel depressed. Always remember to take another step onward, and with a smile. You CAN THRIVE while living with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, or any other type of cancer. Surround yourself with positive people and positive feelings. By doing so positive energy will come your way. You CAN be happy living with cancer. The choice is yours!

DON'T wait for the non-Hodgkins lymphoma protocol to end before you start living life once again. Do not let a cancer diagnosis or depression keep you from moving forward. Your dreams and goals may have to be reprioritized; nevertheless, keep your eye on your goal - surviving cancer. Don't choose misery over happiness! If you allow misery to take over than there will be many great experiences you might have missed, and remarkable people you could have had the chance to meet. Time doesn't stand still while you're living with cancer, why should you??!! Do not give non-Hodgkins lymphoma the power to keep you from living your life to its fullest!

To read more about me and my story, or take a look at the book I wrote about my experience titled, "The Will to Live: The Perks of Cancer Through the Eyes of a Survivor", a cancer survivor book, please visit my website at http://www.erinley.com/

by Erin Ley, Author/Presenter
President
ONWARD PRODUCTIONS, INC.

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By Erin Ley

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Types of Lymphoma and Their Characteristics

Lymphoma refers to a form of tumor caused by the immune system, involving abnormal activity of lymphocytes, body cells that belong to the lymphatic system. Lymphocytes are born at the level of the bone marrow and their primary role inside the body is to identify antigens (foreign bodies that are malignant to the organism) and to trigger the action of the immune system, telling it to attack the discovered antigens. However, in the case of patients with lymphoma, the cells of the lymphatic system become compromised and begin to act like cancer cells. Thus, the occurrence of lymphoma is primarily determined by inappropriate activity of the lymphatic system, lymphocytes multiplying at abnormally fast rates and accumulating in different regions of the body.

There are two distinctive types of lymphatic cells involved in causing the occurrence of lymphoma: “B” lymphocytes and 'T' lymphocytes (commonly referred to as B cells and T cells). The main action of B cells is to create antibodies, a type of proteins that fight against antigens. The T cells (born at the level of the thymus gland) help the activity of the B cells, sustaining and enhancing their action.

According to the type of cells involved in causing the disease and the rate of progression, there are multiple forms of lymphoma. The main two types of lymphoma are: Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (also referred to as Hodgkin’s Disease) and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. These two main types can be further classified in multiple subtypes. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is characterized by the implication of the so-called “double-eyed cells” in causing the disease. All other varieties of lymphoma that don’t share this feature are known as Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas. Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma comprises over 25 subtypes, classified according to the speed of progression and the seriousness of the disease. Various subtypes of lymphoma involve genetic abnormalities that carry the name of primary mutations. Some of these mutations are responsible for triggering the disease, while others are responsible for sustaining its progression.

A very common subtype of lymphoma is follicular lymphoma. This variety of lymphoma is slow progressing and alternates between periods of remission and periods of relapse. In the majority of cases, follicular lymphoma is caused by a specific genetic mutation that affects the B lymphocytes. The mutation causes an overproduction of the BCL2 protein, a type of protein that stimulates an excessive accumulation of B cells, which begin to act like cancerous cells.

Another common subtype of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is diffuse large cell lymphoma. This variety progresses faster and it can also originate from a slower progressing lymphoma subtype. Diffuse cell lymphoma requires immediate treatment; otherwise, the disease can become life-threatening in a very short amount of time. The most efficient form of treatment consists in chemotherapy. Although most patients with diffuse cell lymphoma experience relapse, a second course of strong chemotherapy is usually effective in curing relapsed cases.

Burkitt’s lymphoma is a rapidly evolving lymphoma subtype that occurs due to a unique genetic anomaly. This variety of lymphoma requires immediate medical intervention and involves a poor patient life expectancy. When chemotherapy is not sufficient for treating patients with Burkitt’s lymphoma, combination treatments with immunosupressants can help ameliorate its symptoms and slow its progression rate.

Unlike B-cell lymphomas, T-cell lymphomas are rare and account for about 20 percent of cases of all Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in general. T-cell lymphomas are rapidly progressing and often involve the body skin. Along with Hodgkin’s Disease, T-cell lymphoma raises serious issues in diagnosis and treatment. This is due to the poor understanding of the causes and evolution of the disease, medical scientists lacking conclusive medical data. However, medical scientists hope to unveil the exact origins and the pattern of evolution characteristic to Non-Hodgkin’s T-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin’s Disease in order to develop an efficient treatment in the near future.

So, if you want to find out more about lymphoma cancer or even about symptoms of lymphoma please visit this link http://www.lymphoma-center.com

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By Groshan Fabiola

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Why Early Detection of Slow Growing Lymphoma Is Difficult

There are over 30 types of lymphoma that have so far been detected and they can be grouped according to a variety of criteria. One such criterion is how fast the cancer is growing and so lymphomas are generally classed as either slow growing or fast growing. Slow growing lymphomas can be very difficult to detect because they rarely exhibit symptoms while they are still in an early stage.

As their name suggests, slow growing lymphomas take a relatively long time to grow to a size that starts to affect the body. Initially slow growing lymphomas will confine themselves to one specific area of the body. This is normally a lymph gland or a site close to a lymph gland and because they stay confined they don’t affect any other organs or tissues. The only outward sign of early stage lymphoma is a painless swelling of the affected lymph glands however this swelling can easily be missed or ignored by the patient. Even if it is noticed it is often attributed to a simple infection and no more notice is taken of it until it starts to become uncomfortable.

It may be over a year before sections of the confined lymphoma start to break off and travel to secondary sites in the body. Lymphoma affects the lymphocyte cells of the immune system and as such it has the ability to travel through the lymphatic system and in the blood stream. When the lymphoma cells do start to migrate to other areas the immune system tries to eradicate them and it is at this stage that the first systemic symptoms are experienced by the patient. These symptoms might include fever, night sweats, abdominal distension, unexplained weight loss and occasionally anemia i.e. chronic fatigue, tiredness and pale skin, although the exact symptoms will depend on the area that the migrating cells invade.

Often it is at this stage that the patient first visits the doctor and a provisional diagnosis is made. A number of medical tests are required to confirm the diagnosis and these tests will not only provide information regarding the exact type of lymphoma that is present, they will also say whether the lymphoma is fast or slow growing and what stage it has reached.

Unfortunately, many cases of slow growing lymphoma have reached a late stage by the time they are detected and diagnosed. This means they have spread to numerous areas of the body and so are a lot more difficult to treat effectively. There will also be a lot more cancer cells then the body can easily cope with and they may have infiltrated areas that are incredibly hard to treat such as the liver and bone marrow. For this reason it is important to consult a doctor whenever swelling of the lymph glands is noticed or any of the other lymphoma symptoms mentioned above are experienced. It is highly likely that the swelling and symptoms are caused by a minor illness however it is well worth finding this out as early as possible.

For more information and resources on hodgkin's and non-hodgkin's lymphoma, other types, symptoms of lymphoma, treatment, the stages of lymphoma, medication, research, solutions and facts, visit Jeremy Parker's comprehensive reference guide on lymphoma. Also get your free copy of the "Lymphoma Information Guide" report at http://www.LymphomaResources.com

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By Jeremy Parker

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What Exactly is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is not a single disease, it is in fact a group of diseases in which the cells of the immune system become cancerous and begin to divide and multiply in an uncontrolled manner in a lymph node. Initially a single lymph node may be affected however the cancer may quickly spread around the body through the lymphatic system so that other nodes and also other tissues, such as the bone marrow, become affected.

A number of the immune system cell types can become cancerous including the T cells and the B cells which are the body’s two main defense mechanisms against illness and infection. The immune system cells are carried in the blood stream and through the lymphatic system and so the lymphoma cancers can be very mobile and affect areas of the body far from the original cancerous site.

The fact that you have swollen lymph glands does not automatically mean you have a lymphoma cancer because there are a number of other diseases which cause the lymph nodes to swell; in fact any disease which requires the assistance of the immune system will cause mild swelling in many of the lymph glands. If however you have swelling in a single gland that is painless and symptom free then you should make an appointment with your doctor just to check it out.

There are various types of lymphoma cancer however the two main types are Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Hodgkin’s disease is characterized by painless enlargement of one or more lymph nodes, most commonly in the chest, neck and armpits. If the caner has spread from these initial sites then fevers, night sweats, weight loss and bone pain can also occur. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is the more common disease of the two, may start in exactly the same way however the patient may also develop an enlarged spleen, anemia and general malaise.

Because the lymphoma cancers are so mobile a sufferer can often experience symptoms in other areas of the body that they would not necessarily associate with cancer which means that unless you know what to look for i.e. swollen lymph glands, you may well dismiss the problem as being due to a simple illness, such as the flu, as this also causes many of the symptoms displayed by lymphoma patients. Also, because the cells of the immune system are primarily affected a person with a lymphoma cancer will quickly become more susceptible than usual to even the weakest pathogens i.e. their immune system becomes weaker and fails to protect the body from disease.

The good news is that as with other forms of cancer, lymphomas are treatable and so anyone diagnosed shouldn’t give up hope of leading a long and healthy life. You need to find out as much information as you can about the illness and find coping strategies that work for you and your family. You will need to undergo either chemotherapy, radiation therapy or possibly a bone marrow transplant however lymphoma patients today have a high survival rate and many people are cured of the disease totally.

For more information and resources on hodgkin's and non-hodgkin's lymphoma, other types of lymphoma, symptoms, treatment for lymphoma, medication, research, life after being diagnosed with lymphoma, solutions and facts, visit Jeremy Parker's complete reference guide on lymphoma. Also get your free copy of the "Lymphoma Information Guide" report at http://www.LymphomaResources.com

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By Jeremy Parker

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All About Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Hodgkin’s lymphoma or Hodgkin’s disease is a rare for of cancer which is characterized by orderly growth of malignant cells of the lymphatic system. Described for the first time by Thomas Hodgkin in 1832, this disease primarily affects the lymph nodes and later spreads to other parts of the lymphatic system.

The most significant characteristic of Hodgkin’s lymphoma is presence of malignant B-cells with unique characteristics. These cells are called as Reed-Sternberg cells. Hodgkin’s lymphoma mainly occurs in individuals with depleted immune system and persons infected with viruses including HIV, Epstein-Barr virus and HTLV-I. Epidemiology of this disease is unique. The frequency of Hodgkin’s lymphoma is predominant in two separate age groups. These include individuals between 15-35 years of age and individuals above 55 years of age.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is primarily classified into classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma (CHL), nodular sclerosis (NS), lymphocyte predominance (LP), mixed cellularity (MC), Lymphocyte depleted (LD) and nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NLPHL) depending on the Reed-Sternberg cell morphology. The most common symptom of Hodgkin’s disease is swelling in the lymph nodes of the neck and chest. Other noticeable symptoms include enlarged spleen, swollen liver, fever, excessive sweating, fatigue, abnormal weight loss and itchy skin. The disease could be medically diagnosed through microscopical examination of Reed-Sternberg cells during biopsy. Other diagnostic methods include physical examination, chest X-rays, blood cell counts, and CT scan and MRI scan of the lymphatic system, PET scanning, gallium scanning and bone marrow aspiration.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is one of the first cancers to have been cured using radiation therapy. Other therapeutic approaches include chemotherapy, bone marrow and peripheral blood transplantation and immunotherapy. The common chemotherapeutic regimens followed for the treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma include ABVD (Adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarabzine), BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone), COPP/ABVD, MOPP (mechlorethamine, oncovin, procarbazine, prednisone) and Stanford V.

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What is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is a broad term that encompasses a variety of cancers of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune system. This is the system that helps filter out bacteria and is vital in fighting disease.

In lymphoma, the lymphocytes or white blood cells in the lymph system multiply wildly from a single cell. The various types of lymphomas are based on the type of cell that multiplies and how the cancer presents itself.

The two main groups of lymphoma are Hodgkin's lymphoma or disease and the Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. There are subtypes or classifications within each category. Hodgkin's lymphoma has five subtypes while the non-Hodgkin's category has about 35 recognized types of cancer.

Diagnosis of the disease at the right time is a very important factor in its cure. As the various subtypes behave differently, it is important that the medical practitioner is able to recognize the symptoms and diagnose it speedily. It is also advisable for the patient to always take a second opinion as the other practitioner carries out a fresh set of analysis and approaches the symptoms from a different angle.

Lymphoma is a cancer that generally responds to treatment but has a tendency to recur. Chemotherapy and radiation are the usually chosen methods of treatment after staging the cancer at diagnosis. At times, a combination of treatments is also used.

Biological drugs are the latest finds in this field for treatment and cure of the lymphomas. They are basically antibodies that attach to the cancerous cell and destroy it. This is a better method than the use of radiation and chemotherapy as they are nonselective and kills the healthy as well as cancerous cells.

There is no recognized cause for lymphoma presently, though some strains of virus are suspects as the cause of certain types of cancer. A patient of lymphoma has more than an average chance of recovering from the disease if the diagnosis, staging and treatment are carried out at the right time.

Lymphoma provides detailed information on Lymphoma, Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, Hodgkins Lymphoma, Lymphoma Symptoms and more. Lymphoma is affiliated with Breast Cancer Symptoms.

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By Alison Cole

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