Rocco Maiolo's Ramblings and Musings

Hello Friends & Family: For some of you, this might be brand new information; for others, you are intimately aware of my journey in the last 6 months.   And then there are others who are somewhere in the middle. At the risk of being impersonal, I thought this would be the best way of getting out my most recent update regarding my lymphoma. Last week I had a biopsy of a mass in my back that showed up on a CT scan.   Contrary to what I was told, the mass turned out to be the same kind of lymphoma that I was already diagnosed with – low grade, follicular.   Since it had only grown by a few millimeters, I was given the option of keeping an eye on things and doing another CT scan in 3 months with the hope that things wouldn’t change. The doctor, however, was concerned that this mass is too close to my spine.  Option 2 was chemo.   I asked what she would recommend if I were her uncle.  She asked if I had anything against chemo. When I said no...

Someone who has lymphoma told me that it's a roller coaster of emotions.  Sometime between this post and the last, I had an appointment to go over my results. It was a very good appointment: bone marrow, bone sample, blood work all came back good.  The CT scan showed 2 very slightly enlarged lymph nodes.  One centimetre or less is normal.  My two were each 1.2 cm.  The doctor says that typically when someone is first diagnosed the CT scan usually shows a half dozen or more nodes each 7 or 8 cm. My wife and I were prepared for the worst.  We thought I'd be getting chemotherapy.  As it is, I have 3 months of watchful waiting and then another CT scan and more blood work. Thanks to all my friends and family for their out-pouring of prayer and support.