Bone Marrow Transplant

rinabobina · New User Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 3 Location: OKLAHOMA

Hello everyone.

I was diagnosed with NHL stage II back in March, 6 days before my 20th birthday. It was very shocking to me and everyone when I was informed that I have cancer in my lymph nodes close to my collar bone. It was definitely overwhelming!

I have had 3 rounds of radiation early on to relief my face swelling and then I started chemo. The plan was for me to receieve about 6 sessions of R-CHOP chemo since many believe mine was very curable. I was very positive going into this and I have been very fortunate that the only major side effects that I experienced was nausea, fatigue, and hair loss. Surprisingly it wasnt so hard losing my hair because of the fun wigs I get to try. Even some of my friends started to get extensions for their hair seeing how cool my long hair was!

My doctor have said that it was because of my age and my initial health condition that allowed me to feel alright through the treatment. With that I was very excited to come back to school at Oklahoma State and taking some classes. I even have an active commitee role in our school's Relay For Life to spread information and awareness of cancer and im proud to be part of a team that sold "I Heart Boobs" shirts to spread awareness for Breast Cancer that we sold last month. It was a fun shirt that many of the students proudly wore during Breast Cancer month and we sold about 2300 hundreds shirts! with all the benefits going to American Cancer Society. Plus, it was definitely a great conversation starter. haha.

But unfortunately I wasnt cured with 6 sessions and they added 2 more sessions of chemo. Recently I took a CT scan and PET scan and instead of finding out that im cured I found out that my original tumor have grown in size and now they have found another one in a lymph node near my abdomen. It broke my heart finding out that instead of getting better I am getting worse, especially when I have done everything to take care of myself. Next spring was supossed to be my last semester in school.

Now instead, I am in the process of 2 rounds of ICE chemotherapy, before undergoing a Autograft Bone Marrow Transplant using my own bone marrow at a university research hospital. My question is have anyone undergone a BMT? How sucessful is such a procedure? And what was it like?

I have been reading this forum from the beginning of my treatment and everyone here have been so helpful with the advices and anectodotes and I must thank you all! But now I feel like im entering a world beyond traditional chemotherapy and im worried. I am beginning to feel to feel a little helpless now. I have never felt so weak emotionally and physically. I feel like I see no end to this battle, a 5 months treatment plan have dragged on to a year and yet I am still not seeing any results.

Keep rockin' out everyone,

Rina

Life_101 · Regular Joined: 22 Apr 2006 Posts: 20 Location: N.E. Ohio

Hello,
I am very sorry about your setback. Have had chemo but if I relaspe
BMT or SCT is not an option for me. So far , so good but just in case these are some web sites that may be of some help.

http://forums.webmagic.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=416417&page=0&fpart=all&vc=1

Good luck with your treatment.........

rinabobina · New User Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 3 Location: OKLAHOMA

thank you so much for the link!
its defintiely helpful!
thanks! Smile

Corvette · Regular Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 29 Location: North GA

I am two years after a auto stem cell transplant. I had it done at Vanderbilt University. I feel they know what they are doing there. You are treated as an out patient but you have to live near the Hospital for about three months.

My NHL follicular Large cell did not respond to treatment and I battled it for two years before I went for SCT. I am now clear.

SCT is not a cake walk but is very doable especially if you are healthy going in. I am 55 years old but very healthy other than the NHL.

I would be happy to elaborate on the treatment if you or anybody else would like for me to.
_________________
Wayne
Male 56 years old
NHL Folicular Large Cell
Two years of Chemo followed by a SCT
Cancer free for almost two and a half years!

effcancer · Regular Joined: 21 Apr 2007 Posts: 22

I'm undergoing ICE too. sucks. I just had 2 rounds of that and I start stem cell collection tomorrow at City of Hope.

Isn't it fun being that smaaaall percentage of people who don't get cured with just ABVD?
_________________
So, this sucks.

Corvette · Regular Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 29 Location: North GA

[quote="effcancer"]I'm undergoing ICE too. sucks. I just had 2 rounds of that and I start stem cell collection tomorrow at City of Hope.

Isn't it fun being that smaaaall percentage of people who don't get cured with just ABVD?[/quote]

Will you be able to get your transplant as an out patient like I did?
_________________
Wayne
Male 56 years old
NHL Folicular Large Cell
Two years of Chemo followed by a SCT
Cancer free for almost two and a half years!

effcancer · Regular Joined: 21 Apr 2007 Posts: 22

what?!

No!

I'm having a double transplant. I'll be in for like 2 months!
_________________
So, this sucks.

Corvette · Regular Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 29 Location: North GA

[quote="effcancer"]what?!

No!

I'm having a double transplant. I'll be in for like 2 months![/quote]

Humm, you sound distraught. Sure it sucks with a capital "S". Of course I don't know your entire situation but you have to get your head on straight to have success or at least maintain sanity, my belief anyway. Yes, my transplant was done as an out patent. Several people at Vanderbilt University were having a double transplant and was treated as an out patent. Go to the top of this post and read about my transplant procedure. Different hospitals have different techniques. My insurance would only allow two to do my transplant. Only Vanderbilt was pioneering the out patent program. So I tried it. I did have to spend two days in the hospital when I got a major case of diarrhea and that did suck. They woke me up every few hours to take vitals and fed me through my port.

Keep us all posted on your progress. Hopefully your room will have Internet access.
_________________
Wayne
Male 56 years old
NHL Folicular Large Cell
Two years of Chemo followed by a SCT
Cancer free for almost two and a half years!

Cubie · New User Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 8 Location: Hong Kong

Hi Rina,

Your story almost sounds like mine.. but I found out about my cancer on my 27th birthday.

I have stage 4 aggressive NHL and received six courses of R-ProMace Cytabom (that's 8 chemo drugs compared to 4 in R-CHOP). Ideally I'd be in remission after the six courses but I had a scan and it showed the main tumor in my chest hadn't disappeared. So my doctor added two more courses of chemo, this time a salvage regimen which made me sooo sick. Then I had another scan and the tumor had shrunk but still hadn't disappeared!! So I did 20 sessions of radiotherapy, and will be undergoing an autologous transplant in January.

I have been undergoing treatments for almost a year and thought I was almost done... and then this Sad

When are you doing yours? I'm just as scared as you are Crying or Very sad

(Btw, you didn't mention what type of NHL you have, but if it's low-grade or follicular you can ask your doctor about Zevalin)

Anyway, you are not alone.. hope everything works out for both of us! Very Happy

*Can anyone explain what a double transplant is? Never heard of it before.. thanks Smile

Corvette · Regular Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 29 Location: North GA

When I was at Vanderbilt several people that had Multiple Myeloma were getting two transplants back to back. This might be a double transplant. I think this procedure took several months if not a year.
_________________
Wayne
Male 56 years old
NHL Folicular Large Cell
Two years of Chemo followed by a SCT
Cancer free for almost two and a half years!

rinabobina · New User Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 3 Location: OKLAHOMA

I am still waiting to get the okay from my oncologist to do the BMT. The ICE treatment didnt work and so they have me started on another treatment. I could still feel a lump on my neck but it has definitely shrunk alot. I have my PET scan tomorrow, I am hoping it will be favorable. All this waiting to get the BMT process started is making me more and more nervous about the procedure's sucess at curing me. Confused

brainman · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:44 am Post subject: Re: Bone Marrow Transplant

rinabobina, it is good to hear an update from you. I wish you well tomorrow in your PET scan and hope the BMT gets done soon.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

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