1727-1726

Met with the oncologist yesterday (skipped doing an RSB class)--and confirmed a diagnosis of a type of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Follicular Lymphoma (or in med-speak: Dx--NHL/FL). The good news is that it's the most common lymphoma and can be treated with good results--the bad news is that it's a lymphoma (a cancer) that can be treated with a combination of antibody and chemo therapies which are not all that pleasant.

The treatments are done once a week--for a period of four weeks. Then, at some point, tests are reworked-- to determine if the treatments have been effective. FL is described as an indolent type of cancer--as opposed to one that is aggressive. The treatments involve delivery by taking some of the components orally--and some by infusion (IV). One of the medications (the antibody) is expensive--it's a tier 5, requires prior authorization, but is in the formulary for my insurance.

True to form, the medications have unpronounceable names--and will add to my daily pill intake which is 11 now and will go to something like 14-15 per day. In fact, it's almost time for my afternoon quota--which reminds me that it's almost the end of the year. I think I'm in the catastrophe category at this time of year--and should load up on my prescriptions since my co-pays drop to 5% or less.

Will do an RSB session tomorrow--today without any exercise feels like I'm swimming through mud.

Yesterday, as I was taking the elevator up to the doctor's office--a man got on and he was shaking and wobbling around with heavy dyskinesia. I asked if he had PD--and told him that I too had the illness. He asked what I did to help moderate my symptoms--and I showed him the RSB magazine which I happened to be carrying. He wrote down the info on the RSB gym--and indicated that he would be checking it out. I noted as we talked how still I was relative to what he was experiencing--and how lucky I've been and still am.