Hello!

Hi laprasem and a warm welcome to this corner of the Community although I am always sorry to see folks joining us. I am Mike and I help out around our various Lymphoma groups. 

I was diagnosed way back in 1999 at 43 with a rare, incurable but treatable type of Low Grade NHL eventually reaching Stage 4a in late 2013 so although my Lymphoma ‘type’ may be different from the type you are diagnosed with I do appreciate the challenges of this journey rather well.

It can be difficult to get your head round being told you have a blood cancer but please understand that on the whole Lymphoma is very treatable with great results.

There is specific differences between HL and NHL so it’s hard to be specific at the moment and there are over 60 types and sub-types of Lymphoma so treatment can be rather different 

Some low grade NHLs may not even have treatment as you could be put on Active Monitoring (Watch and Wait) 

The important thing to do is get ready for your appointment so this link will help Questions to ask your medical team about Lymphoma

You will see that I was stage 4 in late 2013 and I am still here living a great life - this is Lymphoma for you…. very treatable 

Always around to chat and answer questions.

You are at the right place to share your experience.They will do biopsy to find out if its Hodgkin or non Hodgkin and they both are treatable and can be cured. People are different, some people want to talk to every one but some keep to themselves. Its up to you, how you feel comfort. my advice to inform your family because you are going to need them during your treatment. Stay strong x

Things will become a bit clearer once the results of the biopsy are in.  

Regardless of whether the biopsy shows Hodgkin or NHL, you'll have some more tests ahead of you.

If you can, try to set some boundaries so that the people you lean on for support have people they can lean on, too.  How much or how little you share with people is entirely up to you.

The first time I met my haematologist I said something about remission and she told me she was hoping to cure me.  I think that was the first moment I really began to understand that blood cancers are very different to solid tumours.