This young man was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma within six months of his marriage. He shares his experience of getting through a very difficult period and and having a baby a year after his cancer treatment.
2016.….I was 26 years old. It was just five and a half months my marriage. I was on cloud nine with my very beautiful wife. While shaving, one day I realised that there was some swelling on the side of my neck. Didn't pay much attention. I noticed it getting bigger and bigger by the day. Now I was a bit concerned. My mother noticed it and suggested I see an Ayurvedic doctor in a distant town. I still didn't take it seriously and visited the Ayurvedic doctor just because my mother told me to do so. I took it as an excursion. I kept taking the 'kadha' for a few months in vain. The swelling now seemed like a knot. Now it was visible enough to anyone I met.
It finally dawned on me (3-4 months after the shaving incident) that I need to get it examined without further delay. And I did ….it was Stage 3 Non Hodgkin Lymphoma. PET scan showed malignancy at two sites. One was in the neck area node and another one was below the diaphragm. So, it was distant lymphoma.
Know more about the symptoms of Lymphoma
My whole family was devastated to hear the news. Initially, it was denial, denial...it cannot be the case in our house. We double checked and had to believe. We contacted a relative on my maternal side of the family who had just recovered from breast cancer. She arranged for a meeting with an oncologist in a bigger town.
The doctor assured us after seeing the report that it was completely curable. He said I will need eight rounds of chemotherapy. Any further treatment would only be decided after the end of eight rounds. He suggested that I take chemotherapy in my hometown. He referred me to an oncologist in my hometown. He also suggested preserving my sperm in a sperm bank if we were planning a baby in near future. It would take five years otherwise to have a healthy sperm post chemotherapy. We decided to follow what he said and preserved sperm.
Read more: Fertility Preservation in Cancer Patients
Chemotherapy effects
Chemotherapy wasn't easy. It was nausea, dizziness and lack of appetite all the while. Every day I kept counting the days. Life which was so beautiful a few days ago had become so difficult all of sudden. My parents were in bad shape seeing me like this. I had to put up a cheerful face when they were around. My big support was my wife. She handled my 'lows' with great understanding. I had doubts about my survival. Some days were really dark. After four rounds of chemotherapy, the pet scan was repeated. The node below the diaphragm was completely clear. A huge relief coming in. We were assured that we are in the right direction. Side effects of chemotherapy now became a little bearable knowing that it was doing good to me. During the last two rounds of chemo I developed ulcers in my mouth due to which it became really difficult to control the weight loss. Took liquid food or semi solid food and somehow managed to pass that phase.
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His wife who was 24 then added:
I fed him mashed sweet potato in milk when he had ulcers in his mouth. It was quite filling and he liked having it.
For emotional support:
I kept listening to his talks which revolved around his parents and me. When he had doubts about his survival, all I could do was keep reassuring him. Sometimes just tapping his head made him sleep.
I could continue working as I'm an IT professional who can work from home.
Again a PET scan...this report was to decide whether will I require radiation therapy or not. The doctor took a good two days to look at the CD as they didn't want to take a chance looking at my age. After two days he said that I don't need radiation therapy. I was done with the cancer treatment. I just had to keep getting the tests periodically.
A year later we decided to have a baby with preserved sperm. The procedure was successful. We became parents to a healthy boy. Life was pink again.
Like most of the cancer survivors, I too felt like giving back to society. I cook 'khichdi' every Sunday and feed the underprivileged children in the nearby slum areas. Why khichdi? Because its what I can cook on my own.
My message to lymphoma patients is to have faith in whatever your doctor says. And yes on a lighter note, playing video games helps distracting from the pain.
Note: The patient did not want to share his name but hopes his experience will be helpful to other patients
