My name is Don, and I am 68 years old. I live in Phoenix, Arizona and am married. The picture is of me aged 25 on a cross country bike ride in 1980. I am one of many follicular lymphoma patients who are otherwise physically fit, salubrious, and participate in marathon events to raise money for catastrophic illnesses.
I was diagnosed with Stage 4B Hodgkins lymphoma in March 2019, and am currently diagnosed with grade II follicular lymphoma following a biopsy in March 2020.
I was told that I had follicular lymphoma by my oncologist who had been treating me for HL. She ordered me an excision biopsy of an enlarged lymph node and upon receiving the results, informed me it was ‘only follicular.’
Initially relieved at what I thought was encouraging news, I later discovered that FL is not yet curable.
As I do considerable literature reviews regarding my medical condition, I learned that FL is treatable but incurable. Like so many patients that have shared their stories on your website, I find it is very emotionally difficult, especially waiting for the results of CT and PET scans. And living with incurable cancer is also very difficult.
When I was an inpatient at a well-known clinic in Phoenix, Arizona for over eight days prior to my original diagnosis of H.L, Stage 4B, a physician there told me “If you have to get cancer, get lymphoma.” That physician suspected my diagnosis of lymphoma, so I was not at all surprised when I got the telephone call from there with the diagnosis.
FL is usually slow growing, usually treatable, and many patients with FL have lived decades. So, there is hope that many patients can live long and good.
