Living with Lymphoma: Seeking Support

I just finished chemo and radiation. It had gotten into a few lymph nodes, but they think they caught it. If i can help you in any way, or answer questions or concerns, please reach out. I was clueless going into this, and had no one to ask questions to. Praying for you!

I am newly diagnosed on 6/20. Have stage3 but have not started treatment yet. I meet with my oncologists tomorrow. I am scared to death of treatment ( chemo radiation). Sitting waiting now for my PET Scan. Anyone been through treatment and what’s it like?

I was diagnosed with stage 4 anal cancer on 1/29/25. It had spread to the liver and one very small node on the lung. Just finished 6 rounds of chemo. The lung and liver are clear, but the rectal mass is still there. It had decreased in size on the PET scan done midway through, but most recent scan shows a slight increase. See the doctor on Thursday to discuss next steps. Praying 🙏🙏🙏

Lynn - my experience has been that the chemo and radiation were tolerable (for me, anyway) until the final few weeks. My skin was burned, diarrhea, pain. Don't be afraid of pain killers, they honestly got me through it. My radiation oncologist told me she has an 80% rate for remission/cure. Stick to the low fiber diet, I strayed once and it wasn't good. Your blood count numbers might take a hit, so eat smart, hydrate and research a lot.

Katharine - praying for you, i hope you get some good news.

Kathleen - did you do the chemo first, then radiation?

Stage II with 1 lymph node. 15/28 radiation treatments done. Second 5 day intravenous Chemo starts next week.

Stage 2 anal cancer. I finished chemo and radiation on June 12th. Yesterday, I had a digital exam of the rectum, and there are no signs of a tumor. I was fortunate to have proton therapy instead of conventional radiation. It was still brutal. The radiation burns are devastating. I found a cream called Jeans Creme on Amazon. It’s pricy, but it healed my skin in 2 days. It says you can start any time before or during radiation. I tried multitudes of different creams and remedies, none worked until Jeans Creme. I wish I could have started earlier and avoided the blisters, bleeding, and peeling. Hopefully, this will help you in your journey.

This community welcomes anyone facing cancer, regardless of the specific type. Many members here understand the challenges that come with a lymphoma diagnosis and the importance of finding others who truly get what this journey is like. Consider sharing more about what kind of support would be most helpful right now - whether that's connecting with others at similar stages, learning about treatment experiences, or simply having a space to express what's on your mind.