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|
MY CANCEROUS
REALITY
|
BECAUSE OF WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH
and
A QUICK TRIP BACK TO REALITY
ALWAYS SETS ME STRAIGHT
THIS WAS AND STILL IS THE REALITY
THAT MAKES ME WHO I AM
My
Cancerous Nodes REALITY:
1st Battle - At successful treatment - baseball size in the groins, golf ball size in both arm pits and in several places on the neck and many internally and I didn't want to know the size.
2nd battle - At successful treatment - marble size at the top of
my mouth
(still a hole there from the knife) peculiar with NHL
3rd battle - At successful treatment - golf ball size in the left
groin, internally in the left groin area and in the spine big enough
for shocks and loss of use of limb
My Medical Dictionary REALITY(times
it happened are in the brackets)
A
Alopecia - hair fall out
(1) Anemia (too many) lack of energy, dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches, and irritability
Axillary Lymph Node (1) found in the armpit (axilla)
B
blood cells infusion (1) three
cellular components of blood all which are made in the bone marrow
Blood Count (too many) a routine test to determine the amount of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets
Blood Cloth (1) - clogging of blood vessels
biopsy (4) the removal of a sample of tissue followed by microscopic examination
Bone Marrow Aspiration (10) the analysis of a sample of bone marrow, from needle inserted into the hip bone
Bone Scan (5) image of the bones
C
Cat Scan (30) Computerized Tomography Chemotherapy (5) Treatment with anticancer drugs
Cisplatin (1) chemo drug
Clinical trial (1) Research to answer scientific questions
Combination Chemotherapy (1) the use of more than one drug to treat cancer
Cure (2) for NHL - adequate time has passed so that the chances of recurrence are small
Cytarabine (1) chemo drug
D
Debulking (1) reducing the size
of a tumor often through surgery but possibly through radiation therapy
Denial (1) blocking awareness of painful realities, thoughts, or feelings
Dysphagia (1) difficulty in swallowing
E
Empathy (too many) understanding
another person's feelings by remembering or imagining being in a
similar situation engraftment (1) stem cells dig in to produce new blood cells
Erythema (3) redness of the skin
Etoposide (1 time too many) chemo drug
Excision (3) removal by surgery
F
Fatigue (too many) a lack of
energy, general tiredness Fertility Lost (1) The ability to have children
G
Grade (1) low grade NHL Graft-Verses-Host (GVH) Disease (0) thanks - complication from bone marrow transplant
H
heart scan (1) examining the heart Harvesting (1) removing tissue or cells from a donor and preserving them for transplantation
Hickman Catheter(1) used for delivery of medications and transfusions
I
Indolent (3) Slow growing Infusion (20) administration of fluids or medications into the blood through the veins
Injection (too many) use of a syringe and needle to deliver medications to the body
L
Leukeron (2) chemo drug
local anesthetic (1) being put under
for operation
localized freezing (too many)
Local radiation (1)
lung function test (1)
Lymph nodes (too many)
M
Malignant (3) Cancerous Melphalan (1) chemo drug
Metastasis (2) spread of cancer cells from the original site to other parts of the body.
monoclonal anti-bodies (1) an artificially made antibody used against a specific antigen
morphine (2) pain killer
MRI (1) Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Mucositis (1) inflammation of the mouth that causes pain
mylegram (1) test of the back
N
Nausea ( too many) Neupogen (2) Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF)
Neurologic(al)(1) involving the nerves or nervous system
Night Sweats (?) profuse sweating of the body during the night
O
Oncologist (7) Doctor who
specializes in the study, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of
individuals with cancer
P
Palliative (too many) treatment
designed to reduce the symptoms of a disease rather than to cure it
Peer Support (infinite) structured relationship in which people exchange emotional support with each others
Peripheral Stem Cell Transplant(1) blood cells harvested and returned to the body
platelet transfusions (3) blood cell that helps to control bleeding by inducing clotting
Predisone (3) drug used in combination with chemo
Prognosis (3) The probable outcome of a disease; the prospect of recovery
Protocol (3) medical treatment plan
R
Recurrence (2) the return of
cancer after a period of being diagnosed cancer free Red Blood Cell Count (too many) blood cell that carries oxygen
Regimen (1) a combination of drugs and how they are administered
Remission (3) the complete disappearance of cancer cells and symptoms
S
Side Effect (too many) secondary
effect caused by cancer treatment Staging (3) The extent to which lymphoma has spread
Stomatitus (1) inflammation of the mouth
Survivorship(from day 1) living with a history of cancer, from the time of diagnosis on,
regardless of the treatment outcome
Symptoms (too many) physical signs of a disease
Systemic (1) affects the whole body rather than one part or organ
T
Total Body radiation (1) Radiation aimed at the entire body to destroy cancer
cells
U
urine tests (1) V
vomiting from
chemo (1 time too
many)
W
Watch and Wait (too many) White Blood Cell Count (too many) variety of cells that fight infection in the body
X
X-ray (too many) high energy
electromagnetic radiation that is used to diagnose and treat cancer