Category: My lymphoma and related medical stuff

Tomorrow morning I will be seeing Dr. Caron, and then have my 3 hour or so IV Rituxin treatment. This will be at the Sloan Kettering satellite office in Sleepy Hollow – next to Phelps hospital. The interesting thing will be: how’s my white blood count. I had the shot of Neulasta two weeks ago,…

I am going to call Dr. Caron tomorrow at the Sleepy Hollow branch of Sloan Kettering to make sure I am scheduled for the rituxin therapy starting this coming Monday. I am scheduled to see him, but I want to make sure they are also expecting me for the three hour IV. I’m sure I…

After last Thursday’s debacle of going for my appointment at Sloan Kettering and never seeing Dr. Zelenetz, Tom Faranda’s Folly: Health update – Dr’s appointment but unable to see the Doc I was finally able to speak with his nurse today. ("Nurse Nancy" – she was off Friday and Monday). Here’s the drill from Dr.…

We are about to head up to Boston for the weekend. The Novotny’s and Riner’s will be joining us and I am hoping to see people like Mary and Kevin Blake, and John McCarthy. Nothing further on my erstwhile appointment with Dr. Zelenetz yesterday. Spoke to their office twice this AM and they are going…

Went to Sloan this afternoon as scheduled, arriving at 4:50 for the appointment with Dr. Zelenetz. I’d called and was told they were running a little late, so come in at 5:00 rather then 4:45. Had bloodwork and my vital signs were taken – all done by 5:15. At 5:45 the receptionist said "it would…

Had great sessions all this past week in the gym. However my weight does seem to be creeping up! Not what I’d like. I will be seeing Dr. Zelenetz for my first post-stem cell transplant appointment on Thursday. I have been turned back over to the lymphoma department at Sloan Kettering, from the transplant unit.…

Luciano Pavarotti, perhaps the world’s most famous opera singer, has had surgery for pancreatic cancer. Pavarotti Battling Pancreatic Cancer The five year survival rate for this type of cancer is low. "Fortunately, the mass was able to be completely removed at surgery," the singer’s manager, Terri Robson, said in a statement from her London office.…

Full disclosure: I am the recipient of adult stem cell therapy – having had my own stem cells returned to me after high dose chemotherapy to kill lymphma cancer cells. Tom Faranda’s Folly: Transplant went well  In fact, my disease and treatment are the prime topic of this weblog. Here’s an extremely interesting interview with…

Actually gym update. I am feeling better and better in the gym. I think my cardiovascular is getting better, based on the readouts from the cardio machines (bike and ellyptical). And my arms and chest are developing really big, thick bulging muscles. Hahahahaha. The above line of course is a joke. But I am improving…

The Washington Post had an interesting article today on the relationship Heart Ailments, Depression Linked. Of course it seems to me that developing any serous illness is likely to increase the depression rate. The exact links among heart disease, bypass surgery and mood are unknown. One of the few certainties is that depression after surgery…