Zed had his first chemo treatment on Monday January 21. He tolerated the treatment very well, he said that he felt really good almost immediately. His hacking cough and night sweats went away, which is great but he started to get really severe hiccups in return. The Dr seems to think that the lump in his abdomen is shrinking and pressing on a nerve or his diaphram.
As the week past after the first treatment he slowly lost energy and we were hoping the second treatment scheduled for Tuesday January 29th would give him a boost. Unfortunately they were unable to give him chemo on Tuesday, as his red blood count was too low to receive chemo. A healthy person’s red blood count should be around 40 his was 27. So they sent him to the hospital to have yet another blood transfusion, this time he received 3 unit of blood. Mom and Dad were at the hospital from about 1 in the afternoon till about 11 that night. It's a long process it takes 2-3 hours per unit of blood. Because the cancer is also in his marrow, his body is unable to build back his blood supply as quickly as needed to have chemo once a week.
Hopefully as treatments continue it will kill the cancer in the marrow and he will be able to receive treatments on schedule, supposedly every 2 weeks. They had him come back into the Dr. on Wed and Thurs to receive a shot to build his white blood count up, the transfusion is for the red blood cells. They wanted to give him an IV on Thursday, as he is dehydrated, but let him go home with strict orders to drink lots of Gatorade. He seemed to be in pretty good spirits on Thurs night as he was sharing his wit with us all. He said we all had to take a drink of his Gatorade to help him finish before mom got home, so he wouldn't get in trouble! He had about 4 large Gatorades in 6 hours.
He is getting thin, in August his weight was about 230 He now weighs 198. Hopefully we can get him back on track soon! We appreciate your love, concern and prayers - it's what keeps us going. We love you all.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
What is Hodgkin's disease?
Hodgkin's disease
Hodgkin's disease is one of a group of cancers called lymphomas. Lymphoma is a general term for cancers that develop in the lymphatic system. Hodgkin's disease, an uncommon lymphoma, accounts for less than 1 percent of all cases of cancer in this country. Other cancers of the lymphatic system are called non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are the subject of another NCI booklet, What You Need To Know About™ Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
The lymphatic system is part of the body's immune system. It helps the body fight disease and infection. The lymphatic system includes a network of thin lymphatic vessels that branch, like blood vessels, into tissues throughout the body. Lymphatic vessels carry lymph, a colorless, watery fluid that contains infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. Along this network of vessels are small organs called lymph nodes. Clusters of lymph nodes are found in the underarms, groin, neck, chest, and abdomen. Other parts of the lymphatic system are the spleen, thymus, tonsils, and bone marrow. Lymphatic tissue is also found in other parts of the body, including the stomach, intestines, and skin.
Cancer is a group of many related diseases that begin in cells, the body's basic unit of life. To understand Hodgkin's disease, it is helpful to know about normal cells and what happens when they become cancerous. The body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow and divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. This orderly process helps keep the body healthy. Sometimes cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed, creating a mass of extra tissue. This mass is called a growth or tumor. Tumors can be either benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
In Hodgkin's disease, cells in the lymphatic system become abnormal. They divide too rapidly and grow without any order or control. Because lymphatic tissue is present in many parts of the body, Hodgkin's disease can start almost anywhere. Hodgkin's disease may occur in a single lymph node, a group of lymph nodes, or, sometimes, in other parts of the lymphatic system such as the bone marrow and spleen. This type of cancer tends to spread in a fairly orderly way from one group of lymph nodes to the next group. For example, Hodgkin's disease that arises in the lymph nodes in the neck spreads first to the nodes above the collarbones, and then to the lymph nodes under the arms and within the chest. If you have to have cancer, Hodgkin's is the one to get
Hodgkin's disease is one of a group of cancers called lymphomas. Lymphoma is a general term for cancers that develop in the lymphatic system. Hodgkin's disease, an uncommon lymphoma, accounts for less than 1 percent of all cases of cancer in this country. Other cancers of the lymphatic system are called non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are the subject of another NCI booklet, What You Need To Know About™ Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
The lymphatic system is part of the body's immune system. It helps the body fight disease and infection. The lymphatic system includes a network of thin lymphatic vessels that branch, like blood vessels, into tissues throughout the body. Lymphatic vessels carry lymph, a colorless, watery fluid that contains infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. Along this network of vessels are small organs called lymph nodes. Clusters of lymph nodes are found in the underarms, groin, neck, chest, and abdomen. Other parts of the lymphatic system are the spleen, thymus, tonsils, and bone marrow. Lymphatic tissue is also found in other parts of the body, including the stomach, intestines, and skin.
Cancer is a group of many related diseases that begin in cells, the body's basic unit of life. To understand Hodgkin's disease, it is helpful to know about normal cells and what happens when they become cancerous. The body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow and divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. This orderly process helps keep the body healthy. Sometimes cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed, creating a mass of extra tissue. This mass is called a growth or tumor. Tumors can be either benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
In Hodgkin's disease, cells in the lymphatic system become abnormal. They divide too rapidly and grow without any order or control. Because lymphatic tissue is present in many parts of the body, Hodgkin's disease can start almost anywhere. Hodgkin's disease may occur in a single lymph node, a group of lymph nodes, or, sometimes, in other parts of the lymphatic system such as the bone marrow and spleen. This type of cancer tends to spread in a fairly orderly way from one group of lymph nodes to the next group. For example, Hodgkin's disease that arises in the lymph nodes in the neck spreads first to the nodes above the collarbones, and then to the lymph nodes under the arms and within the chest. If you have to have cancer, Hodgkin's is the one to get
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