The waiting is the hardest part

Its been 2 weeks since I had my CT scan and I have no idea what stage I am at. I won't know until I see my Oncologist, which is scheduled for next week.

The only thing I have been told by my personal physician is that the ultrasound that was done showed that I have some swelling on the Aorta and the abdominal cavity. What does this mean?

I have no idea. At this point I can only wait. ( I'm not a patient man

When I see my Oncologist I will be told what stage I am at and we will discuss treatments.

The treatment given to patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is specifically chosen for each individual. This depends on a number of factors, including whether the disease is newly diagnosed or has relapsed, whether the disease is indolent or aggressive, what stage it is at, what type, or 'grade', of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma a patient has, their general health and age, and their needs and wishes.

For many years, the main treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has been chemotherapy. Today, chemotherapy is frequently combined with monoclonal antibody therapy, which can sometimes also be used on its own.

• There are many types of chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which are given in various combinations
• Chemotherapy can be used with monoclonal antibody therapy, radiotherapy or corticosteroids
• It is given in cycles over several months, with breaks between treatments, usually at the outpatient clinic
• Not all patients have side effects; if they do occur, they can be mild and are often easily treatable

So this is what I am waiting for. Knowing is always better than not knowing.