The Next Mountain to Climb

Well, my spleen is out and the results are in. I have an even more rare form of lymphoma than the doctors secondarily suspected. The final pathology, undertaken on the spleen after its removal, indicates that I have a lymphoma known as Splenic Diffuse Red Pulp Small B Cell Lymphoma (SDRPL).  In recent years, we have taken to using the phrase “Do the Most” to encourage our kids to put all effort possible into their endeavors. I guess my body decided to “Do the Most” when it came to developing a lymphoma. Instead of some run of the mill variety that could be corrected with a common treatment plan, I, instead, have SDRPL. This lymphoma represents less than 1% of known non-Hodgkins lymphomas. It is so rare that my oncologist (a lymphoma expert) at Stanford has never had a case before. It is so rare that the little known about it comes from case by case studies on individuals.  So I figure I’m the talk of the town wherever oncologists hang out.  Early on in this journey, I gav...

We are back home! It’s been a long week and we are thankful to finally be back. That being said, I must admit that Stanford provided as wonderful an experience as they could.  The staff at Stanford are pretty phenomenal. Everyone we encountered, from the surgery staff to the nurses on my floor to the food service and housekeeping staff had a smile on their face and exuded warmth and caring. Whether I was on a walk in the corridors or lying on the bed in my room, I had wonderful conversations and exchanges with those with whom I came into contact. There was one nurse who consistently checked on me when I was out for a walk. She wasn’t even a nurse in my area. However, she encouraged me and made sure I was doing alright every time she saw me.  As great as everyone was, I was definitely ready to come home by the time I was discharged. I’m looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and I’ve missed my family!  Our ride home turned out to be an adventure itself. I was...