Hi - I wanted to introduce myself.  I was recently disgnosed with Non Hodgkins Diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma.  I became sick with a case of strep throat around Christmas.  The lymph node on the right side of my neck next to my thyroid swelled and never went down after a few weeks of antibiotics.  It continued to get bigger.  I am also a pretty severe asthma sufferer so it has been a nightmare.  After a couple of biopsies they disgnosed me and I began RChop a week ago.  I found a great doctor close to home and after my first chemo my tumor has responded so well.  It is no longer protruding from my neck and I can swallow and breath better than I have since Christmas.  Grateful does not do how I feel justice.  My tumor was growing so fast I developed a blood clot in my juggler on the right side of my neck. Since my first chemo it has reduced enough to take the pressure off of that.   I was able to get the port implanted for my chemo a couple of days after I was disgnosed and started chemo a week later.   I have had a lot of support from my family and friends and so far the RChop has not had any horrible effects.  My hair is coming out but I had it cut short last week in preparation.  I have some nausea but the meds take care of it.  The oddest thing is an extreme sensitivity to smells.  RChop is given every 21 days.  My next dose is scheduled for the 26th.  My cancer was staged 1a and my bone marrow is cancer free.  My PET scan showed I have no cancer other than the right side of my neck.  Thankful this was caught early.  I told my husband I will never ever take a deep breath or being able to swallow a drink of water for granted again.  My husband is disabled after losing his eyesight many years ago.  While I was at a University Hospital for 3 days alone getting this disgnosis I was more worried about how he and our little dog were getting by than anything they were going to tell me.  He and I have been married 16+ years and had never spent a night apart before those 3 days I was gone.  I told everyone I was disappointed I did not handle this better in the beginning.  It took me about a week to pull it together.  My joke now is I named my inner chicken Bob.  So now I have this big stuffed chicken my Mother In Law bought me that we plan to burn in a bonfire when I finish my treatments.  So far my tumor is repsonding so well they are thinking 3-4 chemo treatments topped off with a few radiation treatments.  My husband and friends and family talk about how I don't complain and I tell them all I am just so full of pure gratitude that things are not worse I have no complaints.