A warm welcome to Cancer Chat, tim52! 

I am sorry to hear about your Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma diagnosis. I hope that you find out more soon about the stage or type and if, in the meantime, you'd like to read reliable information about Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma you can find out more about it on this page.

There have been quite a few members on our forum who have had a similar diagnosis and if you type in the keywords 'Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma' in our search function, you will be able to find other relevant threads from members who have had NHL and don't hesitate to respond to any you would like to engage with. For example, [@ShalomJackie]‍ posted here a few months ago about her diagnosis as well as [@Lynsey40]‍ who wrote this thread after being diagnosed with NHL. Feel free to respond to these members if you wish and I hope that you will hear from others here who have been through treatment for NHL and that they will be happy to share their treatment experience with you. 

I hope everything goes well for you and that you find out more about your treatment plan soon. 

Our nurses are also available on this free number 0808 800 4040 if there is anything you would like to ask them - their helpline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. 

Best wishes, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi Tim52

I'm really sorry to hear that you have diagnosed with NHL, but would like to reassure you, that in most cases,  it is considered to be a treatable if not curable type of cancer.

I too am 49 and was diagnosed last year.  I had one noticeable swollen lymph node on the side of my neck, about the size of a walnut shell.  However, scans showed a number of other affected nodes in the neck, chest and near my heart and liver.
 

There are lots of different types if NHL, but one of the most common is Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma  (DLBCL) and this is the type I was diagnosed with (stage 3).  The treatment is chemotherapy - specifically one called R-CHOP, a combination of 5 drugs.  I had the standard 6 rounds over 18 weeks.  It's tough, but totally doable.  The chemo is given intravenously as a day patient and takes a few hours.  I had my last round at the end of February and am awaiting the final scan results. The chemo works very quickly and the lump on my neck was gone after the first couple of rounds.  
Chemo affects people differently and there are a huge number of side affects, most of which you won't have.  For me, it was nowhere near as bad as I had imagined.  You have good days and bad days, but by the third week of the cycle, you start to feel like yourself again.  I made it a goal to take my dog for a walk twice a day throughout and that helped keep the fatigue at bay.  It's important to look after yourself - eat well, moderate daily exercise, sleep well and take good care of your teeth.  
To be honest, I found the diagnosis stage the hardest.  I first went to the GP August 2021 and did not get diagnosed untill late October.  Treatment started in November.  Waiting for scan appointments and results was painfully slow.  My first biopsy came back as inconclusive, so had to have a second one.  I know it's hard, but try to distract yourself and don't dwell on things.  The unknown is far scarier than the known.  Once you find out what you're dealing with and the plan to tackle it, it gets much easier.  This site and MacMillan were a huge help to me.  Reading posts from others who had been through it, helped me feel prepared and informed before treatment started.  Google on the other hand, is not a good idea.

wishing you all the best

sam

Hi Sam,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. It helps SOOO much to hear from people who have been through the treatment!

I have a PET scan tomorrow, some more blood tests and then hopefully I can talk with a consultant.

I hope your results come back clean as a whistle!

Tim