Hi,
Recently I have being diagnosed with lymphoma (recent scans have shown it is only localised but are unsure which type of lymphoma it is yet). I am 20 years old and quite active, last year I suffered an injury while landing awkwardly. I didnt think too much at the time as it just looked swollen and did the RICE method for a few days and it was all better, but 2 weeks later I did exercise and was all fine until one day the pain came back, it ranged from a stiff feel to a sharp throbbing. This happened February last year, it took me until September to see the GP in Wetherby, Leeds as the pain was so inconsistent and only came on after heavy exercise. Similarly to the GP opinion, we fought it was some form of ligament tear that hasnt fully recovered but had to referred to QMC in Nottingham as thats where I am at uni. There was 2 months from the GP meeting to the apppointment at QMC, the consultant said it looked and what youve said seems like a meniscus tear and going to have keyhole surgery. A month later ,a few days after christmas I was back down to Notts to have the MRI scan to see the extent of the damage of the knee, 2 weeks later I had a call to discuss the results. Then the consultant said theyve found what appears to be a tumour, at the time I wasnt too bothered as I have another tumour in my other (right) knee which found was chondroblastoma (benign) and reffered to the Royal Orthopedic Hospital in Birmingham for a biopsy. The registrar there said there wasnt anything that resembled a sarcoma but had to make sure, I had the biopsy then 2 weeks later I had a call saying theyve found malignancy in the blood. I was in shock but at the same time serious denial, I mean how can on-and-off knee pain resemble blood cancer? If I had all the symptoms that resembled a cancer of the blood I would of been more accepting of it, he said he will refer me to the Bexley Wing in Leeds. For that whole week from the call to the appointment at Leeds, I was on the internet 24/7 looking at information on blood cancers thinking what have I got, myeloma, leukemia, lymphoma or something else? Was the worst period of my life as I was just wondering if I was going to die and theyve just left me with the line "malignancy in the blood". When the appointment came around at the haemotology department in St James' Hospital (Jimmys) I couldnt be bothered getting out of bed, my mum persuaded me and got on with it looking like a rotten vegetable throughout the day. I saw the consultant who was very nice and helpful i must say, she told me they think I have lymphoma. She was asking me all these questions and what I have, abdominal pains? Coughing up blood? enlarged lymph nodes? night sweats? fever? losing weight?. I was chucking a bit as I stressed the only thing I had was inconsistent knee pain. Like I said before, if I had symptoms that resembled lymphoma then I would of been more accepting of it but still cant get my head round it. As I am in my final year of uni, everything is hold, the consultant said I will have to have chemotherapy so will probably defer once treatment is done. I had a bone marrow, PET scan and obviously a blood test. They said the good news was that it was localised, only in the knee and a little bit in the groin which was nothing to worry about, but she said I will have to have more tests as there not 100% sure what it is despite there confidence it is lymphoma. So I am booked into LGI for a CT scan and possible biopsy to confirm this diagnosis, she also said I will have to have radiotherapy. Feel like since September all I am doing is just waiting.
Just goes to show that even something as common as knee pain which resembled a meniscus tear can be something serious as lymphoma ( which I am still in denial about :P )
Thanks
Daniel :)
