Wow @parkrunmark congratulations on doing the half marathon, wow.
I bet you have had a lot of training to build up to it.
Take lots of care
I had a 6 rounds of chemotherapy and an STC 15 moths ago for angioimmunoblastic T Cell Lymphoma (AITL). The average survival rate after invasive treatment is 3 years but 30% or so do live 5 years or more. The first year I just wanted to enjoy being able to do what I did before and go abroad, swim, drink etc. but now I feel what next? I work in a highly competitive industry and feel reluctant to change to a more demanding role because whatās the point of being stressed out in a generally toxic environment. My current role is likely to come to an end in the next few months. I canāt afford to maintain my lifestyle on much less (itās not lavish!). I know Iām lucky to have survived but it makes life decisions about a very uncertain future so difficult. Is this a common thought to have?
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Hi @Paul i think personally that everything you are thinking and feeling is so natural.
I definitely reassessed my life and what I wanted to do and who I wanted to do it with.
I donāt deal with what personally stresses me well and I gave up a few commitments I realised I was not enjoying.
However only you can decide in your personal circumstances, please let us know how you get on.
Look after yourself.
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Thank-you Erica, Iām privileged to have these decisions but Iām finding it really tough atm.
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Hi @Paul
Iām glad youāre well now, but yes - what a difficult decision-making situation you are in.
Iām in remission from Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, and of course no-one has a crystal ball to tell me how things will work out. My new approach to life is much like yours: To be mindful of maintaining good health, and to ditch stress wherever possible- whilst still ticking along on the work front.
Can you perhaps take a step sideways to do something similar to your current job? And have you ensured you are on the maximum benefits for your health situation? And are you aware of the Disability Discrimination Act and Reasonable Adjustments in the Workplace, which all cancer patients are protected by?(regardless of remission status.) This means you can ask any new employer for reasonable adjustments to make your ability to do the job on a par with others - so for example, a few extra rests so that you can cope with fatigue; time off for hospital appts; written and spoken instructions if you suffer from short term memory problems or brain fog, etc etc. Whatever supports your needs. And you donāt have to disclose your disability (cancer in the past) until after you are offered a job - and only then if you want to ask for reasonable adjustments.
Let us know how you get on - thereāll likely be someone else who could do with hearing how you managed this dilemma.
Best of luck with it.
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Thanks. Yeah Iām aware of the protection afforded by the Equality Act. A less stressful job would probably help, itās more the not knowing the future of my health. I should move out of london to somewhere near the sea and get a dog!
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Ha ha, dogs certainly like to relax with their people. Being sat on by a hefty example as I type 
.
Good luck with your decisions, @Paul.
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Hey @Paul by the sea with a dog sounds good to me, there is nothing like the sea, sea air, the unconditional love of a 4 pawed companion and really fresh fish and chips.
Oh, I am feeling hungry now.
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I had a stem cell transplant 2 years ago after having angioimmunoblastic t-cell lymphoma and have fortunately been well since. It is difficult not to worry that every ache or pain is a relapse which is something anyone whoās had cancer must experience to some extent. I did not have any B Symptoms before being diagnosed other than episodes of feeling flu-like, and then variable swollen lymph nodes for a coupe of months before I was diagnosed. I have been having the flu-like symptoms again recently. It feels like Iām getting flu then a couple of days later I feel fine again. I was wondering if other people whoāve had a stem cell transplant experience this?
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Great to hear from you again @Paul. I know you want responses from people who have had stem cell transplants, but I certainly relate to your thoughts and feelings they are always with me.
Look after yourself
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Hi @Paul
I have myeloma and I have had two transplants in 5 years I have always been aware of relapse.
I had symptoms of pain increasing and my bloods started to show something was happening
My advice would be to let your team know so they can monitor you.
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I was diagnosed with Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma in 2021 and had a Stem cell transplant. I recently had severe bruising after a house move - not just the odd bruise to be expected. My nucleophiles, lymphocytes, etc are all down since a blood test at Christmas when I had Covid. Iāve lost weight and having headaches/bouts of nausea and quite painful joint pain. My PET scan however was clear. I want to feel relieved but I have a nagging concern the consultant is placing too much emphasis on one result rather than taking a holistic view. Lymphoma sometimes doesnāt show in early stages on a scan. This happened before I was first diagnosed and the consultant relied entirely on a clear punch biopsy. This ācomputer says noā narrow view resulted in me being misdiagnosed the first time around. Guess Iām going to just have to watch and wait.
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Hi Paul
I had my transplant in 2019 for Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). I have been quite well since ,apart from the first year of recovery. In mid October 2023 I had my routine bloods and my neutrophil count was 1.4 which is bordering on low, however Iād had my Covid and Flu vaccine 3 days before . They didnāt inform me that my counts were a bit low until I had bloods done again in late December where my platelets were down a bit and newts still at 1.4 , however these were done at the end of a horrible virus Iād had over Christmas,high temps and a headache generally feeling rubbish. None of my team seem worried about my countās dropping except me ! Iām just hoping it was the vaccine and the infection that caused a blip .
Mark
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Thanks Mark. I also had Covid at Christmas so perhaps it is that though theyāve fallen further since. I think sometimes there is an over reliance on one test result whilst other symptoms/indicators are dismissed. āComputer Says No Conscious Biasā I was initially misdiagnosed because of a clear punch biopsy result so am a bit paranoid. Hope youāre ok. Paul
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Hi @Paul and @parkrunmark you both have dilemmas
As you know I am not a medical person, but to me Covid and also other lurgies are going around and seem to take a long time lingering. It is just not in the media now.
Perhaps if you do not feel right both of you write down all your symptoms, their severity and impact on your lives and contact your consultants , specialist nurse or GPās and be pleasantly assertive and ask for further blood and any tests to check you out.
Please do let us know how you are both feeling and doing
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