Here we are just three years ago starting a half marathon across the Seven Sisters to support McMillan Cancer Support. Now they are supporting me.

 

A low-grade lymphoma detected in 2006 which has been under observation at the Royal Marsden ever since, and caused no trouble for 18 years, has now transformed itself into a high-grade one and decided to start causing trouble, including filling my right lung with fluid, which made it difficult to breathe. The problem for trouble makers is that they expose themselves, and the Marsden, who are the top lymphoma unit in the country, have everything in place to punish this one severely.

 

Having drained the lung, which contained no less than 2.5 litres of fluid (!), the team have put me on their latest treatment regime which they expect to achieve permanent remission or indeed kill off the lymphoma completely by the end of the year. Given the Marsden's expertise and the cutting edge nature of the treatment I am feeling relaxed and confident. The main expected side effect is fatigue, and the main risk is infection because my immune system will be effectively knocked out. 

 

Once the treatment has got going and I know how my body reacts I may be able to carry on with some degree of normality, but will have to adopt the sort of social distancing measures we all had to live with under covid and the doctors have effectively grounded me. Social distancing does not mean social isolation though, and I can still make contact on Zoom/Teams etc.

 

So though I am setting out on unknown waters I am confident the journey will end in Ithaca.

 

All the best

 

 

Stephen