Fellow Travelers

I started this page because I felt bad that Pat, my friend with Mantle Cell Lymphoma was at the bottom of a page with dogs on it. Somehow that did not seem right. I have decided to devote this page to others who are on this Lymphoma or Cancer journey.

Pat

“Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) is a relatively rare disease constituting only about 6% of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases in the United States (i.e., only about 3,000 cases per year in the United States).”

This was one of the first statements I read when I was diagnosed with MCL. To have something that hits mainly older men was one thing but to have it be so rare so lonely.

Into my room on Saturday walked this lady with a cute pink hat. She introduced herself as Pat and said that she needed to stop by and meet me. An Angel of a nurse had connected us. She said, “I have Mantel Cell Lymphoma and I am 48.” You can imagine the range of emotions from relief, to joy to OMG that surged through me.

She is on her third round of treatment so has some real life experience behind her. The advice she gave, the stories she shared brought relief. We talked about hair loss, bodily functions, kids, husbands, pets, and living life to its fullest. Her treatments were scheduled just a day before mind which meant we were together here for about 5 days on two rounds of chemo. What a blessing she is and I hope to be able to offer her as much support as she has offered me.

She went home this morning…and yes, I cried but she left me this note. I hope when she reads this blog she does not mind all that I have said:

Remember Always: keep your spirits high. You can and will get through this.