In Remission

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Living With Lymphoma - Chapter 14 - Living With Lymphoma

Returning to normal life after a Lymphoma diagnosis

Now that you are in remission for lymphoma, you can start to get on with your life again. While you may not be ready to go back to work, you can certainly start to enjoy daily activities and even take up old hobbies again.

For the majority of time, you will probably not think about lymphoma at all, with the only reminder coming when you have your regular check-ups at the clinic. While these visits may be daunting, they are an ideal opportunity to ask any questions you may have, reassure yourself that things are going well and, if anything is found, catch it early and ensure it’s treated properly.

Regular Check ups

How often you have a check-up after treatment for lymphoma depends on a range of factors, such as the type of disease, the treatment given and your overall health and response to therapy.

At the beginning, patients will often be seen at the specialist clinic every month. If good progress is being made, this will be gradually increased until the patient has a check-up every 3–6 months, or even once a year.

During the visit, the doctor will ask about your general condition and perform a physical examination, before arranging any diagnostic tests. These may be the same as the original diagnostic and staging tests, such as blood tests, X-rays and scans.

As always, it’s important to prepare in advance for each check-up, and have everything ready that you were asked to bring. Also, make sure that any questions you may have are written down, rather than trying to remember them at the time.

It can be quite stressful to be reminded about the disease, and many patients worry that the doctor may give them bad news. However, check-ups are an ideal opportunity to catch the first signs of a relapse, should it occur, and for you to tell the doctor about any remaining symptoms you have.

If you are worried about the visit, or are concerned that you may forget things that you are told, think about taking a friend or family member along for support.

Some questions to think about after treatment has finished

• What will successful treatment mean for me and how long will the benefits last?
• What further tests might be needed? How often might they be needed?
  What will these tests show?
• How often will I have to attend the clinic? For how long?
• What happens if I relapse?
• Is there anything we can do to keep the disease away during remission?

Returning to normal life after a Lymphoma diagnosis

Some patients with lymphoma are able to return to normal life almost immediately after treatment, while others take a lot longer to resume daily activities. However you are affected, it’s important that you feel at your best and live as full a life as possible now that the disease has gone away.

To achieve this, you should eat a healthy diet in order to give your body all it needs to recover, and learn how to deal with the stresses and strains of living with lymphoma.

Now that treatment is over, it will be tempting to push yourself and try to take on all your old activities, or try new ones, before you are ready. Always be realistic about how you much you can manage, and take things one day at a time.

The most important thing is to remember that you are not alone. You can even share your story, and read those of fellow patients with lymphoma, on this website. To do so, simply visit “Patient stories”.