Stages and Symptoms.

STAGES
There are in a sense 8 stages. There are stages One through Four. And in those four stages each has an A or a B along with it. A means with out symptoms. B means with symptoms. So for example stage 1A means the lymphoma is only in one concentrated area and there are no outwardly apparent symptoms. Stage 1B means the lymphoma is only in one concentrated area and there are outwardly apparent symptoms.

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So Dr. Dickson believes I am either in Stage 2B (because I have them in my neck and chest) or 3B (that's why we did the PET scan to determine if I have any under my diaphragm) because I have been having very strong symptoms.

SO LETS TALK SYMPTOMS
First let me tell you about night sweats (or in my case I get them in the day as well). Most nights, multiple times a night, I wake up in a sweat. I am not talking about a light glisten as I like to call it. I'm talking full blown, look like I just hopped out of a swimming pool fully clothed kind of sweat.

I'm not kidding you. I wake up with my hair soaked, my sheets wet, and I am feeling as if some one turned a hot shower on above our bed. It is so silly. And OBNOXIOUS! Fevers are also a symptom. I didn't notice fevers very often but I guess if you took my temp in the middle of a night sweat I probably have one!

Another one is Itching. Constant Itching. Want to rip my skin off because it itches so bad. Scratching so much I accidentally make myself bleed. Itching. YUCK. It stinks. I also get random rashes in random places that last 5-7 days and then disappear.

The next ones are Fatigue and Weakness. For heaven sake. Why would I realize that I was super tired and it wasn't normal? Oh yeah, I WOULDN'T. Give me a break, I have an almost 7 month old and an almost 3 year old. Of course I am tired. Fatigued is one that I noticed but though nothing of. By about 3 in the afternoon my body tells me it is done. It tells me this by body aches, can't lift things, feel like I might die if I don't self medicate soon (ibuprofen or Tylenol). Great right?

So I am definitely in Group B. Still waiting for the answer to see what stage I am in. 2 or 3. Hopefully find out more soon.


P.S. my insurance has not approved Chemo yet so I don't know for sure when or where that will happen. But you know, its just cancer, no big deal.

Until I know more!
Emily!