Doctor's aren't sure what causes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This cancer occurs when your body produces too many abnormal lymphocytes. Normally, lymphocytes go through a predictable life cycle. Old lymphocytes die, and your body creates new ones to replace them. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, your lymphocytes don't die, but continue to grow and divide.
In most cases, people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma don't have any obvious risk factors, and many people who have risk factors for the disease never develop it. Some factors that may increase the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma include:
- Medications that suppress your immune system.
- Infection with certain viruses and bacteria.
- Chemicals.
- Older age.
Chemotheraphy. Chemo is a drug treatment that kills cancer cells. But it also harms normal cells - like those in the bone marrow, digestive tract, and hair follicles. Which causes the following side effects:
- Bone Marrow. When chemo lowers your levels of healthy blood cells, you are more likely to get infections, bruise or bleed easily and feel very week and tired. Your doctor gives you blood tests to check for low levels of blood cells. If levels are low, there are medicines that can help your body make new blood cells.
- Digestive Tract. Chemo can cause a poor appetite, naseau and vomiting, diarrhea, trouble swallowing, or mouth and lip sores. There are medicines though, that can help these problems.
- Hair Follicles. Chemo may cause hair loss. Your hair will grow back, but it might be a different color or texture.
My dad underwent chemo for about 6 months to combat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He lost his hair. He was tired. He felt sick to his stomach. But he maintained a great attitude. And he looked pretty good bald. In January 2011, he completed his chemo and his scans came back clear. Which was great news. The cancer was gone. But our relief was short-lived.
Now, there is a mass on his brain stem. They can't operate. They're not 100% sure what it is. But their thinking that it's Secondary Lymphoma of the Brain Stem. And they think this is what caused it: essentially, those little bastard cancerous lymphocytes fled his lymphatic system and hid in his brain stem, mutating so they would blend in. As soon as the chemo was done, they came out of hiding and formed the mass on his brain stem. But now he's on a new round of even stronger chemo, meant specifically for the brain. Like a ninja assassin, the chemo will hunt down those coward cells and kill them in cold blood. I totally advocate for violence against cancer cells.
