My name is Lori and I’m from Alabama, USA. I have stage 3A FL and was diagnosed last year, 2024.
I’m a retired English teacher and I still substitute teach in my small adorable town here in Alabama.
I had an ultrasound on my liver due to elevated liver enzymes. They noticed my swollen kidneys were not draining properly. I was referred to a urologist for a CT in August of 2024. They said I had a mass behind my kidneys the size of a medium apple. I had kidney stents placed four days later and four days after that I had a biopsy. Eleven days later I was told I had B cell lymphoma. I was referred to my wonderful oncologist. Four days after that he called with further pathology reports and said it was follicular lymphoma.
I finished RChop chemo, six treatments. I finished in January of 2025. I had a complete response. I am in remission but for maintenance, I am doing two years of immunotherapy infusions.
So far, I am still in the clear. The tumor is showing no activity but of course it cannot be removed. I was able to get my kidney stents out in March, and I am so happy about that. It was worse than losing my hair.
The biggest challenges for me were feeling fear and anxiety. It took me a long time to feel comfortable with the chest port, and I never got comfortable with the kidney stents. I had chronic UTI’s. I also miss my old self. Slowly, I’m starting to look like the woman I knew.
The triumphs are feeling closer to God, and my adult children. My husband and I were a great team through illness. I also feel like I appreciate life more and that I know how important relationships are.
Although FL is not curable, I feel happy and relatively healthy and strong. I’m thankful it was caught because I really had zero symptoms. I’m shocked I did not feel those swollen kidneys.
Once you are diagnosed and have a clear plan, you will get in a fight mode. It’s important to be aware that for some people the full realization of what you’ve been through may not hit you until after treatment is over. Once you are not seeing your medical team every three weeks (like I was) you may feel lost, scared of the cancer returning, or lonely. Put some plans in place to return to the things you love.
My Alabama oncology team is fantastic, and I felt totally seen.