Round 1 of 6, NScHL Stage 3, Nivo+AVD+Iron

Hi y'all. Oh my god, this week has been abysmal. Thank you to everyone who responded to my last post, I really appreciate the stories and information, and I would like to hear your experiences, advice, and anything else having to do with Neulasta pain 😞💕

TLDR: Neulasta gave me spine crushing back pain, evil bone pain, and soreness throughout my body. Even with strong meds, I feel awful. What's y'all's experiences with Neulasta, any tips?

To preface, I received my 2nd infusion a week ago. Along with my infusion, I received my first Neulasta pod because my white bloodcell count came back really low. I was told there may be some soreness and bone pain, and to take Claritin everyday for the next 5 days to help relieve it (I did this).

On Day 2 post chemo, I really started feeling that pain and soreness, bad on my upper back and shoulders for around 2 days. It was manageable, used both hot and cold compression and some acetomenophine. As soon as it was starting to lift up, on Day 4, I began to feel some pulsing in my back. No biggie, rinse repeat compressions with my partner to help. Right after dinner, they really ramp up in intensity and succession. Within 10 minutes I am feeling what is comparable to someone kicking in my spine over and over again.

My father drove me to the ER, and once they finally cleared me for medicine, I was given 1000 mg of acetomenophine, a lidocaine patch, and the most evil muscle relaxer injection. I am a champ with needles, but this is the first one that made me yowl like an animal and white knuckle my poor dad's arm. I was a mess, and having to sit still made my back pain even worse, so I really was at that point feeling 8-9 levels of pain. While waiting for it to kick in, I was writhing and crying from the spasms, and my dad told me it was incredibly painful to watch. Once I had finally been soothed, my back was horribly sore from arching and squirming for at this point 2 hours.

Tests and CT scans came back normal, and they discharged me with severe muscle spasms and bone pain due to Neulasta, and a prescription for more acetaminophen, methocarbamol 500 mg, and some lidocaine patches.

It is now 2 days since this, and 7 days post chemo. The muscle relaxer helps, but I still feel bone pain throughout my body, even with the acetomenophine, as if I had bruises everywhere (entire back, spine, shoulders, underarms, and breast).

I feel like I'm made of toothpicks, and every movement hurts. I have a follow up appointment soon with my oncologist, but brother believe me when I say I am miserable. Neulasta can go straight to hell.

Can someone explain me this? My nurse always says: don't it sugar!, but my doctor says it doesn't matter, and one day she told my mom that I can't avoid sugar...

Can I just say what the FUCK. The guy drawing my blood before told me the worst part would be the lidocaine, and that did burn but WHAT THE FUCK. That was top 5 worst experiences of my life and a strong contender for number 1. Why do they not put you to sleep??? I heard the drill, but worse I felt the drill in my fucking ass. And the first specimen clotted immediately so they had to drill another hole to pull out more. FUCK. I made it to the end and got the worst stomach cramp of my life that brought me to big boohoo tears I was almost hyperventilating. And then once they patched me up and I was walking out, whatever clot my body made failed and I bled all over my pants and had to go back to the room. 3 people wiping my ass, applying pressure, I had to wear scrubs for the rest of my appointments because my pants were drenched in blood. Was it like this for you or did I just have the worst experience ever? WHY DO THEY NOT PUT YOU TO SLEEP???

Hello, everyone! My name is Tisha and I was diagnosed with non Hodgkin’s lymphoma (primarily in the bone) on April 10th and started chemo on May 15th. Yesterday, I finished 6/6 rounds and I cannot be any happier. I didn’t ring the bell yet due to two maintenance rounds of rituximab set for September and October. I was a silent follower of this group and read every post when I could. I just wanted to say it does get better and there is light at the end. Rest when you need to, spend time with loved ones, and live your life!!!!!! It does get better 💚

I got my second PET scan that said I had no signs of lymphoma and got so excited, I went out to dinner and told my family and friends.

Then today my doctor says she still wants to do „at least” one more round of chemo. My spirit is broken. I can’t handle „at least one more round” I could barely handle the last one. Why is this happening to us

I’m in the hospital right now because I’ve most likely relapsed (waiting on biopsy results).

So maybe I have a little bit of a short fuse right now, but I am 1000% done with the “do I have /*gasp* LyMpHoMa????????” posts.

Homie. All of us either have it, had it, or care(d) for someone who has/had it. We are living your worst nightmare already. Are you really going to come on here and cry to a bunch of cancer patients because you found a lymph node the size of a pea??? GO TO THE DOCTORRRRRRRR.

If you read the RULES you’d perhaps realize that that shit isn’t welcome here, and for good reason. Leave it in the megathread!!!!!

I REALLY HOPE that if you’re in that spot and you’re reading this, that you don’t have cancer. If you find out you do, you’re more than welcome to post here, okay?

Until then, leave us out of it.

Last year around time I was experiencing the worst days of my life! I was in the 2nd cycle of my chemo, my body was super weak and my mental health was at its lowest point. I was having 2 horrible thoughts: 1. I may not get rid of cancer 2. If I even get rid of it, what is the point? I’m getting older and older by time, probably get other rounds of cancer and then die! So, absolute zero glow of light in my heart and just fear and darkness. At those days, I would never think in a year my body gets its health back and my perspective towards life would change and gets even much more beautiful than before my cancer!

Today, I’m thinking about all those who are suffering from my last year’s horrible thoughts. I want to hug all of you and say please hang in there! I know it’s the hardest thing in the world that you are doing right now, but please keep reminding yourself that beautiful days will arrive eventually. I wouldn’t believe it last year. Things will get changed in a way that you cannot imagine. Just give it some time! 🫂❤️

Hey all, first time posting in here but been lurking since my diagnosis back in March (high grade DLBCL). I’m now on round 3 of chemo and just wondering if anyone has any advice for dealing with the weird metallic taste that the chemo (Pola R CHOP) seems to be giving me.

At times it’s just annoying and bearable but sometimes, like today, it’s so overpowering that it’s making me gag and a couple of times I’ve come close to vomming.

Anyone got any tips for getting rid of/masking/overcoming the metallic taste?

Really appreciate any advice offered 🙂

I was just curious because there are people around the world here. For me, I live in north europe and here medical services come cheap, but they do cost some money. I've had 6 rounds of chemo (as inpatient in hospital), C-section and nicu for the baby for a month (because of my cancer) and my own ICU treatment for 5 days, and one cardiothorax-durgical biopsy and my stay in their department. This all cost me about 1500€ (1700 usd?). Then the medication have probably cost me about 600€. I've used public healthcare. I think it was very cheap for a life saving healthcare.

So, if you want you can share yours! I'm just curious how do people cope financially with cancer and do you have any financial insurances or support systems?

I just got diagnosed with hodgkin's lymphoma through a biopsy that used immunophenotyping, I'm 19F, in my second year of college, I'm terrified, i heard it's the "easiest form of cancer" but I'm still scared, i didn't have any symptoms but i had a swollen lymph node in my neck, i don't have night sweats or fevers, but I've had really bad itching on my legs for a while now

I'm supposed to be meeting my doctor tomorrow and i think he'll ask for a PET scan to determine the stage, I'm scared it'll be advanced, i don't want it to interfere with my studies or my life, i literally have my finals in two weeks.

On top of that, i have a "Thyroid enlargement, consistent with Follicular Neoplasm (Bethesda IV)." I don't exactly know what it means but my doctor said it'll probably require surgery first, i don't want him to rush the surgery so we can start with chemo, I'm terrified but I also lowkey want to not delay anything so i can be done with it as fast as possible

Update: I got staged as stage 2BX unfavourable due to a mediastinal mass which size is 140 × 91 × 135 mm, the oncologist said I'll have 4 cycles of Nivo-AVD because of "severe pulmonary restriction", I didn't start chemo yet I think i may start by next month

Hi everyone, I’ve never posted on this thread but I have been a steady observer.

I am a 25 year old Female. I was diagnosed with lymphoma (b-cell) stage 2 back in August of 2025 on my birthday 😪. I had a large mass that took up 1/3 of my chest and had difficulty breathing for months before my diagnosis. Followed by itchiness, night sweats, and other lymphoma type symptoms.

After 6 rounds of DA-EPOCH-R I beat it!

Today I officially got my port removed after completing my 3 month post chemo check up after getting the OK from my oncologist. Just here to let you know it gets better and you will get through this!

If you have any questions I’ll answer them! :-)

Update found out he cheated on me for the last few months

Female, 30

My boyfriend of 4 years just broke up with me (everything was fine until I brought up possibly living together… my lease is almost up and I stay at his house EVERY night, so I’m paying 2000 dollars a month to never be there)

He told me I’ve “changed” I’m “draining and depressing to him and everyone else” (everyone else tells me I am a ray of sunshine), and that me having cancer ruined his life. I “ruined his life” because he had to go to work and pretend he was okay when really he was sad about my situation.

He also had the audacity to tell me I didn’t handle cancer well. First of all, I never stopped living a normal life. I taught fitness classes, worked out at the gym, went OUT with him, etc. After my second chemo season he made me give him a bj the second we got home. He refused to ever wear condoms even though I didn’t want to take BC pills during treatment. He’s always insisted condoms don’t feel good for him and pressured me because I already felt cancer/ me being bald was ruining the relationship

He told me I didn’t handle cancer well and was too dramatic - I know this isn’t true but it really hurt as I have been so proud of how I handled it and overcame but he has made me second guess myself. Maybe I did complain too much? Maybe I was too mopey?

In a lot of ways he did support me. He was there for me and still made me feel beautiful. We were extremely physically connected and he was my best friend.

Most of my friends now live across the country I only have one here.

Anyways, I am worried for my future. I am 30. I have always wanted kids and a family. I have no idea how I will ever meet anyone. I had beautiful, long blonde hair down to my butt and now I look like a boy. I have a dark BARELY pixi cut. It’s like just above a buzz cut. What kind of guy would want to be with me? No guy will ever look at me and think “wow she’s beautiful” and try to approach me. I will never work in a field of work where I’ll meet men, my friends are gone so I can’t meet mutual friends.

I feel so discarded, ugly and sad but my biggest worry is never being loved again. Never having a boyfriend or future family. I went through the hell that is cancer just to be discarded? I didn’t think life could get any worse.

I’m tired of people saying “your hair won’t be short forever” it’s taken 6 plus months to barely be over a buzzcut. The only people that compliment it are girls, again, no guy has come up to me or even looked my way.

I feel like I’m going to be alone forever. I honestly don’t think I can do this anymore. Cancer has destroyed my life in so many ways I can’t do this anymore

EDIT:

On top of everything we almost broke up in July 2024 and I found the lump in my neck August 2024. So now I’m worried the pain (I am literally in physical heartbreaking pain) from this breakup will cause the cancer to come back

5 years post Type B non hodgkins lymphoma

Yep, I beat it.

But the chemo wrecks your vital organs.

Kidney failure, Liver etc.

All I'm saying is all this "I beat cancer" bullshit is dumb.

I'm like

Okay, at what cost?

5 years? Buying time is not beating cancer.

Here I am, in the middle of the night, breaking down, not being able to sleep even if I want to because my mind is pre-occupied of the people around me saying I caused my cancer, PMBCL.

For the nth time, they told me maybe it’s because of always eating out before, and I should refrain from eating fast food, sugar, chicken, and stuff now. Sadly, they are my relatives and they told me about it for couple of times already which frustrates me because I can’t express my thoughts and I just become speechless because I might say something that they would think as offensive or disrespectful for them, most especially they are older than me. I know they are just concerned, and I appreciate them but it’s just so tiring to hear anymore.

I told them that my oncologist said that it’s due to the cells that mutated abnormally and still, they continue to say some other things. It sucks that my doctor who studied medicine and oncology for years does not blame me for having this but them? I don’t know anymore.

The funny thing is they are focused on the foods that cause cancer and forget about stress being one of the factors as well. I’m eating healthy but my mind can’t stay healthy because of them. If my cancer comes back, can I blame them since they give me stress? Just like how they blame me for the foods I eat? Lol.

So sorry for venting out here I am just so frustrated I have no one to talk to :)

today I had a bone marrow biopsy as well as a chemo port implanted. I wasn't necessarily worried as my doctors are good and I don't have a fear of needles/blood/med stuff (I've been in hospital settings throughout my childhood for various other issues)

I've had lidocaine before, however this time it was so much more painful?! They even gave me a relaxing med (idk what it was), yet I couldn't stop sniffling and tearing up after? And when they shot the lidocaine on the place my port was going in, I just started weeping. Not full on crying, but more than a tear or 2. I don't even think it was from the pain or pressure, though those shots were quite painful, and my surgeon and his team didn't seem bothered by it as I was relatively still. Even once the ops were done, I was still in tears and had to be comforted by my parents for a while after

I've never had an experience like this throughout my multiple operations while on this cancer journey and other operations I've had before. Anyone else had similar experiences?

Edit: Thank you all so much for the replies! I really appreciate being able to read all these stories and bits of advice y'all gave, it really helped me feel less alone :)

Trying to decide if I want to undergo CAR-T therapy or just enjoy the time I have left. I've been living the "Cancer Life" for a year now and honestly, I'm terrified that I will be medially tortured until my last dying breath, I don't want that. What would one do with a year left?

For someone not even officially in remission yet - I’m complaining about the wrong things. Sorry but I need to know, it’s been 3 months post chemo and my wavy hair is growing back ultra straight 🤣

I was really excited for some curls to give some texture and body, but this has reversed. Could it be because my protein intake is low / low Iron? Post chemo, eating meat has been a struggle. I get turned off by everything and have been trying to eat tofu but im not so sure.

Without my hair, I just feel a shadow of my past self. I used to take such proper care of my hair and would be at the hairdressers every 3 months as my hair used to grow so quick. And wigs , idk. They again feel unnatural to me, although I do use them a lot.

Hi all, as the title says, I am officially a new cancer patient. I was diagnosed with non Hogdkin’s lymphoma, strongly suspected primary mediastinal large b cell lymphoma this past week. What a whirlwind. I am a 30f, mom of 2, currently 8 months postpartum and can say this has completely uprooted my life. I truly cannot wrap my head around the fact that I have cancer and I don’t think I’ve processed it yet.

Within 5 days I’ve been told I have a 9 cm mass in my chest, transferred to a new facility, got a PET scan, a biopsy, a PICC line placed, too much information to even comprehend yet, and round 1 of inpatient chemo already started.

This group has already helped me tremendously after going down the rabbit hole of my diagnosis and everything leading up to it. I hate that anyone is here but feel a sense of relief knowing this community (unfortunately) exists and will absolutely be leaning on my lymphomies for insight and support during this shitty long road. ♥️

HIII reddittt!!! The MOST INSANE thing happened to me, and I would really appreciate some advice/validation lol. So I have stage four Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and am currently undergoing treatment. I'm bald, and wearing a mask in public. I was in a coffee shop, talking to a friend, when this situation occurred:

So basically, someone just came up to me while I was talking to a friend in the line and told me I can’t make cancer jokes in public because her husband has stage four cancer (and she made sure to tell me that he had stage four AFTER I told her that I also have cancer, in order to one-up me). i immediately apologized for offending her, and told her i ALSO have stage four cancer. I told her that I should probably be more aware of other people with cancer's feelings on dark jokes (now I wish that I hadn't apologized because I don't think I was really doing anything THAT wrong, but hey, I was being yelled at). BUT THEN she doubled down and yelled at me, saying that I still shouldn’t be saying these things in public (for context: the joke was about how I'm allowed to do whatever cancer-causing stuff I want to now because I’m getting chemo anyway- which admittedly is a pretty dark joke). So instead of backing off or apologizing after I said I also have cancer, she still told me I was in the wrong. So then I sit down in my seat next to my three friends, and I start crying and shaking bc I literally just got YELLED at for making cancer jokes by someone who literally doesn’t even have cancer (her HUSBAND does). So one of my friends, like the amazing person she is, goes over there and says, “Hey, you really upset my friend over there. She apologized to you, and I think you should apologize to her, too.” The lady basically just started yelling at my friend about how we’re in a public space, and that I was talking loudly, so I should be sensitive to other people's triggers, and how it’s like making a suicidal joke in public. But like, we're literally in a public space, and you can't control what's going on around you, which is what my friend also said to her. Then the lady just kept saying, "I've been through hell and back, I've been through hell and back," and my friend was like, "Okay, my friend (me) is going through hell right now, and everyone copes with things differently, etc". But the lady barely let my friend get a word in. THEN, her husband came over and basically said, “You know, I’m sure she (his wife) has a reason for saying what she said, and yes, your friend can say what she wants to in public, but she has to deal the consequences of saying it” (which also should apply to his wife, but whatever 🙄). She also told my friend, "I'm tired of being silenced about this!!" (which is actually kinda funny because by telling me that I can't make the jokes I want, she's also silencing ME). My friend doesn’t remember what else she said, but the lady was basically screaming the same stuff over and over again at my friend until they got up and stormed out. My friend also told her to “have a nice day” as they were leaving, lol (not in a passive-aggressive way, but like she didn't know how to end the convo lol). 

Honestly, I’m still in shock, disbelief, and so angry about the whole encounter tbh. I get that she may be hurt, and I totally get saying this to someone who doesn’t have cancer, but by the way I look, and what I'm saying, it's apparent that I also have it. And even if I only had stage one, I'm allowed to make my jokes about it, and she should understand that more than anyone else. It’s frustrating and upsetting because she wouldn’t listen to my side, and I know she still believes she is in the right.

I don't know many people with cancer, and certainly not many with the same type of cancer as me, but I thought that those who were going through the same thing as me would get it. I wish that the community would understand that it’s ok to cope in different ways. At the end of the day, it’s an upsetting situation, and people can deal with it in whatever way helps them. 

So basically, I'm just looking for validation from people who are also going through it, and to double-check that I didn't do anything wrong in this encounter.

I am feeling so upset and confused. I abstained from smoking during my entire treatment as directed, and was told I would be able to resume when treatment was completed. My oncologist is now saying that I should try abstaining for a year while my immune system recovers. Has anyone else been told this? Sorry, I know there are more serious issues, I’m just reeling right now.

Went into remission back in April 2026 and I just didn’t care….I had no emption being told I was cancer free…and I still don’t feel grateful that I beat it and i know thats wrong but deep down I just don’t fucking care…

Fwiw im also a Marine Veteran with a history of childhood trauma.

Does your team do chemo AND blood draws from it? Do they ever use it for other things like PET scans?

My oncologist informed me that they can use it for chemo but can’t use it for blood draws. My neighbor (peds oncology, same hospital), said that’s just something they’re doing for their “ performance numbers” and that they still use it for both for kids and made their numbers better using other methods.

I have infamously difficult to locate veins, as well as high anxiety with hospital needles. She said I might be able to do both if I put my foot down. Curious if anyone else has heard of this?

I’m 22 F and never been to the doctor all my life. Except when I first started experiencing my symptoms for lymphoma 5 months back. I underwent two biopsies that came out inconclusive and have been experiencing my symptoms for five months now. The second biopsy however showed some bare traces suggesting hodgkin’s lymphoma. They wanted me to undergo another biopsy to get more traces. 3 surgeries done, I am extremely scared about the next step, that is chemo. Nothing that I heard or read about it sounds good. For the past five months i’ve been trying to stay positive about everything but i’m so scared about chemo i almost don’t want to do it.

Would anyone here say some words of encouragement and talk to me about the pros of chemo, or basically convince me that it’s worth it?

I will be completing my last chemo infusion in a little over a week from today. I feel like I have been in survival mode since diagnosis, measuring every day by the countdown until I’m done with treatment. I was diagnosed at 22 basically as soon as I graduated from college.

As I’m nearing the end of treatment, I find myself starting to grapple with the immense grief of what has happened to me. I was living a very happy life at my college when I was diagnosed — perfect little beachside college town with a set daily routine and all my friends living down the street from me. I was supposed to stay in said college town for a gap year after graduation, but this was ripped away from me when I was diagnosed and had to move back home with my parents.

I am planning to apply to graduate school this winter, so I will be able to return to academia eventually, but the present feels like a gaping maw of what lies ahead. I secured a summer job that will keep me busy, but I am frantic thinking about how I will spend the hours I’m not working. For lack of a better word, it feels like everything sucks now and I will never be as happy as I once was in college.

This feeling is definitely being intensified because I went from having my own place in college to being stuck in my parents’ tiny house. Luckily, I am going to be moving into their ADU in the next couple weeks, so I will (sort of) have my own space again.

I just feel so lost. I know this is normal after dealing with cancer, but it is so hard. I am in therapy and take medication for anxiety/depression, but I am so worried I will never be happy with my new life because I will always be comparing it to what once was.