Nodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma (NMZL)

Hi @mascarpone While you’re waiting for other members with NMZL (nodal marginal zone lymphoma) to reply, I wanted to welcome you to Mayo Connect. It’s crazy how our lives can be turned upside down in the course of a day, isn’t it? It can feel like the rug has been pulled right out from under you.

There are several treatments for MZL and doctors will use the test results from the biopsy of the lymph node and also the bone marrow biopsy to zero in on the proper treatment, such as the immunotherapy your husband’s doctor has mentioned.
I’m sure you’re both getting antsy to get the treatment started. When is your husband scheduled for the bone marrow biopsy?

The bone marrow biopsy is scheduled for Monday, May 11. The doctor says that it would be better to start the treatment on Tuesday, because the biopsy takes 3 weeks. It would be better to start the treatment as soon as possible. The doctor suggested the treatment of Bendamustine + rituximab. You are right, one day changed our whole life.

I had the same option when diagnosed 13 years ago and it went as best it could. Still in remission today. No side effects. So grateful I had a haematologist who said 'Don't wait. Start now'.

@beaverjohn Glad to hear that, John . I hope will be the same for my husband.
Can I ask you what treatment did you have? I wish you a life long remission .

Bendamustine and rituximab. Roughly every three months. Bendamustine one
day and the rituximab the next, except for once when it was done on the
same day. I now see the haematologist every six months. I sincerely hope
your husband has the same results that I had. Take care of yourself. I
felt it was harder on my wife than me. As an aside, getting the diagnosis
of something serious had me worrying very much less about small things. I
now felt they were not that important and it was a freeing experience.

@beaverjohn Thank you for sharing your experience with me. In every comment on the internet I try to find something useful that could help my husband. I really think this situation is harder for me. In these two months since this ordeal began, I have read so much literature about lymphomas, their types, treatments, discoveries, research that I could write my bachelor's thesis on this topic. But the hardest thing was accepting and realizing that you can't change anything even if you want it so much. There are really a lot of problems in life, but when you are sick you have only one. Thank you for your well wishes for my husband.