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Does anyone have splenic marginal zone lymphoma?

Posted by gjk @gjk, Nov 14, 2023

I was just diagnosed with smzl and euggt now the dr said it is a wait and watch.

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Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | 7 hours ago
In reply to @wendyswayne "I have been tentatively diagnosed with SMZL and am awaiting CT, bone marrow biopsy and more..." + (show)
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I have been tentatively diagnosed with SMZL and am awaiting CT, bone marrow biopsy and more blood work. Apart from a huge spleen which I can palpate down to my hip and perhaps a little fatigue, I feel really well which I think has delayed my diagnosis. Perhaps there is a certain hubris in being nearly 80 and being a pescatarian, socially and physically active, volunteering, travelling extensively, etc. while many old friends are not. Then BOOM! Oh well, if I have to have cancer I guess a rare indolent lymphoma is a good one. I am so interested to learn from the experience of others. I hope to have a treatment plan by the end of September. In the meantime, I’m off to Ireland with my brother and then to Boston for my son’s 56th birthday! Feeling blessed (mostly!) (Vancouver, Canada)

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@wendyswayne Hi Wendy! Nothing’s surely going to slow you down! At nearly 80, still highly active and a world traveler, you’re proof that a healthy diet and your zest for life has served you well! But even intensely well tended bodies can have a glitch.
Splenic Marginal Zone Lymphoma (SMZL) is a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, generally considered a low-grade cancer because it progresses slowly. In a nutshell lymphoma is a type of cancer that develops from immune cells called lymphocytes; the ‘infection’ fighters of the body. There are different forms of this disease depending on location in the body. With SMZL, the cancerous B-cells tend to collect in the spleen causing the enlargement.

Posting a link to an informational article from My Lymphoma Team.com which gives a pretty good tutorial on SMZL.
https://www.mylymphomateam.com/resources/splenic-marginal-zone-lymphoma-an-overview
When your test results are evaluated, your doctors will be able to map out your treatment plan. Often it involves a targeted B-cell treatment such as Rituximab. If that’s the case, that shouldn’t even slow you down! ☺️ (My Nurse-coordinator made arrangements for me to have my infusions for a clinic 1200 miles from home so I could continue to travel while in treatment for another B-Cell related issue). Whatever your treatment, with your positive countenance I expect you’ll take it all in stride!

In the meantime, I can see you’re living life to the fullest. Enjoy your trip to Ireland. Please let me know what you find out with your tests. Do you have your labs and scans scheduled already?

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