My best friend has lymphoma cancer i really don't know what it is and i need help?

Question

My best friend just told me that he has lypmphoma cancer im really scared for him and i dont know what to say to him. I dont know what lymphoma cancer is. How should i support him?

Answer 1

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/non-hodgkins...

web md is pretty helpful.

My cousin is 26 and is going to pass away in a couple years from an untreatable form of cancer. They have done all they can and now its just a waiting game. Mostly I've found its good to listen and do what they want to do. Encourage them to fight, help them live their life, when they're in the hospital cheer them up, hang out, don't treat them special, but do think about what you say. They may not want to ask for help because they don't want to bother you so offer it. My cousin doesn't sleep very much anymore so when I can I got stay up late with her, watcher her son so she and her husband can go out. Clean her house, do laundry, little things that save her time. If it's fatal, maybe don't talk about the future unless they bring it up. It's amazingly difficult and I'm so sorry that this is happening. God bless.

Answer 2

Its cancer of the lyphnodes or lymph sytem. My dad had it. To be supportive just let him take they lead, be there when he needs you and just act normal. He probably doesnt want to be treated differently. Depending on what stage it is depends on the outcome. My father had chemo and radiation and hes fine now. The doc told him that they will keep doing checkups to make sure it doesnt come back but that its one type of cancer with a pretty good survival rate. Hes been clear for a few years now. He started loosing his hair so he just shaved it all off, even his beard. He has to wear special socks now so fluid doesnt collect in his legs. Lymph nodes move fluid around I guess so now that his arent in the best shape he need the socks to keep his legs from getting too swollen with it. I really hope your freind is ok!

Answer 3

First of all, you and your friend are in my prayers. Secondly, just let your friend know that you are there for him. Do not say that you know how he feel(you don't),Lymphoma is cancer in the lymph glands, and it can metastasize to other parts of the body. Depending on what stage the cancer is in, there are going to be some really times, that is when it gets ugly, and when he really needs a person who will just sit with him through the night or through the chemo, or through the bad times. Some people get afraid, and do not come around at all, the loneliness is the pits, no one should go through things like this alone. Bring him cold juices, or healthy casseroles, soft music to listen to, or audio books to listen to when he gets to be too tired to hold his own book.Always speak positively, and always give him something to hope for, even if it is a plan to go to his favorite place to eat. He knows that you will not know what to say, what he does not know is will anyone still come around once they do know what is wrong with him.Just be there.Good luck, I pray the Father touches him from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, and makes him every which way whole, in the name above all names, a name stronger than cancer, in the name of Jesus ,amen.

Answer 4

I don't have any specific information lymphoma, but there's some general information on cancer at http://www.cancerdoubts.com which you might find useful.

Answer 5

I hope your friend does OK.

There are basically 2 major categories of Lymphoma, then a lot of subtypes, that I don't really know that much about.



First is Hodgkin's Lymphoma. It usually strikes younger adults, more often males. It usually follows a pattern, starting with the upper body, the lymph nodes in the neck or under the arms. It usually spreads on one side, above the diaphragm and then below.If it is above the diaphragm, it is more treatable.

30 years ago it was nearly always a death sentence. Now it is one of the most treatable forms of cancer, as long as it is found early. I do not know the exact treatments but it would be radiation  and/or chemo. Hodgkin's has symptoms that include fever, and some fatigue. Some people who have it will experience pain in the affected nodes if they drink alcoholic beverages. There are also  frequent cases of the skin being very itchy.

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma can start in just about any lymph gland and spread. I think there are several types, but I do not know all of them. It used to be called Lymphosarcoma. It does not usually have the symptoms like fever and itching, so far as I know. I know more about Hodgkin's because I had two relatives, who were not related to each other, who had Hodgkin's 35 or 40 years ago. Both died because there was not much in the way of treatment.

Metastized cancer can spread into the lymph nodes from other organs and not be Primary Lymphoma. When any cancer spreads to the lymph nodes from say the breast, or lungs, it is usually a bad sign.

The lymphatic system is the main part of the immune system. The lymphocytes that are made in the lymphatic system are white blood cells that help fight infection and germs. Some people with AIDS also can get a form of Lymphoma, but many people have it without having AIDS.

Lymphoma and Leukemia can be very much alike in the sense that the white cells do not fight germs and infection, with Leukemia because there are too many, but ineffective white cells, and in Lymphoma because the lymph nodes are destroyed and the white cells are not  produced.

Just be there for him. He might at some time need help getting to a doctor or something like that, or depending on his circumstances, you might see to it he has nutritious food if he lives alone or anything, or help out family members with things if they need it. Caring for somebody with cancer, if it becomes severe or life-threatening can be very hard on the immediate family as well as the patient.