Your first treatment
Whether you are about to receive radiotherapy, or begin a course of induction therapy, your first round of treatment for indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) can be a daunting experience. But remember, your healthcare team, patient support groups, and of course Lymphoma Life, will be here to help you through the whole experience.
You’ll be familiar with the treatment environment
You have probably already visited the hospital, lymphoma clinic or doctor’s office a few times to meet your healthcare team and have diagnostic tests or check ups. So you might be quite familiar with the surroundings and some of the people that you’ll meet.
But beginning treatment can still be practically and emotionally challenging
Now that you are about to receive treatment you are probably having many different thoughts and emotions. Treatment is something you’ve not experienced before, and you will be hoping that it can help you with the disease you’ve developed. So, it is understandable that you might be apprehensive about what is going to happen:
- in a practical sense – What will I have to go through? Will it hurt?
- and in an emotional sense – How will I feel? Will it work?
Bear in mind that your treatment experience will probably be unique to you
You may have heard lots of stories in the media, or from other people, about the treatment you’re about to receive, and many of these stories may not be reassuring.
You shouldn’t let this worry you. It is unlikely that anything you’ve heard or read in the past from non-specific sources will apply directly to you.
Everyone’s experiences of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are different, just as everyone’s individual health status and circumstances are unique. So it is unlikely that anyone else will have exactly the same treatment plan as you. The best people to talk to about what you should expect are the members of your healthcare team.
Lymphoma Life is here to help
At Lymphoma Life, we believe that helping you understand what to expect, and decide how to proactively help yourself, will make your treatment experience easier for you.
In this section, we explain what will happen to you on your first treatment visits and who out of your healthcare team you’ll be meeting. We also have lots of practical tips for coping with the treatments that you’ll be receiving.
It’s important to remember that you’re not alone through this experience: as well as Lymphoma Life, there are many patient support groups that can offer help and advice.
But the most important thing to bear in mind is that your own healthcare team are the best people to talk to about your individual circumstances. They will always be there to help and listen, and are the people who are best placed to advise you on how to help yourself through treatment.
I’m having radiotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
I’m having induction chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or immunochemotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Preparing for your first treatment visits to the clinic for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma