LIVING WITH MCL

Saw the cardiologist today, and he said it's not looking good. I definitely have coronary heart disease. My calcium scores are off the charts (> 3000), and I'm likely going to need a stent or two. Maybe even bypass surgery. BYPASS SURGERY!!! Not even in my wildest dreams was I anticipating that news. And the worst part is, he said I shouldn't be exercising until then. (And cycling has been the only thing that seems to alleviate some of this discomfort my enlarged spleen causes.) Oh well, as I always say, such is life! We'll know more after the angiogram. I guess I'd better start making out my will.

I've got some good news and I've got some bad news for you. Which would you like to hear first? The good news of course, I responded. Well, your blood test results indicate your MCL is stable, and has been for the last 3 years, plus according to your latest CT scan, while your spleen has increased in size from 19 cm in '09, to 22 cm today, all your other organs look mostly "unremarkable". Pretty good news, I thought to myself. So what's the bad news then, I asked? Well, according to that same CT scan, you're exhibiting bibasilar atelectasis , ................... and coronary calcifications. So, it's much more likely you're going to die from a myocardial infarction rather than your Mantle Cell Lymphoma. Oh, and BTW, I'm referring you for an EKG stress test. Now if that's not enough to burst anyone's bubble, I don't know what is. I knew I never should have complained about that pain in my back. All I seemed to have gained from it, is...