Last Monday January 28, 2013 I had my first checkup since I was declared to be in remission, and I am very happy to say that I am still cancer free. Every three months I have one of these visits to insure that there is no resurgence of my lymphoma. I know that I could relapse and that is scary to me, but I don’t let it cross my mind. I will cross that bridge only if I have to. If Burkitt’s lymphoma does come back, it usually happens early on. As time goes on the likelihood I will relapse becomes less and I will only have to be seen every six months.

On Monday I took the subway to my appointment. The appointment consisted of a CT scan of my neck and chest, blood work and a meeting with my oncologist, Sarah Tasian M.D. I am accustomed to having a PET scan with my CT scan, but to lessen the amount of radiation I am exposed I only have to get a CT scan now. With the exception of my platelets being low, everything came back clear from an oncological stand point.

Dr. Tasian and I spoke about a potential problem I may have with my heart physiology. The way that my heart was rebuilt causes a change of pressure in my liver, which may cause cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is a condition in which healthy liver tissue is replaced with fibrous scar tissue. In the future I will need to have a liver biopsy to see if this will afflict me. This also may be why my platelets are low. My liver has made more blood vessels between it and my spleen, which may be causing platelets to get stuck in my spleen.

Next up, I will go to a gastrointestinal doctor to get some more concrete answers. The only thing I am positive about is that I have cut alcohol out of my life completely.