About

Self Portrait: One Month Post-Transplant

I am a 31 year old male with an unremarkable health history. I eat well, exercise regularly (run, hike, bike, lift weights, etc) and have a positive, extroverted, outgoing personality. I teach elementary school music and run a DJ business on the side. I have a beautiful, loving wife, a daughter named Madeline (and another one on the way) the world's best parents, an awesome bother and sister, and a fantastic network of friends and acquaintances. To say the least, I have a pretty incredible life!

I was diagnosed with Stage IVa Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma on May 11th, 2012. For more on this diagnosis and the events leading up to it, please check out my first post, The Adventure Begins.

I underwent six rounds of CHOP-R chemotherapy at the BC Cancer Agency (Victoria) starting in May, 2012, and by September, 2012, I was in remission.

I was very healthy again for two years, but in August, 2014, some of my symptoms (cough, wheeze, shortness of breath) returned. Several tests confirmed that my cancer had indeed relapsed, however; a biopsy showed that it had actually come back as Nodular Sclerosing Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Between September and November 2014, I had two cycles of GDP-R chemo, and on December 3rd I was admitted to Vancouver General Hospital for BEAM high dose chemotherapy and a Stem Cell Transplant. I handled the process very well, and was discharged on December 21st. After one visit as an outpatient on December 23rd, my Hickman line was removed and I was free!

In March, 2015, I returned to Vancouver for a PET scan, which determined I was in remission again.

I am currently 2 years post-transplant and still cancer free!

The purpose of this blog is to keep my family and friends up-to-date with my treatment and the life-changes that go along with having cancer. Those who know me, know that I am a very open person, so the other purpose of this blog is for me to stress that I don't see cancer as "The Big Scary C Word." Cancer is something that can and should be talked about the same as any other fact of life. I do not believe in hiding my disease, or hiding behind my disease. I do believe that being open, bold, brave, and optimistic plays a great role in how my body and mind responds to the treatment.

I hope this blog removes some of the "mystery" of what it is like to fight cancer, because the impression I have gotten so far is that it is still an uncomfortable and unknown subject for many people.

If you were recently diagnosed with cancer and want someone to talk to, I would be more than happy. I'm no expert on cancer itself, but I can tell you all about dealing with it! You can get in touch with me here, or by visiting the contact page on my website at www.chrispoynter.ca.

If you are new to this blog and wish to read it from the beginning, like a story, click here.