A Health Update

The writer recounts a year of lymphoma treatment, beginning with six weeks of spinal injections of methotrexate that caused severe headaches, followed by monthly infusions of bendamustine and rituximab. Chemotherapy altered his sense of taste, drained his energy and strength, and led him to lose 50 pounds. In March, pneumonia and an episode of atrial fibrillation brought him to a frightening low point. He kept taking short daily walks despite nerve damage that impaired his balance and made stairs difficult. After his final infusion in May, his appetite, stamina, and mobility gradually improved; he can now walk unaided, climb stairs, and work out with a trainer. He is undergoing one final, closely monitored chemotherapy treatment to check for lymphoma in his brain fluid, after which his port can be removed and he hopes to swim again.

The account charts a shift from a worsening year to one that has improved month by month, and expresses gratitude for the support of his wife, Lauren. It also ends with an unexpected work crisis: while in the hospital receiving methotrexate, he learned of a serious PHP vulnerability that could expose his company’s server to attack. He blocked access to PHP, then used hospital Wi-Fi to upgrade an outdated Ubuntu server. The emergency left the company’s websites partly broken, but he has since finished writing at home using updated software - relieved to be recovering and back to normal life.