Post-Transplant: Aches, Pains, Bumps and Bruises

This is a pretty vague category but I’m putting it in because I had more than my share of these.  Within a week of being released from the hospital I discovered a lump on the back of my calf just below my knee.  I’d had an appointment with my transplant team just days before, and was scheduled for my first post-transplant appointment with my Oncologist a few days later.  It was at this meeting that I showed him the lump.  It felt very much like some of my earlier lymphomas had felt.  My oncologist scheduled me for a needle biopsy, which I cover in the next section.  Long story short, the biopsy came up negative and we never did determine why the lump was there (it’s gone now, by the way).


Since I’ve experienced this a few times since then, I’ve wondered whether I might have some residual scar tissue left from lymphoma masses that have been worked on by the chemotherapy.  I’ve also wondered whether these things contribute to the aches and pains I sometimes feel, especially in my arms and legs.  Now the interesting thing is that my lymphoma masses, although easy to feel, usually had no pain or tenderness associated with them, while these aches and pains do.  Of course anxiety can make you feel aches and pains as well, and this may play a role in your general perception of health throughout your recovery.



In the final analysis I’ve just decided that this is something you watch for, stay aware of, and review with your transplant team and/or oncologist when they come up.  Always remember that you’re the best judge of noticing changes in your body and how you feel.  Keeping your lists and journal up to date can help you pinpoint changes that might otherwise be more difficult to recognize.