update on bl

my buddy had more tests run yesterday and they were able to determine that it is follicular lymphoma which is an indolent non-hodgkins type. i was not happy to hear this because, from the research i've done, the indolent forms are worse than the aggressive forms but he said that the doctors tell him that this particular type responds very well to chemotherapy. they also say that it has a very high incidence of recurrence so after they put it into remission, chances are very good that it will come back and will be more aggressive when it does. *hold back tears* his next step is to get a full body pet scan and bone marrow biopsy done so that they can find where the cancer has already spread to around the body and what stage he's in so that they can determine what treatment course they need to pursue. it looks like it's such a slow-growing cancer that by the time it's discovered, it's usually already stage three or four because it's been growing for years without symptoms. i think my friend is in the anger stage of grieving. he wants to know how this happened; what caused it. he told the doctor that he's in good shape, exercises, eats right... the doctor told him cancer doesn't care. i think he's very upset that he couldn't have prevented it. several years ago, he had clarks level 3 melanoma because of too much sun-worship in his youth. this is not something that he can look back at and say, "it's because i did this..." he said that his kids are holding strong and that he's trying to keep a positive attitude. the doctor told him that's one of the best indicators for survival. i, myself, will continue to pray for him and tell him that he's going to beat it.