Dang, that's a rough time of it! Good to hear you're on the mend. I had Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. At first, it was a type that you didn't even have to mess with. Hardly ever gives a bother. Oncologist told me they don't even bother with it in old folks, but if it ever gave me issues since I'm only 50, they could give me mild treatment to shrink any swollen lymph nodes that caused any issues over the years.
There was nothing they could do, to send that type into remission, but then again, it was so non bothersome, they don't really have too anyway. Apparently, I had it for many years, but didn't even know. Not one of those types that you have to catch early or anything. We had plans to not even bother with treatment, just monitor it. Those plans changed. There was a very small chance that it could change over to an aggressive type and I was unfortunate enough to have that happen, and it when it did, it fractured my back sending me to the ER where I'd stay in the hospital for a couple weeks. Pain like I've never felt. I didn't care if they could dull it or put me down at the time. I just knew I couldn't live with that. They finally got me on heavy enough drugs, I guess it was stuff that made normal oxy seem like candy, but I couldn't tell. It just subsided the pain enough to live.
The silver lining is, the aggressive stuff, they can treat and send into remission. After about 6 months worth of heavy duty chemotherapy though. Lost my hair, that was down to my lower back and held very high cultural and spiritual significance. Had to deal with the chemo sickness and a was in a back brace due to the fracture for a couple months.
The fracture has healed and I just finished my last chemo session. I just have to go back in to get a couple more mild doses of immunotherapy drugs; no more of the sick causing stuff, and my hair can now start growing back. My most lingering issue now is my back muscles. They tensed up so hard, overcompensating to help hold my back together while it was fractured, and have stayed like that for almost a half year now, that they are still very sore. I'm stretching and walking them out, but I'm amazed on how long it's taking. The problem is, I'd just start feeling better, enough to get stretching and moving around, then have to go back in for another session of chemo and I'd be down sick for another week and a half before I could get moving again. That yo-yo stuff is now gone, and from here on out, I can keep moving and work the muscles out for good now.

I just rang the bell outside the cancer center a couple weeks ago.

Oh yeah, and kinda important I guess haha, mine was one of the highly curable types (even within the Non-Hodgkin's, there are still many types), that is highly unlikely to ever return too and she; my oncologist, told me they know exactly what to do, should it ever come back one day). I won the cancer lotto.
The hardest thing I ever had to go through, I don't recommend it! haha

 

Real nice section of trail today, but unfortunately, sometimes no matter how pretty they are, they're simply not photogenic, you have to really hunt for compositions. I snagged a few shots though.



Nikon 28mm F2.8 Series E 1979 - 1985


Nikon 28mm F2.8 Series E 1979 - 1985


Nikon 28mm F2.8 Series E 1979 - 1985 - I know it looks bright and sunny here, but that's the power of my full frame camera and long exposure, but clouds rolled in and this was so dark, at f11, my shutter speed was 3 full seconds! haha. I always shoot on a tripod, so I just let her go, and keep iso at 100. That's the main part of keeping these vintage lenses shooting so crisp. The other two parts are always using an ir remote and mup for the D610, with a second delay on my second click.


Tamron-F 135mm F2.8 BBAR Multi C (Sun Optical) 1978 - 1982


It's so cool taking the camera hiking, cus I get to combine two hobbies I love at the same time. I'll take that Tamron-F back out again tomorrow, to stretch it's legs some more. There was a real nice large tree burl in a black cherry tree I wanted to shoot with it, wide open, but it had started raining so hard, I couldn't get the camera out of the backpack.