By Lymphoma Action
The podcast currently has 29 episodes available.
A keen runner and weightlighter, Melinda thought she had pulled a muscle on her shoulder. She held off going to see her GP until things were a lot worse and also tried a chiropractor, hoping this would make a difference. But nothing was improving and she then developed pain in her back as well as a numbness that moved up her body. By the time she went back to see a GP, she could barely move, so was referred to A&E where CT and MRI scans revealed a tumour on her spine. She was transferred immediately to neurosurgery where an operation was carried out to remove the tumour, which was then biopsied. Melinda was told she had stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. In the podcast Melinda explains having to tell her family, including her children, about her cancer and the tremendous support they provided. Now 4 years in remission, she reflects on how her diagnosis has changed her outlook on life and having to come to terms with the new Melinda.
Lymphoma Voices is a series of podcasts for people living with lymphoma, and their family and friends. In each podcast, we are in conversation with an expert in their field, or someone who has been personally affected by lymphoma, who shares their thoughts and experiences.
Lymphoma Action is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma. We are here to make sure that everyone affected by the condition receives the best possible information, support, treatment and care. Our services include a Freephone helpline, support group network, Buddy Service, medical information, conferences for those affected by lymphoma, and education and training for healthcare professionals. We would like to thank all of our incredible supporters whose generous donations enable us to offer all our essential support services free of charge. As an organisation we do not receive any government or NHS funding and so every penny received is truly valued. From everyone at Lymphoma Action and on behalf of those affected by lymphoma, thank you. For further information visit: www.lymphoma-action.org.uk
Dr Mike Scanlan is a retired therapist and lecturer in mental health at the University of Northampton and De Montford University. In this podcast he talks to Lymphoma Action’s Anne Hook about sleep and achieving good, restorative sleep.
Many people worry about getting a good night’s sleep and the more you worry about it, the harder it is for your brain to allow you to get to sleep. In this podcast Mike covers the architecture of sleep, difficulty getting off to sleep and how this varies from insomnia, and getting back to sleep after waking during the night. He also addresses the particular problems people may have if they have symptoms of lymphoma, such as itching or peripheral neuropathy.
In this podcast Mike talks through a number of techniques that people can try that may prove helpful. The first of these is the technique of writing things down that are playing on your mind, so your brain feels that anything troubling is being addressed. He then talks about cognitive shuffling, where you create pictures in your mind to help you try to get back to sleep, and later Mike provides visualisation techniques where you place your worries on a ‘Leaves on a Stream’ and let them float away.
Mike explains that we have a sleep window when people are more likely to be able to achieve good restorative sleep. He talks through a number of gentle changes that can have a big impact. These include sleeping in complete darkness, controlling the time you have caffeinated drinks and cooling the body in preparation for sleep. He also talks about the benefit of exercise, especially if it is taken in the morning and outdoors.
For many people, having dropped off to sleep, they wake up during the night. Mike provides ideas to try and minimise the disruption of this and offers strategies to drop off again quickly. In this podcast to nap or not to nap is discussed as well as alternatives that may prove valuable. This includes NSDR (non-sleep deep relaxation), which is a type of meditative yoga which puts you into a relaxed restorative state which feels like a nap but without going to sleep.
Find out more about sleep and achieving restorative sleep by listening to the podcast.
Lymphoma Voices is a series of podcasts for people living with lymphoma, and their family and friends. In each podcast, we are in conversation with an expert in their field, or someone who has been personally affected by lymphoma, who shares their thoughts and experiences.
Lymphoma Action is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma. We are here to make sure that everyone affected by the condition receives the best possible information, support, treatment and care. Our services include a Freephone helpline, support group network, Buddy Service, medical information, conferences for those affected by lymphoma, and education and training for healthcare professionals. We would like to thank all of our incredible supporters whose generous donations enable us to offer all our essential support services free of charge. As an organisation we do not receive any government or NHS funding and so every penny received is truly valued. From everyone at Lymphoma Action and on behalf of those affected by lymphoma, thank you. For further information visit: www.lymphoma-action.org.uk
Mez talks with honesty about his diagnosis and treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. As a 42-year old Indian Hindu with a wife and 1-year old daughter, he found it hard to find others going through the same experience and wanted to share his story to support others like himself. He talks about the challenges of treatment and how he created circles of friends and family to support him through the difficult times. Mez is a problem solver and explains how important it was for him to arm himself with as much information about lymphoma as possible; leaving clinical decisions to the medical professionals who he put his trust in. He speaks candidly about his struggles with fatigue and extreme short-term memory loss and strategies he adopted to help him. Now in remission, and with a new addition to his family, Mez cherishes the joys of family.
Lymphoma Voices is a series of podcasts for people living with lymphoma, and their family and friends. In each podcast, we are in conversation with an expert in their field, or someone who has been personally affected by lymphoma, who shares their thoughts and experiences.
Lymphoma Action is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma. We are here to make sure that everyone affected by the condition receives the best possible information, support, treatment and care. Our services include a Freephone helpline, support group network, Buddy Service, medical information, conferences for those affected by lymphoma, and education and training for healthcare professionals. We would like to thank all of our incredible supporters whose generous donations enable us to offer all our essential support services free of charge. As an organisation we do not receive any government or NHS funding and so every penny received is truly valued. From everyone at Lymphoma Action and on behalf of those affected by lymphoma, thank you. For further information visit: www.lymphoma-action.org.uk
Tom Kerry is the Lead Pharmacist for Oncology at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay. In our latest podcast, Tom takes you behind the scenes of the hospital pharmacist. He explains how pharmacists work with the wider clinical team, including haematologists and clinical nurse specialists. He explains how the pharmacist provides the expertise when it comes to medicines, ensuring they are used in the right setting and for the right person. He also explains how the pharmacist is key to ensuring newly approved drugs are available to prescribers and therefore to patients.
Lymphoma Voices is a series of podcasts for people living with lymphoma, and their family and friends. In each podcast, we are in conversation with an expert in their field, or someone who has been personally affected by lymphoma, who shares their thoughts and experiences.
Lymphoma Action is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma. We are here to make sure that everyone affected by the condition receives the best possible information, support, treatment and care. Our services include a Freephone helpline, support group network, Buddy Service, medical information, conferences for those affected by lymphoma, and education and training for healthcare professionals. We would like to thank all of our incredible supporters whose generous donations enable us to offer all our essential support services free of charge. As an organisation we do not receive any government or NHS funding and so every penny received is truly valued. From everyone at Lymphoma Action and on behalf of those affected by lymphoma, thank you. For further information visit: www.lymphoma-action.org.uk
In this podcast Mike and Kasia talk about their diagnosis of cutaneous (skin) lymphoma. Mike has had skin lymphoma since 1999 and Kasia was diagnosed in 2023.
Both Mike and Kasia are living with mycosis fungoides (MF), which is the most common type of skin lymphoma. Five years seems to be a bit of a theme, as Mike was living with MF for five years before he found out he had a skin lymphoma. Kasia started struggling with severe itching when she was pregnant and it was hoped the itching would go away once the baby arrived. However, it ended up taking five years until a diagnosis was finally reached.
Over the years, Mike has had treatment with topical creams, ultraviolet light therapies UVB and PUVA and retinoid (oral) drugs including Baxarotene. However, the symptoms kept reappearing, so Mike went on to have treatment with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (using a donor). This has resulted in him being symptom-free since 2015.
Kasia is currently using topical steroids as well as methotrexate (an immunosuppressant), but acknowledges that she is at an early stage with her skin lymphoma. She explains how something as simple as having a shower causes her excruciatingly pain.
Both Mike and Kasia talk about the challenges of living with a skin lymphoma, including the effect it has on family and work and the difficulties of living with a rare condition that very few people have even heard of.
Lymphoma Voices is a series of podcasts for people living with lymphoma, and their family and friends. In each podcast, we are in conversation with an expert in their field, or someone who has been personally affected by lymphoma, who shares their thoughts and experiences.
Lymphoma Action is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma. We are here to make sure that everyone affected by the condition receives the best possible information, support, treatment and care. Our services include a Freephone helpline, support group network, Buddy Service, medical information, conferences for those affected by lymphoma, and education and training for healthcare professionals. We would like to thank all of our incredible supporters whose generous donations enable us to offer all our essential support services free of charge. As an organisation we do not receive any government or NHS funding and so every penny received is truly valued. From everyone at Lymphoma Action and on behalf of those affected by lymphoma, thank you. For further information visit: www.lymphoma-action.org.uk
In our latest podcast, Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell talks about his career and his diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma. He explains how Marc Bolan of T-Rex inspired him to become a musician and the joy and theatricality of performing with Def Leppard worldwide. Troubled by a number of symptoms, he shares his feelings on having a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma and the treatment he was facing. He explains how he was certain he wanted to keep working as music is his life and how, not for the first time, the band were able to adapt. Viv speaks with honesty about the challenges of the various treatments he has had to keep one step ahead of his cancer. He marvels at life, making it clear that he won’t let his lymphoma hold him back from living an amplified life.
Lymphoma Voices is a series of podcasts for people living with lymphoma, and their family and friends. In each podcast, we are in conversation with an expert in their field, or someone who has been personally affected by lymphoma, who shares their thoughts and experiences.
Lymphoma Action is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma. We are here to make sure that everyone affected by the condition receives the best possible information, support, treatment and care. Our services include a Freephone helpline, support group network, Buddy Service, medical information, conferences for those affected by lymphoma, and education and training for healthcare professionals. We would like to thank all of our incredible supporters whose generous donations enable us to offer all our essential support services free of charge. As an organisation we do not receive any government or NHS funding and so every penny received is truly valued. From everyone at Lymphoma Action and on behalf of those affected by lymphoma, thank you. For further information visit: www.lymphoma-action.org.uk
Helen Knight, Director of Medicines and Evaluation at the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), talks to Lymphoma Action’s Policy and Public Affairs Advisor, Tara Steeds. In the podcast they discuss Health Technology Assessments and their role in making new treatments available through the NHS. They also discuss the role and impact of people with lived experience of lymphoma in the process, as well as that of organisations like Lymphoma Action.
Lymphoma Voices is a series of podcasts for people living with lymphoma, and their family and friends. In each podcast, we are in conversation with an expert in their field, or someone who has been personally affected by lymphoma, who shares their thoughts and experiences.
Lymphoma Action is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma. We are here to make sure that everyone affected by the condition receives the best possible information, support, treatment and care. Our services include a Freephone helpline, support group network, Buddy Service, medical information, conferences for those affected by lymphoma, and education and training for healthcare professionals. We would like to thank all of our incredible supporters whose generous donations enable us to offer all our essential support services free of charge. As an organisation we do not receive any government or NHS funding and so every penny received is truly valued. From everyone at Lymphoma Action and on behalf of those affected by lymphoma, thank you. For further information visit: www.lymphoma-action.org.uk
Dallas and Lesley share a passion to change society’s relationship with death and dying, and to support all of us to have timely conversations about our wishes, should a time come when we can no longer speak for ourselves; through a lack of mental capacity or when we die. Courageous conversations with those who are important to us can be empowering and reassuring for those we leave to make decisions on our behalf. In this podcast, Dallas and Lesley talk about triggers for thinking about these issues, practical things to consider, how to plan for and have these conversations, and how - once you've had the conversation - you can pack your wishes into a box and put it away until later.
Lymphoma Voices is a series of podcasts for people living with lymphoma, and their family and friends. In each podcast, we are in conversation with an expert in their field, or someone who has been personally affected by lymphoma, who shares their thoughts and experiences.
Lymphoma Action is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma. We are here to make sure that everyone affected by the condition receives the best possible information, support, treatment and care. Our services include a Freephone helpline, support group network, Buddy Service, medical information, conferences for those affected by lymphoma, and education and training for healthcare professionals. We would like to thank all of our incredible supporters whose generous donations enable us to offer all our essential support services free of charge. As an organisation we do not receive any government or NHS funding and so every penny received is truly valued. From everyone at Lymphoma Action and on behalf of those affected by lymphoma, thank you. For further information visit: www.lymphoma-action.org.uk
John’s lymphoma story begins almost 50 years ago in the shipyards of Newcastle and a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma that was kept from him. In a twist of fate, his daughter also received a blood cancer diagnosis. In this podcast John talks about his emotional lymphoma experience which led him to a career as a lymphoma clinical nurse specialist and more recently an author. He talks also about what helped him through some dark times and how he feels about being one of the longest cancer survivors.
Lymphoma Voices is a series of podcasts for people living with lymphoma, and their family and friends. In each podcast, we are in conversation with an expert in their field, or someone who has been personally affected by lymphoma, who shares their thoughts and experiences.
Lymphoma Action is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma. We are here to make sure that everyone affected by the condition receives the best possible information, support, treatment and care. Our services include a Freephone helpline, support group network, Buddy Service, medical information, conferences for those affected by lymphoma, and education and training for healthcare professionals. We would like to thank all of our incredible supporters whose generous donations enable us to offer all our essential support services free of charge. As an organisation we do not receive any government or NHS funding and so every penny received is truly valued. From everyone at Lymphoma Action and on behalf of those affected by lymphoma, thank you. For further information visit: www.lymphoma-action.org.uk
In this podcast Professor George Mikhaeel, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundations Trust, explains what radiotherapy therapy is and when it is used in the treatment of lymphoma. He explains the three steps involved – an initial consultation and consent, the planning phase and then treatment. Although radiotherapy was available before chemotherapy, there have been enormous advances in this form of treatment and Professor Mikhaeel explains how and when it offers a really targeted approach to treatment.
Lymphoma Voices is a series of podcasts for people living with lymphoma, and their family and friends. In each podcast, we are in conversation with an expert in their field, or someone who has been personally affected by lymphoma, who shares their thoughts and experiences.
Lymphoma Action is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma. We are here to make sure that everyone affected by the condition receives the best possible information, support, treatment and care. Our services include a Freephone helpline, support group network, Buddy Service, medical information, conferences for those affected by lymphoma, and education and training for healthcare professionals. We would like to thank all of our incredible supporters whose generous donations enable us to offer all our essential support services free of charge. As an organisation we do not receive any government or NHS funding and so every penny received is truly valued. From everyone at Lymphoma Action and on behalf of those affected by lymphoma, thank you. For further information visit: www.lymphoma-action.org.uk
The podcast currently has 29 episodes available.