Exploring the Jungle - a Column by Mary Lott

“But I’m leavin’ on a jet plane/ Don’t know when I’ll be back again.” — John Denver That song was running through my mind the other day. “Zip!” I jimmied open the zipper of my carry-on to throw in my essentials for the next several days. It was time to…

“I’m going to prescribe Rituxan [rituximab] for you,” the doctor said. I immediately envisioned myself losing all of my hair. I had no idea what to expect, nor did I understand anything about my diagnosis of cold agglutinin disease (CAD). I learned soon enough, though. Over the…

In May 2018, I entered the unknown “jungle” of a cold agglutinin disease (CAD), accompanied by what my doctor calls chronic lymphocytic lymphoma. CAD is a rare disease, and in April 2018, I had no understanding of it. Sadly, most people, including some in the medical profession, also…

I carefully pulled myself out of the sunken bathtub and waited a moment before swinging around to stand up. I gripped the sink next to me, pulled up, and caught my breath. “Whoa!” I thought to myself. “That tired me out. Good thing I don’t have to be at work…

A student was waiting at my desk as I walked into the classroom. I smiled as I dropped my books on the desk and looked at her expectantly. She’d been absent the previous day. “Mrs. Lott, did we do anything while I was gone?” That was a stupid question. My…

I looked to the right and then to the left, searching in vain for landmarks. I had no clue where we were in the water. I was leading a group of divers and had just committed a gross and dangerous error: I had gotten us lost! We swam on the…

Click! It’s time for a routine checkup. I wait a few minutes for the webpage to load, then add the parameters of my proposed travel. Anxiously, I scan the list of available flights and begin my research. I have certain criteria for the booking; paramount is the cost of the…

“Band! A-tennnnn-hut!” I watched for the lift of the drum major’s shoulders because the roar of the crowd — in what’s now called Jordan-Hare Stadium, at Auburn University in Alabama — was too loud for anyone in the clarinet section to hear him count off. I double-time…

Note: This column describes the author’s own thoughts about Enjaymo (sutimlimab-jome) and experiences with Rituxan (rituximab). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Yay! Happy days to come! Such was the reaction of many in the…

It was with great relief that I read the report. My quest for a diagnosis, which turned out to be cold agglutinin disease (CAD), was almost at an end. In September 2016, I was determined to push through the confusion and find someone who could figure…