mysti1girl29

hello... i'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis but while i was reading about my symptoms i found this for you.. not sure if this is it or not....



What Is Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia?

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (see the American Cancer Society document on non-Hodgkin lymphoma) that produces large amounts of an abnormal protein (called a macroglobulin). Having too much of this abnormal protein causes many of the symptoms associated with this condition.

The lymphoma cells grow mainly in the bone marrow but can grow in other organs such as the liver and the spleen. The lymphoma cells can crowd out the normal blood-producing cells of the bone marrow. This can cause other symptoms, due to low blood counts. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is named after Jan Waldenstrom, the Swedish doctor who first recognized this condition in 1944. Although this is a type of lymphoma, most doctors call it Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia.

Lymphoid Tissue and the Immune System

Lymphoid tissue is formed by several types of immune system cells that work together to resist infections. Lymphoid tissue also reacts to transplanted tissues (such as blood transfusions or organ transplants) from other people and is involved in fighting some types of cancer.

Lymphoid tissue is found in lymph nodes, which are pea-sized collections of immune system cells found in the underarm area, in the groin, on the sides of the neck, inside the chest, and inside the abdomen. Lymphoid tissue is found in the bone marrow, as well as other organs such as the thymus (found behind the chest bone and in front of the heart), the spleen (on the left side of the abdomen next to the stomach), and the tonsils and adenoids. Lymphoid tissue is also scattered throughout the body within other systems such as the digestive system and respiratory system.

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a cancer of the B lymphocytes (lymph cells). Lymphocytes (lymph cells) are the main cell type of the immune system and of lymphoid tissue. There are 2 types of lymphocytes: T cells and B cells. When B cells respond to an infection, they mature and change from round-shaped lymphocytes into oval-shaped plasma cells. As this change occurs, the cells begin to produce and release proteins called immunoglobins (antibodies) to attack and help kill disease-causing germs such as bacteria. T cells mainly help direct the immune response but also can directly kill invading infections.

Cells Responsible for Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

The cancer cells in people with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia have some similarities to those of 2 other types of cancer: multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Multiple myeloma is considered a cancer of plasma cells and non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of lymphocytes. The cells of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia are often described as lymphoplasmacytoid, meaning that they have features of both plasma cells and lymphocytes. These cells produce large amounts of an abnormal type of antibody protein (immunoglobulin M, or IgM) that causes most of the symptoms of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, including excessive bleeding, problems with vision, and nervous system problems.