Plugging Forward After Cancer
- Actor Jeff Bridges, 74, is reflecting on how “bizarre” it is to him that he was filming fight scenes for his show The Old Man with a large tumor in his stomach without yet knowing he had cancer.
- The lymphoma survivor, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2020 and went into remission the following year, discussed his health while promoting season 2 of the FX series in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
- Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. There are more than 40 different types of lymphoma.
- Cancer treatment can disrupt life for many people, but survivors say that it’s important to focus on activities you enjoy doing in order to distract yourself from possible challenges. Always continue to do things that bring you joy, as it can help immensely throughout the healing process.
The lymphoma survivor, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2020 and went into remission the following year, discussed his health while promoting season 2 of the FX series on Wednesday.
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When Bridges’ cancer fortunately went into remission, he updated his fans that “the 9′ x 12′ mass has shrunk down to the size of a marble,” he wrote on his personal website.
A Close Call
“While I had moments of tremendous pain (screaming singing, a sort of moaning song all through the night) getting close to the Pearly Gates, all in all, I felt happy and joyous most of the time,” he recalled of the challenging experience.
RELATED: Jeff Bridges Bravely Worked During Cancer – Maintaining Optimism Through Adversity
The following year, his series came out and was met with rave reviews. Bridges was then nominated for an Emmy Award for Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
As for his present mindset, the congenial star said he is not looking back as he propels forward with his career and family life. “It’s such a learning experience being sick like that,” he told Page Six in April. “It’s amazing the way the mind can forget all that stuff. I’m not thinking too much about the past.”
Jeff Bridges’ Cancer Battle
Jeff Bridges was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020 and started chemotherapy treatment right away. Although Bridges hasn’t personally specified which type of lymphoma he was diagnosed with, AARP noted that his cancer was, in fact, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cancer of a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the immune system.
While cancer treatment was going well, he was also diagnosed with COVID-19 in January 2021, and due to his cancer treatment having weakened his immune system, Bridges wound up spending months in the hospital.
According to AARP, Bridges’ cancer went into remission quickly after he was put through chemotherapy infusion, which was followed by an oral chemo protocol.
He dubbed his wife Susan Geston, 71, as being his “absolute champion” as she stayed by Bridges’ side as he recovered from covid in the hospital. “She really fought to keep me off a ventilator. I didn’t want to be on it, and the doctors didn’t necessarily want that. But Sue was adamant,” he told the news outlet.
He was ultimately treated with a blood plasma called “convalescent plasma,” which consists of viral antibodies.
Despite his struggle, like so many cancer survivors, Bridges was left with a renewed appreciation for life.
“I’ll be honest. I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” he told Esquire Middle East in 2022. “I was on death’s door there for a while in the hospital. When I finally went back to work, after a two-year hiatus, it was the most bizarre kind of thing. It felt like a dream.”
“I came back after all that time, and saw the same faces [while shooting ‘The Old Man’], the same cast and crew,” he added. “It was like we had a long weekend. I gathered everyone and I said, ‘I had the most bizarre dream, you guys.’ I was sick and out, but all that feels like a gray mush now.”
Understanding Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. And there are more than 40 different types of lymphoma.
“Lymphoma is split up into a number of different categories,” Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet.
“The first distinguishing breakpoint, if you will, is non-Hodgkin lymphoma versus Hodgkin lymphoma and those sound like two different categories,” she explained. “But non-Hodgkin lymphoma comprises the majority of lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma is a single specific type of lymphoma.”
Sneaky Lymphoma Symptoms Often Lead to a Late Diagnosis
Hodgkin lymphoma has distinctive, giant cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of these cells, which can be seen under a microscope, will help your doctor determine which of the two lymphoma types you have.
There are a few other important differences between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma to note. For one thing, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is much more common. And you’re more likely to be diagnosed with it after age 55, like Jeff Bridges. People usually develop Hodgkin lymphoma at a younger age.
It should be noted that another difference between these two types of lymphoma is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body, while Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to grow in a uniform way from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.
These two different types of lymphoma behave, spread and respond to treatment differently, so it’s important for you to know which type you have.
Cancer Survivors Say ‘Do What You Love Now’
Cancer treatment can disrupt life for many people, but survivors say that it’s important to focus on activities you enjoy doing in order to distract yourself from possible challenges.
For Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma survivor Lydie Roth, who has been battling cancer since she was a teenager, her diagnosis caused her to put her dreams of being a fitness model on hold. However, it hasn’t stopped her from doing what she loves working out any chance she can get despite regular pain she experiences due to her battle with sphenoid sinus cancer.
Roth regularly shares her exercise routines through social media, which has attracted many fans and followers who are inspired by her journey.
“You never know what will happen in your life, so it’s better to spend time doing your favorite activities,” says Roth.
Questions for Your Doctor
- What Type of lymphoma do I have?
- What does my pathology report say about my diagnosis?
- Should I get a second opinion before I explore possible treatment options?
- Based on my diagnosis, what do you anticipate my treatment path?
- What common side effects should I expect when I begin treatment?
- Will I be able to continue working and normal daily activities during treatment?
- Where can I get help working with the insurance company regarding treatment costs?
- Who do you recommend I get mental health help during my treatment?
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