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Craig Hockenberry’s October 28, 2026, post describes his experience with lymphoma treatment, including chemotherapy, a serious pneumonia episode and prolonged nerve problems. He reports that his strength and stamina began returning after his infusions ended in May, and that a new sensation in his legs appeared to signal nerve recovery; the report does not provide a formal medical assessment or current treatment plan.
Craig Hockenberry has published an account of his lymphoma treatment, describing a course of chemotherapy that included severe fatigue, substantial weight loss and a bout of pneumonia, followed by gradual improvement after his final infusions in May. In the post, Hockenberry also says a new sensation in the backs of his legs appeared to signal recovery from nerve problems that had affected his walking and balance.
In the post on Furbo.org, dated October 28, 2026, Hockenberry recounts weekly lumbar punctures over six weeks, ending in late January. He says doctors removed and replaced small amounts of spinal fluid during the procedures, administering methotrexate. He describes severe headaches afterwards and says lying flat helped ease them. The account does not identify the medical team or provide clinical records.
He then describes receiving infusions of bendamustine and rituximab on a 28-day cycle. Hockenberry reports changes in taste, loss of muscle mass and persistent fatigue. He says he lost about 50 pounds over a couple of months and eventually ate five meals a day. He did not report nausea or hair loss, though he said his hair became limp and lost its usual body.
Hockenberry says he tried to walk daily despite weakness and nerve damage affecting his gait and balance. In March, he developed pneumonia while his immune system was weakened, according to his account. He reports that his blood oxygen fell below 90% and that his Apple Watch alerted him to an episode of atrial fibrillation. He says antibiotics treated the pneumonia and that he chose to continue chemotherapy after his doctor offered to skip the next cycle.
Treatment’s Effects on Daily Life
Hockenberry’s account provides a patient’s description of how cancer treatment affected ordinary activities, from eating and walking to climbing stairs. His report of pneumonia during chemotherapy also illustrates the kind of complication he says arose while his immune system was weakened. The post is a personal account, not a clinical study, and should not be taken as evidence that other patients will have the same symptoms or recovery.
The account also describes a long gap between finishing infusions and noticing a possible change in nerve symptoms. Hockenberry says his strength and stamina returned gradually after May, while the nerve damage had not improved during treatment. His experience highlights that recovery from treatment and improvement in neurological symptoms may follow different timelines for an individual patient; the post does not establish why the symptoms changed.
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From Spinal Treatment to Infusions
Hockenberry says his treatment began with six weeks of lumbar punctures, concluding at the end of January, before moving to monthly infusions of bendamustine and rituximab. He describes each cycle as a week of treatment followed by roughly three weeks for his body to process it. In his account, steroids were given with an infusion and their effects had worn off by the weekend, when he often felt worse.
He says the nerve problems began before the lymphoma was discovered and continued through the infusions. By the time the final treatment ended in May, he was still concerned that numbness and tingling might be permanent. His later account describes walking distances increasing from a quarter-mile to a mile as his stamina returned.
“I’m writing this post from a hospital bed. And I couldn’t be happier.”
— Craig Hockenberry, in his Furbo.org post
The Cause of Nerve Improvement
The supplied post excerpt ends as Hockenberry begins to discuss a possible explanation for the change in his spine. It does not include the rest of that explanation, a formal diagnosis of the nerve damage, or confirmation from a clinician that the nerves were repairing themselves. He describes the sensation as a sign of recovery based on his own experience.
The excerpt also does not state the reason for the hospital stay mentioned at the start of the post, Hockenberry’s current health status, whether he remains under treatment or monitoring, or the outcome of the atrial fibrillation episode. No further medical details or independent confirmation are included in the source material.
Further Recovery Details Are Pending
The post, as provided, does not announce a future treatment milestone or give a schedule for further updates. Hockenberry’s account says his walks had lengthened to about a mile and describes the new leg sensation as a possible sign of nerve improvement. Any later update from him or information from his medical team would be needed to clarify whether the changes continued and what caused them.
Key Questions
What health update did Craig Hockenberry share?
He described his lymphoma treatment, side effects, a pneumonia episode during chemotherapy and gradual recovery after his final infusions in May. He also reported a new leg sensation that he interpreted as a possible sign of nerve recovery.
What chemotherapy did Hockenberry describe?
He says he received infusions of bendamustine and rituximab on a 28-day cycle. Earlier, he describes six weeks of lumbar punctures involving methotrexate.
What complication did he report in March?
Hockenberry says he developed pneumonia while his immune system was weakened. He reports that his blood oxygen fell below 90% and that his Apple Watch alerted him to an atrial fibrillation episode; he says antibiotics treated the pneumonia.
Did Hockenberry confirm that his nerve damage had healed?
No. He said a new sensation in the backs of his legs appeared to indicate that his nerves were improving, but the post excerpt does not provide a clinician’s assessment or confirm that the nerve damage had healed.
Source: furbo.org
