After Two Transplants, He Finally Found His Way Back to Everyday Life

Summary: Mr. Wang, 45, had already been through a liver transplant and made his way back to everyday life when sudden abdominal pain led to a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). When chemotherapy failed to control the disease and it continued to progress, he went through an extremely difficult period. After seeking other treatment options, he came to GoBroad Shanghai Zhaxin Hospital / Shanghai Liquan Hospital. Following an adjustment to his treatment plan, he achieved complete remission and underwent an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant in 2021. Five years later, he is doing well and has returned to work and family life. From a liver transplant to a stem cell transplant, Mr. Wang has faced two major health crises. He hopes his story can give strength and confidence to others going through treatment.

Recently, GoBroad Shanghai Liquan Hospital welcomed back a very special “graduate.” Now 45, Mr. Wang (pseudonym) walked in with a steady stride and an easy smile, speaking openly about everything he had been through. “Looking at me now, no one would guess I’ve had two major procedures,” he said. “One was a liver transplant, and the other was a hematopoietic stem cell transplant.”

He still remembers the sudden abdominal pain that changed his life five years ago. At first, he thought it was acute gastroenteritis. But the pain kept getting worse. While he was in hospital waiting for the pathology results, even morphine could not bring the pain under control—an experience he has never forgotten. It was only after he was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and started chemotherapy that the pain finally eased.

His treatment journey, however, was far from straightforward. He went through the shock of diagnosis, the disappointment of chemotherapy not working as hoped, the stress of poor stem cell collection, and the anxiety of entering the transplant ward. Now, five years later, Mr. Wang chose this milestone to return to Liquan Hospital for a follow-up. For him, it was a way to close one difficult chapter and begin the next.

When asked about the future, he smiled and said, “Three meals a day, simple food on the table, and my family by my side—that’s happiness.”

From a liver transplant to a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, from life-threatening illness back to the rhythms of ordinary life, Mr. Wang has spent five years rebuilding his life. His message to others going through treatment is simple: even the hardest road can be finished one step at a time, and even the longest night eventually gives way to morning.

 Today, Mr. Wang is back on the badminton court, enjoying an active life.

Q1: Looking back, what symptoms did you first notice, and how did you feel when you received the diagnosis?

A: In September 2019, I went to hospital because of sudden abdominal pain. At first, I thought it was acute gastroenteritis, and the symptoms improved somewhat after IV treatment. But soon after the National Day holiday, the severe abdominal pain came back. A contrast-enhanced CT scan showed enlarged lymph nodes in my neck and multiple enlarged retroperitoneal lymph nodes, so I was transferred to hepatobiliary surgery. A biopsy and pathology report ultimately confirmed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

I had already undergone a liver transplant in 2011. It had taken so much to come through that experience and return to a normal life. Being diagnosed with lymphoma after all that was another huge blow, both emotionally and financially.

I kept asking myself, “Why me again?” The nightmares I thought I had put behind me seemed to come rushing back overnight. The emotional pressure and financial worries fed into each other, and there were many nights when I lay awake until morning.

But my family never gave up on me. Their support, encouragement, and constant presence became the light that slowly pulled me out of that dark place. I began telling myself: I made it through once before, so I had to give it everything I had one more time.

Even then, treatment was difficult. After four cycles of first-line chemotherapy, the disease was still progressing. I then had four cycles of second-line chemotherapy, but the lymphoma still did not go into remission. Every follow-up felt like a roller coaster—hope, disappointment, then finding the strength to keep going again. My body and emotions were both being pushed to the limit, but I wasn’t ready to give up.

Q2: What brought you to GoBroad Shanghai Zhaxin Hospital / Shanghai Liquan Hospital?

A: I had my liver transplant at Shanghai General Hospital, so I had known for years about Prof. Chun Wang, then Director of Hematology there, and his reputation for treating complex hematologic diseases. When lymphoma treatment kept failing and I felt I was running out of options, his name stayed in my mind.

At that point, I saw two main options: join a clinical trial, or go to GoBroad Shanghai Zhaxin Hospital to see Prof. Chun Wang and look for another chance. I thought it over again and again, asked around, and discussed it with my family many times. In the end, I decided to put my trust in a specialist whose expertise and reputation I had known for years. In October 2020, I went to Zhaxin Hospital for further treatment.

Prof. Chun Wang’s team developed a new chemotherapy plan for me. I had mixed feelings at the time—I was hopeful, but also afraid of being disappointed again. Then, finally, things began to turn around. The new regimen worked very well, and my assessment showed that I had achieved complete remission.

Prof. Chun Wang and my attending physician, Dr. Su Li, recommended consolidating that remission with an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant, with the goal of achieving a deeper and more durable response.

I later learned that the Department of Hematology at GoBroad Shanghai Liquan Hospital had just opened. As someone coming from outside Shanghai, whether I was treated at Zhaxin or Liquan made little difference medically. What stood out at Liquan was the practical support for families: rooms were available for accompanying family members, and the hospital provided complimentary transportation for patients on the day of admission and discharge. Those thoughtful details made the travel and logistics much easier for all of us. In March 2021, I successfully underwent an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant at Liquan Hospital.

Q3: What was the hardest part of treatment for you?

A: For me, the hardest part was often the anxiety—the mental strain more than anything else.

During stem cell mobilization and collection, things did not go as smoothly as we hoped because I had been taking immunosuppressive medication long-term after my liver transplant. The first collection produced only a very small number of stem cells—nowhere near enough. We tried mobilization a second time, and only after combining the two collections did we barely reach the amount needed. I’ll admit I was very nervous before entering the transplant ward. I kept worrying that something might go wrong and was afraid of what I didn’t know.

But once I was actually in the transplant ward, the experience was much smoother than I had imagined. I did feel weak and lost my appetite, but compared with my liver transplant in 2011, both the physical discomfort and the fear were much more manageable. The care and attention from the medical team also gave me a great deal of confidence.

I had very little appetite in the transplant ward, but I made myself eat every day. I kept thinking: I’ve already come this far—I can’t stop at the final hurdle. One bite at a time, one day at a time. Before I knew it, more than 20 days in the transplant ward had passed.

Looking back now, I feel very fortunate. I made it through two major hurdles: a liver transplant and an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Life has thrown plenty of challenges my way, but each time things were at their hardest, there was still a path forward.

Q4: Has going through these serious illnesses changed the way you look at life?

A: I would never have made it this far without my family standing behind me.

Going through two major illnesses placed a huge financial burden on our family. The liver transplant alone cost more than we could cover even after selling a property. I’m especially grateful to my younger brother, my wife, my aunt, and my uncle. None of them had money to spare, but they each found a way to help—some contributed 50,000 yuan, some 40,000, and some more than 10,000. I still haven’t been able to repay all of it.

My mother passed away around 2000. When I became ill, my aunt and uncle looked after me as if I were their own child, and I will always be grateful for that. I also have two children. My wife had to carry the weight of the household while caring for them, so she could not always be with me in hospital. My younger brother was the family member who stayed with me most during my hospitalizations.

Today, I’m back to a normal working and family life. I work as a driving instructor. I keep a regular routine, eat three meals a day, and most importantly, I have my family around me.

I’m still paying back some of the debt from my treatment, little by little, but I’m content with where I am.

What I want now is simple: to live each day well. Waking up to sunlight, being free from pain, being able to eat and sleep normally—that is a good day to me.

Q5: What would you like to say to other patients who are still going through treatment?

A: I know how hard this road can be. I’ve had to work my way through setback after setback too.

That’s why, looking back on everything I’ve been through, I want to say this: keep believing in yourself, keep trusting your doctors, and believe that after the difficult stretches and the storms, there can still be a new beginning.

Today may be hard. Tomorrow may be hard too. But the day after that, the light may finally start to come through.