Dearest Wendy, I don't post often, although I do try to read the digests when I can. I'm glad I came across your post. Richard H. said it beautifully.
Take control of your life...this is like a new job now. Dig in and find out as much as you can, depend on the groups to give you support. This medical world of cancer that we've all been thrown into can give so much also, new friends that you would have never met before, caring and support that you would have never received before, and a place for information to help guide you along this new journey. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...A PLACE TO VENT!!! Don't forget to BREATHE, as we all know it can tend to suck the breath right out of you at times, and ASK questions. Question your doctors if you have information and WANT to pursue an avenue. Low counts can be a problem once starting Gleevec, so watch for low Hematocrit, Hemoglobin, Neutrophils, and Platelets. There is Aranesp for low reds (a longer lasting drug than Procrit), Neulasta and Neupogen for low whites and neutrophils (the important infection fighting component of the white cells), and other drugs associated with helping your body through this new phase of life. My husband Mark turned 50 last month. He was diagnosed in 11/2002 with a WBC of 449,000 and platelet count of 630,000, blasts at 9%. He suffered from low counts throughout 600mg of Gleevec, had to stop 2 times for 6-8 weeks each, then began not to respond so well, so with Dr. Brian Druker, OHSU, making the call to go to transplant, Mark went through it last October in Seattle at The Hutch with a matched unrelated donor (MUD). What was your WBC at diagnosis? Are you in early chronic phase? Wishing you peace and healing wishes, Katrina Sharp Fairbanks, Alaska http://www.caringbridge.org/ak/marks --- In [email protected], "Wendy Bradburn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hello, > > My name is Wendy and I was diagnosed with CML this past Wednesday. This is > turned out to be more difficult for me to deal with than I thought it would > be. I knew there was the possibility of it while I was going through all > the tests but to be told you have cancer is devastating. I have been > reading up on it and the treatment of Gleevec but I don't really have any > idea what to expect. I also have a mass the found during a routine > mammogram so I have to have that biopsied next week to determine what it is > before they can start the Gleevec. The thoughts of having two separate > types of cancer is beyond devastating. Any advice any of you could give me > would be greatly appreciated. What to look for, what to expect, etc. My > family is supportive but they don't know what it's like to have cancer as > none of them have it. Please help. > > Thank you so very much. > > Wendy New! Sign up for local CML support group meetings in your local community at http://cml.meetup.com Apply for Commercial Real Estate loans online and submit your deal to dozens of hungry lenders in just minutes. Loan programs for all types of business and commercial real estate. Apply anytime at http://realestatezoo.com CML (Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Support List) --------------------------------- Part Of CMLHope.Com An International Community Of CML Patients For more information: http://cmlhope.com Post Message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change To No Mail/Web: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change To Digest: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Change To Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] List Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] CML Group Web Site http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CML Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CML/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
