Congraulations Cheryl on your 5 five year anniversary. I am so happy for you, and my heart goes out to you, and I pray that you have many, more aniversaries. I am having my day of Celebration of Life today. Believe me or not, I had a really nice day, I wasn't sick or in any pain,the day was perfect in spite of a 2 hour or so Tornado Warning for my area, which my nerves tend to jump WAY out there when wind.....rotating winds have been spotted nearby and we are under warnings. I am a twister survivor and I pray to God, I never want to experience such tragedy and fear again. Anyway, I'm so proud for you and you are such an inspiration to me and so many others. I hope you were well and able to do something really special for yourself for your new birthday. I tease my kids I now have 2 birthday's a year, and they say "awww mama, you just trying to be slick to get more gifts." Ha! Yeah, I guess they're right. I tease them but I also tell them "all I need is you". I wish you all many years to come of continued success and survival and hopefully a cure in the future. All I can say to anyone with it, is don't give up. Today, you may feel like crap, you're in pain, you're depressed, your overworked at your employment, your eyelids are swollen, you've got to have access to a restroom at all times, your head hurts, your muscles and bones ache and you think well maybe I'm in the process of dying, but after you've lived through it, you realize that if it didn't kill me yesterday, it can only make me stronger tomorrow which turns into... A NEW DAY. I have been one of the unlucky ones and suffered from Gleevec side effects since day 1. I've also developed COPD over the past few years and some things I blamed on Gleevec they were actually a symptom of COPD, not CML and visa versa but I didn't know I had it at the time.
Every milestone we reach, we've lived another year of life. We've had to change our lifestyles, our work schedules, somehow changed into this person with the "C" word, and life is never really ever the same again. Even tho we, any of us can be doing wonderful and in the next 24 hours or less be in bad, sometimes terminally, sometimes fighting for our lives situations. Cherish the moment and each moment, because they could cease to be at any time, day or hour. God has blest you Cheryl, don't forget it. Thank you for sharing your special day with me, with us. I lighted a candle and prayed for you. Love, Peace, Hope & Prayers, Pat --- In [email protected], "Lisa Martinez" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dear Cheryl, > Thank you for sharing your anniversary story with us and thank you for being > you! > You have been an absolute blessing to all of us. And alltough none of like > having CML I am sure you agree that through it we have found in ourselves > many wonderful purposes that we had no idea would ever exist. > Congratulations on your 5 year mark and May God continue to bless you for > many years to come! > > Lisa Martinez > Dx 5-2000 > Hydrea/interferon/arc > 6-2001 400 mgs gleevec > 8-2001 pcru > > > Message: 2 > Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 10:11:19 -0500 > From: "Cheryl-Anne Simoneau" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Happy Thanksgiving and a celebration of my 5th anniversary of > Diagnosis > > Hello All, > > Today marks my 5th anniversary of diagnosis with CML. Much like today, I > greeted that day five years ago with anticipation of the day's celebration > even though I was not feeling well. A side trip to the hospital for a > totally un-related event led to a not so routine blood test where my world > collided with cancer, leukemia, and more specifically CML. In many ways, > being diagnosed on Thanksgiving was a blessing in disguise. I was reminded > to be thankful and grateful that although this diagnosis was probably > inevitable (I had worked for many years as a radiology/nuclear medicine > sales rep) I had the good fortune to find myself in good care at the McGill > University Health Centre here in Montreal (I am an American living in > Canada) and with a top doctor in Canada, Dr. Pierre Laneuville. > > Much in my life has changed, how could it not? In the early days, I thought > I would not want to be vocal about CML and life with cancer in general. > After loosing my job because of CML (small time employers were worried about > the cost of this drug and the impact on their modest health care plan), the > subsequent law suit (which not surprisingly I won, but for me it wasn't > about the money, it was about the principle) - well let's just say it is a > woman's prerogative to change her mind! > > I started posting to Rob's International CML list on my second anniversary > of diagnosis and was a steady member here up until the last big melt down in > March. I continue to read this list and offer support where I can, and I > thank Rob for keeping this legacy list, although it is somewhat fragmented, > alive and kicking. It saddens me that our community that was once so > strong, has become so fragmented. This list was where Suzan McNamara > launched her petition which helped many of us have faster access to Gleevec. > This list has been the place where the most CMLers have come to find > information on trials and new drug development. Welcome to the newcomers on > this list and long may you and we all post here - politics be dammed! > > I hope you all continue to enjoy this list and find time to peruse the > archives. You will see the how the miracle of new drug development has had > a positive impact on the quality of life while helping us all to live > longer. > > Today, while I have recently gone back to work full time, I do whatever I > can to help other CML patients by organizing information sessions, helping > people find doctors, access to drugs and sometimes just hugging and > handholding when times get tense. So, while I do not post much I am still > very active in this community. > > Stay tuned, in a very short while there will be an announcement of the > creation of an organization totally dedicated to support, educate and > advocate on the behalf of all CML patients. It's been a lot of work but it > has been lots of fun! > > Blessings and warm wishes of peace love, gratitude and health - may we all > be happy and healthy! > > Cheryl-Anne > > > > [This message contained attachments] > > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > ________________________________________________________________________ > > > > Lisa Martinez > Avatel Technologies > National Account Manager > 1-866-835-2062 x 1015 > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Help save the life of a child. 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