Dearest Kathie in KY, it's Pat your neighbor and friend in TN. Congratualtions!!!! So happy for you and your celebration of life. I just recently had an anniversary too, and that day is much like a new b'day and I call it my "Celebration of Life Day". I understand your feeling the value of life. It has changed me also. I don't let the CML or my other health problems invade my life or my mind. The Gleevec side effects are impossible to get away from but I deal with it, and I very seldom think of myself as having leukemia/cancer. I did in the beginning but that was 2 years ago and I have accepted it and I go on. I can't do a lot of things I used to do but I really enjoy to "the fullest what I can do." I cherish life like never before. I used to be a fanatic about my house, constantly cleaning, wanted everything to shine and sparkle at all times, but it doesn't even matter to me now. I clean a little bit, a little at a time. My son & husband help me with the housework, laundry, cooking etc, but they are not allowed to dust as I have some very precious sentimental things and a few antiques I inherited from my mother & grandmother. The dust doesn't even bother me much, but after a while I will take 4 or 5 days and do a little each day until I get everything. I may feel like crap but I try to block it out, and enjoy the companionship of my husband & children & my sister-in-laws. Happy for you that you are PCRU, and wanted to send you my warmest wishes for your b'day/anniversary and celebration of life. I hope you did something nice for yourself. Love, Peace, Hope & Prayers, Pat
--- In [email protected], [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Dear CML sisters and brothers: > > Today I am celebrating the 2nd anniversary of my diagnosis. I say celebrating, but I am so glad to still be here. Two years ago today my doctor's partner-on-call phoned to tell me that I needed to go to the local hospital asap to have my "routine" blood work taken the day before repeated. On the way to the hospital I recall talking to God and saying, "Well, here we go. I know that this is not good, probably some type of cancer, I am in Your Hands." The rest of the weekend was a blur. Luckily I'm pretty good at denial, so I didn't ever really go through the depression and pain that many of us experience. By the time I saw the Onc, I had aleady found out about Gleevec from the Web and was able to insist on 800 mgs. which MDACC was reporting to be the dose that they were putting all their new patients on. In January of that year I traveled to Texas to meet Dr. Giles who I continue to see on a consulting basis. > > I feel really lucky because outside of needing ProCrit to sustain my hemoglobin, I have very few side effects. My most recent trip to MDACC for testing showed that at present I am at PCRU. > > While I feel lucky about the status of my health, I feel blessed to have this disease as it has made me so much more aware of the value of living each day to its fullest. Since diagnosis I have been much more thoughtful about how I spend time and where I chose to invest my life. Since I have been a part of this list, I have read about the struggles that many of you go through, I have seen your strength, your courage, your humor, and your marvelous support. And I count you among my blessings. So today is "Happy re-birthday to me"....and I pray for "many more" for all of us. > > Cheers, > Kathie in Kentucky > dx 12/06/03 > 800 mg Gleevec 12/26/03 > 40,000ProCrit weekly > #676 Zero Club > PCRU 7/05 > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Help save the life of a child. Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. http://us.click.yahoo.com/JrD4fD/lbOLAA/xGEGAA/8zSolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 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/
