Dearest Suzan, I am so happy you found the doctor at Vandy especially after the way the previous doctor treated you. I'm also happy that you are so pleased with your doctor. I, too am more pleased with the doctor I have now than the previous one who led me to believe I was on my WAY OUT if I didn't have a transplant. After this doctor left and I started seeing the one I am now, I learned I was in remission and doing well....NO NEED to even THINK of transplant at that time. However, I am not in remission now and I am having trouble tolerating the Gleevec due to lack of appetite which is giving me problems eating enough and severe diarrhea. The main issue concerning my doctor is I don't feel he is concerned enough about the weight loss and my lack of appetite. Maybe the lack of appetite is not even connected to the Gleevec but I know I lost my appetite shortly after being on Gleevec and I have always been a big eater. I think he is just trying to encourage me to hang on until I can get the new drug. However, another issue that concerns me, with my numbers climbing back up, he still only wants to see me every 2 months, however this could be insuranced related as this doctor is out of my network(as they refer to it) and they approve so many visits for 6 months and then always end up approving for another 6 months after that, so that is a year. However I am limited to the amount of doctor's visits. I see my primary doctor once a month, and a pulmonary specialist every 3 months for the rest of my life and the CML specialist every 2 months for the rest of my life I suppose.
I am also on an antidepressant called Lexapro which has also been my miracle pill, my "happy pill". Even tho I am under a lot of stress, the lexapro has taken the edge off it, and also helps with the anxiety and panic attacks I was having. I also have xanax for my PMS time of the month and when I'm stressed. I take these ONLY when absolutely necessary as my body does have a tendency to easily become addicted to it. When I take it for PMS 3 to 5 days straight, and when the PMS lets up, I've found that I cannot sleep because my body is expecting a xanax. So I take these very cautiously and only when I just have to have them. I also take Nexium, which I would die without them. I am suppose to be on 2 a day but my insurance will only pay for 1 a day and my doctor at Vanderbilt really had to fight them to get them to pay for this one dose a day. They would only pay for certain kinds and not Nexium. I have tried them all and nothing works for me like the Nexium. Without them, I am literally eat up with acid reflux caused by the Gleevec. Nexium is the only thing that healed up uclers I had had in the past. I also take a nausea med, I was switched to companzine recently but cannot take them. They have a mile long list of side effects and lucky me, I suffered with quite a few. I also read it was given as treatment for schizophrenic's. Don't think I need that. I'm crazy BUT not that kind of crazy. It just wasn't for me and I've went back to my faithful phenegrhan at a increased dose from 25mg to 50mg. My doctor specializes in CML....this is all he's done for some 30 years. He did ask me if I would consider a BMT which I have adamantly told him before I AM NOT EVER going this route but when he asked me about it, I reminded him that this is not up for discussion anyways, as I DO NOT have a donor.....he says he forgot. Anyway, I am pleased with him and do not want to change doctors. I was very fortunate that my insurance even approved for me to be seen at Vanderbilt. I was going to a local oncologist before getting in Vanderbilt that treats all kinds of cancer and I didn't feel he was as knowlegeable on my type of leukemia. I drive 75 miles to Vandy but it is worth it to me. Thanks so much for your caring and concern and I wish you continued success with the CML and your doctor. Love, Peace, Hope & Prayers, Pat --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
