Bikercub, Tamara's journey, I so needed to hear that story. I will keep it to refer to when I feel down. Again thanks.
Mel Dx6/06 G 6/06 to 4/07 AMN107 5/07 til now >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: CMLHope <[email protected]> >Subject: [CMLHope] Re: A Friend loses her battle >Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:45:26 -0700 > > > I haven't been on this site for years! I was hoping to find out >some info on someone I was emailing who had found my profile years >ago, so I need to see if I can find her profile. > Anyway, I am so very sorry about the loss of your friend. I lost >a male co-worker a few years back who had recurrent breast cancer >(after being clean for ten years). We became close because this was >all happening to him when I was first diagnoised with CML. So we were >kind of going through it together. I light a candle for him every >year at the Relay For Life luminary ceremony. > My main reason for writing this, is to give you all >encouragement. You mentioned the gentleman who has been living with >CML for eight years and I want you to know that I have had it for 15 >years! I have a "reunion" with several Leukemia survivors every year >through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society where we catch up on our >health and talk about people we've shared our experiences with (we >talk with newly diagnoised patients on the phone). I was recently >"spotlighted" in our local newspaper in a special section for the >Relay For Life and I'm including it below so you'll know where I'm >coming from! > I am thankful for this site, even tho, like I said earlier, I >rarely look at it anymore. But it is nice when I need it. > >Tamera's CML Adventure > >May 20, 1992. That was the day my life changed. Leukemia? Me? >There must be a mistake! Where did it come from? How do I tell my >parents? My brothers? My friends? I was only 32 years old and from >what I had researched about Chronic Myelogenous (or Myeloid) Leukemia >(CML) since then told me that this was an older person's disease. > >The outlook was bleak for CML 15 years ago. Survival rate was low. >But I have an attitude problem and I won't let anything beat me down, >even this. Attitude is a huge part of survival. So are humor and a >great support of family and friends. And let's not forget God. > >Treatment for me started with Interferon, a daily injection which >causes flu like symptoms and fatigue. Most people could not tolerate >this medication and therefore lost the battle. Thank God I could >handle it, even at extremely high doses and went into a remission. >Unfortunately, it's not a safe drug to be on forever, so I would be >taken off of it each time I reached a remission only for the Leukemia >to return. I've been in and out of remission three times with the >Interferon! > >In 1996, I got my family involved in the American Cancer Society's >"Relay For Life" with a team made up of family, friends, and co- >workers. Our team sponsor was my parents business, Bears Bike Barn. >The next year I joined the planning committee. My life goal now was >to raise awareness and as much money as I could to get rid of cancer >and support research. Well that has paid off. A doctor from OHSU >discovered a way to kill off the cells responsible for CML and the >drug, Gleevec, was put on a fast track to be used by patients around >six years ago. None of this would have been possible without money >from the American Cancer Society (ACS). I started taking Gleevec in >December 2001 and went into a remission again a few months later and >have remained on the medication and in remission. Most CML patients >can tolerate it and the survival rate has soared. > >I also volunteer for another organization, speaking with newly >diagnosed CML patients, passing on my experiences and giving them >hope. > >There is still much research to be done for CML as well as all other >cancers, so I will continue the fight until cancer is only a past >memory. > >Since my cancer journey began, my mother has dealt with breast cancer >and my younger brother had skin cancer. All of us are doing well, >thanking God and ACS for our survival! > > >On Aug 6, 8:42 am, Suzieq <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > To Everyone Who Responded: > > > > Thank you all so very much. Yes, Arlene is in a much better place. > > Her daughter sent me an email this morning of the words to the songs > > used during the slide presentation at her memorial service last Friday > > as well as some photos. Arlene always had such a beautiful smile on > > her face even though she was probably suffering most of the time. Her > > motto for living was used as the theme......."Don't worry about > > tomorrow, God is already there" I think that ought to sum it up for > > all of us, don't you? > > She was a very brave & gracious woman and had a beautiful family. My > > prayers now are for them that God will comfort them during this time > > of grief. > > > > I want to congratulate the one who's been surviving eight years now > > with CML, six of those "philly free"! You are an inspiration to all > > of us living with this disease. God bless each & everyone of us to > > keep on keeping on with the fight & the daily struggle. May we have > > more good days than bad. Lets fill our days with what makes us happy, > > such as grandchildren for those of us who have them......with good > > friends to laugh with......after all, laughter is the best medicine > > I've been told so often........with helping others less fortunate & > > they are many..........or whatever it is that lifts our spirits. It > > might be here encouraging others, etc. Life is way too short to spend > > it "down in the pits"! So, get up and get busy! > > > > Keep Looking Up, > > Suzieq > > >> _________________________________________________________________ More photos, more messages, more storage--get 2GB with Windows Live Hotmail. http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM_mini_2G_0507 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ [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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
