Gratitude:PCR Results After My Jaunt Through Europe: With Many Sprycel Breaks!

Grateful for every day!

Dunt-da-da-Daaaahhh.....The results are in! Despite missing more than four weeks of my life saving medication, Sprycel, while touring around Europe for five weeks (two weeks were prior to our trip, and all breaks were physician approved) my PCR results remain "STABLE"!!

My PCR results in April 2017 were .061, and upon returning in July 2017, they were .065!!! To say that I was shocked would be an understatement!! Do you think it might have been all of the holy water and prayers? Or just plain old, good luck!?

My journey with CML began in February 2011; I have been on varying doses of Sprycel for the past six-plus years. There have been ups and downs, good days and bad, days full of frustration, tears and anger, but mostly there have been days of being grateful to be alive.

When I was newly diagnosed, I had no idea what the future held; I read everything that I could find on CML, I asked every question that I could think of, and I searched for the "perfect" CML specialist, for me. I prayed a lot, I cried a lot and I put on my happy face for those I loved.

I looked for the silver lining, and my new direction in life. What I have found is an entire network of other people; who, like me, are living with a chronic cancer; I have found that despite the doctor's telling me, that I was "unusual", because I was so much younger than the typical CML patient, this is not necessarily the case. I know CML patients as young as four years old; CML does not appear to discriminate based on age, as  there are people living with CML, of all ages, shapes and sizes.

What I have come to realize is that despite the complications and side effects, which come along with the territory of living with a chronic cancer,  there is an underlying theme of hope and joy, from all of the wonderful people that I have met along this journey.

We all have good days and bad, some worse than others, but there is always HOPE and LOVE and SUPPORT; we are a community that truly cares about each other, and I am so grateful for each and every one of you who have added so much to my life.

Without my CML brother's and sister's I would be lost; we understand each other's hopes and fears; we cheer each other on, and commiserate when others are having a bad day. We understand each other and for this,  I will be eternally grateful.

Happy National CML Day!!!
9/22/2017

Donations for 2017 Light the Night!

My CML Diagnosis was a SHOCK!