Quick Life and Leukemia Update!

Since returning home from Europe in October, life has been a whirlwind. I was ok’d to drop my dose of Bosulif from 300 mg per day to 200 mg per day to make my European trip more manageable and enjoyable.

This meant 100 mg with my first and last meal. The difference has been remarkable. I have had less fatigue and intestinal issues and feel much more like myself. I have not felt this good since being diagnosed with CML in February of 2011, so if you are newly diagnosed, hang in there!

I must admit that I also missed a few doses of medication while we were in Europe due to travel, so coming home and having my blood drawn for my first PCR on this dose was a little nerve-wracking. I was praying that I would hold on to my previous “double zero” numbers so I could continue to stay on this 200 mg per day regimen. 

Much to my delight, my test result came back as .0079%. Music to my ears, I was so happy and relieved that I danced around the house for an entire day, and I do not think I stopped smiling for a week. For those of you who have CML or other medical conditions that require testing, you know what waiting for test results feels like, and you also understand the disappointment when they come back differently than you had hoped.

This apprehension gets easier with time but never goes away.

I wasn’t home long before I jumped back into “life”. We had a dance class to teach (totally jet-lagged) and a four-day adventure to Pigeon Forge with friends. 

Right after returning home from seven weeks in Europe, I wasn't sure about a four-day trip, but I hate missing out on opportunities when they arise. This happened more often than not during the beginning of my CML journey.

So, throwing caution to the wind, we went to Pigeon Forge. It doesn’t happen often, but I was the first one to bed every night, a small price to pay for being able to make the trip. We had a lovely time in the mountains and I am grateful I still felt well enough to join in on the fun.

Upon returning home, I re-adjusted to our time zone and resumed my “normal” life.

As fall was quickly approaching, I knew I had to squeeze in as much time as I could with the grands before heading to California for the winter. Nashville Zoo claims to have “the world’s largest Chinese Lantern” display called Zoolumination, so we thought we should check it out.

For once, I do not think the advertisement was exaggerated! It was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed spending the evening perusing the lanterns with the grands. I highly recommend going if you are ever in the Nashville area during Zoolumination.

A quick Thanksgiving dinner and an early Christmas with our Tennessee family, and we were off again. This time to California to visit with my daughter and her family for Christmas, and then on to Palm Springs for more friends and family visiting, as well as warm weather, swimming, and dancing.

The weather was perfect this year, and everyone remained healthy. I didn’t suffer from the previous year’s cough due to allergens in the air, and I am grateful. That gave me hope for my oncologist appointment in March.

While in Palm Springs, I had my yearly mammogram and visit with my gynecological oncologist. The good news; no abnormal findings. This is always a relief. 

In 2005, I had borderline serous tumors of both ovaries removed. I have been closely monitored for the past twenty years and often wonder if my CT scans attributed to my CML.

The bad news; these are extremely slow-growing tumors.

One might ask, “What does that mean?”

Well, it means that the common thinking is that the further you are out from cancer, the less likely it is to return. With borderline serous tumors, the opposite is true. Because they are so slow-growing, the further out you are from surgery the more likely they could begin to raise their ugly little heads again.

I have been reassured by my oncologist that he will continue to keep a close eye on me, and if need be, they will be dealt with if they re-appear. Comforting from the stance that my oncologist and I have a twenty-year history, but not so comforting that we will have to continue monitoring my abdomen! The thought of the return of these buggers is unnerving because I remember what that surgery entailed!

So, for now, I will keep on keeping on, and deal with the tumors if the need arises.

One last oncologist appointment before heading home. It has been three months since my last blood draw. I have not been sick or bothered by allergies, so I was more hopeful going into this appointment than I was last year.

Blood pressure 114/68!! Normal! Great news since last year, at this time, it was through the roof.

I believe the high blood pressure last year was due to the increased pleural effusion and low potassium, but I am not a doctor. All of my whacky labs returned to normal after my pleural effusion decreased.

The rest of the exam was “normal,” and my PCR results were .006%, meaning I will remain on 200 mg of Bosulif daily. I am relieved that this is the case because not only do I have to ingest less medication, hopefully doing less long-term damage to my body, but I also feel so much better. Having less fatigue, bone and body pain, and intestinal issues allows me to have a better quality of life.

And that is a quick recap for those who have been asking!

Life is good; I am blessed and grateful.

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