I have joined this one too

[Guest guest]

Hi all -

Most of you probably know my story, as I post pretty consistently. I

don't add a lot of technical knowledge though, just personal

experience. I am terrible at being brief too:

I am a Hodgkins survivor since 1994, dx'd at age 22. I'd just moved

to Phoenix for an MBA when a big lump on my neck proved to be

Hodgkins lymphoma. Came back to Michigan for 2nd and 3rd opinions,

and chose to have radiation instead of chemo because I wanted to

preserve my fertility. I did the 14 weeks of radiation and then went

back to Phoenix to re-start my degree. After many years of follow

up, the Hodgkins did not return, making me " cured " .

In 2000 I was a newlywed & feeling great, but a routine visit to the

OB-Gyn showed some elevated platelets on a CBC. I already had a Hem-

Onc, so I arranged for him to do more bloodwork. By the time I did

that, I was 6 weeks pregnant, which had caught us by surprise. My

WBC was only slightly high, but the platelets kept climbing. They

monitored my blood throughout the pregnancy and they went almost

back to normal for the last few months. But as soon as my (perfectly

healthy) daughter was born, my platelets and WBC shot right up. A

BMB 3 months later dx'd CML. I still had no symptoms, other than the

counts. The first Hem-Onc thought Gleevec was too experimental and

told me to get a transplant ONLY if my sister was a match. If not,

he said I'd have a good 3-7 years on interferon, so I should go home

and " enjoy my baby " . My sister is not a match and the 2nd and 3rd

Hem-Oncs both encouraged me to try Gleevec. (This was January

2002). So here I am, 3 plus years later, on 400 mg, PCRU and

holding. My side effects have run the gamut, but they are all more

or less manageable and most have subsided with time.

I still work full time from a home office and I also enjoy every

moment I get to spend with my daughter. And now I can comfortably

hope to be around to see her grow up and have a family of her own.

And who knows? I am only 32 so perhaps we can somehow have more

children down the road? Though we cannot say this CML thing is

cured, I feel like I have dodged another bullet. Sure hope that is

the last one!

~ in MI

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

You are right up there on the spunk meter, too.

God bless.

love,

Kathy

>

> Hi all -

>

> Most of you probably know my story, as I post pretty consistently.

I

> don't add a lot of technical knowledge though, just personal

> experience. I am terrible at being brief too:

>

> I am a Hodgkins survivor since 1994, dx'd at age 22. I'd just

moved

> to Phoenix for an MBA when a big lump on my neck proved to be

> Hodgkins lymphoma. Came back to Michigan for 2nd and 3rd opinions,

> and chose to have radiation instead of chemo because I wanted to

> preserve my fertility. I did the 14 weeks of radiation and then

went

> back to Phoenix to re-start my degree. After many years of follow

> up, the Hodgkins did not return, making me " cured " .

>

> In 2000 I was a newlywed & feeling great, but a routine visit to

the

> OB-Gyn showed some elevated platelets on a CBC. I already had a

Hem-

> Onc, so I arranged for him to do more bloodwork. By the time I did

> that, I was 6 weeks pregnant, which had caught us by surprise. My

> WBC was only slightly high, but the platelets kept climbing. They

> monitored my blood throughout the pregnancy and they went almost

> back to normal for the last few months. But as soon as my

(perfectly

> healthy) daughter was born, my platelets and WBC shot right up. A

> BMB 3 months later dx'd CML. I still had no symptoms, other than

the

> counts. The first Hem-Onc thought Gleevec was too experimental and

> told me to get a transplant ONLY if my sister was a match. If not,

> he said I'd have a good 3-7 years on interferon, so I should go

home

> and " enjoy my baby " . My sister is not a match and the 2nd and 3rd

> Hem-Oncs both encouraged me to try Gleevec. (This was January

> 2002). So here I am, 3 plus years later, on 400 mg, PCRU and

> holding. My side effects have run the gamut, but they are all more

> or less manageable and most have subsided with time.

>

> I still work full time from a home office and I also enjoy every

> moment I get to spend with my daughter. And now I can comfortably

> hope to be around to see her grow up and have a family of her own.

> And who knows? I am only 32 so perhaps we can somehow have more

> children down the road? Though we cannot say this CML thing is

> cured, I feel like I have dodged another bullet. Sure hope that is

> the last one!

>

> ~ in MI