Another quick check-in

[Guest guest]

Hello friends,

Good to read up and hear from old friends. I have been out of touch a

while too, mostly because I have also put the CML on the backburner in

order to focus on the busy-ness of life (a wonderful luxury that I

don't take for granted). I am almost 4 years since being dx'd with my

then 3-month old in my arms. She just turned four last month

and has the most incredible imagination I have ever witnessed. I know

I have said this about every age, but this one is really the best!

This weekend we are off to Seattle where she will be the flower girl

in my cousin's wedding. I am sure I'll cry.

I am still PCRU (since 9/02). My Dr. still insists that being CCR (in

Zavie's Zero Club) is really all we need to worry about though. He

thinks that because PCR's so often bounce around, the tests cause more

worry than necessary. He is going to Italy to discuss this unpopular

point of view with the experts there. I wanted to mention that for

those of you who are concerned about the ups and downs of the PCR

tests.

I am still working from home in international sales and may eventually

have an opportunity to start my own business. That has been put on the

backburner too though, in the interest of maintaining a steady salary.

My husband and I bought a little old ugly (understatement) house on a

beautiful lot in a great school district. We are working with a

builder to gut it, revamp it, and add a second story to it. Should be

done in about 6 months. It is a very exciting project! We'll be

settled into it by the time starts kindergarten.

And..last but not least, our biggest news of all. We have made the

decision to pursue adoption to expand our family. We have always

wanted multiple children. A few weeks from now, we will have completed

our profile and home study and will be waiting for a birthmother to

choose us for her child. It will probably take a year or more, but you

never know! Incidentally, my oncologist wrote a very emphatic letter

about the state of my health - using stats on Gleevec, etc., making it

clear that he supports our belief that we are more than capable of

parenting again. That felt good to read!

So we have lots of exciting news that four years ago seemed

impossible. I miss being in constant touch with you all, and wish you

the very best of everything.

xoxo-

in MI

dx'd Hodgkins 1994

Radiation treatment

dx'd CML 12/01

400mg Gleevec

CCR 05/02

PCRU since 09/02