5 year s and going strong

[Guest guest]

Dear Listmates:

I don't post often and but read the list almost daily and am so

thankful for , Lottie, Zavie and others who so graciously share

their expertise and compassion.

Today is the five year anniversary of my diagnosis and I am so

grateful to be here and to be well. When I was first diagnosed my

husband and I were already reeling from his diagnosis of Alzheimer's

two weeks before. I don't think we had really absorbed his situation

before our entire attention was focused on mine. Through the grace

of God, we were able to get through Christmas and on December 26th I

took my first dose of Gleevec, our miracle pill. I began with the

double dose of 800 mgs. Shortly there after I was fortunate enough

to have a response that enabled me to be #676 in Zavie's Zero club.

In June of 2005 I was zero on a PCR and have been fortunate enough to

remain there. All this time I was also taking ProCrit weekly to

maintain a reasonable level of hemoglobin. In August of 2007 Dr.

O'Brien at MDACC (my current " wizard " ) and I chose to reduce my dose

to 600 mgs to see if that would reduce my tiredness and muscle aches

and pains. This August we reduced it further to the standard 400 mgs

dose. I am so pleased that with the reduction in dose I have seen my

hemoglobin stablize so that I am not taking ProCrit and haven't since

mid August. My latest PCR, done in late November I remained at PCR

zero.

My husband has not been as fortunate and over these five years we

have seen a marked decline in his cognitive functioning. He is now

participating in a drug trial and we are praying that this drug

proves to be effective and moves us closer to a cure. While it may

come too late for Rudy, we have three children who may one day

benefit from this research.

For those of you who are newer to this journey, you have much to be

thankful for. While the diagnosis of any cancer is jolting to the

soul and to the pocketbook, we are blessed to be living in " the days

of Gleevec " and the other third generation drugs. This week I

learned that my college roommate's husband has been diagnosed with B-

cell non Hodgkins lymphoma that has " bloomed " . He is in a lot of

pain, is undergoing nasty traditional chemo with the hope of gaining

3 to eight years. There but the grace of God....

Merry Christmas, Happy Chaunaka, and a joyous New Year!

Kathie Verderber

dx 12-6-03

PCRU 6-05

currently 400 mg. Gleevec

#676 Zero Club