tasigna buddies

[Guest guest]

Hi to my fellow buddies,

Well I have been on Tasi now for a couple of months and have been doing

really well on 800mg a day. I am due for my first PCR since commencement

in a couple of weeks which will be interesting.

I think the only side effect I've had is occasional dizziness which is no

real problem and a few pins and needles in my hands.

Matt - with the muscle cramps I have remained on Magnesium tabs since

swapping from Glivec to Tasigna and have no problems. I do notice if I

forget to take them and I will get a cramp in my (L) foot/lower leg. I

take 6 x 500mg tabs a day and has never given me diarrhoea as can do in

some people.

I have been under a lot of stress in the past 4 weeks as my husband came

down with viral pneumonia and severe high blood pressure and had 4 days in

hospital. He still had severe balance problems and could only walk with a

wheelie walker (he is 55). I had 2 weeks home with him as he was incapable

of caring for himself. Our GP was querying a small stroke I then went back

to work as he had improved a lot. Then 2 days later he had a relapse and

after taking him to my GP and then onto a regional base hospital, it was

discovered after another CT scan that he has a rare disorder called

Lateral Medullary Syndrome caused by strokes in the medulla region of the

brain.......... I told him he was just trying to out do me in diagnosis

LOL. Seriously he could have had a major stroke at any time. He was then

sent on to one of our major teaching hospitals in Melb and I have been

with him since. Terible to see him stuck in bed hooked up to a miriad of

machines and drips. Today he had an angiogram which definitively showed a

blockage in a major cerebral artery and that he had quite a few small

strokes which luckily have been unblocked with heparin. He had been

complaining of lack of feeling in the (L) side of his face since his first

hospital admission - hosp did a CT scan and nothing else. Since having the

heparin he has got the feeling back in his face so is really positive.

So he is now on the improve and I am his carer to boot - thank goodness I

am not on Glivec still as I don't think I could have coped with this. So

everything is up in the air and I hope we will be back home next week.

Fortunately I have my brother and sister in law to stay with who have

looked after me wonderfully and my kids at home who are looking after the

farm and my dogs etc.

It just goes to show (luckily) that we never know what is around the corner!

Regards,

from Down Under