My CML Circle

[Guest guest]

Thank you for posting that information, Kacky. I also read the side bars and

found that the instructions were about the same for every trial or drug.

" Your doctor will check your heart, do regular blood tests and take bone marrow

samples during treatment with TASIGNA®. These are done to check for side effects

with TASIGNA® and to see how well TASIGNA® is working for you. Your doctor

should check your blood to monitor the amount of blood cells (white blood cells,

red blood cells, and platelets) during treatment. These should be checked every

two weeks for the first two months and then monthly thereafter, or as considered

necessary by your doctor. "

Trials are safe if doctors take the necessary precautions and monitor your blood

counts, blood pressure, heart and liver functions to see how much you can

tolerate. I was actually thrown out of the first preliminary test for BMS

(Sprycel) because I didn't pass the heart test. Jackie Schneider, also was not

accepted in the trial because she has a slow heart beat. We were both trying to

get into the trial at the same time. I was able the following week to get in

and the doctor's words were, " By some miracle your tests were completely

reversed from last week. " That was profound coming from a doctor, you don't

hear about miracles coming from them. For anyone who has been in a trial, they

know the drill, you spend a whole day getting EKC's and blood work at intervals

at similiar times and return each week for more testing. Some people are

actually afraid to get in a trial, but I don't think they know how much follow

up and tests are done. There are x-rays, CT scans and nuclear tests before and

after that are also part of some trials. I trust that the researchers will do

their part in keeping me safe, so I have no fears, with one exception -

Inteferon. It was everything I had heard about and more.

Blessings,

Lottie