Weight gain

[Guest guest]

Dear Margaret,

As soon as I stopped Gleevec, I lost 40#. I thought I might gain it back on

Sprycel, but did not. Now I am on SKI 606 and have lost over 60# since I have

been off Gleevec. Back in those days, I looked like a chicken embyro with my

eyelids and undereyes filled with bags of fluid. Now I have little enough, it

is not worth complaining about. My legs were like rocks at the end of the day.

My doctor thought it was something else (like PAD) and had me wearing soft casts

for weeks and then support stockings I had to put on before I even put my feet

on the floor.

No more of that. When I think of those 4 years on Gleevec, I still think I was

lucky. I have a friend who left for MDACC today. A few years ago she had

kidney cancer, on the same side as her twin brother. I talked her into going to

MDACC for treatment. It's been over 5 years since she recovered from that and

when she had another problem, her husand wanted to find a place in New Orleans,

but she insisted on going back to MDACC. Recently they found she had spots on

her thyroid, lungs, and kidney, but this time she went to her husband's choice

in New Orleans. I hope she didn't wait too long, but it sounds like it has

matastized. Please think of Elsie when you say your prayers.

I'm not saying that she would not have had cancer again, no matter where she

went, I am just saying I feel lucky that it wasn't me and I had a choice. I

raise my glass to Gleevec and all the other drugs that came after. Unlike

Bobby, I am only going to buy the smallest size of Stoli. I have some dried up

limes in he refrigerator and my stash of tonic left over from when I tried to

get rid of the Gleevec cramps.

Bobby, I will drink to you any day, but I must say, you could drink me under the

table. LOL

Hands & hearts,

Lottie