Much to be thankful for

[Guest guest]

Thanks to Tom Ratzlaff for reminding all of us how fortunate we are. CML is not

the

dreaded disease it once was and if people can live with diabetes (another

chronic

disease), then we also have a fighting chance with the advent of the new TKI's

to live a fairly normal life (with added alterations of course). Skip just

reminded us of that. He is beginning his 34th year and still enjoys life and

finds things to keep busy. He has shared his poetry with us, which is quite

personal, as he has lived what he has written. Thanks for sharing more of your

poetry, Skip. He has little to no platelets, but he has managed to hang in for

all these years.

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the movie with Bette

entitled " All About Eve " , where she says, " Fasten your seat belts. It's going

to be a bumpy night. "

All these years, I was thinking she said a bumpy ride, but I don't want to amend

her quote. Come to think of it, they didn't even have seat belts in cars back

then, maybe she was referring to an airplane ride. Anyway, her quote is quite

accurate, as I'm sure we have all experienced some bumpy nights. Just when the

water seems to be the deepest and darkest, someone sends us a life raft. I owe

my longevity to support

groups, I learned so much more about CML than I ever did in a doctor's office.

The people sitting there are clueless and the ones I started out with are no

longer here. To me that is a testament to staying informed and expecting more

than the status quo. Sometimes it is necessary to change doctors, as I did this

past year. Whatever you

have to do, go with your gut and if you are on the inside looking out, it is far

better than

being on the outside looking in. Here's to good health for everyone.

Carpe Diem,

Lottie Duthu