15 Years

I vividly recall the phone call from the doctor. "Your numbers came back and I think you might have leukemia." Not the best way to start a weekend. I had just walked in from work with some take out Chinese food for the family. My instructions were simple. Go straight to the hospital. I would soon learn that indeed I did have leukemia, but I had the "good" kind. I was diagnosed with CML fifteen years ago, but it really seems like a lifetime ago. 

So many things have happened since then. My youngest daughter had been born about 8 months prior. As you can see from the picture, my kids are teens now. I opened a new business the year after I was diagnosed. For the most part, however, life has been fairly normal. 

I was so lucky that I received this diagnosis when I did as Gleevec was now an option. Prior to this scientific breakthrough, the average life expectancy for someone with CML was only 5 years. I am now three times beyond that number and thankful for every day. 

I love how CML has taken a back seat to the rest of my life and it is no longer something I think about very often. I started this blog to keep my family and friends updated with my treatment. Fortunately, I have had little to say for a long time. I take my medication daily and get tested every three months. My number are consistently low and I remain in major molecular response. I am reminded of my cancerversary every year by my CML buddy, Wanda. I really appreciate this.