I started this blog to keep my friends and family informed about my progress with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). I was diagnosed with CML on March 3, 2006 after having some blood work ordered by my ophthalmologist. I am going to be tracking my progress throughout my treatment. I invite you to comment.
Good news that my latest results from Dana-Farber came back as undetectable. I have had 5 straight reading of my PCR at Dana-Farber as undetectable. What is less clear is whether this would be the case at the other blood lab I use in Oregon. I go back and forth between the labs. Regardless, the numbers are all good.
I did want to share a video from the National CML Society that my CML buddy, Wanda, told me about. It is a talk by Dr. Michael Mauro from the Oregon Health and Science University about the latest in CML research. He is apparently speaking this weekend in New York City as well.
So I am sitting in the waiting room at the new Yawkey Building at Dana-Farber for my 6 month visit. It is already an incredibly different experience and more reminiscent of my experiences at Oregon Health and Sciences University. First, the parking lot was much larger and there were plenty of spots. I am sure that arriving at 7:30 AM helped with this. I then went to the laboratory on the second floor. That is all that was there. It was quick, clean, and efficient. I also noticed that privacy was much more of a factor. They called patients by their first name and last initial rather than their full names which had always bothered me in the past.
After my blood work was done, I went up to the 8th floor where there was a leukemia and lymphoma clinic. It was not crowded, wide open with plenty of seating. There was even a "nourishment" stand where I was able to get a nice tea. There is even a nice monitor with announcements for the hospital. One notice just said that if you have time, you can borrow an ipad to keep busy. A man even came around offering me a newspaper which I gladly accepted.
I was quickly taken into have my vital signs done as well. This was efficient and a much nicer set up.Then things started to get messy. The power went out in the whole building and the staff had to scramble to figure out what to do. Since all the records, lab results, and scheduling are computer-based, they were pretty much helpless. I ended up being taken to see my doctor about 45 minutes late and he had no information about me other than my name. I had to give him a brief synopsis. He was able to find my lab results which were normal. I am waiting for my PCR results which take about 2 weeks. No significant changes.
As I was about to leave, the power went back on. Despite the technical difficulties, it was still a much more pleasant experience than what I was used to at Dana-Farber. I happened to stop on the 3rd floor where I found the healing garden and the dining pavilion. Not bad.
It is hard to believe that I have reached the milestone of 5 years past initial diagnosis, but I have. I guess time flies when you are having fun. It really is a poignant moment to reflect however. It was not that long ago that people with my diagnosis were told they may only have 5 years to live. I am so thankful that I was lucky enough to be a recipient of ground-breaking medical treatment.
I remember that day 5 years ago vividly. I actually ripped the day off in the calendar in the hospital as some sort of memento. All I wanted to do was eat the Chinese food I had picked up after work. Instead, I got "the call". and reported to the ER immediately. It was all surreal what happened over the next couple of weeks.
I really have been so lucky to continue to respond well to Gleevec and essentially live almost symptom free. I am so thankful to my family and friends that have supported me and continue to do so.
I head back to Dana-Farber at the end of the month. I also go to OHSU in Portland in May. Let's hope the good results continue.
This past week, I was honored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Rhode Island. They had their annual volunteer thank you ceremony. Myself and another individual were given the volunteer of the year award. It was a bit of a surreal experience. A fairly large crowd was present at the RI state house. The speakers were up a set of stairs overlooking the audience. The presenters gave long and in depth descriptions about the recipients of the rewards and all of the things they had contributed to the society.
My award was the second from the last. I had brought my family including my two daughters, wife, mother, and and mother-in-law. My girls kept wondering when I would be going up to accept the award. When it was finally my turn, it was a bit of an out-of-body experience to hear Bill Koconis (the executive director of the LLS) read a description about me and why they were giving me this award.
I have been an active fundraiser for the LLS for 5 years now and he noted that our team had raised over $75,000 for the society during that time. In addition, I had participated in their advocacy trip to Washington, DC several years ago and thus was seen as an ambassador for the society. He also mentioned this blog which I found interesting. As I write these posts, I never quite know who reads them.
When I went up to accept the award, I didn't quite realize how big the audience really was until I looked out. I don't mind public speaking, but this felt a little different. I had not prepared anything to say. I had a flashback to the Oscars for a moment. I started talking about how much I valued the society and why I chose to work hard to raise money for this organization.
As I looked out at my family, I saw them all crying. I became emotional myself. It was a touching moment. I also realized that it was one of the only times I had discussed my diagnosis in front of a live audience. My girls did not quite understand why I was crying, nor did I.
I left the event with mixed emotions. Every time I do something for the LLS, it is a reminder of my diagnosis that I am fortunately able to forget easily. Despite this, the organization is such a worthy one, that my own discomfort is worth it to keep them functioning to help find cures for blood cancers and support patients and families affected by these diseases.
In other news, I did receive another PCR test result from Molecular MD in Oregon. The results were again quite good. Although the scores from this lab are not undetectable, they are extremely low. It is quite likely that the same reading at Dana-Farber would have been undetectable due to the sensitivity of the test. Needless to say, I am plugging along.
The final tally is in and the team did quite well again. We raised nearly $7500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Campaign. This was our fifth year raising money for this wonderful charity and we are pleased with the results. The walk took place on a beautiful fall night and we had a great time. I am grateful for all of you who donated money and appreciate the support.
In other news, later that week, I had another PCR test done at Dana-Farber. Fortunately, it came back as undetectable again. I have now been on the lower dose of Gleevec for about 3 months. I have noticed that my eyes are swelling less, and therefore, I am tearing less than before.
I did learn some sad news during the fundraising. Back in 2006, I had written a post called Not Alone. I had written about a friend of mine from internship who had been diagnosed with colon cancer. Deb and I had talked about writing a book together about the psychosocial aspects of cancer.
I had been out of touch with Deb and her husband, Todd, for about a year. I had sent them a donation request and that is when I learned that Deb had passed away last winter. I was pretty devastated. Deb and I had a really good connection as colleagues, but an even stronger one as cancer patients. I was so sorry to hear of her passing and the impact that it will have on her family and friends. As sad as I am, it also reminded me about how lucky I was to be doing as well as I am.
The annual Light the Night Walk in Providence is quickly approaching. This is the 5th year of our participation and it has been a wonderful experience. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a great organization. It has helped me and many other with blood cancers in incredible ways.
This year's event will be held on Saturday night, September 25, 2010 at Lippitt Memorial Park in Providence, RI. The opening ceremony starts at 6:30 and the walk begins at 7. It is about a 3 mile course. For those who have not seen it before, it is very powerful. There are about one thousand people walking down Blackstone Boulevard with lit balloons all in an effort to raise money for this great organization.
There are a number of ways to participate. You are welcome to donate to me or any of my team mates. You may go to my site (Light the Night Page). Any donation is appreciated.
If you are interested in walking, you may sign up as a walker on the same site. On the top banner, it reads "Walk with Us". Please feel free to email me with any questions as well.
In terms of other news, my PCR test came back with excellent results again. My number keeps going down. The level was 0.0008. Excellent news even on a lower dose of medication.
It has been a long time since I have written on this blog and many people have been requesting an update. It is not that nothing has been happening, but just that my spring was encompassed by a disastrous flood that ruined my office. Fortunately or unfortunately, I happened to be in Disney World when this happened. I returned to an awful mess and some crisis management to keep the business running. The picture is what happened to our computer equipment when 3 feet of water invade your office.
Soon after this disaster, I headed out west to meet with Dr. Druker for my annual visit. Earlier that same week, he was on the Dr. Oz show. Here is the clip below.
Dr. Druker said that he was receiving calls from all over the world because the show seemed to indicate that Gleevec was a miracle pill for many types of cancer.
Anyway, my visit went smoothly and calmly. I had blood drawn and we talked about longer term plans. Dr Druker wanted me to have a Gleevec Level test conducted because he suspected that I might be on too high a dose of the medication and could likely come down from the 800 mg. In order to do this, I needed another kit that was shipped to me and was sent off to the CML Alliance. Unfortunately, due to a dispute with the FDA, the information from the CML Alliance had to be removed from the web.
After our visit to Portland, we jumped on a plane and headed to the Bay Area to meet up with our friends Angela and Russ. We visited Napa Valley and San Francisco and had a wonderful time.
When I returned home, I had the blood work done. I received a call from Carolyn at OHSU letting me know that my PCR level was still extremely low and only barely detectable based on the ultra sensitive tests that they use at Molecular MD. My Gleevec level also came back as quite high indicating that I needed to come down off the 800 mg to 600 mg.
Interestingly, this posed some logistical issues. First, I would need a new prescription which is usually not a big deal under normal circumstances. Due to the high cost of this medication, there is an extensive pre-certification process that has to occur. Also, the pill comes in 400 mg tablets or 100 mg tablets. That would mean I would break the 400 into 2 or get a bunch of 100 mg tablets. The problem with breaking the 400 mg into 2 is that it is released quicker in your body and may produce some side effects.
I took the plunge last night and took my first 600 mg dose of Gleevec. I will have another PCR test in August to monitor my progress and make sure my numbers don't change.
Dr. Druker also talked about some potentially encouraging research out of Europe. Some people with CML and taking Gleevec have been able to come off the medication and have no return of symptoms. Others have tried the same thing and symptoms did return, but disappeared again once Gleevec was restarted. This might suggest that Gleevec could be curative in nature, but there is not yet enough research to determine this.
The other good news is that my office was fixed and we moved back in. This allows me to breathe a small sign of relief.
So I decided to let Dana-Farber know about my missing PCR test from December. I sent a letter to the head of the Quality Improvement and Patient Safety committee at the hospital. I received an immediate response and apology with indications that further investigations would be under way. The following day, I received a call from another person on the committee apologizing again. Yesterday, I received a letter reporting the findings of their investigation. My blood was drawn in December, sent to the laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital, but disappeared from there. Based on my complaint, they are implementing a performance enhancement regarding blood specimen tracking. What is amazing is that the hospital seems to have an extremely updated system. At my last blood draw, the phlebotomist used a wireless machine to scan my ID bracelet and another wireless device to print out the appropriate labels. Despite technology, there is always room for human error.
On another note, I spoke to my doctor today and he reported that my PCR test was still undetectable.
This is the letter I sent to Dana-Farber following my missing PCR test from December.
Dear Dr. Weingart,
I am not sure if I should be sending this letter to you, so please feel free to pass it on to the appropriate person. I have been a patient at Dana-Farber four 4 years now. I have had an excellent experience being treated for CML. As part of my protocol, I have routine PCR blood tests every 3 months.
I came in yesterday for a checkup with my oncologist and to have a new PCR test completed. I was stunned to find out that my last test, which took place in December, was never completed. I had come in on a Saturday in December to have my blood drawn. Since it is hard for me to come during the week, I often go to the infusion room that is open on the weekend. After the blood was drawn, I did call my oncologist to check on the results. He reported undetectable findings which I was quite pleased about.
When I spoke with my oncologist yesterday at our meeting, I asked for a printout of the labs from December. He could not find any other tests for that date except for a CBC. Under the PCR test, it said “Pending”. Upon further investigation from the oncologist and his nurse practitioner, the laboratory did not know what happened, but my blood and test results were not processed appropriately.
It is unclear to me who might be at fault for this error. It certainly could have been the nurse who took my blood or potentially the laboratory. Of course, my doctor should also have noticed that the information he provided me was inaccurate as well. Upon speaking to another CML patient who receives treatment at Dana-Farber, she reported that the same thing had happened to her.
I wanted to make someone aware of this issue in case this is a systemic or computer problem. Fortunately for me, my blood work has been excellent so I was not overly worried about my results. I would imagine, however, that if I were newly diagnosed, I would be extremely upset.
I had my 6 month visit to Dana-Farber today. I really dislike (perhaps hate) going up there. I like my doctor, but it is possibly one of the most depressing and crowded places I have been. It is a good thing I am not claustrophobic. Aside from the 2 hour ride to get there, I also learned that my last PCR test was actually not done. I had blood drawn in December and I called two weeks later to find out the results. The doctor told me it was undetectable, but he was reading my test result from September and not December. I am pretty upset about this for several reasons. On a practical level, I was mad because we drove up to the hospital on a Saturday. I waited two hours for a nurse to draw my blood. Apparently, that same nurse also forgot to send my blood for the test. Also, now I have not had a PCR test for 6 months despite the fact that this is supposed to happen every 3 months. There is nothing I can do about it now.
At today's visit, I had my blood drawn again and it was definitely sent for the PCR test today. My wife also asked about an H1N1 test, since I never had one. Thinking this would be a fast and simple process, I agreed to have this done. I was then told to go to the infusion room. I then waited a half hour. When I got in to have the shot, a nurse comes over with the needle. Guess who it was? The same nurse who lost my blood. I did not say anything because I am sure she has seen hundreds of patients since she saw me last.
Anyway, the waiting game begins again. I will have results in a couple of weeks. In May, back to Portland for a more pleasant oncology appointment.
I just looked at my watch and noticed that date. It has been 4 years since I was diagnosed with CML. It is sort of amazing to me how little I think of this anymore. I do have to go to Dana-Farber next week. Four years ago, I could only imagine myself as a cancer patient. Now, cancer plays only a minor role in my life play. Thank you Gleevec!
I am grateful that I have had such luck in this fight and that CML has not become my life. I owe a lot to my family and friends who have supported me through this whole process. This diagnosis was probably a lot harder on them than it was on me.
I vividly recall that awful night 4 years ago when I got the call about my white blood count. I had just walked into the house with Chinese food. I never did get to eat that soup.
Yesterday I received my latest PCR test results. Fortunately, they continue to be undetectable or PCRU for those who know CML jargon. What was funny was that I had forgotten to call to get the results until my CML buddy, Wanda, reminded me. Thanks Wanda!
I started thinking that this whole thing has become so normal to me and really an after thought. That is quite different than it was almost 4 years ago where I would dwell on every number or any symptom. I would spend time reading about CML, looking at the message boards, and communicating with others about this topic. Now, it hardly comes up at all. The reality is that I don't really think about it all that much.
The only time it is a reality is when I go to the hospital. This past visit, I went for a routine blood test on a Saturday. The blood lab is not open at Dana-Farber on Saturday so they sent me to the infusion room. I was sitting around with many people who were getting chemotherapy and possibly spending the day there. I really felt out of place. I do have to return in February for a 6-month follow up.
CML has certainly changed over the course of my diagnosis. It has gone from a primary stressor at the beginning, to some background noise every so often. Let's hope it stays that way. Perhaps one day I will be able to say, I used to have CML.
I just came across a number of news articles about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar having cancer and more specifically, leukemia. I quickly discovered that Kareem has CML, just like me. While I would not wish such a diagnosis on anyone, I was relieved to hear that this was the type he had. It was similar to when I heard about my diagnosis and the doctors congratulated me.
I am happy that Kareem came out with this information and happier still that he will be involved with an educational campaign about the topic.
What I found disheartening was the tone that these news stories took. I got the feeling from some that Kareem was on his death bed when that was clearly not the case. He takes the same medication as me which converted this once deadly diagnosis into a chronic and manageable medical condition. Kareem continues to lead a normal life and CML will take a backseat to all of his other activities. I am hoping that Kareem's ordeal and educational will help inform the general public about the miracle of Gleevec.
I know that the Light the Night Event took place some time ago, but I have not had a chance to write until now. It has been a busy fall. Here are some pictures that we took the night of the event. It was a spectacular evening. We had a very large group of partcipants from Team Gershon and overall, there was a tremendous crowd supporting the whole event.
Our team did a wonderful job with fundraising and we we raised the most money of any private team in the state. Overall, our total was $9238. Although this is less than we have raised in past year, it is a very respectable number given the economy.
I wanted to thank everyone who donated, walked, or helped with this event. It is a powerful evening for me everytime. This was the first year both of my daughters participated. In addition, I finally had to talk to my oldest daughter about why we were doing the walk in the first place. She started asking questions this year and I knew some of her friends knew about me. I wanted to make sure I was the one who told her about my CML.Although it was a difficult conversation, it was easier than most cancer discussions given my prognosis and treatment options.
In other CML news, there was nice article in the New York Times last week about Dr. Druker and Gleevec. You can read it by clicking here.
Thanks again for making the Light the Night Walk 2009 a magical evening.
This Saturday night is the annual Light the Night Event. I am very excited for this fun event. It will be the first time my daughter, Ava, will be coming. In addition, I will be meeting one of my CML buddies, Wanda, who I have only corresponded with by email.
Despite the economy, people have been extremely generous. We have raised over $7000 and are quickly approaching $8000. Although this is less than we have raised before, it is still a very impressive amount of money to donate. Some people were so generous, they even donated twice (Thanks Blusteins!).
As a reminder of why such an event is so important, two things happened today. Frist, I received my blood tests results from two weeks ago. I remain PCRU or undetectable. That is as good as it can get in CML language. Thank you Gleevec!
In addition, one of my oncologist, Dr. Brian Druker just one a very prestigious award.
Here is the press release from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society:
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is proud to congratulate Dr. Brian Druker for receiving the prestigious 2009 Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award. Dr. Druker, along with Dr. Nicholas Lydon and Dr. Charles Sawyers, is receiving the award because of their discovery of and successful clinical trials with Gleevec®, a drug that benefits chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients.
Dr. Druker received critical funding from LLS in 1995 for his research on the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, STI-571, later named Gleevec, through the Translational Research Program. He discovered that CML cells that had been taken from patients were killed by this inhibitor. In 1998, Dr. Druker was able to test Gleevec in clinical trials and 53 of the 54 patients who participated achieved normal blood counts.
Dr. Druker continued to receive funding, and in 2000 was awarded additional funds through LLS’s Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) program. In 2001, Gleevec was approved by the FDA.
Many CML patients, who once may have considered their diagnosis terminal, are now leading normal and healthy lives because of Dr. Brian Druker’s breakthrough research. LLS is proud to have funded this innovative research, and appreciates the valuable work that Dr. Druker continues to provide to our patients and their families.
For more information about this award, you can go to the Lasker Foundation Website. According to an email I received about this, many people who win this award also go on to win the Nobel Prize. Go Dr Druker!
I wanted to provide a brief update about where the team stands at this point. As of today, we have raised $3353.00 as a team. There are a few hundred dollars worth of checks that still need to be turned in and counted.
I am hopeful that in the next two weeks, we can increase the donations and walkers on our team and get closer to the goal of raising $12,000.
If you are planning to donate, please do so when you have a chance. If you are planning to walk with the team, please register. You can go to the Light the Night website and register to walk.
Incidentally, I had my 6-month visit to my doctor at Dana-Farber. Since the appointment was scheduled for 9:30, we were lucky enough to hit the rush hour traffic into Boston. It took my wife and I two hours to get there.
This was the first time that things were moving on schedule. In fact, I had to delay my vital signs because my bloodwork had not been taken yet. Once we went into the room, my doctor and another woman came in.
The other woman introduced herself to me and my wife and I assumed she was a physician due to her coat. This was not confirmed, however, until I was able to read her name tag. I am a little more sensitive to these seemingly minor issues because I have been teaching a class at Brown Medical School for 7 years on medical interviewing which incorporates bedside manner. I would have expected an explanation of who this new person was and whether I would give her permission to be in the room. None of this occurred.
My appointment was quick and too the point. Since my bloodwork was not back yet, we had little to discuss. I need to check in a week and a half to get my latest PCR value. When I had this done last time in Oregon, it was undetectable, so my doctor was quite pleased.
Overall, the appointment was good, but I certainly get a very different feel in the waiting room in Boston compared to my experience when I go to Portland, Oregon.
In the meantime, I need to focus on the fundraising and living my life as normally as possible.
Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's evening walk and fundraising event. It is the nation's night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost.
Team Gershon has been participating in the event for the past 4 years and we have raised an extraordinary amount of money to help fight blood cancers. I have been personally affected by this type of fundraising since the research to develop the medication I take for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) was funded in part by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Since I was diagnosed over 3 years ago, my medication, Gleevec, has made the leukemia cells in my body undetectable. CML has gone from a terminal illness to a chronic condition managed by this wonder drug with minimal side effects.
As you can imagine, I think the LLS is such an important organization in many ways. They were the first people I turned to after I was diagnosed and they helped me navigate the confusing world of oncology. I want to make sure I am giving back to them and I hope you will assist me in this request.
You are welcome to help out in a number of ways. Any donation is greatly appreciated. I also invite you to join my team and become a fundraiser yourself and walk with our team.You are also welcome to walk with us on September 26, 2009. Below is some information about the society and how to make a donation or sign up to participate.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) funds lifesaving research that has contributed to major advances in the treatment of blood cancers and treatments for other types of cancer, such as chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. These treatments have helped patients live better, longer lives. New targeted therapies that kill cancer cells without harming normal tissue are providing drugs and procedures that are improving quality of life.
A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.
A donation of $50 makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members.
A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.
A donation of $1,000 makes possible one- on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team.
Please make a donation to support my participation in the Light The Night Walk and help save lives. Be sure to check my Web site frequently to see my progress, and thanks for your support!
It is that time of year again and we are starting to plan for the 2009 Light the Night Event. Despite last year's tsunami during the event, we had a blast and raised a ton of money. In fact, we raised $16,660 and were the top fundraising team in Rhode Island for the 3rd time. You can see the link here.
I am hoping we can repeat our effort this year. I am in the early stages of setting up Team Gershon 2009. I am hoping to have a large number of participants, team members, and walkers. Despite the economy last year, we still managed to raise a lot of money.
This is an extremely fun and profound event. It is held all over the country. The Providence, Rhode Island event is scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2009 at Lippitt Park at the end of Blackstone Boulevard. More specific information about he walk can be found here.
For those of you who have donated or participated before, I sincerely appreciate your generosity. I would love to have a great showing again this year, and, hopefully, the weather will agree with us. It is truly a family event and the walk itself is a 3 mile stroll down Blackstone Boulevard. Everyone holds lit balloons, as you can see in the picture, to represent blood cancers. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a wonderful organization that has helped me out in many ways.
I am inviting people to participate in several ways. You are welcome to make a donation. I am looking for people to join my team and do some fundraising. (I know this sounds hard, but with the internet, this is not that difficult.) I am also looking for walkers for the event. Please feel free to email me. You can also look at my Light the Night Website for more details.
I recently returned from an exhausting, but fun trip to the Pacific Northwest. I had my 6 month check-up with Dr. Druker and Carolyn at OHSU. It was rather anticlimactic because I had received my blood test results several weeks earlier as PCRU (or undetectable). This was obviously great news and they were pleased to see such a great result. The plan is to continue to get these tests done every 3 months and return to OHSU in another year. There will be no reduction of the medication for at least 2 years since I am responding so well with few side effects.
Soon after the appointment, my wife and I took a train from Portland, OR to Seattle. This was about a 3.5 hour trip through a beautiful part of the country. We met our friends Russ and Angela out there. We had spent last May with them in Portland and the previous May we traveled together in Italy (where we had met). It was great to see them and we explored Seattle together. Seattle is a wonderful and beautiful city. We did a few things that I would highly recommend for people who are going for a visit. For those of you who have been to Pike Place Market, you know how overwhelming it can be. We decided to take a food tasting tour of the market. The Savor Seattle Tour led by Eric (who you can see in the video on their website) was wonderful. We tried foods from all over the world and got to do things other people were unable to see or do. I would highly recommend this. We also took a tour of the Puget Sound on a boat tour of the locks. This was a fun and relaxing experience. We had a blast in Seattle, despite our overall level of fatigue from the time difference.
On the day we were leaving, we received some upsetting news that a cousin on my wife's side had died of Multiple Myeloma. This is a particularly bad blood cancer that does not have a cure. Jeff (the cousin who passed away) had gone through a transplant several months ago, but his body could not fight it any longer. I admired his fight and we unfortunately shared blood cancer together. Jeff would send emails before he went back to the hospital mixed with humor and frankness. He fought a courageous fight and we visited with his family last night.
When we returned from the condolence call, we received a call from a dear friend of ours. Her father had just passed away from esophogeal cancer after a long battle and multiple surgeries, chemotherapies, etc. This awful news was also devastating and we will be heading to the funeral tomorrow.
Unfortunately, my very positive news was mixed with the sad realities of the devastation that cancer can produce. I know I am extremely lucky. When terrible events like this happen, I am reminded of how serious a matter this is. I have mixed feelings of happiness, sadness, and to some extent some guilt. I have not had to endure any of the hardships that these two men encountered. I realize now why I was congratulated when my diagnosis was made.
I received a call from Carolyn, the nurse practitioner at Dr. Druker's office last week. She was calling me to let me know that the latest PCR results had come back from a sample I had sent out a couple of weeks prior. The results came back the same as my most recent reading from Boston, undetectable. The technical name for this is PCR Undetectable or PCRU. Since this is such a sensitive test, it continues to be good news.
I am heading to Portland next week for my 6 month check up with Dr. Druker. We will be in town less than 24 hours since we are heading to Seattle from there. It will be a mini vacation. We will be meeting up with our friends from California, Russ and Angela. We can't wait.
