Time Off for Good Behavior

Whew Hooo! Guess what. Dr Sanga said at my visit on April 10th that I did not have to come back again for blood work for a month and not see him again for 6 weeks. He was pleased with my last FISH test and my CBC so said he felt good about not having me come in every week for a blood draw. My next draw will me May 8th when I will have another FISH test as well as my first PCR. PCR stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction which is a sensitive test that can measure the presence of cancer cell-markers in the blood. PCR is used to detect remaining cancer cells that cannot be detested by other test. This will show when I am in my 3rd stage of remission. I don't expect this to happen for at least another month but it will be nice to see what the results are. Once that is down where it is suppose to be then I will have another bone marrow done and tested to say I am in complete remission.

Craig was excited about this news as well but he also made a comment saying, "Now you will be paranoid for the next month I suppose." Well, he is right. With out the weekly checks to see that things are going ok it is easy for my mind to wander and wonder if things really are ok. My mind hasn't been too bad. This is the first week I haven't had to go in and so that was kind of unusual for me. My body and mind was just getting use to going in every week and my car new the way quite well. I am sure as the weeks go on that my mind will wonder more and more.

Dr Sangha did admit that he was somewhat concerned in my result for the FISH test previously before this last one in the fact that it wasn't down to where he had thought it should be. So was glad to see that the last FISH test was down as far as it was. He was a afraid my counts could have been on the rise. But see how your prayers have kept me safe. I will need to remember that in the up coming weeks.

My pills have all of a sudden started making me feel a little "icky" after taking them. I have always eaten something before taking them and it never really seem to matter what it was as long as it was a fairly decent meal and not too little. Well, now no matter what I eat it just seems to be making my stomach a little upset. I have tried eating things different and taking the pills at different times of the day but nothing has helped so called the Dr Friday. The nurse said to try to take the pill Dr Sangha prescribed when I first got the Gleevex for nausea that I never had to take and see if that helps. It does seem to be helping so far.

My prayer for me right now is that my mind doesn't get too paranoid with not know for sure what my counts are and that my pills don't continue to cause me any upset stomach aches. Not that they are terrible but they are annoying and bothersome.

In my last update I asked for Prayers for a David Glassner who was diagnosed with AML. I need to correct that some. He was diagnosed with ALL which is Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. He has had chemo treatments and he recent blood counts and last bone marrow after the chemo is looking good and doing what the doctors want. I just ask that you continue to pray for him as he will be having more chemo but less often and that he continue to get to have strength and know God is with him and his family.