Remembering World CML Day When I'm Doing Better

This year it felt different. It wasn’t really on my radar but then again, that’s not necessarily a surprise. I normally remember World CML Day, just about. But that’s easier because of 9 and 22. Although in this country we say the date first and then the month rather than the month and then the date. So there is always the opportunity for me to forget that too…

Last year, I think because my baby girl was only 4 months old, I was still in a bit of a newborn bubble. Although I can’t actually remember. I could look back through posts to see if I wrote about it, but then I’ll lose my flow and god knows what I will end up typing. So I’m staying focused on this.

Still off my treatment

Amazingly I’m still off treatment for my chronic myeloid leukemia. My most recent result is taking a little bit longer to be processed so I don’t know what it is. But my consultant is still pretty chilled. With the caveat of "you have some **** (drug name) don’t you, in case you need to restart it?"  Yes, I do, so that has her worry appeased. Although, unbelievably, it’s about to expire and it’s unopened! This has never happened because I haven’t needed to take it. And yes. My consultant does know this. And yes. She is poised ready and waiting to write me a new prescription if I need it.

Stepping away from the blood cancer community

So when I did a little video on World CML Day for my work Instagram and LinkedIn part of me was a little bit like, "Should I be doing this? Does this relate to me?" Since being off treatment and having a baby to look after I have massively stepped away from the blood cancer community. I do basically nothing for the charity I’m an ambassador for. My values and theirs are so different now in many ways. My patience for others is much less and I’m bored and fed up with the same message from some on topics that are no longer relevant to me.

Have I changed because I'm chemo-free?

But maybe it’s just me that has changed. Not just because of becoming a mother but because of being chemo free. I genuinely forget about my CML most of the time. I don’t have that daily reminder of taking chemo. I don’t have the side effects to deal with that were so debilitating.

I’m genuinely getting on with life and cancer just doesn’t really feature at the moment. Which is amazing.

Blending motherhood and cancer

But as you can see, I still have brain vomit around it. So my monthly musings will continue and I’m starting a personal TikTok on cancer, motherhood, puppy life etc as I used to use twitter and still need a place to brain vomit. So I’ll see how that goes!