Highs and Lows of CLL
2015 started off GREAT! I married my soulmate on a beach in Key West on 2/7. 1 month to the day later I said goodbye to one of my brothers. He had fought a 20 year battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). A stem cell transplant brought on a horrible case of graft vs. host disease that took his lungs. A few months later, June 16, I was diagnosed with CLL.
The right treatment for me
Knowing what I knew of my brother's battle, I immediately ruled out Chemo. Thankfully I live close enough to The James cancer center in Columbus Ohio (Ohio State). I would end up enrolling in a clinical trial immunotherapy drug which, after a year of monthly infusions, completely wiped out my CLL!
5 years of remission
I have 5 years of remission under my belt and, despite some occasional bouts with fatigue, I am not having any adverse side effects! God blessed me with a GREAT support system and a new look at what matters most in life here on Earth!
God bless all my fellow warriors and survivors!
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