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Monday, September 30, 2019

Headed East!

Well, we are off on another adventure! I was certainly hoping that my back would be better by now, but it is not. Between that and the stabbing pains in the back of my head and my abdomen, I pray that things will get better, as I travel on.

I certainly miss the days when I did not have cancer, and aches and pains were just aches and pains; which these probably are, but ever since I have had cancer, I always wonder what each and every little weird feeling is! I wonder if we all now worry more about our health than we used to??

Of course, I shall not allow any of this to keep me from enjoying my trip but will be certain to have it all checked out when I get home if these things persist.

So, living in Boise means few non-stop flights to anywhere. Today, we flew into San Diego, before heading east; besides adding more than an hour to our day, once we arrived in San Diego, on Southwest, we had to change planes; and gates.

No big deal, right? HA! Don't let that fool you! In San Diego, to change gates, there is a good possibility (which we had not calculated into our plans); to reach our new gate, for the second leg of our flight, we had to go out through baggage claim and BACK through security!!

Wouldn't you think that this is something that they might have told passengers? So that you do NOT buy that $5 bottle of water at the first terminal, just to leave a secure area, to enter a non-secure area, just to go right back through security?? And to make sure you have enough time to GO back through security to catch your next flight??

The least they could do is make a separate TSA Pre line or something, right? UGH! Of course, as I was "complaining" (my husband's words) to the people in front of me, in the security line, (for the second time) I was lucky enough to have them offer to take my water through with them, and their baby! lol

Apparently, if you have a baby, you can bring water through security!

So I did not lose MY $5 bottle of water, but the hubs did! lol Thank you, passengers, with the baby!!

Fortunately, today we had plenty of time, but this inconvenience will certainly steer me clear of San Diego airport in the future!  I certainly expect to change terminals when flying internationally, but NOT domestically!

At any rate, off we went, three movies worth and arrived at our destination; 15 minutes AFTER the shuttle stopped bringing people to our hotel! Perfect, right?

My thought, well, maybe we can pick up the rental car tonight instead of paying for a cab, and coming back to the airport in the morning., thus saving us time and spending $$ more wisely.

That was the ticket, and we even got a free upgrade, in the lot, to a mid-sized car; SCORE! It always pays to ask the attendant "Which car would you pick?"

We are excited to head to Ohio in the morning, to visit my cousin and his family!

It has been a LONG day.
Good-night.

Light the Night 2019 Donations

FaceBook: CML: A Place for Hope and Humor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmlmichele
Email: CMLMichele59@gmail.com

#chronicillness  #bosulifbackpain  #chronicmyelogenousleukemia  #Bosulif  #leukemia  #lovemylife  #cml #sideeffects #tracelingwithleukemia  #cmlspecialist #ontheroadagain  #thrivingwithleukemia #livingwithcancer

Thursday, September 19, 2019

My Bosulif Back

I just had to go and spout how happy I was that I had not had any issues with back pain in so long, that I could not even remember the last time I did!

The universe did not skip a beat, and quickly slammed me; my back has been "bad" for nearly seven weeks and it SUCKS! It has made me weary, and is so very frustrating. So many things I want to do, and just cannot.

At first, I thought I had just "over-done" it and it was a strain or something of that sort. I quickly realized that it really was not entirely muscular, which not I kind of wish it was, as it would have "healed".

It seems to be more of nerve pain, I think. It runs along my lower spine, yet I have to be careful bending over, to pick something up, or put on my socks!

I believe that it correlates with my last bottle two bottles of Bosulif, and am praying that my new bottle will be better, and eliminate this pain. I did report it to Pfizer, and they did a thorough report; it does not seem that uncommon of a complaint.

It is a clear reminder to really enjoy those lesser, side effect days, as you never know when that might change.

Thank goodness I knit and crochet, as it helps tremendously to still be able to create, despite all of the sitting, on a heating pad.

For those of you that are also suffering side effects that are stopping you in your tracks; I empathize, and encourage you to find a hobby that will help to occupy your mind.

On the upside, my PCR has never been better! .032, I can hardly wait to see then next one.

Happy National Blood Cancer Awareness month to all of you warriors out there in CML land!

Light the Night 2019 Donations

FaceBook: CML: A Place for Hope and Humor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmlmichele
Email: CMLMichele59@gmail.com

#chronicillness  #bosulifbackpain  #chronicmyelogenousleukemia  #Bosulif  #leukemia  #lovemylife  #cml #sideeffects #leukemialymphomasociety  #cmlspecialist #lightthenight  #thrivingwithleukemia #livingwithcancer

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Leukemia Awareness Month:2019

It was January of 2011. I had just returned from the UCWDC World's Dance competition, and I was exhausted. I chalked up my exhaustion to the rigors of preparing for the competition and was surprised when my energy had not returned a month later.

During this time, I had an appointment with an optometrist. He discovered "blood" inside my eyeballs, and questioned whether I had high blood pressure or anemia. I assured him that I did not, and he recommended that I see a physician, and told me not to worry.

Several weeks later, during my annual visit to my gynocological oncologist, I explained my ailments (signs and symptoms); headaches, shortness of breath, night sweats, "bug bites", feeling of fullness below my rib cage on my left side, the blood inside my eyes,  bruising and the weird color of my blood.

He recommended a CT scan and a blood test; by morning, he had confirmed a diagnosis of leukemia and told me to go immediately to the ER, as he had already contacted a hematologic oncologist to meet me there.

It was forty-eight hours before the diagnosis was confirmed as chronic myelogenous leukemia. I had undergone a bone marrow biopsy, been hooked up to a machine to remove the massive amount of white cells in my bloodstream and had chemotherapy dripping into my veins.

I was a sick puppy and I was told that I must learn to live with leukemia, for the rest of my life. Fortunately, for me, CML was now a "treatable" cancer, and despite the extreme cost of the life-saving medication, I would be able to obtain treatment and learn to live with the uncertainty and side effects that come along with a diagnosis of chronic cancer.

Because of research done during the late 1990s, I am still here today to tell my story, and to continue to live my life. This great blessing has led me to become a patient advocate for CML and to join in the fundraising efforts of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during the month of September, which is National Blood Cancer Awareness Month.

Every October, Boise participates in the Light the Night Walk which is organized by the LLS:

"When you or someone you love hears the words "you have cancer"...It's one of the darkest moments in your life.

At Light The Night, it is our aim to bring light to the darkness of cancer through research and cures. Light The Night is a series of fundraising campaigns benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) funding of research to find blood cancer cures. We bring hope instead of despair by working to ensure access to treatments for all blood cancer patients. We bring communities together to celebrate those who are fighting the disease and to honor those we have lost.
We are taking steps to end cancer. WE LIGHT THE NIGHT."

So, once again, I am calling on friends and family to help me raise money to Light the Night!!

Thank you so much for your support!

Light the Night 2019 Donations

FaceBook: CML: A Place for Hope and Humor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmlmichele
Email: CMLMichele59@gmail.com

#chronicillness  #fundraiserforleukeia  #chronicmyelogenousleukemia  #Bosulif  #leukemia  #lovemylife  #cml #travellingwithcancer #leukemialymphomasociety  #cmlspecialist #lightthenight  #thrivingwithleukemia #livingwithcancer

Bricks for the Brave!!