A Beginning, A Middle, And An End

Every story has a beginning a middle and an end. Some stories have multiple volumes or chapters. The chapter of my life that was ruled by CML is at it's end. I still have cancer in my bone marrow, but I'm moving on.

In the beginning I was angry, confused and depressed. Asking how and why this happened to me. Desperately searching for the light of reason in the chaos. I was on disability for 5 months and spent 80% of that on the couch suffering the side effects of the drug that was keeping me alive. I was told it would be difficult or impossible to have children. I cried.

In the middle Wendy and I found out that we could indeed have children. The visits to Stanford for my checkups became less and less eventful. They even got boring. I went back to work part time, then changed companies and accepted a very challenging full time position. There were a couple of weeks here and there where I got so run down that I missed work. Then even those stopped happening. I posted less and less on this blog.

In the end, Wendy and I have a beautiful, healthy baby boy that brings a smile to my face every time I come home from work. I don't think about CML anymore. I've essentially stopped posting things on this blog because nothing interesting happens that's related to CML. My visits to Stanford come every 3 months. I see the hematologist for about 5 minutes. It's boring. I haven't missed work due to anything CML related in 4 months. My BCR-ABL has been stable at a "greater than three log reduction" for over one year.

And so I've moved on. This is the end of my CML chapter. Maybe someday another chapter will be written on this topic. I hope not, but I'm not worried. There is no use in wasting the time I have been given worrying about what may happen with the cancer I carry around inside of me. I grieve for the "cancer" friends I've lost, and I hope for the ones still struggling to find stability and normalcy.

I take my pill every night, and I live my life. There will be no more posts to this blog unless something outstanding happens related to CML, either for good or bad.

And so in the words of my favorite segment of Saturday Night Live: "Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow".

I Think He's Stable Jim

Finally got my PCR results back from Stanford last week. I'm still at a greater than 3 log reduction and holding. This means that my test results have been stable for about 1 year. There's no clinical meaning to that duration of time but it's a milestone for me.

(And a happy birthday to cancer dog by the way.)

Hello Dylan

I am pleased, excited, elated and happy to let you know that Wendy gave birth on December 27, 2009 at 10:02pm to a perfect, beautiful little boy. He was 5 days early, weighed 8lbs 10oz and was 19.5 inches long. We named him Dylan Leonard.

Both Wendy and the baby are doing wonderful. My family has been in town for a couple of days visiting and sharing this most special time with us. I am still awed every time I hold him what a little miracle he is.

Last night we rang in the new year with our little boy, our first New Years Eve as a family. I'm overwhelmed with emotion just thinking about it. Tonight we're all sitting around my living room enjoying family. We're just so thankful.

Happy New Year!

(You can see more pictures here.)