I have not posted for some, essentially waiting for test results. As you may recall, my numbers had unfortunately gone in the wrong direction last spring. Soon thereafter, I started on a higher dose of Gleevec and also went back on simvastatin. Over the summer, I had another PCR test revealing scores of about the same from what I had in the spring. The only good news was that the numbers were not going up, but rather staying the same. Just a couple of weeks ago, I went for another follow up visit in Boston and to have another PCR done. This was now about 6 months after starting the increased ..read more

It has been a long time since I have written anything. For a while, there was little to write about. CML had become something really on the back burner for some time. Other than my 6 month appointments at Dana-Farber and my annual meeting at OHSU, I did not think of CML very much. Of course, I was continuing to take my medication daily, but it became automatic. Perhaps I was getting a little too cocky about this whole CML thing. That seemed to change back in March. I had my regular appointment with Dr. Stone and had my blood work done. Since I had no new results, the appointment was fairly un ..read more

So today was my 40th birthday. I had a lot of mixed feelings about my birthday and did not want a big celebration, much to the chagrin of my wife and mother. For some reason, I felt that 40 meant that I was getting old. While nobody likes to get older, I realized I needed to take a different perspective altogether. In many ways, I am lucky to be alive. I was diagnosed with CML over 6 years ago. Not too long ago, the life expectancy of someone with my diagnosis was 5 years. That would have meant that I was not likely to reach 40. That was until Gleevec became available. This medication truly ..read more

I have not written for quite some time so I thought I would provide an update since a lot of people have asked me about how I am doing. To sum up how things are going, they are really good. I went two weeks ago for my semi-annual check up with Dr. Stone. Last week I received the results from my latest PCR test and they continue to remain undetectable. While I was there I took a picture of the Healing Garden which is located near the cafeteria at the new building at Dana Farber. This was a nice urban oasis and I would recommend checking it out if you happen to visit the hospital. The other n ..read more

I recently returned from my annual visit to Portland to visit with Dr. Druker and Carolyn Blasdel. I had gone out by myself this year as schedules did not work out well for an extended visit. I was fortunate to find that JetBlue was now flying directly from Boston to Portland. The only downfall is that the only return flight they had was a red eye. Needless to say, I was pretty tired upon my return. My visit was a little different than in past years. The clinic was much busier than I had ever seen it and I was put in a different room. This did not bother me too much. My meetings with the medi ..read more

I was doing some errands this morning when I received an email from my CML buddy, Wanda, who let me know she was thinking of me today. At first I thought, what is she talking about. Then I remembered the date. Today is the 6th anniversary of my diagnosis. I am not sure if this is a date worth celebrating or forgetting, but it was certainly interesting that I had totally forgotten about it. A lot has changed in 6 years. Fortunately, CML has been placed on the back burner. I will be reminded later this month when I have my 6 month visit at Dana Farber. In May, I will be returning to Portland to ..read more

CML has started to take a backseat in my life and I hope it stays there. I have had continued to be monitored for my blood work and my numbers remain steady and even. I am having PCR tests done at both Dana-Farber and in Portland, OR. What I find interesting, or perhaps frustrating, is that my numbers at Dana-Farber come back undetectable, but the same test in Oregon is coming up with slight traces of leukemic cells. They are very small amounts and still represent a major molecular response. It almost seems pointless to have the testing done in Boston when the results are more sensitive, and t ..read more

It is that time of year again when we start fundraising for a very important event, the annual Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Team Gershon has been participating in this wonderful charity event for 6 years now and we have raised a lot of money thanks to generous donations from people like you. As most of you are aware, I was diagnosed with a blood cancer (CML) in 2006 and have been lucky to benefit from a ground breaking medication, Gleevec, whose development was funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. For this reason, my family, friends, and I have been part ..read more

So my wife and I recently returned from our annual trip out to Portland to meet with Dr. Brian Druker and Carolyn Blasdel. We usually try to make this an extended trip since it is such a long plane ride. Since we have another trip planned over the summer, we made it a quick two-day mini vacation for us. Portland in the spring is usually quite beautiful. That was not the case for this trip and we hit cold and rainy weather. My visit with Dr. Druker and Carolyn went quite well. I am progressing exactly as they had hoped. Due to my low numbers and time since diagnosis (5 years) the chances of ..read more

Great article in Smithsonian Magazine talking about the history and development of Gleevec as well as the crucial role that Dr. Brian Druker had in treating CML. We are approaching the 10 year anniversary of FDA approval of Gleevec. It was a great read and highlights what an incredible individual Dr. Druker is. I am looking forward to seeing him in a few weeks. Click on this link to see the article ..read more