Three Years of Good Health

March 13th, 2012 marked my three year anniversary of my diagnoses of leukemia. I am ecstatic to write that I am healthy and happy and grateful for every breath I take. My brother is also doing just fine.

I had an appointment with Dr. Carraway the other day and she is pleased with my progress. What doctor wouldn't enjoy a positive outcome? She didn't order a bone marrow biopsy again this time, but will have my blood tested for the BCR-ABL marker that alerts her to any changes in regard to leukemia. Those results won't be in for about a week but neither of us is worried. She also felt for an enlarged spleen which sometimes is an indicator, but once again all is well.

I continue to meet with a nutritionist to try to sort out and learn what I can do to get my digestive track back on track. I have removed gluten and dairy/lactose from my diet and have shown much improvement. Its a challenge though, especially when we go out to eat. I discovered gluten-free beer and a gluten-free vodka. Fortunately many stores around here carry such products.

So things continue in the right direction. I feel truly blessed.

A Quick Update

Not much to report except that things continue to go well. Dr. Carraway referred me to a Dr. Linda Lee who is a GI doctor because I was still having lots of problems with digestion. We hit if off immediately. She is very out-spoken and matter of fact, but she believes in treating her patients holistically, which I am totally in favor of. The one thing I don't need is another medication. She has confirmed my suspicions that I have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) which is probably a result of my body going through transplant and from the medications that I need to take daily. She explained many things to me in regard to IBS and how my body actually works, and about hidden food ingredients that I should avoid -one being high fructose corn syrup and certain fruits. She then referred me (at my request) to a nutritionist who also practices holistically. Wow, what a difference she has made in my life. I no longer live in fear of having to run from a restaurant after eating something that I shouldn't have. She recommended an over-the-counter all-natural supplement that is a probiotic and it has changed my life forever! That doesn't mean that I am not super vigilant about what I eat because I am, but overall I think this supplement it a huge factor in my overall comfort and good health.

Thankfully, there are many foods out there that are gluten-free and lactose-free, but I have taken to making my own bread and other baked goods. I have even found a couple of gluten-free beers and a good gluten-free vodka so I haven't had to give those things up. My biggest challenge comes when we go out to eat, but I think I am managing quite well.  My next nutritionist appointment is March 7th so that we can figure out the next steps. My next oncology appointment is March 8th.