Three years ago I was diagnosed (dx).  I know its scary when the doctor informs you that you have blood cancer.  I made out a living will.  I married my long time companion (she and I had been together for 8 years) and then I waited to die. Wait and Watch...wait and watch and wait.  Only when I started to educate my-self about cll did I come to the realization that I am going to be around for awhile. It's a crummy card we all have been delt but I know there are a lot worse.  Stay with this group of comrades, ask questions and never give up.

Richard

Hi There!

I was diagnosed last month with CLL. I was very lucky it was caught so early.  I will go in eavery 3 months for blood work up to keep n eye on things.  You?

Cheryl.

Hi. Sorry it took so long for me to welcome you here. I was diagnosed with CLL/SLL in January 2009. I was Stage II and needed to start treatment right away. Did my 6 mos. of FCR and now on Retuxin every 3 months. What stage are you? Have you started treatment or are you on w&w?

Please keep all of us updated.

All I can say is..."Relax..... its a long, slow road!".  It will be years ( more than likely) that you'll be anywhere near your death bed. I read that the median life expectancy is over 10 years from time of diagnose and getting higher.  When your lympocyte count is getting up around 100K and its doubling within 6 months... then it could get hectic with treatments.  Some doctors are more pro aggressive treatment than others.  Some clinics (hospitals) are more than willing to feed your anxieties with treatments and visits.  Most treatments are very much experimental ( hit or miss). Some can even make your condition worse by lowering your immune defense system. The "C" word is very frightning. Our cancer is, to me anyway, a lot more frightning because youu can't point to it and say "ther's my tumor" and the doctors can't focuse on a given area.  A very good web site ( CLLtopics) has so much info.. There's a section about life expectancy with CLL you might be interested in.   We are all sad that you have joined us with your diagnose but happy that you have found our family and look forward to hearing from you.

Hi there!

My name iI s cheryl and it is nice to meet you!  I have been pretty busy myself.  I have CLL and every year I have gone in for regular Physicals.  This year my white blood white count was 7000, I went to an

Oncologist and the rest is history as they say.  I have been taking extra strengh vitamins and they have helped my fatigue.  I take one day at a time and try not to think about the big C.  From what I have read,

CLL is a slow cancer which is fine as far as I am concerned.  I work at a very stressful job and have applied to a differen't company for a new job.  The company I have applied to has the same insurance that I

now have.  Good news or bad?  We all have heard horror storys of people that are denied coverage for a pre exisitng condition. The stress I am under at my current job, I know is not good for my CLL condition.

I am hoping that if I get this new job it was meant to be and that everything will be OK.  You wrote in another response that you are 62 and old?  Girl in this time of our life, 62 is todays 42!  Never say you are

old.  I am 50 and don't say or think that is old!  Hang in there and think positive>:O)