Welcome to Connect, @fonseca.
You'll notice that I moved your message to this existing discussion so that you can meet @gmack who was diagnosed with CLL just last fall. I'd also like to introduce you to @mikeyp @KathleenWarren @ikampel2 and @69holding who have experience with CLL and @katemn who's husband has CLL.

Fonseca, is your husband's care team recommending "watch and wait" treatment at this point in time?

@fonseca, do you have a first name .. makes it more personal! I can only speak from my own personal experience. My husband was diagnosed in I think 1995 or 96. Was working himself to death .. very stressful business owner .. getting 3-4 hours sleep a night. Was told he had Stage 4 CLL. So what did he do? Sold his business , divorced his wife of 36 not so good years, went on a long road trip by himself to re evaluate his life. Came home .. started working out .. eating in a more healthy manner .. lost weight .. took up golf and fishing .. re established old friendships.

When I met him a year and a half later .. I was not about to marry a man about to die so I met with his Oncologist .. was told he was back at Stage ONE!! That he would NOT die of CLL .. he would eventually die of an infection. Travel forward to 2014 .. we have a wonderful GOOD Oncologist (do your "due diligence and find a GOOD ONE!). My husband is now THIS MANY YEARS LATER .. now back at Stage 4 .. BUT there was a NEWLY approved Chemotherapy that our Oncologist said could be "potentially life changing" .. IMBRUVICA. My husband had tried a couple of other things SO when Imbruvica was approved .. my husband has now been on it since October 2014! As we have been told .. it is NOT a cure .. but is "life sustaining". He is doing wonderfully on Imbruvica .. some bruising so what the heck!

@fonseca, I have told you this long story .. Why .. because since I met my husband in 2000 .. we have had a WONDERFUL life .. have traveled all over the world .. had a glorious life! THAT is why I took the time to tell you our story! Our secret? DENIAL! Our attitude through all our health issues .. If it is NOT staring us in the face .. it does NOT exist .. we just go on with our lives and have fun! PLEASE .. you do the same! Life is what YOU decide to make it! Make it fun! Hugs to you both! Katherine and Richard

I have had CLL for over 6 years. Watch and wait is a common way to address this. My doctor told me some people never need treatment.In my case my white cell count kept going up to where I did need treatment. In 4 years my count exceeded 200 thousand and lymph nodes in my neck and under my arms were swollen. My spleen was also enlarged. At this time treatment had to start. I got into a clinical trial in which rituximab was given to me in by IV in I think 1 treatment a week for a month then I treatment a month for a couple of months. All that while and to this day I take I take 3 140mg tablets of Ibrutinib daily. My white cell count is down to 12 thousand, lymph nodes are no longer swollen and there have been no side effects. There was a group of people in the trial who only took Ibrutinib and I understand they are doing well. A negative about Ibrutinib is that it lowers your immune system.My immunoglobulin numbers are low. I have not had any problems related to this. I hope this helps you.
GMACK