CLL and Abnormal FISH results: Need some insight & encouragement

Thank you for thinking of me and I am sorry that I haven't posted yet, being that my appointment was on Thursday, but it is the holiday season and I am still working way to many hours....LOL....GRATEFULLY,

So, I went into my follow-up appointment all read up on everything that I was possibly looking at, possible treatment options, and everything else that goes along with trying to diagnose oneself.

As I had found out, and you and others pointed out, YES, the missing genes are not a good thing, they lean towards a "poorer" prognosis, but from what I found out, "poorer" means more that I AM going to have to start treatment, and probably start it earlier then someone who has the genes. This does not necessarily mean that I am going to be dead in a couple of years, it just means that I will HAVE to start treatment.

This all being said, my oncologist was rather intrigued with one aspect of my blood results. The prior results showed that my platelets were LOW, but the results from a few weeks ago put my platelets right on the line.
SO, he wants to wait to start treating me. He has pushed my next bloodwork out until we return from our Hawaii vacation and if things continue to look the same, he is going to put me back on the 3 month "Watch&Wait" schedule I have been on.

Now, I am praising God all the more, and just living one day at a time.
I want to thank you, for your encouragement when first I came into this support group, and I want to wish everyone a blessed and joyous Christmas and Happy New Year.

I will continue to check-in with you, and I want to share the experience of my journey with as many people as possible in hopes of being as encouraging to someone else, as you have been with me.

Gods blessings to you and your family,
AND
Merry Christmas

@prayerful4ever did you doctor suggest any supplements for CLL?

@prayerful4ever did you doctor suggest any supplements for CLL?

Good morning, @sveta25 I just wanted to reiterated the importance of your husband not taking supplements without the approval of his doctor while in an active cancer situation. This was guidance I received from both my Mayo bone marrow transplant team, including team pharmacist and doctor, and also my local oncology team.

It is better not to take anything that the doctor hasn’t approved in this case. Especially with blood cancers, many supplements can impact our blood such as interfering with clotting by acting as blood thinners, interfering with efficacy of medications, damage to organs such as liver or kidneys, or causing an imbalance which can lead to oxidative stress, a process that can damage DNA. DNA damage is associated with negative health effects, including cancer.
Supplements aren’t regulated or tested in compliance with standard testing. There isn’t much of a data base with statistics available for drug interaction. Adding supplements, which can have unpredictable side effects, tosses in one more variable that doctors have to be concerned with when trying to make decisions about treatment. So for now, it’s just better to hold off.

I know you’re trying desperately to help your husband but no supplement will change his health in the 3 weeks before his appointment with his doctor. The best bet is to make list of questions to ask at that time, including supplements.

For now, your hubby is stable and nothing is expected to change before his appointment. Keep in mind that CLL remains one of the more successfully treated blood conditions and he hasn’t even started treatment yet. So this is not the time to be consumed about ‘what if’…

Having survived leukemia myself, I really encourage you to take a breather from all the research, and just enjoy the holidays with your husband and family.

I’ll leave you with this, one of my favorite quotes from an unknown source:
Fear does not stop death. It stops life
And worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles.
It takes away today’s peace.

I wish you and your family peace for the holiday season and Happy, Healthy New Year