Hello everyone. I was diagnosed Nov. 2021 after a routine exam. No symptoms. What a shock that was. That was before getting any Covid vaccinations.
I think it's only natural to try to answer the "Why, what did I do wrong?" question. My research indicates CLL is caused by either a genetic predisposition (parents who had cll) or environmental influences (exposure to benzene, for example). Benzene is present in everyday products i.e. cosmetics, nail polish, some household aerosols, hairsprays- basically, it's used as a propellant in aerosols. So, one must consider exhaust, gasoline & diesel...as a child, car exhaust always made me feel so ill. It still does. Add to this stresses like job, family, grieving 7 members over 3 years, then covid fears and isolation...So, I think exposures over a lifetime added up to cll for me. It all damages our genetic structure. Our B cells. Part of our white cells. Our white cells fight infection. Once one cell goes unchecked by our immune system, the duplication of these cells begins. Cancer hides itself from our immune system. That's how it duplicates itself. These cells are damaged however, so they don't fight infection anymore. They just take up space until they crowd out our healthy cells. Fortunately, we now have BTK inhibitors ( Ibutinib, Acalabutinib, Zanubrutinib) and BCL2 ( Venetoclax) Ptki's, and numerous newer drugs in these classes and more in development in studies. Thankfully, our cll grows slowly. There is great hope that we will live normal lifespans. So I'm focusing on a healthy lifestyle and learning all I can about this to be my own advocate for the best care I can find. This is watch and wait or active monitoring.