Hello - anybody out there?

I know it's been a year...so the answer to the question is - yes, I'm still alive.

and well. actually.

My recent blood tests were promising and showing little signs of disease progression and I am...

1. in hematologic remission
This means that my CBC results (complete blood count) stabilized in a generally normal range.

2. in cytogenic remission
This means the results of my FISH test (Fluorescent in situ hybridization) shows that better than 90% of the 500 test cells are normal.

3. achieved ‘MMR’ or Major Molecular Response.
This means that the number of cells in my PCR-ABL (polymerase chain reaction test for the ABL gene) has consistently dropped. Two years ago this number was around 2.5% of my blood had the PH+ (Philadelphia 9-22 translocation gene) - at the last test this dropped to 1.4%. People that truly be the disease are in the 0.001 percent rage, but I’ll take downward trending at this point.

Lucky. plain and simple.