7. On To Bigger And Better Things

The wait for meeting with the Leukemia Specialist seemed to drag on and on.  Then finally the day, October 8^th 2012, one day shy of my 3^rd anniversary of fighting this disease, came.  My wife and I went to meet with the specialist with hope, anticipation, fear, and a little bit of worry all rolled together. 

Remember, the last time I met with a specialist I walked away almost wanting to puke my guts out because of what he said to me and my wife.

The meeting started with a friendly young lady entering the exam room, she introduced herself to us as the doctors physician assistant and was here to do a pre-exam before the doctor that I was to meet with came in.

She was very knowledgeable about CLL/SLL, and it seemed to me right away that she knew more about the disease I had than my regular oncologist knew, and this young woman couldn't have been much older than one of my own daughters.    She had my very thick file in her hand and easily answered every question I had for her.  Then she brought up the subject about “Clinical Trials”

If I did not mention this earlier, the specialist I was going to see was one of the main driving forces at the Fred Hutchinson for Leukemia and Lymphoma Clinical Trials. 

I then asked her if we were going to see the doctor I was here to see, wondering if this was going to be it.  Yes she said, he should be right in, she then excused herself and soon the doctor I had been waiting to see arrived with the assistant in tow. 

He introduced himself to us, and after a little small talk, we could both tell he was nothing like the other specialist we saw before that was so cold he could make ice freeze.  (Like the pun?)

He then told us that the young lady we talked to earlier was actually in her residency at the Hutch and was one of his top students at the University of Washington where he is a professor at and teaches oncology students about Leukemia and Lymphoma.  Turns out that every year he gets to hand pick one of the graduating students from the U. W. to be an assistant of his and learn to become a specialist just as he is. 

He had my file in his hands, and basically knew everything about my progression with CLL/SLL and knew of all of the treatments I have endured.  He then let her continue talking to me about the trial they were interested in my going on. 

The trial is a cell inhibitor which is a drug in a pill form that will basically search out, target, and kill the CLL/SLL cells in my body.  It is what they call an cell inhibitor that prevents the cell from getting protein and killing it. 

This trial is still pretty new, and has been going on for a little over a year nationwide.  The trial will have 70 total people in it, and so far they had only about 10 more openings.  To get into this trial you had to have failed at least two conventional types  of treatments, and have certain genetic markers, deletions, blood work numbers, and be in a fairly good state of health to withstand the rigors of the trial.  All of which I meet.  And so far the trial is showing very good results and is actually doing good things for people who have a much worse prognosis than I do with CLL/SLL!

He then took over the conversation with more details of what I will need to do, etc. etc.  And told me that in his opinion this new drug was like it was tailor made for someone like myself.  He talked to us with compassion, wit, personality, confidence and poise.  Something that the first specialist sure lacked. 

My wife then told him about our encounter with the other specialist, (calling him by name), and his response was well I aint him am I!

It was very refreshing to actually talk leukemia with this doctor.  He seemed to like the fact that I was at least semi educated about Leukemia.  He knew or knew of every specialist that is big in this field and was pleased that I knew of these people also.  At the end of the meeting he excused himself and left his assistant with us to finish up some paper work on the trial.  My wife told his assistant how good she felt about us working with them now.  And that she and I appreciated their professionalism and manner.    The assistant told us that the doctor was one of the best doctors around and that he has had offers to practice all over the country, but he continues to practice at the Hutch because that is where his wants to be.

Our next meeting with the specialist will be on October 29^th 2012 to have some more blood work done and schedule what goes on next,  which will be a bone marrow biopsy to look into my bone marrow to see where the disease is at and how healthy my bone marrow is after all of the chemo.  And to review the beginning of the trial itself.

So in closing here today we are now waiting for more details, which I will have soon.

Never Ever Give Up!