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Hello! My name is Katie and I'm from Wisconsin in the USA. (about 2 hours from Chicago). My husband was originally diagnosed with AML in late September of this year and was put on a trial on medications for 30 days. When that 30 days was up, his blood was drawn again and the diagnosis changed to CML. We are new to all of this and really have no clear understanding of what to expect in the days ahead. We have 3 grown children (ages 22,20, and 17) who are very worried for their father. I am just here to read information and ask questions. 

He is now on a regimen of medications, one of which is Nilotinib (Tasigna) TKI inhibitors 200 mg. He's also on arsenic trioxide and All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). I have no idea what these drugs do (well, I know arsenic is poison) or what to expect. I'm just going to read up and ask things. Thanks everyone!

Katie

Hi Katie. 

I’ll reply properly when I get a chance, but a change of diagnosis from AML to CML is great news, and you should breathe a big exhale. I’m going to make a guess that he was caught late, because CML can look very like AML at that point.

CML is, nowadays, much more treatable than AML (which is still improving all the time with treatment). Most CML patients will go in to live a normal life expectancy and die with it, not from it. 

Would you mind telling us which hospital he’s being treated at? It’s ok if you want to be private about that, but levels of expertise and experience can vary greatly between different hospitals. 

David. 

From what I understand, this was caught early, so? He is not a person who ever goes to the doctor, but he's been getting prepared for a surgery and when they did the standard blood panel, his WBC count was super high, so they investigated further and found this. It never would have been caught if he didn't need this minor surgery.  He is being seen at the Carbone Center at UW Hospital in Madison, WI. 

Katie