I have been living with CML for almost 24 years now (I was diagnosed as a 12-year-old in 2000). Thankfully, I was able to get the TKIs, and I am living a relatively normal life with very few people around me even being aware that I am a cancer survivor. I became resistant to Imatinib in 2007 (I had access issues and interruptions, and I think that caused it). I have been taking dasatinib religiously since then, except to try a treatment-free attempt/IVF/pregnancy. I met my husband, got married, and now my twins are 4 years old. I decided in 2021 to drop my dasatinib dose from 100mg to 50mg as my physician kept promoting it. I was ok for a year, but then my BCR-ABL results became detectable again at <0.01 and I immediately went back to 100mg. I am cursing myself for attempting to reduce my dose and potentially risking my future.
Ever since having kids I have developed some anxiety issues before/after my visits. I was so nervous about having a follow-up visit with my physician that I rescheduled it from February to April. I went last week, and I was consumed with extreme anxiety, and I am still feeling extremely anxious (I can't think about anything else and have not been able to sleep for more than a couple of hours since the visit) waiting for my results. I thought about sharing my feelings with my husband but did not want to worry him either. Does anyone else feel the same before and after visits? How do you cope?
