It is an absolutely beautiful day, today! The sun is shining and it is not too hot; the birds are singing; and all of the plant life has burst into bloom! While I already shared my beautiful iris plant, that is double blooming like crazy, I cannot help to think that it is not the only gift that keeps on giving.

It has been many years since I my body was permanently damaged by the antibiotic Cipro. (a commonly prescribed antibiotic for bladder,  sinus infections, and UTI's) I am grateful that the reoccurring pain, due to the damage caused by Cipro, is no longer constant, and that I have periods of time, that I actually forget that it even happened, but boy, oh boy, let me tell you, when it flares back up, I am reminded just how life altering a "simple round" of the antibiotic Cipro, can be.

I believe that this latest flare is directly linked to the night of dancing, a week ago. It was the third time that I had been dancing since my shoulder surgery, and since my pleural effusion has improved, due to a change in leukemia medications, and I am sure that I just over did it. My heart and soul,  just do not know when to say, when! lol

The nerve pain in the bottom of my feet began as soon as I stepped out of the car; after arriving home. I was a bit annoyed, yet hopeful that it would be gone by morning; of course, as my luck would have it,  that did not happen. The nerve pain has just continually gotten worse, and I am hobbling, with every step.

Two days ago, the nerve pain started traveling up the back of my left leg; It is so severe that it makes, sitting, standing or lying down miserable. Ibuprofen seems to bring some relief and today I am trying heat. UGH!

My reason for sharing this information is purely,  to warn you; warn you against taking the risk of ending up with side effects from an antibiotic (Cipro or Levaquin or any florquinolone)that may be permanent. I swear I would not wish this pain on anyone; it SUCKS!

I know that it is very hard to believe that an "antibiotic" can cause permanent nerve, tendon and muscle damage, to name a few,  and I know that most medical professionals just do not believe the severity of the side effects, or the number of people damaged by them, but what I can tell you, from my personal experience, and from speaking to others who actually realize where their unexplained pain has come from, is that it just is NOT worth the risk.

For those of us that have been damaged by this class of antibiotics, we know how life altering, that decision has been, and I know we all wish we had been "warned", or at least counseled, like the Black Box Warning states. (this rarely happens)

I know that people probably think I am a bit obsessive about this subject, but every single time I am physically reminded how my body has been destroyed, I want to save others from the same fate.

I believe in my heart of hearts, that a large number of people that have tendon tears and ruptures, and others that are diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, are actually suffering from Cipro or Levaquin side effects; sad, but true. I believe that the FDA recorded number of cases, is grossly under reported, as I believe that few actually correlate their pain, and/or tendon ruptures to an antibiotic that they are currently taking, or have taken in the past.

If you suffer from unexplained pain, or tendon ruptures, or any of the side effects listed below, delve into your medical history and see if you have taken Cipro or Levaquin. Best case scenario, is to avoid it, unless it is your LAST drug of choice!

Side effects include, and are not limited to: (remember, some of these may be permanent)

Swelling or inflammation of the tendons
Tendon rupture
Tingling or pricking sensation (“pins and needles”)
Numbness in arms or legs
Muscle pain
Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage)
Depression
Hallucinations
Suicidal thoughts
Confusion
Anxiety
Abnormally rapid or irregular heartbeat
Ringing or buzzing in the ears
Vision problems
Skin rash
Sensitivity of skin to sunlight
Fatigue
Worsening of myasthenia gravis
Aortic aneurysm
Aortic dissection

On a side note; as I was looking for the side effects of these antibiotics, I was FLOORED to see  how  "hidden" the possible permanent damage is, on the internet. You really have to dig, or search; Black Box Warning. Truly unbelievable, and absolutely infuriating.

At this point, who is responsible? The pharmaceutical company? The prescribing physician? The pharmacist? Or the person who trusts, all of these people?

Related Links: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/class-of-antibiotics-gets-stronger-warning-due-to-dangerous-side-effects-says-fda/

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/fda-amps-up-black-box-warnings-antibiotic-class-includes-j-j-s-levaquin-bayer-s-cipro

https://www.drugwatch.com/news/2016/05/16/fda-black-box-warning-for-levaquin-cipro-antibiotic-risk/

https://floxiehope.com/2016/08/19/updated-black-box-warnings-for-fluoroquinolones/

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Living in Chronic Pain? Create Your Own Brief History

Recently I was talking to another CML buddy about my pleural effusion. He has also suffered from pleural effusion as well as many other side effects, which many of us deal with, too. I thought that I was pretty darn good at keeping tabs of my medical issues and records, but when I saw his “Brief History” I was very impressed.

He actually encouraged me to start my own brief history quite some time ago, and I am not really sure why I never got around to it. Now, I have to go back through my “thick” medical records that I DO have, and create a wonderful “Brief History”, like his!

I would encourage each and every one of you to do the same; even if you don’t go back to your diagnosis, you can begin documenting your important data now, as we all will be managing and living with CML, for the rest of our lives.

My friend has kindly allowed me to share his Brief History, with you, as an example.

DX CML 12-23-2008
MDA Protocol: Tasigna-400mg; 2xday-1/09
On Flecainide for AF...still had frequent episodes
Q PCR bone@ MDA…0.17 on 7/09
Acute Pancreatitis-7/5/09
Stopped Tasigna-7/13/09
Q PCRU blood @ Baptist…undetected-7-29-09 !
Started Gleevec-400mg/day-7/31/09
Developed rash ~ 8/19/09
Rash treated with Steroids..improvement
Rash worsens~9/22/09
Stopped Gleevec-9/28/09
Restarted Gleevec @300mg/day-10/8/09
Stopped Gleevec-10/13/09-toxic rash\
AF returned infrequently
Q PCR bone-0.05
Started Sprycel @ 100mg/day-10/20/09
Some AF...increased FLecainde..1, 2x/day
Q PCR bone @ MDA..0.07
Stopped Alcohol…no AF, ½ Flecainide 2x/day
Q PCR Blood @ Baptist…Non Detectible-12-13-10
Q PCR Bone @ MDA..0.01--2-25-11
Q PCR Blood @ Baptist…Undetectible-5-19-11
Reduced Flecainide to 1/2 per day
Pleural and pericardial Effusion: stopped Sprycel-12-6-'11
Prednisone 50mg /day to combat PE; 12/14/'11 gradual reduction
Pleural Effusion clear 12-21-11
Started Sprycel 70mg/day..12-23-11
QPR bone @ MDA.. <0 .01...2-16-12="" span="">
Started Sprycel 50mg/day..3-10-12
Chest pains...slightly more PL Eff 4-19-12
Steroid Dose pack to alleviate:.still on 50mgs
Change to 20 mgs/day Sprycel..4-26-12
Chest clear, effusion gone-5-14-12
Q-PCR Blood @ Baptist-Undetectible-6-13-12
Neuropathy moving up legs, some weakness noted--12
Q-PCR Blood @ MDA..<0 .01="" span="">
Q-PCR Bone @ MDA…<0 .01="" span="">
Q-PCR Blood @ Baptist….Undetectible..6-19-13

Floroquinolones; Bad News!

Antibiotics are important drugs, often restoring health and even saving lives. But like all drugs, they can have unwanted and serious side effects, some of which may not become apparent until many thousands of patients have been treated.

Such is the case with an important class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones. The best known are Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Avelox (moxifloxacin). In 2010, Levaquin was the best-selling antibiotic in the United States.

But by last year it was also the subject of more than 2,000 lawsuits from patients who had suffered severe reactions after taking it.

Part of the problem is that fluoroquinolones are often inappropriately prescribed. Instead of being reserved for use against serious, perhaps life-threatening bacterial infections like hospital-acquired pneumonia, these antibiotics are frequently prescribed for sinusitis, bronchitis, earaches and other ailments that may resolve on their own or can be treated with less potent drugs or nondrug remedies — or are caused by viruses, which are not susceptible to antibiotics.

In an interview, Mahyar Etminan, a pharmacological epidemiologist at the University of British Columbia, said the drugs were overused “by lazy doctors who are trying to kill a fly with an automatic weapon.”

Dr. Etminan directed a study published in April in The Journal of the American Medical Association showing that the risk of suffering a potentially blinding retinal detachment was nearly fivefold higher among current users of fluoroquinolones, compared with nonusers. In another study submitted for publication, he documented a significantly increased risk of acute kidney failure among users of these drugs.

The conditions Dr. Etminan has studied are relatively easy to research because they result in hospitalizations with diagnoses that are computerized and tracked in databases. Far more challenging to study are the array of diffuse, confusing symptoms suffered by fluoroquinolone users like Lloyd Balch, a 33-year-old Manhattan resident and Web site manager for City College of New York.

In an interview, Mr. Balch said he was healthy until April 20, when a fever and cough prompted him to see a doctor. Nothing was heard through a stethoscope, but a chest X-ray indicated a mild case of pneumonia, and he was given Levaquin. Although he had heard of problems with Levaquin and asked the doctor if he might take a different antibiotic, he was told Levaquin was the drug he needed.

After just one dose, he developed widespread pain and weakness. He called to report this reaction, but was told to take the next dose. But the next pill, he said, “eviscerated” him, causing pain in all his joints and vision problems.

Debilitating Side Effects

In addition to being unable to walk uphill, climb stairs or see clearly, his symptoms included dry eyes, mouth and skin; ringing in his ears; delayed urination; uncontrollable shaking; burning pain in his eyes and feet; occasional tingling in his hands and feet; heart palpitations; and muscle spasms in his back and around his eyes. Though Mr. Balch’s reaction is unusual, doctors who have studied the side effects of fluoroquinolones say others have suffered similar symptoms.

Three and a half months after he took that second pill, these symptoms persist, and none of the many doctors of different specialties he has consulted has been able to help. Mr. Balch is now working with a physical therapist, but in a phone consultation with Dr. David Flockhart, an expert in fluoroquinolone side effects at the Indiana University School of Medicine, he was told it could take a year for his symptoms to resolve, if they ever do disappear completely.

Guidelines by the American Thoracic Society state that fluoroquinolones should not be used as a first-line treatment for community-acquired pneumonia; it recommends that doxycycline or a macrolide be tried first. Mr. Balch didn’t know this, or he might have fought harder to get a different antibiotic.

Adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones may occur almost anywhere in the body. In addition to occasional unwanted effects on the musculoskeletal, visual and renal systems, the drugs in rare cases can seriously injure the central nervous system (causing “brain fog,” depression, hallucinations and psychotic reactions), the heart, liver, skin (painful, disfiguring rashes and phototoxicity), the gastrointestinal system (nausea and diarrhea), hearing and blood sugar metabolism.

The rising use of these potent drugs has also been blamed for increases in two very serious, hard-to-treat infections: antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (known as MRSA) and severe diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile. One study found that fluoroquinolones were responsible for 55 percent of C. difficile infections at one hospital in Quebec.

Fluoroquinolones carry a “black box” warning mandated by the Food and Drug Administration that tells doctors of the link to tendinitis and tendon rupture and, more recently, about the drugs’ ability to block neuromuscular activity. But consumers don’t see these highlighted alerts, and patients are rarely informed of the risks by prescribing doctors. Mr. Balch said he was never told about the black-box warnings.

Lack of Long-Term Studies

No one knows how often serious adverse reactions occur. The F.D.A.’s reporting system for adverse effects is believed to capture only about 10 percent of them. Complicating the problem is that, unlike retinal detachments that were linked only to current or very recent use of a fluoroquinolone, the drugs’ adverse effects on other systems can show up weeks or months after the treatment ends; in such cases, patients’ symptoms may never be associated with prior fluoroquinolone therapy.

No long-term studies have been done among former users of these antibiotics. Fibromyalgia-like symptoms have been associated with fluoroquinolones, and some experts suggest that some cases of fibromyalgia may result from treatment with a fluoroquinolone.

A half-dozen fluoroquinolones have been taken off the market because of unjustifiable risks of adverse effects. Those that remain are undeniably important drugs, when used appropriately. But doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have expressed concern that too often fluoroquinolones are prescribed unnecessarily as a “one size fits all” remedy without considering their suitability for different patients.

Experts caution against giving these drugs to certain patients who face higher than average risks of bad reactions — children under age 18, adults over 60, and pregnant and nursing women — unless there is no effective alternative. The risk of adverse effects is also higher among people with liver disease and those taking corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

When an antibiotic is prescribed, it is wise to ask what the drug is and whether it is necessary, what side effects to be alert for, whether there are effective alternatives, when to expect the diagnosed condition to resolve, and when to call if something unexpected happens or recovery seems delayed.

At the same time, when an antibiotic is appropriately prescribed, it is extremely important to take the full prescription as directed and not to stop treatment when the patient simply begins to feel better.

A version of this article appeared in print on 09/11/2012, on page D7 of the NewYork edition with the headline: A Cure That Can Be Worse Than the Illness.

New Year Cipro Goal!

OK, so the New Year has brought on a new and renewed vow to continue to strengthen my Cipro poisoned body. It has been nearly two years since I was poisoned, for the second time, by the anti-biotic called Cipro, or Ciprofloxen. I feel as though I am one of the very fortunate, as I have seen a remarkable improvement to my condition over the past 6 months.

I am now able to use and bend my toes again, and am also able to go up and down stair cases, like a normal person. I no longer feel as though my Achilles will rupture if I a wrong step, or that my knees will blow out if I waltz. I am no longer, regularly dependent upon braces on my feet, ankle and knees and can get in and out of the bath tub, without help. All of this is a huge improvement and I am eternally grateful.

So, this year, I am going to attempt to continue to strengthen by damaged body, in an attempt to return to my pre-Cipro poisoned body. One of the way that I am going to do so, is yoga, the other is walking. Being that I am a dancer, the walking must include tunes! For Christmas, “Santa” got me the coolest bluetooth stereo headphones; I absolutely love them, since there is no dangling wire. I know that this may not seem like a big deal to some, but it is for me. You see, even though I am a dancer, I am also a klutz. Before, when I used to walk with my I Pod, I had the headphones that connected to it; and as I walked, I would yank the daggone ear buds out of my ears at least four or five time on every walk. Now, with the bluetooth stereo headphones, not only can I hear music in both ears, I can actually swing my arms around to the music without pulling the headphones out of my ears.

Yes, if you ever see me walking down the road, I will be the person that everyone is pointing and laughing at! Cheers, to me!

Medical Expenses of Leukemia: I Need Your Help!

I suppose that since it is National Leukemia and Lymphoma Month, now would be a great time for me to begin freaking out about my medical insurance that resets on January 1^st of every year. Since I have been self-employed, in one form or another for most of my adult life, I have never had the good fortune of being included in the benefits of an employer’s health insurance plan. I have had to purchase my own health insurance, which I have done through Anthem Blue Cross, for the past thirty years. Fortunately, I have had the wither-all and means in which to do so, despite the high rates and low benefits that have been available to me.

I have always figured that some health insurance is better than no health insurance at all, and since I have always been in great health, a catastrophic insurance plan has always been a good choice for me. A catastrophic health insurance plan is literally just that. It does not pay for the small medical instances such as a sore throat, flu of urinary tract infection, but does cover larger instances such as appendectomy’s, or in my case, cancer. The biggest drawback is the extremely high, yearly out of pocket expense. Last year, needless to say, I met that expense in one fell swoop; when I was admitted to the hospital, after being diagnosed with leukemia. Normally, this would not be an issue; I would have been hospitalized, cured and sent home. I would have had to pay one, great big, out of pocket insurance deductible. I would have recovered, picked myself up, dusted myself off and gotten right back to work!

The issue arises from the fact that my type of leukemia is not curable, only manageable, which means, extremely high medical costs that reset on a yearly basis. I will need to come up with a $5000 deductible at the first of every year for the rest of my life. This in addition to the many other out of pocket expenses and extremely high cost of my medication, has kept me up many a night; worrying.

I have been very blessed with random and surprising donations, and am extremely grateful to all of you that have helped me in my fight thus far. I have never been very good at asking for help of any kind, but I am afraid that I have been humbled by leukemia. I have found a few writing gigs, some sewing and cakes that need making, but I am afraid that none of these are yet, profitable enough to keep my head and body for that matter, above ground for long. I have found some really cute bracelets that are cancer/leukemia related and I am going to try and sell them as somewhat of a fund raiser. They range in price from $7.50 to $18.00. If you simply wish to donate, there is a place to do so in my right column. Desperate measures require desperate times. Of course, I am also willing to consider any and all other options or opportunities offered to me.

For those of you that can and do, my humblest thanks. For those of you in the same boat, or even one with more holes in the bottom of it, you have my emotional support and empathy. And to all of you that just read and support me through encouragement and kind words, please know that I am eternally grateful. 

To order, just click on link below the picture. Thanks!

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I Am Smiling Again; Foot Pain is to a Minimum

I am amazed at the length of time that it has taken me to recover from the muscle, joint and tendon pain that occurred after I took the antibiotic Cipro. Fifteen months have gone by, but now I am smiling again. A friend of mine from Texas recently came for a visit. I knew that something about her had changed, but I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Finally, I just had to ask her what was different. She told me that she had taken a trip into the San Antonio Texas Dentist office to have her teeth cleaned. After seeing several patients walk in and out of the office with beautiful smiles, she asked her dentist how all of those people had such beautiful smiles. He told her that they had veneers on their teeth. Before leaving that day, she made another appointment to have veneers put on her teeth. I must admit that the change in her appearance is staggering; her smile is dazzling!

Now that I am smiling again, I wonder if I should make a trip to the San Antonio Texas Dentist and see what he could do about my smile. I could literally kill two birds with one stone; visit my friend and come home with a whiter, brighter smile! The San Antonio Texas Dentist office offers many dental procedures; they have a full spectrum of services. They not only improve your smile, they ensure that you have healthy teeth as well.

Cipro verses Leukemia

This has been a pretty good week; the bronchitis seems to have finally found its’ was out of my body. The coughing is minimal and the low grade temp is gone. I finally have enough energy to start dancing again. This is a good thing as we have three brand new routines to learn and five additional dances to work on for our next dance competition at the Portland Dance Festival, in July. God willing, I will be well enough to keep practicing and to compete.

As we were practicing the other day, I had a surprising realization; it is much easier to dance with leukemia than it was when I was poisoned with Cipro. Cipro is an antibiotic in the floroquinolone family. It is a very powerful drug that was originally used to treat anthrax. They currently prescribe Cipro, Avelox and Levaquin at an astonishing rate, despite black box warnings and severe side effects. At the very top of the black box warning it states that Cipro is “Not a first drug of choice.” With the rampant illnesses floating around out there, I thought that now would be a good time to throw this information out there. I am not a doctor; only a victim.

It seems as though doctors and pharmacists alike do not “believe” the damage that is actually occurring to patients. They can be life changing and permanent.  They often state that the side effects are very rare. Truth be told, “Reported” side effects are very rare. Few people taking the drugs correlate a ruptured tendon or extreme all over muscle pain to their antibiotic. Many people are diagnosed with Fibromyalgia when in fact there pain was caused by their antibiotic; they just don’t realize it.

For me, it was a yearlong battle that was nearly crippling for several months with continued excruciating pain throughout a years’ time. Oddly enough, after going through chemotherapy, the muscle pain in my feet improved drastically. That improvement is what makes dancing easier with leukemia than dancing after being severely debilitated by an antibiotic that I should not have been prescribed unless absolutely necessary. That is the crime in the floroquinoline prescriptions; they should only be prescribed as a last resort, not as an easy fix. The risks just are not worth it. I could not have prevented my leukemia, but the Cipro poisoning could have been prevented. I am still angry about the stolen year of my life caused by that drug. Read more about Cipro poisoning here: Beware of the Antibiotic Cipro

Updating My Update; One Year after Being Poisoned by Cipro

Well, it seems as though I have struck a nerve, with at least one person out there that has also been affected by the antibiotic Cipro. My update was not written to discredit any ones’ pain or suffering from this devastating drug; it was merely written to give hope and to state my current condition one year after being poisoned by Cipro.

Let me state that I am not a medical professional and I am not suggesting that what I have done or what I am currently doing, is or was a “cure” to the side effects that I suffered. If you choose to read and follow my journey, that is up to you. I went to traditional doctors, a chiropractor and a health nutritionist. The traditional doctors did little for me with the exception of saying that I was “rare” and asked me if I wanted pain meds. The chiropractor and the nutritionist gave me suggestions and told me why they were suggesting certain supplements and foods.

I chose to follow their suggestions as I had no others. I was desperate; and willing to try just about anything, with-in reason, in hopes to regain the ability to walk and dance again; like a normal person and without pain. I wanted my old life back. I wanted my body back; I was weary of being in constant pain. I made every effort possible to not allow my pain to rob me of everything that I enjoyed.

I continued dancing through the pain; with knees and ankles braced, and feet taped. I took too much Ibuprofen in order to do so. Was it easy? No, it was not. Did it hurt like hell? Yes, especially after I stopped dancing. My feet and legs throbbed all night long and I often spent an entire day down and out; paying for those few hours of enjoyment. But let me tell you, those few hours of painful enjoyment allowed my spirit to soar, to hold out hope that someday things would be better.

Currently I am growing my own "damn beets!"

One year down the road, some things are better. The pain in my muscles, joints and tendons is greatly reduced. My toes bend again and I can even use them to walk. My knees and hips bend and there is less popping. Is this because I ate red beets? I would say no. Is this because of the supplements? Probably not directly. Is there a magic cure? Unfortunately not. But is there hope? Yes, there is hope and if everything I did and ingested helped me to heal, I am glad that I took the chance. Nothing I ingested was harmful, so what did I have to lose?

We will never know why some people react better or worse to any medication, but I still believe that this is a devastating medication that should not be doled out, like candy, for simple infections. Like the black box warning states; Not a first drug of choice.  I will continue to warn any one that will listen to the life changing side effects of these drugs known as floroquinolines. And I will continue to have empathy to all that have been affected. Cipro stole a part of my life, but it did not steal my soul.

I am on a new journey now; shortly after feeling better from the effects of my Cipro poisoning, I was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. If anyone out there had been poisoned by these drugs and also has leukemia, I would love to hear from you.

One Year Update after Being Floxed; There is Hope

It has been one year and one month since I was poisoned by the drug named Ciprofloxacin. It is in a class of drugs known as floroquinolones and while it may be a miracle drug for some; it can be a devastating, debilitating drug for other. It is my continued belief that the side effects of these drugs are highly under reported thus allowing them to continue to be distributed freely.

Three days after taking my first dose of Cipro, I was crippled. I walked as if I was an 85 year old woman that had been hit by a train. My feet felt as though I was walking on razor blades or shards of glass; my toes would not bend. My knees were swollen and felt as though they would explode if I bent them. I could not bend at the hip without excruciating pain. Sitting down and getting back up was nearly impossible. Even just the plain air on my feet hurt. I have never experienced such pain before; or since. I also could not stand bright light; it hurt my eyes and it was often noon before I could open my drapes.

You can search my blog to follow my progress and all of the remedies that I experimented with.  I am elated with the progress that I have made with my physical issues. I can now dance with little pain, bend my toes, bend my knees and bend my hips. While my toes are much improved, they still do not bend like they used to, but I am actually able to send myself from one foot to another, instead of having to lift my leg and put it on the floor. I walk like a normal person again. I am able to bend my knees and squat down about half way to the floor. I still cannot put them completely under myself in order to stand from a sitting position; such as getting out of the bathtub but the overall improvement is grand.

My hips are pretty much back to normal. My ankles and Achilles still give me just a little trouble when I dance. Sometimes after dancing for an hour or so I will have to revert back to my ankle braces for some additional support, just to be on the safe side. The light sensitivity is 80% improved and the overall achiness, muscle joint and tendon pain is relatively gone.

The latest development in my health has been my diagnoses of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. I was diagnosed in February 2011. Seems as though someone thought that since I had survived my Cipro poisoning so well, that I needed another challenge! So forgive me for not keeping you all informed and updated on the poisoning from Cipro, but I have been busy fighting cancer; Go Figure!

Anyway, I know that we are all different and we all deal with pain and illness in different manners; but for me, I pushed myself every day since I was floxed.  After the first three to four weeks, when I literally was bound to my bed or sofa, I pushed myself more and more every day. I started dancing again; knees, ankles and feet braced and taped. I took too much Ibuprofen in order to be able to do what I loved; even if it was just one or two dances at a time. Dancing fed my soul and helped me climb the very large mountain of tackling a poisoning from a drug called Cipro. My best wishes to all of you out there suffering from the side effects of these drugs. I really never thought that the day would come that I would walk normally again and not be in constant pain. I wished the last year of my life away in hopes of feeling better a year down the road. Don’t give up; there is hope for you too.

Not Anemia, But Leukemia!

The saga continues: Unfortunately my Cipro/Anemia theory didn’t pan out, although I was on the right track. There was something definitely wrong with my blood. Terribly wrong in fact! I saw my doctor on Tuesday February 8, 2011. We discussed my Cipro side effects and I told him that my muscles, joints and tendons were very much improved, but I was told by my eye doctor that I had blood in my eyes. He agreed that this was a bit of concern, as was the thickening under my left rib cage. He asked how long it had been there and I said that I had kind of noticed it maybe about a month ago. He ordered blood work and a CAT scan and I went home.

I called for a CAT scan appointment in the morning and called his office to inform him that I had an appointment for 2 pm that afternoon. He promptly told me that he was just going to call me and told me to cancel the appointment and to go directly to the hospital as my white blood cells were astronomically elevated and that I had leukemia. The bleeding in my eyes was from the white blood cells blocking the capillaries and the capillaries bursting. They were concerned that I might have a brain bleed. Lovely, huh?

Of course I reminded him who he was talking to just to make sure that he really meant me! I was stunned, not what I expected and not on my list of things to do. I had a bone marrow biopsy to confirm the diagnosis, don’t let anyone tell you that it does not hurt, because it was excruciating!

Leukapheresis and chemo for three days and my blood count went from 372,000 to 98,000. I am a very lucky girl! Now to begin the medication that cost more than $8,000 per month, they tell me that there is help as my insurance won’t pay for it. Ugh! The goal is to get my white count to 10,000 and maintain it.

The type of leukemia that I have is Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia otherwise known as CML. Wish me luck and keep me in your prayers!