chronic. mylogenous. leukemia.

We never knew the meaning of those three words until September 2008. That was the beginning.

September 3. Josh called me. I had just pulled into the parking lot at work. He said that he was in severe pain and I needed to come pick him up. When I arrived, a close friend told me that he'd never seen Josh like this. Something was wrong.

We went to the family doctor who suggested it could be kidney stones. We were sent to Metro Hospital for a CAT scan and some blood work. I remember Josh laying in the hospital bed. We were laughing, being silly, picking out names for our future children. Then, the doctor came in and sat down. The pain that Josh was experiencing was due to an enlarged spleen. His white blood count was 330,000 versus a normal count of 6-10,000. His spleen was working overtime. There were no kidney stones, Josh had Leukemia.

We were paralyzed. I think time may have stopped. I don't think we will ever forget that moment, that room, those words.

They directed us go to the Metro Cancer Center to meet with Dr. Zakem and staff. Fortunately, in our world that was spinning out of control, they grounded us. They told us that there were many recent medical advances that help control certain forms of Leukemia. We had hope!

Josh got his first bone marrow biopsy that day. That was the first and the last time I will ever watch the procedure. Josh was a loopy from the painkillers and decided to share a few choice words. Meanwhile, I nearly fainted.

September 5. We went back to see Dr. Zakem and it was confirmed. Josh had Chronic Mylogenous Leukemia (CML). And so we began the fight.


What is CML?
Leukemia is cancer of the blood and bone marrow. CML is cancer that causes the bone marrow to make too many white blood cells. Many of these white blood cells stop growing and do not function properly. Overtime, they build up and crowd out healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. It is called 'chronic' leukemia because it progresses slowly. - CML Alliance