Writing this at Detroit Metro Airport as I await my flight to Houston. Tomorrow will be a blood test (excellent results expected), an appointment with Dr. Chien (also a runner), and a 5 hour infusion of obinutuzumab.
If you're just tuning in, things have been going quite well for me in Houston and as a part of this clinical trial. My blood counts have rapidly normalized, I'm experiencing no side effects, and I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. I ran 20 miles this past Wednesday like it was a walk in the park, and I'm officially ready for the Cincinnati Marathon coming up May 3rd.
It's entirely possible that I'm already cancer-free - my blood tests would look exactly like this if I were - but I won't know officially until a bone marrow biopsy in July and another next January. For now, it's just fly to Houston every month, take a blood test, get the results, pump my fists in the air like Rocky and fly home. Maybe take in a Rockets game along the way, but it looks like I need to move onto the Astros now. Planning on attending the 'Stros game on May 4 - Go Dodgers!!
Anyway, the bone marrow thing is an interesting one. Like, what the hell is bone marrow? Apparently it's where your body creates blood cells, and it's a part of the lymphatic system. Your what? Oh yes, you have a second circulatory system that plays Scottie Pippen to your bloodstream's Mike Jordan. I'm just learning about this too. Like big brother bloodstream, lymphatic has a fluid in it - this one appropriately called lymph. Lymph moves in a low-pressure system that acts a a return vent - bringing blood, fats, and cellular debris from the extremities back toward the heart. Lymphatic is a low pressure system as it lacks a heart or pump to move things along. The thing that does move the lymphatic system? Exercise.
So I'm getting these great results, rapidly progressing toward remission if not already there, and wondering why things are going so well for me? Sure, I'm younger than the average CLL patient, but might there be some lifestyle factors contributing to this? I'm ketogenic, drinking two matcha/turmeric teas per day, intermittent fasting - all of which might be helping or might be doing nothing at all. But lymphatic system research has me thinking all this running must have somthing to do with my encouraging early results and, I believe, be what moves me from "years long remission" to "cured".
From what I read about my clinical trial, the bloodstream is the first and easiest compartment to clear, but it is the lymph nodes and bone marrow (both part of the lymphatic system, mind you) are where leukemia cells can survive and slowly proliferate.
So those are the ones I'm going for when I run. I take these futuristic drugs, have a cup of coffee while they slowly enter my blood stream, then pump them through the lymphatic system repeatedly for hours on end.
You picked the wrong dude, CLL.
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