Light at the end of the tunnel

I am feeling more upbeat, optimistic. Less than five months to go on the chemo pills. I agreed to take the Dasatinib pills for a year after the traditional chemotherapy was done in June. The pills make you tired and, according to the discussion of side-effects in the study write-up, give you a "feeling of general malaise". I was lucky to spend 10 weeks off the pills (due to low platelet levels) at the time Gina and I took our trip around the country. I haven't felt nearly as good since re-starting the Dasatinb in mid-October. Five months to go is sounding damn good at this point!

Plus, the survival curve is looking better and better for me. I've pasted it in below. Note the red line. It tracks the number of people who relapse over time, starting with the initial date of complete remission. My intial date of remission was December 5, 2012 so I've been in remission almost 14 months. I have survived the period where the red line drops quickly and I'm into the gradual part of the curve. My chance of making it to 18 months without a relapse has improved dramatically. After that, the chance of relapse is very low and at 2 years, the chance of relapse is remote. I'm not sure the word cured is used by the medical establishment for patients who make it to 2 years without a relapse, but I'll take it.

The combination of the decreasing amount of time left on the Dasatinib and the improving odds for survival have made me feel that I am putting this episode behind me. I am considering stopping the Dasatinib a few weeks early so that I will feel better at Emily's wedding on June 14th.