Hi Kate! How wonderful to hear from you! And especially wonderful that you’re ‘about the same’! It’s been a bit of a whirlwind here! My husband decided that my being ill was going to prevent him from enjoying life and left. Ironically, it was about 2 weeks before my updated diagnosis so he must be pretty peed off that he didn’t wait just a little longer because he’s well and truly absent from my will and any of my interests in our joint properties!! 
Selfish man. Literally the day before my recent diagnosis I had signed to buy a property and I panicked about how I was now going to manage to do this but it’s kept my brain busy with decorating and planning my move. I decided not to have chemo at the moment and I’m booked to fly to my daughter’s in the UK on 9th November with my son and his family following on the 10th. It’s going to be a wonderful Christmas with other members of my family visiting at different times too. I may change my mind after Christmas but we shall see. At the moment, I feel amazing! I tell people I’ve lost 17 stone, (which is the weight of my husband), and feel better than I have for the last 10 years! 
Where will you be for Christmas Kate? With your family presumably? I hear you have some bad weather on the way so batten down the hatches!! So lovely to be in touch again Kate. 
Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year given they’re not far away now! Look after yourself and may you stay as healthy as you are now! Much love, Sally xxxx
(Photo taken from my window )
Oh @sallyspix how wonderful to have an update from you.
All I shall say is that a lot has been going on for you.
Good for you changing your will.
Your Christmas certainly will be very special in the UK.
Thank you for the stunning photo taken from your window, wow.
Please do keep posting how you are getting on, you are never alone on our forum wherever you might be, enjoy life and really look after yourself
Thanks Erica! You’re an absolute gift to this forum with your continued positivity! Im sure it’s very much appreciated by any on here. 
Hi Kate! Did you get my response and photo? I may have screwed up sending it! 
I’m currently 4 hours from Gatwick Airport and looking forward to spending Christmas with my family! Take care of yourself, Much love, Sally xxxx
Hi Sallyspix,
I have just found your email… So good to hear from you. I have been having problems with my email _ hence the delay in my reply. You have been having a hard time, but your having lost 17 stone made me laugh! That’s one way of putting it, but I bet that it hurt at the time. My Bill died 15 years ago and I still miss him. It’s great that you are having a family Christmas over here. Are you tempted to stay? I will be spending Christmas with my daughter and son in law in Nottingham and hopefully New Year at home with them and son and daughter in law and family…
I did get your photograph. It looks amazing… You are very organised, telling your daughter to write to the forum. Shortly after diagnosis, I asked what the prognosis was. I was told about 5 years. That was 4 years ago, and today I am feeling much stronger than I have been and I am getting back to going out on my scooter, meeting with friends and back to doing a bit of baking. It has taken me a really long time to get over my fractured hip from last summer and the following infections . which took so much out of me.
I have great confidence in my haematology team and have my next appointment in 2 weeks time. I am hoping that my platelets will be dropping…
I hope that you are having a brilliant time with your family and enjoying every minute of your stay… Happy Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. Keep in touch. It is so good to hear from you. Kate xxxx
Hi! I’m from Paraguay (South America). I came to this forum looking for answers and support, we don’t have this king of support in my country
Hi @ParMaro I really do hope that you find our forum supportive.
As you realise this is a UK forum so what you might find is that diagnosis, treatment regimes, medications etc. might be different in other countries.
Look after yourself and please do keep posting.
So sorry that you have received this news. I feel sure that you will get the help and support you need from this forum to make the decisions that are right for you. Best wishes x
Hi Sallyspix:
I’m from Paraguay, where I’m undergoing the treatment, but now my doctors don’t want to do the transplant, I think because I’m young (39) but also due to complications, I don’t know, I think they are waiting for me to be in remission or something.
I hope all you warriors are OK
Hi @Duncan !:
Yes, have a good medical team but as you put it, sometimes I find it hard to grasp my diagnosis, sometimes I want to do certain things and then end up hospitalized. But as this a chronic condition I gather I have time to “get used to”.
I also read about the passing of a fellow warrior Alistair (may he rest in peace), and as I contemplate my own mortality, whenever it may be, I’m at peace, I’m not afraid so I guess that is good?
Sending great vibes to all my fellow warriors!!
Hi @ParMaro I think being at peace and not afraid must be a lovely place to be, I actually think I am in a good place too, although I can have my moments!!!
My blood cancer has actually given me the opportunity to look at my life and what I want to do and with whom. I have learnt to say ‘No’ (usually)!!!
I am so glad that you have a good medical team around you, it really helps.
Look after and be kind to yourself and keep posting.
Hello again @ParMaro. ¡¿Quizás debería decir hola?!
I’m really sorry to read that you’ve been hospitalised, and it sounds like it’s happened more than once? Hopefully you’ve figured out what those “certain things” are so you can avoid going back into hospital. I also hope you don’t have any lasting issues from that.
I think you’re right that blood disorders such as the ones we live with can make us more aware of our mortality. Perhaps being young when diagnosed forces us to look at our mortality in ways we might not have considered sooner. After surviving a heart attack in my 30s I definitely looked at my life differently! Now that I live with Polycythaemia vera (PV) I feel that mortality even more, but also a weird sort of resilience. Maybe a sort of post-traumatic resilience?
So I’d say it’s good that you’re not afraid of your mortality—we all, after all, will pass away at some point. I’d rather it wasn’t from blood cancer, so I’m trying my hardest to keep that under control. As for being a warrior, I certainly don’t feel like one as I’m not in a battle! The blood cancer I tolerate living with is most definitely a one-sided attack!!!
Be well @ParMaro, I look forward to hearing how you get on over time.
Hola ParMaro, May I please ask what treatment you’re undergoing at the moment? I totally understand if you would prefer not to discuss this. Best wishes, Sally 