Hey there folks. I’m fortunate to be attending the Northern California Blood Cancer Conference presented by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in San Francisco on 3 February. LLS.org is about equivalent to Blood Cancer UK but with more Americanisms.
While I realise this request is a little broad, if there is anything you would want to find out about specifically, or aspects of blood cancer research that you would be interested in knowing more about, please let me know.
My energy levels and the concurrent agenda sessions mean I can’t attend every talk during the day, but I’m sure there’ll be lots of bumph and leaflets to collect that contain all sorts of newfangled information about our disorders that I can share here. The talks on the agenda that I am attending are:
Cognitive Concerns and Cancer: Expanding Considerations Beyond the Effects of Treatment
Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
Oh and I’ll attend the breakfast. Hopefully they’ll have some delicious local vegan stuff that the San Francisco Bay Area is known for!
Ha quite, @Erica! Wish you could accompany me, bet you’d be a fun conference companion! Takes me back to my uni days and messing about at the back of lectures
@Duncan I am doing a short walk along both banks of the River Tyne, calling it the “Landmark and selfies tour” as part of the Walk of Light 2024, guess what you can get as points means prizes
That’s so excellent, @clickinhistory! I’m thinking of doing a sponsored hike here—been daydreaming about routes I’d hike and maybe even using a GoPro to video it
@Duncan every penny counts and that sounds like a fun one. Friend in Helsinki is going to walk a similar route on the same night after she donated some pennies into the pot.
@Erica signed up at the beginning of the year, as I could not get to Brum, Wolves fan, so would not sit right
Contacting a local regional company who promote the two banks of the Tyne, see if they wish to walk with me this year.
If it is cold and you are dressed as Michelin man still, we could roll you round
So, dear fellow survivors, I possibly came across as humblebragging about attending this conference. It’ll certainly be cool to be in San Francisco (or, more likely foggy), but I’d sincerely like to know what others would like me to look out for to share on here to hopefully benefit us all.
My focus will likely be MPNs as I have Polycythaemia vera (PV) and am keen to understand these related disorders better, so maybe folks like @Rammie18, @PVMags, @CarolineL, @Jimbo165, @clickinhistory, @Derma, @Liz59 have specific information you’d like me to keep my eyes open for… No pressure if not!
Good afternoon (local) @Duncan, I hope that your conferencing is going well.
I have to ask this one: do you have any flowers in your hair? Also, have you yet met any gentle people there?
Any info on Essential thrombocythemia (ET), my own particular “carry on baggage”, and its rate of progression to Secondary MF along with the symptoms, would be much appreciated. However, and as you have said to us lot…No pressure if you are unable to glean any info.
Take care, stay safe and enjoy yourself in San Francisco.
That’s excellent and hilarious @Jimbo165, thank you! I was already bald pre-cancer, but I have been known to find California poppies in my beard, does that count as suitably hippyish enough?!
I’ll certainly check for info about secondary MF—with Polycythaemia vera (PV) I’ve got a 10-15 % chance of that developing This stuff is terrifying but learning more takes the edge off it for me
@Duncan, I seem to be growing through my hair more and more these days too. If you are of a certain age you will know that Mrs Fox, from Dad’s Army, wore California Poppy scent when the US Army contingent arrived in Walmington-on-Sea. However, if you aren’t of a certain age, then this reference will be lost on you!
My Consultant at Leicester Royal Infirmary reckons that I am somewhere between 90 and 95% symptomatic for my Essential thrombocythemia (ET) having progressed to Secondary MF. Scary thoughts indeed, but I am (for now) quite chilled about the whole thing and it will be what it will be. The one potential “positive” about that is that I probably won’t need to worry too much about my pension!
Take care, stay safe and enjoy yourself in California.
This stuff is terrifying but learning more takes the edge off it for me 