I Have Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Hi there!! Most of you know me but those who don't, my name is Cassie Kline. I'm 33 years old and have been very active in sports and the gym and recently took up competitive bodybuilding. I grew up in Michigan, born and raised, with figure skating as my passion. I have a set of amazing parents who have been married forever. I have the best brother and sister anyone could ever ask for. My family is my world. I have a boyfriend who's support for me is unending. I also could not ask for a better, more diverse, eclectic and loving group of friends.

So let's get to the point of this:
I have been having pain on the left side of my abdomen. I can feel a mass from the top of my ribs to my pelvis. I thought it would just go away: it didn't. It started to get painful and I couldn't sleep.  I went to the ER and said it wasn't really an emergency but I didn't know what to do. A lady at the pharmacy called a gastroneurologist and he saw me right away. Ordered blood work and a CT scan.

He called me and said its urgent I come back to talk to him about my blood work. Then he sent me to an oncologist/hematologist that he informed about me already and said I'd be there that day. Said its urgent I go. So I went. He felt around on me. Said my spleen is huge. My white blood cell count is through the roof, my red blood cell count is low, some other cell counts are low and I have an 8% blast count when I should have 0. My AST and ALT Is also extremely high.

He said all signs immediately point to CML. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. He also said this is probably something I have had for a while. But I haven't had blood work in so long so I never knew. My spleen is huge because its over productive and producing wbc's and won't stop.
The Dr. wants to start me on treatment ASAP though because it can go into an accelerated or blast phase at any moment without warning. I also risk rupturing the spleen if we don't get the wbc count down.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia is a disease in which the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells.
Leukemia may affect red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Signs and symptoms of chronic myelogenous leukemia include fever, night sweats, and tiredness.
Most people with CML have a gene mutation (change) called the Philadelphia chromosome.
Tests that examine the blood and bone marrow are used to detect (find) and diagnose chronic myelogenous leukemia.

I have had blood work done, a sonogram and a bone marrow biopsy performed. My medical bills are increasing by the second.

I have insurance but they are not authorizing anything. The medication the Dr. wants me on is called Gleevec. It's between $125-$128 a pill. In doing research, it costs around $168 to make for a month RX,l and they mark it up exponentially. Ranging between $3,500-$10,000 a month for patients needing it. Insurance is not covering this. I've applied for SSI/Disability/Medicaid.

I'm at a loss for anymore words. I thought I was healthy. Boy was I wrong...

PLEASE, if I can offer any word of advice, it would be to get your blood work done routinely. You just never know.

So that's my story. I'm sorry it's such a lengthy read but it's real. This is my life. And it's worth fighting for. If this helps me out, then it's done its job.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please don't worry about me or be scared.
CML Info