Erin: the pcr is back;
it registered a "weak positive" in the standard run
a little different positivity than the indeterminate values in the
nested pcr we have seen on and off but still unlikely to be a concern.
call me when you can, ok?
We spoke for a long time and he assured me he's not worried and I shouldn't be either (I'm not. Seriously). A weak positive means they couldn't even quantify the amount of CML that's there. Dr. Mauro called it "Ipsy Pipsy"--meaning (I think) that it's such a small bit of leukemia that it gets a cute name. Many docs believe that we CML patients will always have some disease in our systems, despite how well we've done on treatment and despite what the tests say. And sometimes that amount will ebb and flow which means a "weak positive" one month will very likely be an "undetectable" the next. (Let's hope!)
Still, Dr. Mauro wants to retest the blood in six weeks. After all, it's a little odd that I would suddenly have a positive test after years of negatives (including the nine tests I did during my pregnancy when I was taking zero drugs). He is hopeful it will not be trending up, but you never know. "That is why we do these tests," he said. "To be sure." I will keep you posted! And please, don't worry. Especially you, mom!
--Erin
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