No symptoms yet....

[lednar]

I was diagnosed with CLL in 2011. Recently I have had a dramatic increase in my white cell count, more than doubling within the past year to my current level of 106.5k and my oncologist wants to discuss treatment options.

The odd thing is that I have no symptoms that are commonly associated with CLL. I have no swelling of the lymph nodes, no night sweats, no weight loss, and its highly unusual for me to get sick.

Is this unusual? Should treatment be pursued even though no physical symptoms are evident?

[Jespere]

I would be asking more questions. You don't seem to meet the standards for treatment, as you recognize. Good luck!

[HopeME]

Hello:

You don’t mention where your hemoglobin counts stand. Just before I started treatment my hemoglobin fell rapidly. I felt fine but I was anemic and needed blood transfusions as treatment started. I recall the doctor calling to say I needed a blood transfusion immediately and I thought what is he talking about? I then had a bone barrow biopsy that showed my marrow was well over 90% infiltrated. I also never felt ill, had night sweats, lost weight, etc. This disease can sneak up on you gradually allowing your body to adjust for awhile and making you feel as if everything is ok but sometimes it is worse than you believe.

I hope you are doing well.

Mark

[lednar in reply to HopeME]

Thank you, Mark, for your reply. My hemoglobin has dropped rapidly from 14.7 to 13 gm/dl which is just below the normal range. My provider still has me on the watch & wait regimen for the time being. Meanwhile, aside from a bit of fatigue, I feel like I'm doing fine. I hope you're maintaining and doing well and living life to its fullest!