After consulting with my wife, my family, my closest friends and key supporters of the CLL Society, I decided it was best to again share details of my personal battle with CLL in a very public way.
After a wonderful run of 69 months on Ibrutinib, my CLL is now officially relapsing. I am very grateful to Dr. Byrd and the team at Ohio State for their great care over the past 6 years.
But it is time to move on.
Very soon, I will be undergoing innovative CAR-T therapy as part of a phase I/II clinical trial.
I am confident that this CAR-T trial offers me the very best chance for a long and deep remission.
I will be frequently blogging and sharing all details about my CAR-T experience here. My first more detailed post that share more about my decision is already up. Please take a look, stay in touch and share your thoughts. More details will be coming soon.
Independent of and prior to this big decision, we have produced a fun comic book about CAR-T. It's up on the website too.
We will be bringing much more information and support about CART-T over the next few months on a new CAR-T section of the website cllsociety.org/car-t-and-ot....
I hope others will benefit from following my CAR-T story as I begin this new adventure.
Your thoughts, prayers and support are greatly appreciated.
Thank you for sharing your personal experience. You are an inspiration to me and so many others. I watch all your interviews of doctors on YouTube, follow CLL Society online, and always love to hear your comments in this forum. I appreciate your advocacy for us. Please take care of yourself as you prepare and start CAR-T therapy. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Good luck Brian! We are all pulling for you. Thank you so much for all you do to help others by sharing your journey and sharing important CLL information. Sending positive thoughts your way for success on your CAR-T journey!
As Denzel's character Joe Miller in Philadelphia says, "explain it to me like I'm a six year old".
Bravura performances in that movie matched by the bravura performance in creating that comic book. Just another of your hundreds of important contributions to the CLL community. And now one more... a CAR-T trial. Thank you for you and staying strong.
Wishing you all the best on your path to a long and deep remission. You continue to be an enormous inspiration. I hope that all of the good wishes that are being sent your way will strengthen and encourage you as you begin your new journey.
You remind me of my retired family doctor. He was awarded the family physician for Canada award years ago. You are exemplary as a physician. I will say some prayers for the success of ur treatment.
Just adding my good wishes along with the rest Brian. You do so much for us all and it goes without saying that each and every one of us is behind you.
To quote a very inspirational man ‘we are all in this together’
Sending you positive thoughts on this new path of your journey. Wishing for a long and deep remission. Your blog has been so helpful and inspirational to all of us with CLL. You are one of my heroes.
Thank you for sharing your next journey. You have done so much for me and the CLL community. When I was diagnosed. Reading your blog and the cllsociety website was instrumental in getting me informed. My best wishes for your new treatment!
Leaders lead by example and we are so fortunate to have a leader like you. Thank you so much for all you do and for "taking us in" on your journey. Please thank your family as well since they also make this possible.
All the best to you as you start your next journey - you have many, many people who are invested in your well-being and want you to have a speedy recovery and long lasting remission.
Warm thoughts and will be following you on the CLL Society website!
Thoughts, prayers and best wishes coming your way. You’ve got this. Thanks for your inspiration. Will be following your journey. We are, indeed, all in this together!
My thoughts and prayers are with you. Stay Strong. You are a guiding light for the rest of us. I go to MD ANDERSON to see Dr. Weirda and mentioned I follow a cancer site and before I could continue he mentioned your name. You are very well thought of. Thank You for everything you do. Once again my thoughts and prayers are with you. J.R.
Thank you for sharing your next CLL journey. I have learned so much from you and your advocacy. Great comic book. Compliments to your son also. I will keep you in my prayers. Stay strong. Sally
Very sorry to hear that you are relapsing. However that is tempered with the knowledge that a new exciting and potential cure is being made available to you. It goes almost without saying, that we all admire you and are grateful for your inspirational courage, knowledge and sense of humour. Thanks for sharing this decision and the ongoing blog which I will be following closely. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. Keep up the good fight. We are all in this with you!
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My CAR-T Journey - 11
POST 6 CAR-T cell therapy
