Reflections on a sad and great year

[bkoffman]

Happy New year,

This year we lost 3 members of our local Orange County CLL Society support group, and I lost other 3 other dear CLL and CAR-T friends that I met on my personal journey.

So sad. My heart still aches. CLL is still a killer. We all know too many tragedies and too many close calls and too many living in fear.

We at the nonprofit CLL Society have ambitions to change that through targeted research as funding for CLL studies is starting to dry up. It’s largely seen as a solved problem. That is a tragic joke that we will work with LLS, others and our fellow CLL survivor to help correct. Stay tuned. We are working with top researchers to be smart about how to marshal our limited resources

Today our biggest push remains to ensure that everyone gets their best possible care by getting smart about their CLL. That is what forums such as this do.

If you haven’t already, please check out on website. Last week’s newsletter is chock full of helpful info for any CLL patient or caregiver at any point of their journey.

On Feb. 9 we will hold our first of the year post- ASH educational forum at City of Hope and will live stream it. Registration is now open. 10 more forums will follow across the country.

The news in 2019 overall has been good with amazing progress, but it is not good enough and not everyone gets the benefits of all the progress.

Let’s dedicated ourselves to working together. One of our motto for 2019 will be no patient left behind. And of course: Smart patients get smart care.

Stay strong. We are all in this together.

Brian

Website: cllsociety.org

Blog: bkoffman.blogspot.com

[country76]

It is very sad to hear the loss of Cll patients.

[Mystic75]

Dr. Koffman,

People, like yourself who work so hard and directly with CLL, expose themselves to more chances of losing a friend. I know there are others on this forum, like yourself, who have lost dear friends - some, you no doubt, share in common. No matter the successes, the heartache remains.

Which makes what you do all the more important. Thank you so much.

Best wishes for a productive and healthy 2019. "No patient left behind" - now that is a motto worth fighting for!

All the best,

D.

[naddude]

Best you Patty and family Brian. Congratulations on your award and good health! And thank you for all your hard work. Very sad about our loses but there is light at the end of the tunnel Hoping for a better and healthier 2019!

[Justasheet1]

Happy New Year and have a happy retirement from private practice Doc.

I played Santa and sent a donation to CLLSociety.org last week. Maybe because of it, we might find a cure next year 🙏🏻

Jeff