Philadelphia Positive

Today is the day.

Today is my "anniversary" or "birthday" if you will. Cancerversary?

Today marks one year exactly from the day I was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. (CML)

Today is a day to celebrate my one year mark of survival.

Today is also International CML Awareness Day.

Today... 9-22 is significant because it is the chromosomes 9 and 22 which mutate and cause CML. This is called a Philadelphia positive chromosome.

Today is a good day because I'm still here and I'm happy there is a chemo pill I take every day that keeps my Leukemia chronic and not aggressive.

I wish I wasn't alone today. I wish there were others with me. I wish someone could celebrate this special "Life Day" with me.

How to live with Stings, Barbs and Quills

Don't be left out in the cold!

It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold.

The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they could cover and protect themselves.

But the quills of each one jabbed and wounded their closest companions.

After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen.

So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.

Wisely, they decided to go back to being together.

They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the warmth that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.

Author unknown


Photo by Pat Kavanaugh