[Ruth Cuadra]

Hi, Lori.

You definitely sound very knowledgeable about the details of ET. I think it's not unusual for people to have conditions like ET for a long time before there is enough evidence to see that the underlying disease is really MDS or CMML.

What does it mean to have a "double BMB"? Why are they waiting until March to do it?

As you probably already know, CMML is typically a slow-progressing type of myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative disease in which too many myelomonocytes are present in the bone marrow, crowding out other types of cells. This is consistent with your husband's monocytosis.

I think it's a very good thing that he feels well enough to keep working. His easy-going attitude should serve him well under the stress of dealing with such a complicated situation. He's lucky to have you out here for him looking for help and information.

Google searches on CMML and Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia will lead you to lots of information. Key sites to focus on would be the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and clinicaltrials.gov (for the latest in current research).

We have at least a few members who are dealing with CMML either as patients or as caregivers. Try searching Marrowforums to find related posts (click on the triangle next to the word "Search" in the toolbar at the top of the page).

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Ruth Cuadra