Mark discovered that he had Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) at the age of 47.

Mark and his family had just moved to a new city where he was going to start a new job. He had been experiencing weight loss and low energy, which had been easy to attribute to stress from the move. However, a visit to a new doctor for a routine checkup revealed that his spleen was quite enlarged and his white blood cell count alarmingly high. He had also been experiencing other symptoms such as heavy night sweats and a frequent need to urinate after bedtime.

Tests conducted by an oncologist confirmed that Mark had CML. Mark quickly began a range of treatments aimed at treating his spleen through lowering his white blood counts, as well as addressing his leukemia through tyrosine kinase inhibitors or TKIs. His doctors also helped him become more familiar and comfortable with living with CML.

Mark’s story underscores the importance of listening to one’s body and not shrugging off symptoms, and of finding a supportive community that includes doctors, family members, and colleagues.