Patients' Corner

Personal Notes

Dealing with CLL

Getting a Grip

Former newspaper reporter and editor David Arenson shares with our readers what worked for him when he had to deal with the emotional issues raised by his diagnosis of CLL. In Getting a Grip he offers insights and advice to those going through the same process.

Diagnosing Your Doctor

A Patient's Viewpoint

Why Patients Need to Be Proactive:
The Life You Save Could Be Your Own

Former newspaper reporter and editor David Arenson analyses the weak points in many relationships between CLL patients and their doctors and makes some constructive suggestions for improvement. In his article titled Diagnosing Your Doctor he identifies the qualities and approach he feels are necessary on both sides for CLL patients and their doctors to develop interactive and effective relationships.

ASH Meeting Notes

Patient's Eye View of the Forty-fifth Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology

Review of Papers and Presentations

Topics' volunteer Suzanne Burr jumped at the chance to attend the annual ASH meeting. This is entirely understandable given her experience as a medical technologist with over twenty years background in hematology and related fields. In this report, she provides us with synopses of a number of papers that were presented at the meeting. Click here to read her ASH Meeting Notes.

Journey of a Newly Diagnosed CLL Patient

Peter's Principles

A Patient Talks About His Experience and the Lessons Learned

Journey of a Newly Diagnosed CLL Patient is both a personal narrative as well as a collection of important principles directed at helping newly diagnosed patients. The author, Peter Carpenter, is uniquely qualified to provide this perspective. He is a patient who has gone through his own battles to come to terms with the disease, armed with a multifaceted background in the sciences and the medical research arena. He provides insight on how things work in the practice of medicine and some useful practical guidance in dealing with important issues.

Knowledge is Power

An Educated Patient Gets Better Treatment

How to Work with the System

A patient reflects on the constraints of time and resources facing doctors and the need for the patient to work with his medical professionals to obtain the best treatment for him or her. A diversity of approaches and opinion amongst the professionals leaves it up to the patient to make critical choices. The author concludes that In the Treatment of CLL, Knowledge is Power.