FullSizedAorticPump

Can your parents talk? Can they lip read? Do you interact with many other deaf people? What was your first sign?

Do you feel like you're fully a part of the deaf community as someone who is hearing?

Hi just saying but genetics does play a huge part in this cancer. I read earlier you're taking imatinib, imatinib only works if your cancer cells have a translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22. This fusion of these chromosomes creates what is essentially a brand new gene, in this case a tyrosine kinase. Tyrosine kinase usually tell the bodies cells to divide however your new fusion gene creates a tyrosine kinase that never stops. Hence the leukaemia! But imatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that specifically stops the gene fusion you've got.

Feel free to ask me any more questions, I tried to explain that as simply as I can but can go into more or less detail as needed. I'm a genetics scientist working in hospitals diagnosing patient samples so I have a good background with the genetics of leukaemias.

No it's fine! Yeah it cant be inherited but its still the DNA in your cells unfortunately mutating. Hope you're doing as ok as you can, my fingers are crossed for you