This is my first post. I've been reading and learning quite a bit from this discussion board and everyone who posts so thank you.
I received my dx this February 2015. My hema/onc was just as surprised as I was. At the time of my BMB, my WBC was 11k. What brought me to see him was a cascading series of events. It probably all started with how I felt while running. I am (was) an ultramarathoner and my Summer training was "off" at the time and there was some weirdness going on that I couldn't explain but I kept training. I then had a really bad fever for about 5 days last October and a long trail race about 2 weeks after that which I didn't finish. Not finishing that race made me go back to my Primary care provider who did some bloodwork. Turns out I had anaplasmosis (from a tick bite while running) but my basopyls were elevated so I was sent to see a hematologist. I didn't really know what a hematologist did so I looked it up and then started to think that something really could be wrong. The BMB revealed that I had CML and I started Gleevec shortly thereafter.
I've responded very well to the Gleevec with PCR's @ 0.3% and 0.03% after 3 and 6 months respectively. The fatigue and periorbital edema is really the only side effect that I have. I still continue to run and sometimes suffer through it (especially in the first 3 months of Gleevec) but I continue to think that the exercise will help me.
BTW, are there any out there that run ultramarathons or still marathon after dx? I can still run but not nearly what I want/need to due to the fatigue of the Gleevec. I would love to hear from runners who still run hard / compete after dx.