Originally posted by catnapper
That is fabulous news. Now that he is in remission, does he have to do anything to maintain the remission, or is he there for good?
Yes, he has to be very careful or something as simple as a cold can start a flare. The introduction of any kind infection will make his immune system go into overdrive and start fighting his body. He has to try to stay cool, heat will make things worse, eat right and gets lots of rest. Just a little missed sleep and he gets worse. It's really sad and frustrating. He was diagnosed about 5 years ago at age 35 and it has changed his whole life. He went from being an extremely active person - skiing, playing softball, on the go all the time - to being confined to a wheelchair for the past year after he fell in the shower and broke his leg. Once that happened he lost his muscle mass quickly and getting out of the chair has been very difficult.

He also takes low doses of chemo every few months. Doctors have discovered that in low doses chemo helps to slow the progression of the disease and sometimes, like in his case, gets them back into remission. Unfortunately how long he will stay there is unknown. I'm just thankful he isn't getting any worse right now.