I read your question about arthritis. I do not have arthritis but I understand the white blood cells can become busy and attack different spots in the body. I am a jogger and I noticed greenish bruising around my knees after using the elliptical at the gym. This would apply lots of pressure for a big workout at the gym. The greenish tint lasted a few days then cleared up. Then after a visit to the gym the greenish bruising came back. I have stopped visiting the gym since my wife though I was damaging my knees? I think if there was some injury in the body the excess WBC could attack the damaged area which could possibly add to the damage. I would suggest you add collagen to you diet to help your joints. My wife has arthritis and puts it in her coffee in the morning. I think we have to think about how we can decrease damaging our body by thinking about vitamins and supplements which can help repair damaged areas in our bodies. I am retired so I pace myself and my wife only lets me do 2 hours of outside work. I plan to start split oak for fire wood next winter. I live in an oak forest and noticed 4 dead trees. I chopped a tree last February and this may provide 75% of my wood for next winter. Cutting down the other trees and bring the wood back to the house will be a sweaty and back breaking task. I hope you are better in the future and your plans help complement your healthy future.

I'm in the same boat. But with me I think it's just age. I wear copper bracelets with magnets and I don't know that they help but they look pretty. lol

Hi SandyCurrie,
I do believe CLL makes whatever symptoms you have worse. It seems to magnify co-morbidities, whatever they are. It can affect your heart if you have high blood pressure or other issues. I have osteoarthritis, and was doing just fine with it, it was slowly worsening but no problem. Before being diagnosed, I noticed the osteoarthritis getting worse at a faster rate. My meniscus tore when I was running in the sand! Then, I had to have my right knee replaced and now my left knee is worsening too. Also, the arthritis is spreading to some of my other joints, like my shoulders, wrists, hips and neck and thumbs. I don't let it stop me, because the best thing to do is to keep moving and that is what I do. I also agree with the response from the "My leukemia team". It is so hard to know for sure what makes our symptoms worse unless you ask your oncologist, or primary doctor.
Another example is I NEVER had allergies in my life and now I have allergies to food, a few medications, and to the environment. I need to take allergy medication every single day now. This is all very livable but irritating. Maybe even without CLL, I would have developed allergies, but I do believe CLL makes them worse. I mean CLL impacts our immune system, so...I think it affects us more than our blood tests show. The good thing is, as long as I can move, I am grateful!!! I mean it could be much worse. The symptoms I have, I have deal with! I am grateful I have the slow growing type of leukemia and not the aggressive kind. I hope to have many, many more years to live a relatively good life!!! AND no matter what happens, I always have this leukemia group and my GOD!

Thank you so much Robert! I still go to Jazzercise 3-4 times a week but now do low vs high impact. I will look into collagen. 😊