[richiesheerinParticipant]

HowDo,

I am 36 and was diagnosed in March of this year. I got a call to work saying I need to get the Cancer Center as they are suspicious of Myeloma. Back to desk, google search #despair

My story to today is: Completed half marathon Sep 2017, cross country running up until Nov 2017. Took December off. decided to go back to Gaelic football early Jan 2018 to help some of the younger guys out and hurt my hip in a sprint pre-season test. This pain went on a few weeks, wasn’t getting better with physio. Sneezing and coughing starting really hurting, so on the physio’s recommendation I went to the doc to get check for a hernia in March. Then got the call, saying high numbers of paraproteins – get to the hospital.

In the space of 3 days I had more bloods done, full skeletal xray, MRI and bone marrow biopsy. All my other markers came back normal bar the MRI and xray where it flagged the a Solitary plasmacytoma of bone 11x9x11cm in my right illiac crest of the pelvis. So was then sent for PET scan and tumor biopsy to confirm. Started 5 weeks Radiation which finished in June 2018.

Fast forward 3 months I was sent for more bloods and a follow up PET scan. PET scan revealed the tumor had shrunk and my Paraproteins had dropped from 58 to 15 although there was some uptake in my 5th left rib and behind my stomach so had a CT scan last week and I am waiting the results. Fingers crossed for nothing. Blood levels still good.

My Journey has been to a mostly plant based diet – cutting out dairy, meat and obviously processed foods, (watch fork over knife on netflix) and have been trying to alkaline my body, cancer cannot live in an alkaline body. Just do some searches on it. Also a great help to me was https://nutritionfacts.org/. Also I have been on high doses of Tumeric to help with inflammation and my immune system. No Pain meds today

I feel good and in July I was back out on the bike keeping fit – consultant said no the physio said yes to cycling.

Treatments are getting better and better all the time, I would say to anyone is to get in control of your own body in terms of nutrition, our bodies are amazing bits of kit. Whilst the NHS do an amazing job, we can also help ourselves. Many cure stories out there.

Cheers

[shaun3Participant]

Hi Richie,

sorry to read about your diagnosis and at an early age too. I was also diagnosed in March this year but I’m quite a bit older – 52. I was in the Army for 26 years so have always kept fit and healthy and have done so this last 9 years since leaving. My diagnosis was quite similar to yours; I was getting back pain (after a Christmas party bumper car ride) and I also had pain in my hip when walking (it stopped me running too), I then had a cold that wouldn’t shift and after a number of visits to the GP they sent bloods away and the hospital brilliantly found Myeloma.

I’ve got 2 compressed vertebra so I was told no yoga for 3 months, thankfully that’s ended now, but I’ve been on the turbo trainer everyday with my road bike and also I’m starting to do weights and yoga again now. I’ve also cut out sugar, alcohol, caffeine and meat from my diet. So I’m feeling pretty good as it happens.

Since March I’ve been on VTD to reduce the Myeloma. My paraproteins were about the same as yours at the start and we’re now down to 5 although that stalled a bit a couple of months ago. At that point they put me on Cyclophosphamide too. No significant side effects which is a bonus as well.

I’d be interested to hear what the plan is for you? Is your consultant recommending stem cell next and if so which – auto and/or allo? That feels like the next big decision point.

Anyway, welcome to the site. Really impressed with your approach to this and lots to learn for us all from it. Sending positive vibes your way.

Shaun

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