[CarolsymonsParticipant]

Hi Stanley
You will only get shingles if you had chicken pox previously. No chicken pox no shingles! Luckily I have never had them so thank goodness shingles is not on my agenda. Were you taking acyclovir?

Carol

[stanley-1960Participant]

Hi Carol,

With the post i was surmising that nearly all of us have had chicken pox before the adult age of 18. You must be very special as the percentage is around 95% who have. I don’t know anyone close to me who hasn’t had it.I was given no medication post 50 days but have just been given a course of  valaciclovir. Was just interested if the vast majority on this site have had chicken pox and the data that shows were all most likely to get shingles if anyone was on a preventative strategy or if they were advised that it was likely to occur.

best regards,

Stanley

[stanley-1960Participant]

Hi all,

Nearly 12 months to the day since my emergency surgery on 4″ plasmacytoma  diagnosis and 6 months post SCT . My consultancy yesterday confirmed no detectable paraprotien and FLC of 10.17 kappa and 7.57 lambda ratio 1.34. I am utterly delighted and feel positive for near future being drug free.

Best wishes to all,

Stanley

[jeff605Participant]

Great news Stanley, long may it last Congrats, Jeff

[bandityogaParticipant]

Great news Stanley

[stanley-1960Participant]

Hi All,

Just returned from latest consultancy nearly 13 months post SCT. Normal FLC and no detectable paraproteins. Panic over for another 2 months (always the pessimist). My consultant was shocked when i said walking 14km most days  with some days stretching it to 23km. First round of golf last week for nearly 3 years, too many 3 and even 4 putt holes 🙁 but still scored 27 points stableford. On a more serious note finally gave up work. Now looking for my place on the scrapheap of life(currently at the bottom) but hoping for a good season aiming for mid table by early next year.

Wishing you all the very best,

Stanley

[annlynnParticipant]

well done. you !!!! its a lovely feeling. when. something feels its going right for a change. you enjoy. the golf and keep well best wishes Ann ..

[DizzylizParticipant]

It’s good to read your lovely post, long may you continue with normal para’s and no detectable FLC’s, those long walks and golfing too! Brilliant
Keep well Stanley.

Liz & kev xx

[stanley-1960Participant]

Many thanks Ann and Liz, off to Cornwall soon will have a few pints of rattler cider and it would be rude not to accompany it was a pasty. Not near a golf course but will be yomping around the coast like a goodun. As long as i keep away from the shops I’m sure i have a great time.

Liz hope Kev gets through his SCT and a good remission is only round the corner.

best regards,

Stanley

[rebeccaRParticipant]

Hi Stanley, so pleased to hear you have changed your life and given up work. It is a very brave decision to not stick to the “norm” and bury our heads. Funnily enough over the last year the amount of people I know of who have died just after normal retirement age – or died within a year of achieving their golden pension whilst sticking at a job they disliked but the with the lure of a long retirement is growing in number. Even my husband has re-evaluated and works less days now so he can enjoy doing the things he likes whilst he is fit and healthy. My aim is for us to have the last laugh in that we worked less than everyone else and had a longer, better retirement because of it. I still do 2 1/2 days a week but that gives me good down time and was fortunate that an earlier severance package kicked in my pension at 50 which tops up the part time hours. We are rich in time of not in money now! Enjoy.

Rebecca

[stanley-1960Participant]

Hi Rebecca,

Funny you should mention the word “norm” as its never been in my vocabulary lol. I don’t see it as a brave decision but one that had to be made.Leaving work for me has been an extremely traumatic experience. Adjusting to the new changes will take some getting used to. The difficulty for me was the fact that i enjoyed every day and was committed 100%. The void left will hopefully be filled by some travelling to places iv’e never had the chance to go because i was too busy working. I am trying (without much success) to stay in the light as you advised but going through the my working life is over phase (woe is me) coupled with the myeloma shadow is making it a testing time at the moment.Great to see you and your husband have been doing some re-evaluation. There is more to life than work and i am hoping to realise this over the coming months. Hope you are well.

Stanley

[mervyn53Participant]

Dear Stanley

I am in a similar position to you; diagnosed about a year ago and immobile with 3 crushed vertebrae. After 6 cycles of velcade, now two months after SCT and more or less OK.

For those of us that like(d) going to work, there is a great void, as you say.  This has to be filled and the more time wasted moping about  the house wondering how to do that, the more time is wasted.

Most people will sooner or later find what they want to do – even if it is going back to work, starting another business, playing golf, doing up a house, betting on horses or looking after grandchildren. At our stage in life we have more freedom to decide. The younger ones generally don’t.

Enjoy !

Mervyn

 

[stanley-1960Participant]

Hi Mervyn,

Glad your ok after SCT long may it continue. You must be a clairvoyant as currently i’m playing golf,doing up the bathroom and gambling on the horses with varying amounts of success with each lol.Don’t have any grandkids else i’d probably be looking after them as well.

Stanley

[rebeccaRParticipant]

Hi, leaving work is generally classed as traumatic as a break-up, house move etc which is why the chances of a heart attack within the 1st 6 months I believe significantly increases. Personally, I feel it is easy to fill time/be more social in the so-called good weather months but winter, if you’re not careful, is much more isolating and too much thinking time. Ideally winter months are a time where short term contracts of work or different work projects (other than in those in the house on your own) are needed. I gave up my dream job a few years ago so have long since adjusted to just “doing a job” with no satisfaction but do get that from other avenues – running team fixtures etc. My father in law had a great job and retired early and then seemed to make his hobbies his work and whatever he did always seemed to end up as President of it. So as you feel your way through yet another transition you will/need to find ways to fulfil your needs but do try and make headway before the weather and dark nights curtails outside activities. Yet another new chapter….

Rebecca

[stanley-1960Participant]

Hi All,

Just thought i would update my current situation. Its now over 2 years since my emergency surgery to remove a 4″ plasmacytoma from my chest and 19 months since SCT. All my readings were normal at recent consultancy with the news that i am being moved from 2 monthly consultations to 3 monthly. In the 19 months since SCT i have had 2 infections/ heavy colds, but in my defence so have my family for the same ammount of time so not all that surprising. I walk 14km every day, play golf as often as i can, drink in moderation and travel as often as i can( off to Barcelona next week). I have just turned 56 years of age and hope to see a few more yet.

Best wishes to all,

Stanley

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