[landykeith1959sky-comParticipant]

Hi everyone, some 5 weeks ago I was diagnosed with Myeloma which was shall I say one hell of a shock.

I am now 3 and a half weeks into my first line of VTD. No real reaction to the treatment as such. The only thing I am struggling with is being so tired and out of breath since last Friday and being off the Dex. Is this something that will ease over the next few months or is it to be the norm?

I was hoping to try and keep mobile as much as possible but it is a bit of a struggle.

[lilibParticipant]

Hi landykeith,
My husband started his VTD treatment about two weeks before you. Re the mobility – he hasn’t been at all mobile since a few weeks before diagnosis, and can just about walk to the car for me to take him to hospital. The consultant seemed unconcerned about that when I raised it. However, I think that if he had shown signs of breathlessness, I would have flagged it up to someone – perhaps the CNS?

This treatment so far has been full of challenges – everything seemed to be going swimmingly for the first four weeks, and then, suddenly out of nowhere he developed a rash. Just be aware of your body, and if something is bothering you or doesn’t feel right, I wouldn’t hesitate to contact one of your team. That’s what they are there for. I would hope that they are quite used to us Newbies calling about things. We’re all on a steep learning curve.

Good luck, and may your treatment be trouble free.

Lili

[mulberryParticipant]

I felt very faint and lightheaded during induction treatment and was tired much of the time. I had a widespread rash for a while and had a bit of neuropathy in my feet.
Once induction treatment and stem cell transplant were over, I quickly felt much better. I felt pretty much back to my old self 60 days after SCT.
I’m now 2 1/2 years after SCT, & feel fine. Today I worked for hours harvesting hay by hand, not quite with the stamina I had 10 years ago, but I was able to do it. I’d say that I still can do anything, but not everything at the same time. I still have anaemia and I still have some fatigue. But it doesn’t get in the way of a good quality of life.

[lilibParticipant]

Mulberry – thank you for your very reassuring post. It’s good to know that people are able to get on with their lives and forget about Myeloma for a while, especially when someone is struggling with side effects of treatment.

Anyway – after a truly horrendous week for my husband, when he basically shed all his skin (sorry if that’s TMI), we were somewhat amazed to learn that his paraprotein levels had dropped by about 40 (is that per cent?). The Consultant seemed pretty impressed, so I guess that the suffering was for something. He is about to start the second cycle today, but just the V and D of the VTD treatment.

His mobility has improved enormously, too, and he has even thought about getting in to the car and driving – although I think he should try in an empty car park or somewhere very quiet first…

[Author]

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