[Zikomo48Participant]

Hello everyone,
I am new to all this and am quite overwhelmed at how courageous knowledgeable and patient every one seems to be. 🙂 I care for my husband who has had a relapse. After only two months of chemo, he is in remission. I should be celebrating – and desperately want to,and know that I should take joy in each day as it comes. He has a very difficult decision to make …. does he go for SCT or not. Consultant does not think he is a good subject ….. tolerates chemo very poorly and the procedure could be life threatening for him. I cannot help him make this decision. Reading through all the various topics really frightens me :-0 Practically, I am OK but emotionally I am an awful carer! My husband is normally such an even tempered person but lately appears to be quite depressed and I really don't know how to handle this. I can hardly say, "Never mind, it will all get better" ….. any suggestions please and many thanks in anticipation 🙂

[MariParticipant]

Hi there,

I am sorry you find yourself in this position that none of us would wish for. My husband also has MM and he went through an SCt although i do know what you mean, its a difficult decision. Steve became very depressed when he was having CDT even tho it was working very effectively. The shock of going from a fit healthy man with the world at his feet to a virtual cripple with MM to deal with. We both had counselling with a specialist cancer counsellor. We were referred by his consultant but mayb you could talk to a Macmillan nurse, they are hugely helpful. We found the counselling really got us through a difficult time. I hope it can help you ae well.
Good luck with the rest of the treatment,

Love Mari xx

[Zikomo48Participant]

Thank you so much, Mari, for your reply. We do have a MacMillan nurse assigned to us. My husband is very self-contained, if you know what I mean 🙂 and finds it difficult to express his feelings. But this "thing" is bigger than both of us and I could happily hang onto any comfort! I will certainly make an extra (above the monthly visit) appointment with the Macmillan nurse, as you suggest.
xx
Michele

[eveParticipant]

Hi Michele

I can relate to your problem,as we are in the same position,at last we have remission,and waiting on Kings to see if my husband is suitable for SCT,his consultant says although very fit has had pneumonia which has damaged his lungs,so feels it might not be in his interest,but has told us to go to kings,they are the experts,so we await the letter.!!!!:-S

Slim condition has not been great since before Christmas,and now waiting on some blood test,to see how kidneys are plus other small problems.

We were thinking about the possibility of harvesting stem cells and freezing them for future use,because if he does not use them,may be they can be donated( just a thought).

I do not seem to be able to find any info on any one having SCT with same conditions as Slim,as they say every one is different and different treatments suit different people. Jo on here has not had SCT and is doing very well,so there are plus sides as well. Love Eve

[Zikomo48Participant]

Thanks, Eve. The differences in each Myeloma patient make decision making and planning very difficult. My husband has just reached his second bout of remission, the first lasted just over a year. Sadly he was never well enough to go through SCT at the first remission. I don't think he will choose to go through it this time either. We still have a couple of weeks to make the decision, I say we, but it is really he who must make the decision. He has one more velcade treatment to end this last cycle, which is "to be sure, to be sure", then a two week break and an appointment with the consultant to finally decide on SCT, or not, or what?
One can only hope. Thanks again for your encouragement, I think of all the sufferers and especially their carers!
Love
Michele

[eveParticipant]

Hi Michele
How are things going,did your husband make any decisions concerning whether to go for SCT??
How are things going in general.Eve

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