Hi Tebebe,
As CDT was my first/Frontline treatment I didn't know what to expect by way of side-effects. It wasn't pleasant with almost exactly the same effects as you describe… but neither was it overwhelming or crippling. I persevered because I knew I had no choice and there was a very good chance that it was doing me some good. It was. I started treatment with my light chains (Bence Jones Myeloma… governed by Kappa Light Chains rather than PPs) at 8,500… by the end of Cycle 1 it was down to 3,500 by the end of Cycle 2 it was 250… I was in complete and full remission, with no visible or invisible sign of Myeloma by the end of Cycle 4 and treatment was stopped. That was in October 2009… I had the unfortunate incident of an infected Hickman Line that caused me to miss out on my Stem Cell Harvest so we started again after Xmas and I eventually had my SCT in early March, in and out in 14 days. When I started my SCT I was still in complete remission… almost 5 months since reaching that point. I had wanted to run with the CDT until it showed signs of waning but my consultant said it was a 'no brainer' to go for the SCT straight away… I wasn't so sure, I did not want to waste a single day of extended remission from the CDT… I still cannot understand why that was not considered an option, especially since my SCT only lasted 10 months but there you go… in hindsight I should have pressed for what I wanted but I didn't know then what I know now. 😉
So hold on and hold out… when you start seeing the results of your treatment the side-effects will fade into the background… I had a mantra 'Whatever It Takes'… and that has stood me in good stead, keeping me centred and positive from those early days until now. 😎
Good luck and best regards 🙂
Dai.
