Hi there,
I’m afraid what your going through is normal for most families. The Dex causes sleeplessness as well as depression in some people. It really does affect behaviour and causes mood swings. I was very short tempered whilst on it and yet in the middle of the night so high I spent the early hours just writing away silly things or surfing the net.
The ‘life not worth living’ can also be linked to the Dex. As I said it can be a depressent. Again I felt really low after it and if you check other people’s posts, they felt the same. MM is so awful because you do feel so unwell, not just for a few days as with a cold but continuously with one thing or another. I don’t know how much bone damage he has but that is there continuously to begin with. I suspect with those with Spinal damage it is very bad. The breathlessness is pretty common. If the heamoglobin levels are low or if someone has a lung infection than naturally the blood won’t absorb as much oxygen as a healthy person.
As for how long it will last, no one can say. Do you have an idea if and when he is likely to have an SCT? Has your consultant given any indication of how the Chemo is going? You need to prepare a list of questions for the consultant as he/she is best placed to advise. The other thing of course is to contact the Myeloma Nurses. On every occasion I’ve called I have found them so helpful.
Christmas is such a shitty time for so many because we are expected to be happy and merry and unfortunately for those with MM it’s not always the case.
Richard
