Hi Peggy
That's what I had, maybe they do the other stuff after collection where you are.
Love Helen

Hi Cathy
Good that he is home. It is 14 months since my SCT and my taste buds have not recovered yet. I suspect they have gone for good.
Love Helen

Dear Peggy
I suspect all will be revealed tomorrow, usually a full medical 'work up' will start from tomorrow, bloods, hiv tests, ECG, X-ray consent etc and full instructions on gcsf injections which you will probably be taught to do for yourself. Not everywhere does cyclophosphamide priming, but gcsf is usual as a first treatment to get the stem…[Read more]

Hi Wendy, Well done, it's a bit scary doing the patient thing, I did the Newcastle one in March and found it quite terrifying! I'm most impressed by all your activity holidays too. I'm really quite indolent, no energy at all really, I expect its the cough and going back to work. It is getting better and I'm more inclined to do things but I'm…[Read more]

Dear Vikki
Just to say good luck to Colin and yourself for Monday, many pjs, baby wipes, tissues and a lip salve at the ready? Ice pops in the freezer? Large pile of towels, face cloths etc for daily changes, and an extra carrier for the dirty laundry:-0, iPod iPad, phone and charger, book? All packed? Ok then you are ready to go, hope it all…[Read more]

Hi Andy
It was good to catch up again, I thought you both looked well bronzed after the holidays, it's a shame they go so quickly. Hope the results pick up again soon, you'll feel so much better then.
Love Helen

Hi Wendy
Yep they are all different, today they were quite excited at the hospital over my whooping cough result:-/ apparently my immune system is working overtime on it, in a good way, and there were the right sort of antibodies in large numbers….. That's supposed to be the silver lining then! Anyway it was good enough to go back on the…[Read more]

Dear Kerry
You just keep shouting girl, 🙁 it won't take the pain away but you might feel better for it. I still feel like shouting, crying and swearing and I'm in a much better place than most at the minute. You should read Mins lovely post yesterday, it doesn't change anything but puts into words some of the heartache we all experience. Our…[Read more]

Thanks Jean
Another nice new picture too, how is Frank doing with the chemo, ok still I hope?
Love Helen

Hi Vikki
Good photo, and sorry to,hear about the delay, just make the most of this time, go away for a few days in the autumn sun, it was lovely here today, a golden day. And I think the whooping cough is getting quieter!
Ali don't stress too much about your mum and infection, we can't live in a vacuum, and we have to live, I mean really live,…[Read more]

Hi Andy
Just give me a bell when you are in the clinic and I can come across, got some odds and ends to do there anyway.
And thanks Mavis, though I hope I'm not putting them off working with all the noise, can't be very nice for them!
Love Helen

Dear Sarah
Sorry you had to join. I'm on myeloma xi trial, 20 months now, we stay on it to relapse if possible and there are lots of us out here. I've been back at work a few months now, I'm still angry, upset and feel cheated out of my old life but I've gradually moved on. As for side effects, we're all so different, read some of the old posts…[Read more]

Hi Tom Eve and Ali
I feel so much better just knowing its not something really horrible and mm related and it will just run its albeit long course.
We had our flu jabs this morning too so hope I'm covered now.
Ali, after what you said about your mum, I asked about redoing childhood immunisations at our place last time and they too said only for…[Read more]

Dear Dai
Have a lovely lovely day tomorrow. Talk to everyone and give Becky and Liz a wonderful day to remember.
Have fun, you deserve it, and hope the leg behaves itself ( and the rest of you for that matter 😉 🙂 😎 )
Love Helen

Hi Nettie
I think it's down to the dex effect of masking infection and the revlimid effect of being so powerful. You pick up infection so easily and it can be hard to detect because you don't feel ill. Eve had great trouble with Slim when he had pneumonia and while I've been on revlimid I've caught everything going and I'm not on dex anymore.…[Read more]

Hi Ali, Jo and Michelle
Yes it's a horrible thing to get, I feel so tired and sound dreadful. I can see why babies suffer so badly, you start to panic a bit when you can't breathe properly, and I'm a grown up with medical knowledge and I find it difficult!! It is commoner in adults now as children are immunised and we lose our immunity as we age,…[Read more]

Hi Keith
Sorry it's such a minefield at the moment, I too would be a bit worried about those results, but this time 2 years ago mine were at that level just before diagnosis and if blood bank hadn't spotted it I might not know I had myeloma yet? So stay away from anyone with infection, take your temp twice a day, if its above 37.5 for 3 hours,…[Read more]

Hi Etta
I suppose you have a 2 out of 3 chance of tablets being prescribed so it is more rather than less likely, I took revlimid out in New Zealand with no trouble, walked a lot on the aeroplane etc. if you have had thalidomide before, Revlimid is its new brother but has less peripheral neuropathy problems. I took heparin injections for the…[Read more]

Hi Etta
Sorry I missed this, bit tired and busy recently, but here is my experience . I've been on myeloma xi trial for nearly 21 months now.
Started feb 2011 on revlimid arm, it took my light chains to 0 in a couple of months and they have remained at 0 since then. 🙂
Had my SCT in August 11 and was randomised to revlimid again at 100 days…[Read more]