Hi everyone.
Welcome to the new newcomers to the forum.
Nikki – myeloma is cancer of the bone marrow, plasma cells in reality. They go wonky, for want of a better word, and start producing paraproteins, which serve no useful purpose.
They compete with your white cells I think and this is why you will become susceptible to infections and find it…[Read more]

Hi Fiona.
I was diagnosed Oct 2011 with my PPs at 49 the lowest my PPs have been was 11.4 but not for very long.
Never been in remission and went through all the standard treatment in a few months none of them worked. Then went onto Revilimid which wasn’t widely available at the time and got 22 cycles of stability before that ended. I’m now on…[Read more]

Hi Maureen.
I can understand what you mean about using up the treatments available too quickly. I got through most of the standard treatments in six months and none worked. I was put on Revlimid as a last hope, it wasn’t standard treatment then, and after a slow start plus the introduction of cyclophosphamide it got my PPs down to the mid teens.…[Read more]

So glad it is good news Susie, fingers crossed all well at your next monitoring. Can they sort out the compressed discs and compression fracture?

Karen

Hi David.
You do seem to be giving the medics a run for their money. Boring out your prostate doesn’t sound like fun! and now a lump of flesh to be removed as well! Makes having you two teeth extracted sound like a walk in the park.
You’ll be glad when July is over.
I get to see my consultant at the end of the month I wonder what she’s got in…[Read more]

Hi Susie, so glad to hear MRI scan not as bad as you had feared. Fingers crossed for your results.

Oh Sal, what a waste of your time, you must have felt very frustrated.

Best wishes Karen

Morning Nikki and Wendy.
First of all steroids will give you lots of sleepless nights it’s a very common side effect of Dex. They lift you up and you’ll talk a lot! Maybe eat more than usual and possibly even work around the house doing odd things! Then you’ll crash and become moody and argumentative. Such is the joys of dexamethasone. Oh and…[Read more]

Hiya Vicki
I only take Dex once a week now. 40mg every Tuesday! So I’m usually awake Tuesday nights and part of Wednesday night. Though it’s not been to bad this week.
My PPs showed a slight rise at the end of last cycle tut guess I’ll never get them down to single figures. I feel ok though my back is starting to let me down again.
I’m sure…[Read more]

Hi David.
Hope your visit re prostate goes ok.
I’ve had a catheter in for at least 2.5 years now guess I’m used to it now! Though it can be a nuisance at times especially in a pub!
My appointments seem to be piling up and they’re spread over the next 5 months though none clash with anything planned as yet. My main worry is my back review in…[Read more]

Hi Nikki and Wendy
Welcome to the club that none of us would choose to join.
First multiple myeloma as you may already know is a cancer of the blood marrow. It called multiple myeloma because it can present in many different places. The most common first symptom is back pain. Which was my introduction to meyloma. Other indications are broken bones…[Read more]

Evening Wendy, I was 67 when I was diagnosed with light chain myeloma, returned from a holiday in the Far East with a chest infection which my doc diagnosed as pneumonia. That was cleared and had several more infections, loads blood tests and three months later was diagnosed with myeloma. No bone pain, kidney function ok. Was/ am on the myeloma XI…[Read more]

All the best with your MRI scans, I fell asleep while I was having mine! Haha
Regards
Tony F

Also Hi to Tony and Val, I have been so happy that my thread has given me the chance to share experiences with so many people. It is a privilege and a pleasure to read about others journeys.

I hate being a pin cushion, I always get a bruise that takes ages to go, but at least they don’t have to try more than once so there is a positive in there…[Read more]

Hi Susie

I have only seen MRI on TV and so hesitate to advise.

Hope all goes well for you on Friday, I will be thinking of you.

Let us know how you get on.

Karen

Hi Chrissie

What you have said resonates with me, and I suspect with many of the people using this site.

I haven’t got to the place in my journey where I can get the ” OMG I have cancer” out of my head. I sort of ( silly I know) hope they will tell me there has been a mistake, because although I do get fatigued and have some funny tinglings in…[Read more]

Good evening, so sorry that you have to be part of this group.
You have every right to be concerned, this disease is a bugger and effects us all differently. I hope that the following will give you and your dad some encouragement,I am 70 in August, was diagnosed with myeloma in early 2012. Was put onto the myeloma XI drugs trial, that lasted for…[Read more]

Hi James.
There are so many variables involved with myeloma that it’s hard to give you any information without knowing your circumstances.
That fact that you had Velcade then a SCT suggests you may of had kidney problems, that’s if Velcade was your first line of treatment. After your SCT you sound like you were put on a maintenance dose of…[Read more]

Hiya Vicki and Colin
Just reread your initial post. If your consultant is leaving it for 6 weeks before Colin’s next blood test I would say he’s not to worried. He probably thinks it’s blip caused by the infection but can’t come out and say it in case he’s wrong. The blip could also be caused in the lab because no two test can be exactly the same…[Read more]

Hi David.
It does bu**er about with your plans having to fit in hospital appointments around life. My memory ain’t what it was and I have to rely on Steph to keep everything flowing as smooth as possible.
Sorry to hear you prostate cancer is causing you problems.
Are you sure you just don’t have an aversion to dentists and your doing anything to…[Read more]

Hi Karen, sorry for interrupting your conversations. Almost from the start of my treatment, 2 plus years ago, I have been having my bloods taken by the nurse at my doctors surgery, about 2 weeks before my clinic appointment.
As I am on the myeloma XI trial I have bloods taken at the clinic before seeing the consultant.
Don’t you just love feeling…[Read more]