[debbiegParticipant]

Hi Kay

Thank you for posting on the Myeloma UK forum. My name is Debbie and I am one of the Myeloma Information Specialists here at Myeloma UK.  I am sorry that no-one has responded to your post until now.  I can understand that this is a worrying time for you with your mother in hospital and you being abroad.  From your description it sounds as though the doctors and nurses looking after your mother are not expecting any sudden deterioration in your mother’s condition.  While it is difficult to forsee exactly what may happen with your mother it seems from your description that she may be experiencing a setback from side effects of the treatment.  A chest infection when your immune system is low can make someone feel very poorly, however as you say she is in the right place, and getting the antibiotics and other supportive treatments that she needs, and there is no reason to suspect that she won’t recover from this episode.   Indeed, it may be that she has already improved in the four days since you placed your post.  Ultimately no-one can say decisively that you should or shouldn’t return to the UK when situations such as this occur, it has to be a personal decision.  However if the doctors and nurses looking after your mother felt you absolutely needed to return I do think they would say so, and certainly I am sure they would be willing to talk with you directly over the telephone if you felt this would be helpful for you.

I hope this has been of some help but if you have any further questions, or would like to talk things through, please feel free to call the Myeloma Infoline from abroad on +44 (0)131 557 9988 – I or one of my colleagues can clarify things for you further. Alternatively you can email directly to askthenurse@myeloma.org.uk

With best wishes

Debbie

[debbiegParticipant]

Thank you for posting on the Myeloma Discussion Forum. My name is Debbie, and I am one of the Myeloma Information Specialists at Myeloma UK.  I am sorry that no-one has responded to your post to date. This is a question that it is unlikely forum users will be able to answer.

I can understand your concern about myeloma running in the family. We do know there is a slightly higher risk but, strictly speaking, it is not considered to be hereditary like some cancers e.g. certain types of breast cancer, where a single inherited gene greatly increases the risk of someone developing cancer. In myeloma, patients are thought to have inherited certain sets of genes which makes them slightly more susceptible but other additional environmental factors are needed before it develops. We don’t know what these genes or what exactly these additional factors are. Also, the risk for family members is not determined by the gender of the patient – the slightly greater prevalence of myeloma in men is not known but may be related to differences in exposure to certain environmental factors.

Unfortunately, there are no standard screening tests available for myeloma and the nearest would be detecting the presence of the myeloma-specific protein called “paraprotein”. At present this is not available as part of routine blood tests but can be ordered by request. It might be best to discuss your concerns with your GP in the first instance if this is something you are interested in having done.

We have an Infosheet “Is myeloma an inherited cancer?” which you can access via our website which I hope helps clarify things further. I hope this has been of some help. If you have any further questions, or would like to talk things through, please feel free to call the Myeloma Infoline on 0800 980 3332 – I or one of my colleagues can clarify things for you further. Alternately you can email directly to askthenurse@myeloma.org.uk

Best wishes, Debbie

 

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  debbieg.

[debbiegParticipant]

Thank you for posting on the Myeloma Discussion Forum.  My name is  Debbie, and I am one of the Myeloma Information Specialists at Myeloma UK.  I am sorry that no-one has responded to your post to date.  I suspect this is because the situation you describe with your mum is a complex one, and there are many potential reasons for the drop in her haemoglobin level, which may or may not be connected to her myeloma diagnosis/treatment. It may be that none of the forum users have had the specific experience  you describe.  I would suggest that you/your mum ask the doctor or nurse specialist responsible for her care to update you on their perspective of what is happening.  It may be that the doctor is still investigating the cause, but if this is the case they should be able to explain what they are investigating so that you and your mum are kept informed.

If you have any further questions, or would like to talk things through, please feel free to call the Myeloma Infoline on 0800 980 3332 – I or one of my colleagues can clarify things for you further. Alternatively you can email directly to askthenurse@myeloma.org.uk.

With best wishes, Debbie

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  debbieg.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by  debbieg.

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