[roncantrillParticipant]

Hi Amelie, Great news about the remission and long may it last. Pauline had her SCT in January and got the same news in August so we are about 6 months ahead of you. I think it has to be accepted that the immunity is an ongoing problem and seasonal flu jabs are essential. I believe that, if the blood counts are good then the response to new infection should be pretty good but there may be an issue in that new infections are often modifications of old ones so, we who still have all our acquired immunity will fare better than those who have had an SCT. Pauline has had two 2 3 week severe cold and cough bouts recently both needing 2 rounds of antibiotics and leaving her pretty well washed out. Prior to this we both hardly ever had colds an virtually never had flu so I think this must relate to her Myeloma and SCT. I think the simple answer is that we all have to take much more care to avoid catching anything or passing it on. On the issue of preventative measures I heard an interesting comment recently. It appears that cold and flu viruses love moisture and it is the tendency for noses to run in cold weather that helps spread infection so the suggestion to use Vic or other nasal sprays may well be worth taking up. I think that the other important point is to avoid becoming blase about things and don't be afraid of getting medical attention early. Our experience is that GPs will not condemn you for being a bit over anxious. Colds and flu are caused by viruses and the best way to fight these is to develop a strong constitution and don't be afraid of getting him to bed with paracetamol and a hot water bottle, but bacterial infections often follow on from viruses and this is where you need to step in quickly with the antibiotics. Best wishes for the future. Ron.

[roncantrillParticipant]

Hi Amelie,

Anything that helps to focus attention on the need for early diagnosis of this horrible disease has go to be good and I hope your efforts are well received. Like Gaye, my wife Pauline was diagnosed after a blood test looking for diabetes. I think that anemia is probably the most common early test indicator coupled with the usual associated symptoms of tiredness and poor recovery from common ailments. Anemia is a common side effect of most cancers so that is probably insufficient to justify a test specifically for Para-proteins but, together with the skeletal aches and pains however insignificant they may may appear at the time, there must be a point at which the vital test is justified. It would be interesting to find out just how much it costs for this test. Unfortunately it seems from other posts on this site that a negative result is not necessarily conclusive but that does seem to be in the minority. One interesting coincidence is that Pauline's GP who had no previous patients with Myeloma had two confirmed cases on the same morning. We are just grateful that he was on the ball. The trouble is that if everyone cries wolf it may have the wrong effect but we have to try. Nevertheless, give it your best and let us know how it goes. Ron.

[roncantrillParticipant]

H David,
It sounds like you have it made in there. it's got to be a lot better than being out and about at the moment. All being well you should be well on the way back to normal in the spring. Pauline had hers in late January and was just picking up nicely for the late spring and hasn't looked back since so I hope it all continues to go well for you. Re the e-mails, you may already be aware of this but, if you're using Outlook and you are not accessing through your normal service provider you will not be able to send. However, if you log on to your service provider's web site and log in using your user id and password you will be able to send using their e-mail facility. It's a bit wierd if you are a regular Outlook user and it will seem horrible but it will work but you won't see anything you've sent on Outlook. Keep posting and making the less fortunate envious. Pauline had no internet just a washbasin and a communial (Men and women) toilet and shower at the end of a couple of long corridors but it was all worth it. All the best, Ron.

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