Hi
My husband was diagnosed on 31st May last year ( my birthday ) after been ill for 5 months. He first became ill in January with severe back pain, after many visits to the doctors with the pain and other problems, chest infections, pnuemonia, pleurisy, but he was always told that he had a muscle spasm, he was finally sent for an xray. This showed he had a crushed vertebrea, the doctor then referred him to a consultant neurologist. He was not happy with the xray and said it was inconclusive but he put him into a back brace, which he then wore for the next 4 months.Am mri was done and again this showed an inconclusive result and the consultant said that he would admit him to hospital for investigations and if the vertebrea was crushed he would have a procedure called a verboplasty. Peter entered hospital on the 23rd May to have surgery the next day, this was cancelled each day until it finally happened on the Thursday and Peter had 3 crushed verebrea's cemented. Immediately the doctor was concerned with the softness of Peter's bones in his spinal area. Unbe-known to us they were already exploring the myeloma, as it had shown up in a blood test whcih was taken on his admission day to hospital.We were finally given the myeloma diagnosis on Monday 31st May. No blood test had ever been taken by his own GP.Peter then became extremely ill on the Tuesday, his body was suffering terribly from a calcium overdose, from the bone degrading, this also affected his kidneys and put him into renal failure.This was a very difficult time for us as a family, Peter didnt even recognise his own daughter and son.
The next day a consultant haematologist from the Oncology unit came and spoke to us about the disease and his treatment for myeloma started immediatly and Peter was then transferred to a specialist hospital.He has now been through a CDT course and a SCT and is making a good recovery.
Trish xxx
