Day 39

I'm having severe cramps and bone pain in my left hip. Joanie and I will be seeing the doctor tomorrow and consulting with Hackensack to see if there is something I can do alleviate the pain. The local oncologist wants me to get a complete blood count. I guess she wants to see what my white blood count is and if I'm becoming a little bit anemic. I'll also check with Hackensack on the timing for the donor kits and when they will be sent out. Anyway, the good news is that all of my test results seem to be going in the right direction for the autologus stem cell transplant they want me to go through first.

Day 36

I woke up with acute back pain, could hardly make it to the bathroom. I hope that as I move around it will alleviate a little. On a scale of 1 to 10,, it's a 6.

Day 34

I have cramps in my calfs in addition to night sweats. I'm going to talk to my exercise guru about this. Joanie and I are headed back to OIB after my medication arrives today. It was shipped out FedX yesterday. I want to play cribbage with the Penna and Atlanta Dock's.

Day 33

Back from vacation at Ocean Isle Beach. We had a great week visiting and cavorting with the family. I began round 2 with the chemo last Thursday, so far so good. I'm having mild night sweats every night. I'm not sure whether thats a good thing or a bad thing but if thats the only thing that happens it's ok with me. I should get a reading on my blood work today so we'll see if I'm responding to the treatment. I'll post the results when I have them.

Day 22

My posts always show up as 3 hours earlier than I post them. I'm not up in the middle of the night posting. I can't figure out how to change it. Today is the last day of drugs for a week, a welcome reprieve. We spent yesterday wrestling with the scatterbrained local oncology office to get my prescription correct and Golden Rule Insurance because they are holding up payments and asking for medical records from places that I didn't even visit - go figure. I went to my second exercise class yesterday, it was Yoga for beginners like me. There are some ways that I just don't stretch right now which engendered humor for some of my compatriots and individual instruction from my very good looking intructress.

Day 20

I had big time sweats last night. I had to take off my tee shirt, it was soaked. The doctor said that may be a sign that the chemo is eliciting some reaction from the tumors. I hope so. We got our regimen all straightened out today so my last day of medicine for the first cycle will be Thursday, then a week off and then back on again, perfect timing for OIB. I started an exercise program at the YMCA yesterday, I'm the only guy in the class.

Day 19

I think that my discomfort is attributable to dexamethasone. I'll talk to the local doctor when I see her tomorrow. I went to the YMCA in downtown Charlotte this morning for some exercise and conversation with other cancer patients. It was pleaseant and I look forward to continuing with these guys for the next several months. I'm the only guy in the class. It'll be good to get off the drugs for a week at OIB.

Day 18

Spent a very uncomfortable night, stabbing constipation. I went 4 times but not enough to relieve the discomfort. I'll talk to el doctor.

Day 17

I woke up with spongy legs this morning, maybe a little bit of peripheral neuropathy. The webinar on nutrition suggested that a supplement called glutamine (10gm three times/day) would help with neuropathy. I think I'll go to GNC to get some. I've also been constipated for 2 days. I think this happens after I double with steroids and chemo on Thursdays. I'll talk to the doctor on Tuesday or sooner if it doesn't shape up. Sorry for the lousy report.
We gave our spare bed to Melissa to take to her new home in Washington. So we're waiting for delivery of a new bed for our spare bedroom this morning. We expect John and Maureen to be here on Tuesday/Wednesday so they'll be the first to use the new bed.

Day 16

I helped to lower the water levels in our lakes yesterday. I drank 8 sixteen oz. glasses of water in hopes of avoiding blisters on my tongue and it worked. Today I'm tuning in to a webcast on cancer and nutrition sposored by the International Myeloma Foundation. The slides for the presentation, presented by the Providence Portland Cancer Center in Portland, OR, are on the IMS site. They have good tips for cancer avoidence for all. Take a look.
So far I am tolerating my chemo/steroid treatments pretty well. I'll get an early reading next week as to whether I'm actually responding. If I am, good, if not then they will add another chemo drug to the mix (Velcade) which will require infusion (port or IV) at the local oncology center.

Day 15

Today is a double day, steroids + chemo. I hope it doesn't yield the same result as last Thursday. I was dizzy and developed blisters on my tongue. Joanie had to do most of the driving to Virginia. Melissa had me drink water with iodized salt which helped a lot. I've joined a cancer support group at the church. We meet at 10AM today at church which is only a half mile from home.

Myeloma Journey: Day 13

Myeloma Journey: Day 13

August 3, 2010

We've decided to go to Hackensack University Medical Center for the stem cell transplant. There were a couple of factors that went into the decision. Duke, although they're a beautiful facility, did only 8 autologus stem cell transplants last year. Hackensack did 150 last year for myeloma and 95 for myeloma so far this year. Duke took an allogeneic transplant of the table, Hackensack took nothing off the table. Hackensack is close to family and that's important to us. The auto transplant will take place, depending on my response to the chemo, in the October/November time frame.

Multiple Myeloma Journey

August 2, 2010

Day 12

Good Night's sleep except up pretty often for water breaks - outgoing not incoming. Went to Dowd YMCA in Charlotte for a fitness assessment. I'm joining a cancer-care exercise group. Exercise on Monday and Friday, Yoga on Wednesdays. It's a free program and I'm looking forward to it. It will give me a chance to hook-up with other cancer patients. I'm still on an all organic diet.