On To Plan B

Here’s the latest health news for those of you keeping track of such things.

The good news is that I’ve just about put the February gallbladder surgery behind me. Recovery from the surgery was a slow go, but after a couple of months, I’ve pretty much gotten back to my strength and stamina from before.

The not so good news is that the Revlimid chemo pill that I started taking last June, and which did a good job of knocking out myeloma cells, began losing its effectiveness last fall. By the end of November, the blood test numbers began reversing course, heading in the direction we don’t want them to go. In particular, the IGG number, which is a protein in the blood indicating the disease, has been steadily rising. Levels are still a long way from where they were when I began treatment last June, but the disease must be nipped.

This is a pattern with Multiple Myeloma. The myeloma cells have the ability to mutate and find a way around the protective net provided by Revlimid or whatever drug it might be.

So it is on to plan B. Monday (May 5) we begin weekly injections of Velcade, another newer drug in the myeloma arsenal, that has become a standard form of treatment. I’ll get the injection for 3 consecutive Mondays, and then have a week off. We’ll also continue a lower dose of the Revlimid daily for 3 weeks followed by one week off.  Here’s hoping and praying that the side effects from the Velcade are not too debilitating. Some people develop neuropathy from it so we’re hoping to avoid that.

My Cleveland Clinic doc, Dr. Reu, surmises that 4 – 6 months of treatment will bring the myeloma under control. He also has brought back to the table the idea of a stem cell transplant that would take place once we get the myeloma at bay. This would mean harvesting my stem cells and saving them, then killing off most of the cells in my bone marrow, followed by returning the previously harvested stem cells to repopulate the bone marrow. This, of course, gives me the heebie-jeebies, but it is said to be relatively safe even though you can be pretty sick while you’re doing it. Another bridge to cross once we get there.

One thing you soon discover with cancer treatment is that it is definitely a day at a time. Looking at the whole of the disease and the treatment, the way ahead seems overwhelming and impossible. But today, I might be able to get this test done, undergo this treatment, or endure this pain. Pretty soon, you see that you have covered a lot of ground on the cancer battle field, more than you ever thought you could.

Thank you again, for your support and prayers. They have helped our family through quite a few of these challenging days. As we are able, we offer our prayers for you and the challenging times in your lives as well.