The Myeloma Kid

Well, many of you all know now that I've been diagnosed with Multiple Mylenoma. It's been a crazy, often absurd, strange trip, to say the least. It all began in early July with a routine blood test for chloresterol. My results concerned the doctor's and we took more tests. The fear was Kidney Disease. After much pre-diagnosis, they determined I was poisioned or a had a Necrosis. Oh Wait!! Stop the presses!! no it was Acute Kidney Failure caused by some rouge proteins. So, I end up on dialysis starting on 7/27/06. But, where did they come from?? More tests and a bone marrow biopsy showed they were (or possibly were) multiple mylenoma. I waited, probably too long. My local hemotologists seemed to know only how to deal with older, chronice patients and werent prepared for a 40yr old vibrant, pain in the ass. I followed up with Fox Chase Cancer Center and the University of Pennsylvania, both in Philadelphia and both highly reputable facilities. I ended up going with Penn and the next day (yesterday 9/1) began my first chemotherapy treatment. So, yesterday I get chemo in the morning and do my dialysis in the afternoon!! I get the double whammy!! The game plan at this point is to continue with the "low" intensive chemo therapy along with radiation for spots in my arms and maybe my right femur. Bone Therapy will be needed and what ever other preventive procedures to guard me against infection and against me breaking my bones (the mylenoma can form lesions on the bones which can make them brittle). After 2 months of treatment it will be onto more intensive chemo (the one where I get to lose what little hair I have left...except maybe it'll take care of my back hair??? lol) and as it is now, to reharvest my cells for a retransplant. But, that's another time and another place. Anyway, I feel ok. I feel as if this is just something else I must do to get through to continue with my life. Soon I'll be back and bugging the hell out of people like I have before. Or maybe, with a new lease on life I may be even more relentless then in the past...hmmm gotta think about that one :-)