Jane’s MGUS journey continued

My most recent immunoglobulin treatment went well, but my results weren’t so good.

I have now got hyperviscosity (thick blood) which explains the tiredeness I have been feeling.

My Igg is 42 and my paraprotein is 31, my Haematologist said that chemotherapy usually starts when the paraprotein level reaches 30, but she is still keeping me on a watch and wait because all my other results, like x-rays and kidneys etc. are all ok.

I learnt something at my appointment, that is never ever ask a question unless you are fully prepared for the answer. i asked if and when my smouldering myeloma would turn to full blown multiple myeloma, and my Haematologist said that by the trend of my results, I will definately need chemotherapy within 5 years, scary and not the best news inthe world.

I am being re-staged in March 2009, all my bloods, urine, bone marrow, x-rays and an MRI scan will be put together to stage me, hopefully I will still be smoldering and not any worse. I am keeping busy and upbeat and my haematologist told me to keep occupied, go on holidays and excercise to avoid stress, I took that to mean, do everything while you are well enough to do it. I enjoy my life and I have far too much to do to mope around feeling sorry for myself, my new house isn’t going to decorate itself, and I wont pass my degree sitting worrying, so life well and truly goes on for me.

Hi all,

I am so sorry I have not updated my blog for ages.

I have been doing well on my immunoglobulin treatment, no side effects other than tiredness for a day and a major headache for a day each time. Theres not much to report where my blood test results are concerned, they are fairly stable but are creeping up very gradually. I took a course of preventetive medication to stop my shingles/herpes virus recurring, it worked for a time but this week I have ended up with another outbreak, so I am back on 800mg of Aciclovir 5 times a day. I am going to be taking Aciclovir for life now to prevent the Herpes virus recurring, I am going to be prescribed 200mg 3 times a day for life !!! I have been suffering rib pain for over a week now, my GP said my chest sounds clear but it could be slight pleurisy so he has prescribed me antibiotics just in case. The rib pain has not improved and I am now worried that my smoldering multiple myeloma may have progressed to full blown multiple myeloma. I have been having a lot of leg pain and lower pain lately too. I phoned the Macmillan unit, where I go each month for my treatment and told them about my rib pain and herpes outbreak and they want to see me next week on 24th Sep 2008 to run extra tests, I am due for my next immunoglobulin treatment on 1st Oct 2008. I think my Haematologist will order another bone marrow biopsy to see what is going on and probably a chest x-ray as well as the usual blood and urine tests. I will try and remember to update this blog with the results and outcome of my appointment.

I have written an e-mail to the Cancerbackup Nurses which have now joined forces with Macmillan Cancer Care, I have asked for some advice from them as they are brilliant at helping answer questions and giving support. I will update my blog if I get any info which is interesting.

Be in touch soon xxxxx

My Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment went fine today, I am left feeling tired once again but not as bad as last time at the moment.

The good news is my IGg level has dropped from 44.8 to 37. The bad news is my paraprotein ( myeloma burden ) is on the rise and since 2005 has risen from 13 to 29.5. When this level has risen to over 30 and it inevitably will, then my specialist will decide whether to start treatment (chemotherapy) but it will be based on how my general health is and whether there are any other factors to warrant starting treatment.

My MRI scan results show that I have 3 discs causing problems, one is torn and 2 are burning out and dehydrated, these discs are all in my lumbar spine, its not myeloma related and at least I now know why my back hurts.

The caravan renovations are going brilliantly and I am really enjoying keeping occupied and using my interior design skills, I cant wait to take off to spain in my caravan in June.

I accidentally brought two caravans (holiday trailers) on Ebay whoops! I am now using my interior design skills to renovate one of them to put it back on Ebay, I wont make a profit on it, I am doing it purely for a challenge. The other caravan is going to be going on a road trip, we are taking it from Portsmouth in the UK onto a ferry to Biloba (33 hours) in Northern Spain, then we will travel right across to Southern Spain to Denia a (9 hours) and then from Denia to Ibiza in the Balearic Islands of Spain. Once in Ibiza we have found a campsite to leave our caravan on so that we can have family holidays there, it’s only a 2 hour flight from the UK.

I am not feeling too great today, I am a bit dizzy and my legs, hips and back are so painful that I can’t sleep. I have taken Paracetamol and codeine, Tramadol and Ibuprofen but nothing has worked so I am sitting here at 01:48 writing my blog. I have been sneezing as well today so I hope I am not coming down with a bug, I shouldn’t be because of my immune treatment.

I have been busying myself on Facebook as well playing games and talking to friends, Facebook can be quite fun in a goofy kind of way. Catch you all later xx

I had my first infusion of Sandoglobulin IV on 12th March 2008. It is basically immunoglobulins (infection fighting cells) taken from about 20,000 blood donations, its taken from the plasma part of the blood, its heat treated to remove viruses and then feeze dried. At the Macmillan cancer unit it is then mixed with a saline solution and then given to me by intravenous drip. The treatment went very well and the only side effect was fatigue for 2 days. I have to have the treatment each month for six months, my next one is on 9th April 2008. This treatment is a measure to attempt to keep my infections under control, it will not help my Smouldering Myeloma. It is not known whether this treatment will work for me so it is just a trial for 6 months, if it is not effective they will stop it.

I have had an MRI of my spine and I have had a skeletal survey of my whole sleleton by x-ray, I wont get the results until 9th April. These tests are done to monitor my bones as myeloma can cause them to lose density and can cause holes/lesions to form in the bones making them fragile.

My symptoms are still the same achy legs, hips and feet and hot sweats but no new ones have developed so that is good news. Mentally I am coping exremely well and I am doing just fine.