Hi Everyone, for those interested here’s an update on the likely course of my treatment over the next 4 – 6 months, based on a meeting Suzie and I had on Monday with our Kaiser oncologist.
To recap a bit, the condition I have is called multiple myeloma. It is caused by malignant plasma cells located in bone marrow that grow out of control. That can cause tumors (like the one that’s giving me so much pain) and also lead to a compromised immune system, bone weakening, and kidney problems.
I’m currently getting radiation therapy to shrink the tumor in my back, which should lessen the severe pain I’ve been in over the past 3 – 4 weeks. So far it’s helped some, but I’m still in significant discomfort and have limited mobility. I’m having to take various pain medications that slow me down and make it harder to concentrate, and the radiation treatment also causes some fatigue. The radiation ends on January 30, and I expect that the pain will continue to be less and less as time goes on.
The goal of long-term treatment is the elimination of the malignant cells in my bone marrow. To accomplish this, my doctor wants to begin chemotherapy starting on February 5. I would undergo four to six three-week cycles of a chemotherapy protocol called “VRD,” which consists of three different drugs (Revlimid, Velcade, and dexamethasone), and which is commonly used for multiple myeloma patients. After I go through enough cycles to sufficiently remove the cancer cells, I would undergo a stem cell transplant at Stanford Medical Center. This involves harvesting stem cells from my bone marrow ahead of time, using strong chemotherapy to completely wipe out all the malignant cells, then putting the harvested cells back in. This is a difficult and somewhat risky process, but if successful results in a complete elimination of the cancer cells. (Unfortunately, it is common for the condition to recur even after this elimination.)
If there’s any good news to be had, it’s that the side effects of this protocol also aren’t as nasty as is the case for many types of chemotherapy. In addition, the drugs used for this chemotherapy protocol can be delivered orally and by injection, so I won’t have to have a “port” installed or undergo transfusions. So there is a fair chance that I will be able to continue to work during the treatment, at least during some periods.
The one “open issue” from the meeting with the doctor is that that she had not yet received back the results of cytogenetic analysis performed on the cancer cells taken from my bone marrow. This analysis can provide information about the virulence of the cancer cells, as well as information about which type of drugs are most suited to killing cells with a specific genetic signature. It’s possible that changes in the treatment plan could happen based on those results.
I so much appreciate the words of support, kindness, love, and encouragement I continue to receive during this challenging time. Keep ’em coming, they are all taken in and savored.
Categories: SSS Health