Friday 8 December 2017

A plan for 2018

You understand, I got a plan for us. I bet you didn't know that I was dangerous
Dangerous - Big Data

Checkup ... KFLC = 676 ... κ/λ = 122 ... Hb = 11.6 ... Neutros = 1.16 ...

Today, as I expected, I’m told that my next appointment is probably the start point of treatment. I’ve been told this before, but they seem to mean it this time. They’d have started today, but for the practicalities of Christmas: low staff levels for them, domestic priorities for me.

I’ve been experiencing a reasonable amount of rib pain and quite a few muscle spasms, these last two weeks. I’ve had to increase the frequency with which I take painkillers, and I’ve started taking amitriptyline again to defuse the spasms. The doctor seems pretty certain that these symptoms are evidence of progressive disease.

In terms of blood counts my κ/λ ratio is (again) above the threshold which separates smouldering myeloma (no treatment required), from symptomatic (or likely to be symptomatic in the very near future) disease. The change in the ratio is largely because my lambda levels are down - which could itself be a sign of mm crowding other cells out. Also of concern is my low calcium - for which I have been prescribed vitamin d; and low neutrophil level, which puts me at increasing risk of infection. The consultant says it will be easier to treat me - especially in the context of the trial - if I can avoid contracting pneumonia (or something else) at the same time.

So I expect to sign the consent forms on 5th January, and then there’ll be 4 weeks of tests, meaning I will start treatment proper at the beginning of Feb. This would mean SCT somewhere between June and September, depending on how things go. (And I’ll be up on my feet by next Christmas, yay!)

It doesn’t take long, living with rib pain, to remember exactly how bad myeloma symptoms can be. If the symptoms persist, I’ll be keen to just get on with it now.