Well, I’m about to start my Rev/dex regimen. I’ll take 40 mg of dex this morning with breakfast and then at lunch I’ll take the 25 mg of Revlimid. At dinner, I’ll take the 2 mg of Coumadin I’m getting as a preventative for DVT. Each center has the option of using baby aspirin or low dose Coumadin.
The doc says there’s a smaller risk of DVT with rev/dex than there is with thal/dex. I don’t believe I’m in an at risk group, but I’m careful about sitting for long periods of time without moving (long flights or car trips, for example). Even people who are healthy can develop DVT from that! Remember David Blum from NBC who died from DVT after his long flight to Iraq to cover the “war?”
Somehow my post about starting rev/dex turned into a sermon about DVT. Sorry about that!
I’m dreading taking the dex. It’s been about 6 months since I had any. As you recall, I was off dex for 4 weeks before the CNTO 328 trial and for the duration of my participation in that trial. After the trial, in anticipation of getting into the rev/dex EAP trial, I stayed off all treatment. It’s been a few months since I did anything at all except Zometa. It’s been so nice not having to take anything. My IgA has been hovering in the 2500 mg/dL range during this time.
I’m hoping that rev/dex will knock the MM back and give me a CR. Wouldn’t it be nice if it was a durable remission? There isn’t anything I want more, except world peace. :)