Beth Morgan Multiple Myeloma Treatment Blog
My life as a myeloma patient for almost two decades
Myeloma
I was shocked when I saw a copy of my most recent lab report. My IgA was at 1080 mg/dL! It was just 676 a few weeks ago. The m-spike a few weeks ago (3/20) was 0.7 g/dL. This time, there are two m-spikes. One is 0.44 g/dL and the other is 0.13 g/dL.
This IS from a different lab, but it’s about a 100 higher than the last test I had done through this lab.
4/3/2007
Test Result Ref. Range
IgG…….375……….694-1618
IgA…….1080……..68-378
IgM…….23…………60-263
On Tuesday, I went to UNC with a friend. We often ride together, since we see the same doctor. I asked for a printout of may lab results, and here it is.
Test Name Result Flag Units Range IGG, Serum 347 L MG/DL 600-1700 IGM, Serum <25 L MG/DL 35-290 IGA, Serum 676 H MG/DL 40-400 SPE Interpretation The SPE pattern demonstrates a single band of restricted mobility in the gamma region, which may represent monoclonal protein. Total Protein, SPE 7.5 G/DL 6.6-8.0 Immunofix, Serum Monoclonal component typed as IgA Lambda. Concentration of monoclonal protein determined by serum protein electrophoresis is 0.7 g/dL. Kappa Free, Serum <0.30 L MG/DL 0.33-1.94 Lambda Free, Serum 1.29 MG/DL 0.57-2.63 K/L FLC Ratio Unable to calculate the ratio due to a free light chain concentration that is too low to accurately quantify.
After my friend’s appointment, we left, and were in the parking garage when she got a call on her cell phone from the doctor. He asked her to come back so she could be admitted. Her creatinine level had risen to 4.4 mg/dL! She has spent the last few days in the hospital at UNC, undergoing tests and receiving IV normal saline. Tomorrow is a kidney biopsy. It’s likely she’ll be able to go home on Saturday. We all hope her kidneys will recover quickly.
I just finished watching Gallipoli, with Mel Gibson (from 1981). That movie makes me think of Chris Hollyer. Each year, on ANZAC day, he would write to the list about the meaning of the day to people in Australia and New Zealand. We’ll have to maintain the tradition for him.
If you’re interested in reading health news, and would like one place to go to get the headlines and discuss the news, try http://digged.healthblogs.org/. I’m sort of addicted to news, so I hang out there a lot now. If you know of any good RSS newsfeeds for health, let me know.
Does anyone know what the lifetime limit is for Doxil? That’s something I need to look up and stay aware of. I looked at my chart last week, and thought I saw that I’m getting 65 mg/m2. The usual dose for this regimen is 30. I need to see the doctor and make sure. I could have misread something!
I just got off the phone with the nurse at my oncologist’s office and got some good lab results. She read off everything, but I didn’t have a pen and paper. I just remember the immunoglobulins, so here goes:
IgA 964 mg/dL
IgG 316
IgM 23
I think she said my 2 m-spikes added up to something like 0.4 g/dL. I’ll be there Tuesday to start another cycle of Velcade and Doxil, so I’ll get a copy of the report then. Last month, my IgA was in the 1300s. Before I started, it was in th 2200s. 964 is good! Maybe another cycle will get me into the normal range, which is a place I haven’t been since my diagnosis. A remission would be nice.
I had last week off treatment, which was nice. This week I just had Zometa, which I learned from others never to have on the same day as Velcade. They reported severe flu-like symptoms, which I want to avoid! I had blood drawn today, and can call on Thursday or Friday to find out what my m-spike and IgA are. We’re expecting it to be lower than last time. I haven’t had the standard 21 day cycles of Velcade and Doxil. My doctor is doing it in 28 day cycles. I don’t mind. I only hope it’s as effective. The hives I got after the last injection are still here, so I’m going to take Eric’s advice and have IV benedryl and decadron next time. That’ll be Tuesday.
Yesterday when I woke up I had what looked like a couple dozen mosquito bites on my torso. They don’t hurt or itch. They’re just there. The same today, too. I think there might be a few more. I didn’t count them yesterday, so I don’t know for sure. I guessed that they might be from chemo. I finished a round of Velcade + Doxil Friday. Since they don’t hurt or itch, are visible to the public or bother me in any way, I’ll see if they’re still there tomorrow. If they are, I’ll call the doctor. I don’t think they’re anything to be alarmed about.