I have some new labs uploaded: http://www.coprolite.net/MM/Labs/UNCLab_31_December_2003.html. The IgA has gone down a little, and the IgG has gone up! I’m getting close to normal!
I bought a blood glucose monitor today. My monthly random blood glucose is always normal, but I’m interested in what dex is doing to my blood glucose. I’ll test several times a day to see how that’s going. I’m guessing that a low carb, no sugar diet is necessary during the 4 days of dex. I’m a carb junkie! It’ll be ok though. 4 days isn’t an eternity. I also need to lose some weight. Since I started treatment, I’ve gained about 20 lbs. I haven’t been skinny since I was 30! Exercise, here I come. I did well today, walking the dog, doing the stairs at work and doing the Nordic Track Ellipse. All I have to do is keep it up and do it 5 days a week. Easier said than done, I know, but completely do-able.
My doctor and I talked about my course of treatment. The Thalomid has caused some PN, so I wanted to cut back. He has me on 50 mg every other day now, and we’ll see what that does when I go back for my next appointment on January 28th. If my IgA goes up, or seems not to improve, we’ll try something else. We didn’t add Biaxin just yet. Maybe if we need to in the future. He said he’s been talking to the people at Cornell about it.
SCT is another consideration. A few people I know have complete remissions now, and that means no more damaging treatments until the MM is once again active. The SCT itself is not without some serious risks though. It’s a tough decision to make. I’ve asked Dr. O. some questions about the best time of year to do it. I would feel better once we’re out of the cold & flu season.
I also need to address the phobia I have called emetophobia. It’s a fear of vomiting, and is one of the things that’s made me fear high dose chemo so much. It might seem silly to some people, but for me it’s a terrible obstacle.
I realise that everyone is different and that this may not apply to you. I didn’t throw up once during the whole VAD treatment or through the SCT. I didn’t feel good for about a week after the transplant and had a serious dose of the trots. I also smelt like a newly opened can of sweetcorn. I didn’t mind. I couldn’t smell it. Most of these effects, I was told, was caused by the preservative they use when freezing the cells. Was it worth it? Absolutely. I feel so good now in comparison to how I felt before. P.s. You have a great site. Keep up the good work.
I vomited exactly twice during my hospitalization for my stem cell transplant. The anti-nausea drugs they give you are really good, including Ativan, which they gave me intravenously when I asked for it. It made the urge to vomit go away almost immediately. Yes, I kept the big dishpan handy, but the truth is I didn’t use it much.
As it seems with so many things, the fear is much worse than the reality.
Dan Bammes