Tag: Myeloma

Some lab values

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I got the results of the tests done Monday at Duke. The full report was faxed to my office, and I haven’t seen it yet, but here’s what I have so far.

M-Spikes (I have two m-spikes)

Last month: 0.19 and 0.12 g/dL (Total is 0.31 g/dL)
This month: 0.16 and 0.22 g/dL (Total is 0.38 g/dL)

Immunoglobulin Profile

Last month: IgA 374 mg/dL Reference: 46-287
This month: IgA 465 mg/dL Reference: 46-287 (up 91)
Last month: IgG 709 mg/dL Reference: 588-1573
This month: IgG 603 mg/dL Reference: 588-1573 (down 106)

I have July and August here. Needless to say, I was fervently hoping for a drop in the IgA and an increase in the IgG.  The one good thing is that the IgG is still in the normal range, where it has never been since I learned I had MM.  It was usually below 300 mg/dL.

Can someone give me a good explanation about why I have two m-spikes? I’ve asked doctors about a zillion times, and I have either forgotten what they told me or didn’t understand it well enough to even remember.

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Hair Update

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I thought I’d give a visual progress report of my hair growth.  Here’s a picture I took today.  You can compare it to one I took on October 13, 2007.

Hair growing back after stem cell transplant

Kind of weird, huh?  And, not too attractive. My hair started to fall out in September, after I had high dose chemo (melphalan) on August 28th. Some spots still look bald, even though there’s a covering of very fine, nearly invisible hair.

I had a follow up appointment at Duke today.  I won’t have any results until Wednesday afternoon.  Not anything important, anyway.  I didn’t even bother getting a copy of my CBCs. Dr. Long just told me they were completely normal. Throughout my entire MM experience, my CBC’s have hardly ever been anything but normal.

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People are living longer with some cancers

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According to a recent report that will soon appear in Cancer Journal, in men, myeloma, kidney and liver cancers have been rising. In women, lymphoma, melanoma and thyroid cancer continue to increase. The National Institutes Of Health says more people are living beyond five years of their cancer diagnosis.  That’s what they mean when they say cancer deaths are declining.  Probably what they should say is that more people are living longer with cancer.  What science needs to do is work on cancer prevention just as much as cancer treatment.  Finding the causes of cancer is an important factor, according to Devra Davis, the author of The Secret History of the War on Cancer.

You can hear an interview with Davis here.  Just click on “Listen.”

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One Month Check-up

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Tomorrow I’ll have my one month check-up.  It will have been a month since I was released from the Duke SCT Clinic.  I feel pretty well, with no major complaints. I’m filling a jug for them, and will have blood drawn when I get there.  Aside from CBCs, it will probably be at least a few days before I get any results.

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Fundraising again

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In an effort to raise funds for the IMF, one of the things I’m doing is selling products from a company called Country Bunny. I’ve used them myself, and like them enough that when I need lotion I only buy theirs. Any money I receive on any of the sales from the web site is going straight to the IMF. You can order right from the web with your credit card by clicking below. I’ll report back how much I’ve raised from time to time. Thanks in advance!

If you’d rather just send money right to the IMF, go to their web site and click on “Helping the IMF.” (www.myeloma.org)

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Did you know this about melatonin?

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If you’re on steroids, you should avoid melatonin.

Precautions: There are no known serious side effects to regulated melatonin supplementation. Some people may experience vivid dreams or nightmares. Overuse or incorrect use of melatonin could disrupt circadian rhythms. Long-term effects have not been well studied. In rats, melatonin decreases T4 and T3 uptake levels.

Melatonin can cause drowsiness if taken during the day. If morning drowsiness is experienced after taking melatonin at night, reduce dosage levels. In some cases of depression, daytime doses of melatonin can increase depression.

May be contraindicated for those with autoimmune disorders and immune system cancers (e.g., lymphoma, leukemia).

Because melatonin suppresses corticosteroid activity, those who are taking corticosteroids for anti-inflammatory or immune suppressive purposes (e.g., transplant patients) should exercise caution with melatonin supplementation.

Melatonin could interfere with fertility. It is also contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation.

Lack of sleep and insufficient exposure to darkness may suppress natural production of melatonin.
http://www.wellfx.com/InfoBase/vitamin_melatonin_.htm

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