Pre 2016 I was always going to the doctor and saying that I was short of breath and had trouble going up the stairs. I was sent for heart tests and lung function and tests but they all came back with positive results this was over a 3 year period,. One day I went to the doctor and again and complained about a sore back and pain in my right hip and was sent for different reasons blood tests.
Two days later I got a call from the hospital and I went the next day, there I was told I may have myeloma but further tests were needed. I had a bone marrow biopsy and results were positive.
A course of Thalomide, velcade injections(bortezebomb) and steroids was started. The first month wasn't too bad but after that my feet felt like lead and every step was heavy. This chemotherapy was was very hard on me, some days I was like a wet paper bag, totally useless. Prior to this chemotherapy my paraprotein was 33 and after 6months of chemo it came down to 7 for a brief spell, and while I was awaiting a stem cell transplant it rose to 13 so when the time came and an isolation room was free I got the call to go to the hospital.
I had been to information meetings and and one ex transplant patient that was speaking said it was the worst 5 weeks of his life and he never ate a crumb for 5 weeks and was like a prisoner of war when he came out and he would not go through it again.
My time had come to go for the transplant or not, my wife and children said I should go for it, so next day in hospital I was given a different chemotherapy and from what I heard the next day would be the start of a downward journey, so I waited and nothing happened, every day I was expecting this awful thing to happen me, I kept eating breakfast, lunch and dinner though it didn't taste great. I contracted c-diff and mrsa so the doctor wouldn't give me anything to stop diahorea as they wanted to flush the c diff and mrsa out. Around day 9 I had high temperatures and shivering but this passed after a few days, the doctors were very surprised I was able to eat as much food and that I had no mouth ulcers which is very common in patients.
After 20 days in an isolation room I was told I was well enough to go home. This was a record time I was told. So if anyone is offered a transplant go for it.
After being out the first day my family and I were out for our tea and afterwards went for a walk we had a race back to the car and I won, imagine that the old boy just out of isolation room 24 hours ago winning a race.
I remained in good health for about 18 months and I had to go back on chemotherapy again as the paraprotein was rising, so I've been on Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone steroids for a year now and paraprotein is around 8. I attend hospital every 4 weeks for consultation and after my latest visit today I was told my para had dropped to 7, and though I had quite a bad chest infection two weeks ago ago I'm feeling pretty good.
I thank God in Heaven that He has looked after me so well and I know someday will be my last and I will be be with Him forever.
