Decision time for Multiple Myeloma

[mcp1941]

I have been fighting PC for 23 years and six months ago I was told I had MM. Had treatments for MM and was told that I had an excellent response was a perfect candidate for Stem Cell Transplant even though I was 78 years old and have comorbidities. After going through what seemed like a thousand tests I decided to have the SCT. I start stem cell harvesting next week and will be admitted to the hospital on 12/4 and be there for about two weeks. I will continue my Zytiga treatment throughout SCT treatment.

Mike P.

[pjoshea13]

Hi Mike,

I can appreciate how you must be feeling. My sister has had MM for 11 years & has gone through a stem cell transplant twice. My wife was diagnosed with a solitary plasmacytoma in 2015. She received radiation for that, but when a second solitary plasmacytoma appeared her oncologist wanted her to have the stem cell transplant after Velcade. To him, she was a full-blown MM patient. We met with the team at Wake Forest & they felt that a solitary plasmacytoma did not warrant the transplant, but they thought that harvesting was a good idea (for the future). Currently, she is doing well on low-dose Revlimid.

MM is as much an ordeal as PCa, & I'm sorry that you have been faced with both. Best of luck in December.

-Patrick

[mcp1941 in reply to pjoshea13]

Thank you Patrick. I didn't want to go on maintenance therapy for MM which involved one infusion on Monday every 28 days, taking Revlimid 21 out of 28 days and 20mg dexamethasone on the three Mondays that i will not be receiving the infusion. Dexamethasone was the worse part of my MM treatment. I have enough maintenance therapy with PC.

[Tall_Allen]

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

[mcp1941 in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thank you TA. I will let everyone know how the treatment went.

[siouxbee19]

My thoughts and prayers are with you...🙏♥️

[Litlerny]

Best wishes with the SCT procedure, MIke. I’ll keep you in my prayers. I have a good friend who had it done about 6 months ago. He’s doing great. We went golfing in mid-September. Keep us posted on how you are doing. Mark

[j-o-h-n]

Give it your best shot.... don't forget to account for "Kentucky windage"....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Monday 11/18/2019 8:31 PM EST