Very worried now. : Saw the... - British Heart Fou...

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Very worried now.

Gooner1947 profile image
33 Replies

Saw the Haematologist today. It's definitely Myeloma and is Malignant.

What now needs to he established is whether it's symptomatic or asymptomatic.

All getting a bit confusing for me now to fully understand.

The Haematologist was concerned about low calcium. More blood taken. Also another full skeletal CT scan is required.

I was hoping she had already communicated with Cardiac Surgeon doing the TAVI. Doesn't appear so.

However, I do have an appointment with him on 3rd March in Cardiff.

From what Haematologist told me the Surgeon will need to know whether symptomatic or not in terms of making a decision etc how to proceed.

I have been given a Myeloma Clinical Nurse Specialist that I can feel free to contact etc.

She gave me a booklet to read for information about Myeloma.

Anyway that the state of play. There was so much information to take in.

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Gooner1947
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33 Replies
Whiteghost profile image
Whiteghost

Hi I'm so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. My husband has Multiple Myeloma, and I understand your frustration in that you want everything to start like yesterday. It does feel like a minefield, and of course on top of this you have other health problems. From experience you will get there, just hold in tight there, let the professionals sort it out, I'm sure they will. Just look after yourself. 🤗💝

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply toWhiteghost

Thank you. This has been ongoing for about 6 months plus. But I do take your point.Did your husband have a TAVI as well?

Whiteghost profile image
Whiteghost in reply toGooner1947

No but he is under a cardiologist, he is having heart issues, going through tests at the moment. 🤗

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply toWhiteghost

I wish him well. All the very best.

Whiteghost profile image
Whiteghost in reply toGooner1947

Thank you. You take care of yourself.🤗

10gingercats profile image
10gingercats

Of course I do not know your exact medical details.However my brother was diagnosed 20 years ago in his early 70's with multiple myleoma and survived well for another 15 years .Then he died of Covid . He was prescribed thalidamide and chemo. for a while .I hope this may encourage you with your situation.

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply to10gingercats

The worry for me is that both treatment fir Myeloma AND the TAVI now seem urgent. I'm getting very breathless and feel a though I need the new heart valve to help give me more strength to handle the treatment for Myeloma

10gingercats profile image
10gingercats in reply toGooner1947

My brothers multiple Myloma was extensive ....in chest,forehead hips and spine .The docs decided not to remove the spinal tumour .He even got through bladder cancer whith a 5 year 'promise ' of survival and he made it.....quite awful that the b.....Covid got him in the end. he was in pretty good nick otherwise at nearly 90 and not much got the better of him.

LadyZ13 profile image
LadyZ13 in reply to10gingercats

I came to this thread as I too am more familiar with myeloma than I would like to be - lost my mum to it 6 years ago. I remember your support as a fellow ASD person, and to find we have this other connection spurred me to comment.

This year, I'm supporting a direct report whose father is going through the same journey - it's been hard stirring up all the memories of mum's treatment but I'm glad I understand the disease better than most. I will share with her that your brother survived well for 15 years, that will give her a lot of hope.

As to the OP, my mother's treatment was mostly medical and non invasive and her quality of life was decent - she was at my wedding 6 months into treatment and no one knew she wasn't 100% well. The heart situation must be a worry but there's no reason to assume you couldn't pursue both treatments in close succession. Wishing you all the best.

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply toLadyZ13

Thank you. Appreciated

SandraLlew profile image
SandraLlew

Hi

This is a lot to deal with, lean on the Myeloma nurse, my cancer nurse was invaluable in giving me information as well as co-ordinating all the different departments to try to speed things up. On this forum there is a cancer advice site as well might be worth talking to them. I hope all goes well.

Jaybbb profile image
Jaybbb

Hope the best for you. I have MGUS and am tested regularly as it progresses. Hoping that Myeloma is not in the near future for me.

Murderfan58 profile image
Murderfan58

The good news I can pass on to you is the treatment for malignant melanoma has come on since 2001 from when my husband had grade 4 malignant melanoma. If he had it today his life could have been extended and better quality of life . I am not saying this to frightened you any more than you already are but to try and give you hope .

When I read last year that treatment is available for grade 4 malignant melanoma I was happy may sound strange but I would hate anyone to go through what my husband did . But medical science has evolved so much in so many fields since my husband died in 2004 . In fact it will be 21 years on the 6th. But we where lucky we had the results within 2 weeks and the melanoma removed and skin graft don't 2 weeks after that . We where given 5 years for him to live he lived 3 . He was 47.

I know how frightening it is not just for you but all those that love you . But don't give up hope there is treatment and you don't know what grade it is yet . Until you know the grade then you don't know what treatment you will need after it's removed . Just make sure you wear factor 50 suncream even in the winter months and make sure the least amount of skin is exposed to the sun .

Please everyone check your bodies and make note of any moles or odd marks and do it monthly . Any skin changes get them checked out .

aardvark68 profile image
aardvark68 in reply toMurderfan58

Sorry to hear about your husband. And I agree that treatments for various cancers have improved significantly.

But to avoid any confusion, I wanted to point out that melanoma which your husband had is a skin cancer .

Myeloma, which my mother had, is a blood cancer.

Just so Gooner1947 doesn’t get more confused reading your post about skin grafts and sun cream- neither of which are relevant here.

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply toaardvark68

Thank you for that clarification

Murderfan58 profile image
Murderfan58 in reply toaardvark68

Sorry didn't realise it was different just thought it was a different spelling. Thank you very much for telling me . I do hate getting things wrong. I didn't realise there where different types of blood cancers . But then again until my husband had chemo thought it was just one sort. Not different ones for different cancers and different grades .

Until something happens in your life we for one where ignorant about aspects of cancer and all it's associated problems .

My mom had breast cancer twice with a 13 year gap between the mastectomies and how much the treatment had changed .

So sorry to learn of your diagnosis.Have you been in touch with Myeloma UK? They are very helpful, informative and can give you loads of information.

You can ring them on 0800 980 3332.

cappachina profile image
cappachina

I am so sorry to hear of this but they will find the best way forward to treat you Hopefully the heart surgeon will be more helpful with info .

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply tocappachina

I really hope so. My breathlessness is getting much worse. I just hope they can sort the new heart valve out first and then, hopefully, I will have more strength to handle whatever the Myeloma is going to throw at me.That's how I see it.

Thanksnhs profile image
Thanksnhs

Hi I am so sorry to hear of your cancer diagnosis, I no how scary that is, in December 23 I got diagnosed with bowel cancer and since I had a heart transplant in 2020 the consultant's and surgeons were extremely worried about a general anesthetic and the length of time the surgery would take. The operation took place nearly a year ago on the 4th of Feb my cardiac consultant was on standby, it took 6 hours the operation was successful they removed half the bowel and the tumor with it. The care I had was amazing and they all worked together to make sure I got through it ok, my surgeon just calls me miss complicated, in a nice way. I wish you all the best for your future treatment, let us know how everything goes, I will be thinking about you , take care char x

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply toThanksnhs

Thank you.My problem is having two serious conditions on the go at same time and both need addressing sooner than later.

Two different departments in two different hospitals with two different consultants.

My breathlessness is now much worse.

I would just like to get my new heart valve implant asap to get more strength and then I can try and tackle the Myeloma.

That's how I see things

Thanksnhs profile image
Thanksnhs

I really hope that you hear from your consultant soon. I live in Scotland and I also had two different hospitals a heart specialist one and the General for my cancer treatment, thankfully they both worked together to get everything organised and I really hope that your hospital/consultants can do the same. Char

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply toThanksnhs

Yes I hope they do as I expect they will. I do have an appointment with Cardiac Surgeon on 3rd March.

At least I now have the Myeloma Clinical Nurse available to contact. Met her yesterday when we saw the Haematologist.

Murderfan58 profile image
Murderfan58

I need to apologise to you I didn't realise you have a blood cancer . I just thought it was a different spelling . Please ignore what I said . Thankfully it's been pointed out to me my mistake . You must have thought I was round the bend .

Note to self read things properly and if I don't know the word look it up . 🤦

nilmonisikdar40 profile image
nilmonisikdar40

Hi there , I know it is a serous condition and needs very specialised mangagemnt from the haematologoist. However treatment and prognosis/outcome has drastically improved and improving all the time. That should be reassuring as you may have received lots of information but the important thing is to choose and retain the correction information because your case is unique. The cardiac specialist and haematologist will have to work in tandem because certain chemotherapy may affect your heart. What is the present serum calcium level because that is associated with myeloma/bone marrow cancer and has it affected your kidney function. You are a courageous person but in the end you will be fully cured. I would like to hear from you in due course. Regards.

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply tonilmonisikdar40

Thanks for your encouragement. Much appreciated. It's just that I have received so much info at appointment with Haematologist yesterday that my mind is quite scrambled with so much information that's difficult to understand.

cateblanchett profile image
cateblanchett

Hello,

Don’t panic. You can take your time to digest what you’ve been told.

I was diagnosed with MM about 2 years ago. Since then I’ve been researching this complex disease. So far my haematologist has not thought that it was time to start treatment. This is why various tests must be taken every few months to determine the progression of the disease, to know when to treat. My haematologist is very positive about what is possible now to combat MM. The outlook is good.

One of my symptoms is anaemia. This can cause breathlessness with effort. I had a blood transfusion in the past which made a big difference to my energy levels and breathing. This shows what is possible in the interim.

I am interested in your progress and send you all my best wishes.

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply tocateblanchett

Thank you. It's just that it seems to depend on what both the Haematologist AND Cardiac Surgeon doing TAVI decide on how to proceed.I seem to be back into the unknown again.

I just hope they see the urgency in all this. My breathlessness is much much worse now. A month now seems an age to me now.

cateblanchett profile image
cateblanchett in reply toGooner1947

I don’t now if it will make you feel calmer but perhaps you can concentrate on what you want to ask the cardiologist. I find this makes me feel more in control. Consider it advocating for yourself. You will be prepared for your meeting and hopefully able to get your questions answered.

cateblanchett profile image
cateblanchett in reply tocateblanchett

Forgot to say if you are concerned with your worsening breathing maybe you can contact your nurse or emergency services. At least you will know if it is serious and needs to be treated. Cheers!

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply tocateblanchett

If I was seeing him in a few days yes. But it's another month.When I saw the main cardiologist 3 weeks ago he told me that he needs to Haematologist AND cardiac surgeon doing the TAVI to get together to discuss way forward.

When I saw Haematologist last Friday it was obvious it hasn't happened.

I should've had the bone marrow biopsy last late November but was cancelled TWICE.

Old_bee profile image
Old_bee

I’m sorry to hear this. I just want to wish you all the best going forward under the care of the experts

Gooner1947 profile image
Gooner1947 in reply toOld_bee

Thank you

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