I understand how scary this can be, but please read this article - it has great news in it about MM. It is about Geraldine Ferraro (VP candidate in 1984). The article is dated 2007, and she is still going strong.
My son in law was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma... over 7 years ago. He was treated in San Antonio..had a bone marrow transplant (his own marrow that had been scrubbed clean), chemo...and, as I said, it was over 7 years ago and he is doing fantastically well. He is actually my age...!!!, (another story).. and was in his 60's when diagnosed. We're thrilled that every checkup is absolutely perfect. Keep the faith. We consider him to be cured for good!!!
The article was EXCELLENT. I intend to take it to the doctor.
Nancy...I'm only an hour from SA. Would you be able to send me the name of the office or doctor? Email is on the profile. How old was he when Dx? Did he have any other health issues? How did he handle the chemo? Was it covered by insurance? As you can tell...I thank you tremendously for the hope. yhc
Answer to age: About 63 or 64. Lots of the treatment was covered by insurance, but he is a well known music promoter in Central Texas and many artists held a huge benefit in his name, including the likes of George Strait, Asleep at the Wheel, etc. etc., all who credited him with the start of their careers...to help out. He was a high school teacher then and had whatever insurance it is that the Texas Education Agency provides for all their people...Maybe Blue Cross/Blue Shield...I seem to recall..maybe not. He did well on the chemo...lost his hair and had problems with being able to eat many foods...but I recall I suggested Malt O Meal and he loved it. He is divorced from my daughter (after 24 years of marriage) and I still keep in touch with him. Actually, I worked with him for several years - before he met my daughter. Odd story..he didn't "connect the two of us"... She was 20 years his junior. I TOLD her it wouldn't work out...and I guess I was right, but 24 years is a long time this day and age!!!!!!! More info will be forthcoming via email.
Trisinger, my FIL had MM and was treated successfully when he was in his mid 70's and lived into his late 80's. He had had a surgically repaired aortic aneurysm (sp) at some point prior to the MM..but it was an aneurysm that caused his death a number of years later. I think this can be very successfully treated and hope you feel a little better about it. Nancy B has given you some good information. Will certainly be thinking about you.
York, you are in my thoughts and prayers, and I too, hope that you can get to those specialists soon. They can check with your insurance company to see what is covered, and if you are on Medicare, what would be covered there as well.
York, did the doctor definitely say your results showed multiple myeloma? My mother was tested for multiple myeloma. There were some odd results, but not mm. She was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome - not nearly as serious as mm. When I was reading about all of this for my mom, I did learn that mm is usually successfully treated.
york, My Dh has MM as well as AD. I can tell you that it is not as scary to me as AD is. First of all the oncologist will do his own test. We are in South Georgia and the test were send to a specialty lab in Calif. We received the results exactly 7 days later. The treatment is not bad. However, alot of general doctors do misread and send the patients to the oncologist for verification. SOOO I guess I am saying, do not panic now, wait and see if there some other reason that your DR is concerned.
Thank you...all of you. Very, very much. I feel better, and I have a lot of things that I wouldn't have thought of to ask for my appointment tomorrow. yhc
Ok, York....we're waiting to hear 'what the doctor said'. Hope you are feeling ok. My son in law went in with pain in his shoulder... who knew??? Earlier the pcp thought it was just arthritis. Eventually, he was diagnosed. His advice to you was not to read all the internet articles about Multiple Myeloma. He said the gloom and doom articles on the internet were worse than the disease itself! He also said to remind you that huge strides have been made in the treatment of MM.
Hi! I agree about the gloom and doom. Makes you want to crawl into a hole and just give up before you start.
I had some bloodwork and such done, and I need the biopsy, but I'm going to Germany. I was afraid that he would say I needed treatment right away, but I can wait for the results when I get back.
So...bottom line is that he didn't appear to hysterical over it. They need to further diagnose, and then they'll worry about what to do next. Very laid back, very calm. I am pretty calm, too. Thanks, Nancy...you are a great comfort. Everyone here is!
I am SO glad that you checked in with us. We were all very worried. Go to Germany. Have a great time. Whatever is going to be with your health will still be here after the trip, and you can deal with it then.