Myeloma update

Next news on how the Big Nasty is going is due when we next see Prof on Thurs 13 Nov. Various decisons and next steps will depend on this:

1. Do I carry on and do a second course of Velcade (the second chemo drug I have been on, working better for me in terms of fewer side effects and feeling more like me, less wobble-leg, fuzzy-brain etc). The Velcade has also helped manage to drop the all-important Protein score from its original 16 to 9 and most recently to 8 – which is all very good.

2. Is there any chance Hawksey & I can escape for a few days holiday in the 'week off' that you get on a chemo cycle. Each cycle is 21 days and I have 2 Velcade doses by IV in week 1 and in week 2, then get week 3 'off' so my blood and immune system can recover a bit from what its been nuked with in the first 2 weeks. Even a few days somewere would be a bonus so here's hoping – as have had to cancel our week in Dubai, boo hoo.

3. Is now the right time or too early to harvest my stem cells in preparation for the transplant in January? If the Velcade keeps making the protein score go down, we wait to do the harvest. If however, the prtein score hits a plateau or starts to go back up, we need to harvest pronto, as this will be the 'best blood' I have. It was all so much easier when 'Harvest' meant getting a few tins of soup and corned beef out of the cupboard for the school Festival… 

So – let's see what happens back end of this week….. S