Hi @Curtis we all share your bewilderment when it comes to learning all of this stuff. If your lucky your consultant will explain everything but be prepared as others have said to ask the questions. I had absolutely no idea what to ask when I got my diagnosis for Myeloma and was left floundering by my medical team. I hope that you’re able to find the answers that you need but Blood Cancer UK’s information sources are excellent and were my first port of call once I finally got around to looking into this thing that they told me I had. Good luck and let us know how you get on.
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Hi @Curtis we hope you’ve been doing okay since your last post on here? A very warm welcome to our forum community! 
As our other lovely forum members have touched on, the main healthcare professional overseeing your care for MGUS will always be in the best position to give tailored advice specific to your personal circumstance, and interpret and talk you through what your blood test results mean.
Though we’d always thought we’d share with your our information sheet on MGUS: MGUS-monoclonal-gammopathy-of-undetermined-significance-fact-sheet-MGUS-0717.pdf (shopify.com) hope this is helpful to read through @Curtis and also supports you in your conversations with your doctor overseeing your care.
Take care and we’re always here for further support- do let us know how you’re getting on,
Su
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Hello I have spent a week mulling over a rise in IGg level
2.80 Jan 2020 ,5.20 Jan 2021 6.50 June 21 to 8.70 Sept 21 which is still very low but it was a bit of a shock, it has been monitored every 12 weeks.My GP was advised from Haematology Consultant to test every 4 months and to inform if it raises to 20.I gather this is usual .Anyone else mulling over the "mgus "thing ? Serum light test was negative Jan 2020,is it usual to test thi
s again ?
Thanks
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A great big welcome @Bannanacake, oh, what a lovely forum name, yummy.
I have a different blood cancer and you might get some useful information on MGUS on the Blood Cancer UK website.
What I do relate to is that shock, horrible.
What I would say is watch and wait or active monitoring is quite common with many blood cancers.
Since diagnosis I find it is often a waiting game on test results.
I was diagnosed in 2003 and I still get anxious before and during tests and appointments.
We all support each other on here and if you would like to talk to someone the Blood Cancer UK support line details are above.
I look forward to hearing more from you and look after yourself.
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Thanks for your reply ,it was an easy name to think of as I’d just made a cake .It’s good to know support is available.
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A warm welcome to you @Bannanacake! How are you doing? Here is our mgus factsheet in case it’s helpful for you - MGUS
Do give us a call on the support line if there’s anything we can do to support you.
(Hope you don’t mind I moved your topic into another MGUS thread as we’re trying to merge similar topics so people find them easier to find!).
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Hello Alice
Thank you for your message I don’t mind at all that you have moved me to be honest I’m a bit lost with where everyone is ,forums are new to me .It’s funny but my first post I said I’d made a bannana cake and realised I hadn’t made once since till today so I’m glad I got round to doing it .I think my brain is too preoccupied at the moment and I need to get on with things but I am finding that my energy levels aren’t as good .I’m due blood tests in early Dec so I guess I’ll be glad to see if that explains anything although as I also have peripheral neuropathy that’s a contributing factor as it seems to take twice as long to do anything.Meanwhile I’m experimenting with the new oven so fingers crossed 
.Thank you for the link to the MGUS fact sheet.I downloaded one last year and keep re reading it.Thank you again .
Bannanacake
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Hi @Bannanacake I have to ask how the banana cake went?
My energy levels fluctuate so, so much and some days are far more of a struggle too.
Please do let us know how you are feeling and how your blood tests go?
Do anyone else’s energy levels fluctuate?
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Hi Erica,the cake turned out surprisingly well considering I put the milk in before the bannanas and first time in the new oven so im on a roll now.
Thanks for asking and mentioning the energy levels.
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Hi@Erica I’m finding it hard waiting for my results after blood test yesterday.last time it was a shock that the levels had jumped up and I can’t stop myself for working out the different scenario’s depending what they say.I am boring myself!!Things have changed now I’m on watch and wait as it must be for everyone else in the same situation. It’s hard to focus but there are robins waiting to be stitched.I Hope your energy levels are good today. Bannanacake
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Hi @Bannanacake after 17/18 years on watch and wait I still get anxious before, during and after all tests and appointments.
Energy levels just dipped because I had a medical appointment for something else today.
But decorations are up which makes the flat look festive and extra warm and cosy.
Robin stitching sound therapeutic to me, there is a lovely robin that watches me walking round and round a rec in the morning, what do you think it is thinking???
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Hi @Erica,thank you for your reply esp after your appointment. I can relate to being low on energy after appointments I had 2 in Nov,(catch up post covid backlog), plus the booster so I landed in December wondering where November went!
Good on you for getting the decorations up.Im promising myself it will happen soon ,we have got the outside lights ready to go.Yes I do find my crafts therapeutic and I meant to say that no robins were harmed during the stitching !! I think that your Robin friend sounds very cute and they are very people friendly ,he /she is maybe thinking have you got any food ? Historically Robins would follow the hunt for boar /deer and eat the worms which were dug up by their hooves, that’s how they still follow humans around .One of our Robins just looks me in the face when I go to the bird table, sweet .I Hope you’re having a relax now.
Bannanacake.
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Yes, @Bannanacake I am chilling out, I hope you are too.
I will tell my robin about it’s ancestors tomorrow.
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Good morning@Erica,following on with the "Robin"theme to share with you or anyone else who needs a lift .I am reading Katherine May “,Wintering” and was delighted to read there are 4 pages in one chapter on the joys of Robins .It is also book of the week on radio 4 ,9 45.Meanwhile I had my blood results ,my MGUS has increased not a lot ,by 2g/l enough for me to be thrown off track but at least I’m being monitored so that is a releif.Meanwhile I’m getting on ,feeding the birds and enjoying not being in town today with all
the latest Omicron hype. Stay safe @Bannanacake
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@Bannanacake I know so well the feeling, thinking and emotions when one of my blood results is out of kilter, it really does throw me. I don’t then see any of the other results.
Funnily enough I thought of you this morning. I was quickly going to write a Christmas card this morning and saw we had a pack of Robin Christmas cards I didn’t remember we had and I have a friend that loves cards with Robins on and I could have sent her one of those.
When I walk round and round my local rec in the morning I pass a beautiful garden of a friend of mine and she feeds the birds but I only see the crows and pigeons that swoop first, then the much smaller birds, but no robin. On Sunday morning they get bacon rinds which they all love.
Yes, no shops for me, stay safe.
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Hi, ive just found out ive got mgus, was being investigated for stomach problems then this came up. But no-one explained it to me. No one said about the implications. I looked it up and had to actually ask- is this a cancer marker? Was told er yes. Since then have been told about 6 monthly tests, and thats all. My gp was nice but unhelpful. So i went home and worried. I am the carer for my disabled husband and he could not manage without me. He refuses to discuss it. I can’t to to my kids. So i m feeling upset and worried. Ok end of moan! Reading about others helps enormously, so good luck to you all.
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I know exactly how you feel but others dont get it.
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Hi @Joy a great big welcome to our forum, you are now part of our forum family and you are not alone and although you are completely entitled to a moan that is not how your post came across to me.
You must feel so scared and frightened and a mixture of thoughts and feeling whizzing around, not helped by the lack of information from your GP.
I am not medically trained and should not second guess your GP, but you say that you have been put on 6 mthly tests.
I am also on 6 mthly tests, as some others on this site are, and it is what is commonly called either ‘active monitoring’ or ‘watch and wait’.
I have a different condition but have been on this system for 18 yrs.
It is a system of actively monitoring the progression (or not) of your condition.
My husband also will not talk about my condition which I find very lonely and isolating sometimes, it is his way of coping.
If you would like to talk to someone the Blood Cancer UK support line is there for you.
Have you any support from anyone else as you say others don’t get it?
When I was diagnosed I could not explain to others what I did not understand myself.
The main thing is to look after yourself and be kind you yourself and please keep posting.
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Hi @Joy, welcome to the forum. I’m so sorry to hear how you’ve been feeling, and that you’ve found your GP to be unhelpful at this time. It is very understandable to be feeling upset and worried, especially if you are finding that others do not understand. May I ask if you have seen a haematology team about your diagnosis? In case it’s helpful, we have this fact-sheet about MGUS: MGUS
I do hope you find some comfort and support in this forum. As @Erica said, you’d be most welcome to call our support services team if you’d like to talk about any of this, we’d be happy to support you (support line number 0808 2080 888).
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Hi, thanks for answering, no not seen haematology yet, they are waiting on next set of results before deciding to do that. My gp said not to worry, I wouldn’t need more blood tests, then my gastro told me I would. Neither of course are mgus specialists and only when I asked was I told it is a cancer marker. So yes any info would be good thanks.
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