Started Treatment of Muliple Myeloma

Oh @Trish thanks on the update on movements.
Now was it the Lactulose or the prune juice or the combination of both???
I am relieved for you, yes, laughter is the best medicine xxx

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Hi @Erica

I’m not sure as I took them both together. :see_no_evil: I’ve just eaten a piece of toast now so hoping things will settle a bit now as I’m exhausted. Goodness the things we have to do ay?

My poor OH has been running around all morning as I was supposed to take the dog to the vet and the groomers but couldn’t leave my new friend the loo! So he’s had to leave meetings (working from home now) to take the dog!
He’s worth his weight in gold! I seriously don’t know how I would cope without him xxx

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Yeahhhhhh congratulations :smiley:

Now keep on top of it

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Hi @2DB

I’ve been in the loo back and for for nearly 3 hrs! I’m exhausted feel sick and dizzy. I’ve gone back to bed. Tummy still grumbling but managing to hold it together. Drinking plenty so hopefully not dehydrating. Oh the joys ay! Roll on 2m for a better day of blood tests then flu jab on Friday. How the heck did I work before all of this? Sorry for the rant. I shall be a bit more cautious with the prune juice I think :kissing_heart:x

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Hi Trish
How are you feeling today

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Hi @2DB

Not too good today totally exhausted after sleeping 11 hrs. Had to have bloods taken so had to go out.

Made myself make a fish pie earlier cos didn’t do it yesterday and now I’m teary for goodness sakes! Not me at all so I know it’s the drugs.

My goodness they don’t half know how to kick you when you’re down don’t they.

Hoping things will settle down as I have got my flu jab tomorrow. Covid jab in 3 weeks.

Thanks for checking up on me I really do appreciate everyone’s help and support on here. X

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Oh @Trish we are here for you, without treatment, I can feel teary or have a good old blub.
Yes, it is the drugs and your emotional rollercoaster.
Be ever so kind to yourself and listen to your body.

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Hi @Erica

Thanks lovely I do appreciate your support. I realise it’s the drugs but it’s the out of control feeling I’m having to come to terms with which is hard.

Tomorrow is another day so I am hoping things will be better and I am nearing the end of round 2 so round 3 starts on Monday so nearly there. Xxx

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Bless you Trish

Dex is known for giving highs and then lows and also reality of the situation sets in as does the emotion of tears which is a natural reaction.
Let the tears flow don’t suppress them it’s ok to cry :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:
I would find myself prepping dinner and bursting into tears, they would just come over me.
In yoga I would cry and my teacher would say it’s a natural reaction and we would do the class with me crying I would eventually stop I think it was being kind to myself and the kindness of my teacher that helped to release whatever was going on

Counselling was a great help to me too

Trish just be aware you might feel achy after your flu jab in your joints I had mine Saturday and I felt like this up until yesterday paracetamol helped

I have treatment today hello Dex :smiley: sleepless nights and ups and downs oncoming

We got this

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I am so sorry @2DB I thought I had replied to you. I hope you were ok after your treatment.

I have come to just go with the flow of whatever I am on that day. It’s the way it seems to work for me.
And by the way I have reduced the lactulose and my prune juice and am going regularly daily now so such a relief I can’t tell you. I also bought senna tablets if I get desperate and also recommended by the nurse too so thank you for that suggestion.

I had a good treatment day yesterday (after fainting last week) one injection in my tummy and the other in my arm. That seems to work better tbh because my tummy ( not the best looking after having 2 babies I may add) is black and blue from the injections. I did feel very tired after lunch as we went and had a hot chocolate and half a bacon sandwich (me) that’s all I could manage as my appetite is struggling but I have plenty in reserve so I am sure when things settle down it will come back. Got home and I went to sleep on the sofa with my treatment buddy Clyde (my westie).

Today I collected my new glasses as my chemo has affected my vision and whilst at the optician they found another problem with both my eyes so I now have glasses permanently (oh the vanity). I decided to slap on the make up do my hair though I am losing it a bit but praying it doesn’t all fall out! The nurse said I may thin a bit but I won’t lose it all. I hope she’s right. I also dressed up a bit too. I felt really good (steroids) so after walking back to the car from the opticians up hill I was exhausted but I did it and felt chuffed. Got home made us some lunch then decided to hoover and wash all the floors! Then of course I crashed so went and had a lie down for a couple of hours. Oh I forgot I did some weeding in my happy place and guess what I have daffodils sprouting in my pots! It’s nuts!

I am enjoying today but am mindful of coming down from the steroids too so I expect a different day tomorrow but it’s my mother in laws birthday and taking her out for lunch so I’m hoping I will be ok tomorrow and take it slowly.

I am also collecting our grandson from school and hoping he isn’t bringing any germs into our house as he’s a walking germmobile!

So thank you once again for checking up on me. All good today long may it last I hope you are too! Take care and speak soon. Here’s me looking happy for once xxx

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What a lovely picture of you @Trish !
Love your new glasses. Good to hear you are enjoying things. Keep going girl!
Hugs
Alex xxx

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Hi Alex
How are you doing? Lovely to hear from you. Yes had a good day yesterday, feeling shaky today but that’s the come down off the steroids so was prepared for this. Got the peeling of the lips and mouth to contend with now which isn’t pleasant but oral hygiene at its best and mouthwash are a godsend.

Thanks for the lovely message it’s amazing what a bit of make up can do and washing your hair too can boost you. The little things matter in times like this. It’s also good for people to see you smile too which hasn’t been happening much lately xxx

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Hi @Trish yes, stunning glasses and lovely colour co-ordinated photo.
Psychologically doing my make up and hair and changing my clothes makes me feel so much better.
Going with the flow sounds good to me, especially when I feel so out of control is so many ways.
I am glad ā€˜regular’ services have resumed.
You cannot beat a hot chocolate and bacon butty.
I hope you were able to enjoy your mother in laws birthday meal and seeing your grandson as you are feeling shaky today with yukky mouth symptoms.
I reckon you and your therapeutic treatment buddy, Clyde, are a winning combination, just what the doctor ordered.
Yep, listen to your body, naps are good and please don’t do what I still continue to do and feel better, then overdo it and then take 10 steps backwards!! xxxxx

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Hi @Trish ,
I’m good at the moment, thankyou for asking, although I had some myofascial release massage today which was very painful and made me swear *&"#Ā£!!!. He did say I would probably want to hit him…I didn’t resort to violence but I thought about it​:joy:. He’s promised me I will feel so good in a few days time :joy::rofl::joy:. Hopefully it will have loosened me up a bit.
Seems like you are managing to retain a wonderful sense of humour through all that you are going through at the moment. You are amazing!! …and an inspiration to others. I’m not sure I would have the same strength.
Just had my latest bloods taken and feeling a little anxious as normal in the run up to results but getting more used to being in the moment. As you say Trish, the little things take on new meaning. How long before you finish this round of treatment. Please keep posting and let us know how you are doing.
Hugs xx

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Hi @Erica

Thank you for your lovely message. I love your comments and you give me such a boost which I really appreciate.

Yes pacing yourself is definitely the way forward for me and also all my friends and family have been so supportive it’s been an absolute godsend. You really know who your real friends are at times like this I am truly overwhelmed.

I see my new consultant next week (after sacking my other one!) so I am hoping he will take better care of me and I will get some proper answers from him. Another positive fingers crossed.

It is difficult when you feel good not to overdo things, I am my own worst enemy sometimes so I totally get where you are coming from Erica however you know as well as I do that it will bite you on the bum and you will have a knock back. Bearing that in mind it’s difficult to gauge when you are ā€˜in the moment’ and feel you can do a bit more but keep at the back of your mind is it worth that extra push for the way you feel afterwards. Sometimes feeling rough afterwards makes me feel good because I think well I achieved that so I can take a bit of a nose dive with recovery however if it knocks you back that much then please please revalue the benefits. Whatever you do will wait for another day! Honestly. :heart: x

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Hi Alex

Pardon my ignorance but I had to Google your massage to understand what it was. From what I read it’s supposed to be a gentle massage so your physio sounds a bit if a ā€˜no pain no gain’ person to me. Hopefully it will give you some relief after your ordeal. I had problems a while back with my left shoulder I broke my collar bone in my 20’s playing hockey so I expected problems later in life due to the extend of the injury. I went to see a Thai masseuse who was recommended to me so I booked a deep tissue massage! OMG whilst extremely painful particularly when she concentrated on my shoulder area it was absolutely amazing! I only had 2 sessions with her and I have had no trouble since. But she does enjoy the ā€˜no pain no gain’ technique! :see_no_evil:

I am on my way to starting week 4 of this 16 week cycle. It will take me up to January 2024. I have a change of treatment day as Xmas and New Years Day fall on the Monday so I am very grateful for that. I start my stem cell transplant treatment in January which will mean travelling and a stay in hospital. I am saving looking too deeply into this stage until I feel strong enough to digest all that is involved to be honest. From some comments I have read from some people it can be quite gruesome. But it has to be done and like every thing so far I have gone with the flow and whilst sometimes I feel exhausted I know it’s temporary and if I really do feel like sh*t then I think well the chemo must be doing it’s job and destroying the bad things in my body so just crack on!

Sorry I do go on sometimes (or always!) but what else is there to do at stupid O’clock in the morning and you can’t sleep! I love this forum and all you lovely people on here.

On a more serious note Alex please take note of your results as I know you will but if you are concerned demand a bone marrow biopsy! That’s the only way to find out if you have myeloma, blood tests alone do not confirm this! In very rare cases which is me, whilst my levels rose every 3 months for 3 1/2 years the consultant didn’t deem it necessary to take the next step which is why I am literally fighting for my life right now! Please please stand up and demand your rights to be heard. Good luck and let me know how you get on I will be thinking of you xxx

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Hi @Trish ,
Firstly, you do not ā€˜go on’. What you say is important and relevant and honest.
Pardon my ignorance now…I hadn’t realised the treatment was so long! Even more important to enjoy all the little things that you feel able to do. Thankyou for your thoughts about pushing for other tests. I will definitely keep that in mind. I feel very angry when I think about what you have been/are going through.
My physio is using different things to get me back into shape. Apparently I am twisted! ,which is why I have had lower back pain for years. Yesterday was a deep gluteal muscle release. Got to have the other side done in four weeks. Oh joy!! Never mind, he says I will feel 10 years younger when he’s finished torturing me, so I’ll take that :joy::rofl::joy:. I have taken the decision to retire next March when I am 60, so if I feel 50 by then, I might climb Everest to celebrate!!
By the way, have you tried lavender oil on your pillow to help with sleep?
Sending a top up of hugs Trish. Keep looking after yourself. Xxx

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Hi @Trish and @AllyBally is this the bad back club???
I have scoliosis of my back (curvature of the upper spine) and osteoporosis so I have healed and compressed 7 lower vertebrae. I was 5ft 5in, but now 5ft on a good day, and my chiropractor is amazing.
I also recently broke my right arm up by my shoulder which has mended slightly askew (because I did not get it checked out!!). So the physio has given me exercises to do.
I think my days of climbing Everest are over, I have to climb a steep hill when I meet some friends for a coffee and that’s enough.
Well on those notes of of tortures we go through I had best go and do my exercises.
Yep, no pain, no gain, eh.

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Yes @Erica. Definitely no pain, no gain and I have the bruising to prove it :joy:. As for your reduced height…all good things come in small packages.
Xx

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Oh my goodness Erica you have been through so much yet you are such an inspiration supporting and helping so many people on here.
I am so grateful to have found this site as it has helped me immensely.
I had a total melt down day yesterday which started at the Drs for my blood test. The hospital forgot to give me the form so they didn’t know what to test for. I couldn’t get through to the hospital so had a complete melt down in the car. It was also the first time I have been out in the car on my own for 4 weeks!

Luckily my OH got through to the hospital and I went to the hospital then to collect the form and rearranged my blood test for today! Why do I always have dramas?

Whilst at the hospital I bumped into my CNS who was cross that the nurses hadn’t given me the blood form (I have them every week) and for what I had gone through. I will make sure on Monday I have everything I need!

I came home absolutely exhausted and lost vision in my eyes again like a double migraine so I went to bed and slept for 3 hrs. Still feeling rubbish today but that’s the drugs I know so after having my blood test I will be going back to bed. Oh the joys x

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