by NStewart on Tue Jan 14, 2014 12:26 pm
I agree with getting 2nd, 3rd, ... opinions on your condition and the advisabiliity of an allo transplant as part of your possible treatment plan. Yes, it does get confusing, but I know that the multiple myeloma specialists have very strong opinions about the use of allo transplants. You may also want to consider talking with some people who have had allo transplants and get some insight into how they have responded and what their recovery has been like. You would want to speak with people with multiple myeloma who have been through this procedure, or at the very least other blood cancer survivors.
Robin Roberts, of Good Morning America, is the most well known person who has had an allo transplant recently and has included the public in much of her experience. She was diagnosed with MDS not multiple myeloma. One man in my support group had an allo transplant about 3 years ago. He looks better and better each time he attends the group. He has had some problems with GVHD, but they seem to be treating it well and quickly. Another man attended our group this past weekend who had an allo 2 years ago and isn't doing as well. Both were diagnosed with aggressive multiple myeloma and are now in their 40's. A third man who came to our group one time last summer and had had tandem transplants earlier in 2013 said that he was scheduled for an allo transplant in the Fall of 2013. I haven't heard how he is doing.
As with everything else with this disease, one should do their research, weigh the pros and cons and then make as informed a decision as possible. Once you make that decision you can't second guess yourself because it will make you crazy. I wish you the best in making a very difficult decision about treatment for yourself.
Nancy in Phila
Maybe there is just nothing set in stone which is the right course of action to take
