[Gary B]

Difficulty breathing

by Gary B on Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:59 pm

I am new to this type of communication about my disease. I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2011, after a trip to the ER for severe back pain. After the ER doctor did all the blood work he informed me that I needed to see a oncologist asap. As the story goes my oncologist saw me an did a bone morrow test which was sent to Vanderbilt University for conformation.

With this report the doctor informed me that I had had the cancer for 2 possible 3 yrs before it was found. After going from March till June of 2011 on heavy dose chemo, the doctor told me that chemo would no longer work because it did all that it could do. My only option at that time was a stem cell transplant because without one my time was only 19 months maybe. The SCT was done in October 2011 and I was in remission until September of this year when they found the M protein was showing up in my blood test.

I am now into my third year but I am not in remission now. Over the course of this year I have developed a problem with the ability to breath after just a few minutes of {work}. By {work} I mean feeding the dog, going to the grocery store, etc. When this happens I am not able to catch my breath, all I can do is sit down or fall to my knees and gasp. I carry an inhaler with me but now it take longer and longer to work. I wonder maybe if this the beginning of the trip down the the road home.

Maybe other have this type of problem.

[Wayne K]

Re: Difficulty breathing

by Wayne K on Tue Nov 05, 2013 9:06 pm

When I have had that problem it has been due to low hemoglobin. An analogy would be that your lungs can process all the O2 your body needs, but you don't have the trucks to carry all of it.
As far as your journey, who knows and only your doctor can make an intelligent guess.