HI, So Sorry for your family having this multiple myeloma, as also does my mother, she has had this for quite sometime too they, say many years now and many fractures later, as her diagnose was just this past summer,she is 73 and very frail now and took to alliterative therapy, and with much hope for a quality of life, and maybe more years, but the worst is coming now she is very weak and lost a lot of weight, in a short time and is confused a lot. her passion is believing in God can do anything and he does have a plan,also she is a artist a oil painter, seeing her paint, was one of her joy's in life.
she is not on hospice yet. but her doctor's think it will be soon, as her blood count keeps falling and her breathing is labored, I feel for her she has so much more to live for.
I do understand that the body can not go on now and we have a hope of a better life once in God's Kingdom and she also believes that with her whole heart...many of you out there who are fighting with this disease please know a cure is soon to be here, For God will cure all those in his kingdom.
I pray for others out there to have comfort from God and comfort from there families during this very hard time...She is painting again, a stormy night....she is not done yet, with living her life to the very end.
never give up out there; find what makes you happy, we never know when this life will end.
Forums
Re: Final stage of multiple myeloma
Sharon,
Sorry to hear about your sister. 21 years is a great fight though, tell her she fought very well and longer than most. How old was she when diagnosed? Heck, 21 yrs ago the therapies were nothing compared to today. She must have been a tough cookie to make it through this long.
Prayers and thoughts her way!
-Chris
Sorry to hear about your sister. 21 years is a great fight though, tell her she fought very well and longer than most. How old was she when diagnosed? Heck, 21 yrs ago the therapies were nothing compared to today. She must have been a tough cookie to make it through this long.
Prayers and thoughts her way!
-Chris
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ninja performance - Name: Chris Hill
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 08/04/2011
- Age at diagnosis: 43
Re: Final stage of multiple myeloma
So sorry to hear about your Sister. But your story is also very uplifting. I am newly diagnosed at age 40 and would love to have 20 + years. May the Lord bless you and your Family.
I will keep her in my Prayers.
Art
I will keep her in my Prayers.
Art
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Art - Name: Art
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 12/2011
- Age at diagnosis: 40
Re: Final stage of multiple myeloma
My mother is also having multiple myloma and She is not able to even sit and she is having lot of pain.
I don't know the stage but her condition is very bad and I am felling very down bying see her like that.
I don't know the stage but her condition is very bad and I am felling very down bying see her like that.
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Akash
Re: Final stage of multiple myeloma
Hello to everyone. I read everyone's story and I sat at work and cried. My grandmother is 88 and affected by this form of cancer. Today has just been one of those days!! My mother and I took her to the ER March 12. That was when she was diagnosised. She stayed in the hospital for 12 days, we were sold dreams of this drug that was supposed to help her and we had hope. She stayed at a rehab for 8 days and from there I had to take her home. All that my grandmother would say is that she wanted to go home. We the family were given a life expectancy of worst case 2-3 months and best case 4-5 months. Hospice has stepped in and they are wonderful. My grandmother has been ambulating on her own and has only need minimium assistance well until today. Today she awoke and was unable to get out of the bed, seeing this strong prideful woman who helped to raise me in this condition hurts me to my soul. Hospice sent out adaptive equipment today within a few hours. Ultimately I know that I dont have much time left with this wonderful woman, but I don't want to lose her. Its the moments like when I lay next to her in her bed, when she gives me the lecture's on the world, and truthfully the love that only a grandmother can give that I will miss most. My prayer's are with everyone on this post and I wish everyone the best.
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Keema
Re: Final stage of multiple myeloma
Hi Keema, I am sorry to hear about your grandmother's struggle with multiple myeloma. Was it Revlimid that she was taking? Maybe the pain is due to fractures, which unfortunately are caused by the cancer itself. Is she still getting medical care for the myeloma itself? Perhaps there is more that can be done for her! I wish you all the best.
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
Re: Final stage of multiple myeloma
My heart goes out to all the families affected my multiple myeloma.
My mother, 84, was diagnosed Sept/11 and passed away two weeks ago.
Her cancer doctor tried all the cancer drugs, Velcade, Revlimid, etc. but she could not tolerate any of them. She would have to go weeks in between the doses. The drugs would lower her hemoglobin and she would have transfusions quite often. In Nov/12 she decided not to take anymore of the drugs. She was admitted to the hospital the end of Nov/12 with a UTI and dehydration. She was very sick and they sent her home saying she didn't have much longer.
Hospice was called in and all the medical equipment delivered to the house.
Right after getting home from the hospital, she had severe diarrhea and pain and the hospice nurse figured out that she was retaining urine. After they put a catheter in she was much better. After that, my mother rallied and actually felt pretty good for several months. She even sent back all the medical equipment and couldn't figure out why she was on hospice?
The end came very quickly. She had been getting weaker and weaker and had used a walker for several months. She was finally too weak to get out of bed and was moved to the hospice center. She fell into a deep sleep and died peacefully a few days later.
Thankfully, she never had any kidney problems and only had some pain in one hip and leg.
Her main symptom was weakness and no strength and she slept quite alot during the day on and off.
After reading some of the posts on multiple myeloma, I am so thankful that my mother was able to do some cooking and baking almost right up to the end.
My mother, 84, was diagnosed Sept/11 and passed away two weeks ago.
Her cancer doctor tried all the cancer drugs, Velcade, Revlimid, etc. but she could not tolerate any of them. She would have to go weeks in between the doses. The drugs would lower her hemoglobin and she would have transfusions quite often. In Nov/12 she decided not to take anymore of the drugs. She was admitted to the hospital the end of Nov/12 with a UTI and dehydration. She was very sick and they sent her home saying she didn't have much longer.
Hospice was called in and all the medical equipment delivered to the house.
Right after getting home from the hospital, she had severe diarrhea and pain and the hospice nurse figured out that she was retaining urine. After they put a catheter in she was much better. After that, my mother rallied and actually felt pretty good for several months. She even sent back all the medical equipment and couldn't figure out why she was on hospice?
The end came very quickly. She had been getting weaker and weaker and had used a walker for several months. She was finally too weak to get out of bed and was moved to the hospice center. She fell into a deep sleep and died peacefully a few days later.
Thankfully, she never had any kidney problems and only had some pain in one hip and leg.
Her main symptom was weakness and no strength and she slept quite alot during the day on and off.
After reading some of the posts on multiple myeloma, I am so thankful that my mother was able to do some cooking and baking almost right up to the end.
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congib96
Re: Final stage of multiple myeloma
Hi Keema, Your grandmother sounds like a great person, with whom you have a wonderful relationship. I'm sorry to hear about her advanced stage multiple myeloma. I'll be thinking about you all. Stay strong.
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mikeb - Name: mikeb
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009 (MGUS at that time)
- Age at diagnosis: 55
Re: Final stage of multiple myeloma
Sorry to hear of everyone's loss. My mom was diagnosed last Tuesday 6/25. Unfortunately, her kidneys are failing and the cancer has spread to her spleen, stomach, adrenal glands and now going into her kidneys. She did have dialysis which seem to calm things down. However, my mom has refused any treatment for the Multiple Myeloma she has been sick for 7years and is ready for nature to take it's coarse.
I do not agree with my mom but I do respect her wishes. She is being released today to go back to the nursing home, only because she is still in the right frame of mind. I am trying my best to not be so sad, I certainly don't do it around her. However, I was given hospice information.
I really need advice on what to expect and the best way to deal with this. Here is my question, the doctor is letting her go back to the nursing home, but still gave me hospice information. Does it mean I should consider it at a later date or should I start looking into hospice care now for my mom?
Thanks for the help.....OnlyChildToRose
I do not agree with my mom but I do respect her wishes. She is being released today to go back to the nursing home, only because she is still in the right frame of mind. I am trying my best to not be so sad, I certainly don't do it around her. However, I was given hospice information.
I really need advice on what to expect and the best way to deal with this. Here is my question, the doctor is letting her go back to the nursing home, but still gave me hospice information. Does it mean I should consider it at a later date or should I start looking into hospice care now for my mom?
Thanks for the help.....OnlyChildToRose
Re: Final stage of multiple myeloma
I'm very sorry to hear about your mother's situation, OnlyChildToRose.
Before any of us provide feedback on your main question, I was wondering if you could let us know more about your mother, such as her age and whether she has any other cancer besides myeloma.
The reason I ask, and I realize you may not want to hear this, is that it seems strange for your mother to decline any treatment for myeloma if she's just been diagnosed, even if the myeloma has been found in different parts of her body.
There are a lot of very effective treatments for myeloma, particularly when it's just been diagnosed. Yes, myeloma is still incurable in most cases, but the treatments for myeloma that are available these days could end up giving your mother several years of time with you and the rest of your family.
Also, not all myeloma treatments have to be as harsh as what most people associate with cancer treatment. There are treatment regimens that involve only pills -- no infusions. And even some of the injected drugs are not as harsh as the chemotherapies used with many cancers.
If you live near a cancer center with a myeloma specialist, perhaps you could see if your mother could get an emergency consultation, or perhaps you could just have her records sent to the center for a second opinion on short notice.
Before any of us provide feedback on your main question, I was wondering if you could let us know more about your mother, such as her age and whether she has any other cancer besides myeloma.
The reason I ask, and I realize you may not want to hear this, is that it seems strange for your mother to decline any treatment for myeloma if she's just been diagnosed, even if the myeloma has been found in different parts of her body.
There are a lot of very effective treatments for myeloma, particularly when it's just been diagnosed. Yes, myeloma is still incurable in most cases, but the treatments for myeloma that are available these days could end up giving your mother several years of time with you and the rest of your family.
Also, not all myeloma treatments have to be as harsh as what most people associate with cancer treatment. There are treatment regimens that involve only pills -- no infusions. And even some of the injected drugs are not as harsh as the chemotherapies used with many cancers.
If you live near a cancer center with a myeloma specialist, perhaps you could see if your mother could get an emergency consultation, or perhaps you could just have her records sent to the center for a second opinion on short notice.