My husband recently had proximal femur / hip replacement surgery to repair a femur fracture that was not healing. He's recovering very well from the surgery itself, which was performed January 4, and is having physical therapy to restore his muscle tone and nerve connections with the goal of walking again, at least with a cane, but hopefully without.
He's very committed to his exercises though still experiencing pain even on medications. Because he was off that leg for seven months after the original fracture repair last June, he has lost a good bit of muscle tone and coordination in that leg. It's not very visually noticeable, but he says he can really tell it experientially.
Does anyone know if, realistically, multiple myeloma slows muscle regeneration in situations like this?
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vmeyer - Name: vmeyer
- Who do you know with myeloma?: my husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March 2016
- Age at diagnosis: 65
Re: Multiple myeloma & muscle growth / healing
I think everyone is different and depends upon factors that are likely outside of multiple myeloma. Certainly an individuals overall health and physical condition are such factors.
I can only tell you how I have done. I have had multiple myeloma for over 9 years and have had some form of treatment the entire time.
Since I was diagnosed, I have had heart valve replacement surgery in 2014. That of course necessitated cracking and separating my sternum. On Christmas Eve in 2016, I had a bicycling accident and broke 4 vertebrae in my neck and had to have neck fusion surgery in essence fusing C-1 through C-4. I bounced back relatively quickly from both of those. I was able to return to bicycling by late March last year and log in 5,000 miles by year end.
I am 65 years old. My general heath other than the cancer is excellent and I have been and continue to be very active physically. My cancer is standard risk and I was diagnosed as Stage II originally back in 2009.
I am not suggesting that I am typical for a multiple myeloma patient, just pointing out my own personal experience.
I can only tell you how I have done. I have had multiple myeloma for over 9 years and have had some form of treatment the entire time.
Since I was diagnosed, I have had heart valve replacement surgery in 2014. That of course necessitated cracking and separating my sternum. On Christmas Eve in 2016, I had a bicycling accident and broke 4 vertebrae in my neck and had to have neck fusion surgery in essence fusing C-1 through C-4. I bounced back relatively quickly from both of those. I was able to return to bicycling by late March last year and log in 5,000 miles by year end.
I am 65 years old. My general heath other than the cancer is excellent and I have been and continue to be very active physically. My cancer is standard risk and I was diagnosed as Stage II originally back in 2009.
I am not suggesting that I am typical for a multiple myeloma patient, just pointing out my own personal experience.
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Ron Harvot - Name: Ron Harvot
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Feb 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: Multiple myeloma & muscle growth / healing
Thanks, Ron.
I'm sorry you've had so many things to heal from, but thanks for the encouragement.
My husband, Ed, was / is in pretty decent health other than the myeloma, so hearing your good results is encouraging. I can't say he exercised regularly before his fracture, but he was quite physically active enjoying things like gardening and strenuous home repairs. After the first repair, he did physical therapy, but when no healing took place after two months, the ortho told him to put no weight on it at all to see if that would help, so that put an end to it.
He's eager to get back to work and to his former reasonably active lifestyle.
Thanks again!
Vicki
I'm sorry you've had so many things to heal from, but thanks for the encouragement.
My husband, Ed, was / is in pretty decent health other than the myeloma, so hearing your good results is encouraging. I can't say he exercised regularly before his fracture, but he was quite physically active enjoying things like gardening and strenuous home repairs. After the first repair, he did physical therapy, but when no healing took place after two months, the ortho told him to put no weight on it at all to see if that would help, so that put an end to it.
He's eager to get back to work and to his former reasonably active lifestyle.
Thanks again!
Vicki
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vmeyer - Name: vmeyer
- Who do you know with myeloma?: my husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March 2016
- Age at diagnosis: 65
Re: Multiple myeloma & muscle growth / healing
I'm just entering my 8th year with multiple myeloma, and similar to Ron I've been on some form of treatment for most of that period. I have continued to exercise throughout that period, including but not limited to biking, hiking, weight lifting, and hockey. I'm not an expert in physiology by any means, but have researched it somewhat, so my opinions are based on that and empirical observation. The two worth noting are:
I have been on dexamethasone almost the entire period. Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid, not an anabolic steroid. Anabolic steroids are those commonly associated with performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and contribute to muscle growth. Corticosteroids are generally used as anti-inflammatory medication. They have also been shown to contribute to muscle breakdown, just the opposite of anabolic steroids. From personal experience, I have a fairly rigorous weight lifting routine I follow that I would have normally expected to see more results from. Instead, it mostly maintains my muscle level, with only minor growth. As a side note, the dexamethasone also contributed to the development of cataracts, leading to cataract surgery in both my eyes.
I also broke my foot last year, and it took the better part of six months to heal (similar breaks in the past would have taken about three months), and even then the doctor indicated the bone would probably never knit back together completely. He believes this is a combination of age, the myeloma treatments I've been on, and possibly the multiple myeloma itself (I have never had any bone involvement from the multiple myeloma, so we feel that probably didn't contribute).
Similar to Ron, I was healthy prior to getting multiple myeloma, have not had any severe symptoms from it (only anemia), and as noted above continue to be physically active. Others may have significantly different experiences healing, particularly if they have more bone involvement from the multiple myeloma.
I wish your husband well,
Kevin.
I have been on dexamethasone almost the entire period. Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid, not an anabolic steroid. Anabolic steroids are those commonly associated with performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and contribute to muscle growth. Corticosteroids are generally used as anti-inflammatory medication. They have also been shown to contribute to muscle breakdown, just the opposite of anabolic steroids. From personal experience, I have a fairly rigorous weight lifting routine I follow that I would have normally expected to see more results from. Instead, it mostly maintains my muscle level, with only minor growth. As a side note, the dexamethasone also contributed to the development of cataracts, leading to cataract surgery in both my eyes.
I also broke my foot last year, and it took the better part of six months to heal (similar breaks in the past would have taken about three months), and even then the doctor indicated the bone would probably never knit back together completely. He believes this is a combination of age, the myeloma treatments I've been on, and possibly the multiple myeloma itself (I have never had any bone involvement from the multiple myeloma, so we feel that probably didn't contribute).
Similar to Ron, I was healthy prior to getting multiple myeloma, have not had any severe symptoms from it (only anemia), and as noted above continue to be physically active. Others may have significantly different experiences healing, particularly if they have more bone involvement from the multiple myeloma.
I wish your husband well,
Kevin.
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Kevin J - Name: Kevin J
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Jan 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 52
Re: Multiple myeloma & muscle growth / healing
I also am on dexamethasone, and have noticed some pain in my eyes as if pressure is building, and a feeling of dryness. I hadn’t isolated the eye feelings with any of my various medications, so was interested in your experience.
I also was a runner, up til about a year ago, when a number of ailments eventually led to a diagnosis of anemia, and then multiple myeloma. I’m starting to get back to walking and jogging, but hadn’t realized the differences in steroids. I’ll be interested to see my progress as I slowly build my base and hopefully get back to 10k’s and half-marathons.
Thanks for your input.
I also was a runner, up til about a year ago, when a number of ailments eventually led to a diagnosis of anemia, and then multiple myeloma. I’m starting to get back to walking and jogging, but hadn’t realized the differences in steroids. I’ll be interested to see my progress as I slowly build my base and hopefully get back to 10k’s and half-marathons.
Thanks for your input.
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michaelgreer - Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 10/25/17
- Age at diagnosis: 68
Re: Multiple myeloma & muscle growth / healing
My husband had a pelvic fracture that kept him off his feet for 5 months back in 2014. When we was able to start physical therapy, it was extremely slow going, but after 2 months he was doing short walks with walking sticks (he hated the cane) and after 4 months he was able to walk fairly normally. A year after the fracture we did a bird watching trip in the Outer Hebrides. No long hikes, but plenty of walking a mile or so on uneven ground.
In December 2016 he fell on black ice and was in a wheelchair for a month with comminuted fractures in the rami. He could weight bear without danger, but it was very painful. So 6 weeks later it was back to physical therapy. By April he was back to his old self again.
Today we went for a 2 mile walk around the lake. Tomorrow we'll head to the gym and he'll do 20 minutes on the elliptical and 40 minutes on the recumbent bike. That's pretty much our routine. Walking, gym, or yoga most every day.
Everyone is different, but there truly is hope for him to get back to being active.
Lisa
In December 2016 he fell on black ice and was in a wheelchair for a month with comminuted fractures in the rami. He could weight bear without danger, but it was very painful. So 6 weeks later it was back to physical therapy. By April he was back to his old self again.
Today we went for a 2 mile walk around the lake. Tomorrow we'll head to the gym and he'll do 20 minutes on the elliptical and 40 minutes on the recumbent bike. That's pretty much our routine. Walking, gym, or yoga most every day.
Everyone is different, but there truly is hope for him to get back to being active.
Lisa
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LisaE - Name: Lisa
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: April 2014
- Age at diagnosis: 67
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