I'm being tested for multiple myeloma on Monday via a bone marrow biopsy. I have what appears to be a benign cyst on my femur bone. Otherwise I feel perfectly fine -- no fatigue, no sickness, nothing.
Is this common? Shouldn't I feel more symptoms if I in fact have multiple myeloma?
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Re: Being tested for myeloma, but no symptoms - common?
So, I assume you must have some earlier blood tests to warrant having a bone marrow biopsy?
Depending on how the disease manifests itself (anemia, kidney issues, hypercalcemia, etc...these can all be figured out by your earlier blood and urine tests) and how severely it manifests itself and how advanced the disease is, you may not feel anything whatsoever... especially if your only symptom is just one bone lesion in an early stage.
This is in fact one of the insidious things about multiple myeloma. A lot of folks don't discover they have multiple myeloma until their bones start fracturing or they develop severe anemia, etc.
It's really good to be diagnosed before you start experiencing these kinds of organ failures.
Good luck with the bone marrow biopsy and let us know the results.
Depending on how the disease manifests itself (anemia, kidney issues, hypercalcemia, etc...these can all be figured out by your earlier blood and urine tests) and how severely it manifests itself and how advanced the disease is, you may not feel anything whatsoever... especially if your only symptom is just one bone lesion in an early stage.
This is in fact one of the insidious things about multiple myeloma. A lot of folks don't discover they have multiple myeloma until their bones start fracturing or they develop severe anemia, etc.
It's really good to be diagnosed before you start experiencing these kinds of organ failures.
Good luck with the bone marrow biopsy and let us know the results.
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Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Being tested for myeloma, but no symptoms - common?
Danad,
In my case, I had no idea that I had multiple myeloma based on any symptoms that I had. I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma as a result of a routine annual physical exam that showed very slight anemia. My family physician recommended that as a precaution I should see a hematologist. The hematologist thought that my very slight anemia was probably nothing but just as a precaution he'd run some blood tests. Those blood tests showed an m-spike of 4.1 and a subsequent bone marrow biopsy showed an 80% infection rate in my bone marrow.
It was only looking back that I noticed that I had some symptoms that were probably the result of my multiple myeloma. They were occasional nose bleeds and more headaches than usual. Other than that, I felt completely normal and healthy. I had no bone or kidney problems.
I'm guessing that there are many other people that have had a similar experience of feeling healthy only to find out that they have multiple myeloma.
In my case, I had no idea that I had multiple myeloma based on any symptoms that I had. I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma as a result of a routine annual physical exam that showed very slight anemia. My family physician recommended that as a precaution I should see a hematologist. The hematologist thought that my very slight anemia was probably nothing but just as a precaution he'd run some blood tests. Those blood tests showed an m-spike of 4.1 and a subsequent bone marrow biopsy showed an 80% infection rate in my bone marrow.
It was only looking back that I noticed that I had some symptoms that were probably the result of my multiple myeloma. They were occasional nose bleeds and more headaches than usual. Other than that, I felt completely normal and healthy. I had no bone or kidney problems.
I'm guessing that there are many other people that have had a similar experience of feeling healthy only to find out that they have multiple myeloma.
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DallasGG - Name: Kent
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 6/20/2013
- Age at diagnosis: 56
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