This is a reply from a second hand experience person. My dad had multiple myeloma. He was 82 so mild/oral chemo was prescribed. He did well with it no major side effects accept some acidity like symptoms. He did under go radiation for Spinal Chord cage bone damage. It helped but he did suffer ulcers in the throat and they were very painful for him. Second round radiation was around abdomen, his body could not handle that radiation. Presume too much soft tissue in that area. He developed sever diarrhea and in one day almost lost 20-30% of his weight and was never able to pull himself out after that episode and passed on 2-3 weeks after that.
So in summary caution on radiation.
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Re: Palliative treatment from the onset?
RCBID wrote:
"....You wrote: ..... He developed sever diarrhea and in one day almost lost 20-30% of his weight and was never able to pull himself out after that episode and passed on 2-3 weeks after that.
So in summary caution on radiation...."
Hi,
I'm sorry about your father's passing but IMO he is in a better place. Yes, your caution is very well received here. Meanwhile, I had radiation on the neck (after removal of cancer and subsequent autograft).
So far I had a terrible 10 days with swallowing and then I got thrush and all the other short term and of course long term and delayed side effects that could still come or are waiting in the wing. But I had to choose the lesser of 2 evils - who wants to possibly become paralyzed if the cancer on the neck would get out of hand?
My 45 year old son in law had 4 different cancers and yet he died of heart failure officially, to keep the statistics on the good site, I guess. Anyway, out of curiosity I wonder if you would mind telling me if they put Multiple Myeloma on your father's death certificate or some "other reason".
Kate
"....You wrote: ..... He developed sever diarrhea and in one day almost lost 20-30% of his weight and was never able to pull himself out after that episode and passed on 2-3 weeks after that.
So in summary caution on radiation...."
Hi,
I'm sorry about your father's passing but IMO he is in a better place. Yes, your caution is very well received here. Meanwhile, I had radiation on the neck (after removal of cancer and subsequent autograft).
So far I had a terrible 10 days with swallowing and then I got thrush and all the other short term and of course long term and delayed side effects that could still come or are waiting in the wing. But I had to choose the lesser of 2 evils - who wants to possibly become paralyzed if the cancer on the neck would get out of hand?
My 45 year old son in law had 4 different cancers and yet he died of heart failure officially, to keep the statistics on the good site, I guess. Anyway, out of curiosity I wonder if you would mind telling me if they put Multiple Myeloma on your father's death certificate or some "other reason".
Kate
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Kate - Name: Kate
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Dec. 2012
Re: Palliative treatment from the onset?
Was the heart failure the result of chemo? That is a side effect. More doctors need to be honest and if the death is related to a side effect of chemo it needs to be put down, not something other.
Re: Palliative treatment from the onset?
I was diagnosed in Aug of 2012 after having severe hip pain. MRI showed many lesions in my hip. It got to the point where the pain was so bad I could not walk. I spent two weeks in the hospital undergoing radiation. The radiation got me sick and there were days when I wondered just what I was doing. But, the radiation got my lesions repaired and I was able to walk and started VRD. My light chains were over 300 with my M-Spike over 6 when I started chemo. Four rounds later I had a M-Spike of .4 and light chain of 21.
I felt really good and was convinced by my doctors that I needed a SCT to give me a longer remission and possibly take my numbers down to a more normal level. I really had misgivings about this plan but my docs and wife convinced me I should listen to the "experts".
For me the SCT was the worse treatment I had as far as side effects. I was very sick for three weeks with nausua, vomiting and fatigue like you could not describe. I also got NP in my feet. It took me several weeks to recover enough to even begin thinking about a normal life. The end result on my 60 day checkup, M-Spike of .4 and light chain of 23. The SCT seemed to have little effect in beating down the cancer.
My personnel opinion is that I would have been just as well off to do maintenance therapy as to have gone through $100K SCT that took a good solid two months out of my productive life.
Jerry.
However, as noted above, you'll do whatever you can to spend a little more time on this sometimes screwed up world!
I felt really good and was convinced by my doctors that I needed a SCT to give me a longer remission and possibly take my numbers down to a more normal level. I really had misgivings about this plan but my docs and wife convinced me I should listen to the "experts".
For me the SCT was the worse treatment I had as far as side effects. I was very sick for three weeks with nausua, vomiting and fatigue like you could not describe. I also got NP in my feet. It took me several weeks to recover enough to even begin thinking about a normal life. The end result on my 60 day checkup, M-Spike of .4 and light chain of 23. The SCT seemed to have little effect in beating down the cancer.
My personnel opinion is that I would have been just as well off to do maintenance therapy as to have gone through $100K SCT that took a good solid two months out of my productive life.
Jerry.
However, as noted above, you'll do whatever you can to spend a little more time on this sometimes screwed up world!
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JBarnes - Name: Jerry Barnes
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Aug 17, 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 54
Re: Palliative treatment from the onset?
Hi Dee777,
No, it wasn't from medications per se. His heart just stopped. He wouldn/couldn't eat anymore with all the liver/lung/lymphoma/colon cancers he had. On the other hand, on the beginning the chemo just DELAYED the inevitable and provided some cash flow for you know who.
Kate
No, it wasn't from medications per se. His heart just stopped. He wouldn/couldn't eat anymore with all the liver/lung/lymphoma/colon cancers he had. On the other hand, on the beginning the chemo just DELAYED the inevitable and provided some cash flow for you know who.
Kate
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Kate - Name: Kate
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Dec. 2012
Re: Palliative treatment from the onset?
Hi Kate - Sorry I had not visited the site for a long time. Death certificate said Multiple Myeloma. Hope new discoveries/treatments are helping all the people.
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