My father is 78 years young. Has been very active all his life. Golfs three or more times a week, works at a local golf course full time and plays on a pool league as well.
This past winter, he came home from a golf trip with a bad back. Went to see his family physician and was told to rest his back, no activity at all. The pain didnt go away and my dad pushed for x-rays. Nothing showed up. Pain increased over next few weeks. More x-rays, nothing still.
One evening, his physician called and asked him if he was aware he had metastatic bone cancer. Needless to say, this is what got the ball rolling. Many MRI's later, PET scans, and a bone needle biopsy, we were given a diagnosis of multiple myeloma.
He takes a shot of chemo once a week for 29 weeks. The pain is horrible. Oxycontin 3 times a day plus oxycodone in between for breakthrough pain. He can't walk, he has no appetite. Last night, we were told he now has the diagnosis of kappa light chain multiple myeloma. I've never heard of this.
I'm lost, confused, and – based on how my father feels – I feel like our time is short. I just don't know what to expect. You just get your head wrapped around one diagnosis and you're hit with another. This is all new to us.
Praying hard. Thank you for this forum. God bless.
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Re: Frightened daughter
Hi Islndgrl66,
Welcome to the forum. I realize that this can be a very scary time and you are clearly worried about your dad. But chances are that the treatment will kick in soon and start to offer relief as it works on the underlying disease.
Allow me to ask a few questions to better help others on this forum assist you.
Would you mind sharing what city your dad lives in?
Were any of his vertebrae collapsed or fractured? If so, has there been any discussion of surgically treating this issue? (There are some pretty simple procedures that can deal with some types of vertebrae injuries.)
Do you know which drug(s) is he is currently taking and / or having administered (it might be a combination of a shot and one or two pills)? One usually doesn't take just one drug for multiple myeloma, but instead takes two and often times three different drugs when being initially treated for multiple myeloma
How long has he been on the chemo?
Is he under the care of a doctor who specializes in multiple myeloma? (There is a difference between a doctor who might see a handful of multiple myeloma patients and one who specializes in the disease.)
Welcome to the forum. I realize that this can be a very scary time and you are clearly worried about your dad. But chances are that the treatment will kick in soon and start to offer relief as it works on the underlying disease.
Allow me to ask a few questions to better help others on this forum assist you.
Would you mind sharing what city your dad lives in?
Were any of his vertebrae collapsed or fractured? If so, has there been any discussion of surgically treating this issue? (There are some pretty simple procedures that can deal with some types of vertebrae injuries.)
Do you know which drug(s) is he is currently taking and / or having administered (it might be a combination of a shot and one or two pills)? One usually doesn't take just one drug for multiple myeloma, but instead takes two and often times three different drugs when being initially treated for multiple myeloma
How long has he been on the chemo?
Is he under the care of a doctor who specializes in multiple myeloma? (There is a difference between a doctor who might see a handful of multiple myeloma patients and one who specializes in the disease.)
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Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Frightened daughter
Hi Isldgrl66,
I am sorry to hear of the pain and trauma that your father is suffering since his diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Many of us have experienced the sort of pain that he has, and I would suggest that he attend a 'Pain Clinic' if possible, if he needs help for the breakthrough pain.
Also, as part of treatments for multiple myeloma, bone building medications such as Zometa or Aredia [known as "bisphosphonates"] may be taken. In my case that was intravenously, not sure if there is a more convenient version of bisphosphonates available yet!
Although it might not seem like it at such a time as this, the treatments for myeloma can be very helpful in reducing pain, and in decreasing the cancer cells, too, that are the cause of the pain.
Hope that helps and good luck with everything.
As Multibilly has suggested, it's best to be treated by a specialist with a lot of knowledge about myeloma.
I am sorry to hear of the pain and trauma that your father is suffering since his diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Many of us have experienced the sort of pain that he has, and I would suggest that he attend a 'Pain Clinic' if possible, if he needs help for the breakthrough pain.
Also, as part of treatments for multiple myeloma, bone building medications such as Zometa or Aredia [known as "bisphosphonates"] may be taken. In my case that was intravenously, not sure if there is a more convenient version of bisphosphonates available yet!
Although it might not seem like it at such a time as this, the treatments for myeloma can be very helpful in reducing pain, and in decreasing the cancer cells, too, that are the cause of the pain.
Hope that helps and good luck with everything.
As Multibilly has suggested, it's best to be treated by a specialist with a lot of knowledge about myeloma.
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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: Frightened daughter
Hi,
I am sorry to hear about your dad. I know exactly how you feel. It's a feeling I am all too familiar with. I just went through this on November 6th of last year. My fully super-active-can-do-anything young dad of 78 years was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
He suffered severe back pain for 1 month of October last year and was bedridden for a month in October. Finally after blood tests, MRI, PET scan and bone marrow aspiration, it was deemed as multiple myeloma.
He went through 8 cycles of very low grade chemo (dex-Velcade) and Zobone (zoledronic acid / Zometa) bone strengthening medication. He had a kappa of 810 and M-spike of 5.84 at the onset.
Now after the chemo he has no M-spike. Kappa is at 26. He has absolutely no major pains.
He was very weak and had some typical chemo side effects. He was unable to walk on account of weakness. But now, after 2 months after the chemo, he is able to go for short walks on his own. He can go about his activities at home by himself. But, on the whole, his energy levels are yet to come up to his original old self. But his cancer is under some level of control.
I hope your dad gets a good myeloma oncologist to treat him and he recovers soon. I sure hope his pain is eliminated and reduced. You can send me messages if you ever need any kind of support.
Just encourage your dad, and he will get better with the help of a good medical oncologist who specializes in multiple myeloma.
Take care,
Anu
I am sorry to hear about your dad. I know exactly how you feel. It's a feeling I am all too familiar with. I just went through this on November 6th of last year. My fully super-active-can-do-anything young dad of 78 years was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
He suffered severe back pain for 1 month of October last year and was bedridden for a month in October. Finally after blood tests, MRI, PET scan and bone marrow aspiration, it was deemed as multiple myeloma.
He went through 8 cycles of very low grade chemo (dex-Velcade) and Zobone (zoledronic acid / Zometa) bone strengthening medication. He had a kappa of 810 and M-spike of 5.84 at the onset.
Now after the chemo he has no M-spike. Kappa is at 26. He has absolutely no major pains.
He was very weak and had some typical chemo side effects. He was unable to walk on account of weakness. But now, after 2 months after the chemo, he is able to go for short walks on his own. He can go about his activities at home by himself. But, on the whole, his energy levels are yet to come up to his original old self. But his cancer is under some level of control.
I hope your dad gets a good myeloma oncologist to treat him and he recovers soon. I sure hope his pain is eliminated and reduced. You can send me messages if you ever need any kind of support.
Just encourage your dad, and he will get better with the help of a good medical oncologist who specializes in multiple myeloma.
Take care,
Anu
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Cmouli - Name: Cmouli
- Who do you know with myeloma?: My father
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Nov 4, 2014
- Age at diagnosis: 78
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