Hi,
In 2015, my stepmother sadly passed away from multiple myeloma. After battling the disease for close to 8 years, she died from renal failure. At the time, I never knew much about the disease, and my father never really told me what was going on or what she was going through. She did have a bone marrow transplant, that I do know, and for some time that seemed to work as she began to live a relatively normal life.
Last year I was to attend a wedding of a friend and promised myself to visit my parents as it was close to the occasion. Out of the blue I received a phone call from my father to say my stepmother had taken a fall at home, and that things weren't looking so good. I rushed to be at her side as she passed away on August 8th 2015.
During this time, my father had complained of sharp pains down the front of his legs and was hobbling around on a stick. At first we thought it was an old injury from clay pigeon shooting, where a trap had gone off in his chest. As time went on, he began to become confused, and a couple of days before the funeral of his wife, we took him to hospital after his GP had taken some blood and ushered us to go there. A few days passed as my Dad was now suffering from renal failure and when the news broke that he had the same disease, it left the family in complete shock. Unfortunately my father was unable to attend his own wife's funeral due to the illness.
My father has since been on 8 cycles of Velcade, melphalan, and prednisone (VMP) and is now about to start the same cycle of cyclophosphamide, thalidomide, and dexamethasone (CTD).
I understand this isn't the only case of multiple myeloma to have affected husband and wife, and I am wondering if there is a link at all?
My stepmother was 58 when she passed. My father is now 71 and still fighting.
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Re: Stepmother & father both diagnosed with multiple myeloma
Sorry about your stepmother and what your father is going through.
By any chance, were your stepmother and your father farmers by occupation?
By any chance, were your stepmother and your father farmers by occupation?
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Little Monkey - Name: Little Monkey
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Father-stage 1 multiple myeloma
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March/April of 2015
Re: Stepmother & father both diagnosed with multiple myeloma
Hi Spenco79,
I'm sorry to hear about your family's struggles with multiple myeloma.
I'm not aware of any evidence at all indicating that multiple myeloma can be communicated in any way from one person to another. To put it another way, I don't think there is any evidence that someone with myeloma can "infect" or "transmit" myeloma to someone else.
As Little Monkey suggested in his posting, there is evidence that certain environmental factors can make people more likely to develop multiple myeloma. Those factors include exposure to certain chemicals such as those found in pesticides and herbicides, which makes farming an occupation associated with a higher risk of multiple myeloma.
There are also some research that suggests that frequent severe infections may make a person more likely to develop multiple myeloma. This would be another way that two people living together might have similarly increased risks of developing myeloma, since the two would be likely to have a similar history of infections.
I'm sorry to hear about your family's struggles with multiple myeloma.
I'm not aware of any evidence at all indicating that multiple myeloma can be communicated in any way from one person to another. To put it another way, I don't think there is any evidence that someone with myeloma can "infect" or "transmit" myeloma to someone else.
As Little Monkey suggested in his posting, there is evidence that certain environmental factors can make people more likely to develop multiple myeloma. Those factors include exposure to certain chemicals such as those found in pesticides and herbicides, which makes farming an occupation associated with a higher risk of multiple myeloma.
There are also some research that suggests that frequent severe infections may make a person more likely to develop multiple myeloma. This would be another way that two people living together might have similarly increased risks of developing myeloma, since the two would be likely to have a similar history of infections.
Re: Stepmother & father both diagnosed with multiple myeloma
Hi,
Thankyou both for finding time to reply to my post.
My father worked in a factory which produced building blocks and told me one of the chemicals that was used frequently in the production of these blocks was aluminium powder.
I've tried researching this, but to no avail
The only link to farming would be my grandfather who was a cattle farmer, so no joy there either
I'm afraid I don't know what background my stepmother had with regards to work or growing up.
I guess I'll be forever researching until a concrete answer is found through medical science.
Thankyou both for finding time to reply to my post.
My father worked in a factory which produced building blocks and told me one of the chemicals that was used frequently in the production of these blocks was aluminium powder.
I've tried researching this, but to no avail
The only link to farming would be my grandfather who was a cattle farmer, so no joy there either
I'm afraid I don't know what background my stepmother had with regards to work or growing up.
I guess I'll be forever researching until a concrete answer is found through medical science.
Re: Stepmother & father both diagnosed with multiple myeloma
Hello, Spenco:
I am going to give you some very very general information on your question about links. Of course, I have no detailed knowledge about your specific circumstances, other than what you write, and you can consider my post gross speculation. I was for a number of years responsible for industrial hygiene in my company, however, I am not a trained industrial hygienist. In the "old days", in the ship yards, fathers would get exposed to industrial asbestos (and other related materials). Kids would see their fathers coming home, and jump into their embrace for a hug. I cannot give you links or specific references, however, it is believed that some of the children had exposures and developed cancer or mesotheliomas, even if their fathers did not, based on their young and not fully developed respitory systems. I only bring this up based on the training I have received, and the fact that you mentioned your father was a factory worker.
I am going to give you some very very general information on your question about links. Of course, I have no detailed knowledge about your specific circumstances, other than what you write, and you can consider my post gross speculation. I was for a number of years responsible for industrial hygiene in my company, however, I am not a trained industrial hygienist. In the "old days", in the ship yards, fathers would get exposed to industrial asbestos (and other related materials). Kids would see their fathers coming home, and jump into their embrace for a hug. I cannot give you links or specific references, however, it is believed that some of the children had exposures and developed cancer or mesotheliomas, even if their fathers did not, based on their young and not fully developed respitory systems. I only bring this up based on the training I have received, and the fact that you mentioned your father was a factory worker.
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JPC - Name: JPC
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