[Pheonix]

To the grave in just 10 weeks from multiple myeloma

by Pheonix on Sun Apr 24, 2016 10:32 am

My Dad's fierce but short battle with multiple myeloma costing his life:

In first week of February 2016, my dad started to experience severe back pain after lifting up some weight while working in a store. For almost 4 weeks, doctors have prescribed him NSAIDS and pain killers, attributing it to muscle spasm. After 4 weeks, we visited one senior orthopedic consultant who requested for MRI and then we came to know that pain was due to 2 compression fractures. The MRI scan was also suggestive of Metts, Thereafter followed by x-rays, bone scan, blood workup, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (kappa light chain) in 1st week of March 2016.

From 8th to 12 March he received 5 sessions of radiation therapy primarily in spine where fractures were, then on 13th March he received 1st injection of Velcade (after getting 5 sessions of radiation done from 8th to 12th March). While admitted in hospital for pain management, he caught staphylococcus aureus infection. On 16th March docs started antibiotics – vancomycin and Zosyn (piperacillin and tazobactam).

He was discharged on 19th March, but just 4 days later started having fever again on 23rd, for which we took him to hospital and came to know that he now has developed pneumonia. He was admitted for 2 days and then we took him home again and very sadly by 27th March the infection transformed into severe sepsis and then septic shock by 28th March, followed by sever shortness of breath, cardiac arrest for 6 minutes, and renal failure on 29th March. He was taken to ICU on Intubation and with multi-organ failure after remaining in ventilator and CRRT for 12 days, My dad left us behind on 11th April 2016 with WBC= 0, platelets 10K, and continuously dropping hemoglobin.

I think the saddest part was that our hematologist / oncologist continued to give him 2nd and 3rd dose of Velcade on 19th and 25th March even after knowing that he caught staphylococcus aureus infection on 15th and pneumonia on 23rd March.

So it took my dad just 5 weeks from diagnosis till death with multiple myeloma light chain.

[wekebu]

Re: To the grave in just 10 weeks from multiple myeloma

by wekebu on Sun Apr 24, 2016 8:32 pm

I'm sorry for your loss.

[Little Monkey]

Re: To the grave in just 10 weeks from multiple myeloma

by Little Monkey on Sun Apr 24, 2016 9:33 pm

Sorry Pheonix, I'm at a loss for what to say. Usually myeloma does not take someone that quickly.

[Pheonix]

Re: To the grave in just 10 weeks from multiple myeloma

by Pheonix on Mon Apr 25, 2016 4:13 am

@ Little Monkey - Yes, it left me wondering whether it was myeloma, or the Velcade, or the infection that took the toll that fast.

@ Wekebu - Thanks, it really was a great loss and left us all in shock.