Multiple Myeloma is a hematologic form of cancer. Multiple Myeloma begins in plasma cells which are the white blood cells that produce antibodies. On March 13, 2010, my Mother was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. The symptoms she experienced were loss of appetite, nausea, and extremely bad back pain. A pain so severe that you can’t sleep or ignore it. My mother’s disease was misdiagnosed on three different occasions due to the lack of reading and following up on certain tests such as blood work and x-rays. After a team of Doctors looked thoroughly and studied all necessary tests, that’s when they were able to solidly point out the cancer that was located in the bones of my mother’s spine.
There were several tests done called staging to see how severe the cancer is, such as cytogenetic analysis, which is when the cells of bone marrow are sampled under the microscope; skeletal bone survey- all the bones are x-rayed in the body; CBC- is when a complete blood count to check red blood cells and pallets also numbers and type of white blood cells; a twenty-four-hour urine test is performed to measure certain amounts of substances; MRI is done so they can take a closer look inside the body. The article states that there are three stages of Multiple Myeloma, stage I – is when the beta-2- microglobulin level is lower than 3.5 mg/L and the albumin level is 3.5 gd/L or higher; stage II – is when the beta -2- microglobulin level is lower than 3.5 mg/L and the albumin level is lower than 3.5 gd/L or, beta -2- microglobulin level is between 3.5 mg/L and 5.4 mg/L; stage III – is when the blood level of beta -2- microglobulin is 5.5 mg/L or higher. This is when the Doctor will determine treatment for the multiple myeloma.
There are eight different treatments for this disease: chemotherapy, systemic chemotherapy, regional chemotherapy, corticosteroids, thalidomide, lenalidomide, target therapy, and protease inhibitor therapy. My mother was a stage one so she did twelve weeks of radiation. My mother had to go to a nursing home where she had to go through rehab due to the radiation which caused loss of strength, loss of appetite, fatigue, and nausea. After being in a nursing home for five months, my Mother was released still slowly re-gaining her strength due to the radiation. Six months later my mother had a stem cell transplant at Siteman Cancer Center. The Doctors were able to use my mother’s stem cell transplant this procedure took approximately 24 hours after a high dose of chemotherapy. After 2 months in the hospital, my mother was released.
My mother has been in remission for two years now. My Mother has gained most of her strength back not to mention her hair. My Mother is in good spirits and is doing very well. When a disease such as Cancer comes before you, it affects everyone around you. My personal life has changed due to the challenges and struggles that were bestowed on me once my mother was diagnosed with cancer.
References: Siteman Cancer Center website
