We found out last week that I wouldn't have to travel to Salt Lake to get the results of all the tests they took. That was good news to us, we felt that if they we going to let Dr. Te give us the results in St. George that things probably were pretty good and there were not surprises in the latest test results.
I had the appointment scheduled with Dr. Te last Friday for my monthly checkup and to get my Zometa (spelling ?) which is the intravenous version of what is advertised as Boneva on the TV. We went up Thursday night so I could give them some more blood - only 3 vials this time - and then went to Coral Canyon for the night. We went out there by way of Telegraph Street through downtown Washington and they are almost complete with the street rebuild project that has been going on. It's still a little strange not to see the old Nisson Market building across from the school, but the road is very nice and will help getting traffic through that area.
Friday morning we got up and went to my appointment at 9:00 am. We met with Dr. Te and were a little surprised when he asked if I had been to Salt Lake yet. We told him that Cindy at LDS Hospital had told me that he would be giving me the results. So he said that he and Dr. Peterson had talked and these were the results: The pathology report for the Bone Marrow Biopsy that was performed on 9/30/2011 showed a Plasma cell population of <1% of the cells associated with my Multiple Myeloma. In other words, everything worked pretty well. We asked him what that meant and he told us we achieved a "partial remission". We were hoping for total remission of course, but based on everything we'd gone through and our earlier talks with Dr. Peterson and Dr. Te, I'm not surprised that there is still a little bit hanging around. The number was around 15% +/- before my first transplant so I'm sure some of them made it to the transplant samples. I will be starting my maintenance routine sometime within the next couple of weeks. I believe I will be on a 5mg Revlimid tablet every day to begin with. I'm not sure how it works but Dr. Te said that at least for the 5mg dose, I most likely will not have to take the lovenox (blood thinner shots) or any steroid treatment for now. After some period of time the dose may be increased to 10mg or even eventually to 15mg depending on how I'm doing and what future Bone Marrow Biopsies may tell them. I'm sure I'll have to have further Biopsies at 6 month or 1 year intervals for the next few years.
Of course, we were hoping to hear that we got a full remission, but we knew I'd have to be on maintenance for a while anyway. We talked to a lady that has been in remission from MM for a couple of years. She told us of someone she knew had a small residual and went on maintenance and achieved a full remission that way. I am hopeful we can do the same as Revlimid worked pretty good for me before. I am glad it is a small dose so I can hopefull keep feeling as good as I now do. It was pretty difficult before to keep functioning at a high level when I was on the 25mg dose last year, so I hope the 5mg dose can be working in the back ground and I can still be as operational as I am today. My hair is really growing now and although it will be a while before I need a brush to keep it under control, it won't be too long before I'm going to have to have my hair trimmed around my ears and on my neck.
Thanks to all of you for your continued support, well wishes, good thoughts and of course prayers in our behalf.
I have to add just one more thing. This Saturday Oct. 22nd is the national make a difference day. Here in North Las Vegas, over 2100 members of the North Las Vegas Stake (LDS Church) have signed up to provide service to our City and community members. We will be cleaning around many City facilities and cleaning yards of many senior citizens and citizens in need. It is my understanding that this large of a group of volunteers has caught the eye of some national press so there may be a little blurb about our group in some news outlets. Don't know what they'll say, but we'll be the ones in the yellow "helping-hands" vests. The City is going through some pretty rough times and because of all the employee reductions and lay-offs we've been through lately, the City will really benefit from the help.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
10/10/2011 Still Waiting
It's been a little over a week since we went to St. George to take all the tests for my 100 day check up. I haven't heard from Dr. Te or from LDS Hospital yet about an appointment with either of them to get my results. I'm going to contact them tomorrow or Wednesday to see if any plans are being made to get me the results. I guess if they aren't in a real hurry to see me, that is a good sign, at least we are taking it as that. So as soon as we hear anything, we'll pass it on.
Josh came up to visit (meaning Addie) this weekend, he finished his first rotation last Friday and didn't have to start his second one at Luke Air Force Base until tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. He enjoyed his first rotation and learned a lot about that type of a Pharmacy. It supplies medicines to care and rehabilitation type facilities, so it doesn't have walk-in retail clients. Josh has always said it is the type of business that he would like to maybe own some day. He finishes his second rotation the week before Thanksgiving and we are planning on going to Phoenix that weekend to move him out of his apartment and up here since the time between then and New Years and then the first 12 weeks after that will all be spent up here and in St. George before he has to go back to Phoenix for his final 6 week rotation and graduation. It will be a busy time for us since Patty will be busy helping all her staff getting ready for their Christmas setups and I will be moving my office to the new North Las Vegas City Hall that will be opening about the same time.
On another note, we did something today that we've been talking about doing for several months. We canceled our home phone number, so to get hold of either myself of Patty, you'll need to contact us on our cell phones. We just didn't use the home phone enough to justify it.
Until next time. Thanks for thinking of us.
Josh came up to visit (meaning Addie) this weekend, he finished his first rotation last Friday and didn't have to start his second one at Luke Air Force Base until tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. He enjoyed his first rotation and learned a lot about that type of a Pharmacy. It supplies medicines to care and rehabilitation type facilities, so it doesn't have walk-in retail clients. Josh has always said it is the type of business that he would like to maybe own some day. He finishes his second rotation the week before Thanksgiving and we are planning on going to Phoenix that weekend to move him out of his apartment and up here since the time between then and New Years and then the first 12 weeks after that will all be spent up here and in St. George before he has to go back to Phoenix for his final 6 week rotation and graduation. It will be a busy time for us since Patty will be busy helping all her staff getting ready for their Christmas setups and I will be moving my office to the new North Las Vegas City Hall that will be opening about the same time.
On another note, we did something today that we've been talking about doing for several months. We canceled our home phone number, so to get hold of either myself of Patty, you'll need to contact us on our cell phones. We just didn't use the home phone enough to justify it.
Until next time. Thanks for thinking of us.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
10/2/2011 And now we wait
Yes, it has been a while again, but I warned everyone.
Last Thursday Sept. 29th marked day 100 since my second stem cell transplant and so it was time for me to take all the tests to see how things are going. Patty and I went to St. George wednesday evening and then got up thursday morning so I could go give about 7-8 vials to the lab. Then I went across the hall to get some full body X-rays to see if any more bone damage is happening. Then in the afternoon I had an appointment with a pulmonary specialist to check to see if the Chemo has effected my lung and breathing like sometimes it can. Then we got to go get something to eat since they didn't want me to eat before the pulmonary tests.
Friday morning I had an appointment with Dr. Te to get another bone marrow biopsy in my hip to get an accurate reading on what's going on inside of me. I like to get knocked out for these, so after waking up at Dr. Te's, Patty took me back to Coral Canyon to sleep for most of the day. After I woke up I had to go back to the lab one more time to give them a couple more samples for the testing.
Now we wait. Some of the tests take nearly a week to get the results and so I believe that sometime this week I will get contacted by LDS hospital to arange for a quick trip up to Salt Lake to the the results of all the tests and get the plan for maintenance for me over the next year or so.
We got up Saturday and came back to Vegas. We enjoyed a good conference weekend and always enjoy hearing the messages given.
I'm feeling real good and my hair is growing very quickly. We are looking forward to hearing some very good news so we can get on with getting back to a little more normal life. We do thank everyone for their continued support during this time in our life.
Until the results come in.
Last Thursday Sept. 29th marked day 100 since my second stem cell transplant and so it was time for me to take all the tests to see how things are going. Patty and I went to St. George wednesday evening and then got up thursday morning so I could go give about 7-8 vials to the lab. Then I went across the hall to get some full body X-rays to see if any more bone damage is happening. Then in the afternoon I had an appointment with a pulmonary specialist to check to see if the Chemo has effected my lung and breathing like sometimes it can. Then we got to go get something to eat since they didn't want me to eat before the pulmonary tests.
Friday morning I had an appointment with Dr. Te to get another bone marrow biopsy in my hip to get an accurate reading on what's going on inside of me. I like to get knocked out for these, so after waking up at Dr. Te's, Patty took me back to Coral Canyon to sleep for most of the day. After I woke up I had to go back to the lab one more time to give them a couple more samples for the testing.
Now we wait. Some of the tests take nearly a week to get the results and so I believe that sometime this week I will get contacted by LDS hospital to arange for a quick trip up to Salt Lake to the the results of all the tests and get the plan for maintenance for me over the next year or so.
We got up Saturday and came back to Vegas. We enjoyed a good conference weekend and always enjoy hearing the messages given.
I'm feeling real good and my hair is growing very quickly. We are looking forward to hearing some very good news so we can get on with getting back to a little more normal life. We do thank everyone for their continued support during this time in our life.
Until the results come in.
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