10/17/2011 And the Results are in.

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.