July 30, 2015..

Before I go into writing my blog for today, I thought it would be a good idea to post my previous blogs so they can be easily accessed. Read each blog starting at the bottom of the page except the first one that started in April, 2013.

My first attempt of three to collect stem cells starting in April, 2013

The three attempts took almost 15 weeks that we spent here.

Our trip to Yellowstone National Park in the fall of 2013

Our trip earlier this year to Mobile, AL and Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida

We were at the hospital or MIRT all day today. I got my bone marrow procedure done and all went well. They had changed the location and also the people doing the procedure. They have plans to move it again as soon as funds are available. As I have done three times before, I was sedated before the procedure. I don't like pain. 

After waiting quite a while, we were able to see Dr Van Rhee. He told me that I was still stable with my myeloma indicators. He did not have any results of the bone marrow biopsy. He said the MRI indicated I had a 1cm lesion on one of my lower ribs. He was unsure about it because it did not show on the PET scan which showed no lesions. He said if it was still there when I come back in three months, I will need to have a biopsy done. He added two more drugs to the bank of drugs I am already taking. They are Zometa (bone strengthener) and Diflucan (anti yeast). I will stay on the same treatment that I have been on for over a year. I concluded from what he said, I should stay on it until the treatment stops working. Myeloma treatments do stop working eventually so the patient must go to another treatment. That is one reason it is important that new myeloma drugs are coming on the market. My appointment is to return in early November. I was hoping to get a treatment schedule that would allow us to travel more but I am thankful there is something that will keep this from getting worse so I am not complaining.

For those of you that I have told that Dr Barlogie, the former MIRT director and world respected authority on myeloma, was leaving MIRT on July 1, we saw his motorcycle parked at the same place we have seen it parked so many times in the past at the front entrance. We knew it was his because of the license tag with the CURE MM on the tag.  

I seem to be doing real well after the bone marrow procurement procedure with little pain there. I hope anyone reading this is having a real good day.