A lot has happened in the past few weeks. As I mentioned in the last posting, she has a plasmacytoma in her left cheek and there also appears to be one, maybe more in her lungs. She has finished one cycle of the new chemo and the growth in her cheek has gone way down to near normal. We won't know for certain if the growth in her lung is a plasmacytoma and responsive to the current chemo for 3 weeks. She has another CT scan scheduled at that time and then we will know about her lungs.
The other main problem, at this time, is her hip. Evidently the hard covering of her hip has been breached by her myeloma in two different areas. The scariest breach is near her femur. The oncologist specialist isn't sure that anything can be done at this time to prevent a fracture. Terry has to be very careful when she is toddling around. Hr hips are causing her a lot of discomfort and she needs a cane almost 100% of the time. I will be checking with an orthopedic physician this Friday to see if there is anything that can be done.
So, for the next 3-4 weeks she has to stay on her chemo agents, get another CT scan and then be seen by the oncologist again. Keep your fingers and toes crossed and keep those prayers coming in.
2/23/11
Another battle begins
Terry started her new regimen a few days ago. They have added cytoxan to her velade and high dose i.v. dexamethasone. She will be on this for one cycle and then revlimid will be added. The velcade causes her to get some severe bone pain, especially in her sternum and right hip. So she is on two narcotics to help with the pain. She will suffer a lot of pain before taking either of the narcotics. She is keeping up her spirits and always has a positive attitude. She is a lot stronger person that I would be in the same situation.
Her PET scan came back and as we expected her myeloma is fairly diffuse among her long bones and a few other bones that produce marrow. She also has a few soft tissue problems that we are told will go away with the myeloma when the therapy works. Now we have to HOPE (our theme) that the new chemo cocktail does what we want.
This is another battle to fight in the war against multiple myeloma. Please keep your prayers coming for Terry. God bless you all.
Her PET scan came back and as we expected her myeloma is fairly diffuse among her long bones and a few other bones that produce marrow. She also has a few soft tissue problems that we are told will go away with the myeloma when the therapy works. Now we have to HOPE (our theme) that the new chemo cocktail does what we want.
This is another battle to fight in the war against multiple myeloma. Please keep your prayers coming for Terry. God bless you all.
2/5/11
HOPE springs eternal
Frank Sinatra once sang the lyrics, "You gotta have HOPE, all you really need is HOPE." Well, we got some HOPE with the myeloma specialist. He ran a battery of tests and in a week Terry will have her first PET scan. I was thinking I could just wave our cat Lacey over her and that would suffice. That wouldn't get any information and we would tick off the cat.
After she has the PET scan Terry will go back on 3 meds, Velcade, dexamethasone and Cytoxan. She will be on that regimen for 3 weeks and then Revlimid will be added at a higher dose than she has taken in the past. The physician said that Terry will then be on this group of 4 medications for 2-3 more cycles before another bone marrow biopsy is done. Each cycle is 3 weeks in length. He gave us a lot of HOPE as he has had good successes with others like Terry who have relapsed after a transplant and then became refractory to whatever they were taking. He doesn't think she needs any trial protocol or investigational drugs at this point. So HOPE is where we are. I know that with our prayers and yours this course of medical treatment will fill the bill.
God bless you all and stay safe.
After she has the PET scan Terry will go back on 3 meds, Velcade, dexamethasone and Cytoxan. She will be on that regimen for 3 weeks and then Revlimid will be added at a higher dose than she has taken in the past. The physician said that Terry will then be on this group of 4 medications for 2-3 more cycles before another bone marrow biopsy is done. Each cycle is 3 weeks in length. He gave us a lot of HOPE as he has had good successes with others like Terry who have relapsed after a transplant and then became refractory to whatever they were taking. He doesn't think she needs any trial protocol or investigational drugs at this point. So HOPE is where we are. I know that with our prayers and yours this course of medical treatment will fill the bill.
God bless you all and stay safe.
2/1/11
A huge pothole
The last update I mentioned that Terry's transplant had failed and she would be getting a new one, this time using her sister's stem cells. Things are not going according to plan. In order to get Terry ready for another transplant she has been on a heavy duty chemo agent called Velcade along with some high dose dexamethasone. She had a bone marrow biopsy last week and it shows that the treatment isn't doing anything. Until she can get the cancer cells down to an acceptable level in her marrow, she is not a candidate for any kind of transplant. This coming Friday Terry has an appointment with a renowned myeloma specialist at the Univ. of Michigan. Hopefully he will have something in his bag of tricks that will work; maybe an experimental new drug or a trial protocol? In the meantime please keep praying for her.
God bless you all.
God bless you all.
12/13/10
Another year and some bad news
Terry had her 1 year post transplant appointment with her transplant specialist. We were hoping and praying that her stem cells would keep her in remission for a while, but they pooped out and her bone marrow cancer is back. She will be starting a course of chemotherapy next week and it appears she will be getting chemo on an intermittent basis for the next 2-3 months. At that time she will be put through a bunch of tests to see if she is ready for another stem cell transplant. Last year she received her own cells. Although she has plenty of her own cells in frozen storage the medical opinion is to receive someone else's cells. The good news is that Terry's sister Helen is a perfect match. Helen is a wonderful lady and is more than willing to give her cells to help her sister.
There is some more good news. Terry will be able to travel to her home town of Rome, NY to spend Christmas with her family. Last year she was in the hospital for Christmas. I will be updating this blog as more news and events transpire.
In the meantime we wish you all a happy and holy Christmas.
There is some more good news. Terry will be able to travel to her home town of Rome, NY to spend Christmas with her family. Last year she was in the hospital for Christmas. I will be updating this blog as more news and events transpire.
In the meantime we wish you all a happy and holy Christmas.
7/20/10
'TIS A PUZZLEMENT
Well, nobody can explain why Terry's blood pressure and hemoglobin plummeted. As the King of Siam said, "'Tis a puzzlement."
Terry's blood pressure and hemoglobin are both normal and her cancer cells, which were making a bit of a resurgence are retreating. Today was all GOOD news. There is no tenable medical reason why what happened happened. It just might be that God is working in His mysterious ways again.
Terry's blood pressure and hemoglobin are both normal and her cancer cells, which were making a bit of a resurgence are retreating. Today was all GOOD news. There is no tenable medical reason why what happened happened. It just might be that God is working in His mysterious ways again.
7/12/10
SHE'S FREE
The docs all agreed that Terry is too healthy to be in the hospital, so the wardens set her free. Her discharge diagnosis was acute dehydration. Now we have to find what caused that and what the long term ramifications are. Needless to say, everyone is glad to have her at home. Thanks for all the good thoughts and prayers.
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