Today I'm going for a full series of blood tests to see how my little battle with Multiple Myeloma is progressing. We've been targeting December as the remission date, but there's a slight indication that things might be coming along a little faster than expected.
I've followed my doctor's instructions to the letter. I've behaved. I've gained some weight, and that's the first time that I've ever been happy to hear that. Eating my way back sure has been fun.
I've never been more positive and optimistic. Multiple Myeloma can be a very nasty little disease. We don't hear about it as much as other blood cancers, but it's pretty wicked in its own right. It destroys bone and causes kidney failure. It typically attacks older people, with few, if any, people are diagnosed before age 40. There is no cure for Multiple Myeloma. It can be put into remission, however, and then patients are monitored regularly to head off any relapses, which are likely.
I've broken my own rule, and gone ahead and read some articles about the life expectancy of MM patients. I was pretty upset by what I'd read, but what I realize is, those limits are there to make us Myeloma patients fight just a little bit harder. And I won't be reading those articles or any like them any more. I plan to stick around a long, long time. And I'll do whatever it takes to get the job done.
I can't take any credit for this. People have been so very supportive. And my Oncologist is the best. His competency is reinforced every time his prognoses are confirmed. I'm doing a lot better now than I was in June. Just a few months ago, I was resigning myself to feeling lousy. Accepting misery as just part of getting older. And now I feel better.
We're gonna fight hard here, and when the fight is hard, we'll fight some more. That's what I have to do.
Thanks everyone.
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