Anyone know about Multiple Myeloma?

[DaveNV]

I was informed last night that a very close friend of mine has been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. I'm in process of reading up on it. Wondering if anyone on Tug has dealt with it, and can share their experience. I want to support my friend and his family, but I'm a realist about things like this.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Passepartout]

Hope I got at least most of the details correct.

Turns out I had almost none of the details correct, so I deleted my post. Sorry for my own confusion.

Jim

 

[DaveNV]

Thanks, Jim. I remember Ellen. Sounds like she got diagnosed early. Hope she's doing well. My friend is much further down the path, I'm afraid. They'll decide in the next few days whether chemo will be an option.

Dave

 

[Dori]

I hope there is a positive outcome for your friend, Dave.

Dori

 

[DaveNV]

I hope there is a positive outcome for your friend, Dave.

Dori

Thank you Dori. This is my best friend from high school, who has remained a great friend. I've known him since we were 16. He's like a brother to me. I lived with his family for a time before I joined the military, and we are very close. His wife shared this news with me yesterday. We have frequently traveled with the two of them over the years, and they are both family. Brian has struggled with back and hip pain for quite sometime, and they've finally determined he has Stage III Multiple Myeloma. We're all hoping he'll respond to treatment, but there are many unknowns at this point. I'm hoping Tuggers will have experience that may be useful.

Dave

 

[rickandcindy23]

So sorry for your friend, Dave. I hope he can get some sort of treatment.

 

[DaveNV]

So sorry for your friend, Dave. I hope he can get some sort of treatment.

Thanks, Cindy. I hope so too.

Dave

 

[GetawaysRus]

I think you have the wrong disease, Jim. I believe that Ellen had DLBCL, an aggressive form of B-cell lymphoma, and underwent a stem cell (bone marrow) transplant that put her into remission.

The outlook for myeloma patients has improved in recent years, and there are now quite a number of treatments available. In many cases, prognosis is far better than it used to be.

 

[VacationForever]

I believe Ellen had lymphoma, which is different from multiple myeloma.

 

[pedro47]

So sorry for your friend, Dave. I hope he can get some sort of treatment.

Ditto, I hope he can also be treated and responds positively to the treatment.

 

[mjm1]

Dave, sorry to hear about your friend. I have a friend who just died from it. He was diagnosed a few months ago and they tried chemo, but the cancer was too advanced in his case. He was a healthy person prior to contracting cancer, so it really snuck up on him. I hope your friend's situation works out better.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[Passepartout]

I think you have the wrong disease, Jim. I believe that Ellen had DLBCL, an aggressive form of B-cell lymphoma, and underwent a stem cell (bone marrow) transplant that put her into remission.

The outlook for myeloma patients has improved in recent years, and there are now quite a number of treatments available. In many cases, prognosis is far better than it used to be.

Sorry for the confusion on my part. Friggin' cancer is such a nasty thing. I wish Ellen and Dave's friend (and all cancer sufferers) remission and long life.

 

[DaveNV]

Dave, sorry to hear about your friend. I have a friend who just died from it. He was diagnosed a few months ago and they tried chemo, but the cancer was too advanced in his case. He was a healthy person prior to contracting cancer, so it really snuck up on him. I hope your friend's situation works out better.

Best regards.

Mike

That's very sad, Mike. Sorry for the loss of your friend. We'll hope Brian's case is treatable. They should know more this coming week. Fingers crossed.

Dave

 

[b2bailey]

My favorite brother-in-law (Jim) passed away four years ago after battling Multiple Myeloma for 7 years.
But, I know of several others who are in long term remission.
It is a disease that requires sophisticated treatment. Hopefully your friend is located near an excellent medical center or can afford to travel for care.
Almost always involves a bone marrow transplant to go into remission.
BIL had complained for six months of back pain. Finally had an X-Ray which showed bone chips, which alerted to MM.
Prior to diagnosis Jim was a marathon runner.
Hopes and Prayers that he was diagnosed in time to receive treatment.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

Dave, I'm sorry for your friend.

Multiple Myeloma is a serious condition.

I high school friend died of it two months ago. A good friend and neighbor is fighting it. He had multiple regimens of chemo and radio followed by a bone marrow transplant. He is doing okay, but his immune system is very fragile and he is photosensitive. I'm hoping and praying that he recovers from it.

If you do a google search on the life expectancy, it is limited and grim.

 

[DaveNV]

My favorite brother-in-law (Jim) passed away four years ago after battling Multiple Myeloma for 7 years.
But, I know of several others who are in long term remission.
It is a disease that requires sophisticated treatment. Hopefully your friend is located near an excellent medical center or can afford to travel for care.
Almost always involves a bone marrow transplant to go into remission.
BIL had complained for six months of back pain. Finally had an X-Ray which showed bone chips, which alerted to MM.
Prior to diagnosis Jim was a marathon runner.
Hopes and Prayers that he was diagnosed in time to receive treatment.

Thanks for sharing that. Brian lives in the Norfolk, Virginia area. His Oncologist specializes in treating this. They're doing stress testing tomorrow to see how they can move forward with him. This is all a very new diagnosis, so no real answers of a path forward yet.

Brian had complained of back and hoip pain for quite sometime. He was initially given a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, which led to an MRI that showed the rest of the story.

Dave

 

[DaveNV]

Dave, I'm sorry for your friend.

Multiple Myeloma is a serious condition.

I high school friend died of it two months ago. A good friend and neighbor is fighting it. He had multiple regimens of chemo and radio followed by a bone marrow transplant. He is doing okay, but his immune system is very fragile and he is photosensitive. I'm hoping and praying that he recovers from it.

If you do a google search on the life expectancy, it is limited and grim.

I've been googling the disease and treatment options. His wife is in daily contact with the medical team treating him, and she is asking the hard questions. Neither of us have delusions about the outcome. We both want to hope for the best, and as I said in my initlal post, I'm a realist about things like this. It's tragic, any way I look at it.

Dave

 

[b2bailey]

I wouldn't say "tragic" --
Even when my husband was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, it wasn't tragic until the day he died.

Hard road, difficult....yes.

 

[DaveNV]

Just wanted to post a long-overdue update on this topic. My friend is doing fine. He's been through an extensive treatment and whatever else with an incredible oncology center. A few days ago he said his latest Bone Biopsy tests show he now has ZERO myeloma plasma cells. He's generally in recovery mode now, hoping to continue improving.

We're all really pleased to hear and share this good news.

Dave

 

[Rolltydr]

Just wanted to post a long-overdue update on this topic. My friend is doing fine. He's been through an extensive treatment and whatever else with an incredible oncology center. A few days ago he said his latest Bone Biopsy tests show he now has ZERO myeloma plasma cells. He's generally in recovery mode now, hoping to continue improving.

We're all really pleased to hear and share this good news.

Dave

Great news, Dave! I hope he continues to do well and you guys can make many more memories in the coming years!

 

[DaveNV]

Great news, Dave! I hope he continues to do well and you guys can make many more memories in the coming years!

My husband and I are taking him and his wife back to Hawaii this Fall to celebrate his good health. They're celebrating their 49th wedding anniversary this month. They're such dear friends, this is a wonderful thing to be doing with them.

Dave

 

[amycurl]

That is *such* great news! And a celebratory trip back to Hawaii is a perfect way to mark this milestone.


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[DaveNV]

That is *such* great news! And a celebratory trip back to Hawaii is a perfect way to mark this milestone.


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Thanks, Amy. I just did the math. I've known Brian since we were both 16, so it's 55 years now. Hard to put a value on such a long friendship. We went to high school on Oahu together, so that was home. We were all together on Maui the year before the fire, and we enjoyed the Big Island a week after that. They've never been to Kauai, so we want to give them the full experience. This will be lots of fun.

Dave