Stopping Revlimid - Not

Doug's white count continues to rise marginally, then drop. On 11-14 the ANC was 1.5; the local oncologist was not comfortable with this. He said to us: "I think you should stop the Revlimid. Your marrow cannot tolerate it any longer." He did not have any other chemo to offer - he said he didn't know of any that would not be toxic to the marrow.

Keep in mind that Doug is clinically doing great. No pain, eating well, sleeping okay, able to go places and enjoy activities. Stopping treatment and waiting for a relapse just did not sit well with us.  So we emailed our consulting Myeloma specialist in Denver who did Doug's transplant. If it weren't for the 2.5 hour drive to Denver over mountain roads we would be seeing him regularly instead of the local oncologist. Why the local oncologist didn't consult with him this time is a puzzle to me.

I have said before how accessible the Denver specialist is. He's nationally recognized, gives talks at Myeloma conferences, is a brilliant busy guy who is enthusiastic about his work. Given all that, it always amazes us how he responds quickly when we call or email him. He said "Take 5 mg. Rev every other day so long as the ANC is above 1.0."  He is less conservative than the local oncologist who felt the ANC had to be above 2. That is conventional wisdom but this is not the time to be so conservative.

We feel much better to keep on the maintenance treatment. For now we can breathe a little easier. Stopping the Rev would seem like giving up.

We are going to be really careful to stay away from anyone who might have the flu or even a cold, as the neutrophils (infection fighting cells) go lower. But right now life is good. Praise God.