All is well

Today Doug had his Zometa infusion. Before giving it, the nurse has to draw blood, and the oncologist has to approve the counts. The nurse had a little trouble with the blood draw but she finally got it. The lab report came back - Doug's Creatinine was 1.5 and it is supposed to be under 1.4 for him to get the Zometa. But the oncologist said it was okay to proceed.

 Doug's ANC was 1.9 today. Still low, but last time it was 1.4, so this 1.9 looked great to us. The Revlimid 5 mg every other day is working.
 So three hours later, we were headed home.

The nurse drew extra blood today for the MM panel, which goes to Mayo. We'll get that result next week.

Doug has been feeling good. We have both escaped the flu so far. We made a quick trip to Nebraska last week for a funeral, and saw Doug's mom while we were there. Thankfully, she is doing okay.

So no drama here, just smooth sailing for now. This part of our myeloma journey is like driving on the interstate; no unexpected turns, no bumpy roads. We are so blessed.

God bless you all.

2012 Review

Wow - another year ends. Time really does pass quickly. We had a few medical adventures in 2012 but all in all, it was a good year.

Here are the highlights:

• Doug achieved a second remission
• We sold our 5th wheel in Texas
• Doug's endoscopic ultrasound was negative for pancreatic problems
• Doug went on maintenance chemo
• We moved to a new house
• Our buyers for the old house broke their contract (we still are trying to sell it.)
• Doug had radiation therapy twice for hip pain
• Hip pain finally resolved
• Doug had a heart stent put in
• We sold our Texas RV lot
• White blood counts wavered a lot - seem to be finally stabilizing at a 'new normal'
• He caught a cold and recovered from it - yeah, a working immune system!
• Doug had successful eye surgery for glaucoma
• We sold our truck camper

We had a wonderful Christmas in Denver with lots of extended family. All five grandchildren were home - a precious time as they grow older. The oldest grandson has already flown the nest - he is in the Air Force and studying Farsi at the Defense Language Institute in Monterrey CA. The next oldest is in his first year of college. The youngest three are still in high school.
We enjoyed great food; our daughter in law is a terrific cook. Then most of us gathered to play a fun game called "Bubble Talk". It was a really good time - we were so glad to be there.

We are staying home tonight on New Years Eve. We'll have a nice relaxing time and doubt we will stay up until midnight!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all, and Peace for the coming year!

"Fulfillment cannot be attained by seeking and grasping, but by surrendering and breathing right now, in the present."       Karen M. Wyatt, M.D. from WHAT REALLY MATTERS

ANC up a bit

Doug has an upper respiratory infection with bad cough. It came on over the weekend. Thankfully, he got a spot on the clinic schedule yesterday. Our favorite nurse practitioner  started him on antibiotics and a strong cough syrup. He does not have a fever and his lungs are clear. Could be a lot worse.

We went today for Doug's CBC. Results are good - his ANC is up to 1.7 (last time was 1.4). Looks like his body is mounting a response to the cold. Very encouraging. And his next blood draw will be in four weeks instead of two - yea!

Our weather has been very cold with some high winds, so we have mostly been homebodies lately. We have not got much snow at all - just enough to broom off the walks. If we do get snow, I doubt anyone will complain - we sure need the moisture.

Love to all.

Doing Okay

Doug had a blood draw today and then an appointment with the local oncologist. His ANC is 1.4; low but still within the tolerance set by the Denver specialist. Doug is feeling good and has even gained weight.

The phlebotomist has been having trouble finding a vein to draw from lately. If Doug was having frequent infusions, it might make sense to have a port implanted. But the maintenance Revlimid is a pill, and the Zometa infusion is at three month intervals. Currently the blood draws will be done every two weeks.
So since a port would have a possible side effect of a clot forming, it doesn't seem like a good idea right now. The oncologist recommended that Doug lift free weights! We had not thought of that, but it makes sense - that would increase the blood flow in the arms and might create a demand for more (better?) veins. Anyway, it can't hurt. I have 5 lb. weights he can use for now. Exercise is good.

We had a quiet Thanksgiving but it was enjoyable. We usually go to an extended family get-together for Thanksgiving. Lots of people, lots of great food. This year we decided to stay home and avoid kid germs. Doug and I got outside for a walk in nature. Earlier in the week we had a wonderful pre-holiday turkey dinner with friends.

The flu season is here. We know several people who have come down with flu. We are being careful but still going out. Germ-x is our friend; we carry a small bottle with us always.

God is good.

Love to all.

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.

Home from Nebraska, resuming Revlimid

After a week off the Revlimid, Doug's ANC came up to 1.9. So he is back on 5 mg. Rev daily, and will have another CBC this week.

We are glad to be home, but we did have a good trip to Neb. Doug's mother is doing as well as can be expected for age 99. Her biggest physical problem is loss of vision. She has some peripheral vision, so she gets around her apartment pretty well. She is not a fall risk; she walks without a cane.  When she goes out in the halls or outside she does hold on to whoever is with her. She has two wonderful ladies from Home Instead who come daily to make sure she eats lunch and take her meds, and do any errands. If she is having a bad day they come again in the evening. She really values her independence - she has consistently refused to come to Colorado. Quite a lady.

Doug did well on the trip. He did get a little tired but still wanted to do the bulk of the driving. I am so thankful for no infections with the low white count. We are enjoying life and each other. Praise God.

On Break from Rev

Today's CBC showed Doug's absolute neutrophil count is up a little: 1.4 - better than last week's 1.2 (or 1200, depending on what units the lab uses). While this is a slight improvement, the oncologist wants Doug to stop the Revlimid for one week, and repeat the blood test then. I really don't like this on again, off again stuff. But we will comply.

We will still leave for Nebraska this Friday; we can have the blood test done there. I am so thankful that Doug feels good.

Love to all.