Hi Kristi~~
The M-spike is one of the most important tests that is done on MM'ers, and it can fluctuate marginally each time it is taken, but this change is a bit too big for a slight fluctuation. So, perhaps it is the pomegranate juice, who knows. Whatever the reason, the shift is in the right direction, so keep on doing whatever it is that he is doing, and hopefully it will keep on going down and getting better!!
I'm not being flippant Kristi, I attended a symposium by Dr. Gareth Morgan from England yesterday, who spoke on genomic profiling and the treatment of myeloma. It was fascinating and very enlightening, outlining how we each have a unique myeloma 'fingerprint' and how the new drugs being developed are being aimed at hitting the genetic abnormal rearrangements in each of us. Therefore there will never be a 'one treatment' suits all situations cure, and....rather than go on and on about all of this, what I'm saying is that for some reason your dad is responding positively to something - we don't know exactly what or why- but its working for him!! Until it can be determined what is doing the trick, the best advice that I can give is to keep doing whatever it is that he has been doing so that this downward momentum continues.
After yesterday's presentation I am far more hopeful about my overall prognosis and the progress that science is making towards making myeloma a chronic condition, as well as the fact that I'm no longer even considering that MM is an imminent death sentance. But, in relation to your message, I must tell you that I have personal experience regarding the power of prayer, and I have to agree that this too may be working in your dad's favour. My mother was critically injured in a car accident a few years ago and ended up in ICU gasping for each breath - it was obvious that she did not have long to live. I was sitting by her bedside when, after three days, she suddenly stopped gasping and started breathing very easily. It was so remarkable that I looked at the clock and it was 5:05pm. That night I went home for the first time in three days and the head nun from the school where my mother was a teacher was there talking to Bob. She said that she had just heard that mom was in the hospital and that evening the nuns had all gone to chapel to pray for her. You guessed it, when I asked her what time it was she said 5:00pm. We hadn't told anyone that mom was in hospital because mom had not wanted anyone to know -- she is not religious, even though she was teaching in a Catholic girls school. So, here we have a dying non believer, being prayed for by a dozen very committed nuns, and at the EXACT time, she suddenly started getting better. Who would believe it??? I know that I do. So....whatever your thoughts, prayer or pomegranite juice -- one or both, it doesn't matter. Keep it all up and best wishes to your father!!
As you've said, you have just started this journey and I would like to welcome you to our message board! We have a wonderful group of people here, all sharing their experiences - good and bad - where we all learn from one another giving strength and support aimed at making this journey much easier. After my experience yesterday I am even more confident that we will be living far longer than was ever predicted in the past, and although it will not be the same journey that we had envisioned, this myeloma journey will probably be one of going from one relapse to the next, getting prescribed yet another combination of medications aimed at our own personal myeloma fingerprint, knocking down the M spike yet again and keeping it there until the next relapse when it will happen all over again. And, where side effects use to be so debilitating, these new drugs are getting better and better at not being so toxic, and doses are getting lower and lower with very promising results. One of Dr. Morgan's points was that he felt that patients should start to be treated at Smouldering stage because that would stop the MM from getting a hold and doing much of the damage that causes each of us so many problems later down the track. It certainly seems reasonable when you think about it, if we didn't have to battle with holes in all of our bones, crush fractures in our spines and kidney malfunctions each time we relapse and our M spike starts to rise, then we'd get back on top of it more easily and be able have a higher quality and a longer life.
Gosh, I'm going on and on Kristi! Sorry about all of this, but my basic message is to give you lots of HOPE because that is what I'm feeling now. My best wishes to you and your dad, Cheers, Cath