Hi, I'm currently 58 and was diagnosed with MM in February 2006. It was quite a shock at the time, as I have had lupus for over 30 years and thought I was dealing with enough. I was seen by my local oncologist two days after diagnosis and was referred to UAMS (Unniversity of Arkansas Medical Services). The past two years have been a challenging and eye-opening experience.
I was seen by Dr. Barlogie at UAMS, dx'd with stage 3 MM and had 23 lesions, one of which came through my skull and two more were starting to break through at the time. It was pretty scary. My course of treatment has been chemo and two stem cell transplants. I was very ill after the second transplant and had to forego the second course of chemo. Last year I was hospitalized for pneumonia and then sepsis because of my compromised immune system. I am on maintenance therapy right now with Velcade/Dex weekly and have been CANCER FREE for two years(since the first transplant)!
I go to UAMS every four months for a check-up and see my local oncologist, who follows Dr. Barlogie's protocol. We didn't think I was going to make it for a while (from the chemo) and if asked now 'would I do this again' the answer would be yes. Because every month, every year I survive, better treatment or a cure might be closer. I am forever grateful that my oncologist referred me to UAMS when I asked her if any place specialized in MM. I believe it is probably the best in the world.
So I'm taking one day at a time and hope you all are also.
LoisA