On 12/16/2005 Chellybell wrote:
I am a 33-year-old mom who just found out I have MGUS. Nothing else seems to be wrong with me, thankfully, but I am SO scared, especially after doing my research. None of my friends or family seem to really understand the "ticking time bomb" I feel is inside me. Nor do I want to explain. The oncologist gave me a lecture about "sweeping this under the rug" and getting on with it--life, I guess. I am a single mom with no one to take care of my kids but me if anything should happen. I would just love to have someone to talk to. Michelle
You don't need to be very concerned & allow yourself to get overly distressed about this. MGUS affects many of we women (who also tend to get the majority of the inflammatory arthritides - diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis & other inflammatory diseases ) AND along with disease severity you CAN get what's called an M spike on a serum or urine protein electrophoresis gel test. This M spike corresponds to a protein that yes - IT IS found in patients with Multiple Myeloma ( a form of cancer) BUT for many of us we only have a small - or half "M-spike". This spike of OURS might be due to the severity of another "disease process" while having nothing to do with cancer at all. It is true that 1 out of 10 persons who has MGUS goes on to develop Multiple Myeloma, but this leaves a great many of us who will never have to deal with that!! I've had this bizarre diagnosis for 3 or 4 years now & while it was unnerving at first - now - I look at it more as just a marker showing up because the inflammation associated with my rheumatoid arthritis UNFORTUNATELY for me, is very active. As for me, I no longer look at MGUS as the onset of cancer. (multiple myeloma or any other kind) I hope this eases your mind somewhat about this diagnosis. It might be a kind of red flag about an inflammatory illness you are already aware of. If not, at least now you know that the medical specialty you MAY need to turn to is rheumatology so that you can be diagnosed & treated properly.