CancerCompass message board discussion started by JoeStiger on 5/13/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,23999,0.htm Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ I feel kind of hesitant to post this when I see so many of you who are in full battle with this illness but its kind of driving me nuts with anxiety and I can't get in to see the oncologist for several weeks.A little over a month ago i had a hypertensive stroke which fortunately did no apparent damage.  In the blood tests they found the IGA level elevated.I am told it is at 1.7 which I understand means it is MGUS.  The oncologist ordered a bone survey which came back clean.Today I saw bloodwork that showed the IGM level as slightly low (37) but my primary care doc did not want to guess about it since he believes it out of his expertise.Finally my ESR was somewhat elevated which he claims means there is some kind of process going on but that it is very non-specific.This is very frightening to me as I lost my dad to MM and I have a pretty good idea what it can be like.  I understand that its supposedly not hereditary.Can anyone shed any light on this for me?  JoeStiger Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi Having read your message with interest, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma stage I on the 25th March 2005.  My Igg level was 22 and so far it remains inactive and stabilised. I see a haematologist every 3 months and I attend the Haematology Day Unit every 8 weeks for 3 mg of "Zometa" which strengthens the bones to prevent spontaneous fractures. I'm OK in myself, but I live alone, I also get very tired and depressed and sleep a lot in the day as well as all night.  Then sometimes I get up in the night because I've slept in the day. I've got worse lately, having becoming agoraphobic.  I am afraid to go out on my own in case I have a fall or get dizzy, which I am prone to.I eat OK, my appetite is fine, but I feel lethargic, depressed, anxious and very tired, like I said.  MM is terminal, but I'm hoping for another 10 years at least.I'm not going to worry too much until my iga gets to about 60, 70 being "dead".All the best for the futureRose meadowsweet Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT HI, i have mm since oct. 2006, had chem and dex, and then a stem cell transplant.  I don,t understand your iga #,s,  mine were 4800 when they found my mm and was in stage 1. IGA are normal from 50 to 400.  what other test are not normal, like the M- spike thats more important then iga.  You should see a mm specialist, they know better  about bloodtests and treatments.  Don't worry so much it sounds like you just mgus and could stay there for a long time. Good luck. Marion gemini Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 5/13/2008 JoeStiger wrote:I feel kind of hesitant to post this when I see so many of you who are in full battle with this illness but its kind of driving me nuts with anxiety and I can't get in to see the oncologist for several weeks.A little over a month ago i had a hypertensive stroke which fortunately did no apparent damage.  In the blood tests they found the IGA level elevated.I am told it is at 1.7 which I understand means it is MGUS.  The oncologist ordered a bone survey which came back clean.Today I saw bloodwork that showed the IGM level as slightly low (37) but my primary care doc did not want to guess about it since he believes it out of his expertise.Finally my ESR was somewhat elevated which he claims means there is some kind of process going on but that it is very non-specific.This is very frightening to me as I lost my dad to MM and I have a pretty good idea what it can be like.  I understand that its supposedly not hereditary.Can anyone shed any light on this for me? Hi Joe Stiger,I don't know that any one but your doctors can shed light on what is going on with you, but if you go to Caring4Cancer.com, the site may be able to explain the lab work that you have had done and what they are looking for when they do it.  Type each lab that you want information on in the box in the upper right hand corner and hit search.  I found it helpful and easy to understand.  Good luck with your search.Jan (wevebeenthere)  wevebeenthere Sun, 18 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT