Too early?

I've spent the last couple of days contemplating Mike's visit to see Dr SB on Monday. Six weeks after his SCT and Mike was told he had achieved a partial response. When I raised an eyebrow of disappointment I was told only 30% achieve a complete response. In blogland it somehow feels like more, but I'm guessing that is because everyone is so positive. Dr SB is hoping that Mike will be approved for maintenance therapy, Mike has more questions to ask before deciding what to do. He has another appointment in six weeks.

The thing that puzzles me is that Mike hasn't had a bone marrow test and the paraprotein level was from blood taken on 28 Jan, which was just under five weeks after his SCT, is it maybe too early to tell what Mike's response has been? Or am I clinging by my fingernails to the cliff face at Dover?

Oh and I hope a friend in hospital gets well soon, I miss her. She'd know what to say to me. You aren't allowed flowers in hospital so these virtual ones are for you.

Milky mix up.

While we were driving to the hospital yesterday Mike spotted one of the posters advertising Anchor...
Mike: Made by coors since 1886?

Me: Made by cows, haven't you seen the TV ad?

Mike: What did they do before 1886?

Me: They used pigs?

Mike: What? Pork butter?

P.S. Mike's paraprotein is down to 12 from 27 after 1 and 3/4 cycles of Velcade. Must be all that laughing.

Sponge Mike, Square One.

Well folks, it's back to square one xx.
Went to the Q.E. in Birmingham yesterday to an appointment with P.M. and B.C. (the time twins?). It was an appointment I thought, that was to bring the transplant forward a month or so because I was doing "so well". BANG! Jaw hit the floor. Para-proteins back up to 27 ish,( where they were in December, just before my official diagnosis ) and SCT now postponed till Christmas time.
So it is back to the bigger glass of water and the larger needle and the sack of tablets, ( including 10 Dex four times a week ;D), to get rid of the bone pain that has re-emerged and to make sure I am still here when the SCT collection starts.
Lorna is my strength and you and all your support are enough to help me get through this.
ta, Mike xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Handbags and glad rags.

I know, I know, I haven't posted for what feels like forever. I could sit here and give you a load of reasons, but Mike says (ok I say) reasons are really just excuses. A quick resume of how things have been going then. I'm finally starting to feel human again, although the slightest sniff of the food trolley when Mike goes for his Velcade, and I'm ready to vomit for England (sorry anyone who is a bit delicate). Talking of Velcade, Mike has just finished a cycle of Velcade that was half dose once a week, in effect a quarter of the amount in previous cycles. Due to the unplanned break in treatment and possibly the reduced dose of Velcade, Mike's pp have gone from 11 to 16 and so Mike's next cycle will be full dose of Velcade once a week ( which makes it half the original) ready for his SCT which may be brought forward...... Watch this space.

Serious stuff over. After the banana incident Mike decided with some encouragement from the nurses to make Velcade Wednesdays fruit and vegetable Wednesdays. Banana week was followed by carrot week and then tomato week.

Tomato week was a failure (or as my girls would say a fail) as the dye turned his clothes more of a raspberry/pink.

Mike has decided that his next project is to see just how long and curly his hair can grow before it all falls out during his SCT. He's actually hoping that it grows to it's 1974 proportions and that when it returns after his SCT it is actually straight and not ginger. If it doesn't grow back straight, he says he's going to buy it a pink handbag.

Shazbot Saturday.

Do I need to say more? Poor Paula and Ruth know exactly what I'm talking about. Actually for them it was shazbot Friday, it's only shazbot Saturday because that is when I read their news.

I feel quite guilty reporting that everything is currently fine here touch wood, lots of wood, where's the nearest forest? Oh we're in the Black Country we don't have forests! We had a meeting with Dr SB yesterday, nothing much to report, he merely repeated the results we'd heard previously and commented on Mike's kidneys, which of course we already knew about. We learnt that the doctors at our hospital (may be it's national) cannot write sick notes for out-patients, so Mike's got to get a GP appointment for next week. All seems overly complicated to me! For those who might be curious, Mike's paraprotein has dropped from 31 to 19, but don't ask me what units they are, for all I know it could be barleycorns! Good news any way.