Sunday, June 12, 2011

Second Quarterly Checkup

Carla had her second quarterly checkup at the Myeloma Institute in Little Rock June 6 - 9.  She had extensive blood tests, that painful bone marrow biopsy and a full-body MRI.  The good news is her multiple myeloma is in full remission and they don't want to see her again for six months! 

Her platelets, white blood cells and hemoglobin counts have been dropping steadily during the six months of maintenance.  The doctor has decreased the Revlimid starting with her July dosage.  The cycle is Revlimid daily for 21 days and then off 7 days.  She has to have new shipment for each cycle and she had just received a shipment so she can not start the lower dose until the next cycle.  With the price of these 21 pills being $7800 the insurance wants her to use up what she has before they send the lower dose pills.

A couple months ago, Carla was anxious to get plants potted in her flower pots.  She did too much bending and lifting.  She said her back "felt" different that night.  Her local oncologist had her back x-rayed the next day but without other x-rays to compare they could only determine that nothing was loose.  We took those x-rays with us to Little Rock and stayed over one more day in order for us to meet with the surgeon that had operated on Carla's back last November.  He could find nothing wrong and thought it was muscle pain.  He cautioned her to not bend her back.  She finds it difficult to wait for someone to help her when she wants to get something done.  She met with her pain doctor and the doctor did not change her dosage of pain meds. 

It looks like we will continue the Revlimid cycle and the weekly visit to the oncologist for blood tests and the IV of Velcade.  Hopefully once Carla gets the lower dosage of Revlimid her blood counts will increase along with her energy level. 

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