Never forgetting how far we've come I've posted the above photo today showing Hamada when he first come home from Nottingham City Hospital after his Stem Cell Transplant. This was in late 2007 and there have been a good few battles along the way since then. With his courage, good medicine and management of this difficult disease,Hamada has beaten many odds and now once again is fighting his way forward, this time just having received his 10th infusion of Velcade. A few stops and starts along the way with lowering of Platelets and Neutrophils, a nasty chest infection, some needed G-CSF injections and the wonderful skills of the phlebotomist at Lincoln County Haematology department, who's gentle care on extremely over used veins (twice weekly, showing how delicate this whole regime is)just constantly amazes me. Particular thanks goes to Jill who kindly uses paediatric phials for Hamada, these little things help ease the way, and with such gentle care, praise indeed.
We do not have the current Para protein M-Spike reading but are forever hopeful it has fallen again from the last 14.4 marker.
Bloods are holding: HB at 9.3 Neutrophils at 1.66 WC 3.1 and platelets at a great(for H)47! Kidney function is now 18%.
The journeys are tiring at least twice a week and sometimes four if other clinics need attending and on Chemo days, the wait is long between blood taken and the results but it is a tiny weeny price to pay for any lowering of the myeloma burden and we feel joyful on the return from Oncology when success is had.
Although it is early days with the Velcade, Hamada is having no other side effects and seems brighter and with what I call his Dex face - looks better than he has for some time.
So never forgetting how far we've come, we forge forward with hope that Hamada will reach his 50% reduction target after the next six infusions and so be able to continue according to the NICE UK Ruling.
Addendum:
Hamada completed his 11th Velcade on Thursday but platelets dropped from 47 to 28 in two days, I spoke too soon! He received platelets again on Friday and feels much better again. A weeks rest then check-up next Thursday and hopefully continue the Velcade the following Monday. Onwards to success DV.
27 April, 2010
Never Forgetting How Far We've Come !
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5 comments:
Valcade has done so well for so many patients that I follow. Praying that Hamada does well with this and really does reduce to the 50% or less! It is also very nice to be able to follow his progress and read some of your poems.
You are right, of course. It is very easy to only see how things are "today" and forget that things may indeed be much better than they were, or than you ever expected them to be years after diagnosis!
Praying that things will continue to go well for you both ! When do you get the m-spike results back ?
Sue;
My very best wishes going forward with the velcade treatments.
Thinking fondly of you and Hamada.
John
You and your beloved Hamada are part of my daily intentions and prayers for caring hands, skilled decisions and effective results and I am glad to see this news. Knowing that your days are filled to the brim with so many things, I think we all value your investments in updates - Thanks ever so!
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