As many of you know, two years ago I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow. It was put into remission after 2 1/2 months of chemotherapy. It took awhile to get back to my old self again but for the past year, other than the neuropathy of my feet, I feel great. I returned to work half time last October and was happy to be “back in the saddle” again, doing the work that I love to do.
The stem cell transplant I was to have had after my first round of chemotherapy two years ago was postponed because it was thought that it could make the neuropathy worse. So I’ve been on a low dose maintenance drug and my oncologist has been following monthly blood tests to monitor the myeloma activity. After about six months the numbers were slowly creeping up but no one was too alarmed. Then it was decided to do a PET scan (a CAT scan using a radioactive dye) which I had done in late August. Surprisingly and unfortunately, it showed a lot of myeloma activity affecting many parts of my bones. In other words my myeloma has relapsed. However, unlike the first time I was diagnosed, I really feel very well and as everyone tells me, “You look great!” I’ll take that as a good sign.
Because the steroids from my first round of chemo have caused a deterioration of my hip joint, I was to have had a hip replacement last month, but that has now been postponed so that I could begin chemo right away. I have just finished my third week of chemo, still feel very well, still have my hair and my most recent blood test shows very favorable improvement already. That is music to my ears.
I’ve begun an extended leave of absence from work to deal with the new round of chemo and to keep me from exposure to sick patients. I’ll miss seeing many of you but I find myself once again as the patient and now I’ve got to take care of myself.
I will continue writing my articles and, in fact, I will have more time to do so. I’ve been encouraged by many to put my articles in a book format which I hope to do this coming year.
Thanks to all of you who have had me in your thoughts and prayers.
n Terry Hollenbeck, M.D., is an urgent-care physician at Palo Alto Medical Foundation Santa Cruz in Scotts Valley. Readers can view his previous columns on his website, valleydoctor.wordpress.com, or e-mail him at [email protected].
