Here I am getting my 3 units. I was so sure my hematocrit would be lower than ever because I have been more tired, sleeping more. My norm has been 27 at transfusion. Today 28. So doc would say basically unchanged. I'll take that as good news.

It took them over an hour and several pokes to get the IV started today. An argument for getting a port.

So I will take this as good news. Leaving in less than two weeks for my road trip from Seattle to Tucson and San Diego, confident I'll do fine, and get back for my next transfusion Feb 11.

Survived the holidays. Love my grand kids, but they sure can wear me out. Looking forward to the transfusion this week, the normal 3 units I suspect, and the little increase in energy.

Yesterday hiked up tiger mountain. 3 miles up, 2000 ft. of elevation, took 1.5 hours, max heart rate 151. 45 minutes down. Kicked my butt. I used to do this with a heavy pack in under an hour. I get my transfusion next week, I suspect hematocrit is about 27, normal for me now at fill up.

So tired. went to bed about 9:30, slept right through Sue's getting up and having breakfast. Finally got up about 8:15. Yesterday Sue told me maybe I should get treatment started. The hope being that treatment will get me to where I'm not tired anymore, or at least AS tired, and also be transfusion independent. I'm reluctant. Call me irrational. It becomes very real if I have the port implanted and start chemo. And when I have seen chemo patients, they seem really sick. I want to avoid that. Chemo does not look survivable. I know it is, but I have recollection almost exclusively of those who did not. Meantime, my ongoing cold seems to be getting worse right now. Have not really been well since Nov 3. Going back in to my ears..

Hey, the rain has stopped and the sun came out. Almost full blue sky. Cheer up, Buckwheat.

After my Caribbean sailing vacation, I returned home and it was time to get another transfusion. The normal 3 units. I was actually only 5 weeks since my prior transfusion, due to schedule around vacation and the holidays.

My hematocrit had dropped only to 27 this time vs 26 last time. My t protein is gradually climbing. Two years ago it was 2.2, now at 4.2. A level where treatment is getting close. Also the transfusions are causing my iron levels to rise, which can be hard on the heart and liver.

He says even so, there is no compelling reason to start chemo yet, and will probably wait until after the Mexico trip in March. Probably the best I can hope for.

On my 61st birthday, January 2009, I got my diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma. Happy GD Birthday!
I had been pretty healthy up until I was age 55. I was hiking, climbing mountains, biking, and racing sailboats. I retired early and life was good. A few months later, I was riding my bike when I had chest pain. I stopped for a few minutes, it went away, I think it is heartburn, get back on the bike and keep going. Same thing happens twice more, and the last time, I slow down, but did get to the top of the hills for the down-hill trail riding.
When I told my wife about it, she was concerned. She always has been smarter than me. I already had a physical scheduled in a few days, so waited for that to ask the doc. He of course sent me right away to a cardiologist, who arranged for an angioplasty right away. Over the next couple years, I had a total of 4 angioplasties, with two stents.
All this got me interested in my heart, and so I was wearing a heart monitor when I hiked and biked. I take several meds to keep the heart rate and blood pressure low, but found my heart rate fluctuating greatly, and sometimes going very fast. I asked the cardiologist, and he said it could be because I am slightly anemic, maybe I should get that checked out.
So my primary care doc decided to send me to a hematologist. I had never even heard of one, but when the sign said hematology/oncology, I was suddenly realizing this might not be a simple problem. Sure enough, the diagnosis is multiple myeloma.
My oncologist has described it as smoldering. In the 18 months since diagnosis, I have been trying to understand the disease. I have had no treatment of the disease, only transfusions for the fatigue symptoms. About every 6 weeks, my hematocrit has fallen to 27, and I get 3 units of red cells. One time my hematocrit had fallen to 23, and I got 5 units over a few days. A unit of red cells raises the level by about two points, and takes about two hours to administer.
Normal hematocrit levels for an adult male is about 48, so I never get up to the level I should be. Consequently, I never have as much energy as I should. How much of that is just being age 62, I'm not sure.
One of the risks of transfusions is iron build up. Too much iron can damage the heart and liver. So we are discussing when to start treatment. Original marrow biopsy at diagnosis was apparently 60% abnormal. Now it is 70%.
As it now stands, I will get 3 more units of blood mid October, and discuss with the doctor at that time beginning treatment after a vacation to BVI in November. Treatment to be some chemo cocktail requiring twice weekly infusions, two weeks out of three.