Relapsed High Risk Myeloma – Update July 30 2013

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Labs drawn at Lost Rivers Medical Center Lab this morning. They called Dr. Padavanija’s office at St. Luke’s and we decided that I did NOT need a blood transfusion, nor a platelet transfusion today. My platelets are 17 (norms 140-440) and that is good for me. My hemoglobin is a tad low at 8.8 (norms 12-16), but I usually don’t get a blood transfusion until the hemoglobin is well below 9.0.


So, Jani and I drove home to Mackay and we will return to Lost Rivers Medical Center Lab on Friday, 2 August 2013  to have my blood rechecked…happy all around for today. If, on Friday, my values have dropped, we would go on to St. Luke’s in Twin Falls and get the necessary transfusions.

I’ll just take it easy around here and work on the computer. 

Jani took the dogs on a walk and then went golfing.

And then, I was hit with one of my heart pain attacks.
I was a SEVERE episode of what I call “HEART PAIN”. This is the 6th episode of “heart pain” that I’ve had since my myeloma diagnosis (24 May 2011). At least 2 of the episodes have been witnessed by nurses and doctors at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Colorado.

  1. 30 July 2013 (here in Mackay, Idaho)
  2. 19 June 2013 (here Mackay, Idaho)
  3. 24 May 2012 (while inpatient at UCH for 2nd autologous stem cell transplant)
  4. 18 April 2012 (in Greeley, Colorado at Jani and Robbyn’s house)
  5. 17 Jan 2012 (here in Mackay, Idaho and Ron took me to Idaho Falls ER)
  6. 15 Sept 2011 (while inpatient at UCH for 1st autologous stem cell transplant)
These episodes of “heart pain” are ALL SIMILAR and resemble what I image a heart attack would be like. I have severe pain along a circumference band just below both breasts and radiates up to my right jaw line and teeth. It is terrible pain and takes my breath away. I feel some better if I sit up , but not really. Since I’ve had 2 of these episodes while hospitalized a the University of Colorado witnessed by the nurses and doctors, I sort of know what to do when it happens. In those episodes, they worked me up heart attack with EKG, heart ultrasound, lung CT Scan, and blood tests and everything was normal. 

Tonight, I took:
  1. Famiciclovir (shingles prevention which was due at 2 PM)
  2. Pepcid 20 mg
  3. 1/4 Percocet and 1/2 Oxy 325
  4. AND a BIG DOSE – “stay clam Jude, you are not dying”
The entire episode lasted just about 45 minutes and then I was essentially fine, but TIRED.

I remember reading on the Multiple Myeloma Beacon (http://www.myelomabeacon.com FORUM section about other myeloma patients experiencing similar episodes when taking Revlimid (although, I am taking Pomalyst now) and being treated in emergency rooms, only to be told nothing was wrong with them. Here is the link: http://www.myelomabeacon.com/forum/chest-pain-as-a-side-effect-of-revlimid-or-velcade-t1700.html?hilit=chest%20pain

I liken these “heart pain” episodes to something VERY SIMILAR to the spasms and cramps I get in my legs at times. Terrible spasm pain followed by aching pain followed by “normal” (whatever that is). But with the “heart pain”, there seems to be little I an do to “stretch” the pain away. It is SCARY and PAINFUL. And, I had a very bad night.