In my post transplant world, I have rarely thought about that pesky thing known as my paraprotein level. In the months prior to my transplant I rarely thought about that pesky thing known as my paraprotein level, for I was going to get the transplant anyway.
My blood is stubborn and so is the paraprotein and no matter what drugs I was given, it did not want to fall that significantly, oh no, it wanted to plateau. Plateau. If it was not plateauing it was increasing with aplomb. The bugger.
Way back when, I was told that my transplant would not bring me the remission I so wish for, and that the pesky thing known as paraprotein would remain. I am pleased the Medically Trained People told me this, for it meant that I could block out all the white noise to the contrary. I was told, that given my pre transplant level, to expect something around 10. And that is what I expected.
Today, I opened my post to find my post appointment letter and discovered that my paraprotein has indeed reduced. The miracle did not happen and it has not reduced to nothing. Damnation. Obviously. It has however, for the first time since we discovered I had one, a fact that is important to point out because there was indeed a period in my life where I did not have one, my paraprotein level has fallen to a single figure. I am so used to the template of the summary letters, that I thought the formatting was wrong, until I realised that there was missing a digit next to the word ‘paraprotein’.
My paraprotein is currently 8.
I do not know how I feel about this. At a guess, I would say that I am relieved that it has fallen below ten and my transplant achieved something, and on the other hand, I would say that I was disappointed that I did not get a miracle.
EJB x
