This photo taken at Wreck Beach represents my attitude right now. Although there was a steady rain falling, it didn’t matter. I’m in a happy mood, enjoying life, and focused on positivity each day.
About a week and a half ago, I had my monthly blood test and I’m happy to report that my cancer levels dropped again. As I’ve stated before, in BC, I can use an online service called myehealth, to get free access to my lab results as soon as available (around 24 hours). Recall I began chemo Feb 9th. The igG is the cancer marker we use to measure progress.
My multiple myeloma resides in the Beta 2 Globulin region. As noted below, my myeloma cells continue to decrease there.
| Date | Albumin | Beta Globulin 2 | Gamma Globulin | igG | igA | igM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference Range | 34.0-53.0 | 1.8 – 4.8 | 5.1 – 15.0 | 6.7 – 15.2 | .70 – 4.00 | .40 – 2.30 | |
| Sept | 44.1 | 9.2 | 3.2 | 12.9 | .66 | .31 | |
| Aug | 47.7 | 10.7 | 3.0 | 14.8 | .62 | .32 | |
| July | 45.8 | 11.4 | 3.6 | 15.7 | .56 | .37 | |
| June | 41.2 | 15.2 | 3.9 | 16.5 | .49 | .40 | |
| May | 42 | 17.2 | 2.5 | 18.7 | .28 | .33 | |
| Apr | 44.4 | 19.2 | 1.5 | 21.4 | .29 | .41 | |
| Mar | 39.1 | 27.1 | 2.6 | 27.5 | .26 | .50 | |
| Feb | 38.9 | 33.9 | 3.0 | 36.1 | .33 | .53 | |
| Jan | 39.3 | 30.6 | 3.7 | 33.4 | .29 | .22 |
As I previously stated, my Hematologist (specialist of blood diseases) wants my cancer levels to remain below 18.0, which is half of 36.1. Each day I try to remain positive, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and reduce stress in my life. Doing what I can to maximize treatment effectiveness, while minimizing chemo side effects and cancer symptoms.
My Hematology Profile is the Complete Blood Counts test I have every 2 weeks that measures my overall health.
| Date | WBC | Hemoglobin | Platelet Count | Neutrophils |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference Range | 4.0 – 11.0 | 135 – 170 | 150 – 400 | 2.0 – 8.0 |
| Sept | 13.7 | 122 | 304 | 5.2 |
| Aug | 6.1 | 130 | 378 | 4.9 |
| Aug | 12.0 | 133 | 329 | 8.3 |
| July | 12.8 | 131 | 302 | 9.47 |
| July | 4.8 | 123 | 386 | 3.8 |
| June | 10.6 | 124 | 281 | 8.0 |
| June | 6.5 | 122 | 439 | 4.7 |
| May | 12.4 | 118 | 271 | 8.9 |
| May | 10.0 | 118 | 320 | 5.2 |
| Apr | 12.5 | 123 | 297 | 9.8 |
| Apr | 7.6 | 113 | 357 | 3.9 |
| Mar | 7.0 | 133 | 247 | 5.6 |
| Mar | 6.8 | 127 | 467 | 5.2 |
| Feb | 5.5 | 133 | 191 | 4.6 |
| Jan | 4.4 | 129 | 206 | 2.3 |
To recap: On Sunday, September 14th I completed Cycle 8 Week 3. I have Multiple Myeloma and anemia, a rare blood cancer. It is incurable, but treatable. From February to November 2013, I received Velcade chemo through weekly in-hospital injections as an outpatient. Since February 9th 2015, I have been on Pomalyst and dexamethasone chemo treatment (Pom/dex). I start Cycle 9 on September 21st.
Weekly chemo-inspired self-portraits can be viewed in my flickr album.
May 2014: Fraser River, Richmond/Vancouver
The post Week 31 chemo complete: Cancer levels dropped again appeared first on Fade to Play.