What approach

duncan · New User Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 1 Location: UK

I am 36 years old and from the UK. 8 weeks ago I was busy living and working in Taiwan with my wife and 2 young children. I had just returned from a business trip to Dubai where I had stayed on a few extra days to do some “dune bashing” and ATV riding. On my return I felt a little tired and put this down to jet lag and perhaps a few too many late nights out with colleagues. A few days later I found myself in the A&E with chronic anemia (4.1), after a night of transfusions in the corridor I was moved to a room where further tests including a good old “pelvic scrape” showed I had Multiple Myloma stage 3A. Having been in perfect health and with no family history this came as a bit of a shock to all – still not sure it has hit home yet but… Anyway, I am now back in the UK being treated at the Royal Marsden and am on my second cycle of chemo. My wife and family are with me and I am feeling strong and positive. I am in line for a stem cell transplant in September / October and too date am responding very well to treatment – I guess the question I have is how do I balance positivity with reality? I am very aware that I can beat this and park it in remission for a long period of time but equally I understand that this may not happen and I do not really know how to be positive and optimistic but also be sensible in terms of thinking about my family’s future. I guess I am not sure how to live my life – sensible and long term or live for the day and spend loads of quality time with my family and do all the things I want to do whilst I can? Any ideas?

brainman · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:22 pm Post subject: Re: What approach

Hi duncan. I am truly sorry about your MM. I have some experience with this type of cancer; my beloved father in law died of MM 12 years ago after a 8+ year struggle with it. I guess my point is that the long term prognosis is not good... but a diagnosis of MM is not necessarily a death sentence.

I do like to know my prognosis but only in order to set the priorities of the things I still would like to do with whatever time I still have left. Once I have figured out what those are, I try to live one day at a time working to achieve those goals. Mind you, this is not easy... especially when you first find out you have "the big C." I remember being in the Emergency Room and hearing that I had cancer. Any thought of a future vanished or were put on hold. But here I am 15 years later still working on my "bucket list." If my original prognosis back in 1992 had been correct, I should have died at least 5 years ago.

Be patient with yourself. Give yourself time to adjust. Then sit down with your family and think about what you would like to do with whatever time you still have left. My guess is that you still have years rather than months.

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

	Cancer Forums Forum Index -> Multiple Myeloma Forum	All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

A website for discussions about any type of cancer, including lung cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and others