


Just a step from bone pains to multiple myeloma…
Since 2014, my mother a former teacher , Age 62yr now retired was complaining about several bone pains that she was enduring within that period. Obviously, given that she was 58 years old at that moment, all our thoughts were focussed on what the doctor said: severe osteoarthritis. So she started arthritis treatment, went on some physiotherapist sessions. But over years the pain far from reducing, rather increase. She was not able to walk, she started using a wheelchair, and used to lie down on the bed all the day long. Bone pains were extremely painful. To alleviate the pain, we had recourse to a phytotherapist who concocted some drinks for the purpose. With drinks sometimes the pain reduced sometimes it did not. In march 2017, my mother was complaining about a huge pain in her thighbone, it clashed with the presence of my sister who is a doctor who went back in our country. Together they carried out some deep investigations on that leg, followed by urine and blood tests. There was a polemic between the doctors with the results: some doctors were thinking while looking carefully at the results of the radio about sarcoma and they offer to amputate the broken leg. My sister and another doctor keep going skeptical because they were suspecting something else. Examining carefully a radio shot made two years before, there was a stain on that thighbone already that could have drawn somebody who has only paid an accurate attention to detect early the disease we found out later. They were thinking among other possibilities that this could be multiple myeloma. And further investigations just confirmed what they were just suspecting. Bad plasma cells have already invaded the bone marrow (myeloma), pelvis, sternum and vertebras were also touched except the main organs: liver, heart, lung, stomach and so on. Multiple myeloma was active.
Multiple myeloma or Kahler disease when I first heard these two words it seems very strange and scholar to my ears, to explain it in another way, they used cancer. When you receive news that a closer relative of your own is suffering from cancer, what a shock!!! Both for the patient and the persons surrounding her. My sister tried to explain us what the disease was in reality and the chances of survival that our mother had therefore. At that moment more than 60% of the malignant cells have already invaded the bone marrow.
The surgery went well and we started the chemotherapy one month after ordering medicines from India (good quality and price rate). Three specific medicines involved in the process bortezomib, thalidomid, and dexamethasone with also their cortege of side effects. The chemotherapy lasted for four months. Very difficult moments she lived the day she had the drips, to lessen some side effects we use to put on her head while passing the drip a towel soaked in cold water to prevent hair loss.
While back home she was fighting against nausea with a cup of steaming ginger tea, honey and lemon. My sister had already planned her diet, showing us vegetables, sources of protein, fruits helpful to support the effects of chemotherapy. She was also encouraged to drink a lot of water to drain the toxins. After the third month of chemotherapy some neuropathy started touching the palm of her hands and the soles of her feet. We found out the fact of wearing socks and gloves decreases the prickling feelings so she started wearing both although it never stops until now. She continuous with reeducation sessions with the physiotherapist on the leg on which surgery was made. Family and friends try to surround her with all of our love and affection, we believe that mental strength is very important for recovering from disease that is why we keep thinking and sharing positively with her.
Another important lever to be positive is to pray, until now we keep praying, and all our energy to fight is drawn from there, and we are giving thanks for the little miracles already tangible.
two before the chemotherapy starts. Other side effects are vomiting, loose motions, constipation, nausea, any pain: mouth wound, throat pain. Day to day they are controlled by
injections for vomiting and nausea, loose motions by tablets to reduce them, constipation by syrup to induce motion, we prevent mouth wound by frequent mouth washes, it is also recommended to drink a lot of water three to four liters per day.
To Dr SK Gupta
“Thank You” will hardly be enough.