Treatment was completed almost 3 weeks ago. I am slowly gaining strength each day. I’ve been told the recovery process following chemo can take anywhere from 3 months to a year. I am hoping for 3 months. The biggest issue I deal with is neuropathy. Not only do I have a loss of sensitivity in my hands, feet and lower legs, but it also causes pain and weakness. The pain always seems to be worse at night, so interferes with my sleep. Sleep is important for recovery and pain management, so for the time being, I will have to take medication to help me sleep. There are medications that are supposed to help with neuropathy pain, but as yet I have not tried any. I was able to attend a myeloma support group meeting at Stanford about a month ago, and everyone there who had taken various medications for neuropathy said that it hadn’t helped.
Yesterday was my bone marrow biopsy at Stanford. It was a grueling morning. I didn’t get the nurse practitioner that I requested, but she had to be called to help after the nurse didn’t get any marrow after boring through my hip bone. More shots were needed to deaden another location and finally success. I am quite sore today after all that.
The past month has been difficult, as one of my brothers has been slowly declining as he was losing his battle with leukemia. We had hoped to go right on to Portland after my biopsy to see him, but the weather permitted us from traveling any farther north than Redding last night. We received a call at 11:00 pm last night that he had passed away. We wouldn’t haven gotten there in time anyway.
This particular brother had a beautiful voice and we shared a love of good music. I will really miss him. Please pray for all of us at this time of loss.
