Recently Diagnosed or Relapsed? Stop Looking For a Miracle Cure, and Use Evidence-Based Therapies To Enhance Your Treatment and Prolong Your Remission
Multiple Myeloma an incurable disease, but I have spent the last 25 years in remission using a blend of conventional oncology and evidence-based nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle therapies from peer-reviewed studies that your oncologist probably hasn't told you about.
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What is End-Stage Myeloma?
What is end-stage myeloma? My definition of end-stage myeloma is when the MM patient can no longer control his/her blood cancer. In my experience, the issue is less about a time frame aka terminal cancer (6 months), and more about the ability to undergo therapies to manage their myeloma.
I base this definition on my personal experience. My oncologist told me that there was “nothing more that she could do for me.” In hindsight I believe that Dr. Rassiga was telling me that there may be other therapies out there that could control my MM. But that her hospital couldn’t provide them.
Because Dr. Rassiga spoke those fateful words to me in September of 1997 and I am writing this post more than 25 years later, you can assume that I found therapy that could control my MM. In fact I reached complete remission in early 1999.
My point is that there is more to managing your myeloma than the FDA approved therapies that your oncologist can offer.
Please don’t misunderstand me, conventional oncologic therapies are central to managing MM. I’m simply saying that my experience gives a clear indication that FDA approved therapies are not the only regimens that can control your MM.
The challenge is figuring out what works for you.
Drug-resistance in myeloma-
End-stage myeloma encompasses several different types of therapies that you might not be aware of. If you are searching for and learning about end-stage myeloma, then it is probably time for you to learn more about:
- Palliative Therapy and
- Hospice Care
Email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com to ask me any/all questions you may have about end-stage myeloma, palliative or hospice care.
Hang in there,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
end-stage cancer
(… stayj KAN-ser)
Cancer that cannot be cured or controlled with treatment and leads to death. A person with end-stage cancer may receive treatment to help control pain and other symptoms so they can be as comfortable as possible and have a better quality of life. Also called terminal cancer.
Late-Stage Multiple Myeloma
Many doctors refer to late-stage multiple myeloma as stage III. This is the stage you’re most likely to be in when doctors diagnose you. It’s hard to find it early since it may start with no symptoms. By the time you do get them, the cancer may have spread to different parts of your body and be causing damage to organs, putting you in the late stages of the condition.
Because multiple myeloma starts when healthy plasma cells become abnormal and grow out of control, when you have stage III, your body may have a large number of these cells. You’ll also have at least one of the following:
- High levels of calcium in your blood
- Kidney damage
- Large amount of monoclonal immunoglobulin (a type of protein) in your blood or urine
- Low levels of protein molecules in your red blood cells that carry oxygen (hemoglobin)
- Three or more areas of bone damage from cancer
Symptoms of Late-Stage Multiple Myeloma
Some people don’t have any complications from their multiple myeloma. You may find out about it if you have a blood or urine test for another condition. Having more than the normal number of proteins is a red flag.
- Being sick to your stomach
- Bone pain in your back or ribs
- Bruising or bleeding easily
- Feeling very tired
- Fevers
- Frequent infections that are hard to treat
- Losing a lot of weight
- Not feeling like eating
- Weakness in your arms and legs
As multiple myeloma speeds up the process of bone breakdown, large amounts of calcium may drain into your bloodstream. This is called hypercalcemia.
Symptoms can include:
- Confusion
- Dehydration
- Kidney problems and even kidney failure
- Peeing a lot
- Severe thirst
- Severe constipation