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Health Update

Published on 16 Comments on Health Update

Thanks to the miracle of automation, holiday weekends don't stop Kaiser Permanente from letting me know about my latest health status:

This is still high, but steady from last month, which means my multiple myeloma continues to be under control.

On the less bright side, my immune system seems to be bouncing around all over the place. My chemo meds are on a schedule of 21 days on and 7 days off, and normally we do labs during the off week. However, my doctor wanted to do a mid-cycle set of labs this time, and they showed my immune system in excellent shape. Then, a week later, I did the normally scheduled set of labs and it showed the worst case of neutropenia I can remember. Very weird. Neutrophil levels always go up and down based on chemo schedules, but this is much more than normal.

In my case, none of this seems to affect my actual immunity to diseases, which is good, but neutropenia does make me tired. So this explains why I've been sleeping about 14 hours a day this week. When I restart the chemo we might cut the dose in half if my neutrophil levels continue to be weak, and in a couple of weeks I have an appointment with my oncologist to discuss all this.

In case this has left you confused, the nutshell version is that things are basically OK, but we're going through a period of instability. This has happened before, and as in previous cases it will eventually either settle down or else lead to a new chemo med. In the meantime, no real worries.

16 thoughts on “Health Update”

  1. GenXer

    Thank you for the update, Kevin. Been following you since c.2004 Calpundit days, and I'm glad to see that things are holding steady. I appreciate you keeping us all updated on your progress rather than hiding it from view. You've got people out here that you've never met, but who nevertheless care about you and your health. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

    1. rameshumfj

      Although I don't go that far back, probably only late aughts as you like to say (do you?), I would echo GenXer's sentiments, though I am your generation being born a month after you!!

      --r

  2. Heysus

    Hang in there Kevin. Hopefully the blood work will improve and you will get some energy back. In the meantime, rest and stay away from the nonvaxers, etc.

  5. Dana Decker

    Glad that Kevin has a mostly positive assessment, but for me, it's always disquieting when a serious situation is in stasis.
    That said, Kevin's fortitude in dealing with a variable medication schedule is impressive. That's got to be taxing, both physically and mentally.
    Also, kudos to Kevin laying it out for his readers. When it comes to being frank, Kevin walks the walk.

  8. ScentOfViolets

    These days practically everything makes me tired. Spring forward - tired. Fall back - tired. Drive six hours solo - tired. Booster shot - tired.

    So it goes. For all of us, I think.

  9. pmdello

    I am a 14 year veteran of MM. My numbers are a full point higher but they have been stable for a long time. Your .70 M-spike is admirable. Good luck going forward. 🤞

    1. Winslow2

      It's good to hear this, and I hope you and Kevin both continue to do well with the treatments available. And may those treatments continue to improve!

  12. Winslow2

    I have failed to keep up with this site in recent months, and was sad to learn about Grace Hopper--but thrilled to meet Charlie, who is adorable.

    I love that you post these charts. Long may you thrive!

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