M-Spike, High Kappa and Kappa/Lambda Ratio

Thank you very much.

Thank you all very much.

Hi @aczatx47131. Would you mind sharing the brand of turmeric with peperine Dr. Shah recommends if you know? I have been taking Pure Prescriptions Curcumin C3 Complex, but I'd like to find something a little less expensive

I don’t know if she recommends a specific brand. If I recall the video correctly, she suggests 4 mg twice a day.

I eat Simply Organic brand and Spice Island brand of turmeric. Consumer Reports has tested many brands of the turmeric spice for heavy metals. These two brands are free of heavy metals.

To protect my kidneys and to lessen fatigue, I eat 9 grams of protein five or six times a day. I sprinkle turmeric on my food for each meal. Almost 3 years ago I was told my myeloma was progressing and I would need to start a new line of therapy soon. I started eating turmeric about that time. My myeloma is still progressing but very, very slowly. I have not yet started a new line of therapy.

I use Qunol brand bioavailable curcumin. I don't use the tumeric (I assume you mean curcumin) with peperine. I looked at the Dr. Shah site and it is just a .com selling supplements, is pretty thin on science, and has no references. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10061533/

I'm scheduled for a bone marrow biopsy on April 2nd.

Good morning, @kappaking. There’s nothing like medical drama to overshadow a wonderful vacation. I’m glad you were able to continue the trip and not have to leave early.

Having the bone marrow biopsy should answer quite a few questions your doctor has about some of the changes in your blood numbers. The biopsy will take a sample of your marrow, which is the heart of the blood manufacturing in the body. From the detailed analysis of the samples taken, your doctor will get an overall picture of the health of your marrow and its ability to make healthy blood cells…red, white and platelets. It can take a good week or two until all the results are available.
Do you have any questions about the procedure? Will you be having sedation for this or a local anesthesia?

Good morning, @loribmt. Thanks for the info. I told my doctor that I wanted to be completely knocked out. He told me he can't do that unless "other arrangements" are made. I assume what he means is that it would need to be done in a hospital setting. So I'll be getting a local anesthesia. He's trying to convince me that he does many of these procedures and has never had to completely sedate a patient, and that the pain isn't all that bad. I'll just grit my teeth and hope for the best.

No questions about the procedure at the moment. My head is still swimming and spinning.

There are differing opinions on whether to be sedated or have only local anesthesia with the bone marrow biopsies. Some swear by sedation, other people are just fine without. If you have an experienced doctor who has done quite of these you’ll be in good hands.
The sample will be taken from the area on your back, just near the large dimple above your butt. You most likely won’t need a gown and from my experience, you keep your skivvies on. They will be pulled down in the back just enough to access the site. I’ve had 13 of these done and just for laughs have worn some humorous underpants to break the tension. 😅

I’m sure your head is spinning! There’s a lot of unanswered questions right now so you’re feeling very uncertain. Having a diagnosis will allow you to be able to form a plan, if needed, and to move forward. Will you let me know what you find out please?

I absolutely will let you know. Thanks for showing interest.

To add to the stress of it all, my primary care physician - whose care I was under for over 20 years and someone I hold in the highest regard - retired last year and I haven't found a new one yet.

Then there's the issue of health insurance. I have insurance, but I think it's a bit limiting in terms of who/where I can be treated. It's insurance provided to city government workers and I fear that I'm restricted to being treated by health care professionals only in my state. So if I want to seek treatment at, say, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, I may not be covered - at least not to the extent I otherwise would be. I'll need to read the finer details of the policy. That being said, however, I live in NY where the concentration of better doctors is higher than other parts of the country.