I just spent a half hour posting a reply and was disconnected so I’ll try again. I have MM stage 3. I had just climbed to the base amp of Mt. Everest, 17,600 ft. in September 2018. I was slicing up logs on Nov.1st, 2018 and heard a couple vertebrae pop. I saw a chiropractor who fractured 3 ribs. On Dec. 21st 2018 I was put in the hospital for Kidney Failure only functioning at 6%. Clogged up with the Calcium that my cancer had eaten lesions in my vertebrae. I had a Blood transfusion and Dialysis. I could only walk with a walker. I did Dialysis 3 times a week for all of Jan. 2019. I was lucky that my Kidneys began working again! I then went through 3 cycles of Chemo Therapy. The first couple of cycles were Velcade, Cytoxan, and Dexamethasone. I was lucky to get a grant from the Revlimid Company and did a cycle of; Carfilzameb, Revlimid and Dexamethasone. Aurora could only get the bone cancer to about 40%. By the way, the Celgene Co. charges $18,000 a month for 21pills. Three weeks on of one Revlimid pill and a week off. Lucky I got a year grant! I’ve had 12 fractures in my upper spine an shrunk about 2 inches. The fractures started healing up. I then switched to Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee, to get a second opinion. They told me about Kyphoplasty and Vertebroplasty. I had the cement put in the L2 vertebrae and immediately got off the Oxycodone every 3 hours. Still on the 125mcg/hr Fentanyl patches. I had a Stem Cell Transplant in July 2019. Got out in 2 weeks and a day. Shortest stay possible for an inpatient Transplant. A rough recovery especially for the first weeks. I still pushed my self to walk a mile of laps every day except for the first 2 days. Now I’m down to only 5% cancer and they give me about 3 more years. I’ve had gene deletions of 17 P before the Stem Cell Transplant. After, they’re seeing 1Q gene deletions. I’ve gained back 5 lbs. of the 20 I lost. Now I’m about 140 lbs and trying to get some muscle back. Thank god for the technology and drugs available. I’m ready to take a vacation! Larry

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