Hello. I am a 51 year old female. I was diagnosed in August 2023, 50yrs old, with stage 1-MM IgA Kappa light chain, no hypermetabolic abnormalities, plasma cell percentage of 80%, no high risk features on FISH. I was put on C1D1 of Velcade, Revlimid, and Dexamethasone at the end of August. My numbers decreased significantly and I was told I was ready for a BMT (autologous). I assumed that this was what I definitely needed to do because since the very first day of dx, I was told it is the best form of treatment. After numerous tests and then more tests, I was cleared for the transplant. On the day of signing consents, I heard the word Leukemia and that this could cause it and I halted! So many questions came up in my head and I asked the main one, why would I do this to give me a possible deeper remission (not cured) and a possible longer remission, yet put myself in danger of another blood cancer that is more severe. I do not know if leukemia is more severe, but just the word leukemia freaks me out. My doctor told me that it was not a high risk but that it is a possibility and this is why they have to disclose it. I sat on this information for a while and did some gentle research and talked it over with family and sort of reluctantly decided to go ahead with the transplant. I had mine in January 2024. I had a REALLY ROUGH go of it. I had the normal side effects from the melphalon but then ended up in ICU 2 times because I somehow got sepsis. I was in the hospital 1 day shy of a month. I am at 200 days post transplant and I am still not at the energy level I was before my transplant. I do not feel better than before, either. I did not reach full remission. I was at 6-8% plasma cell before and after BMT I was at 4-5%. I am now taking 10mg Revlimid daily. If I had it to do all over again, I know that I would not do it. I would do the collection of cells and have them on standby if or when I would decide to do a BMT in the future, as a form of last resort. With all of the other meds out there now and available treatments, I would not choose the BMT. This is just my experience.