@dickmm
I’m glad my story was helpful and in reading some of the other comments from those that have recently been diagnosed, it seems more context may be useful. Bottom line, get your lab tests and understand (from literature or questions) what is important - out of range may or may not be significant, or but way out of range, either high or low, needs to be examined, especially if it changes. And second get to a MM specialist, not just an average hematologist/oncologist. My journey was undoubtedly influenced by being a 30 year survivor of prostate cancer where I saw not only a highly recommended local urologist, but also traveled to be assessed/treated by some of the best in the country. So to start, my primary care physician noticed some troubling numbers on a routine 6 month lab report and she sent me to the local hemo/oncologist who concurred that I likely had MGUS or smoldering MM. He arranged for me to see a MM specialist at a large hospital cancer center (2+hrs away). Independently, I decided to see a MM specialist at Mayo Jacksonville (about 9 hrs away) where more tests and appt was scheduled over 1.5 days. A second trip to Mayo 3 mons later confirmed MM and described a treatment plan. This plan was identical to the one described by the local (2 hr) specialist. And although there are more elaborate treatments (stem cell, car-t) my understanding is they are appropriate only if other less invasive treatments don’t work. Now three years later my treatments are handled locally and I see the “local” MM specialist every 6 mons. I have not been back to Mayo.