I take vetoclax and vidaza infusions called 7+3Aldo take it orally Finishing cycle infusions Tuesday land pills Sunday. Had a bone marrow biopsy after cyclec1. Waiting on results. Doing a blood test Monday which will tell if treatments worked and out me in remission. 🤞🙏🙏🙏
I am 75 with aml since jjan 25.in remission except for molecular..labs normal...will not do transplant because of age..grandmother was 93 ..mom 92.why is age a factor
I am 75 with aml since jjan 25.in remission except for molecular..labs normal...will not do transplant because of age..grandmother was 93 ..mom 92.why is age a factor
Hi @bettersleep. It looks as though you’ve been having a very positive result with your treatment for AML. Years ago, most older people (65-ish and upwards) with AML were not so fortunate as the medications used today weren’t available. Research and development of treatments with a reduced intensity or targeted therapies, have allowed older folks with AML to enjoy many more years, often without the need for a bone marrow transplant. That’s a huge benefit with fewer risks.
You’re wondering why age is a factor in bone marrow transplantion. It’s not quite as easy as that. Doctors have to take into consideration many aspects of the patient before they are eligible for a BMT, not just age.
Instead of typing the eligibility list details, I found an article for you that gives a good general basis for the selection process…besides the obvious risk vs reward.
I am 75 with aml since jjan 25.in remission except for molecular..labs normal...will not do transplant because of age..grandmother was 93 ..mom 92.why is age a factor
Hi @bettersleep68
I echo @loribmt comments regarding age factors in BMT for we older patients.
I was 75 when diagnosed and elected not to move forward with a BMT. On March 31st I will celebrate 2 years since diagnosis and intensive induction therapy! I am in deep remission with no evidence of my FLT3 or NPM1 mutations. I do still receive maintenance chemo therapy every 6 weeks of Dacogen and Venclexta (1/2). Dramatically reduced from 5/7 a year ago. While I see myself as “cured” I feel that no one is cured of cancer. I am blessed beyond belief as my journey has taken me from diagnosis (was sure I would be dead in months) to working part-time and celebrating life! I have gratitude daily and am giving back to my friends and family who are with me in this journey.
Prayers for all of us who are finding our lives turned around by a cancer diagnosis! I am living proof that the diagnosis doesn’t mean a death sentence. I asked my Hem/Onc doctor his goal for me and he said “that you die of old age”! That is my goal too;-)
Thank you for your encouraging reply..it means alot to me to know people my age doing well .may we continue on this journey knowing that we are doing well.thank you again for your reply
Hi @bettersleep. It looks as though you’ve been having a very positive result with your treatment for AML. Years ago, most older people (65-ish and upwards) with AML were not so fortunate as the medications used today weren’t available. Research and development of treatments with a reduced intensity or targeted therapies, have allowed older folks with AML to enjoy many more years, often without the need for a bone marrow transplant. That’s a huge benefit with fewer risks.
You’re wondering why age is a factor in bone marrow transplantion. It’s not quite as easy as that. Doctors have to take into consideration many aspects of the patient before they are eligible for a BMT, not just age.
Instead of typing the eligibility list details, I found an article for you that gives a good general basis for the selection process…besides the obvious risk vs reward.
@loribmt hi Lori. It’s Jacklyn I was in thec7+3, ventelox and vadiza treatments in December chemo infusions. After the first cycle I went into remission. I have AML and 78 yrs old. The second cycle went ok but durian the 3rd cycle we had to stop because all my counts dropped. red 8 white ? But platelets 14. Since then up to now February I have been receiving platelet transfusion once a week and also red transfusions not often so far. Then I got terrible pain in my lower back and down bothe legs where I fractured L1 and L5 vertebrae a year ago. The pain got so bad. They sent me for an CT scan scan and bone Scan. Both scans seemed ok except there is some tissue below my vertebrae they can’t make out. They are going to
Send me for an mri.
My oncologist did do another BMB band they don’t see any blasts or cancer cells.
She also told me it can take time for your counts to come back after chemo treatments. S she said even months. She has met with the board as well. I think the treatments were too strong for me and msybe stop at 2 cycles or cut down on the treatment. I guess it’ s hard to know. I just don’t know how good it is to keep getting platelet transfusions that don’t work. I have to go every week for blood test then wait to
See if I need transfusion. My last platelet count was 10. I am very tired at this time but I am also tsking methadone 1mg twice a day and Tylenol which has helped with the pain. At first I thought methadone is for drug addicts. But they also use it for pain.
I go Monday for blood test and wait for redults. My doctor calls me Tuesday. I’m afraid she is going to say sorry there is nothing more I can do. I am an anxious person which is under control but I don ‘t know how much I can take. I felt so good before i started these treatments and wonder now if I made a big mistake starting them. My doctor too. Thanks for listening.
Hi @bettersleep68
I echo @loribmt comments regarding age factors in BMT for we older patients.
I was 75 when diagnosed and elected not to move forward with a BMT. On March 31st I will celebrate 2 years since diagnosis and intensive induction therapy! I am in deep remission with no evidence of my FLT3 or NPM1 mutations. I do still receive maintenance chemo therapy every 6 weeks of Dacogen and Venclexta (1/2). Dramatically reduced from 5/7 a year ago. While I see myself as “cured” I feel that no one is cured of cancer. I am blessed beyond belief as my journey has taken me from diagnosis (was sure I would be dead in months) to working part-time and celebrating life! I have gratitude daily and am giving back to my friends and family who are with me in this journey.
Prayers for all of us who are finding our lives turned around by a cancer diagnosis! I am living proof that the diagnosis doesn’t mean a death sentence. I asked my Hem/Onc doctor his goal for me and he said “that you die of old age”! That is my goal too;-)
@loribmt hi Lori. It’s Jacklyn I was in thec7+3, ventelox and vadiza treatments in December chemo infusions. After the first cycle I went into remission. I have AML and 78 yrs old. The second cycle went ok but durian the 3rd cycle we had to stop because all my counts dropped. red 8 white ? But platelets 14. Since then up to now February I have been receiving platelet transfusion once a week and also red transfusions not often so far. Then I got terrible pain in my lower back and down bothe legs where I fractured L1 and L5 vertebrae a year ago. The pain got so bad. They sent me for an CT scan scan and bone Scan. Both scans seemed ok except there is some tissue below my vertebrae they can’t make out. They are going to
Send me for an mri.
My oncologist did do another BMB band they don’t see any blasts or cancer cells.
She also told me it can take time for your counts to come back after chemo treatments. S she said even months. She has met with the board as well. I think the treatments were too strong for me and msybe stop at 2 cycles or cut down on the treatment. I guess it’ s hard to know. I just don’t know how good it is to keep getting platelet transfusions that don’t work. I have to go every week for blood test then wait to
See if I need transfusion. My last platelet count was 10. I am very tired at this time but I am also tsking methadone 1mg twice a day and Tylenol which has helped with the pain. At first I thought methadone is for drug addicts. But they also use it for pain.
I go Monday for blood test and wait for redults. My doctor calls me Tuesday. I’m afraid she is going to say sorry there is nothing more I can do. I am an anxious person which is under control but I don ‘t know how much I can take. I felt so good before i started these treatments and wonder now if I made a big mistake starting them. My doctor too. Thanks for listening.
Oh golly, Jacklyn, you’ve surely been going through so much lately and then having that horrible pain in your back and legs just compounds the issues. I’m so sorry you’re having such frustrating and challenging time!
Chemo, even a lesser intensity such as the V&V duo, can still be tough on the body. And unfortunately as we age it may become more difficult for our organs to process medications as efficiently as when we were younger. Nor do we always bounce back to health as quickly, as in the case of your bone marrow not being able to keep up the cell production as effectively. But as your doctor mentioned, it can take months sometimes for recovery.
The really encouraging news after the BMB is that you aren’t showing any blast cells/cancer cells. That alone tells me it was not a mistake for you to start the V&V. When you have AML (acute myeloid leukemia) it’s progressive. It won’t go away on its own. You may have been feeling fine before the treatment but I can assure you, as in my case, that would be short lived. Those cancer cells, left unchecked, would continue to proliferate, eventually crowding out all your other healthy blood cells, red/white and platelets. At the time of my diagnosis I had 85% blast cells in my blood. Up to 3 weeks before that time, I felt perfectly healthy. I’d even been hiking through the deep snow on snow shoes! Then, boom… So not seeking treatment isn’t an option if you want to go forward.
Unfortunately, your bone marrow is having little difficulty getting back up and running to full capacity. Though, if you’re receiving fewer red blood transfusions, that’s a good sign of recovery. Your red blood cell production may be staring to keep up more on its own without transfusions.
It’s also ok to continue getting platelet infusions until your bone marrow can keep up with production. If this helps, red blood cells last about 120 days. Platelets are short lived. Natural platelets(produced by you) live about 7-10 days. But transfused platelets only live 3-5 days. Each day, if healthy, the bone marrow produces millions of cells each second…billions by the end of the day. If compromised and not performing at 100% bone marrow may take a longer time to crank out a large volume of cells. So give it some more time.
I know all of this takes a huge toll on the psyche. I’m sure it feels like all you do is go back and forth to the doctor/lab/drug stores. Le sigh…been there myself. At one point, I knew more about some of the nurses and their families than I knew about my own. 😕
Please let me know what you find out with the MRI. Hopefully you can find an answer to your miserable back/leg pain so you can put that behind you! Pain is so draining! When is your MRI?
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I take vetoclax and vidaza infusions called 7+3Aldo take it orally Finishing cycle infusions Tuesday land pills Sunday. Had a bone marrow biopsy after cyclec1. Waiting on results. Doing a blood test Monday which will tell if treatments worked and out me in remission. 🤞🙏🙏🙏
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2 ReactionsPrayers that you achieved remission..I also will find out this week...
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1 ReactionI am 75 with aml since jjan 25.in remission except for molecular..labs normal...will not do transplant because of age..grandmother was 93 ..mom 92.why is age a factor
Hi @bettersleep. It looks as though you’ve been having a very positive result with your treatment for AML. Years ago, most older people (65-ish and upwards) with AML were not so fortunate as the medications used today weren’t available. Research and development of treatments with a reduced intensity or targeted therapies, have allowed older folks with AML to enjoy many more years, often without the need for a bone marrow transplant. That’s a huge benefit with fewer risks.
You’re wondering why age is a factor in bone marrow transplantion. It’s not quite as easy as that. Doctors have to take into consideration many aspects of the patient before they are eligible for a BMT, not just age.
Instead of typing the eligibility list details, I found an article for you that gives a good general basis for the selection process…besides the obvious risk vs reward.
This from Biology insights:
https://biologyinsights.com/what-is-the-bone-marrow-transplant-age-limit/
As long as your medication is working well for you to keep the AML under control it sounds like you can put the concerns about having a BMT behind you!
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3 ReactionsHi @bettersleep68
I echo @loribmt comments regarding age factors in BMT for we older patients.
I was 75 when diagnosed and elected not to move forward with a BMT. On March 31st I will celebrate 2 years since diagnosis and intensive induction therapy! I am in deep remission with no evidence of my FLT3 or NPM1 mutations. I do still receive maintenance chemo therapy every 6 weeks of Dacogen and Venclexta (1/2). Dramatically reduced from 5/7 a year ago. While I see myself as “cured” I feel that no one is cured of cancer. I am blessed beyond belief as my journey has taken me from diagnosis (was sure I would be dead in months) to working part-time and celebrating life! I have gratitude daily and am giving back to my friends and family who are with me in this journey.
Prayers for all of us who are finding our lives turned around by a cancer diagnosis! I am living proof that the diagnosis doesn’t mean a death sentence. I asked my Hem/Onc doctor his goal for me and he said “that you die of old age”! That is my goal too;-)
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
7 ReactionsThank you for your encouraging reply..it means alot to me to know people my age doing well .may we continue on this journey knowing that we are doing well.thank you again for your reply
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Hug
1 Reaction@loribmt hi Lori. It’s Jacklyn I was in thec7+3, ventelox and vadiza treatments in December chemo infusions. After the first cycle I went into remission. I have AML and 78 yrs old. The second cycle went ok but durian the 3rd cycle we had to stop because all my counts dropped. red 8 white ? But platelets 14. Since then up to now February I have been receiving platelet transfusion once a week and also red transfusions not often so far. Then I got terrible pain in my lower back and down bothe legs where I fractured L1 and L5 vertebrae a year ago. The pain got so bad. They sent me for an CT scan scan and bone Scan. Both scans seemed ok except there is some tissue below my vertebrae they can’t make out. They are going to
Send me for an mri.
My oncologist did do another BMB band they don’t see any blasts or cancer cells.
She also told me it can take time for your counts to come back after chemo treatments. S she said even months. She has met with the board as well. I think the treatments were too strong for me and msybe stop at 2 cycles or cut down on the treatment. I guess it’ s hard to know. I just don’t know how good it is to keep getting platelet transfusions that don’t work. I have to go every week for blood test then wait to
See if I need transfusion. My last platelet count was 10. I am very tired at this time but I am also tsking methadone 1mg twice a day and Tylenol which has helped with the pain. At first I thought methadone is for drug addicts. But they also use it for pain.
I go Monday for blood test and wait for redults. My doctor calls me Tuesday. I’m afraid she is going to say sorry there is nothing more I can do. I am an anxious person which is under control but I don ‘t know how much I can take. I felt so good before i started these treatments and wonder now if I made a big mistake starting them. My doctor too. Thanks for listening.
@sonieaml What was your intensive induction therapy? Did you do the standard 7+3 before doing maintenance chemo?
Five days of vidaza.. once a month...every day take one venetoclax..this has worked for me ...but I have mutations ...
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1 ReactionOh golly, Jacklyn, you’ve surely been going through so much lately and then having that horrible pain in your back and legs just compounds the issues. I’m so sorry you’re having such frustrating and challenging time!
Chemo, even a lesser intensity such as the V&V duo, can still be tough on the body. And unfortunately as we age it may become more difficult for our organs to process medications as efficiently as when we were younger. Nor do we always bounce back to health as quickly, as in the case of your bone marrow not being able to keep up the cell production as effectively. But as your doctor mentioned, it can take months sometimes for recovery.
The really encouraging news after the BMB is that you aren’t showing any blast cells/cancer cells. That alone tells me it was not a mistake for you to start the V&V. When you have AML (acute myeloid leukemia) it’s progressive. It won’t go away on its own. You may have been feeling fine before the treatment but I can assure you, as in my case, that would be short lived. Those cancer cells, left unchecked, would continue to proliferate, eventually crowding out all your other healthy blood cells, red/white and platelets. At the time of my diagnosis I had 85% blast cells in my blood. Up to 3 weeks before that time, I felt perfectly healthy. I’d even been hiking through the deep snow on snow shoes! Then, boom… So not seeking treatment isn’t an option if you want to go forward.
Unfortunately, your bone marrow is having little difficulty getting back up and running to full capacity. Though, if you’re receiving fewer red blood transfusions, that’s a good sign of recovery. Your red blood cell production may be staring to keep up more on its own without transfusions.
It’s also ok to continue getting platelet infusions until your bone marrow can keep up with production. If this helps, red blood cells last about 120 days. Platelets are short lived. Natural platelets(produced by you) live about 7-10 days. But transfused platelets only live 3-5 days. Each day, if healthy, the bone marrow produces millions of cells each second…billions by the end of the day. If compromised and not performing at 100% bone marrow may take a longer time to crank out a large volume of cells. So give it some more time.
I know all of this takes a huge toll on the psyche. I’m sure it feels like all you do is go back and forth to the doctor/lab/drug stores. Le sigh…been there myself. At one point, I knew more about some of the nurses and their families than I knew about my own. 😕
Please let me know what you find out with the MRI. Hopefully you can find an answer to your miserable back/leg pain so you can put that behind you! Pain is so draining! When is your MRI?