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I’ve been “sitting on it and watching it” with my primary care physician and my hematologist. They follow patterns in blood results OVER TIME and that diagnosis is WAY PREMATURE still and I’ve had “this” since my mid 30’s and now I’m heading to age 60 and there was still a decision to wait on bone marrow biopsy.
You really can’t DEMAND a diagnosis and weigh it fairly.
I still don’t “have” multiple myeloma but I have anemia and hyponatremia and electrolyte imbalances. We have added elemental iron over the years and then doubled the daily dose to eventually remove iron deficiency as the cause of the lab results similar you are looking at.
Most people get by with increasing ferritin (iron) and there are a zillion other things that can cause such lab results.
My dr said to look for horses before we look for zebras.
I got the feeling I could probably INSIST on getting the bone marrow biopsy to VERIFY I might someday have a form of blood cancer. Then I could have my long-awaited DIAGNOSIS, maybe.
It still looks like could be lupus and could be a lack of proper rest and definitely could be caused by dietary supplements we all use. My choices were diuretics and made the electrolytes worse.
Getting the diagnosis is never a guarantee of anything but an opinion.
I gave it a lot of thought over the years and I decided to “get busy living or get busy dying” and I’ve had 58 years of misunderstood anemia and it’s starting to look worse but the cardiologist said I am ok but will have problems later in life and the nephrologist said I need to EAT PROPERLY and THAT was the most important detail I got.
Eat right, exercise, sleep right. You won’t get multiple myeloma nearly as soon, if ever.
Every dr I have said so.
We are stuck with self care management…
Replies to "I’ve been “sitting on it and watching it” with my primary care physician and my hematologist...."
I loved this. Beautifully said.
“My dr said to look for horses before we look for zebras.”
To this I say, “amen.”
I am with you on the bone biopsy. My medical team and I have discussed and it does not change the trajectory of my treatment. We watch the blood analysis and if it gets wanky we will take action.
I try to eat right and exercise. I’ll do my part and I expect my medical team to do theirs. Sometimes I feel that they are a little too solicitous. Most of the time I am grateful that they are invested in my care. They are good clinicians.
I have added gratitude to my morning routine. I am grateful for each new day and the opportunity to watch and experience all that surrounds me. I will be 71 in a few days and I hope to have another 20 or so more years of beautiful spring mornings.
I have baby birds nesting in my front door wreath.
Life is good.
Patty
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@laurie6 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Great attitude! In the end, we need to be our own advocate, and be part of the team who makes up our caregiving people. We are the center of it all. The medical community can give us direction and thoughts all they want, but we make the decision on the action to take.
Most people who get a diagnosis of MGUS will never progress beyond that. Others will go many years before an active diagnosis of multiple myeloma. "Get busy living" is a good motto!
Ginger