#2 Myeloma in a Nutshell
Have you ever heard of multiple myeloma? I hadn’t until all this started, so what exactly is it?
Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that begins in plasma cells, which are a kind of white blood cell found in the bone marrow. These cells normally help fight infection by producing antibodies, but in multiple myeloma, abnormal plasma cells grow uncontrollably and crowd out healthy cells. They also produce an abnormal protein called M protein or monoclonal protein, which can build up in the body and cause serious problems, such as bone damage, kidney issues, and weakened immunity. It’s a complex and chronic condition, which means I will have to monitor and treat it for the rest of my life.
If not treated, the myeloma cells can:
Cause Anemia
Crowd out functioning white cells, and the immune system can’t guard against infection effectively
Secrete high levels of protein in the blood and urine, which can lead to kidney damage
Build up in bone, causing it to weaken, which can lead to bone pain and fractures
The lesion in my hip is a build up of cancerous plasma cells that are starting to eat away at my pelvis around my hip joint.
It is estimated that there are only 160,000 people living with multiple myeloma in the US which equates to about .0005% of the population. It is considered a rare cancer. The typical myeloma patient is male, at least 65 years old and either of Hispanic or African American descent. So how does a 46 yo, white woman get this disease? For some time it was thought to be caused by exposure to chemicals such as benzene, glyphosate, and other environmental hazards, but as more time passes, doctors are even questioning that theory. It can be hereditary, but that’s not always the case. So after again wracking my brain and questioning all the hows and whys, the answer remains the same…I really don’t know. Even if I did know, would it help me accept or cope better with this diagnosis? I don’t think so. I have had two doctors tell me the same thing. “It’s just bad luck.” I had one doctor tell me that this has probably been brewing in my body for at least a decade. Really? I had a baby 10 yrs ago and a couple surgeries in just the last 3 years and all those times I’ve had blood drawn have shown no signs of this cancer. Many people I’ve talked to in the myeloma community expressed similar situations where they went undiagnosed for a significant amount of time or had no idea anything was wrong until they were in full kidney failure, or had suffered broken ribs or a broken spine, only to find out they have lesions in numerous locations throughout their body. Luckily, my kidneys remain unaffected and the most significant bone deterioration remains limited to my left pelvis.
