Stem Cell Transplant PT. 1, what's that?

Some people may have questions and want to understand what is a stem cell transplant. A blood and marrow stem cell transplant is common for people with blood cancers.  First of all what is a stem cell transplant (sct)? It is a procedure that can restore marrow function for patients who have had severe marrow injury or abnormalities of the immune system. Stem cell transplantation has replaced bone marrow transplantation. There are two kinds of sct, autologous  and allogenic.

I received an autologous (in the blood cancer world, auto for short) transplant. This is when the patients own stem cells are used. The stem cells are collected after taken a medication called neupogen (well that was at least my medication) that you can administer to yourself. This will increase your white blood cell count and I will not sugar coat anything, that process wasn't fun at all. With the WBC increasing there will be some pain and it is very hard to walk but it is temporary. You can stop taking the medication once enough cells are collected. That can vary from person to person. Thankfully I collected all I needed and more in one take. However, some people are not as lucky...it may take them a few days, a week, and I believe my sct doctor told me that someone even took one month to collect all they needed. After they are collected the cells are frozen. After one intensive round of high dose chemo...this is when you will lose your hair, the cells are thawed and you receive them through an infusion. You heard right...you do not have to be cut open. People always assume that when they hear the word transplant.  During the infusion you may feel a tickle in your throat that will make you cough. There is a higher risk of disease relapse.

An allogenic (allo) involves receiving stem cells from a donor. If a person has siblings they are the ideal candidate to be a match but the donor can also be unrelated. Allogenic transplants can be a long term cure for a patient's disease but there is no guarantee. They have to screen the person for compatibility. I know of a lady that had two allo's because she relapsed a few months after her first one which her twin was her donor. Then she seemed to have done better with another sibling who a donor the second time. People that receive allo will also receive high dose chemo before their transplant.

Transplants are used so doctors can give larger doses of chemo and/or radiation to increase the chance of eliminating the disease in the marrow and restoring normal blood cell production. Receiving a transplant is based on a number of things such as a patient's age, general health, medical condition, the likelihood that the disease will respond, the availability of  a donor or the use of the patient's own cells.

This is a lengthy topic and I will do a part 2 to talk about which blood cancers will most likely respond to a transplant.

Remember to have this conversation with your doctor do decide the best choice for you.  This is not an easy journey but the more negative you are the quicker you will deteriorate. The devil wants to keep you down, don't allow him to win. You keep fighting with courage, strength, and the best FAITH!

A brighter day!

The last few posts have been educational so I decided to do some inspiration today. We all experience bad days but don't allow the bad days to consume you. People think that all your problems disappear because you may not get chemo infusions anymore and there is no sense is arguing with people and stressing yourself out for those that don't want to understand what you deal with. The things you deal with may even pull you in a dark place. Shake the devil off because he wants to keep you in that place and have your health to deteriorate even faster. If that happens you then you are allowing him to win. Let him that for every dark night there is a brighter day and he cannot have you!  Always look to God and pray; even when you find yourself in a place where you can't pray or know what to say just call on the name of Jesus out loud! Be blessed and keep your head up!

What in the world...Menopause before 40?!

People always ask me if I want children, I let them know adoption is and has always on option before this happened, but let them know biologically I can't have children because I am post menopausal. They always say, "Oh, my you are too young for that." Although this is true it sure isn't or wasn't in my control. Due to how much percentage of Myeloma cells I had when diagnosed, aggressive steps had to be taken fast! Unfortunately, there was time to talk about fertility and freezing eggs. Unfortunately,  this happens to many women, young women that go through chemotherapy. I am not saying that this will happen to every single young woman that is diagnosed with cancer will encounter chemo induced menopause, whether it is pre-menopause or post-menopause.

Natural menopause typically happens between the ages of 45-55 for women. This is when in most women's lives menstrual periods stop permanently, and the woman is no longer able to have children. Medical professionals often define menopause as having occurred when a woman has not had any vaginal bleeding for a year.It may also be defined by a decrease in hormone production by the ovaries. Premature menopause can be the result of genetics, autoimmune disorders, or medical procedures. "Induced" menopause happens when the ovaries are surgically removed for medical reasons, such as uterine cancer or endometriosis. Induced menopause can also result from damage to the ovaries caused by radiation or chemotherapy.

Most women approaching menopause will have hot flashes, a sudden feeling of warmth that spreads over the upper body, often with blushing and some sweating.. The severity of hot flashes varies from mild in most women to severe in others. I will tell you for someone that used to be cold all the time, those hot flashes are no joke! One minute I was hot turning the A/C on in the winter and then the 10 minutes I was turning the temperature back up!

Other common symptoms around the time of menopause include:

• Weight gain
• Irregular or skipped periods
• Insomnia
• Energy loss
• Lack of motivation
• Aggressiveness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Anxiety
• Tension
• Nervous exhaustion
• Mood swings
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Irritability
• Racing heart
• Headaches
• Joint and muscle aches and pains
• Changes in libido (sex drive)
• Vaginal dryness
• Bladder control problems

These issues can be difficult to deal with, so it is important to talk about those things with your doctor. However, if you are dealing with deeper issues that is beyond your doctor's expertise please consider going to therapy . Even you are still not working you can find a non-profit organization or any organization that functions on a sliding scale and you may not have to pay anything. Please don't deal with this by yourself. If you are a young woman 20-30s and this has happened to you, your family may not understand, you can't talk to your friends because they don't understand. Unless you find a group that has gone through similar things, but again sometimes you may be dealing with heavy stuff only a therapist can help with. You can't talk to older women who have gone through menopause because again they don't understand if they went through normal menopause.  Doctors will say that some young women bodies will bounce back from it but I don't know how much I believe that; however, I will leave that to the Lord if mine will or not. Continue to stay lifted, positive, and keep yourself engaged in activities that bring you joy, have an accountability partner to make sure you get out...whatever it takes, life isn't a bed of roses but enjoy your life as much as you can!

Can you really look good and feel better

Who said because you have cancer you can’t “Look Good and Feel Better!”

I know I talked about the look good feel better class that I have attended. This is free of charge. You can find one near you by contacting the American Cancer Society via phone or look on the website. 

Sorry fellas this one is for the ladies.  However, if I find some tips for you I will let you know! Let’s go over some makeup tips that I learned from the class. I don’t use all of these but I know that there can be changes in skin due to those that take radiation or any chemo. Chemotherapy causes hair loss and not just on your head. You lose hair everywhere and I mean everywhere! Some may be fortunate not to lose their eyebrows but some are not. So, what can you do in order to feel better about yourself…keep your femininity?

Skin: 

You may notice that your skin can become dry or drier if you already suffer from dry skin. I don’t use lotion and have been using shea butter for years but that wasn’t even helping me. When I started to do my own research I came across a product called cetaphil, walmart has their own similar to it, and it seem to work great for me. It is very mild, and I would use that then my shea butter and my skin returned to normal rather quickly. 

I will be getting this straight from the book because I don’t know anything about this whatsoever. So, if you wear makeup on your face, you want to make sure you use a cleanse your face with warm (not hot) water and an easy to wipe off creamy cleanser or mild soap. Then you may use a mile non-alcoholic toner. Use a moisturizer with a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher. Proceed with using a concealer under your foundation. If you are unsure which concealer to use and/or shade consult a beauty professional. Your foundation should closely match your normal skin tone and then you set foundation with loose translucent powder. Your final step is blush. 

Eye area: Some people will lose their eyebrows. You can purchase eyebrow stencils for next to nothing on ebay or amazon. The stencils will come in different thickness and shapes. You can add eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara. This section I know something about. If you scared to experiment with eye shadows, keep it neutral with golds and browns. 

Lips: Lip liner and/or lipstick. If you use both, use a lip liner that matches or compliments your lipstick to help the colors from not bleeding. If this doesn’t appeal to you, you can find you a nice lip that shines and pops…you can either purchase one or make your own like I do. 

Hair: Some women won’t mind rocking a bold head and if you choose to, do you and rock it with confidence! I understand for some women it is devastating especially if they are accustomed to only having long hair.  You can get a wig or wear cute headwraps. Ensure that you get a wig that compliments you or this is a chance to try different looks that you have always been interested in but didn’t want to alter your hair. If you are creative you can log right on to youtube and make your own wigs too. If not, consult with your beautician. There are several tutorials on youtube for ways to tie a scarf. There are even some organizations that will send you a complimentary scarf. If you aren’t feeling the wigs or scarves, you can always rock a hat if that is what you like. 

Nails: Now understand that sometimes your nails will turn black, I was told this by my nail tech and I saw it for myself. DON’T PANICK…it will grow out. Some oncologist will tell you that you must get rid of your gel or acrylic nails. I do grow out my own nails and wear an acrylic overlay on them and have NEVER had to soak my acrylic off during this journey. Your nails and toe nails may become brittle and even split down the middle; however…the acrylic helps. Now what works for me may not work for you so ask your doctor. 

Do what makes you feel good! Makeup, nails, clothes, shoes, etc.! Got scars..ashamed? Yea I was too, some will even cover them with tattoos once they get approval to do so. However, regardless if you choose to cover them with clothes, a tattoo, or leave it out there for the entire world to see…remember that that scar or scars tell a story, I’M A SURVIVOR!

So do whatever you want to make you look good and feel better!

What in the world is Multiple Myeloma?!

I know it’s been a while since I have talked about the different types of blood cancers. Thus far I have only covered Leukemia and today I am going to talk about Multiple Myeloma. Did you know that MM is not only a blood cancer but can cause problems for the bones? The bone can become so weak that everyday activities such as walking, lifting, or sneezing can cause a fracture.

MM is a cancer of the plasma cells, which are made from B cells, the white blood cells that are present in the bone marrow. Healthy plasma cells are a part of the immune system. Healthy plasma cells are a part of the immune system and makes proteins called antibodies. MM develops when plasma cells have mutated. MM is a relatively a rare blood cancer but it seems as though more people are getting diagnosed with the diseases especially younger people. When I say younger I am speaking people under the age of 50 because it generally occurs in adults over 50. As mentioned I was 32 when I was diagnosed and the youngest that I know, which was a survivor story on my blog was under 18. It typically affects more men than women but being a part of many facebook groups it seems as though statistics are changing. Obviously some updated studies need to be conducted. Doctors are not sure the cause of MM.  Researchers have studied the DNA of plasma cells and have found that almost all people have a genetic abnormality in their plasma cell.  

Some signs and symptoms of MM include:

Bone pain, fatigue, weakness due to low blood count (anemia), and frequent infections due to weakened immune system. Doctors use the acronym CRAB to describe the symptoms.

Calcium elevation

Renal insufficiency(kidney)

Anemia (low red blood cell counts)

Bone abnormalities (lesions)

Out of these symptoms, bone pain is typically the most common. The pain is usually constant pain and worsened by movement. MM can be a debilitating disease that causes damage to the bones. There is a chemical called cytokine that dissolve the bone and inhibits cells that form bone. As a result of this is lytic lesions can form and bone thinning (osteoporosis). The bone can become so weak that everyday activities such as walking, lifting, or sneezing can cause a fracture. It can even be so debilitating that some people can't even walk anymore. In addition, people affected with MM may fatigue more easily and feel weak. This typically comes from the anemia due to the low red blood cells.

Unlike most cancers, MM has only 3 stages, with 3 being the highest of course. Chemotherapy and radiation aren’t the only therapies that a patient with MM may receive. Based on your stage your doctor will go over with you what options are best for you. Make sure you do your own research and ask questions. When you are initially diagnosed it can be overwhelming and you may not remember everything. So I will pass on a suggestion that was giving to me, record your conversation so you can refer to it later. Some of the therapies that your doctor may suggest is a high dose chemo, auto or allo stem cell transplant (there will be more details about this in another post), and clinical trials.

After regular chemo and the transplant, there is still need for maintenance therapy. Some ongoing maintenance therapies are Revlimid, Velcade, etc. How long you will be on this medication is up to your doctor and your situation. It may be 2 years, 3, or indefinite. MM isn’t curable but it is treatable; therefore, the maintenance drug helps with keeping the relapse at bay. There are a lot of medications that can cause kidney failure so make sure that you are drinking adequate amounts of water. You may also have take a monthly bone medication and depending on what it is it will be administered through a shot or infusion.

In order for doctors to measure the amount of MM in one’s body there must be x-rays, PET scans, and even bone marrow biopsies. Periodically you will also have to take a 24-hour urine to check the protein levels.

Lastly, you must active in your follow-up care. This includes maintaining a healthy weight, quit smoking, eat clean, stay physically active ( cardio and weight training because may help slow down those bone lesions along with your medication and keep them strong), and attend your cancer screenings.

I hope you found this informative. Keep your head. Remember when you are weak God is strong! Be blessed! 

What is neuropathy and how to deal with it?

Tingling, numbness, uncontrollable tremors…these are things that are very uncomfortable and also known as characteristics of neuropathy. This can also make someone feel embarassed if they are suffering from this at a younger age. Neuropathy affects the nerves in our bodies and it can occur at any age; however, it is most common in older adults. There are many causes and sometimes unknown causes of neuropathy. These can include diabetes, poisons, alcohol excess, etc. However, chemotherapy and certain cancers are known to induce neuropathy at times called peripheral neuropathy.  Peripheral neuropathy is typically caused by chemotherapy that has damaged the peripheral nerves. These nerves are away from the brain and spinal cord, but these nerves are responsible for carrying feelings to the brain and control the movements of our arms and legs. They also control the bladder and bowels. It is most common to deal with neuropathy in the fingers and toes.

So, what can you do as the patient to minimize chemo-induced PN? First thing you want to do is report any unusual feeling you have to your doctor.

If you are experiencing PN make sure you:

• Protect areas where sensation is decreased (e.g. do not walk around without footwear)
• Wear warm clothing in cold weather
• Extreme temperatures may worsen the condition
• Use pot holders when cooking and gloves when washing dishes or gardening
• Inspect your skin of cuts
• Massaging the area or some indulge into acupuncture which is quite common
• Deep breathing, relaxation, guided imagery
• Eat foods high in fibers such as pears and prunes, cereals, and don’t forget your veggies! This will also keep your digestive system regular…we know that some of these medications can cause serious constipation but for some diarrhea
• Pain relievers
• Talk to your doctor about physical or occupational therapy
• I know this one is hard for most of us because sometimes fatigue or pain takes over us, but those days you are feeling good take advantage and move those limbs for at least 20-30 minutes a day
• Drink, drink, drink…wait don’t get too happy, I am talking 2-3 liters of non-alcoholic beverages such as water or juice. Unless your doctor has told other wise such as those with kidney issues. However, you should be drinking majority water anyway; we are supposed to be drinking half of what we weigh in ouces per day! Yes, so for example if you weight 150lbs you are supposed to be drinking 75 ounces of water every day
• Also talk to your doctor about decreasing the dosage of the medication that is causing the problem.

Be your own advocate! Be blessed! 

Live your life or be a helping hand in that life!

Once you are diagnosed with Cancer, there are things that you may have to do in which you were not used to doing. This may be depending on other people on a much more regular basis, and sometimes it is hard to ask as well as accept help from other.

On the other hand, are you a caregiver, friend, family, or co-worker. You may not know what to say or do during this time. Things don't stop just because a person is in remission, there are after effects and if it is an incurable Cancer eventually come back hopefully much later in life...FFFFFFFFFAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR down the line! Here are some things in this article that you could do in order to help if you are struggling with how to help someone.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elana-miller-md/living-with-cancer_b_5660514.html



Your life may seem bleek but remember from the day you were diagnosed you were always a survivor! LIVE YOUR LIFE!

Best Hospitals for Adult Cancer

Some people travel all over the world, to different states to receive cancer treatment. Most people research where they are going to go and make decisions based on the history and credibility of the institution. Below is link to an article that has ranked the best hospitals for adult cancer.

http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/cancer?page=3




Remember that you are not in this fight alone. God is with you.