I’ve had two MRI’s since my last update. The one in September caused some concern. The Neurologists office called me the same day I had the MRI saying the doctor needed to see me as soon as possible.
I told the nice lady that sounded kind of ominous. She replied that she’s “sure its just regular doctor stuff, but could I possibly get in there today?”
When I saw the Neurosurgeon the next day, he came into the exam room and said, “I had to see you with my own eyes!” Did you walk in here unassisted? Do you have pain shooting down your legs? Tingling or numbness? How’s your bladder control?
He explained that the MRI showed a small piece of what was left of my crushed vertebra poking quite sharply into my spine (the T8 vertebra had become a tumor from this cancer, and then it collapsed).
He did some push-pull tests on my legs and said if any of those symptoms develop, or if I lose bladder control, to call him immediately. And then he said, “No, go straight to the emergency room and have them call me.”
I knew there were a lot of people praying for me, so I asked him if my walking without assistance and having none of those symptoms might be considered a miracle. “I won’t say miracle,” he answered,”but you are VERY, VERY lucky.
There was some talk about spinal support (surgery), but the most recent MRI showed no notable change.
The doctor determined that the vertebra had crushed as far as it would go, and since I had no symptoms from the poking bone fragment, he said the potential benefit from surgery would not outweigh the risks involved.
I can feel that poking in my back, but it’s not pain. It’s more like a distraction. It’s almost always there, but entire moments do pass when I’m not aware of it. I got the distinct impression the doctor thought it was something of a medical oddity.
I thank you for praying for me, and I thank God for every walking, pain-free day I get. I’ll thank him for all the other days too, but I’m sure I like these better.
I recently had my 3-month Multiple Myeloma cancer test and I found the test results message from my Oncologist on our answering machine today after work, “Stable, the same as before.” That’s a message I can’t imagine getting tired of hearing.
Hi Scott; I just googled Plasma cytoma and multiple myeloma. Wow. Very scarey.How long have you had this? Arthur had prostate cancer also. He had the very aggressive kind. He elected to have his prostate removed. His PSA numbers have come up a little, we have it checked every 3 months. I’m so glad you got thru that bout of cancer. Now for you to get in full remission with this new one. I am praying and I’m going to have you put on a prayer chain. Your in my thots and prayers, daphne.
Thanks, Daphne:
I was diagnosed with the prostate cancer in October 2010, and had surgery in March, 2011.
I had the Plasma Cytoma in July, 2011, which came out as a tumor in my back (T8) which became a crushed vertebra, but reacted very nicely to radiation treatments. The Multiple Myeloma is smoldering in my bone marrow (and so is called Smoldering Myeloma) until it develops and comes out.
I currently get tested every three months for the Myeloma and every six months to see if the Prostate cancer might come back.