Update from Denver

It's been quite a while since my last post and lots seems to have happened.  First, it appears the bendamustin/revlimid continues to work as IGGs and M spike continue to move down, although a bit more slowly.  Or I should say they were moving down until I got pneumonia, which took me off the chemo regime for 3 weeks.  Then another week hoping that my blood counts--white cells, red cells and platelets would revive as they were significantly depressed from the 5 chemo regimes and then the high dose antibiotics.  In the midst of this, my right arm starts to bother me (that's my good arm) which prompts an xray, which in turn puts me back in radiation therapy, this time for the right arm.  I have the same degradation process beginning in my right arm and they want to get it before any bones break.  Yeh, I'm all in favor of that.  So that's where I am right now:  off the chemo, getting radiation, and hoping my blood counts revive.  I continue to need platelets every 4 days and red cells every 5 to 10 days.  Would like for my bone marrow to become a bit more productive so I could reduce the number of transfusions.  Not sure that's going to happen in the near term.  But I'm happy we have the bendamustin to knock the myeloma down.  Just after I got over the pneumonia Rifkin ordered me to take a vacation to a warmer climate.  Catherine was home at the time and became the beneficiary of our 4 day jaunt to Scottsdale to enjoy resort living.  Julia had to stay home and work.  As I told her, someone's got to pay for this.  Even though I did nothing, just like I do here in Denver, it was nice to be poolside and in the heat.  So that's the word from Denver.  Still going forward, one step at a time.
Best to everyone,
Dan