Articles - Miscellaneous

Multiple Myeloma

At the time of writing it is Multiple Myeloma Awareness week. We have a member of our fellowship with this disease so you may wish to know a little more about it.

It is a type of cancer which effects plasma blood cells producing more of these cells than the body requires and they start to become troublesome. The most common symptoms are bone pain, infections and fatigue. Nobody knows what causes Myeloma but research is going on into possible trigger factors.

There are effective treatments but there is not yet a cure. Treatments include chemotherapy, often in combinations including high doses of steroids. Symptoms can be managed with other drugs including strong pain killers, drugs that strengthen the bones and drugs to reduce the risk of a serious infection.

I went with our friend to the LGI haematology ward when he was due some more chemotherapy. It was a long but interesting day. There was a strangely peaceful atmosphere. The staff were on first name terms and we had many conversations with them and the other patients.

We talked together about how important it was to treat everyone you come in contact with as a chance to 'touch souls', treating everyone as your 'neighbour'. Our friend is especially good at engaging strangers in respectful conversation and managed to reassure a man who was in a great deal of pain.

At the end of day we were like two lost souls in the transport waiting area. There was some comparing of woes and life experiences in the crowded room. We were the last to be picked up, the lights going off behind us.

If you would like to know more about myeloma, why not look up the web site of the International Myeloma Foundation (UK) on www.myeloma.org.uk.

Anne Jones

31 July, 2006