Summary Text

SUMMARY: First diagnosed with myeloma October 2011. Recruited onto clinical trial Myeloma X11 (Lenalidomide) at Bristol Oncology and Haematology Centre. First High Dose Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant (HDT&SCT) in July 2012. On maintenance until June 2017. June 2018 recruited onto Myeloma XII trial (Ixazomib). December 2018 Second HDT&SCT. On maintenance until February 2020. August 2020 Commenced treatment involving Daratumumab. April 2021 relapsed. June 2021 recruited onto Cartitude 4 clinical trial and infused with CAR-T cells in October 2021. My own immune system is now fighting the cancer . I am exceedingly fortunate.


Friday, 20 March 2015

The Sun Smiled !

What ? you might ask, does this month's post title mean. Well, at 9:26 am here in the West Country, we were able to experience the partial eclipse of the sun: and it smiled.


We had an amusing time messing around with pin hole cards and a colander but by far the best device was manufactured in 1943.


A couple of years ago, a neighbour gave me this Mark IXA Bubble Sextant. These were used by RAF navigators to take celestial shots (sun, moon and stars). As such it has a series of 7 sun filters which can be selected. Here then was the ideal device to experience this wonderful event.

Earlier this week I attended my monthly clinic and again my paraprotein was undetectable. My kappa continues to bounce around at about 27 and my consultant says this is very much due to the accuracy/variability of the test itself. It seems that when first tested my kappa was in excess of 800 !

I have much to be thankful for.


There are things around, and I know where they can be got quite easily,
but I quite like waking up to the sunshine.
(Terry Pratchett 1948-2015)

Keep well and YOLO

Stephen