Well, today I had the clinic appointment that I have been waiting for. My paraprotein count remains at 5. Accordingly I have been withdrawn from the trial.
But all is not bad. Since it has remained at a count of 5 it is possible that I am now entering a period of plateau. Although that doesn't suit the trial protocol, it does not necessarily mean that I am relapsing. Only time will tell. My consultant is confident enough to not need to see me for two months now. It remains to be seen whether the medication I have been receiving, Lenolidamide, was actually controlling my myeloma. Certainly leaving the trial means that I no long have to take it and have to accept its side effects. It would thus seem I am entering a New Chapter. I certainly have no reason to complain. I have received a total of 60 maintenance cycles, each of 28 days. Quite simply I have been fit and well for five years since stem cell transplant and have achieved so much.
18/6/17 - As an addendum, I have now received my consultant's report letter in which she says that "the level indicates technical progression of [my] myeloma".
Since my last post, I have been as busy as ever. Margaret and I found time to spend a few days in Portsmouth. Margaret had spent the initial part of her career here and it is where we "courted". For this return trip we stayed in a very comfortable hotel on the front in Southsea. From there we were able to visit Portsmouth's sights.
The weather was less than optimal, but our first stop was the Spinnaker Tower. Despite the many changes since we were last in this area in the 1970s, we were able to look down on so many places that brought back memories. We were even able to watch the Royal Navy frigate HMS Iron Duke leave port. Our younger son kindly joined us for lunch making the trip even more worthwhile.
From here we entered the Historic Dockyard initially looking around HMS Warrior. Launched in 1860 she was the first iron-hulled battleship. We then proceeded past the iconic HMS Victory which both of us had previously visited.
The Mary Rose was once the pride of Henry VIII's fleet having been launched in 1511. She sank in the Solent in 1545 taking most of her crew with her. Those of us of a certain age will recall the moment when in 1982 she returned to the surface. There was a frightening moment when part of the support cradle broke and we feared she would return to the sea bed. For many years she was given preservative treatment. Now she is in a permanent building within the dockyard where her story and that of her crew is now told.
The next day Margaret and I, using Portsmouth as a base, journeyed first to the Weald and Downland living museum. The weather was fortunately kinder and we were able to wander amongst the many historic buildings which have been rescued and rebuilt in this beautiful landscape.
We had lunch here before journeying to the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum. You will have guessed that the museum is located on the former RAF Tangmere which figured so much in the Battle if Britain.
During our walk around the museum, I was invited to "fly" their English Electric Lightning simulator. Sitting in the cockpit I was tutored to take off from Tangmere and to fly over to the Isle of Wight, followed by a return down to 100 feet over Portsmouth (!) before again landing at Tangmere. The experience seemed to typify the welcome we received. Of the very many aviation museums I've had the pleasure to visit, Tangmere is unquestionably, the best. Excellent exhibits, in perfect condition, superbly presented and explained by knowledgeable personnel - just brilliant.
That evening, having returned to our hotel in Southsea, we treated ourselves to an excellent meal at the Still and West. This pub/restaurant was very much part of our earlier time in Portsmouth. It looks out across Portsmouth Harbour towards HMS Dolphin, once the home of the Royal Navy's submarines. The food and wine were excellent and we were never short of something to see out of the windows !
Finally a brief mention of the weekend when the family joined us. It was wonderful to have them stay. The BBQ went on long into the evening !
Life isn't measured by the number of breaths you take
but the number of moments that take your breath away.
Keep well
Stephen
