Sunday, July 7th Update

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the continued prayers and support!

Rob’s PET scan results are really great!! It showed a decrease in the size of the myeloma lesions, and even had the words “nearly resolved”🎉🎉🎉!!!

He is also having no more pain in his ribs!! His myeloma labs came back really good as well, in fact, they remained exactly where they were last month, and we are thrilled!!

Once the chart is updated in the portal, I’ll copy and past a pic ya’ll can have a visual of how well he is doing. It really helps to see the numbers in a graph/chart form, and shows how well his treatment is working.

We are thrilled about his progress so far! He has a bone marrow biopsy coming up in a few weeks.

Thanks again for helping Rob to Keep Pounding! We love ya’ll and appreciate your support! ❤️❤️❤️

98.96% WIN!!!

Hi everyone-

We just Rob’s Lambda light chains (myeloma markers) back and they have decreased by 98.96%!! 👏👏👏👏🎉🎉🎉

It is the LOWEST it has been since his multiple myeloma diagnoses!!

We are so happy and wanted to share!

I’ll update this post with M-Spike results when they come in.

Thank you for being here!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

Sunday, 5/26 Update

Hi everyone,

We are seeing some improvement!

Thank you for your words of encouragement!!

His appetite is improving. He is still fatigued and very pale. I’ve noticed some breathlessness (like getting winded more easily), but oxygen is normal, thankfully.

We are keeping his doctor in the loop on everything and hoping it was just a hump to get over.

Two of his labs from infusion last week (non-myeloma labs, just regular infusion related labs) were elevated more than normal and marked as high. We’ll get more details on whether those are playing a role in this.

The next myeloma labs will be the week after next. They will also be scheduling scans of his ribs to check on his rib lesions. Finally, they will be scheduling a bone marrow biopsy as well.

Please continue to pray for his energy to return, and the paleness to go away. I feel like we made progress this afternoon and evening, and hope everything else falls back into place.

Thank you for your prayers, support, and love! ❤️

Friday, 5/24 update

Hi everyone,

A quick update to share. Rob’s had a rough few days. Bad fatigue (worse than usual), stomach problems, and today, he is very pale.

He’s been able to do liquids and stay hydrated, but he is definitely “dragging”- in his words.

Please keep him in your prayers for his stomach to feel better, color to return, appetite to come back, and just as important – his joyfully mischievous ways we all know and love to return quickly.

Thank you for being here! ❤️

May 16th Update

Hi everyone,

Rob has been dealing with severe hip pain. Thankfully, he has been able to get some walking back in after not being able to due to the pain. We are hopeful and hoping it is nerve/muscular related vs bone pain caused by multiple myeloma.

His rib pain where the plasmacytoma is has subsided greatly after the radiation! We’ll get this hip pain under control, and he’ll be back to making even more strides again soon. 👊👊👊

Lambda and Kappa Light Chains

I wanted to elaborate on lab results a bit, but didn’t want to include too much in the last post. I’m trying to break up the information so it’s easier to digest.

In multiple myeloma, there is what is known as Kappa light chain myeloma and Lambda light chain myeloma.

Rob has Lambda light chain myeloma. As such, we look for the Lambda light chain results on his myeloma labs to see how the multiple myeloma is responding to treatment.

The past 2 months, while the Lambda light chains have been normal, his tests identified a Kappa protein.

At Rob’s last appointment, we learned that this treatment he is on can cause a Kappa protein to be identified. If this is the cause, it usually stays small and quiet.

They said there is a specific lab test they will do to see if the Kappa protein showing up on the past 2 labs is simply caused by the new treatment, verses caused by the multiple myeloma.

If it is not caused from the new treatment, we’ll discuss what this means with his hematologist oncologist. This Kappa protein is new to us, and we are appreciative of all we are learning from everyone at LCI.

Depending on that result, plus upcoming labs, will help determine next step as far as bone marrow biopsy. For example, if the Kappa light chain is found to be caused by the medication, and his lambda chains remain normal, then we will proceed with a bone marrow biopsy.

The purpose of the bone marrow biopsy is to see how many multiple myeloma cells are still present. More on the bone marrow biopsy and the significance of this test in a future post.

Up Next:

Rob continues oral chemo at home, and is back at LCI next week for treatment. The next labs are in 2 weeks.

Thanks for being here!!🥰❤️

May 8th Update

Hi everyone!

Time to celebrate some wins! 🎉🎉🎉

This morning. Rob was able to get some exercise in for the first time in over a month! He waked 1 mile!!👊👊🎉🎉🎉

He also had no rib pain when doing so. This is HUGE!! 🎉🎉🎉🙏🙏

Also, Rob’s myeloma labs came back, and look good. The lambda light chains (myeloma markers) did show an increase, but they are still in the normal range.

We believe fluctuations that remain in the normal range are just –normal. When they begin to spike routinely (like what happened earlier this year) is the sign of myeloma activity. They are re-checking these in 1 month.

Rob has graduated from having treatment weekly at LCI to going every other week, and he continues the chemotherapy at home nightly.

We are thankful not to have to be at LCI every week. We are incredibly grateful for all they are doing at LCI to help Rob Keep Pounding! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🙏❤️

Thank you for all of your words of encouragement and support!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Great News!!!

First- AMAZING news!! Rob’s lambda light chain markers are NORMAL!!

This is after 5 weeks of treatment, which continues for cycle 2. Since Rob has lambda light chain myeloma (vs kappa light chain myeloma), these markers let us know how the multiple myeloma is responding to treatment.

We are absolutely elated by this!!

He began cycle 2 this week. This will be for 4 weeks in a row. The 3rd cycle will be a bit more spaced out, and I’ll update about that closer to time.

To clarify- this treatment protocol is what he will remain on until the next relapse.

This is what is unique and challenging about multiple myeloma, in that it continues to evolve, becoming resistant to drugs like it did to the last treatment he was on. As a result, he won’t be on this for “just a few more cycles.”

Since it is thankfully working, he will be on it until the next relapse. We are extremely grateful for the number of treatment options available now vs in the past!

Other updates:

They are scheduling a consultation with the radiation oncology team to see about doing radiation on his ribs.

His pain has increased there big time, and is now constant.

An x-ray done this week showed 2 areas of concern, which we think are consistent with multiple myeloma, based on the lab report indicating as such.

1 rib we knew about (rib 2), but the report mentioned rib 11, which is new.

They will be closely monitoring these areas with imaging and testing as Rob continues his treatment.

Another result that came in last night was high protein from the 24-hour urinalysis. It was high last month, and has increased again. This will also be closely watched.

Thankfully, his other labs look amazing!!👏👏👏👏

We want to share the entire picture for those also going through the process, and to keep everyone on the same page. 🙂

There is so much we are learning about being in a clincial trial. We will work on that for a future post to share with anyone else considering a trial.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who has been so incredibly supportive through this!! We are beyond fortunate to have such an incredible Keep Pounding team on our side.

Thank you!!🙏❤️

For anyone else facing challenges, Keep Pounding!!👊👊❤️❤️❤️

Week 3 update

Hi everyone,

Rob has his 3rd treatment at LCI this past week.

Today is rough, as he has increased rib pain (where the myeloma has caused rib damage) and fatigue. Please pray for relief on both of those.

His voice is still weak, but not as bad as week one.

The fatigue is bad. This was bad before relpase, and thought to be myeloma related. However, this treatment protocol can also cause fatigue. Whatever the cause, it is definitely hitting harder right now.

His heart rate is high again, but we are noticing it improves a few days after taking the Dexamethasone, which is a relief. We think the increased heart rate is from the Dexamethasone verses the other two drugs, and will get his doctor’s input. We are just thankful it’s not constant like before. 👍

If this treatment works in kicking multiple myeloma’s behind, Rob’s treatment plan will eventually space out a bit after 3 full cycles (so around early June). More on that later.

Update on the compound to help neuropathy: it has provided some relief of the neuropathy! He has used it at night, and can tell a difference. He can use it up to 3 times a day.

For some positives, Rob has been walking like a champ on the days he is up to it! 👊👊👍👍 We did find a water backpack to use, which helps the dry throat/mouth, and he doesn’t have to worry about carrying a heavy water bottle or thermos.

I’ll put all of the things we have found helping so far in one resource post soon.

Thank you for your continued support and love!!

For anyone else facing health challenges, Keep Pounding!!

Week Two Update

Thank you so much, NB family and JS family, for this amazing painting and encouraging words!!❤️❤️❤️

Hi everyone,

It has been a week of adjustments, and Rob continues to Keep Pounding despite the challenges.

He has had 2 treatments at the clinic (the Daratumumab and Dexamethasone, along with pre-meds before) last week and yesterday. He takes the Pomalidomine every night at home.

I’m going to explain the side effects and what we are doing to try and help them.

1. Excessive dry mouth and throat, which has led to trouble talking longer than a few sentences without coughing, sounding hoarse, or having to drink lots of water.

2. Increased heart rate

3. Increase neuropathy pain

To help with this, here is what we are trying thus far:

For the dry mouth and throat/hoarse voice: We are using humidifiers, as I read about this from other cancer patients experiencing similar dry mouth/thorat/hoarseness symtoms. Rob thinks this is helping.

He has a dry mouth spray, and dry mouth rinse he is trying, which I got yesterday after talking with the PA and clincial trial research nurse. He said the spray works for about 45 minutes. We are trying a different spray when it arrives tomorrow.

The ones he has now are small bottles, making it easy to take with him. I’ll update on how that is working soon, in case it can help anyone else as well.

For the increased heart rate, they are monitoring it carefully. Thankfully, today, the day after treatment, his resting heart rate- while still high–is lower than last weeks resting heart rate the day following treatment, which is huge! We hope it continues to improve.

For the neuropathy, we are increasing his visits to acupuncture at the Supportive Oncology department at LCI. This has helped in the past, so they think increasing it will help again.

Along the neuropathy lines, Supportive Oncology recommended a compound cream. We have to run it by the trial nurse (pretty sure it is ok, but when in a trial, you run everything by them).

They said that the pharmacy gives you paperwork to file for insurance for this compound (they don’t file). I’m mentioning this in case anyone else dealing with neuropathy comes across this as an option. I’ll update as we learn more. I have heard great things about compounds for neuropathy from several people, and we hope it helps Rob as well.

If anyone reading has a tip for helping hoarseness/dry mouth and/or neuropathy pain, please reach out to me (Brandii), or leave a comment. Thank you!

Rob is handling these side effects with determination and grace. His attitude, spirit, and drive are simply amazing.

Thank you for your love and support!!

For anyone else facing challenges, Keep Pounding!!❤️❤️❤️

Clinical Trial Started

Hi everyone,

First, Rob’s resting at home and is doing good, considering everything he’s going through. I wanted to start with that first, and then give a lengthy update.

Rob completed day 1 of the clinical trial yesterday at LCI. This arm doesn’t require hospitalization, thankfully.

The trial is randomized, and the arm he was selected is Daratumumab, Pomalidomide, and Dexamethasone (DPd). This is also the same treatment he would have been on if he hadn’t entered the trial.

There are no placebos in their clinical trials- you are either in the experimental arm or the standard arm. So Rob is in the standard care of treatment arm.

We were at the clinic from 7:00 am until 8 pm, making for a really long and incredibly anxious day. But, it is over and all is well right now.

Here’s a (lengthy) recap. Excuse typos.

They did labs first thing at 7:15, then appointment at 8. We then had a 2-hour wait (you can’t check into infusion more than 30 minutes before your infusion, understandably). Thankfully, they have a Keep Pounding lounge with comfortable chairs and snacks, which is a good option for waiting in between appointments. They also have plenty of seating outside the infusion suite. – mentioning this as we have some newcomers to the Keep Pounding Rob blog who are also new to LCI. Keep Pounding!!

He checked in to infusion at 10:30, but then got a message while in the waiting room, saying his bilirubin and bilirubin direct labs were high, and this may delay treatment. This was unnerving to hear, to say the least. While they were slightly elevated by .1 from last week, they were up by .1 this week. When they called him back to the infusion suite, we were hopeful and nervous at the same time.

Thankfully, his hematologist oncologist advised him to drink lots of water and retest. He literally “Kept Pounding” many bottles of water they kindly offered, and the second labs met the requirement to proceed.

It is important to note that had it not been for the trial, Rob probably would have been able to go ahead with treatment to begin with, despite the level being slightly elevated (barely high). This was just a trial protocol that had to be met.

If needed for any reason, Rob can withdraw from the trial at any time, as his treatment would remain exactly the same, without the trial protocols in place.

This is something we are keeping a very close eye on as we proceed, and we are so grateful to his AMAZING hematologist oncologist and nurse extrdoinare for doing the same. These two individuals are amazing in their knowledge, help, and advocacy. ❤️❤️❤️

After he got the ok to proceed, he had the premeds (including the Dexamethasone), then had to wait an hour, then they administered the drug Daratumumab.

After receiving the Daratumumab, he had to be observed for 6 hours, due to the possibility of a reaction. Going forward, he won’t have this long of a wait after receiving the med. There will still be observation, but not near as long. Being it was the first time getting this drug, we were thankful to have that observation, just in case something had went wrong.

He will begin taking the oral chemo, Pomalidomide at hone every night.

The Pomalidomine makers advises you shouldn’t operate machinery (like driving) after taking it. We are beyond thankful (once again), for his hematologist oncologist said taking it at night was a good idea with that in mind. It is important to take this medicine at the same time each day.

Rob is feeling tired, as he didn’t sleep well with Dexamethasone from yesterday. He is also coming off of 4 nights of not sleeping due to anxiety. However, he thinks another night of two of getting better sleep will help.

The Supportive Oncology department (formally known as Palliative Care) gave him the ok to increase his sleep medicine. Hopefully, trying this will help get him back on track for regular sleep soon.

We are grateful for everyone on his team at LCI, and appreciative of their help with this multiple myeloma relapse and treatment, from his doctor and nurse, trial nurses, infusion nurses- everyone. ❤️🌻🌷

We have more to add, but wanted to give a recap of yesterday first.

Thank you for helping Rob Keep Pounding!❤️❤️❤️