Oops, ok. I'm glad you are better. MM is like a roller coaster and not a fun one. 😬 Time seems to move fast. Induction treatments feel like they were weeks instead of yrs ago, to me. I hope your path is smoother from here on out! 👍🙏

oh gosh, I'm glad I'm not on treatment, but I know eventually I will be again. Before MM, I had no knowledge of any of this stuff. Sometimes being ignorant isn't so bad. I hope all goes well with your transplant, Nick!!✊

Kat, I had the SCT in 06/24, so far, so good. However, that dose of melphalan was truly horrific.

Hola YoMismo, gracias por compartir tu experiencia. 🙏

Lo que describes — inflamación en hombro, codo, dedos y mandíbula — puede ser parte de los efectos secundarios de los tratamientos de Multiple Myeloma. Muchos de nosotros sentimos molestias que van y vienen durante el día.

Si no te importa compartir, ¿podrías decirnos qué tipo de mieloma tienes y si actualmente estás en remisión o en otra fase del tratamiento? Conocer las experiencias de todos nos ayuda a apoyarnos mejor como grupo. 🌿

Mientras tanto, movimientos suaves, compresas calientes o frías según tolerancia, y descansar cuando el cuerpo lo pida, pueden ayudar a aliviar el malestar. Escuchar a tu cuerpo y compartir lo que sientes es parte de la fortaleza en este camino. 💛

Pre-SCT/BMT I received a dose of melphalan. By far the worst part of treatment I dealt with. Constant nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, stomach cramps. I lived on Ensure/Boost for weeks as it was the only thing I could keep down. Nightmarish to say the least.

Melphalan is a high-dose chemotherapy (conditioning) given before stem cell transplants, particularly for multiple myeloma, to destroy cancerous cells, eradicate existing bone marrow, and create "space" for new stem cells to engraft. It suppresses the immune system to prevent rejection and works as a potent DNA-alkylating agent.

Key Reasons for Melphalan Prior to Transplant:
Eradication of Disease: It acts as a powerful chemotherapy to kill remaining myeloma cells and achieve deep remission.
Ablating Bone Marrow: It destroys the existing bone marrow ("conditioning") to make room for the new, healthy transplanted stem cells to grow, ensuring successful engraftment.
Immunosuppression: It lowers the patient's immune system to prevent the host from rejecting the new, incoming donor stem cells.

Standard of Care: Melphalan (often 140–200 mg/m²) is the standard agent used in autologous transplants for multiple myeloma due to its high effectiveness.
It is generally administered 1-2 days before the stem cells are reinfused (Day 0).
Cancer Nursing Today
Cancer Nursing Today