Some doctors suck.

Ok, let me start off by saying I DO NOT HAVE WALDENSTROM'S MACROGLOBULINEMIA. We were misled by a young doctor who apparently has unusual motivations. Maybe he had a blank space in his Oncology Bingo that could only be filled with Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia. Well, he screamed BINGO and stood up too quickly, so he embarrassed himself when they checked his card.... and it turned out he only had another Multiple Myeloma.

Here's the deal. Internist #1 attended to me in the hospital, scheduled tests, came to a decision, and told me NOTHING DEFINITIVE. I could see concern in her face and voice, but she was reasonable and prudent in her distribution of information. I respect her actions.

Internist #2 is my PCP. #1 talks to #2 and they collectively derive the probability that I have Multiple Myeloma. Internist #2 tells me so. He also tells me that they have consulted with an oncologist who wants to see me ASAP and PDQ.

So Ed and I arrive at the oncologist's (#3) and we find him reading a web page on Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia. Once he's done his extensive research, he comes into my room and announces that I probably don't have Multiple Myeloma, but I almost definitely have Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia. He even asks if I'm a betting man......
Duh! Today I got the following email:

Andre,
The test results are just about all back - it looks like you have multiple myeloma (IgA-lamba). We should also get a series of xrays to look for any bone lesions from myeloma. There are some additional tests being done on your bone marrow biopsy that aren't back yet, but it doesn't change your initial therapy.
We should start therapy ASAP of 2 different medications - one called thalidomide, the other called dexamethasone (both are pills).
Also, since you have anemia, we should also start a medication called Procrit (injection) to help your body make more red blood cells.
Do you want to come in this week to get started?

1) Thanks for playing YoYo with Ed's and my emotions.
2) Thanks for distracting us from our prior research.
3) Thanks for delaying / confusing our establishment of outside connections.
4) Thanks for thinking I'm gonna trust you without a very confirmatory 2nd opinion.

So, here's a lovely recap of the disease and what I'll be enduring. It's a disease of the blood that's based in the bone marrow. The way to put it in remission is to harvest a bunch of good stem cells from my bone marrow. Then they'll kill off all the bone marrow and all of the white blood cells. Then they'll put the good bone marrow stem cells back in me and hope they grow without re-creating the problem.

Yup, for those of you who remember high-school biology, that means I'll have NO immune system function for about 10 weeks. I get to live on antibiotics and boiled water in two rooms of my house for 10 weeks. Everything has to be cooked thoroughly, everything has to be pretty much tasteless (how do you sterilize table salt?) Are ya paintin' a little picture in yer head yet?

Of course, I get this kinda fun treatment after they chemo me 'til I glow in the dark and I'm hollow inside. Betcha I get down to 145#.... sexy hott!

It's really not gonna be as bad as the movie I just put in your head..... I'm just pissed off at the doc and I'm venting......

Good side? I can spell it. Other good side? There are enough patients that most doctors have seen other patients.