Cancer is: scary, it’s confusing, it’s overwhelming, it's intrusive, it's disruptive, it's rude, it's indiscriminate, it's upsetting, it's enlightening, it's expensive, it's dehumanizing, it's enraging, it's exhausting, it's unfair, but most of all, for me right now - it's boring. And frankly, that's just where I want to be.
As you no doubt have come to learn from our chats together, Multiple Myeloma (MM) is an incurable (though not terminal) form of cancer. As a result, the treatment goal (outcome) for the patient and Oncology team is to find a level of homeostasis managed through a regimen of maintenance drugs that are used to keep the advancement (resurgence) of the disease as close to zero as possible / for as long as possible. At such time as when the harmful growth of myeloma cells can no longer be restrained by the available drugs that work for me, and then we do another (a second) stem cell transplant and start the Maintenance clock all over again.
Honestly, this whole process could take years - for the resurgence to restart. And then add on another unknown quantity of years for this second cycle of controlled suppression to work. All before a more difficult medical decision needs to be made. Point being, that with the current pace of scientific development of enhanced treatment alternatives for MM, a cure could be available long before the need even arises for me to require a second stem cell transplant.
So, while I'll wait this out, I'll be very happy to keep a tight lid on the rampant / unchecked multiplication of my myeloma cells, and live the boring life of a person with MM who is lucky enough to have it under control - supported by an amazing Oncology team who has their finger on the pulse of the latest developments in treatment options and a keen eye on my "numbers." I acknowledge (with great gratitude) that it can be somewhat frustrating to hear my reply to "So, how are you feeling?" - is that everything seems to be under control and going well. But that's the goal, as mundane as it seems. Boring is good!
