I have started a few posts over the past year and didn’t get them completed.  This is a good reflection of how things are going: trying to balance a chronic health condition and treatment with life. I am accomplishing some things but also struggling sometimes. I had a bone marrow biopsy on September 15 which was MRD negative which means no myeloma cells were detected. 🎉 This will likely be repeated again in September.  

I have continued with maintenance chemo of Daratumumab injections every 8 weeks this year.  Daratumumab (Darzalex) is a monoclonal antibody targeted to CD38 glycoproteins over-expressed on myeloma cells and also found on typical plasma cells so it has been knocking down all my plasma cells to some degree. I have felt groggy, foggy headed, and really fatigued for about 2.5 weeks after these injections. I am hoping this cycle might be better. I have no reason to hope that because my injection site reactions have been getting worse each time. In any case, I hope this one goes better🤞

I have included a BeReal that I took a few minutes ago. I am currently waiting at the Infusion Center to be called back. The delay is likely waiting for my blood work because it seems extra busy today. I have bloodwork within 7 days of each infusion and usually try to do this ahead of my infusion day but I was traveling last week. Regular values come through quickly and the myeloma bloodwork takes a few days.  My myeloma numbers have remained good (no monoclonal protein detected) so hopefully that remains so.