Consultant meeting - June 3rd

 Well today was my first meeting with my Myeloma consultant since the Elranatamab was started up, and today was also the start of the first proper cycle of injections.

I feel very healthy (but have hardly had any symptoms from the cancer itself the whole time; symptoms have been the result of the treatment, so side-effects actually). I came to the Cambridge meeting with my bicycle on the train, because its the easiest way to travel, but the fact that 15 miles of cycling is no problem will give you an idea of my general health 11 months after diagnosis.

So what does my entertainingly forceful Italian consultant say? She says the bloods are looking very good. Paraproteins down to 2g and she said they might even get to zero (which means unmeasurable, even though they are still some there). She is also very enthusiastic about my prospects, because she thinks this particular trial drug will be a good match for me. I have a rather more resistant version of myeloma than the majority, but she is curious about whether that resistance may only be a characteristic of the standard treatments such as Lenalidomide and Thalidomide. Their function is quite different from the 'lock-and-key' functioning of this immunotherapy drug. If I am really lucky the Elranatamab may effectively put me back in the 'normal' box.

The side-effects so far are not large. The main thing is an itchy and hot red patch on my stomach  where they do the injections, but maybe this afternoon's one will start to buck the trend.

Also, the weekly standard chemo so far was a bit of a cramp on activities such as travel. The Elranatamab is only once a fortnight and may eventually be monthly, so now if I really wanted to spend a couple of weeks abroad, it would be possible. Or wild-camping in the Scottish Highlands. Or county Donegal. 

And the final suggestion I left the meeting with was "You should really sign up for the Myeloma UK London - Paris bike ride." "You'd enjoy it.". And I think I just might. Save up your sponsorship pennies. I may be after them next year.