Bone marrow biopsy

Multiple Myeloma
#1

Just got my bone marrow biopsy back yesterday. Not the news I was hoping for. Plasma cell count greater than 15%. Started on Dex and coumadin (blood thinner because Thalidomide and Dex can cause DVTs). They talked about doing another transplant but I am not ready for that yet. When I had the first one my body did not tolerate things well and I was quite miserable. Plus a month after the transplant I became septic with a fungal infection and spent 22 more days in isolation. Has anyone here had more than 1 stemcell transplant? Was the second one atologous also? If so how did the second one go? I fear it for some reason. Perhaps its unreasonable fear but its there just the same. I am tired all the time and the neuropathy is close to driving me crazy as it has advanced to my right hand and fingers. Long nerves get the neuropathy first and worst I guess. I have never had it in my hands before and it also comes as an unpleasant surprise.

Wish me luck
Ran

#2

 Ran, 

Yes, I've had 2 autologous and an allogeneic. The second autologous one was a little worse, I had to have red blood cells and platelets infused, and was hospitalized for a week due to a temperature. No specific infection was found, however. I attributed doing a little worse the second time to being a little more down on my blood counts when I started.

I don't have any residual neuropathy, but it comes back quickly with certain treatments, it seems. I'm not tired, but I run out of breatch quicker than normal, but my hematocrit is only 29%, so I kind of expect it.

I was fearful of the allogeneic transplant, but I was able to do a mini (nonmyeloablative), so it wasn't nearly as bad as the autologous. And I haven't had graft vs host disease, yet. It's been 4 months so far.

 Gary