I can now, fully appreciate those Multiple Myeloma patients who have chosen to die rather enter than this arduous process. I am coming out of ten days of the most suffering I’ve ever endured. It is like they have to take you to the edge of death, in order to save you.
There members of my team who say that I’m doing better than their typical patient. Others have said that I’m doing average. No one has said that this amount of suffering was atypical.
Yesterday, my new stem cells started to work! A few white blood cells have popped up on the morning lab tests. This morning, there was doubling of that number. I have also started a slow improvement in my symptoms. I have now gone, today, 5 hours without diarrhea.
I have had a few minor setbacks, such as a fever and rash. We have to watch those things closely.
My kidneys have fared well, despite the great insult against them through my chemo, antibiotics (because of the fever) and the poor state of health I’ve in for the previous two weeks. My kidney blood tests have shown no worsening of the organs, but a slight improvement.
Today, Denise buzzed off the few clumps of hair that I had left, so I no longer look like Gollom.
It will take several months to figure out if the harsh chemo killed off the cancerous bone marrow. We pray for a deep and persistent remission.
J. Michael Jones 
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