14. It’s only pain

Mile 11 – Nice and flat.

A few weeks back I was reminded of the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001. It lasted from February until September and had a devastating effect on the rural community, with the slaughter of more than 6 million pigs, cattle and sheep, and the closure of public rights of way. When the paths were eventually open again, my running friend and I headed back to the hills, me wearing full length leggings, him in his shortest shorts. Nearly home, we came to one last field, which was full of tall nettles, coming up to the armpits. When we decided to go ahead and not turn back, his words were, as I remember, “It’s only pain”. By the time we reached the other side, his legs were ‘Briquette’ in hue.

It’s not always “only” pain. Sometimes, as I’ve learned, pain can indicate something worse, so don’t hesitate to contact your GP! But a lot of the time, it is only pain and after a while it will have passed.

During the last year lots of physiotherapists and other health professionals have asked me about pain, usually where it is and whether I can judge it on a scale of one to ten. Well, it’s always ten or I wouldn’t have mentioned it, would I? One physio did tell me off, saying ten was reserved for childbirth. But it is a difficult thing to judge when it is the main thing on your mind. My medical team are encouraging me to report every little side effect, so I am watching out for each twinge.

In the last few weeks as I have been keeping up the exercises nearly every day, as well as walking or cycling, I have noticed the pains I had been feeling in my hips and back have pretty much gone away. I would like to think that muscle build up might be contributing to my weight gain, from 74 kg (11 st 9 lb) a month ago to 81.5 kg (12 st 10 lb) this week. I am feeling stronger and I notice how easy it is now when I stand up or climb the stairs.

My current ailments are light-headedness, sensitivity to sound and some signs of the rash. All the time I feel as if I have stood up too quickly, and that is the main thing stopping me from walking further. I can’t judge whether I am likely to pass out and it takes away some of my confidence.

Before Christmas I had my ears checked because everything sounded muffled, as if I had a cold that had blocked my ears. No problems were found but by the end of January they went to the other extreme and sharp noises such as crockery on the granite kitchen worktop were louder than usual, like someone hitting a gong next to my ear. I have assumed that it must be related to Myeloma but everyone I have asked has said it is not one of the usual side effects. I may need to check with a GP as it is unsettling.

The site of my rash in April now looks as if I have sunburn, especially in the evenings. I am keeping out of the sun, taking Piriteze and it doesn’t hurt or itch, it just feels a bit dry and I look like I’m embarrassed.

As a last word on the pain topic, I have been reading ‘Cold’ by Ranulph Fiennes, about his Transglobe Expedition across both poles in the 1970s and 80s. Reading about his frostbite, cutting off the ends of his own fingers, and his fillings falling out due to -40℃ temperatures, I don’t think I really have anything to complain about.

On Monday I went to the dentist to have a crown replaced, he was able to glue it back. He took an x-ray of the root to which the crown is attached, and let me know that the old root canal work includes a screw which is loose. People have guessed at this for years but now there is evidence.

Gardener’s Breakfast was on the menu at the garden centre on Tuesday, so we had one of those with friends, then it was the normal routine at the hospital on Wednesday: bloods, pre-meds and two injections. I picked up a print out of my latest blood results which show I still have anaemia with low haemoglobin, which I have had since the start. Other than that, the important measurement is my light chains, which have continued to fall since last month to 20.10 mg/L, a good score within the normal range. Next week I have an appointment with the consultant when I hope to find out more about his assessment of progress and bombard him with my long list of questions.

My walking range is extending, about 4 miles in the course of a couple of sessions during the day. I made it to the letter box down the lane and made some new friends (see below).

On Friday I overdid it, but I had decided to take advantage of the Dexamethasone and rise at 5:15 to start my exercises and cycling. We later spent a couple of hours walking around the shops, but by the time we reached Tesco I had to admit defeat and go outside to sit down. Breathing through a tight fitting FFP2 standard face mask is a bit like walking at altitude where the air is thin. It was a few hours before I felt okay again in the evening.

I had my sixth and last session with my Myeloma Buddy this week. It has been very reassuring to talk with someone who has walked a similar path and I would recommend (again) that anyone who has just been diagnosed get in touch with Myeloma UK to arrange a call. We had a chat about the Stem Cell Transplant and the likely timetable of events, perhaps allowing for a short holiday away from the house. Thanks again, Buddy!

It was lovely to hear that I was mentioned at the running club AGM during the week. My friends there have been a great source of support.

I’ll leave you with my latest camera club photo on the theme of letters.

Thanks for reading and take care.