By Deb Kroon
Review Staff Writer
In January of 2018, Randy Lenz of rural Lismore, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Randy’s journey actually began in November of 2017. Randy had been having back pain and past history proved that his back pain indicated heart problems. He scheduled an appointment with his heart doctor at Sanford Cardiovascular Institute in Sioux Falls, SD to check this out. His tests came back showing some possible problem areas, so he had some additional tests and bloodwork done that came back showing nothing alarming.
On December 13, Randy received a call from Dr. Crabtree’s office (Dr. Crabtree is Randy’s primary doctor), informing him that his bloodwork showed an increased level of proteins. He was referred to Dr. Bleeker, a hemotologist, in Sioux Falls. It was explained to him that the increased protein levels could indicate a potential diagnosis of multiple myeloma, but it couldn’t be confirmed without a bone marrow biopsy. The biopsy was scheduled for December 20. This left Randy feeling very scared, as he had a bone marrow biopsy done in the early 80s when he was fighting Hodgkins disease (he won the battle). The procedure has evolved and was much more tolerable than thirty years ago.
Two days after Christmas, Randy received the news that the whole family was dreading, he had cancer, again. His diagnosis came back positive for multiple myeloma.
What does that mean? Randy has a type of cancer that begins in the bone marrow. It is a cancer of plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cells, a genetic mutation that can happen with age. He was told he would have to begin chemotherapy treatments. January 3, 2018, was Randy’s first oncology appointment. He was lucky that his hemotologist, Dr. Bleeker, is also an oncologist, so he would have a doctor he already trusted. Randy was going to be put on a twenty-one day cycle of chemotherapy. They were going to treat him with a combination of three drugs; Velcade (an injectable drug), Revlimid (pill form) and Dexamethasone (a corticosteroid). On days 1, 5, and 8, he would receive the Velcade and Dexamethasone. The Revlimid would be taken days 1-14, with a week off of all drugs.
All three of these drugs have side-effects on the body. The Velcade can cause damage to the nerves. You may feel muscle weakness, tingling, burning, pain, and loss of feeling in your hands and feet. The Revlimid has different side effects, including causing blood clots which can lead to many other complications. Dexamethasone is similar to a natural hormone produced by your adrenal glands. It relieves inflammation, swelling, heat, redness, and pain. Labs are taken once a week to monitor the side effects, and watch for any new issues brought on by the chemo treatments.
On January 10, Randy was admitted to the hospital due to complications from the chemo and he was diagnosed with Influenza A. After a couple of days, he was able to return home.
January 18, he went back for labs. Since the labs looked better, he was started back on his injections. The oral med was going to be withheld while the doctors searched for what to mix with the Velcade injection that wouldn’t cause such havoc with his body.
January 30 was his first monthly follow-up appointment. Dr. Bleeker was pleased with how Randy was doing despite his bout with infuenza and his hospital stay. He was changed to a different oral Chemo drug, Cytoxan, to replace the Revlimid. Dr. Bleeker also put Randy on an IV therapy for building bones and ordered physical therapy to try to strengthen his legs.
The Cytoxan (21 pills in Randy’s case) is taken once a week prior to his injection. Unfortunately for Randy, after taking the pills, he passed out. He was taken by ambulance back to the hospital. He was released later that day after it was determined he had a reaction to the Cytoxan. Going forward, he could not take the pills until he arrived at the oncolgy center, so he could be monitored. For the next few weeks he would continue on a regular schedule with his 21 day cycle.
On February 28, 2018, Randy made the trip to Rochester to see an oncology team to discuss what the future looked like for him. He was informed that a stemcell transplant was a definite, the timeframe was unknown at that time. The transplant procedure was explained in depth to Randy. The first step is a total physical to ensure that his body would handle the transplant. If this all comes back positive, he will start a drug to increase his body’s stem cell production. After taking this for a determined time, he will have the stem cells harvested. To accomplish this, his blood will be taken from his body (like he is giving blood) and cycled through a machine that will remove the stem cells and return the blood to his body. He will repeat this process until they harvest enough stem cells for the transplant. Before the transplant Randy will be given a strong chemo drug to wipe out all his cells in his bone marrow. On day-0, Randy has his transplant. This starts the 21 day clock, counting down the twenty-one toughest days Randy will go through. By days 5-7, Randy’s immune system will be down to zero. He will be closely monitored to watch for signs of infection. The goal is to be able to go home around day 21. Randy will have been in Rochester for about six weeks at this time.
By day 100, Randy will return to Rochester to determine if the transplant was successful.
To date, Randy is home and is back on his 21 day chemo cycle. He has his ups and down, but week by week he has been progressing towards his transplant.
On Saturday, April 14, 2018, a benefit supper will be held for Randy at the Lismore Legion from 4:00-8:00 p.m. Friends and family of Randy’s will serve smoked pork, baked beans, chips and dessert. A free will donation will be taken. All proceeds will go to help with the cost of medical treatment, housing and transportation costs. For more information, contact Mark Schettler at 507-360-8316.
Come and have a great meal and show your support for Randy and his family.
