DATE DIAGNOSED:09/29/1999
TYPE OF AMYLOIDOSIS: AL
Amyloidosis
WHERE TREATED: HDT/SCT Boston University Medical
Center
COMMENTS: As with most of us Amy patients, diagnosis
was not quick in coming. After a continuing decline in
health with no answers from the medical community, I had
a spontaneous spleen rupture, requiring emergency
surgery. Fortunately, the surgeon realized that the
spleen was completely abnormal and called in a
hematologist who said "this could be amyloid". He had
never seen a case, but ran the appropriate test through
a bone marrow biopsy and confirmed the Amyloid. He then
told me that there was no treatment and I that I had
about 18 months to live. This was about Oct 1, 1999.
Thanks to the links on the web site Amyloidosis.org, my
wife and daughter contacted Boston University Medical
Center and we went there for an evaluation in February
of 2000. After participation in a clinical trial, I was
scheduled for the High Dose Chemotherapy and Stem Cell
Transplant beginning in May of 2000.
I returned to working full time 8 weeks after
returning home after completion of the treatment and
continue to have a complete response to the treatment. I
feel outstanding and continue to be free from any
production of Amyloid. In fact, in my case, there has
actually been some improvement in the condition of my
heart, improvement in the condition of my kidneys, and
my liver is completely normal.
I consider myself extremely fortunate and I am
tremendously grateful to the staff of BUMC and their
Amyloid Treatment and Research Program.