Multiple Myeloma

[pianoplant]

I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2022. I had burst fracture in my L5 (horrible pain, do not recommend) due to a plasma cytoma, which then led to the mm diagnosis. I had a lumbar fusion surgery and am on treatment for mm indefinitely. I'm forever grateful for modern medicine that's allowing me to continue to live my life. Looking at the risk factors for multiple myeloma though, I meet zero of them. Nada. Zilch. I often wonder if my childhood played a role in my diagnosis. Whenever something feels too validating, my instinct is not trust it. But my instincts are all out of whack anyway, and here I can look at the facts. The facts are that I have MDD, GAD, CPTSD, and now cancer. I don't have a ton of memories from childhood, especially single digit years, but I get really sad when I think about younger me, and what younger me suffered. I had absolutely no one. No one. Between my moms constant but unpredictable rages, my dads severe alcoholism, the bullying at school and betrayal by influential people/relationships, and being the family scapegoat, I had no one. I was EVERYONE's punching bag. Thanks for reading.

[Hope67]

Hi Pianoplant,
I wanted you to know that I read what you wrote here, and I feel for the younger you, and wish that you had had someone at that time who could have helped you through all of the things you've been through.  I am glad that modern medicine is allowing you to live your life as an adult, and I'm glad you're here. 
Hope 

[dollyvee]

Hi pianoplant,

I'm sorry you're going through that right now.

Stress can have a big impact on the body's nervous system which can impact the immune system.

Sending you support,
dolly

[Armee]

 

[pianoplant]

Thank you everyone 

[Chaos rains]

Hi Pianoplant, and welcome. You're not alone here. I feel your sadness and grief, and share with you wondering how much trauma contributed to my multiple strange diagnoses (multiple tumors all over, pulmonary neuroendocrine cancer most recently). It's tough. But you can know this -- you're among friends here. Glad you're here. 

[Kizzie]

So sorry you didn't have anyone Pianoplant, many of us didn't and it did leave us with seemingly mysterious physical problems.  When you think of the stress hormones our bodies kicked out constantly as kids it makes perfect sense that would change things in our bodies. There's lots of research literature about the physical impact of trauma and more being published every day. There's some examples here - https://www.outofthestorm.website/comorbidities-physical.  Here's a link to one of the first studies to make the connection - https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(98)00017-8/fulltext . 

Unfortunately, most doctors do not know about the correlation between trauma and physical illness/disease because they are not taught about trauma in med school. That is changing but in the meantime we end up trying to track down the facts ourselves. I had Ovarian cancer in 2007 and no-one in my family had had it. It flummoxed me until I learned I had CPTSD many years later and read about the physical repercussions of trauma, cancer being one of them but many others too (cardiac, autoimmune diseases, etc).

Facts aside I'm truly sorry to hear you have MM.  We are about information here but also comfort and support so