Back, bone pain, a sign Aliyah has myeloma

Aliyah Adon @ Mohd Don figured out that something was wrong with her when she kept on experiencing pain in her back and bones.

The poking pain had made it difficult for the woman to lie down, let alone sleep well.

"X-ray tests found many white spots on the spine and blood showed an abnormal reading," she said.

Refusing to jump to conclusions, the doctor had asked Aliyah to undergo a cancer diagnosis.

According to the 42-year-old patient, there was no solid cancer detected, but the examination found that her kidney had deteriorated.

The mother of four had then been referred to a hematologist.

"Yes, it's sad to say that the blood test and bone marrow examination had confirmed that I have multiple myeloma cancer," she said.

Aliyah remained calm as she still had the opportunity to receive immediate treatment.

The Muar-born shared that she had undergone chemotherapy six times.

"I was given bortezomib by injection while the other two, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone were taken orally.

"Looking at the aggressive state of the cancer, the doctor advised me to undergo transplant treatment from my own body cells," she said.

Aliyah told SinarPlus that she had also received a cell donation from her own sister before being diagnosed with cancer that was under control.

At first, she was told that she had recovered, but it did not last long as the results of a PET scan showed signs of recurring cancer.

"For the second myeloma attack, the cancer had attacked my knees.

"The doctor then suggested that I undergo targeted chemotherapy using 10 doses of daratumumab through drip," she said.

To strengthen her body's immune system, Aliyah had once again received some cells donated from her sister.

While her body resistance was quite poor throughout the treatment, she did not experience any serious side effects. The woman was also grateful as her treatment process was not as difficult as some others.

"Praise be to Allah, my cancer is now under control and I have been able to live a normal life since a year ago.

"However, I still have to go for regular check-ups every three months," she added.

In the meantime, to ensure her well-being, Aliyah was advised to adopt a healthy lifestyle and diet.

"The doctor suggested me to take care of my diet and take meals high in protein to rebuild the damaged tissues.

"Besides that, I also do light exercises by walking up the stairs and doing daily activities at home," she added.