Mutiple Myeloma took its toll on the health of Geraldine Anne Ferraro, Saturday. She is a Democratic politician who was a lawyer, a member of the House of Representatives representing New York’s 9th district, and also an Ambassador to the United Nations. She also ran to the Senate and as a candidate for Vice President, but was unsuccessful on both.
Ferraro first found out about her condition November of 1998, however, it was kept in the dark until 2001. All she felt back then was unusual fatigue during her senatorial campaign.
Kahler’s Disease or more commonly known as Multiple Myeloma is a type of Cancer that is usually characterized by fatigue and bone pain. This disease attacks the plasma cells leading to the depletion of white blood cells. This causes the body to become susceptible to other diseases and infection.
Multiple Myeloma is a rare form of Cancer affecting only one percent of the total population of Cancer patients, however, it is very deadly. This is more common among dark-skinned people and the usual life-span given to someone who is diagnosed is three to four years; although recent advances in technology have significantly increased patients’ prognosis.
The most common symptoms of Multiple Myeloma are fatigue, bone pain which usually centers at the spine and ribs and exacerbated by activity, infections due to decreased white blood cell, anemia, renal failure, retinopathy, and radicular pain. Radicular pain is the kind of pain that radiates from the nerves of your spinal column to the peripheral part of your body.
