The Road to Myeloma Recovery During and After Myeloma Treatment with Melanie House, DPT, NCS

Melanie J. House, DPT, NCS Clinical Specialist Department of Rehabilitation Therapies University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Interview Date: April 26, 2016 

Myeloma treatment can be physically brutal. Melanie House is a physical therapist who shares her approach to recovery for patients in treatment and post-transplant. She tells us that laying in bed for just 35 days can create 20-25% loss in muscle strength, so staying strong is critical. She teaches us why we have decreased strength (thanks dex and chemo) and what patients can specifically do about it. She encourages patients to share their side effects with their health care team so that they are aware how the treatments are affecting quality of life. When deciding how hard to push, she tells us to let the data decide: Take a blood pressure (lying down, sitting AND standing) and watch your heart rate to know when it's too much. She also tells us how to test for balance, prevent falls and reduce pain, especially in the back. Her caregiving approach is a great example - remove barriers for the patient and use the data to decide whether a patient should be encouraged to get moving or play it safe and exercise in bed. There is so much to learn in this very important show about getting ourselves back on track.

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