[cturner]

Big surprise

by cturner on Thu Jan 28, 2016 11:13 am

In the course of regular activities running our summer cottage business, new aches and pains emerged which were not welcome. After failed attempts to find answers from our local doctors, I contacted my PC doc. It did not take him long to find the M-spike which put me in the hospital at the end of August. The result was a clear diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Surprise!

I am 79, 80 on January 31, and have been undergoing chemo since the August surprise. LIfe has changed dramatically, since my wife and I are quite active. We had to cancel a transatlantic sailing voyage, put our motorhome up for sale, move into winter quarters where it is winter and undergo the necessary weekly treatments and all that goes with it.

I am responding to treatment – Velcade, Cytoxan and other drugs – and doctors are quite pleased, as am I. We are in Rochester, New York, University of Rochester Strong Hospital Wilmot Cancer Center. The care has been just great. Toss in a bout of pneumonia along the way as well.

Our careers have been: Joyce, Xerox supervisor of benefits processing, among other tasks; Carrol, executive minister of the Rochester / Genesee Region of the American Baptist Churches. Prior to that was pastor of churches in Massachusetts. Retired early; lived on our sailboat in the southern Caribbean for 14 winters, then motorhome for 6 winters; summer in the Adirondack mountains running the Turner Camps, a houskeeping cottage colony which has been in the Turner family for 103 years.

Enough – I am busy learning about multiple myeloma and how to cope and make things better.

[lrankin]

Re: Big surprise

by lrankin on Thu Jan 28, 2016 2:41 pm

Cturner - I am sorry to hear about your diagnoses but glad to hear you are responding to treatment. This forum has been invaluable to me. Can't imagine not having it.

One question - Are you seeing a multiple myeloma specialist? You will find it is highly recommended to do that rather than only see a hematologist/oncologist. If you mentioned your team were multiple myeloma specialists, I apologize. If they are not, do find one. You are in an excellent area to find one.