So then when I got rid of my anger I had to realize yes I stopped smoking but I smoked for maybe 30yrs or more and benzene is a by-product of cigarette smoke. Because when I read what can cause multiple myeloma I was thinking I never worked around benzene and finally one of the articles I read said that benzene is a by-product of cigarette smoke. So I did it to myself. Well life is a journey some journeys are fun and exciting some not so much. But I thank God every day I get up and fix breakfast, take care of my daily needs get back and forth to the doctor and get my treatment. When I see my young men they're men now and when we can still get together and enjoy each others company. So as we say at our cancer center well we all got go from something. So enjoy life while you can and I think that's the message here. Take Care.
Forums
Re: Why me??
Well that's sort of how I felt when I was diagnosed, but I was always told not ask that question because why not you? I was angry because I felt I was a good person not perfect but never went out of my way to hurt anyone intentionally and always tried to help others. But enough of that there was no one in my family who died from cancer. Alzheimer's, kidney disease, and heart failure. So Imagine my surprise when I was told if I'm not hit by a bus or whatever your family history is, it doesn't matter because you have cancer. And I really worried about Alzheimer's because you know my memory is starting to fade. So then when I got rid of my anger I had to realize yes I stopped smoking but I smoked for maybe 30yrs or more and benzene is a by-product of cigarette smoke. Because when I read what can cause multiple myeloma I was thinking I never worked around benzene and finally one of the articles I read said that benzene is a by-product of cigarette smoke. So I did it to myself. Well life is a journey some journeys are fun and exciting some not so much. But I thank God every day I get up and fix breakfast, take care of my daily needs get back and forth to the doctor and get my treatment. When I see my young men they're men now and when we can still get together and enjoy each others company. So as we say at our cancer center well we all got go from something. So enjoy life while you can and I think that's the message here. Take Care.
So then when I got rid of my anger I had to realize yes I stopped smoking but I smoked for maybe 30yrs or more and benzene is a by-product of cigarette smoke. Because when I read what can cause multiple myeloma I was thinking I never worked around benzene and finally one of the articles I read said that benzene is a by-product of cigarette smoke. So I did it to myself. Well life is a journey some journeys are fun and exciting some not so much. But I thank God every day I get up and fix breakfast, take care of my daily needs get back and forth to the doctor and get my treatment. When I see my young men they're men now and when we can still get together and enjoy each others company. So as we say at our cancer center well we all got go from something. So enjoy life while you can and I think that's the message here. Take Care.-
bdrake - Name: Bren
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/09/2012
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Why me??
I was 67 when diagnosed with breast cancer and smoldering multiple myeloma. No one in my family for at least 5 generations had cancer. Why me doesn't enter my thoughts. Things happen. There are no reasons for things, they happen. I have always been very healthy, don't smoke, ate healthy and exercised. I did however grown up in WV where they put used industrial oil on the dirt roads by my house and have lived 40 years in New Orleans where we get our water from the Mississippi and breath refinery air.
I am HR and had a SCT.
I am HR and had a SCT.
-
Msmulberry - Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2010
- Age at diagnosis: 67
Re: Why me??
My husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma last year at aged 72. He had one brother who died at age 50 of lymphoma, unfortunately, we do not know which type of lymphoma he had. My husband grew up not far from a fertilizer plant which my father worked in for 15 years -- but none of us got cancer. I moved to an agricultural area at age 10 and saw lots of crops being sprayed, but again, no cancer. My husband worked in a university settling so was not exposed to anything we are aware of later except creosote which he used on the house posts for termites. Chevron does have a large refinery a few miles away and we have heard there is a greater incidence of lung cancer in the area but no higher incidence of other cancers has been mentioned. We look forward to them finding out more about the causes of multiple myeloma.
-
cory
Re: Why me??
My husband was diagnosed at 69 w/a large plasmacytoma that had eaten away 2 ribs in Jan 2012. He had radiation but in June he was diagnosed w/multiple myeloma because he had another rib cracked & several lesions throughout his body. In March 2013 he had a stem cell transplant & is in remission. For 32 yrs he worked for Exxon delivering fuel oil, gasoline & jet fuel. His doctors say multiple myeloma is caused by environmental things, not heredity or genetics. Several men he worked w/died of cancer but we don't know what kind. Some were many yrs ago & may not have been diagnosed properly. We are just happy for the extra time the transplant is giving him.
-
marilyn w
Re: Why me??
I had my stem cell transplant in Denver. Met several guys from Wyoming that worked the oil fields with benzene being a major component of the industry. These guys drove trucks hauling benzene products.
As for me, I was a model citizen, no exposure to anything harmful and no history of blood cancers in the family. Like mentioned earlier, bad luck I guess. But, gotta keep moving forward and enjoy life for as long as possible. Jerry,
As for me, I was a model citizen, no exposure to anything harmful and no history of blood cancers in the family. Like mentioned earlier, bad luck I guess. But, gotta keep moving forward and enjoy life for as long as possible. Jerry,
-
JBarnes - Name: Jerry Barnes
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Aug 17, 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 54
Re: Why me??
Our family has zero history of cancer, except my Dad's uncle who died because of colon cancer. Dad owned (and managed--only managed) a car workshop for about 8 years before switching to the construction industry until today. He does not smoke, does not drink, does not take drugs, sleeps at 11pm, wakes up at 8am, always eats my Mom's food, rarely eats outside, and lives in a clean neighborhood that used to be a swamp area (no oil involved).
Yet, he is here today with p53del Multiple Myeloma.
The only possible explanation of any chemicals is: he has been driving diesel cars for over 20 years. I'm not talking about clean, modern, BMW-like diesel; but I'm talking about dirty, old, Isuzu-type of diesel engines. Also, until recently, we did not have a canopy on our carport, which means that, the all-year sunny 90 degrees-ish Fahrenheit (33C) have been baking the car's interior. When one goes inside the car, he/she can smell the chemicals from the car's plastic and other things.
This may be the only explanation I have.... But it may just be a wrong explanation.
And recently, we never thought of why multiple myeloma anymore; we lean towards "why p53del?" Normal-risk multiple myeloma patients can live for 10, 15, or even more years... but the prognosis is not as good for the high-risk ones, especially for the p53del trait.
Sigh... It just happens, I suppose?
Yet, he is here today with p53del Multiple Myeloma.
The only possible explanation of any chemicals is: he has been driving diesel cars for over 20 years. I'm not talking about clean, modern, BMW-like diesel; but I'm talking about dirty, old, Isuzu-type of diesel engines. Also, until recently, we did not have a canopy on our carport, which means that, the all-year sunny 90 degrees-ish Fahrenheit (33C) have been baking the car's interior. When one goes inside the car, he/she can smell the chemicals from the car's plastic and other things.
This may be the only explanation I have.... But it may just be a wrong explanation.
And recently, we never thought of why multiple myeloma anymore; we lean towards "why p53del?" Normal-risk multiple myeloma patients can live for 10, 15, or even more years... but the prognosis is not as good for the high-risk ones, especially for the p53del trait.
Sigh... It just happens, I suppose?
Re: Why me??
I am pretty sure my myeloma is the result of exposure to known and unknown chemicals during my life.
I grew up in a region where aerial spraying of the banana plantations occurred. Apparently there was an increase in the incidence of birth defects.
My father was a dentist and his practice was at the back of our house. Mercury and other chemicals were stored in our house (2 rooms away from the kitchen!).
My grandmother used to use organophosphates on the garden, they were stored under the house. As children we were told not to go in there - it was a great hiding spot. I can visualise all those rusting containers.
My parents owned a pecan orchard and used chemicals on the trees and crops we would grow in between the trees.
If the above wasnt enough to send me on the myeloma pathway I think that being a molecular biologist and working with radiation, carcinogens and mutagens probably tipped the scales.
I grew up in a region where aerial spraying of the banana plantations occurred. Apparently there was an increase in the incidence of birth defects.
My father was a dentist and his practice was at the back of our house. Mercury and other chemicals were stored in our house (2 rooms away from the kitchen!).
My grandmother used to use organophosphates on the garden, they were stored under the house. As children we were told not to go in there - it was a great hiding spot. I can visualise all those rusting containers.
My parents owned a pecan orchard and used chemicals on the trees and crops we would grow in between the trees.
If the above wasnt enough to send me on the myeloma pathway I think that being a molecular biologist and working with radiation, carcinogens and mutagens probably tipped the scales.
-
LibbyC - Name: LibbyC
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 43
Re: Why me??
Yes - I got the same "bad luck" response from one of my doctors. I do find it very puzzling though and wish that there were more specific information available about the cause of this disease. I was a very fit and otherwise healthy 45 year old when diagnosed ("Oligo-Secretory Plasmacytomas" - a Multiple Myeloma variant) but do have some questions about past exposures - worked in a dry cleaners in high school (mostly in retail area only), worked in a studio building for several months that was designated as "sick" when I was in architecture school (Roofing compounds got into the mechanical system) - also spent many a night in the darkroom during those years. No cancer in my family and everyone is very healthy - all older than me. I did have an early melanoma removed from my arm 10 years ago and have had a fair amount of sun exposure during childhood and teen years - pre-using lots of sunscreen and also lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico for 7 years. Something surprising that I learned recently was that a good friend of mine who also has myeloma (he's only 39/ diagnosed around 37), grew up about a mile and half away from eachother in Richmond, Va. Who knows.........? Seems like the chemical and radiation exposure might be at play with my case, but I'll probably never know. I do hope that with more genetic profiling, maybe a lot more can be learned - i.e., if I've had Melanoma, the problem gene(s) may be helpful in determining the best treatment. I read an article mentioning this in "Nature."
Looking forward to the time when this type of care becomes accessible and I hope I'm here to benefit from it.
Looking forward to the time when this type of care becomes accessible and I hope I'm here to benefit from it.
-
amyeich
Re: Why me??
Didn't work around chemicals but did work a year on rf jammers for the government. Was exposed to uhf, high power rf in 2006 to 2007. Myeloma showed up in 2011. Who knows what causes this cancer. I just deal with it and do what my Dr. Tells me to do. Life goes on.
-
coop223 - Name: derek cooper
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: November 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 57
Re: Why me??
My exposure? I grew up in the mid west with farm land all around. Well water on the farm from the time I was 11-22 years old. I was a cosmetologist for 10 years and colored my hair 25 years. I have read a lot about dark hair dyes and myeloma. I cringe when I see young girls dying their hair dark...I bite my tongue way too often. Needless to say....my dark brown hair is becoming "blond", ok, maybe more silver!
-
Jaksix
25 posts
• Page 2 of 3 • 1, 2, 3