Kick in the Gut

I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in March of 2016. It all started with severe back pain, that started in January. I waited to see an orthopedic doctor. When the doctor took x-rays and reviewed them, he told me I needed to see an oncologist right away. That was the first kick in the gut moment.

Diagnosed with multiple myeloma

When I did see the oncologist, later the same week, we started with testing. There was a PET scan; a biopsy of a mass on my left lung; an aspirate from my hip. After the biopsy, I got the call that I had MM. This was the second kick in the gut. I was told that before the biopsy, they were afraid I had stage 4 lung cancer. But the mass was a plasmacytoma.

Incurable

The doctor told me that was good news because although the cancer is incurable, it's treatable. Incurable...that was the third kick in the gut. I had a stem cell transplant in November of 2016. I'm almost at the 5-year mark for remission.

I'm not letting this disease control me. Since my SCT, I have been to Italy twice; I'm walking 3.5 miles a day; I ride my bike as much as I can; I try and spend as much time as I can with friends and family enjoying life.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Blood-Cancer.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.