Charty Bassett Oh My(eloma)

Welcome to our Caring Bridge website -- my hope is to keep family and friends posted as we travel this journey battling multiple myeloma.  Still I long to communicate individually with you as much as I can, but I've been warned that my energy may flag during parts of this treatment.  Thank you for visiting us!



This website is being launched March 18,2010, exactly three weeks since the startling diagnosis. What we had assumed to be another annoying age-related pain in the hip would not respond to physical therapy, so an MRI was done.  It turns out I have multiple myeloma -- a cancer of the plasma cells, and one which is very treatable.   A little research shows that the median myeloma patient is over 65, male, African-American, obese and employed in the petroleum industry  .... hmmmm.  Not sure how I missed on all five counts, but in any case the diagnosis is sure, and treatment has begun.  Radiation to my hip was begun last week, chemo started this week, and a long course of treatment stretches well into the summer.  Both Brant and I are feeling optimistic -- and very thankful...not for the disease per se, but for our amazing circle of family and friends who have reached out to us and are pulling and praying for us; for a wonderful medical team that is doing all in its power to beat this illness; for the deep assurance that however things shake out, the end of the story is good; and for each lovely day that is given to us.
Thank you for your warm words of love and support; I don't think I ever took my family and friends for granted, but our current circumstances make the sweetness jump out all the more.