"You have cancer." Those were some words I never thought I'd hear. My family hasn't had to deal with a family member receiving treatment for cancer either. I lost my dad to ALS in 2002, and lost a nephew, uncle and grandmother well before their time, however this battle is one I have to face. Frankly, I don't want to do this. I've learned things are not always MY choice, so I guess I better pull up my big girl panties and tackle this.
What happened? The doctors noticed an increase in the protein in my blood this fall, which lead to a bone marrow biopsy. Early December, I received the diagnosis of myeloma, also called multiple myeloma.
I will be having a stem cell transplant early spring, so right now I'm preparing my body for that change - medicine and shots to increase the blood cells in my system prior to extracting them for the transplant. The docs will also be saving some stem cells for future transplants. The hope is the transplant will eliminate the myeloma that I have in my system now.
I'm in Indianapolis, with family in Toledo, the Detroit area, the Chicago area, and NYC. My brother Scott drove in from Chicago for my early appointments. Also along my side is Sandy, who I met back at Indiana University just a *few years ago. If you see her, hug her because she's added me to her already full plate. Oh - and ask her what she is painting because she recently started and is AWESOME!
Stick with me as I try to keep you informed how I'm doing. I'm an accountant, not a blogger or writer. So if I drop in an Excel spreadsheet here and there in on this site, know that I'm speaking my true language.
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