Marc’s Story

Site created on January 30, 2020

On January 26, 2020, Marc was, very unexpectedly, diagnosed with multiple myeloma.  Earlier that month he had gone into the hospital for an elective nasal surgery.  He ended up with a cerebrospinal fluid leak following this, resulting in a second hospitalization and surgery to correct it.  During that second stay a broadened panel of blood work revealed his calcium level was elevated.  Long story short, lots of additional tests followed and, ultimately, the MM diagnosis.  It was caught extremely early, and other than the hypercalcemia he had not been compromised (no bone lesions, no kidney damage, etc.).  He'd had no symptoms at all.  Had he not had the complication following his nasal surgery it likely would have been at least a year, if not years, before it was finally caught, by which point his bones and/or organs almost certainly would have been impacted. Since his diagnosis, Marc has undergone four rounds of chemo in preparation for his stem cell transplant, which takes place a mere three days from now.  The road following will of course have it's challenges, but we're expecting the best possible outcome given how early the disease was caught and Marc's irrepressible positivity.  We've been remiss in using this site since we set it up in January, but we're going to try to change that.  In the meantime, feel free to drop Marc a note as he prepares for the next leg of his journey.  Love to all.

Newest Update

October 26, 2020

Journal entry by Marc Ajello —

Hello everyone!  9weeks from stem cell transplant.
7 weeks home!

Today it is nine months to the day of my diagnosis.  Wow, the world has sure changed within that time. COVID has challenged us all, my experiences are so trivial in comparison. Thanks for taking the time to read our posts and thank you with all my heart for your thoughts and prayers!

I went to Emory today for blood work and a visit with my care team.  I’m NORMAL, or at least my blood is! Those of you who may know me well my dispute that, but here is medical proof!  My blood counts are all within range, however my immune system’s memory has been wiped out.  I was able to get a flu shot today, but I must wait a year to get all the other inoculations I need.  There are NO proteins associated with bone marrow cancer present!!!

Most of the tangible side effects are gone, loss of appetite, altered taste, and neuropathy remain.  Neuropathy is the worst part of this journey.  It is probably a blessing that my appetite is suppressed!

I’m walking a lot again, still taking a few naps, and I need to gain strength. I’ll let y’all know of my progress.  Thanks again for taking the time to read these messages.

Marc







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