28 Weeks Pregnant
Two years. Two years can be a long time or a short time, depending on what you're talking about. Two years in a job is a short time. My son will be two soon and it feels like it was just yesterday he was born. Then there's my two years I'm talking about. Today it has been two years since my first ever appointment with my oncologist where I heard those words nobody wants to hear. "It's not good. It's malignant. You have Multiple Myeloma."
Yep, 28 weeks pregnant and Eric & I are sitting there scared to death of what may be going on and we hear those words spoken to us. I have cancer. And a not curable cancer at that. Yes, it's treatable, but unlike breast cancer and some others, it's not curable. Cancer doesn't discriminate. And it's evident with mine. The "typical" Multiple Myeloma patient is a black male 60 and over. I was a pregnant white female in my 30's.
The old normal in mine and Eric's life was going to work, enjoying some wine tasting with friends (when I wasn't pregnant) and we were enjoying waiting for our little bundle of joy who had 3 months to "cook" still. Then we heard those words and all of a sudden the new normal was doctors appointments and tests one after the other. My diagnosis got me a new, and amazing also, OB for my pregnancy. I started to see her every 2 weeks or so. Then there were the stress tests. Labs. MRI's to see the damage the cancer had done to my back and neck bones. More labs. And more meetings with my oncologist. That was the new normal starting at 28 weeks pregnant. At that time too we were told we may have to deliver our baby boy at 30-32 weeks.
Once we had a better picture of the damage the cancer had done and a treatment plan to start, we decided to go week by week. We hit each week and got us closer to full term each day we kept Brandon in. Finally, we were set for delivering him at 34 weeks. As that day got closer, we started to get us ready. A tour of the NICU. I got some steroid shots to help Brandon's lungs develop a little more. More stress tests. More labs. As that day was almost here, we decided I was doing well enough to wait a little longer. That ended up being only a week as Brandon was growing and putting more weight on my spine where they found compression fractures caused by the cancer. Brandon putting that weight on my spine gave me horrible back aches that I couldn't do anything about, so it was time. Brandon was delivered at 35 weeks 3 days via c-section. C-section because the doctors, both my oncologist and my new OB, believed a vaginal delivery would put too much pressure on my fractures. Eric and I agreed and the c-section it was.
In the Hospital Room Before Delivery
Family Of Three
In the operating room there were my nurse, my OB, the anesthesiologist, some other nurses and the NICU nurses on standby. Brandon came out, I saw him, he got cleaned up and checked out and then he was brought to me and I watched the NICU nurses leave the room. NO NICU time for my precious little boy. He got to stay with his mama! That was the best part of it all. I was able to be with him the whole time.
Me & Brandon In Recovery
After our few days in recovery at the hospital, we were allowed to go home a day early. That was our wish and the doctors approved as I was doing well, baby was well and there were a lot of new mamas the night before, so we wanted to help free up another room. Now that we were home, the new normal was sleepless nights and more doctor appointments. And five weeks later I started chemotherapy.
First Trip To Stanford
We waited five weeks so I could recover some from my c-section and have a little bit of "normal" time with our new baby. So, our new normal was changing yet again. On November 11th I started my chemo treatment. Once a week I went in for a shot of Velcade in my belly and once a month I got a Zometa IV for my bones. I did 7 rounds of that. And it never failed. After the first month, I started to get sick the Saturday after treatment. Try taking care of a newborn while having to run to the bathroom every so often. Not fun at all.
New Hair Before It Comes Out
About To Leave For Stanford
Before the Hickman Line
After the Hickman Line
After my 7 rounds were done, it was time for my stem cell transplant. That was an almost 2 month process. It started with getting my Hickman port line and a high dose of chemo to kill everything in my body. After that we went home until my white blood count was up to the right count. Luckily it took only a few days and I surpassed the number we needed. That night we drove to Stanford to get ready for the next day when they would take my stem cells out. The good healthy ones. Luckily, I was able to give more than enough for my transplant. I actually had enough for 2 transplants. A few weeks later we went back to Stanford for more chemo and then my stem cell transplant.
High Dose Of Chemo
After High Dose Of Chemo With HEPA Mask
Shaved Head
Family Picture With Shaved Heads (Not Brandon Though)
My stem cell transplant was rough. The actual act of getting my stem cells was fine. It was the days after that were tough. You see, your body almost shuts down. Basically, you have no immune system and it makes you weak. I wasn't able to really care for Brandon so we had helpers. I got sick every time I tried to take my meds and finally, after a week, I was admitted to the hospital because I was spiking a fever. Never good when you have no immune system. I also had issues eating and drinking because the Melphalan chemo I had before my transplant ended up causing sores in my throat. So I couldn't really swallow anything. That lasted about a week while I was hospitalized. Luckily it was only a week in the hospital. Away from Eric and Brandon and everybody I knew. It was a tough time, but I got through it. Knowing that the sooner I got better, the sooner I got to see my little family. So I fought harder and rested a lot.
Tram To Stanford Cancer Center From Parking
Overnight BCNU Chemo
Getting My Stem Cells
Happy RE-Birthday
Hospitalized & Not Feeling Well After Transplant
After that week, I got to go home. I still had to be careful. If we went anywhere or outside, I had to wear a Hepa mask. The mask lasted until I got to day +30. Then I was free to eat anything and go outside unmasked. 30 days was tough, but I still had 70 days to go for the 100 days was over. That's the time they give when they see most relapses. Luckily, I made it to the +100 days without any issues.
Dad Visiting In the Hospital
Feeding My Boy While Hospitalized
Home From Stanford FINALLY
+50 Days After Transplant
+100 Day After Transplant
About a month and a half after my transplant I started on my, at least, two years every other week of maintenance chemo. I was/am back on Velcade and Zometa for my bones. Velcade will last another year and Zometa is basically for the rest of my life as this cancer will eat away and destroy bone. The last year of maintenance chemo went well until recently. Before, I didn't get sick. But a little over a month ago it has started to make me sick. Really nauseous and dizzy/light headed. Mostly almost immediately after my treatment and other days it comes and doesn't go away for two days.
Waiting For My Vertebroplasty Procedure
Thoracic Spine Before & After
In December, to help heal/fix some of my compression fractures in my spine, I had a procedure called a Vertebroplasty done. It's where they inject a medical grade cement into your spine where the fractures are and fill it in. Making a bone "whole" again. I'll tell ya, I would do it all again. It was the easiest procedure I've ever done and the pain was gone almost immediately. Well, except for the soreness of the hammering into my spine that I had for a day. Since this procedure, I have been able to hold Brandon so much longer than I used to be able to. I've been able to do things I hadn't been able to do when we found out about the fractures. I'll probably have this procedure done again in other sections of my spine, but for now it is doing well. Minus when I overwork it and I have more pain, or forget to take my pain medicine. Another thing happening is that the stem cell transplant wiped me clean. I ended up with no vaccines anymore and in menopause. Now that I am 1 year post transplant, I have started to get my vaccinations again. It's a long process, but I will finally have immunity again.
I didn't do anything to get this cancer. Thee wasn't any exposure to the sun or artificial rays. It wasn't in my DNA to get. Doctors and researchers don't know how people get Multiple Myeloma, but they believe its environmental. Something you're exposed to. Some see a few people in the family who get diagnosed. Others it comes out of nowhere. I did find out about a year or so ago that a great aunt of mine that I've never met and lives clear across the United States has this cancer. Otherwise, the only cancer in my blood history was my paternal grandmothers. She had lung cancer from smoking. I know our first question two years ago today was if I was going to pass it to Brandon. The answer was no. It wasn't/isn't genetic. I can only hope that is true. I never want my son to go through any of this. If I can protect him from it, I will.
I Am 1 Year Old
To this day I am doing well. Yes, I get sick from chemo. Yes, I have bad days. And yes, my back still hurts, just not as bad. I will have to live the rest of my life with this cancer, but I am hopeful there will be a cure soon. I am hopeful I will be around to see Brandon graduate high school and college, get married and start a family of his own. I hope I can be there to see my grandkids be born. All I can do is hope. For now, I cherish every day I have with Brandon and Eric. Never knowing what will happen the next day or how my body will be. I cherish every day. For a cancer that has a life expectancy of 3-5 years, I feel, today, that I will be around for many many more years. Especially with the help and support of my family and friends. I do believe a positive attitude helps also!
Most Recent Chemo & Zometa (Maintenance)
Today
