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Friday, June 30, 2017

Work Email from May 11, 2011

I'm down to perhaps 19 working days. I've been grinding since May 2, 2011, trying to balance work, life, chemo, etc.  Myeloma wise I'm good. Otherwise I'm pooped and have had a whole bunch of annoying side effects that I've had to deal with since getting back from Kilimanjaro. It is absolutely time to slow things down.


As I clean out my office and delete or save files and emails, I came across an email I sent on May 11, 2011 to coworkers letting them know what's up. It's quite surreal to read it.....


Good morning,

I am guessing that some of you have noticed I haven’t been around a lot lately.  This is going to be the case for the next 5 or 6 months, where I am working a reduced schedule.  I debated doing a mass email to people and I debated not saying anything. But as a compromise, I wanted to get some of you up to speed.   And you can feel free to share this information.  But also please note that I want this to be low key and somewhat of a private thing.  Plus, believe it or not, coming to work when I can, is a good thing. 

Having said all of the above, here’s the story:

A few months ago, I started to feel weak and fatigued, with an assortment of other weird things going on.  After lots of tests and doctors, I got a diagnosis early last week. I have something called multiple myeloma.  It’s a bone marrow cancer.  I already started chemo….twice a week with every 3rd week off. This goes on for 6 months. So far, I feel pretty good.  If you decide to do some googling, be careful…the typical patient is over 65 and African American male.  So statistics on this don’t necessarily apply to me. I can stay as active as I feel up to.  I am not riding my bike to work though, which sucks. I get too tuckered.

And I think that is it.

Matt

2 comments:

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    1. Lol Matt, our lives right now are so parallel! My last day was this past Friday, June 30, and my retirement party the same night.
      Completed clearing out my office on Sat July 1. Today, walking into the chemo lab for Darzalex #14, I am a full time cancer patient, private citizen LOL!
      I too sent my colleagues and staff an OMG I've been diagnosed with Myeloma email on Jan 1, 2010, as I was Dx'd Dec 30, 2009. I'll have to find that email and reread it. Thanks for the reminder. Crazy how parallel our myeloma lives are.
      All the best Matt, and I hope your treatment continues to be effective for a long long time, and you can enjoy good times to come, to infinity! Julie

      Do you cringe when people say, "happy retirement"! Enjoy this next phase of your life"... ahahhaaa, externally myeloma is so deceiving!

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Berenson Oncology Success Rate

 Some reading about my myeloma specialist's success rate. A press release and an article from Targeted Oncology.