Multiple MyelomaThe Struggle to Survive

By Sandra Staheli

(Healthnfitness.6vdl.com, 2011)

Do you Choose Treatment?

What Do You Do With a Diagnosis?

• What is Multiple Myeloma? (Harvard Women's Health Watch, 2011)

• Do you choose treatment?(American Cancer Society, 2011)

• Do you choose quantity?(American Cancer Society, 2011)

What stage you are in plays a big role for life expectancy for Multiple

Myeloma.

Treatment Choices• Stem Cell

Transplants• Bone Marrow

Biopsy• Radiation• Surgery• Steroid Therapy• Chemotherapy• Blood

Transfusions(A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia (Pub Med Health), 2011)

Having Multiple Myeloma and Choosing To Do Treatment Came With

a Price.• Heart attack• Failing Kidneys• Loss of hair• Bones feel extremely

cold• Lesions too

numerous to count• Broken ribs

• Low immunity• Broken back• Deliriousness• CMV• Yellow teeth from

chemo

• Septic shock• Over 20 bags

of platelets and blood

• Testosterone levels have dropped significantly

• Having to get 2 different ports surgically put in and having them accessed at least once a month

• Pneumonia• Night sweats• Hot flashes

• Multiple Broken Bones

• Loss of 70 pounds• Lost 3 inches of height• Nightmares from chemo

(Putnam (Connie & Danny), 2011)

Does Cancer Define Who You Are?What Cancer Can Not Doby Anonymous (cancernet.co.uk, 2011)

Cancer is so limited…It cannot cripple loveIt cannot shatter hopeIt cannot corrode faithIt cannot destroy peaceIt cannot kill friendship(s)It cannot suppress memoriesIt cannot silence courageIt cannot invade the soulIt cannot steal eternal lifeIt cannot conquer the spirit.

Multiple Myeloma has many factors.

• Age• Gender• Lifestyle• Stage of

Cancer(American Cancer Society, 2011)

Did Danny Choose the Right Treatment With His Diagnosis?

• Has survived 2 and ½ years with one relapse.

• Has made peace with death.

• Has learned physical limits.

• Has restored his dad’s 1954 Ford pickup.

• Spends each non-sick moment of his life doing the things that he loves.

(Putnam, (Connie & Danny), 2011)

Bibliography• A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia (Pub Med Health) (2011). Multiple Myeloma

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001609/

• American Cancer Society (2011). Multiple Myeloma. www.cancer.org retrieved fromhttp://www.cancer.org/Cancer/MultipleMyeloma/index

• Cancernet.co.uk (2011) What Cancer Cannot Do Poem cancernet.co.uk retrieved from http://www.cancernet.co.uk/poems.htm

• Fawcett, Farrah (2009). Farrah’s Story. www.nbc.com retrieved from http://www.nbc.com/farrahsstory/video/episodes/

• Harvard Women's Health Watch (2011). Progress in Treating Multiple Myeloma.web.ebscohost.com.dbprox.slcc.edu retrieved fromhttp://web.ebscohost.com.dbprox.slcc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5931c21 0-35974962-8ceb-3a4cfb5a01e8%40sessionmgr10&vid=5&hid=19

• HealthnFitness.6vdl.com (2011). Picture comparison of treatment. healthnfitness.6vdl.com retrieved from http://healthnfitness.6vdl.com/applications-cancer-treatment/

• Putnam, Connie (2011). Personal Interview with Connie Putnam: Caregiver of Cancer Patient.ConniePutnamInterview.docx

• Putnam, Danny (2011). Personal Interview with Danny Putnam: Patient with Cancer. DannyPutnamInterview.docx