I wanted to say thanks to Matt Moriarty at the Pilot for helping to raise awareness about MM by writing an article about my campaign to raise funds for the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF). If you’re local, and would like to make a tax deductible donation, you can click on the link to the left or drop your check made out to the International Myeloma Foundation at our office at 285 West New York Avenue in Southern Pines. The IMF is rated 4 stars by charitynavigator.org, so you know your donation will be put to good use.
I wanted to make a correction or two to the article content. I’m not sure how I came to have myeloma. One of the possible causes of MM is exposure to too much radiation, but (as far as I know), I’ve never had anything more than xrays. I did work in an industry for a short time in which a lot of toxic chemicals are used.
My stem cells are frozen at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. The procedure to have them reinfused is non-invasive. The cells are thawed and then returned to the patient intravenously.
Advances in cancer research are being accomplished almost daily. There are some who believe a cure for MM is within the realm of possibility in the not to distant future! The good news about much of this research is that it can be applied to other diseases. Velcade, a proteasome inhibitor approved for MM, is now being tested for use against lymphomas, leukemias, lung cancers and others.