Our cancer journey started in November 2018. Larry was diagnosed with Prostrate Cancer. They wanted to make sure the prostrate cancer had not spread so they did a bone scan and found a couple of spots. At that point, they were not sure if it was from the Prostrate Cancer so they did a Bone Biopsy on the spots and the results came back negative for Prostrate Cancer but their suspicion was Myeloma. So then he had to have a bone marrow biopsy done and results came back it was Myeloma. He had pain in his back so they started him off with 32 rounds of radiation on his back and started Lupron shots for his prostrate cancer. After radiation treatments, Larry started weekly Chemo shots and bone strengthener infusions. After a couple of months, we were advised to go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, for a second opinion as to what our options were for treatments. So we spent 3 days up there with Larry going through all kinds of tests including another bone marrow biopsy and PET scan. The scan showed he had Multiple Myeloma. His right shoulder, spine, rib, right hip, and right knee were and he was recommended to have a stem cell transplant. Came back home and started the weekly chemo shots and the bone strengthener infusions. In July of 2019 we got the call from Mayo Clinic on when his transplant was scheduled. The end of July we stopped the Chemo Shots and headed up to Mayo Clinic for 6 weeks for the transplant the end of August. The first 2 weeks was mostly harvesting stem cells as Larry was creating his own stem cells, classes on preparing us for what we are about to endure. I was with my husband 6 weeks, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. We made 2 trips to the hospital every day while we were in Rochester. On September 11,2019 Larry received his dose of chemo to kill off his immune system and September 13, 2019 he received his transplant. By the way September 13th was Friday the 13th. Myeloma is a cancer that there is no real cure for, so he will always being treated. Currently, the cancer in his spine is bone on bone, the Lumbar area is narrowing and he has spinal cord damage. We are going up to Mayo Clinic for treatments for these back problems. Every time we go to Mayo, we usually go through $200 easily, for gas, eats, hotel stay, and Valet. We used to get help from the LLS organization to get reimbursed for what he pays for his medicare, his supplement, and his medicine. But they have not been getting the funding for the Multiple Myeloma Co Assistance program. Larry is getting SS only, I get SS and have 2 part-time jobs to help make the payments. Money is really tight right now. Since 2018 we have used up my 401K completely to pay for all his medical expenses. In 2019 Larry had so much medical done that his medical bills for the year was way over a million dollars. We paid the remaining balance. We spent 6 weeks up in Rochester for Larry’s transplant. We even cashed in one life insurance so would like to use some of the money to prepay his funeral expenses. The money would help us with any more trips to Minnesota, living expenses, prepaying funeral expenses for Larry, and any more medical expenses that arrive.
As of 02/02/2023 we were in Rochester where Larry had an Lumbar MRI, xrays and seen a spine surgeon. Surgery is the best option for him at this time. The spine specialist, neurologist and the surgeon have all said that all his back problems have to do with all the radiation treatments he had done back in 2018 and 2019. Cancer in his spine is bone on bone, the lumbar region is narrowing and he has spinal cord damage.