A picture’s worth a thousand words!

Hi Keep Pounding Rob team!

Before I explain the pictures, Rob’s monthly cancer labs look good! The multiple myeloma remains inactive at this time. We are so thankful! Chemo continues with three weeks on, one week off.

He had excellent reports from his cardiologist and rheumatologist, and will follow up in six months. 

We are monitoring blood pressure regularly, and we have found a good balance with one medicine helping lower the high heart rate while another is helping raise the low blood pressure (due to chemo and stem cell transplant).

Now to the pictures: The pictures above are incredibly significant and we wanted to share. The picture of Rob on the stairs (which he had no idea I took), says so much about his recovery. 

This is the first set of steep steps (other than the ones leading to our back yard) that he has mastered. While going up and down steps is still tricky, he now can attempt-and succeed –at walking up and down stairs in public.  We have always said slow and steady wins the race-and now the staircase!  😉

The second picture was taken recently with our dog, Dexter. This is significant as a year ago, Rob was throwing the tennis ball for Dexter. That’s when he first felt pain in his shoulder, and he thought he had injured it throwing the ball. 

When he became unable to lift his arm, we knew something more was going on. Granted, we had no idea it was cancer, as that was the furthest thing on our mind.  Looking back at a year ago, we would have never imagined that Rob would have been diagnosed with cancer, have 8 cancerous tumors, undergo chemo (including high dose), a stem cell transplant, and continuing chemo today.  After the diagnosis, we never thought that less than a year later, the multiple myeloma would be inactive and under control.  We also would have never imagined the support, love and kindness shown to us by our amazing Keep Pounding Rob team!!

Thanks to his amazing medical teams and all of you, we can enjoy and embrace these pictures of everyday life on a whole new level!! A picture really is worth a thousand words!!

Up Next: 

Rob continues chemotherapy, and can venture out more, with caution (having hand sanitizer and masks nearby, and avoiding anyone is who is knowingly sick). He’ll get re-vaccinated this month. Anyone who goes through multiple myeloma, chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant losses significant portions of his or her immune system, including the protection provided by all vaccinations received as a newborn.  The other vaccinations occur 1 and 1 ½ years after transplant.

Lung scans will occur in the fall, to keep a proactive eye on an area there. 

We’ll continue to provide updates here, along with some information about resources that LCI offers cancer patients and families. 

Good luck to everyone preparing for (or already at) school and college!

Thank you for helping us Keep Pounding!!