Tim's Multiple Myeloma Journey

Day 30 On Tuesday Tim was given an IV infusion of an antiviral medication. It took about 6 hours due to premedications and hydration that had to be given in conjunction with the antiviral infusion. They had him in isolation which means less chance of germs and a more comfortable setup. We appreciated that accommodation. The antiviral medicine has helped Tim. He is feeling a bit better and was able to finally get some much needed sleep. We’re hoping his appetite comes back as

Day 27 I know it’s time to blog when my text messages start to fill up. Thanks for your concern. It’s been a busy few days. Tim had a doctor’s appointment in Neptune on Thursday and was not feeling well when he arrived. They ran some tests and decided he needed to stay for an infusion. So a “quick” visit turned into a couple of hours. He was given 2 new medicines to take home with him to help with his side effects. We went back to the beach house but quickly decided we had t

Day 22 Doctor’s appointment today in Neptune. Labs are showing an issue with Tim’s liver enzymes so unfortunately he is going to have to increase his steroid medication. We are disappointed. He is struggling to get rid of the nausea and get a good night’s sleep and this will make it even harder to do. Recheck of labs will be on Thursday.

Today’s appointment went well. Tim’s lymphocytes are under control so the medicine is working. He can reduce the amount of steroids which will in turn reduce some of the bothersome side effects. He was told to keep hydrated to decrease his creatinine number. He hasn’t been sleeping well and was told to take a sleep aid. The doctor said , “ Don’t be a hero - take the sleeping pill”. He tells me he will at the end of the Phillies game tonight. We are taking it very easy and en

Tim had an appointment with his Car T doctor today at the hospital. The good news is that his new CarT cells are definitely active and multiplying. The bad news is that his lymphocytes are reproducing too rapidly. This causes inflammation which could cause neurotoxicity. Tim is now taking steroids along with other medicines to help fight infection. He is under a watchful eye! He will see the doctor again on Tuesday. We are hoping for an uneventful weekend.

Day 9 and Tim is out of the hospital and back to the beach! It feels like a miracle. He did not get another fever and did very well through the night last night. He will go back tomorrow for labs and an appointment and will continue going back for monitoring for the next couple of weeks. In the meantime Tim will enjoy recuperating in the Highlands. Thanks for all of your love and support. p.s. Erin ran out of emails on WIX so if you are not getting email reminders about new b

Day 8 is almost over and we got some good news to share. Tim made it through the night and all day today without a fever. If he does not spike another fever and continues doing this well, he could be discharged tomorrow afternoon! He is very excited for some freedom and a possible early release. Tonight, Tim watched videos sent by family and friends and enjoyed every second of it. We are so grateful to be surrounded by such thoughtful people. Hopefully our next update is fr

Day 7 was projected to be the day any side effects would occur. It started out uneventful until 3:45 pm when Tim spiked a fever and had a few other side effects. The medical team took quick action which was greatly appreciated. Long story short, they gave him Tylenol, IV antibiotics, and anti inflammatory medications. The fever is currently under control and other tests were done with results pending. He already feels better. They will keep a close eye on him tonight. His bl

Happy Labor Day Weekend. Day 5 was a good one! Tim is doing well with no major complaints. The hospital is calm and quiet for the holiday. The weather has been beautiful and we spent a good amount of time outside today.

Today is considered “Day 2”. Day 0 was infusion day. His days line up with the dates on the calendar so it’s easy to track. Tim is in good spirits. He got the okay from his doctor to go outside into the hospital’s courtyard this week only. He and Erin had catch out there yesterday since no one was around. Today we just sat and enjoyed the cooler weather. Unfortunately, when he got back to the room he was told that he had low magnesium, potassium, and electrolytes. He is now g

Thanks to everyone who has reached out to check on Tim! Tim got his T-cells today around noon. Everything went well. He is in good spirits and we are now waiting for his new cells to find their homes and start doing their job.

Today was a long day but a good one. Everything went as planned. Tim handled the infusion well. If this keeps up I won’t blog again until he checks into the hospital and gets his cells back! No news is good news.

The picc line is in. Initially the doctor had trouble so they did an angioplasty to get it into the correct position. It took longer than expected due to that complication. As we were exiting the hospital it started to bleed so Tim had to go back to the surgical floor so they could stop the bleeding. All is well that ends well.

God has blessed us with loving families and so many friends that feel like family. Many have already reached out to offer prayers and emotional support for Tim as he completes his Car-T therapy and hopefully goes into full remission. We decided to share his journey through this blog to get information out as efficiently as possible. Tim and I will be temporarily moving to Highlands, NJ to be close to Hackensack Shore Memorial Hospital in Neptune as treatment begins. Here’s th

Happy New Year! Tim is starting off 2022 with great news to share with you. His recent bone marrow biopsy results are in…negative for...

Tim is home!!! It was an exciting departure which began on Monday with his discharge and subsequent ER visit along with readmittance to...

Update from Hackensack: After a tough week Tim’s WBC count has finally increased. He also received 2 transfusions of platelets to aid in...

Update from Hackensack: Tim got his healthy stem cells back on Friday and is on the road to recovery. Today is “ Day 4”. A couple of...

Hello from Hackensack! We arrived on Monday and Tim is settled into his room which has a spectacular view of the NYC skyline and the...

It’s been 5 weeks since the last blog. In that time Tim has gotten much stronger. His recovery has been somewhat unremarkable except for...