Steve's story
Today Steve is tired for all the right reasons. Four years after receiving a double umbilical cord blood transplant for non-hodgkin’s lymphoma, Steve completed a 150 mile bike ride to raise money for charity. It was a feat that was unimaginable during the many, many years that he was battling cancer.
Steve was diagnosed with non-hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1996. He was immediately started on chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and his disease went into remission. Unfortunately, this remission was short lived, and one year later Steve was told that his cancer had returned. This started a vicious cycle of treatment, remission and recurrence that lasted nearly 10 years.
Steve was running out of treatment options. When his oncologist told him that his best chance of finally beating the lymphoma was a blood or marrow transplant (BMT), Steve was more than ready. He welcomed the news, thinking, “I am so ready for this. Something different has to happen.”
Steve was amazed at how fast that “something” did happen. His sister had been tested to see if she could donate stem cells for Steve’s transplant. Unfortunately, she was not a match. Nevertheless, the BMT Program quickly identified and procured two suitable cord blood units and scheduled his transplant at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. “I didn’t have to wait long. It was only one month from my first meeting with the doctor to my transplant. From the day I walked in the door it was as good an experience as I could have hoped for, given the circumstances.”
When Steve entered the hospital to receive his transplant, he applied the same positive attitude and resolve that had gotten him through many years of cancer treatment. He refused to take naps so that he could keep a regular night time sleep pattern. Steve made a point to be awake and dressed before 7:00 am. He would be sitting up in a chair to greet the doctors each day when they made their early morning rounds.
Five weeks after transplant, Steve was discharged from the hospital. After years of maintaining a positive attitude and a normal schedule in the face of multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, Steve expected to get on with his life post-transplant. He was prepared for the physical complications that often follow BMT such as fatigue and nausea. He had dealt with the effects of cancer treatment for years.
However, Steve was not prepared for the depression that set in when he returned home. He was expecting joy and relief at being out of the hospital but couldn’t shake feelings of sadness. Steve realized that this time he would not be able to soldier on with his normal life and schedule. He turned to his BMT care team for help and advice. He discussed his struggle with depression with his BMT physician, nurse coordinator and social worker. “Everyone in the clinic listened to me and took my depression seriously,” Steve said. “They compared post-transplant depression to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Looking back that seems obvious, but at the time I couldn’t understand.”
Steve’s depression was managed through a combination of medications and support. He urges others who are experiencing unexpected or even embarrassing issues after transplant to seek help from their BMT care team. “Don’t be shy about issues you are having. You are in good hands. The doctors, nurses and social workers have seen everything – literally.” Steve has nothing but praise for the hard work and dedication of the BMT staff saying, “Everyone was so focused on me. I never felt scared or alone. I felt well supported the whole time. They talked to me like I was a person – not just a patient.”
Four years after his transplant, Steve is feeling great and remains cancer free. “Since my transplant, I’ve been trying to do new things like yoga and cycling. I always liked to bike but never did long rides.”
Through his yoga classes, Steve got to know the owner of the studio who had recently been through her own transplant journey as a result of chronic kidney disease. Together they decided to train for a bicycle trip from Duluth to the Twin Cities to raise money for multiple sclerosis research. In June 2010, a team of riders from the yoga studio, including Steve, covered the 150 mile distance in two days and raised $17,000.
Steve is making the most of his second chance at life. He has the following advice for others who are facing BMT or other life threatening illnesses. “Life may not be what is was before – it might be a lot better. For me it is. It’s hard to say where I would be without this illness, but my life seems more rewarding and more fun for having gone through this.”
