Don Atkinson’s Empowering Myeloma Journey

Myeloma patient Don Atkinson was 49 years old when he was diagnosed in October of 2019,  just 1 month shy of his 50th birthday. 

Don started experiencing extreme pain, muscle spasms, and severe fatigue about 4 months prior to his diagnosis, he knew something was wrong when he couldn’t even push his lawnmower more than twenty feet without getting exhausted.

After experiencing rib pain and muscle spasms, Don decided it was time to go to the emergency room. After a brief examination, the doctor said he was suffering from a muscle strain; instead of performing X-rays, he suggested going home to do some stretching. 

Even with stretching and various exercises, Don’s pain kept getting worse.

Although his loved ones wanted to take him back to the emergency room, Don decided to follow through with a previously scheduled appointment with his family physician. The family physician, however, agreed with Don's family and recommended he go to the emergency room. 

After multiple tests in the ER, Don finally had answers to what was causing his pain and fatigue. Don was told he had 7 fractured ribs, and his T5 vertebra was broken. He was also told there was no trace of vitamin B, and his plasma was 85% cancerous. His diagnosis showed a 4;14 high-risk translocation plasma cancer called multiple myeloma.

Learning of the diagnosis brought reality to his pain. 

“It was like a gut check!" Don shared, "we all think we are going to live to 100, but when Dr. Google says 5 to 9 years, it is hard to hear. If that were true, I wouldn’t even live to see my daughter’s 11th birthday.”

Luckily, Don was able to defy the odds. He decided he was not going to let this disease stop him from seeing his daughter's 11th birthday, and many more birthdays after that.  He committed to eating healthy and staying as active as possible. 

Don is now about 80% plant-based but jokes that bacon is really hard to give up. He even adopted intermittent fasting. After a little time and healing, Don picked up mountain biking and resumed skiing.

Don was feeling so amazing one year after his stem cell transplant that he took his daughter to Mt. Benson where they summited the peak in record time.  

When Don and his daughter were returning home from their trip, Don received a phone call from his physician letting him know his myeloma markers had started to climb. 

After a steady increase in Don’s myeloma markers, he and his specialist decided it was time to start treatment again. Don has just started his second line of therapy consisting of daratumamub and lenalidomide.

Don has been true to his mantra, and he isn't going to let his relapse stop him from living his life to the fullest.

In 2024, Don will walk the Camino de Santiago Portuguese route from Lisbon Portugal, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Don’s Camino will be done in April/May covering 650+ kilometers in thirty days, which is a rather large undertaking.

Don’s wife Kerri and their daughter Abby will join him for the last 110 kilometers, where they will finish as a family and receive their certificates of completion.
 
You can join Don, and numerous other myeloma patients and caregivers on their journey to health and fitness by joining our upcoming New Year’s Resolution Fitness and Learning Challenge in our FREE HealthTree Moves app.

Another way to share with others like you is to join our HealthTree Moves (Fitness) for Myeloma group in HealthTree Connect, which is a great way to engage with individuals on their path to health and fitness.

You can also read Patient Stories here: Myeloma Patient Stories