Real Stories of Hope: Choosing Tandem Stem Cell Transplants and Thriving with Multiple Myeloma

Cynthia is a newborn ICU nurse by trade that has spent the last six years in the medical device industry educating nurses and doctors about devices that are new to their facility. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, traveling the world with her family, and creating Halloween animatronics for her annual front yard display. She has a passion for life-long learning and enjoys sharing what she learns with the people around her.

Patrick lives in Murfreesboro, TN behind a horse farm with his wife and two dogs. He has 2 sons who are 24 and 25. He is a lawyer on permanent long term disability, and loves to spend my time volunteering and coaching on Healthtree. He was diagnosed on September 23, 2015 with Multiple Myeloma Stage II IGG Kappa. He underwent 2 rounds of Revlimid, Dexamethasone & Velcade. Then, due to his age (45) and the heavy marrow involvement, he was considered borderline high risk, and switched to Revlimid, Dexamethasone & Kyprolis by a Multiple Myeloma Specialist. He had my first stem cell transplant on March 17, 2016, and his second stem cell transplant on September 12, 2016. He had maintenance chemotherapy regimen of Ninlaro, Revlimid & Dexamethasone, then Pomalyst only. Currently, he is in stringent complete remission and MRD-. He still receives IVIG infusions. He is also a Myeloma Financial Coach, helping others with long term disability, social security disability income and insurance appeals. He has experienced depression and mental health issues. He currently goes to Rock Steady Boxing for Parkinson's 3 times a week, as he also has Parkinson's Disease. He is a long standing member of Alcoholics Anonymous, and he attends 7 meetings per week. He tries to stay as active as he can. Volunteering helps him get outside of himself, while helping others.

Alan is a multiple myeloma survivor, patient advocate, and entrepreneur with multiple buisnesses. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2016, Alan has since become a passionate advocate for others facing the same battle, using his own journey to inspire hope and create change. In addition to founding the 8500-member Multiple Myeloma Warrior Community Facebook group, Alan serves as Chief Patient Officer for Polygon Health, a startup digital health company. At Polygon Health, he spearheaded the development of the Multiple Myeloma Patient Connect Platform, a groundbreaking initiative designed to bring together patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and nonprofits in one comprehensive community. Previously, Alan served as a Patient Ambassador for a major pharmaceutical company, traveling the country to share his story and provide encouragement to others in the multiple myeloma community. Outside of his advocacy work, Alan is an avid outdoors enthusiast, enjoying hobbies such as hunting, fishing, scuba diving, archery, and off-roading. Living in West Monroe, Louisiana, Alan has been married for 35 years, is the proud parent of three adult children, and a grandparent to two grandchildren. Through both personal and professional endeavors, Alan remains committed to improving the lives of those affected by multiple myeloma and fostering a sense of community and hope within the patient population.