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A New Beginning

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It's been 1,353 days since Matt was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma.  During these past 3.5 years he's undergone 6 rounds of induction chemotherapy, an autologous stem cell transplant that required a 15 day hospital stay, followed by 36 continuous months of chemo therapy.  And finally, today, he's done.  While there is still a small residual amount of cancer left in his bones (0.02%) his doctors are cautiously hopeful that his numbers will remain small and stable.  So with much excitement, and of course some hesitation, Matt thanked his nurses and sat through his final infusion this morning. 

As I reflect on the past 3.5 years I can't think of how much has changed, yet how much has stayed the same.  Because of cancer we got to enjoy so much more family time than we ever had before, realizing that family took priority above all else.  Together, we were able to find joy in the silence during infusions and transplant, without screaming children in the background.  We learned the importance of acknowledging our fears and finding ways to calm those fears.  We learned the importance and power of advocacy and research.  And we we were constantly reminded of how many amazing people we surround ourselves with each and everyday. 

While we know this battle isn't over, we hope that it rests for a long time.  And while we rest, we continue to find hope in the ongoing research and development of new treatment options for patients with Multiple Myeloma. 

Thank you to everyone who has walked with us on this journey.  Your love and support has meant more to us than we will ever be able to show.

All our love,
Matt & Mandy




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