Undergoing treatment for a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) can be extremely lonely, so it is beneficial to have a support system throughout the process, explained Thomas Silver, board president of the Cancer Research and Treatment Fund in New York.
Silver, who was also recognized at CURE®’s 11th annual MPN Heroes® recognition event, told the story of his friend, Nick, an MPN survivor who was preparing to undergo a bone marrow transplant — which is currently the only curative therapy for MPNs — before he caught a common cold and had to have the procedure pushed back.
READ MORE: CURE Celebrates 8 Honorees at MPN Heroes Event
“Well, a month in his life is a long time,” Silver said.
However, Nick, Silver and a group of others are a part of a community that was able to offer support and stay in touch with Nick, who eventually went on to receive the transplant and is doing well, according to Silver.
Transcript
Well, it can be fairly lonely. It’s a really long, hard task. I remember talking to Nick when he was going through his through his trials and his journey. One of the things that happened was he was all ready to go with his transplant. And just a week or two beforehand, he developed a common cold and imagine being ready to go. And then you develop a cold. And they say, “Well, now because you have cold, you’ve got to wait another month.”
Well, a month in his life is a long time. So, the fact that we were around, we were available to talk to him, Nick and I are part of a large fraternity house and we have a number of brothers that we continue to stay in touch with. You have a great time with all the time. Just help him keep his spirits up when he was waiting that extra month to be able to actually begin the process of getting better.
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