In late 2025, after years of managing Multiple Myeloma — a cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow that weakens the immune system and can damage bones and organs — my care team at Barnes-Jewish in St. Louis recommended CAR-T therapy — a cutting-edge treatment where your own T-cells are collected, engineered to recognize and attack myeloma cells, and then returned to your body. My doctor described them as "highly trained special forces," which I loved.
In February, I had a central line placed and underwent apheresis to collect my T-cells. Then in late March, Shannon and I packed up and moved to the DoubleTree hotel in St. Louis — connected directly to Barnes-Jewish, which gave us both a lot of comfort. We ended up staying nearly five weeks in all, long enough to watch the city transform around us. When we arrived, everything was still gray and bare; by the time we left, St. Louis was fully green and the tulips around the hospital were in glorious bloom. It was a small but lovely reminder that the world keeps renewing itself.
Chemotherapy began on March 25th — and for any Tolkien fans out there, that is the very date on which the One Ring was destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings. I chose to take that as a good omen. Over three days I received heavy chemotherapy, followed by two days of rest, and on March 30th I received my engineered T-cells back.
The first night was the scariest. Around 4 a.m. I spiked a fever of 100.4 — the "red line" — and they nearly admitted me. It turned out to be Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), a common immune response. They got it under control without hospitalization, which was a huge relief. After that, things went surprisingly well. Some fatigue here and there, but I was able to work through most of it. Shannon took my vitals, performed nightly neurological exams, and — I'm convinced — confirmed what she already suspected about my mental state. 😊
Honestly, aside from the gravity of it all, our five weeks in St. Louis were not unpleasant. Long walks, good (and affordable) food, games, movies, and a lot of conversation. If the circumstances had been different, it might have felt like a long date.
The treatment went so well that I was cleared to head home nearly two weeks early.
Now, the results: my preliminary Bone Marrow Biopsy shows no evidence of cancer. I'm still waiting on the more granular final results, but this early news is thrilling. I'll be continuing with oral antibiotics several times a week to protect my weakened immune system, monthly immunoglobulin infusions at Carle, and follow-up visits back in St. Louis — first at two weeks, then monthly, with appointments gradually spreading out. Dr. Vij, my myeloma specialist, expects my immune system to begin recovering within about a year.
There is still no cure for Myeloma. But I am so grateful — for Barnes-Jewish, for the remarkable team at their Cellular Therapy Outpatient Center, and above all for Shannon, who was with me every step of the way. And for all of you, whose support meant more than I can say.
I'm going to keep following my doctors' instructions and enjoy this break for as long as I can. As I like to say — I'm happy to "kick the can" down the road. 🙂
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