Hello Everyone,
My name is Brett Mullin. I am a father, a husband, a son. a brother, a friend, owner of BYOB (a homebrew supply store), and many other things. About a year ago I was diagnosed with Accute Lymphoblastic leukemia and also lymphoma. Both my wife and I had our lives turned upside down over the course of a week. First we received my son's diagnosis of Autism, then my diagnosis of cancer three days later. Everything moved so quickly because my one type of cancer is super agressive. So my treatment started right after we found out about the cancer. I went through 8 rounds of intrusive chemo therapy. The rounds were anywhere between 21-45 days depending on the cycle.
The protocol was chemo every weekday, most days had more than one chemo, a few days I would get 4 chemotherapies in one day, and some days I also had chemo pills that I would take at home. Luckily I stumbled my way through treatment, I had some bumps and hiccups along the way like seizures,blood clots, allergic reactions to chemo, and obstructed bowels just to name a few. Now I am on maintenance chemo. Maintenance chemo is 2 spinal taps a month, 2 IV vincristine chemos a month, 3x6mp pills(also chemo) a day, 10 dexamethasone a day for 5 days, and 14X2.5mg methotraxate pills (chemo) every Sunday. This is the schedule for the next 3 years.
Chemo has left me with some little gifts. I lost about half of my hearing and have thought about talking to Melissa about legally changing her her name to either "What did you say" or "I didnt hear what you said" or the front runner "What?" her nickname would be "huh?". We have some kinks to work out but I think it'll be better in the long run. I have necrosis of the bone in my hip, and will most likely need a replacement in the near future. Some days I need to use a cane to get around. I also have tinitus, blood clots, some cognative loss, neuropathy in my hands and feet, my vision is way worse now, and a bunch of other little presents. Like one present I recently opened, neutropenia combined with bug bites equals a high fever and the infectious disease team at Penn puzzled and biopsying my now severly infected calf muscle to try and figure out what the hell is going on in my body(I'm writing this while sitting in a hospital bed).
I would like to thank those of you who have already donated. Wether it be a phone call, a card, a word of encouragement or a monetary donation. Your care, altuism, and thoughtfulnesss has literaly saved my life and given me the hope and strenghth to continue to fight on. I had no idea how many freinds I had that would dedicate so much to me. Thank you from the botttom of my heart. I honestly (without sounding too cliche') dont know what I would have done without all of your support.
Now that I am on maintenance chemo I am able to go back to work. But the financial toll cancer cost me and the store may prove to be too much to recover from. I am asking for your help to attempt to get back on my feet and provide for my family. I am thankful that I have made it this far and that I have had so many of you (friends and family alike) supporting me. You all were my light in the dark. All I want to do is get back to work and alleviate my wife, of some of her now many duties and stresses. We have made it this far and have managed to make it work against some very difficult odds, so my hope now is to be able to gain some normalcy back into our lives. I have no doubt that somehow we will be okay and again, manage to navigate through these difficult circumstances with love and determination in our hearts and smiles on our faces.
Thank you all!
Cheers!! Brett
My name is Brett Mullin. I am a father, a husband, a son. a brother, a friend, owner of BYOB (a homebrew supply store), and many other things. About a year ago I was diagnosed with Accute Lymphoblastic leukemia and also lymphoma. Both my wife and I had our lives turned upside down over the course of a week. First we received my son's diagnosis of Autism, then my diagnosis of cancer three days later. Everything moved so quickly because my one type of cancer is super agressive. So my treatment started right after we found out about the cancer. I went through 8 rounds of intrusive chemo therapy. The rounds were anywhere between 21-45 days depending on the cycle.
The protocol was chemo every weekday, most days had more than one chemo, a few days I would get 4 chemotherapies in one day, and some days I also had chemo pills that I would take at home. Luckily I stumbled my way through treatment, I had some bumps and hiccups along the way like seizures,blood clots, allergic reactions to chemo, and obstructed bowels just to name a few. Now I am on maintenance chemo. Maintenance chemo is 2 spinal taps a month, 2 IV vincristine chemos a month, 3x6mp pills(also chemo) a day, 10 dexamethasone a day for 5 days, and 14X2.5mg methotraxate pills (chemo) every Sunday. This is the schedule for the next 3 years.
Chemo has left me with some little gifts. I lost about half of my hearing and have thought about talking to Melissa about legally changing her her name to either "What did you say" or "I didnt hear what you said" or the front runner "What?" her nickname would be "huh?". We have some kinks to work out but I think it'll be better in the long run. I have necrosis of the bone in my hip, and will most likely need a replacement in the near future. Some days I need to use a cane to get around. I also have tinitus, blood clots, some cognative loss, neuropathy in my hands and feet, my vision is way worse now, and a bunch of other little presents. Like one present I recently opened, neutropenia combined with bug bites equals a high fever and the infectious disease team at Penn puzzled and biopsying my now severly infected calf muscle to try and figure out what the hell is going on in my body(I'm writing this while sitting in a hospital bed).
I would like to thank those of you who have already donated. Wether it be a phone call, a card, a word of encouragement or a monetary donation. Your care, altuism, and thoughtfulnesss has literaly saved my life and given me the hope and strenghth to continue to fight on. I had no idea how many freinds I had that would dedicate so much to me. Thank you from the botttom of my heart. I honestly (without sounding too cliche') dont know what I would have done without all of your support.
Now that I am on maintenance chemo I am able to go back to work. But the financial toll cancer cost me and the store may prove to be too much to recover from. I am asking for your help to attempt to get back on my feet and provide for my family. I am thankful that I have made it this far and that I have had so many of you (friends and family alike) supporting me. You all were my light in the dark. All I want to do is get back to work and alleviate my wife, of some of her now many duties and stresses. We have made it this far and have managed to make it work against some very difficult odds, so my hope now is to be able to gain some normalcy back into our lives. I have no doubt that somehow we will be okay and again, manage to navigate through these difficult circumstances with love and determination in our hearts and smiles on our faces.
Thank you all!
Cheers!! Brett
Organizer and beneficiary
Brett Mullin
Beneficiary