Bob Stapleton / Cancer Warrior

In January 2016 Bob was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a plasma cancer. After treating a lesion in his spine with radiation and having emergency back surgery Bob started his cancer journey. In June of the same year, Bob had an autologous stem cell transplant, which only allowed for a five month remission. By early 2017 the cancer counts returned. Maintenance drugs and therapies throughout most of the next year provided some relief which allowed Bob to return to work and to most activities. By summer 2017 and into 2018 MM counts were on the rise. New therapies and drugs were just Band-Aids that provided only slight, temporary improvements. It was this past August that flu-like symptoms including high fevers began weekly. After a trip to MD Anderson in December to our MM Oncology specialist and then a battery of test to rule out other causes of the fevers, it was determined a new regimen was needed.

2019...Bob has spent more days in hospitals than at home. Over the holiday break Bob’s symptoms got worse and he became more bed-ridden. His oncologist in Austin agreed that it was time to seek treatment at MD Anderson. On January 16 he went to Houston for a plan, but ended up being admitted for a heavy regimen chemotherapy treatment in unexpectedly. What should have been a 5 day stay was more than doubled. Once Bob returned home to Austin, his home stay was brief. Bob was admitted back into the hospital at St. David’s South Austin less than two days after coming home. He is still recovering from his chemo and other issues due to this high dose regimen. 

Bob will be released soon but there is a long road ahead with more treatments to come. He can’t wait to come home and enjoy his beautiful wife and two daughters. Bob also looks forward to seeing his seeing his loving family and friends and colleagues who have offered so much incredible support and love throughout the past few months and years.