Tom Szukics Multiple Mylenoma Cancer Fight
Donation protected
Hello, I am doing a GoFundMe for my friend Kim's Husband & their young daughter. Tom has done a write up.
I have Multiple Myeloma Cancer.
I started out having back and rib problems in March 2019. I went to the ER several times for excruciating pain. I also noticed a lump that appeared on my chest.
X-rays and CT Scans where completed and I was told it was fine and that the lump was muscular and it wasn’t cancerous. After muscle relaxers, chiropractors and a TENS unit, nothing was working. My ribs would not stay in place. I was in horrible pain and I still tried to work. My job is running a forklift and I could not handle the jarring around. I ended up to the point my wife had to help me get showered and dressed. By May, I was still trying to work and trying to function but by then I was using a walker just to get around. It came to the point I could not work.
I had a follow up with my primary doctor and told her about the lump that I was concerned with. She ordered a biopsy of the lump and had blood and urine work ordered.
June 28, I went to St. Luke’s for the biopsy. They finally called and July 9th I went in for the results. Little did I know it was the most devastating news I have ever received. She said you have cancer. She referred me to an Oncologist Dr. Buntinas at the Physicians Clinic of Iowa.
Reeling in shock I didn’t hear everything she was saying I have hardly ever been sick let alone having back and rib pain, I was in shock, I had my 9 year old daughter with me and wasn’t sure how to explain to her what was wrong. I called my wife at work I could barely talk or mention the cancer word. She thought I was joking but soon after realized it was a horrible truth.
My first appointment I was nervous, I had never heard of MM and I thought I was going to die from it.
Dr. Buntinas was nice and explained what MM is, is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. Plasma cells help you fight infections by making antibodies that recognize and attack germs. When the cells become abnormal and starts multiplying in an area – in my case my ribs/chest area. It isn’t curable but it is treatable. She said I will be having a lot of blood tests and bone marrow biopsy’s.
She said with my age and being fairly healthy I should have good results. She explained I will need to have Chemotherapy and wasn’t going to suggest radiation at this time.
We would see about doing a Stem Cell Transplant and that I would be a good candidate for it. At this time I can’t work. I won’t be able to work until I get my stem cell transplant and heal.
She works with Dr. Jethava through the University of Iowa Hospital. He reassured me that I will go into remission and 10 years later the medicine they have can possibly be more than treatable.
She ordered more blood tests, urine tests, bone marrow biopsy a MRI a PET scan my mind was spinning with all the appointments I have to have.
The bone marrow biopsy was painful, they gave me a shot to numb the area but it wasn’t enough I felt it all. It was the most painful experience I ever had.
When I went in for the PET scan (positron emission tomography) this is to see where the cancer is at and if it spread elsewhere.
I had a consultation with Dr. Buntinas and she had said if I didn’t do anything I would have a year to live, The Myeloma was at 50% in my bones but with chemotherapy I can go into remission.
I had already decided to fight this disease but to hear the outcome being so dire my heart felt like it was going to drop. I had told her I want to go through the treatments.
August 6th I went in the hospital to have a port put in my chest so when I get infusion chemotherapy I won’t be stuck with a needle every time.
My life now is centered on chemotherapy infusions, chemotherapy pills. They want me to do three cycles of treatment before I can do the transplant. A cycle is 21 days of chemotherapy infusion, pills for 21 days with a week off, the week off is for my bone marrow to build back up since the chemotherapy takes the bad with good cells. I am also taking 26 different medicines daily/nightly.
The chemotherapy infusion went better than expected. I had chemo, steroids, bone hardener.
I found out I will need dental work done before I can have the transplant so I have been going back and forth to the U of I hospital getting dental work done.
I didn’t meet the deadline for the stem cell collection, and transplant until I get done with dental work.
December 19th I found out I was cleared so I will be going for the stem cell collection/transplant in January for three weeks 4 days of stronger chemo and 2 weeks of collecting stem cells.
I will be going back in in February 24th for the actual transplant and will be in the hospital again for up to a month.
I haven’t been able to work since June and my wife’s paycheck isn’t enough for all the bills that we have and now have hospital bills coming in.
We would greatly appreciate any help we can get, we don’t want to lose everything on top of fighting cancer.
We can not tell you how much our life has changed. How stressful it is with the diagnosis, me not working, my wife needing to take off time to get me to appointments and take care of me. The stress and concern about money and how all of this affects our daughter.
Anything will help. We have a long road ahead of us.
Our Sincere Thank You!
I have Multiple Myeloma Cancer.
I started out having back and rib problems in March 2019. I went to the ER several times for excruciating pain. I also noticed a lump that appeared on my chest.
X-rays and CT Scans where completed and I was told it was fine and that the lump was muscular and it wasn’t cancerous. After muscle relaxers, chiropractors and a TENS unit, nothing was working. My ribs would not stay in place. I was in horrible pain and I still tried to work. My job is running a forklift and I could not handle the jarring around. I ended up to the point my wife had to help me get showered and dressed. By May, I was still trying to work and trying to function but by then I was using a walker just to get around. It came to the point I could not work.
I had a follow up with my primary doctor and told her about the lump that I was concerned with. She ordered a biopsy of the lump and had blood and urine work ordered.
June 28, I went to St. Luke’s for the biopsy. They finally called and July 9th I went in for the results. Little did I know it was the most devastating news I have ever received. She said you have cancer. She referred me to an Oncologist Dr. Buntinas at the Physicians Clinic of Iowa.
Reeling in shock I didn’t hear everything she was saying I have hardly ever been sick let alone having back and rib pain, I was in shock, I had my 9 year old daughter with me and wasn’t sure how to explain to her what was wrong. I called my wife at work I could barely talk or mention the cancer word. She thought I was joking but soon after realized it was a horrible truth.
My first appointment I was nervous, I had never heard of MM and I thought I was going to die from it.
Dr. Buntinas was nice and explained what MM is, is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. Plasma cells help you fight infections by making antibodies that recognize and attack germs. When the cells become abnormal and starts multiplying in an area – in my case my ribs/chest area. It isn’t curable but it is treatable. She said I will be having a lot of blood tests and bone marrow biopsy’s.
She said with my age and being fairly healthy I should have good results. She explained I will need to have Chemotherapy and wasn’t going to suggest radiation at this time.
We would see about doing a Stem Cell Transplant and that I would be a good candidate for it. At this time I can’t work. I won’t be able to work until I get my stem cell transplant and heal.
She works with Dr. Jethava through the University of Iowa Hospital. He reassured me that I will go into remission and 10 years later the medicine they have can possibly be more than treatable.
She ordered more blood tests, urine tests, bone marrow biopsy a MRI a PET scan my mind was spinning with all the appointments I have to have.
The bone marrow biopsy was painful, they gave me a shot to numb the area but it wasn’t enough I felt it all. It was the most painful experience I ever had.
When I went in for the PET scan (positron emission tomography) this is to see where the cancer is at and if it spread elsewhere.
I had a consultation with Dr. Buntinas and she had said if I didn’t do anything I would have a year to live, The Myeloma was at 50% in my bones but with chemotherapy I can go into remission.
I had already decided to fight this disease but to hear the outcome being so dire my heart felt like it was going to drop. I had told her I want to go through the treatments.
August 6th I went in the hospital to have a port put in my chest so when I get infusion chemotherapy I won’t be stuck with a needle every time.
My life now is centered on chemotherapy infusions, chemotherapy pills. They want me to do three cycles of treatment before I can do the transplant. A cycle is 21 days of chemotherapy infusion, pills for 21 days with a week off, the week off is for my bone marrow to build back up since the chemotherapy takes the bad with good cells. I am also taking 26 different medicines daily/nightly.
The chemotherapy infusion went better than expected. I had chemo, steroids, bone hardener.
I found out I will need dental work done before I can have the transplant so I have been going back and forth to the U of I hospital getting dental work done.
I didn’t meet the deadline for the stem cell collection, and transplant until I get done with dental work.
December 19th I found out I was cleared so I will be going for the stem cell collection/transplant in January for three weeks 4 days of stronger chemo and 2 weeks of collecting stem cells.
I will be going back in in February 24th for the actual transplant and will be in the hospital again for up to a month.
I haven’t been able to work since June and my wife’s paycheck isn’t enough for all the bills that we have and now have hospital bills coming in.
We would greatly appreciate any help we can get, we don’t want to lose everything on top of fighting cancer.
We can not tell you how much our life has changed. How stressful it is with the diagnosis, me not working, my wife needing to take off time to get me to appointments and take care of me. The stress and concern about money and how all of this affects our daughter.
Anything will help. We have a long road ahead of us.
Our Sincere Thank You!
Organizer and beneficiary
Shawn Fitzsimmons
Organizer
Shellsburg, IA
Kim Szukics
Beneficiary