Brian’s Story: From Symptoms to Strength

In 2019, Brian was looking forward to starting a new chapter in his life. He turned 69 years old and was finally entering retirement. He began re-exploring and enjoying many old hobbies, including leather crafting, woodworking and playing both the fiddle and banjo. Other than being diagnosed in 2022 with MGUS, a precursor to multiple myeloma, he was healthy all his life, so when Brian was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February of 2023, it was quite a shock. His life immediately stopped. He promptly sat down with his wife and two children to break the news. “There were lots of tears,” he shared, “but I wanted to help them understand what I was going through.”

Brian quickly underwent high-intensity radiation for five days, which left him with symptoms he was not experiencing before his diagnosis – bowel and bladder challenges that affected him daily.

Months later, he remembered a pamphlet he had seen for Wellspring and decided it was time to check them out. He registered for Nourish virtually and found it to be a great way to connect with others living with cancer. More importantly, he learned recipes that would ease some of his bladder and bowel symptoms.

In August of 2023, only six months after his prostate cancer diagnosis, he found out his MGUS had turned into smoldering myeloma. By August of 2024, it turned into multiple myeloma. He now had a second cancer diagnosis, and his doctor said he needed to begin treatment.

“It was scary,” Brian recalls, “I did a lot of reading up on it, so I had an idea what to expect, but you can never fully prepare for the emotional side of the journey.”

Brian’s treatment plan was very different this time around. He would go to the hospital weekly for a blood test and a chemo shot in his stomach. He also began taking new medication. Unfortunately, Brian started having tons of negative symptoms he had never experienced before. “I was exhausted, I had trouble sleeping. I had swelling in my legs and shortness of breath in my lungs, which both ended up being blood clots. It even affected my vision,” Brian shared. After having bilateral cataract surgery in 2022, he had hoped never to wear glasses again. He is currently using glasses for reading and expects to be using glasses full-time next year.

A few months later, Brian decided to register for Wellspring’s Breathing Wellness program. He says, “The exercises I learned in this program were a huge help in managing my shortness of breath. The instructor was fantastic.” Brian also registered for the 12-week Cancer Exercise Program. “The program has been great,” he shared, “I’ve really enjoyed their instruction and help. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s worked for me. I’ve gotten a lot stronger and now have more endurance as a result. Wellspring is just a relaxing place to be.” He recommends that anyone living with cancer come and visit Wellspring to take advantage of their offerings.

These days, Brian’s chemo treatments for multiple myeloma have decreased to once a month. With his prostate cancer stabilized, Brian sees his oncologist and urologist every six months and will continue to be followed for five years.  Now that he’s stronger and managing his symptoms better, he’s most looking forward to getting the all-clear from his doctor to travel with his wife, so that he can visit his children and grandchildren on the East Coast.