When Michael first started losing weight, he wasn’t complaining – he had a three-year-old at home to keep up with! But soon, the weight loss was too much, so he went to see a doctor. What was first thought to be a hernia quickly escalated, and he was diagnosed with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM), a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
What I have right now is treatable, but not curable. It would be really nice if they could tell the next guy, they can cure this.
Michael worked at a manufacturing plant while receiving five rounds of chemotherapy, but was given Fridays off so he could rest and recover after treatment. The type of materials in the plant where he worked necessitated wearing a mask and respirator to avoid breathing in anything he was working with. Following cancer treatments, continuing in this physically taxing job was unsustainable, so Michael retired early to help take care of his sons. He continues to get checked every three months and is grateful for what he considers “bonus time” thanks to cancer research.