Mel thought she had pulled a muscle. Instead, the sharp pain in her shoulder and neck marked the beginning of a myeloma diagnosis, intensive treatment and a very different retirement from the one she had imagined.
Life at Bethells Beach had been full of family. Three of Mel’s four children lived on the same property, with her youngest just a few kilometres away. There were barbecues, pizza nights, grandchildren’s sports games and plans to travel.
Then, days after returning from Samoa, Mel reached behind her back and felt a sudden pain.
An X-ray revealed a tumour inside her shoulder that was splitting the surrounding bone. Further tests confirmed myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
Mel was told that although her myeloma could not be cured, treatment could help control it. When radiation failed to shrink the tumour, she went on to have a stem cell transplant. The treatment was gruelling, with constant nausea lasting five weeks.
As Mel and her husband, Michael, tried to make sense of everything, Blood Cancer NZ provided information, resources and guidance.
“Without Blood Cancer NZ, you wouldn’t have the resources to learn about it properly, or people to help you,” Mel says. “They really help if you’re stuck with anything.”
Now, her loved ones are finding another way to stand beside her.
Michael and their daughter have brought family and friends together as “Mel’s Minions” for Shine for a Cure, Blood Cancer NZ’s fundraising walk supporting research towards a cure for blood cancer.
At first, Michael imagined a walk with the family. Then the calls started coming.
“People were calling out of the blue, asking, ‘Where does the walk start? We’ll meet you there,’” he says. “I didn’t expect so many people to support it. I was blown away.”
For Mel, the support of family and friends is an important part of life with myeloma. Some days, the cancer and treatment leave her exhausted. Spending time with her children and grandchildren remains something she is determined to make room for.
“I just take one day at a time,” she says. “I want to get on with my life and be really strong through all of this.”
