Steve has medical insurance through his employer, but after $4,000 out of pocket, the insurance will only cover 80% and Steve will be responsible for 20%. Steve will begin long term disability in late December that only pays 60% of his salary. WHY AM I ASKING FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR STEVE?Īlthough Steve has short term disability through his employer for 6 months, it only paid 70 of his salary. This will be done with Steve’s own stem cells at OHC. Stem Cell Transplant- Once in complete remission, Steve will undergo a stem cell transplant to restore the blood forming cells damaged by the chemo. He was responded very well and protein levels are almost normal. Steve has lost much weight and muscle and is extremely weak.ĭialysis- Steve is responding well to dialysis and his treatment plan has been reduced from 3 days to 1 day/week.Ĭhemo-Steve is on weekly pill chemo from Oncology Hematology Care (OHC) at Jewish Hospital. Steve cannot eat solid food and gets his liquid nutrition from a feeding tube that goes directly into his large intestine. In addition, the excess calcium from bone damage (hypercalcemia) causes severe stomach issues. There is no cure for Myeloma but you can go into complete remission for years. Only 20% of people with Multiple Myeloma have the Light Chain type. Light Chain Multiple Myeloma (LCMM) is much more aggressive rapid form of the disease with higher rates of kidney failure. To make matters worse, the type of Multiple Myeloma Steve has is called Light Chain. Steve was released after 3 weeks with no diagnosis but required dialysis 3 days/week as his kidneys were not functioning.įinally, after a kidney biopsy and further blood tests it was determined Steve had stage 3 Myeloma, a rare (only 6.5 in 100,000) type of cancer of plasma cells that results in anemia, kidney dysfunction, and infections. Steve also became diabetic during this episode.
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His condition continued to get deteriorate as his creatine numbers (measure of kidney function) became life threatening. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood for severe nausea and vomiting. He loves to golf and riding his Indian Scout motorcycle and spending time with his 2 adult children and 4 grandchildren.Īfter an abscess tooth was removed on a Thursday in June of this year Steve went to St. He has been a laboratory technician at the Beckman Coulter Florence, KY manufacturing plant for over 20 years. He is a very hard worker and kind man who would help anyone in need. I have a very good friend Steve Courtney. Help My Friend Steve Courtney Conquer Multiple Myeloma