In July 2016, I started to experience a few symptoms, including numbness in my legs. After numerous doctor appointments, referral after referral, and several months of tests, my Oncologist gave me the news...that I have Polycythemia Vera, a rare blood cancer.

I was floored with the diagnoses. I remember picking the girls up from school shortly after learning I had cancer. While looking at them in the rearview mirror, I realzied I didn’t know what was next. All the days before, I assumed the things we all do: raise your kids, go to ball games, travel together, watch them graduate, be at their weddings, and see them start families of their own. Suddenly in my mind, those things were in doubt.

As I learned more about my disease, these fears were slightly alleviated since most PV patients can live a normal life with proper management. It’s taken me a few years, but I’ve finally become more comfortable with the fact that I have cancer. The support of so many friends and family...from Davidson, NC to Greensboro to upstate New York...has given me the strength to not only move forward, but hopefully make a difference for others that are battling PV as well.

Since MPNs are rare, they don’t always get the attention needed to develop new treatments and a cure. The MPN Research Foundation is changing that. Over the past 20 years, they’ve invested over $13 million academic research that has helped the scientific community better understand these cancers. Treatment options are still limited, and include - if you can believe it - phlebotomies, which draw blood out every few weeks to help manage the overproduction of blood cells. The MPN Research Foundation believes we can do better for patients. We want to support their efforts, not just for my benefit, but for the benefit of others. 

One of the weird things about PV is that walking down the street, you wouldn’t know I was sick. The cancer really operates beneath the surface - organs enlarge, joints swell, and red blood cells thicken inside the bone marrow. It can be difficult at times to manage, but we all have our own challenges in life. I am humbled that people continue to put their own struggles aside to offer my family their support. Cancer has certainly changed my perspective as a father and as a person.

I'm so lucky to have my beautiful fiance, Tracey, and our girls Kenedie, Karsyn, Samantha, and Thea. They have been with me every step of the way, showing me how to stay strong in the face of adversity. I've been fortunate to have an incredible team of doctors and nurses, who continue to be on top of even the slightest changes. I am also beyond thankful to the friends and family that check in, ask how I’m doing, and do kind things like leaving bagels and coffee on the front porch after a treatment. These small acts of kindness have made this rollercoaster more manageable. I'll never truly be able to explain how much it has meant and how appreciative I am. Together, I truly believe we can make a difference and overcome anything.

Sincerely, thank you!!

Brian