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Kevin and Kathleen Lloyd
Kevin Lloyd (KL): We were cooking dinner one night and got a call from a doctor that said that after
running some tests that I needed to go to the Emergency Room and I ask him how soon he would go and
he said “I would’ve already left,” and so, we stopped making dinner and headed to the Emergency Room
and found out later that week that I had multiple myeloma, which is an incurable cancer, which they can
treat.1 So this was quite a shock certainly for me, I was in really good shape before this. I’m a three time
Iron Man finisher, so when this came along, it was, “this can’t be me, I’m in good shape.” I thought that I
was bulletproof to some degree, and I guess I’m not. I’ve had a stem cell transplant and on course to
have another one soon.
Kathleen Lloyd (KTH): It’s hard seeing you so unhappy about, you know, not being able to go and bike
and run and swim and even just go walk. But the biggest thing was having to ask for help. And people
have been wonderful, I mean we really haven’t had to ask, but you know me, I am not good at asking for
help, but there’s no way somebody could do this alone.
KL: I think that was one of the biggest positive surprises about this whole thing.
KTH: A silver lining.
KL: It was the help that we got from people that were just incredibly generous with their time and, you
know, effort and thoughts and the community and people that you work with and that worked for you and,
you know, you coach with and, you know, coach their children and things, were so giving.
KTH: So aside from a cure, which obviously we are all wishing for. What are you wishing for? What
outcome?
KL: I really would like to see my children graduate college and get married and spend my time with you.
You know, when you get married, you want to want to live a long time, you don’t want to leave somebody.
We’re still relatively young, you realize how good of shape you were in, or how much life there is left. So I
don’t want you to have all that fun by yourself.
KTH: Thank you!
KL: I would like to do all the things that we had hoped to want to do.
KTH: It’ll be spring when you’re ready to go out and it’ll be nice and we’ll be able to go hike.
KL: So I could almost be myself again.
References:
1. Jakubowiak A. Management Strategies for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Current Clinical
Perspectives. Semin in Hematol. 2012; 49(3)(1),S16-S32.