Transcript

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.