Support Is Crucial for Multiple Myeloma
Ryan
State: New York
Congressional District:
Diseases
Blood Disease, Cancer
Issues and Challenges
Ryan has encountered: Surprise Billing
My Story
In October 2023, my life changed with two words I never expected to hear: Multiple Myeloma. A broken arm led to scans, and suddenly I was confronting a cancer diagnosis. Looking back, the warning signs were there — months of pain, pneumonia, exhaustion — but like many people, I pushed through until I couldn’t anymore.
Treatment began quickly, and physically, my body responded well. But then I learned I had high-risk disease, and that news shattered me in a way no surgery, injection, or chemotherapy ever had. Even as my labs improved, mentally I unraveled. I spiraled into fear, catastrophic thinking, insomnia, weight loss, depression, and an overwhelming belief that I would not be around much longer. January 2024 became the darkest month of my life.
What helped me survive wasn’t just medicine — it was mental health support and human connection.
My wife became my lifeline, refusing to let me disappear into fear. She connected me with caregivers, high-risk communities, social workers, mental-health professionals, and other patients who understood. My team at Memorial Sloan Kettering cared for my body; the mental-health resources and support community helped stabilize my mind and spirit. Support groups grounded me. Other patients reminded me that fearing the future is normal — but it doesn’t have to consume every part of your life.
Fast forward to today: I’ve had a successful stem cell transplant. I’ve been MRD-negative for over a year. Physically I feel strong. My specialist even calls me a “boring patient,” which is the best compliment I could ask for. But the truth is, the hardest part of myeloma isn’t always the treatment — it’s the psychological toll of uncertainty, fear, and the weight of living with a high-risk diagnosis.
I’m sharing my story because I learned something the hard way:
Multiple Myeloma is not only a medical disease — it is also a mental health challenge.
I was fortunate. I had access to expert care, mental-health specialists, social workers, support groups, and a caregiver who fought for me when I couldn’t fight for myself. But not everyone does. Too many patients are handed devastating news and left to navigate the emotional fallout alone. Too many caregivers silently carry impossible burdens. Too many people believe that “being strong” means suffering quietly.
That isn’t acceptable.
My Motivation and Inspiration
I'm here because I want to advocate so every patient has:
- Access to meaningful mental-health care
-Support navigating fear, anxiety, and uncertainty
-Community and resources so they aren’t fighting in isolation
I want to help normalize conversations about mental health in cancer care, because emotional suffering deserves treatment just as much as physical disease. No one should have to hit rock bottom to get psychological support. No patient should have to convince themselves they deserve help.
And this is why I want to advocate: so others living with myeloma don’t just survive — they have the mental and emotional support to truly keep living.
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