Marsha Calloway-Campbell lives a full life as a lawyer, business owner, wife to her husband Armaray, mother to her three adult daughters, and “Naun” to her toddler grandson. But her life took another turn in 2016 when Armaray experienced the first signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma, a rare hematological cancer. At the time of diagnosis, he lived an active lifestyle, but he was starting to experience back pain and attended physical therapy to treat it. One day, he nearly collapsed when he was leaving the house; Marsha rushed him to the hospital, and her role as her husband’s primary caregiver began.
“His kidneys had failed. They had to start him on dialysis. That’s when the myeloma diagnosis came.”
About Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma, which is occasionally referred to as plasma cell myeloma, is a blood cancer that affects plasma cells. These are white blood cells that produce antibodies. The overall cause of multiple myeloma is not well understood, however, some risk factors have been identified. These include obesity, family history, smoldering myeloma, and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). These last two conditions have the potential to develop into multiple myeloma. Symptoms of this cancer include bone pain, infections, anemia, kidney failure, overly thick blood, confusion, fatigue, headaches, and amyloidosis. Treatment includes chemo, stem cell transplant, and other medications for relapsed disease, which is common. Five year survival rate is 49 percent in the US. To learn more about multiple myeloma, click here.
A Surprise Diagnosis
“We had never heard of multiple myeloma…his lesions were up and down his spine, which affected pretty much everything. At one point he could not walk or even raise his arms.”
Armaray was in the hospital for an entire month, and Marsha hardly ever left his side. It was a difficult time for the family; two of Marsha’s daughters were college basketball players in different states, and it was devastating to not be able to see them play during the height of the season.
“When he was sent home after that first month, they gave us maybe 18 or 20 medications. I had to figure out a system to make sure he was taking everything on time.”
Marsha was vigilant during this time to watch out for any signs that the physicians had warned her about. Thankfully, she received support from her sorority/his fraternity, neighbors, and members of her church – their village.
That’s My Word
Marsha’s experience as a caregiver for her husband has led her to get involved in awareness and educational efforts, such as the That’s My Word campaign. This campaign is directed specifically towards the Black community, who are at an elevated risk of multiple myeloma:
“African Americans are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with multiple myeloma than Caucasians.”
Despite the increased risk, the Black community (much like the general public overall) doesn’t have a strong awareness of this rare disease. The campaign encourages people to develop their self-advocacy skills in medical settings and following up on any unusual or unexplained health events. One feature of the campaign is the Promise Wall, in which campaign participants can write a promise to themselves and commit to being more aware of the disease.
Marsha’s work as an advocate continues in her position with the HealthTree Foundation, where she is the Director of the Black Myeloma Health Initiative.
Since his diagnosis and initial treatment, Armaray received a stem cell transplant in 2018 that was largely successful and was able to put his multiple myeloma into remission. He continues to receive maintenance therapy on a monthly basis:
“Now our issue is getting him on the kidney transplant list because he’s been on dialysis since he was sent to the hospital in 2017.”
Marsha’s advice for other caregivers is to remain committed while avoiding burnout, which will make you much less effective in caring for your loved one. She recommends finding a strong social support system that can help you take breaks and practice self-care.
