Blood Cancer Awareness was officially declared a national month in 2010 by Congress. Every month, there are an estimated 14,000 people around the United States that contract the disease, while there are 1.6 million people that are being treated for blood cancer annually. There are three main types of blood cancer, which are leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Leukemia is a blood cancer that mostly deals with blood-forming tissues, such as bone marrow and the lymphatic system. When people get leukemia, their bone marrow is forced to produce an excessive amount of abnormal white blood cells, which then causes the body to not function properly. Lymphoma is the second main type of blood cancer. It deals with a person’s lymphatic system, which is the part of the body that fights off germs. The main cause of lymphoma is when a white blood cell called a lymphocyte gets a genetic mutation. This mutation tells the cells to multiply rapidly, which creates diseased lymphocytes that then begin to make the lymph nodes, spleen and liver swell. Myeloma is the third major blood cancer, and it is most often referred to as multiple myeloma. It is a cancer that mostly affects the plasma cells in the body. These are white blood cells that are in the body to protect people from infection. When a person has myeloma, these cells grow too much, which starts pushing out the normal cells in the bone marrow. This then makes it harder for people’s bodies to create red blood cells, platelets and other white blood cells.
Blood cancer is such a reality that one in every 16 men and one in every 22 women will be diagnosed with blood cancer in their lifetime. There are over 500 children per year that are under the age of 15 that are diagnosed with having blood cancer. It is estimated that every nine minutes a patient is dying from a battle with blood cancer, which amounts to 157 people that die each day. Blood cancer amounts to 9.4% of all cancer-related deaths. The survival rates for these cancers have doubled from 34% to 69%, mostly due to the increase of technology and better treatment plans.
There are many treatment plans for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. One of the most effective treatment plans for leukemia is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy involves taking certain drugs in certain regimen. When these drugs are taken they are supposed to destroy tumors in different ways. It can cost someone with leukemia anywhere between $1,000 to $12,000 monthly for them to get chemotherapy. The most common treatment for lymphoma is radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is done with a special machine that carefully treats the lymph nodes where the cancer started. The price range for this treatment is usually anywhere between $4,500 to $50,000. The main treatment for myeloma are bone modifying drugs. These drugs are necessary to treat myeloma because they help strengthen bones, which will reduce bone pain and risk of fractures. There are two types of these drugs. One is called zoledronic acid. The price for this is $60 a month. The other drug is denosumab. The price for this is around $2,150 a month, but it is significantly more effective than zoledronic acid.
Bone cancer is a stressful process that causes people to lose members of their family.
Darren Evans Interview
Is Cameron and then Kaydon is over or here? Here. So they'll be doing the interview with you today. Um, I'm gonna let them kind of take it away, but if you need anything, you have my number, so let me know. Okay. But alright. These two fine young gentlemen are gonna take care of you. Okay? Yep. Have a good one.
Thank you.
All right, man. What's up? Up? Alright, so I know you got, uh, the blood cancer. How you, how are you feeling with all that?
Um, actually it's, uh, it's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, so there's not blood cancer, but, um, but I've been doing pretty good. It is just, uh, it's been an adjustment. Um, I'm just coming from a person, you know, never really been sick or anything like that before. Hadn't had to deal with a whole lot of like ailments or illnesses or anything before this. So, um, it's just been an adjustment as far as just, you know, my regular lifestyle.
Um, and then just having to adjust to this. So that's the biggest thing.
Yeah. Uh, based on like everything that, you know, can you just explain to us exactly like what you know about non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and like what it can do?
Um, yeah, it's a cancer, the lymphatic system, um, and the lymph, the lymph noss in your body create a, uh, fluid that helps with, um,
Like your immunity, uh, has something to do with like your, like your white blood cells and, um, which I guess help fight diseases and illnesses that are inside your body. So, um, somehow I got cancer of that system, the lymphatic system in my body. And, um, I guess it just, yeah, it does, uh, you know, it lowers your, your immunity so it makes you more acceptable to getting different illnesses so your codes are more severe or, you know, you're more prone to getting some of these, you know, the covid and pneumonias and things of that nature.
So, yeah. Um, you know, I guess that's the biggest thing is just push your immunity at risk.
Alright. Uh, can you, can you take me through your journey just to being diagnosed and what it, what it was like going through that?
Yeah. I, I, I probably been dealing with the symptoms for, um, just the beginning of the year, and then, uh, I was kind of attributing it to me getting older. I drive, uh, semis for U p s, so I'm a little less active, um, than I, you know, than I've been before. And then I'll, I'll be 35 this year, so I kind of thought I was picking a weight. And, uh, it got to, uh, in August, the end of August, I went and I visited some friends out of town.
And, um, that weekend I just hadn't been feeling very well, and I started having like chest pains and trouble breathing and whatnot, and that was just so much different from any other thing that I've kind of been through. Um, so it was just one of those decisions where I was like, oh, maybe I should just go ahead and see what's going on with me.
So I ended up, went going to the doctor and they, you know, basically told me, um, just based off of my symptoms, um, that they, you know, that's what they thought it was. And so they did tests and I had CT scans and biopsies and things of that, things like that. And, you know, and after all of the information came back, it, it was, you know, it was confirmed that, you know, that I had the notkin's lymphoma. So, um, it was pretty quick from the time that I, you know, that I went into the, I went to the doctor to, you know, when I was, uh, officially, you know, diagnosed.
Um, you know, they did a really good job of identifying what was going on and, um, and then I started chemo just, you know, just a short time after that. So, so yeah, it is been, um, it was a, it was pretty quick turnaround, you know, it happened real fast.
What was going through your head when the, uh, doctor first told you that you have that, that they think you have that?
Uh, just confusion. Like, you know, again, I'm just coming from a place where, you know, I've been really healthy most all my life, honestly. You know, I haven't really can, at least now I can't really remember, you know, too many times where I've had a bad cold or, you know, where I've been out, you know, you know, down bad because of the illness or whatnot. I didn't, I never got covid, you know what I mean? Uh, so just things like that, you know, I, I've always been pretty healthy. Uh, so just to go through something like, you know, as big as this is, you know, you hear that cancer word and, um, and I mean, it just can be scary, you know, it's like no matter what type of cancer it is, you know, you, you kind of always got this predis predisposition that, you know, it, it'll lead to death or early death and Right.
Um, so, you know, just, just things like that are kind of going through my head. Um, but that was just a short time, honestly. 'cause I've had a lot of like, uh, support and just, um, this acknowledgement that, you know, this is one of the, the easier curable cancers. Yeah. Um, so that, you know, that's been one of the things that's kind of helped me, you know, just kind of get over that and help me remain positive, uh, you know, about beating it.
Yeah. You mentioned, uh, chemotherapy a minute ago. What does that look like for you? Like, how often do you have to, uh, do those treatments?
Uh, just once every, um, three weeks. So I got, I have six treatments planned. I've been through two already. Um, my next one would be in October. Um, so yeah, just once every three weeks. Uh, it's not, it's not an overly grueling process, but, um, it, each session is about, my first session was a, it was a really long one. I was there for about, um, I would say a good 10 hours that day. Um, just, just them delivering the medicines and, and I had a, a reaction to one of 'em, so they kind of slowed down the process and they were able to finish it, finish giving me the medication.
It was just, uh, for whatever reason, people, it is common for people to have a, you know, an adverse reaction to it. Yeah. Um, so after that first session, uh, my second session was, was about six hours, so it was a little bit shorter in time, but, um, yeah, know it's not, it's not, you know, it's uh, it's not a, like a overly demanding process.
It is just, you know, you just waiting there and, uh, it just kind of just takes a little bit out of you after the treatments, you know, you, you just feel, uh, less energized. Um, so it is really hard to eat. I know. That's, you know, that's the thing that I've been kind of dealing with. Just, uh, just been feeling really fatigued and, uh, you know, my, my appetite is kind of non-existent, which again, that's so much different from who I am normally. 'cause I usually eat pretty good and yeah.
You know, I can, I can go on four or five hours of sleep, you know. So, uh, those are the biggest, the biggest things that I've noticed.
Uh, you said that there's been people supporting you. Is there anybody in specific who has been your biggest support or, uh, just helping you get through all this stuff?
Um, I mean, I can't, besides my wife, you know, she's been my big support, um, parents and, you know, my, I got three kids, my older two, I actually have a son in high school. Uh, he goes to North Central, so, um, you know, he is, he, he is been helping out a bunch. Um, and I have my, my daughter, uh, she's in middle school, so she, she kind of knows what's going on, and she's a big time help too. So, um, you know, those five people for sure. But then I have, you know, I have buddies and stuff, old high school buddies, college teammates and stuff like that that I went to school with, play football with, you know, friends from work and things like that.
I mean, I've had a bunch of people, honestly, so it'd be hard to kind of point out people. Um, but, uh, Matt Upshaw, who I played at Warren with, he was my quarterback. He, you know, he contacts me a lot. Um, actually, uh, even Coach Brown, who's on the Warren staff now, uh, he had the same, you know, situation, so I talked to him a bunch. Um, and then again, just, just friends from work and, you know, buddies that I have from college and stuff, I hear from somebody up just about every day.
So it's been pretty cool.
You graduated, you graduated from Warren in 2006, right?
2 0 7,
2007. All right. Uh, how was your experience at Warren and, uh, how has that helped you, uh, with, with the community throughout your life, and especially throughout this process? Throughout?
Yeah. Um, my experience with one was a, just the straight blessing. And, you know, it helped me not only just get a great education and have great life experiences just with the diversity of, you know, all the different kids that went there and all the different type of friends that I accumulated from, you know, my time there. Um, and then it, it helped set me up to go to the great college at Virginia Tech. So, you know, it's been, again, just a huge blessing to be able to go to that school and play for that pro program.
It kind of just elevated my talents and helped me get noticed, helped me get a, a scholarship to a, you know, a great school. And again, just be able to see things that I probably wouldn't have been, been able to have seen that I just, just went to school and not participated in football or, or had any extracurriculars or on that the stage that Warren, you know, provides. So, um, you know, that's, uh, that's probably the, uh, you know, the most rewarding part of it all. But, you know, again, just, uh, you know, the opportunity to just go to such a diverse school and be around such different types of people.
Um, you know, those are, those are really things you can't really, uh, you can't count on, but they're, they were, they're huge.
Yeah. I completely agree with all that. Uh, now I got, I got one more question for you. What, what does your life look out, look like right now outside of your treatments?
Um, it is a lot more slowed down. You know, I'm, I'm, I got a lot more time for family, which is, which has been a huge blessing again. Um, you know, I've been, I've been one of those ones where, you know, although my situation is, you know, unfortunate, I've still had a lot to, to be thankful for, uh, just from the opportunity to, you know, I'm, I'm off from work, but I'm still getting paid through disability from my job. So, you know, like I, you know, I'm not missing any money, um, you know, and, and from that regard, but I'm still able to, you know, be home with my kids and help my wife and, uh, you know, get the kids ready for school and, you know, just kind of be around a little bit more.
Um, so, um, yeah, I mean the, the weeks that I'm not, you know, doing treatment, I'm just kind of, you know, taking care of myself, basically, trying to get back healthy and, you know, I've lost a lot of weight.
So, um, you know, I've been doing some light lifting and, and you know, just home workouts from, you know, from, from what I can do around in my neighborhood and things like that. And at home. Um, and then just helping with my kids, like I said, just, you know, helping in the mornings, picking my baby son up from daycare. Uh, that's been like a highlight of my day. Um, you know, and just trying to do as much as I can around the house to make it a little bit easier for my wife when she gets home.
So, you know, we don't, you know, we don't have to worry about food being on the table and things like that, you know, so kind of help with those errands throughout the day and, you know, just make it, uh, a little bit easier for everybody to kind of come home and relax and, and then again, it's, you know, it's been good to, to spend that time as well.
Yeah. I'm glad you're, I'm glad you're that you're, uh, still doing okay. Um, I'm, thank you so much for giving us your time today for coming on here with us.
Yeah, no problem.
Uh, thank you for sharing your experiences. It is good to, like, it is good to hear somebody else's experience. 'cause I would've never thought, like I hear about somebody's experience with a certain type of cancer. 'cause I'm not around those type of people. But it's good to hear, it is good to hear about your story and how you're dealing with everything.
Yeah, no doubt, man. I appreciate the, uh, you know, the interview and hopefully we get some good stuff outta it. Um,
Yep. We'll be coming out on, uh, a week from today actually, and we can definitely make sure that you get, have access to a magazine or multiple, however many you want. Uh, you can. All right. Yeah. Hear about it.
Yeah, that works.
All right. We appreciate you coming on here today.