Valerie Aarne Grossman, age 65, has been a radiology/imaging nurse for over 40 years. Serving an as RN at Highland Hospital, back in 2012, she made friends with another nurse Brooke Grandusky who became a great friend. Valerie now realizes that their friendship has probably saved her life.
While having treatment for a bout of shingles in 2012, it was felt that having that breakout in more than one area of her body was unusual. Having seen similar symptoms in her own mom, Brooke told Valerie that we was suffering from multiple myeloma.
“I told her she was wrong, but she became a real pest about it,” Val laughed. Brooke noted that the symptoms she was seeing in her friend only showed up in patients who were HIV-positive, were on chemotherapy, or had cancer.
Valerie agreed to be tested for HIV, which came back negative, and she knew she was not on chemo, so she sought blood work. Her immune system was out of whack, and she felt exceptionally tired, often falling asleep during meetings at work. But no one mentioned cancer.
After lots of blood work and testing, she was finally seen by Brooke’s mother’s specialist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York. The doctor wondered why Val had not been sent to an oncologist.
Beginning in 2014 and continuing through 2018, Valerie saw the specialist and was prescribed oral chemotherapy (21 days on, 7 days off).
For the next seven years, her cancer was treated with chemotherapy and steroids, until 2021 when a more aggressive form of cancer was discovered and she was given six months to life.
Willing to try anything, Valerie underwent a stem cell transplant in early 2022 at Rosswell Park Cancer Center in Buffalo. That left her struggling to recover and she ultimately lost her nursing job. The stem cell transplant has been some help with her immune system support
Since that time Valerie has been undergoing aggressive chemotherapy but is doing her best to live a “normal” life.
She says that, while all the drugs are wonderful, they also take a toll on the rest of her body. She has developed cataracts and the chemo led to adrenal glands shutting down. She now takes sodium tablets to help with that.
Then, a bad fall last summer resulted in a severely broken foot, preventing Val from walking or caring for herself. Despite following her doctor’s orders to wear a boot and rest, Valerie’s bones showed no signs of healing. Finally, at the end of 2023, Valerie, was facing another surgery – this time, to help heal her break. She did not want to give up the little remaining independence she had, and wanted no part of surgery. Valerie was desperate for an alternative. Her doctor recommended Exogen, a bone regrowth stimulation device.
Since using the device, Valerie is no longer in pain and her doctor has observed healing in her X-rays. She’s also able to maintain her independence while she continues with her chemotherapy treatments – something that dramatically improves her quality of life during this difficult time.
Although Valerie misses her old life, she is working to make the best of her current situation, and she wants to share her story now to inspire others to remain hopeful and strong.
With multiple mylenoma, they do not use the words relapse or remission. It is not curable, You can only try to regrow a healthier immune system and keep the cancer from growing. Val is on home isolation, only leaving her house for essential doctor’s appointments, and an occasional visit with her daughters at a small restaurant during slow times, away from other diners.
“My Primary Care Physician, Dr. Charlene Connors is the best PCP ever created,” praised Valerie. “She tries to see me on weekends when other sick people are not around. She is well respected and she cares.”
She a series of specialists - cardiologist, dermatologist, oncologist, and more. She sorely misses working as a nurse and seeing patients.
“I stay hopeful. I make most of each day and try to stay in touch with friends and colleagues through Facebook. I realize my life could end just as easily in a car accident.”
“My parents both died of cancer and my Dad used to continue to talk to my mother after she passed. He would promise daily that he would not waste any time being depressed. I want to do the same thing.”
Just remember when I wake every morning. I have another day!”
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