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CHARLOTTE — Patients undergoing cancer treatment Novant Health in Charlotte He found new hope when he discovered a new stem cell transplant procedure that would allow him to recover at home.
Even before he was diagnosed, John Fox knew something was wrong.
“Every couple of days something breaks and the wheels come off,” said patient John Fox.
Within days, Fox said, she had broken several ribs just from performing everyday activities around the house and on vacation, such as lifting a suitcase.
“They did an MRI scan and diagnosed me with a cracked pelvis, five cracked ribs and a cracked femoral neck,” Fox said.
After further investigation, doctors at Novant Health discovered the fracture was caused by another disease: multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that weakens bones and can be fatal.
“I'd never been to a hospital in my life and I was 63 so we were just in shock. We didn't know what to think,” Fox said.
“Before advanced treatments were available, patients with multiple myeloma had limited options and their survival rate was around three years,” says Dr. Abhishek Chirkulwar, a hematologist at Novant Health.
Dr Chirklewar said Mr Fox's life expectancy had been significantly extended thanks to advanced treatments such as stem cell transplants.
“Though it is said that it is not yet a curable disease, some patients live for more than 10-15 years,” Dr Chirkulwar said.
Fox will be the first patient to undergo a stem cell transplant in Charlotte and be allowed to leave the hospital after the procedure.
Patients typically stay in hospital for 14 days until their immune systems can recover.
What's different now?
“In our setup, we have an excellent outpatient cellular therapy unit with nurses and medical staff, and we can provide all the same care that we provide to patients. Outpatients can go home at the end of the day, sleep in their own beds and eat their own food,” Dr Chirkulwar said.
“My biggest fear was having to stay in the hospital for 12 to 16 days. When Dr. C asked about outpatient treatment, I thought I was feeling great,” Fox said.
While Fox will still return to the hospital daily to have her vital signs checked, this new outpatient treatment allows patients to fulfil their wishes to stay at home with their loved ones rather than in the hospital.
Fox said that once his disease goes into remission, he plans to do what he loves: walk along Florida's sunny beaches with his wife, to whom he has been married for 42 years.
“We go down there. We love the beach. There's something special about sitting on the beach when the waves are crashing,” Fox said.
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