The Ultimate Marathon: My Journey With Multiple Myeloma Cancer

Tim McNeill was diagnosed with stage four Multiple Myeloma in June of 2002. Mr. McNeill’s original prognosis gave him only months if not weeks to live. As treatments began his kidneys failed and within days he contracted an MRSA infection. During the early days it was also discovered that the advanced stage of the cancer had destroyed several of the vertebrae in his back. This is the story of his early years of recovery. It is a story of personal perseverance and unrelenting determination. It is also the story of a family support group whose sheer will helped defy the medical odds for Mr. McNeill’s recovery. Most importantly, however, this is the story of Tim’s ability to compartmentalize and focus on the day to day battle of his recovery. His drive to take on one obstacle at a time, overcome, and move onto the next challenge has enabled Tim to emerge from the shadow of his early diagnosis into the sunlight of a more normal healthy life. Mr. McNeill’s desire is that by sharing some of these experiences, he can provide a ray of hope to others in their daily struggles with debilitating medical issues. It is also a story to remind all of us that our daily travel problems pale in comparison to the real struggle of life and death. Finally, Mr. McNeill’s story shows that sometimes individual determination and the support and love of friends and families can combine to defy the so called statistical odds of a dark prognosis.