ABOUT ME
My name is Dane Newman. I’m 36 years old and live in Melbourne, Australia, with my gorgeous wife, Nicole and our beautiful 2 year old daughter, Jarrah. At the age of 29, I was diagnosed with primary myelofibrosis (MF), a chronic blood cancer that progressively scars my bone marrow and ultimately blocks my body’s capacity to create new blood cells. Without serious intervention, the disease will eventually take my life.
MF is a rare disease and even rarer for my age group – most people diagnosed with MF are over 60 years old. However, having been diagnosed at a younger age means that I’m able to undergo a bone marrow transplant. A successful transplant has the potential to cure me from the disease and allow me to live a much longer life. On the flip side, a high risk of complications arising from the procedure has the capacity to end my life quicker than what the disease normally would.
At the time of writing this introduction, I have less than 50 days remaining before I enter hospital for my transplant. Despite my illness, I feel healthy and the odds are in my favour, but I am still at serious risk of losing my life. My will and power of attorney need to be prepared, I must specify my preferences regarding cremation or burial, and my family must also consider financial and logistical issues should the worst-case scenario eventuate. It’s a scary time for all of us. But we strive forward together, hopeful for a cure.
Of course, I am not alone. Thousands of people across the world will be having a bone marrow transplant this year, while at the same time many others will be diagnosed with MF or some other life-threatening cancer or disease. The original intention of this blog was to provide my family and friends with regular updates of my condition throughout the transplant procedure. However, I recognise that there will be many other people on the web who are seeking out information or solace regarding their own circumstances and may happen to stumble across this site. Given this possibility, it occurred to me that that it may have been wasteful to have not shared my experiences of seven and a half years of living with MF and my upcoming experiences with bone marrow transplantation.
So here is my journey. I hope that my family, friends, myself and many others find it to be helpful. Wish me luck!
Dane.
