Hello my name is Michael Thompson I’m from Ankeny, Iowa and I am 61 years old. My cancer story began with a recurring, minor throat irritation and earache. They would come and go over the course of several months. I did mention them to my family doctor a couple times, but there was no resolution. I eventually went to an ear, nose and throat doctor suspecting that I had some sort of inner ear infection, but instead I was diagnosed with cancer.
Finding out that I had cancer was a shock--especially when it’s a form of cancer for which I don’t fit any of the typical risk profiles. I was confronted with a lot of unknowns. Is my life on earth coming to an end? Am I making the right choices about doctors and treatment options? Will I become a burden to my loved ones? It left me with a confusing and overwhelming range of emotions. But in the end accepting that I had cancer was my new reality.
As the process unfolded, I met with my care team and they set up the plan that they believed would give me the best chance to survive. I bought into that plan and I prepared myself to fight.
Then, as I was approaching my second round of induction therapy, I received a message from my care team that the most critical chemotherapy drug in my treatment plan was not going to be available due to a shortage! You can’t prepare yourself for that type of news.
It is a devastating thing to hear. I was already fighting with everything I had. I was trying to maintain a positive attitude, but now the battle started to feel insurmountable.
I didn’t need to be a doctor to understand that even the best doctors can’t provide the best care if they don’t have access to the necessary chemotherapy drugs. When you’re facing a life or death health crisis like cancer, this is the type of news that can break you emotionally.
Mentally, I realized that the loss of a key drug was going to decrease my odds for success, so attempting to remain positive became an even greater challenge.
From the day of my diagnosis, it was an emotional time. But I truly panicked when I received this news. I started to insert my own understanding in place of trusting God. I felt dejected and defeated. I prayed a lot.
Then God began to work a miracle. My wife and I became a small link in a chain that connected us to Laura Bray and her organization, Angels for Change. We gave her authorization to advocate for us. Through her industry connections, she was able to identify some emergency supplies and she coordinated with the Mayo Clinic to get those supplies to them not just for me but for all patients in need!
Knowing our call to Laura supported others too really helped me and my wife. Instead of focusing on our own struggle we began to see how this was going to help so many people that were facing the same battle. It became clear to us that we were part of a process that was not just for our immediate benefit, but that of others. Being able to help others in the same situation that I was in really helped me to work through the emotions that we were facing.
This is a real crisis for both cancer patients and their providers. Meeting Laura gave me hope. God works miracles in our lives, and getting in touch with Laura was one of those miracles. I pray that by bringing attention to this issue, we can find solutions that don’t require miracles to get these vital drugs to the cancer patients that desperately need them in their fight to survive.
There is a mental darkness when battling cancer, and to have someone fight for you, like Laura, gives you a tremendous light in your life as you work through the mental anxieties of thinking about your mortality. I pray that people can find it in their hearts to support Angels for Change in accomplishing this mission.
Michael was featured in an NBC article diving into the US Cancer Drug shortages. Read the NBC article here