It was just another day on the water. As a charter boat captain in Sanibel, I’m used to a bit of a wobble when I get back to land, but on February 25th, something was different. After a perfect sunset cruise—one of the best dolphin interactions I’ve ever had—I could barely get off the boat. I was in so much pain I had to crawl to my car. That night, I cried. The next morning, I began a journey that would change my life forever.
For weeks, I had attributed the pain in my hip to a minor groin injury. I was in denial, coming up with every possible scenario in my mind, from a weird infection to a torn labrum. But my doctor, Dr. Dani Basora, knew better. Her quick action led to a series of tests—an MRI, a CT scan, bloodwork, and a painful bone marrow biopsy—that would reveal the truth. On March 6th, the results were in: I have multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that was causing my bone marrow to eat away at my pelvis. It was the moment the reality of my diagnosis came crashing down, a moment that felt like a plot twist in my life I never saw coming.
Since then, my life has been a blur of chemotherapy, medical tests, and the humbling, difficult process of accepting my new reality. But I have also found a powerful new purpose: to be the world’s longest-living, high-risk, multiple myeloma patient of all time. This mission has been my north star, guiding me through the darkest days. And with every step, the incredible Sanibel community has been right there beside me…