Laura Levasseur

I am 35 years old with two children and a husband that I have been married to for 16 years.

I had been experiencing back pain for several years. In September, 2003 I had four weeks of physical therapy. My left leg was going numb. On October 11, 2003, I had an MRI that showed a plasmacytoma tumor on my spine and that my L5 vertebra was transparent. I couldn't sleep for three days after finding out this news. My doctors started scheduling everything I needed right away. Everything was happening so fast, I didn't have much time for research. I had all my tests and x-rays over the next two weeks.

My cousin and my aunt gave me information about the Burzynski Clinic and I read it. It sounded really good. I gave the clinic a call and they asked me how soon I could get there. We made the appointment for October 30th and flew to Houston on the 29th. My bone marrow biopsy was done on the 28th, so I didn't know I had multiple myeloma until I was in Houston. It's a good thing I went right away. My oncologist was worried about me leaving. He wanted me to have radiation treatments right away. I got them quickly in Texas.

When I arrived in Houston, I had to walk with a walker. But I quit using it during the three weeks of treatment at the Burzynski Clinic. I was getting better quickly. My treatment consisted of 30 pills per day of sodium phenylbutyrate (PB), four pills per day of Aminocare A10, 200 mg. of Thalidamide, 40 mg. of dexamethasone for four days and then off for four days. I had radiation every day. I had zometta infusions and I will continue that for a couple of years to heal my bones. I get these just once a month. On the first day at the Clinic, I also had a shot of procrit, because I was so anemic.

While we were in Houston, we stayed in a hotel and had free shuttle service to the clinic. The people working at the clinic were very friendly and positive. You could tell that they believed I could get well. They were also very punctual about getting you in to see the doctor.

After returning home, in December, 2003, I had a serious battle with pneumonia. On Saturday, a week before Christmas, I got a sore throat and fever. By noon the next day, I felt hotter than ever and I couldn't think clearly. I kept praying that I wouldn't die in front of my son. My temperature rose to 104 degrees and my sodium level went to 109. My doctor later told me that one other person’s sodium level went to 106 and he died. Around noon, at the emergency room, I looked like I was dying and I felt hot, but my temperature was normal. My husband told them to check my ear temperature and it was 103, even after I had taken a pill at home to bring it down. I had drunk a lot of water because I felt so hot and didn’t know that one of the drugs I was taking, dexamethasone, would cause fluid to build up in my body.

I had a hard fight to stay alive and I tried to keep my brain alive. I kept praying to God to please let me live and take care of my children. Later, when I became fully aware of my surroundings, I knew that the Lord had answered my prayer. I saw a catheter in me, which kept draining fluid off of me. My mom told me it was 9:00 p.m. and I couldn't believe it was so late.

The next day, I had a chest x-ray, which revealed that I had pneumonia in both lungs. I finally went home on Christmas day and that was a wonderful gift to me. I was very weak, though, and I had a hard time climbing stairs. I started having a lot of back pain and then my bone-scans revealed more lesions. The Burzynski Clinic recommended I have a stem cell transplant. I was very scared, but I trusted their decision.

I just had the stem cell transplant and did well with that. I've been home since April 25th, 2004. I am not even sterile. Now, I am only taking the sodium phenylbutyrate pills and I am still getting better. The doctors who gave me my stem cell transplant were very impressed with how much I have improved since my diagnosis, how well I did with the transplant and how I am doing now.

I thank God for Dr. Burzynski and his cancer treatment.

Laura Levasseur, Multiple Myeloma, IN, PB < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >