Multiple Myeloma Diagnosis
Hi everyone,
My mom was recently diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, and we are still trying to process everything and figure out the best next steps.
It all started when she began having what seemed like a minor muscle pain or strain that wouldn’t go away. At first, it didn’t seem serious, but the pain kept persisting and gradually worsened. Because it wasn’t improving, she went to the doctor to get it checked out. What was initially thought to be a simple injury led to more testing, including an MRI and PET scan, and eventually a bone marrow biopsy, which confirmed the diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma.
We’re currently insured through Kaiser Permanente, and while we’ve started care, she wanted to get a second opinion from City of Hope in Atlanta to make sure we are choosing the best treatment plan. However, we were told the second opinion alone would cost around $2500..
I wanted to ask a few things from others who may have gone through this:
Has anyone here gotten a second opinion for multiple myeloma? Was it worth it, and how did you go about it?
Are there any financial assistance programs, grants, or nonprofit organizations that help with cancer-related costs or second opinions?
Is a GoFundMe something people commonly use for situations like this, or are there better options we should try first?
Any general advice or resources for navigating multiple myeloma care would be deeply appreciated.
We are still learning and trying to make the best decisions for her care. Any insight, personal experience, or guidance would mean a lot.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this ❤️