Ron Branscome's Walk for WM

Ron Branscome’s “Walk for Waldenstrom’s”

After months of complaining about being extremely fatigued at the end of each day, I visited my primary care doctor for an annual wellness exam.  I attributed the exhaustion to old age as my 60th birthday was only a few months away and the demands of a hectic professional life that started early in the morning and ended late in the evening.  The lab work completed as part of my routine physical indicated that I was anemic with an elevated protein count.  My physician recommended further study of my condition by a Hematologist-Oncologist.

On August 23, 2011, after completing additional lab tests, medical imaging, and a bone marrow biopsy, I was officially given the diagnosis of a rare (less than .1% of all cancers in the US) and incurable blood cancer know as Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM), a low-grade B cell non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  A week later, I began combination therapy of Bendamustine/Rituxan followed by Rituxan maintenance treatment that ended on April 25, 2014.  

Every 4 to 5 months I have routine lab work to monitor the progression of my disease.  I’m happy to share with you that I continue to have a complete response from my initial treatment and hope for many more years of being free from WM symptoms.  At the time I started treatment, the median survival rate for WM was 5 to 7 years.  The good news is the survival time has been increasing steadily because of better treatments, and many people with WM live for more than 20 years.

When I was first diagnosed with WM, I was fortunate to learn about a wonderful organization known as The International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation or IWMF.  The mission of IWMF is to “Support and educate everyone affected by Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia while advancing the search for a cure.” The IWMF has affiliates and support groups all over the world with more than 10,000 members and a fantastic website (www.iwmf.com) that offers a wealth information for individuals and families living with WM.

I am very proud that the IWMF has awarded more than $5 million in grants to leading research facilities such as Mayo Clinic and Dana-Farmer Cancer Institute in the last three years to move closer to a cure for WM.  Charity Navigator, a major charity assessment organization, has awarded the IWMF with their highest recognition as a 4-Star Rated Charity. In 2018, I was honored to be elected to the Board of Trustees of the IWMF and serve on the Fundraising Committee and coordinate the “Stories of Hope” (https://www.iwmf.com/get-support/stories-hope) page on the IWMF website.

Over the past 24 years, the IWMF has held an Annual Educational Forum that provides presentations by the leading investigators and researchers in the treatment of WM. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Annual IWMF Educational Forum will be held virtually on August 27 & 28.  During this event on  August 28, a virtual “Walk for Waldenstrom’s” will take place to raise money to advance a cure for WM.  I hope you will sponsor my participation in the virtual “Walk for Waldenstrom’s” with a donation to the IWMF.