If you watched Robin and Michael Tuohy enjoying a sunny day with their daughter Ally and son Mikey, it might be hard to believe things were pretty dark for Michael a short time ago.
"At first, it's so scary, I'm not gonna kid you, we were devastated," Michael Tuohy said.
He's talking about his 2001 diagnosis with multiple myeloma, an incurable but treatable cancer of the plasma cell. At age 36, he went to the doctor with back pain and came out with a lot of questions.
"When I was first diagnosed, I didn't know any patients, I didn't know anyone with myeloma, I had barely heard of myeloma," he said.
His family basically got onboard a long roller coaster ride, wrought with ups and downs. He underwent a stem cell transplant, followed by remission, then his health took another downward dive, and now, Michael says he's finally on an upward swing. "The part that we look at now while I'm in remission is it's the most important time to reach out and help other patients."
Michael and his wife Robin started a support group, the first such one for multiple myeloma patients in Connecticut. It's called the Connecticut Multiple Myeloma Fighters. They hold monthly meetings in Waterbury.
"Our group is all about empowering patients with education, providing support and letting them know that there's hope out there," Robin said.
They even took their message on the road with their family, driving cross-country in a "Multiple Myeloma RV," bringing awareness and education on the road.
"I love it," Michael said. "I love to be able to help someone, to be able to tell them that I've been going through what you're going through now, and there is hope."
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, you can get more information by visiting the group's Website here.
