Mark Rice

My name is Mark Rice. I am a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, a grandpa and retired 35 year homicide captain from IMPD. All these relationships are extremely important to me and they help define who I am. One of my newer roles is that of grandpa to my granddaughter Nora and my grandson Hunter. Before either of them could talk I was asked what I want to be called. I have answered whatever they want to call me they can call me. Nora calls me grandpa and Hunter is currently on Pop Pop. The grandkids with another boy on the way in late October 2025 provide so much enjoyment that I forget my current situation. My motto for life is faith, family, and friends. They are the only things that really matters. This has been abundantly clear in the events of my life over the last two years.

In early spring of 2023 I got up on the roof to blow the leaves out of the gutter. I had finished blowing the leaves out of the gutter and was attempting to climb down the ladder when I lost my balance with the blower in my hand and fell from the ladder and landed flat on my stomach on the ground. I hit the ground with a loud thud and was stunned by the fall.. I laid on the ground trying to ascertain how much I was injured. My neck immediately tightened up and my left shoulder was injured. I entertained the notion of going to the hospital but ultimately decided not to go. I did get with my doctor and scheduled a MRI for my shoulder which hurt more at the time than my neck. I got the MRI about a month later and found out I had a torn labrum. My neck felt like it was still sore and not getting better so I requested another MRI neck which was scheduled for the Thursday before the Indy 500. When I got to the MRI on that Thursday my neck was extremely sore and it was all I could do was to lay still in the MRI.

The next day I got the call from the doctor that changed everything. It was 10:30am when I received the call. His exact words were well from the MRI it looks like you have multiple issues on your spine. I asked what does that mean. He stated well I have checked with other doctors and the radiologist that you probably have multiple myeloma. Wow. That was the last thing I expected to hear. Our family had a history of heart disease but not cancer. The doctor asked my if I could go to Eskenazi he would have an orthopedic spine surgeon waiting on me for admission and further evaluation. When I got to Eskanazi I was only in the packed waiting room for 2-3 minutes before they got me back to the room. They realized how much pain I was in and started in with the intravenous pain medications. Finally some relief for my neck. I then went through full CAT scans and PET scans which revealed that I did have multiple myeloma and a fractured C2. No wonder my neck had been bothering me for the past few months since the fall. I realized if I did not fall from the roof and got the MRI I would not have detected that I had multiple myeloma until it was in the latter stages. This was the first part in my cancer journey.

After I was admitted to Eskanazi for about a week I was released with a neck brace and medication. The orthopedic spine surgeon recommended fusing my fractured C2 vertebrae but I was initially totally against the procedure. My next stop was IU Cancer Center where I was recommended to see my oncologist Attaya Savannsankha. I was told that multiple myeloma was her specialty and the only cancer that she works on. I could not asked for a better oncologist that Dr. Savannasankha. She is kind, caring, knowledgeable, and has a sweet spirit. She truly cares for her patients and has made my cancer journey much more tolerable.

We started with the Stem Cell transplant which was the 3 weeks inpatient. I ended up getting out in 17 days. The treatment ultimately did not work. My neck was still fractured and I was wearing the neck brace 24/7 except for showering but I could feel it getting worse. In a consultation with the orthopedic spine surgeon he stated that a fall could render me a quadriplegic like Christopher Reeves. After a lot of prayer and talking with the family I needed the C2 fusion no matter how painful the recovery. The surgeon was unsure if the bone was strong enough to hold the braces and pins in place. They anchored the top to the bottom of my skull and bottom of the braces to my C3 and C4 vertebrae. It took about a good month for me to recover from this surgery and I got the best neck brace to this point. It was my crutch and protected my neck.

The next step since the Stem Cell did not work was the CAR T-cell treatment. This was the two week inpatient for me. I tolerated the chemo really well and did not have any negative reactions unlike the Stem Cell. I was surprised that I did not have any reaction to the chemo. In monitoring this treatment afterward it was determined that I had refractory multiple myeloma. The one good thing about the Car T-cell treatment I took my neck brace off while I was in the hospital and kept it off ever since.

I than started on my first oral chemo Revlimid which was 21 days on and 7 day off. I did have minor effects like hand and foot cramping. I did this for two or three months. My M-protein was still too high and I am currently on another oral chemo Polmalmyst which has the same 21 days on 7 days off with infusions starting every week for a couple months then every other week. This current treatment is dramatically lowering my M-protein levels. This is the first treatment that is finally working. Dr. Savannasankha is adjusting the dosage to get best results with least side effects.

This journey has been difficult but so many blessings have come about because of the cancer. I have grown closer to God, my wife, my son, my daughter, and my friends. It has made me examine my priorities and has crystallized the things that really matter. I am grateful for all the care and support that I have received from my family, friends, and the IU Cancer Center Staff and especially to Dr. Savannasankha.