02/21/2026
Update: 02-21-26 đš Lengthy but very important update! When you are typing so much instead of speaking it is much longer. So we aplogize in advance if you are a person that does not like to read.
Itâs been a while since there has been an update so this will be a lengthy update as a lot has been going on, on our end.
Thursday evening Dwayne was just walking to the kitchen following after me and he sneezed 4-5 times back to back. As that happened he felt a popping or cracking feeling. With the background of fractures over things that should not normally break so easily with the diagnosis of multiple myeloma we were a lil concerned especially with him needing meds for feeling pain in an area of his back afterwards.
Fast forward to the next morning which was Friday 2/20 around 8am Dwayne came back from the restroom to get back in the bed and he was having a hard time breathing. He said he could not expand chest with breathing. It got worse quickly to where he was gasping so to speak at times trying to get his breathe back. I can only imagine that feeling he had & watching it from my end feeling helpless and terrifying. After contacting his doctor as well as our children & others to be praying along with our plan for him to go to the hospital by ambulance as we needed to avoid the emergency rooms with his immune compromised.
At the hospital they ordered labs and done a CT of lungs, ribs and back. All came back that everything was okay. No fractures, no bony spurs etc. Praise be to God!!! The NP stated he believes Dwayne pulled a muscle in his ribs. Dwayne was prescribed steroids, muscle relaxers and lidocaine patches to help with inflammation.
đąNow for the most important updateâŒïž
As most of you know that has been following along for almost 3 yrs since Dwayneâs diagnosis April 7th 2023. You have heard us talk about all the fractures and kidneys shutting down that multiple myeloma attacks being a blood cancer. He had 6-7 fractures upon finding out as well as renal failure. BUT GOD, He brought Dwayneâs kidneys back to normal and theyâve stayed that way through out this time! â€ïžđđ»đđ»
We have needed much help from others through this season of our lives and we are so very grateful for everyoneâs help & support! We have trusted God with every area of our lives including our health and finances. He has used several of you, maybe at different times to pull us through. Those of you that have unfortunately had to experience the financial burden yourselves that cancer brings or rather had someone you love experience it, you have seen first hand the chaos it brings to your lives and the burden of finances on top of it.
In 2024, Dwayne had a stem cell transplant. Most of you were here to watch updates. The stem cell transplant is basically where they take your stem cells and give them back to you after high doses of chemotherapy. We were hoping & expecting total remission for many years based on doctors results of some cases. During the time that it does normally have the myeloma knocked down to almost nothing which would have been complete total remission after 100 days, that check up from transplant Dwayneâs PET scan showed a large mass in his colon, which is a complete separate issue from the multiple myeloma diagnosis. The doctor suspected 95 % this mass was a colon cancer as well, even after removing in surgery to be sent off and tested, BUT GOD! Results came back negative for cancer with high grade displaysia, which means it was on its way if not caught in time. So God had went before us and worked it all out for our good! Shew He is a good, good Father! Amen?! During the time after the transplant waiting for the time period of testing, having to have a colonoscopies, colectomy, and recovery time for all that Dwayne had not taken any maintenance chemotherapy which is crucial to maintain a remission after a stem cell transplant. So he had a short window period of remission that did not last.
Now during the time of the preparing & during this stem cell transplant itself, it required alot of needs. Always separate trips to UT for all the tests before to make sure you can have the transplant, valet fees because thereâs NEVER parking at UT and it is much easier for anyone dealing with health issues of walking, stays in hotels either during collections & after transplant to be close by hospital for a period of time, food to eat during a 16-17 day hospital stay, need to wash clothes from the hospital stay, and prescriptions are just to name a few off the top of our head. Just all the things, that included a lot of preparation as well. We got ventilation cleaned and disinfected prior to the transplant as the rental we are in looked like it had never been done. We purchased 2 air purifiers to help with germs. It was also recommended by coordinator to bring enough towels for atleast 2 wks for the both of us with hospital stay when he had the stem cell transplant.
All that to say all the prayers everyone prayed, all the support you all sent we say thank you, thank you so much for having an obedient heart for what God placed on your hearts that in return made a way for us. You were used as an answer to our prayers! To the angel that helped provide fees for the hotel after stem cell transplant we can never thank you enough! You were a God send! No one knew but we were released with no funds yet just a card to put on file an God used this total stranger weâve never met to pay for the hotel with enough to wash laundry while there and get some food delivered to us. We have so many stories of how God used everyone as an angel to help us at different times no matter what amount you had given because it always added up and provided the way when there was no way!
Okay, now I have to be careful how I word these next parts!
The two chemotherapies Dwayne has been receiving has not been working like it should and so the specialist recommended something kinda similar to the stem cell transplant but is not a stem cell transplant. Papers Dwayne signed stated of what he will receive is not to be on social media! We do not want to risk anything from him being able to go through with this line of treatment. That being said we also are in need of major needs with help again, with all the things that requires much of the same needs we needed before, during and after last years stem cell transplant. We have been told such promising results that if it worked Dwayne would NEVER have to take maintenance chemotherapy, just check ups. That would mean âhe would have his life backâ, Dwayneâs words. We are ready for this to happen and get on with the plans the Lord has for us to do! This line of treatment would require hospital stay for atleast 2wks and all the things like the stem cell transplant required last year and has some serious side effects that are supposed to be short term such as Parkinsonâs like tremors, brain fog like not being able to speak, write or comprehend questions or tasks.
So we desperately need your prayers fervently number one! Two, those of you that can reach in your pockets to help fund any amount will help us get though this as well as make sure regular bills are paid while preparing all the things before hand, during and after. Now GoFundMe takes out a percentage. PayPal, Cash App, Venmo does not on the option on our end to not get instant and chose option to wait 1-3 days for the funds. We are going to share ALL links below on ways to donate. You do not have to to have a PayPal account in order to donate through PayPal. You can donate as a guest by credit/debit.
We are praying that everyone that has a heart for this situation with us, that God lays it on your hearts to give when you can, any amount, and will be obedient. We were going to try to see if anyone could help us through a fundraiser of some sort but we werenât given that needed time. We had thought of trying to sell support tshirts like the in beginning of diagnosis but again we donât have the needed time as this is moving quickly. We are sorry we canât provide more of the details just yet but afterwards a period of time we are thinking we should then be able to share and will have great news with answered prayers!
We love & so appreciate each and everyone of you! Please pray about what you can help with between now, the middle of March through April as that is time of preparing right before Marchâs testing the first week, and after for the other steps of which we canât speak of details of treatments & processes prior to the hospital stay and after hospital stay to be near hospital a few days to a week.
If u are not able to help by donating, we could still use your help through prayers and by sharing the post far and wide đđ»
Thank you! - â„ïžBlankenship Family
Here are the folowing way to donate below:
To donate through PayPal you don not have to have a paypal account, you can donate as guest with debit/credit by clicking on th elink below:
https://www.paypal.me/Blankenships777
To donate through cash app use the username below:
$Blankenships777
To donate through Venmo use the username below:
To donate through gofundme click link below: this the only one that will take out a percentage of the donation.
https://gofund.me/b92faf6e
If you would like to send Dwayne encouragement mail you may send mail to:
Dwayne Blankenship
PO Box 205
Rogersville, TN 37857
la
