Monty

- Diagnosed with myeloma

Monty's story

For most of his life Monty Toko would have described himself as ‘bulletproof’. But when he collapsed one night in 2013 and ended up in hospital, he quickly realised he wasn’t as tough as he had always thought.

“I went to the bathroom and the next thing I knew I was in the hospital for three days!” says Monty.

Monty went through what felt like a million tests while the doctors tried to figure out what was wrong with him. Eventually he was told he had to see a haematologist.

“I said what the heck is that? I had never heard of a haematologist before and I had no idea what it meant for me,” says Monty.

When Monty saw his haematologist he was told he had myeloma which they explained was a type of blood cancer.

“I didn’t want to believe it. My younger brother passed away ten years ago from liver cancer so I thought someone else getting cancer in the family seemed so unlikely.”

Monty had only heard of cancers that were related to lifestyle choices, so when he found out there is no known cause of blood cancer, he was even more shocked that it happened to him.

“When I was first told I had blood cancer, my mind just completely shut off. Everyone started talking about treatments and I didn’t really even notice,” says Monty.

Monty always thought he was invincible and admits it took him a few weeks to let his diagnosis completely sink in before he chose to accept it.

Thankfully Monty’s sister was with him and was able to take in all the information and explain it to Monty when he was ready.

Once Monty began treatment he realised that although he knew he was in good hands, he didn’t really understand the implications of having a blood cancer.

“One of the greatest things I ever did was get in touch with LBC and meet Sarah the Wellington Support Services Coordinator. I would be lost without all the help she gave me.”

Sarah joined Monty as a support person in appointments with specialists so she could help him decipher all the medical terminology that he wasn’t too sure about.

“I also started going to the Wellington LBC support group and I realised everyone was dealing with the same things. It showed me exactly why people like Sarah are there, which is to work out the hardest things for us while we focus on getting better,” says Monty.

In order to be well enough to have a stem cell transplant, Monty needed to lose weight which he did with the help of his local activity club and a lot of walking.

Monty now ensures that his health is his number one priority in life.

Monty ended up in hospital for longer than he originally thought while he waited to be well enough for a transplant after being struck down with multiple infections.

“Sarah would pop in and check on me and see how everything was going which was another way she really helped,” says Monty.

Despite taking a while to accept his diagnosis, three years later Monty says it has taught him a lot – not only about blood cancers and myeloma but also about how he chooses to approach life and his illness.

“I read a lot of the LBC patient stories about how other people had coped with blood cancer. These woke me up a bit and I decided to change my whole attitude,” says Monty.

Monty also lives with diabetes so he has found a way to live with both illnesses and looks after himself as best he can.

“I have tests every three months and my doctor is really happy with the results. I know there’s a chance I may need treatment again but if it happens it happens,” says Monty.

Monty has numerous family members who have dealt with cancer and he tries to share the knowledge he has learnt throughout his ongoing journey.

“I tell everyone to always look after themselves, to make the best of the life you have been given and to just be positive.”