Patient Profile: Cleveland Fields is Not Giving Up
Cleveland Fields was not feeling quite right, but did not think too much about it. That is, until he tripped over his dog while at home one day in 2019. He called his son, and they went to the ER. That visit led to a diagnosis of multiple myeloma, a cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow and can lead to tumors in bones throughout the body. Mr. Fields had lost over sixty pounds of his body weight, but “I didn’t realize it until I had an incident.”
Chemotherapy was initiated, but Mr. Fields developed an allergic reaction after the first treatment, landing him back in the ER. “I came out with a rash,” he says, “The medicine turned my skin black as my shoe and it started peeling right off. It didn’t hurt, but I would rub it, and it would shed right off.”
It was during that second ER visit that Mr. Fields met Dr. Srilata Gundala, founder of Hope & Healing Cancer Services in Hinsdale, Illinois. She was the doctor who determined it was an allergic reaction causing discomfort and recommended a different course of treatment. Mr. Fields opted to shift his care to her practice, “It was a matter of ---, well, I just decided to stay with her. I trusted her and her office is closer to my home. It was the right choice.”
Five years later, and Mr. Fields is doing well, “My daughter says I am a walking miracle.” In the years since his diagnosis Mr. Fields has been working hard to get back to feeling himself. “When I was first released from the hospital, I had no strength anywhere. A bottle of water was too hard to open. Think about that – I couldn’t even open a bottle of water. Now I lift weights. When I started with Dr. Gundala, I went twice a week, now I’m in just once a month. She improved my condition. Everything is almost back to normal.”
Help from family and friends as well as the quality care from Hope & Healing Cancer Services is what Mr. Fields credits for his recovery. He receives monthly infusions which are ongoing, as long as the treatments continue to have the positive effect they are having. “They are great doctors and nurses,” says Mr. Fields about Hope & Healing staff, “I have no side effects from the treatments, and I would rather be there than anywhere. I say I was meant to be there with them.”
After his initial hospitalization, Mr. Fields was grateful for the help of his local daughters and son who provided assistance with daily tasks and needs. He now lives alone with his dog, a four-year-old terrier mix named Bruno. “Bruno gets me out of the house.”
Dog walks are just one of many activities Mr. Fields enjoys, “I go fishing and ride my bicycle. I’m active and still gaining that weight back. I’m about 145-150 pounds now with a good appetite.” One of the more difficult aspects of his cancer was losing his taste buds and appetite for any kind of food, “I’m glad they’re back.” He also is musical, playing guitar and piano, rides a stationary bike at home, and lifts weights to “keep loose.”
Mr. Fields is philosophical about living with cancer. “It has not changed my life at all. I needed a little care at first, but I didn’t let it hinder me for anything. I just wake up and do what I want to do. What will be will be.”
When asked about how cancer has changed his life, Mr. Fields is quiet for a moment, then acknowledged, “I don’t really think about it. Different things happen to different people. That’s what brings people down, when they start thinking about their conditions. That brings depression. You’re not going anyplace until it’s your time. Never give up.”
Dr. Gundala, appreciates Mr. Fields’ positive attitude, “Mr. Fields is rooted in the positives and not the negatives, in cancer treatment and in life. We love seeing him in the clinic and are so grateful to be able to provide him with the help he needs to live a rich, full life without all the side effects that prevented him from living his best quality of life. There is no need to choose between controlling his disease and an excellent quality of life – both are possible when working together.”
