KARE 11's Boyd Huppert on cancer diagnosis: 'I want every day that I can get'
Beloved KARE 11 journalist Boyd Huppert is sharing more about his cancer diagnosis after revealing on Sunday he is battling multiple myeloma.
Huppert, 59, on Monday spoke with WCCO Radio's Jordana Green about the diagnosis, saying he learned he had cancer about a month ago. Green herself was diagnosed last year with leukemia and has responded well to treatment, she said.
Related: Beloved KARE 11 storyteller Boyd Huppert diagnosed with cancer
"Part of the reason I decided I wanted to talk about this publicly is to remind people to pay attention to what their body is telling them," Huppert told Green.
He was experiencing some "eye floaters," which ended up being hemorrhaging behind his eye, and other symptoms, such as fatigue and bloody noses, so he went to the doctor. Huppert said if there's any "good" in all this, it's that the cancer was detected early.
Multiple myeloma is a relatively uncommon blood cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, multiple myeloma forms in the plasma cells and accumulates in the bone marrow, crowding out healthy blood cells that help you fight infections. "Rather than producing antibodies, the cancer cells produce abnormal proteins that can cause complications," Mayo says.
While there's no cure, Huppert said the treatment is a promise of more years, adding: "I've lived a charmed life ... I want every day that I can get, and that's my focus right now."
The goal is to get Huppert to the point where he can get a bone marrow transplant, he told Green, which will likely happen in early 2022. He's currently undergoing his second round of chemotherapy to get "some of the levels back under control" so he can get the transplant.
Huppert is currently working from home, and if anyone is wondering how they can help him, prayers would be a good place to start.
Green, who got emotional during the segment, offered her support and encouraging words to Huppert, saying she's been praying for him.
"You are going to champion this, you're going to get through," Green told Huppert. "It's hard, but you're going to do it. I'm with you every step of the way, I'm thinking about you all the time."
Huppert is known for his "Land of 10,000 Stories" segment on KARE 11 and is one of the most celebrated reporters in the country. He could fill an entire trophy case with his 128 regional Emmy awards and 20 National Edward R. Murrow awards.
