GWAR Guitarist Mike “BälSäc the Jaws ‘o Death” Derks Diagnosed with Potentially Fatal Bone Marrow Disorder
GWAR guitarist Mike Derks, better known to fans as BälSäc the Jaws ‘o Death, has revealed that he been diagnosed with myelofibrosis. If you’ve never heard of that particular disease before — I hadn’t — here’s the description from mayoclinic.org:
“Myelofibrosis is a serious bone marrow disorder that disrupts your body’s normal production of blood cells. The result is extensive scarring in your bone marrow, leading to severe anemia, weakness, fatigue and often an enlarged spleen.
“Myelofibrosis is an uncommon type of chronic leukemia — a cancer that affects the blood-forming tissues in the body. Myelofibrosis belongs to a group of diseases called myeloproliferative disorders.
“Many people with myelofibrosis get progressively worse, and some may eventually develop a more serious form of leukemia. Yet it’s also possible to have myelofibrosis and live symptom-free for years. Treatment for myelofibrosis, which focuses on relieving symptoms, can involve a variety of options.”
Luckily, Derks says he can be treated with a bone marrow transplant, which has a fairly low mortality rate (“around 15%”). He doesn’t seem to have a donor yet, but hopes to have the procedure early next year.
It goes without saying that everyone here at MetalSucks is pulling for Derks. We’ll let you know if you at any point he solicits assistance with medical bills. In the meantime, read his entire statement below:
“My name is Michael Derks, but I am more widely known by my stage name, BälSäc the Jaws ‘o Death. I’ve spent the last thirty years behind a mask as the guitarist for the shock rock band GWAR. And that’s where I’m comfortable, behind the mask. I am not someone who enjoys putting my life out for others to see on social media, and I do it now only because I know many people are concerned about me.”
“This summer while I was out on the Warped tour, I began to experience extreme fatigue and weakness. Eventually it got to the point where the people around me insisted that I go to the hospital. I was treated for severe anemia, but extensive testing did not reveal a cause. When I got home, my hemoglobin levels continued to fall and the only course of treatment has been a series blood transfusions to keep my red and white blood cells from dropping to dangerous levels. I went for further testing at the Massey Cancer Center at MCV and the doctors there have diagnosed me with myelofibrosis, a disease that causes scarring inside of the bones and interferes with the marrow’s ability to produce blood cells. If left to run it’s course the doctors say I am most likely to only survive another 3 to 5 years. There is a treatment with a chance of curing my condition, a bone marrow transplant. This procedure involves destroying my diseased bone marrow with high doses of chemotherapy, and then replacing it with healthy marrow from a donor. I will hopefully have the transplant early next year. I will spend a month in the hospital and then at least a year in recovery, where my immune system will be practically non-existent. The procedure has a mortality rate of 30%, but the Massey Center has brought this down to around 15%. With my family’s help and the support of my friends, I will beat this.”
“Since the only thing I can do while the doctors try to find a matching donor is to get myself physically fit, I’ve decided to not let the impending hospitalization keep me from doing what I enjoy most, performing with GWAR. I will be joining them on the upcoming North American tour where we will be playing many of the songs from our new album, ‘The Blood of Gods,’ a record that I am prouder of than anything else I’ve put out in my 30 year career. I will be using labs across the country to monitor my blood over the next 2 months as we travel and will probably have to leave the tour at least once to come home for a transfusion, but as hard as the road can be, I look forward to the curative effect it can have on my soul. Everyone I have told about my condition have asked what they can do to help. I have teamed up with the incredible people at Love Hope Strength to offer a way for my friends and fans to not only help me, but all of the thousands of people out there in need of a bone marrow transplant. We are running a virtual drive to find donors to join the international registry of people willing to save a strangers life. So, please, if you are willing and able, become a donor today. There is no obligation, it will just allow you to find out if there is someone out there who’s life you could save.”
[via Metal Injection]
