Cesca’s hectic routine resumes – patients, surgery, writing, conferences, and of course, skiing and parties. She would never slow down, at least not willingly, and because she believed that her procedure was the absolute best option for myeloma patients, she wrote a book about it. Of course, she needed to undergo frequent exams, and each one carried their own level of suspense. But almost to the year when Cesca’s life went back to its former frantic pace, in June 1988, a blood test showed that a slight amount of cancerous protein was reappearing, once again. The myeloma was returning. It was too slight at the time for treatment, but it was enough to cause a lot of concern. All the weeks of isolation, pain, vomiting, weakness just seemed to give her back maybe a year to 16 months – that’s all, and the cancer was starting to show signs of attacking, all over again!

But did that send her into a tailspin of depression? Did that send her into seclusion to die? Not Francesca Thompson. She remained as busy and as productive as ever. She continued to receive treatment over the years, and at the same time, she became one of the most widely quoted orthopedic surgeons in the country. She was sought out by the New York Times, The Washington Post and Good Morning America. She wrote technical articles which she presented at professional meetings, and wrote popular articles such as “If the Shoe Fits.” In Vogue Magazine, she warned women of wearing heels, “My advice about heels is to treat them sparingly – kind of like a hot fudge sundae.” In 1991, she wrote about the problems with children wearing orthopedic shoes. She said, “What a child needs is protection from cuts and things, not an ugly brown shoe.” In 1992, she wrote about the problems with women’s running shoes – they were too small. She said, “The best place for women to find running shoes that fit properly is the men’s or boy’s shoe department.” She also suggested that people should shop for shoes in the late afternoon when feet swell to their widest. She also managed to co-author a major text book in orthopedic foot surgery. And of course she maintained a large practice.

This pace of activity continued through 1995. At that point she was about to be named President of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. Through these years, the myeloma continued to advance, and she continued to be treated for it. She had a bout with pneumonia in 1991, and lost her feeling from her left hip down to her left foot. Later, in 1994, she had a right hip replacement, and by 1995, she was in a wheelchair. At the same time, she continued to speak, write, and operate on her patients. Then, during January, 1996, because of treatment, her white blood count became very low. Still, she went to a party where she picked up an intestinal infection. On February 5, she was hospitalized for the last time. Up until a week before that hospitalization, Cesca was still operating on her patients, but this time the infection became overwhelming and she died, just after Valentine’s Day, on February 15, 1996, two days before her 52nd birthday.

It was a great loss. Cesca died much too young. But she lived an inspiringly full life, even after being diagnosed with a deadly, incurable disease. It seems that her most productive years occurred after her diagnosis, and she had active disease. Her attempts to pioneer a cure led to autologous transplants becoming common for myeloma patients, and to this day the autologous stem cell transplant is one of the most viable options for many who are newly diagnosed. She lived a productive 10 years with a disease which then had a life expectancy of only 20 months. Today, we have phenomenal targeted therapies that could have rescued her, and we can only imagine what might be available 10 years from now. But without question, Francesca Thompson shined a very bright light along what was a very dark path in 1986, and her love of life serves as a beacon for all of us to follow.