Living and Learning with Multiple Myeloma

A pair of eyes with a singing bird reflected in them

When I Open My Eyes

The mound of hope, pain, and uncertainty is high for so many. There are so many things we can count our blessings on, in light of circumstances. When I open...

A person releasing a lantern into the night sky

Thoughts About the Loss of a Loved One or Friend

Several months ago, I received a sad email notifying me that a fellow nursing colleague had passed away. Rosemary was the one of several colleagues who had been diagnosed with...

Snap, Crackle, Pop: Lytic Lesions and Multiple Myeloma

One of the biggest problems with a disease such as multiple myeloma is the damage to our bones. Though care is provided to control the cancer, the bones can and...

a man's height being measured at the doctor's office

Losing Height with Multiple Myeloma

Often these days, I find myself humming a song of my youth aptly titled “Short People.” In fact, once I start humming, it's hard to get the song out of...

Port or Not to Port

Many know all too well the headaches that are involved when getting chemo weekly. Not only is the process long in most cases, but it’s also ruinous on the veins...

wo roads are shown - one straight forward, and the other is long and winding.

My Long and Winding Road to Diagnosis

I was born in May of 1970, the same month that the Beatles released “The Long and Winding Road.” 50 years later, as I reflect on the years preceding my...

three bulky figures: a doctor, a nurse, and a football player.

I like sports metaphors. Before retiring, I had a secret goal of putting in place a Monday morning tradition where my department’s co-workers were introduced, ala sports introductions, with walk-up...

Finding Re-mission in Remission

It wasn’t me who thought of this clever double meaning to a much-beloved word in cancer circles. Instead, it was my high school English teacher, Mrs. Bruns. She has been...

a woman yelling into a megaphone with blood test tubes and a stethoscope around her

Living with Multiple Myeloma as an African American Woman

Is race an important factor in getting the proper treatment needed to fight blood cancer? Unfortunately, I would have to say yes, it is. Dealing with blood cancer, in general,...

Is It Myeloma?

Like so many of us, when I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, I had never heard of it. It was a complete mystery. When my wife or I called family...