Myeloma Decisions... Undecided

What I’ve learned in the last couple of months is that the meaning of life is profound, complicated, and sometimes, uncomplicated. The decisions that I’ve had to make and continue to make is an interesting thought. I recall as a child dreaming of the day of finally becoming an adult and making my own grand decisions. Well, nowhere in this dream did I foresee making decisions in cancer care.

Having multiple myeloma is a constant reminder of whether what I do makes sense for the full make-up of my body. I guess this is part of being a grown-up, and sometimes that includes complicated hiccups. I have to continually think about how I move about in uncertain times, as a cancer survivor in remission.

Tip 1: Remembering to breathe

My mind is always at a constant speed thinking about everything at once. Whether I’m thinking about the meals for the week, improving my business, or cleaning the house, there’s just a lot that goes on in my head. Recently, I’ve been thinking that I should be proactive and speak with my doctor on whether my levels are still in the safe zone. Let’s face it - myeloma is considered an underlying health factor.

Though remission is my fate now, will it, in fact, stay that way? Last week I was drawing headaches from my mind on the go until I shook off the negativity and took a deep breath. In my years on this earth, I’ve learned many things, and the one that stands out as a great lesson is that we can’t control a lot of what has positioned itself in our lives; so I breathe and continue living.

Tip 2: Keeping a clear mind

A clear mind for deciding care is key, but is not usually how it pans out. There’s usually a lot of chaos and confusion before forming the right answer, and sometimes the answers are grey. I’ve coined the word "marinate" - like when making that good pot of pasta with that homemade sauce. Well, part of the treasure of a good dish is how you marinate and combine the two to make this gem.

The same holds true when making that decision of immunotherapy versus a stem cell transplant. Care for myeloma presents some serious questions that need important answers. However, we need to clear our minds and not react right away; this is where marinating on the decision weighs in with a clear mind.

Tip 3: Taking a "brain" day

Taking a day or two is suggested and actually encouraged. If you don’t feel like dealing with the questions of “what to do" or "how to do it”, then that is fine. Sometimes it takes these types of conditions like blood cancer that reminds us it’s okay to be still, and just be. Important decisions take time to review and its fine to simmer before moving forward in the most important decisions that come our way.

Decide wisely and fight on!

The time to fight is now, with integrity, grace, hope, and a smile….when you feel like it