Likelihoods and an Uncertain Future With Blood Cancer

A diagnosis brings about a whole lot of questionable thoughts about what the future is with blood cancer. Whether it’s multiple myeloma, leukemia, or lymphoma, positive thoughts are usually not the first thoughts for a patient.

Worrying about how long we have

Let's fact it: a diagnosis can immediately bring the fear of death to the forefront. It doesn’t help when reviewing stats and probabilities for some cancers that list survival of 5 years or less. There are so many components to consider.

The first is we’re all very different. How one gets through their condition may be very different than someone else. There have been a lot of new developments in some blood cancer conditions, especially in the multiple myeloma space, where the prognosis doesn’t feel as hopeless for some.

Facing invisible battles

When we look at what is entailed with an invisible disease, people may not understand what we're going through. Many blood cancer patients cope with very real battles, whether pain or crippling fatigue.

Many of us have heard the sentiments of “Oh you don’t look sick.” Guess what: we are. And some may have a better go of coping with conditions. But many of us know the lows of what comes with the process.

As far as treatment goes, your medical team chooses a treatment course by carefully evaluating your cancer's type and how active it is. An early diagnosis is usually better than an advanced one. But treatment can be a rollercoaster. Sometimes you never know how it all will carry out. The development of new drugs that have extended life has made some options in blood cancer more hopeful.

Trying to live in the moment

I recall an incident of being struck with yet another medical emergency that was not myeloma-related. It was so bad I thought of imminent death and thought: "Okay this is how I’m going to leave here. And not by the myeloma."

I say this to say: you just don’t know. That's why my mantra of living in the moment is important. Though blood cancer is upon us, we can still thrive towards being healthy. That could mean trying a healthier diet or adding some form of exercise in the mix of everything. The idea that you can’t do anything is not the case for everyone; even if you can’t do things you used to do, you can consider learning new things while keeping hope alive.

The likelihood of blood cancer is individual, and the walk through the path can be quite different for us all. Carry on!

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