'Fun' with Ferritin Not a Laughing MatterTime for a guessing game! Pick which one is true. You can pick more than one. One of the best days of my life was when: Guess what? They are...Reactions0reactionsComments15 comments
I Feel Bad About My Cancer!Several years ago, Nora Ephron wrote a book called I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman. That's a funny title, I thought. I read the...Reactions0reactionsComments16 comments
Pain, Pain Go Away...Every morning, as soon as I wake up, I do a quick pain inventory. My feet? Yep, still hurt. How about my back, my neck, my forearm? Check, check, check...Reactions0reactionsComments10 comments
Relationships and the Cancer PatientRelationships are like gardens - they need to be cultivated. Chronic illness can affect even the strongest relationships. Cancer and its effects may push each partner to its breaking point...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
Traveling With Immune Deficiencies: Some AdviceEditor's note: This article was written in November 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Please remember to follow CDC and local guidelines regarding travel during the pandemic. So, it’s been over...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Cue VampireWithin three years of daily oral chemotherapy, I was wearing wide-brimmed hats, long sleeves, and large-rimmed sunglasses. I was losing pigmentation, or so it seemed to me. I was turning...Reactions0reactionsComments14 comments
Numb But HereUnless you have been there, I suspect it is impossible to understand the emotional release one experiences on your last day of chemo treatment. After all the tubes and bags...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
Changing FacesHave you ever met someone for the first time, and when the introductions take place, they usually start off with a name and “How are you doing?” Normally we reply...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
Does Your Blood Cancer Diagnosis Make You Angry?The long and winding six-year road living with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has had its share of twists and turns. Good thing I buckled up. My hematologist/oncologist, who is a...Reactions0reactionsComments13 comments
Wanted: A Pill Bottle That Squawks and TalksMy system for refilling pills isn’t much of a system at all: When a bottle is low, I remove it from the pill bag and place it on a windowsill...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Giving Up The WigEverything about you is combined to make you the unique person you are. It starts the day you were born with all your genes combining in a special way to...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
The Importance of Nutrition for the Blood Cancer PatientGood nutrition can help cancer patients maintain strength, keep healthy body weight, and decrease side effects during and after treatment. Nutrition is a process when food is taken in and...Reactions0reactionsComments11 comments
Myeloma Action Month Self-Care Q&AWelcome to the Myeloma Action Month Self Care Q&A! As part of this year's Myeloma Action Month, Myeloma.org challenged the community to "bolster your resilience with a new self-care activity...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Two Positives Of Having Cancer, Yes, I Said "Positives"Wait.. I know what you are going to say. Cancer?? Positives?? You must have smoked some bad rainbows there, you chipper idiot. Well, you might be right about the rainbow...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
Things To ConsiderI had an interesting conversation a few weeks back and it has still left me a bit baffled. The question posed “How would I get along if I didn’t have...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
The Importance of CommunityHuman connections can help us feel less alone after a cancer diagnosis. A community can be stronger than cancer and help manage the disruptions caused by the disease. I was...Reactions0reactionsComments11 comments
I Am Turning Into My Grandmother!"The kids are driving me nuts!" I overheard my grandmother say to her sister Zola. "What did we do?" I whispered to my mother. "The boys and I have been...Reactions0reactionsComments13 comments
12 Tips to Manage Brain FogThe other day I was filling out an online survey about life with multiple myeloma. One question asked me to list my 5 most significant challenges since my diagnosis. I...Reactions0reactionsComments12 comments
Ten Years Just Around the Corner!As I write this, I am just a few months away from the ten-year anniversary of my multiple myeloma diagnosis. Suffice it to say, I am pretty darn excited about...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
The Greatest YearI have yet to meet someone who said, “2020 was a great year!” And at the tender young age of 77, I can honestly say, I have never experienced a...Reactions0reactionsComments12 comments