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
What To Expect After DiagnosisRecently, we’ve had an influx of visitors on another site I write for who have been recently diagnosed and it reminded me that it’s probably time for a post about...Reactions0reactionsComments10 comments
Closed-Myeloma Action Month 2021 GiveawayThis giveaway has closed. In honor of Myeloma Action Month, we are hosting a giveaway running from March 19, 2021, until March 31, 2021! We are giving away a self-care...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
My Furry Companion: The Support of AnimalsI’ve never been without a pet. Until recently. It’s a lonely feeling. Something is missing and I search for it in little creaks and noises when my mind is wandering...Reactions0reactionsComments22 comments
Treatment vs. TreatmentThe beauty of words is that most of the time they can mean different things to different people. Sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes it's not. In this day of...Reactions0reactionsComments11 comments
Riding the CML Train: Destination UnknownEven if you are on your own, you can take this blood cancer journey. Not everyone has a big, smiling support group on the sidelines cheering them on. That’s okay...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
Fatigue, Again? I Thought I Was Done With ThisFatigue. I know, it gets talked about all the time when cancer is the discussion topic du jour. I have even talked about it myself, more than once, but I...Reactions0reactionsComments11 comments
Cancer GuiltI hate mice! As an elementary school teacher, students loved to bring critters to school for show and tell. I didn't even flinch when a student brought in a giant...Reactions0reactionsComments17 comments
Starting a Nonprofit (Part 3): Sometimes Things End Up Differently Than You ThoughtApproximately seven months ago, I wrote two articles on my experiences starting a nonprofit. Part 2 was primarily about mistakes made and lessons I learned. It ends with a piece...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
Fishing For A New DoctorI’ve been going through doctors like candy. My original oncologist left the insurer. The next doctor, whom I liked very much, retired. My current doctor seems nice but I only...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Working With Blood CancerThere are many choices to contemplate when blood cancer strikes, but determining whether or not to continue your employment has to be a huge factor. Unfortunately, for many, the choice...Reactions0reactionsComments12 comments
Candy & CancerIn October comes Halloween! And with Halloween comes candy, lots and lots of candy. It’s in all the stores and every kind is available. There’s chocolate, gooey, hard, soft, and...Reactions0reactionsComments10 comments
Braving the Bone Marrow BiopsyThe one missing piece to my story thus far is the impactful tale of my first (and only so far) bone marrow biopsy. It was six years ago so some...Reactions0reactionsComments38 comments
Getting a New Doctor Can Set You on EdgeWhen I relapsed three-and-a-half years after my autologous transplant, I was surprised – well, actually dismayed – to learn that I would get a new doctor for my upcoming allogeneic...Reactions0reactionsComments13 comments
Inspiration from Clouds: Remembering Zach SobiechRecently a friend told me about a movie that made him not just cry, but sob. I am a sucker for those kinds of movies, so I knew I had...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
The Journey of UncertaintyLearning you have cancer is just the first step, muddling through what follows is often a mind-blowing journey of uncertainty. By age 77, I had faced cancer twice before. At...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
Coping With CML's Bad Days and DepressionRainbows, puppies, and unicorns are in short supply at the moment. Sorry, my natural sarcasm is at the forefront. Today is day three of non-stop nausea and annoying pain that...Reactions0reactionsComments14 comments
Bad BloodOn an idle, rainy Saturday, I started thinking about the phrase “bad blood.” The Bad Blood title, per my Google research, is used in a number of forums in music...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
Blood Cancer Related Post-Traumatic StressPatients with a cancer diagnosis may experience feelings of fear, helplessness, and shock. I can remember all of these emotions when first diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A range of reactions...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
You have WHAT? Explaining MDSJust my luck to get something no one understands! "You have WHAT? MDS? Don't you mean MS?" people have said to me. No, I have a type of blood cancer...Reactions0reactionsComments20 comments