Long Distance Caregiving: Staying Connected...When someone you love is sick, it can cause stress and anxiety. Illness, especially cancer, can take a physical and emotional toll on caregivers and family, particularly when they are...reactions1comment
Amyloidosis and Multiple Myeloma...I hadn’t felt good for months. Kept telling the doctor that something was not right, then my legs started to swell. She sent me to a kidney doctor who sent...reactions6comments
What to Say and Do for a Cancer Patient...Cancer is such an awkward topic. What do you say to someone who has just been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness? How do you talk to them? What can you...reactions3comments
Managing Cancer Side Effects as a Caregiver...Cancer itself and treatments for cancer can cause a number of symptoms and side effects that often deeply impact daily life. For caregivers, it is not uncommon to feel helpless...reactions1comment
Blood Cancer Anxieties: Financial Stress...In this series, we discuss causes of anxiety for those facing a physical illness like blood cancer and its side effects. Phrases in quotes are the words of our community...reactions8comments
The Fear...Today we’re going to talk about fear. Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, anyone who knows a loved one or friend who has been diagnosed, or even anyone who...reactions10comments
From Passive By-Stander to Empowered Partner (Part 2)...A diagnosis of cancer is life-changing. My family and friends insisted I seek a second opinion from a myeloma specialist, which is a doctor who only treats myeloma patients. I...reactions2comments
Practicing Mindfulness...When I was originally diagnosed with lymphoma, I knew that if I was going to overcome this adversity I had to do it with mindfulness. It was not the easiest...reactions8comments
Cherie Rineker...We are extremely saddened to say that on October 23, 2019, Cherie Rineker passed away. Cherie was a valued member of the Blood-Cancer.com and multiple myeloma communities. We are honored...
Port of Entry Closed...Once my treatment plan was in place, the first step was a port-a-cath. My oncologist casually mentioned that the port procedure was scheduled. I was overwhelmed by my recent diagnosis...reactions6comments
Hey, So We Got Multiple Myeloma...I thought I would throw in my one piece of advice for MM patients. When I was diagnosed, I moped and cried for a week. Then I said, "To hell...reactions5comments
12 Years...Well, I can’t really believe it. The 19th of January marked 12 years since my diagnosis. 12 years since I got *that* phone call. 12 years since my life was never...reactions1comment
What About Sex? (Part 2)...Authors note: This is the second part of a two-part series. Here we discuss ways to improve the sex life of couples dealing with bloodcancer. Check out What About Sex?...reactions1comment
Yoga as a Supportive Strategy for Cancer Patients...As a cancer patient receiving chemotherapy, I experienced not just the symptoms of the disease but also suffered debilitating fatigue. Taking a shower was like doing a day’s work. This...reactions4comments
Pushing a Positive Attitude Not Helpful to Cancer Patients...In “Love, Medicine and Miracles,” the surgeon Bernie Siegel writes about a group of “exceptional cancer patients” whose positive attitude helped them heal. When I read it while in the...reactions9comments
Mine vs. Yours...Who would ever think that a discussion of whose cancer is more relevant than another’s would be had, yet we see this happen many times. Did you know there were...reactions7comments
Essential Thrombocythemia and Lymphoma-Large B Cell...I was diagnosed with Essential Thrombocytemia in July of 2017 and started on treatment shortly after that. My biggest complaint was fatigue but I continued to work my parttime job...reactions8comments
My Crazy Roller Coaster Ride with Multiple Myeloma...Prior to 2012, I was living the life I loved. I was the mother of two beautiful children; my son Matthew was 22. He was building a life of his...reactions9comments
My Toolbox for Managing Stress...Numerous stressors are faced by a cancer survivor. Add to that family discord and the result can be disastrous. I experienced this first hand when that combination factored into my...reactions9comments
It's Hard to Separate from Longterm Caregivers...Editor's note: This article discusses the author's experience with a friend's suicide, which may be triggering to some readers. A heartbreaking thing happened so many years ago that when I...reactions3comments