Since my family have jobs in the health care field, I tend to hear a lot about med­i­cal problems.

I therefore had heard of multiple myeloma before my own diagnosis. Even though I knew of some people who had this disease, I have to admit that I didn’t know much about it, except that it is a blood cancer.

After receiving my diagnosis, the number of people with myeloma I heard about sky­rock­eted, since everybody around me seemed to …

After a stormy, cold winter in the northern hemisphere, I think we are all looking forward to spring in all of its glorious aspects: longer days, spring flowers in the gardens, return of the migrating birds, and warmer tem­per­a­tures.

Spring is also the time when a lot of people change out the content for their closet, putting away the winter boots, warm coats, mitts, and scarves to make room for lighter clothing, both in texture and in color.

As I …

I have been on a long journey so far since my diagnosis with myeloma in 2009. Through all of my treatments and recovery from injuries, my family and friends have been at my side.

In particular, my husband Dilip has made it a top priority to help me. He is a true ‘care giver,’ not only in his work as a physician, but as my spouse and father to our two daughters. We have been married for 36 years, …

I recently had the opportunity to take a tour of the myeloma research laboratory at our local cancer center. During that tour, I got a close look at the latest myeloma research that is being done.

First, we were shown the DNA se­quenc­er. This is an expensive piece of equip­ment, paid for by generous donations. It cost about half a million dollars and is set up in a separate room to avoid any cross-con­tami­na­tion from other lab materials and people …

With the holiday season upon us, many of us are thinking about the gifts we plan to give to friends and family members.

For children, the latest toys, pieces of sports equipment, or video games seem to be popular choices. For an adult, it may be a bit more difficult to choose a gift, especially for those who already have everything.

I thought I would share some gift ideas for myeloma patients or their caregivers that may come in …

When I was a young girl, I learned how to sail a small sailboat with just a main­sail and a jib during summer classes on the water reservoir in Calgary. Later on I sailed near our home on the coast of British Columbia.

Sailing is an exercise in balance, since you have to catch the wind for forward motion, but you also have to release the tension on the sails if a really strong gust of wind threatens to capsize …

Next Monday, October 14, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day here in Canada.

It is a time of family and friends getting together, sharing a meal, and en­joying each others’ company. It’s also a natural time to look back on the past year and to give thanks to the blessings we received throughout the year. And there is always much to give thanks for at harvest time.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it focuses on the positives in our …