Last week I shared a few of the higher profile, public figures who have inspired me in my fight against multiple myeloma.

This week I would like to concentrate on the extraordinary people who work behind the scenes to help those of us with multiple myeloma.  They don’t get as much notoriety or praise for what they do, but they each inspire me to get up and get going every day.

Caregivers top the list.  I have been there, so I understand how difficult it is to watch someone you love suffer, especially when there is nothing you can do about it!

Caregivers listen to us moan, groan, and complain.  They put up with our “dex days” and a long list of side effects that leave us cranky and frustrated.

Yet caregivers ignore all of this to help make our lives worth living.

My wonderful wife and caregiver, Pattie, is a classic example of this.  We relocated to Florida two years ago in search of warmer weather and a lower cost of living.   We found both.

Pattie hates the heat.  But cold weather is painful for me now that multiple myeloma has ravaged my bones.   Pattie has sacrificed a lot by moving here.  She misses her friends and family back in Wisconsin.  She is working in a job she isn’t crazy about, in part to keep the excellent health care benefits.

I know Pattie worries about me since my relapse began late last year—I can see it in her eyes.

But through it all, she is always here for me.  Her love and compassion is genuine and greatly appreciated!  If Pattie can keep going, I can too!

Oncology nurses have left a lasting impression on me over the years.  Dody and Cathleen at the Osceola Medical Center in Wisconsin were always there for me, both medically and emotionally.

The bone marrow transplant nurses from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, are knowledgeable, professional, and understanding.  That’s a pretty powerful combination!

The infusion nurses at Florida Cancer Institute near my new home have been wonderful.  As a group, they have been gentle, attentive, and all administer an IV as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Ally, my oncology nurse at Moffitt Cancer Center, is responsive and caring.  Ally, whose real name is Weipeng, struggles to understand English from time to time.  But one way or another, she finds a way to communicate clearly and gets the job done.

It can’t be easy being an oncology nurse.  Their compassion and dedication inspire me deeply.

Then there are the doctors.  My first medical oncologist, Dr. Anderson from St. Paul, Minnesota, was always optimistic and positive.  He inspired me to dream of living a normal life someday—despite my discouraging prognosis.

Drs. Zeldenrust and Hayman at Mayo Clinic helped me get back on my feet.  They worked together to craft a treatment plan that successfully enabled me to postpone undergoing a stem cell transplant and live a near-normal life for over four years.

My new Florida oncologists, myeloma specialist Dr. Alsina at Moffitt and medical oncologist Dr. Malhotra from Florida Cancer Institute, have both exceeded my expectations.

Staying alive and being cared for by doctors who exceed my unrealistically high expectations absolutely inspires me!

But do you know who inspires me most?  My fellow multiple myeloma survivors.

Too numerous to mention by name, the collective strength and courage I draw from our brief encounters in a waiting room or at support group meetings is immeasurable.

You read and hear about heroes every day.  My fellow patients are true heroes.  Brave, steadfast, and determined—each facing-down terminal cancer and winning to live another day.

If that doesn’t inspire you, nothing will.

Feel good and keep smiling!  Pat