Happy New Year to all! I am so hoping that all of us have a good year.

I am a bit compulsive about making lists, and I work from lists on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. This is the time of year, however, when I put together a very special list: my New Year’s resolutions!

The focus of my New Year’s resolutions has been shifting over the years, especially since my multiple myeloma diagnosis more than six years ago (this January actually marks the sixth anniversary of my autologous stem cell transplant).

Of course, I still make ‘regular’ resolutions, such as explore more of our world, read more, sing more, do more artistic crafts. The list goes on ...! You could also call this list a “bucket list for a soon-to-be senior.”

However, ever since my myeloma diagnosis, I make resolutions related to myeloma.

This year, I want to keep exercising, and have the time to do this for about an hour each day, or even a little more on some days. Thankfully, I usually have quite a bit of leeway over my schedule, so that I can get out and walk, swim, go to the gym, or put on my snowshoes in wintery weather almost every day of the week. Staying fit may help to ward off other health problems too.

I want to make an extra effort to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water (or tea, coffee, and juice in mod­er­a­tion). This may help to reduce cramps I get sometimes from the Revlimid ^[1] (lenalidomide) I’m currently taking. It also helps me to sing better. You might not think that singing well has anything to do with fighting myeloma, but being well enough to sing is actually a sign of good health. You simply cannot sing with upper respiratory infections! So, in order to sing in my choir, I need to avoid getting colds and flus. In the dry winter, when many people are crowded indoors, this may be easier said than done, but to me it is a goal to try to achieve.

I want to manage my time carefully, which means that sometimes I will have to say ‘No thanks’ to certain meetings, causes, or events. I know now from experience that too many obligations exhaust me and cause me to have stress. When I am really stressed, all the side effects I experience from the drugs seem to flare up at once! Who needs to have stomach upsets, cramps, tiredness, and dexa­metha­sone ^[2] (Decadron)-induced nervousness and hyperactivity at once? Not me. I also need to consider that my family has to live with me if I get out of sorts or am not feeling well due to taking on too much.

Taking care of routine medical matters is another continued resolution of mine. I will continue to have an annual check-up with my family physician, who patiently listens to my concerns and orders appropriate tests. I will keep my monthly appointments with my oncologist, and take my daily meds. I will continue to take a written list of questions to my appointments.

My dental health is important to me, so I will continue get in for a routine check-up and cleaning twice a year, and have any necessary dental work. I will also check to see if I am due for any vaccinations, such as a renewal of the pneumonia vaccine, and the annual flu shot. I will continue to keep track of all of my medical lab results, and pore over them obsessively once a month! I will continue to call the cancer center to talk with the ‘triage nurse’ if I have problems I cannot solve. Recently I called and asked about severe leg cramps, and she was very helpful with advice.

I will continue to educate myself about myeloma research and try to keep up with the latest news on research and drug approvals in Canada and internationally. I have gradually learned over the years that there are differences in availability of myeloma treatments between Canada and other countries. Every time someone I know loses their life to this disease, I can’t help but wonder if a new drug would have helped them to still be with us. This is a strong motivator for me to be active as a volunteer in the myeloma world, and to become more computer savvy so I can better spread news and awareness.

All in all, in order to be an effective, yet happy and content person, I will try to enjoy each and every day of 2016!

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?

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The quotation for this month is from by Patrick Geddes (1854 - 1932), a Scottish biologist, sociologist, geographer, philanthropist and pioneering town planner, who said: "Think global, act local."