Mohr's Myeloma Musings: Momentum
Our local high school football coach asked me earlier this year to speak to the seniors on his team on a weekly basis. I have always enjoyed public speaking, so I jumped at the opportunity. Although I am finding plenty of meaningful activities to keep me busy since retiring nine months ago, speaking with the players is one of the most enjoyable things I do now.
My talks with the team members are not lengthy – perhaps five to ten minutes each time. For the content of my talks, I rely for the most part on the experiences of my 25 years as a head basketball coach.
My most recent message to the seniors was about momentum – specifically, how to maintain positive momentum. This was particularly appropriate for the team, as it sported a perfect 4-0 record, was ranked in the top ten in the most recent statewide poll, and had just come off of a victory on the road against its biggest rival, which also was ranked in the top ten.
Momentum plays a huge role in sports, particularly in football, where games often feature just a handful of scores by both teams combined. One constant message that I preached to my basketball teams when I was coaching was that they should concentrate on extending positive momentum swings for as long as possible, and that they should make an even stronger effort to minimize the negative momentum shifts. The most successful teams I coached were able to do this.
Based on my experiences as a coach and in the various leadership positions I have held as an educator, as well as my readings on leadership, I suggested to the seniors that their positive momentum could be maintained if they made an accumulation of good decisions, diligently executed their game plans, and did so one on top of the other.
Living with multiple myeloma can be a life of wild momentum shifts and swings. I have been on a positive upswing of momentum for the most of the time since my autologous stem cell transplant two years ago. Since retiring last December, the positive momentum has gotten even better, and I realized after speaking to the football players about momentum that I had unconsciously been practicing what I had just preached to them.
Over the last nine months, I have made good decisions about taking better care of myself. I’ve been exercising by walking four to five miles a day and lifting weights three times a week. I’m finally eating three meals a day instead of the one or two per day that was the norm before my retirement. I’ve reduced or eliminated items from my diet that needed to be reduced or eliminated, which has helped me shed unwanted pounds that I have tried to wish away for years. I’ve also vastly improved my sleep habits – I’m now getting 6-8 hours of sleep almost every night.
However, I recently made a bad decision, and the experience has reinforced to me how important sound decisions are. It also reminded me that, although I am in a good state right now, my multiple myeloma and the side effects of my Revlimid maintenance regimen cause physical weaknesses and shortcomings that must be recognized and respected.
In August I attended a conference out of state that twice required me to be at the airport by 4:00 a.m. to catch early morning flights. The flights I took to and from the conference were full. The conference itself was attended by 3,500 people, so I came into contact with untold numbers of people from all over the world.
As anyone who has multiple myeloma could predict, I came down with an upper respiratory infection within a week after returning from the conference – the first such infection I had experienced in over nine months.
A better course of action would have been to catch later flights, wear a mask on the plane, reduce the interaction with strangers at the conference, and immediately see my doctor at the first sign of the oncoming infection – something I did not do, hoping that the condition would just go away.
Although I have not been perfect, I have been fairly diligent about executing the game plan for treating my multiple myeloma that has been drawn up by my oncologist. I did slip up, however, about a year ago, inadvertently leaving my Revlimid at home when I went on an extended trip. As a result, I did not take any Revlimid for two weeks. My quarterly checkup occurred just days after that trip, and not surprisingly – for the first time since my stem cell transplant – the blood test revealed the presence of a monoclonal protein. I have never missed taking that turquoise and white capsule since then.
Multiple myeloma is a heterogeneous disease, and what I suggest for living as near normal a life as possible certainly isn't applicable in all cases. Anyone who has been afflicted with the disease knows that it has no respect for our schedules, timelines, or plans. I know that relapse is inevitable, but until it occurs, I'll try and practice what I preached to the senior football players. I’ll be focused on making good decisions, diligently executing the game plan, and doing so one on top of the other with the hope that the positive momentum I have experienced continues.
Steve Mohr is a multiple myeloma patient and columnist here at The Myeloma Beacon. His column is published once a month. You can view a list of his columns here.
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Steve
I read somewhere that 82% of the bugs we get come from our hands. Therefore, as someone with multiple myeloma, I do not shake hands, and I do not hug people. I do an elbow bump instead. I cannot remember the last respiratory tract infection I had, and it has been 5 and 2/3 years since my diagnosis. Frequent hand sanitation is also key to keeping bugs at bay from all the hard surfaces we touch in our daily routine.
Take care and give those kids inspiration to succeed.
Aloha Steve,
Excellent article. I find myself having trouble breaking negative momentum and your description of how to do this: "an accumulation of good decisions, diligently executed game plans, and one on top of the other" really is a great explanation.
I don't think its any harder than this; which is why momentum can swing so often and so completely!
Lots of implications here for both myeloma and non-myeloma life. Keep up the good fight!
Aloha
Tom
Steve,
I am not sure that wearing a mask does any good other than make you feel your are doing something. The mask is good at stopping dust or allergens, but not bacteria or viruses, which are much smaller and not filtered by a typical mask.
Eric - I never have been a hugger, although I still do shake hands. I hope I make it to 5+ years of remission like you have.
Thomas - I've not experienced the big swing in momentum (relapse) yet since my autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), so hopefully this approach will continue to work now and when momentum swings the other way and a new game plan is devised.
Ron - Regardless of whether it does any good or not, I think my ego would prevent me from ever wearing a mask outside of the hospital.
Thanks for the upbeat column, Steve! I am sure that the senior foot ball players you speak to appreciate your wisdom!
On the topic of masks, I wish that people who are sick on planes would wear them too! The re-circulated air on airplanes is not that free of microorganisms. If you do wear a mask, even if it is not too effective, it is an indication that you have low immunities. Then, should you be seated next to someone who is sick, you could ask the flight attendant if you could be moved to another seat (if the plane is not full).
FYI - For mask use, one should use N95 surgical masks. These are a standard recommendation of the CDC for use by hospital personnel during influenza outbreaks. I use these if I am feeling stuffy and will be in a hospital setting, so I don't contaminate others. The mode of transmission of viruses / bacteria from those coughing or sneezing is through moisture droplets containing the bugs. The N95 filters down to 0.3 microns, which will trap those droplets laden with bugs to a 95% efficiency. Higher N numbered masks can be purchased.
Steve - Great article. Isn't it funny how you can make 100 right decisions, but one wrong decision sets you back? We have been very careful since my husband's stem cell transplant in 2015. However, we have discovered that when we take a long haul flight (greater than 4-5 hours), my husband develops an upper respiratory infection a day or two after coming home. It has happened twice this year. Since one of our sons lives in London, we have to come up with a solution for this dilemma.
Eric - Thank you for the mask suggestion. We will look into it. Also, we do not hug or shake hands with others. When it seems necessary, we do the knuckle bump.
Nancy, PattyB, Eric - I am always interested to find what part of my columns generates the most reaction, and masks are the topic of interest in this one. Thanks for your input, and I am sure that the readers will benefit from your comments. There must be value in wearing them, otherwise they wouldn't have had everyone "mask up" in the early days of my autologous stem cell transplant, or made me wear one when I ventured out of my room.
Steve,
One of my fears is to forget to take my medication with me when going on a long trip, or to put it in my checked luggage and then have that get lost! A routine I now have to go through before every trip is: count how many days I'll be away; add a couple for a safety margin; make sure I have four Welchol for each day, one Revlimid for each day of its cycle, and (if the timing of the trip is particularly bad) enough dex for those days. On one trip I somehow took only half as much Welchol as I needed, which was not great ... Traveling used to be a lot simpler pre-myeloma!
Trevor - We go through the exact same procedure when traveling, the only difference being I am fortunate to not have to pack dex. as that is not a part of my maintenance regimen. I consider Welchol my wonder drug - the difference it has made in my quality of life is significant. I enjoyed your last column.
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