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[Sep 7, 2016 7:30 pm | 14 Comments]
Myeloma In Paradise: Our Evolution

While I would love to get into a debate about the evolution of man versus the creation of man, that’s not what this article is about at all.

Instead, I would like to expand on some feedback I received in response to one of my articles. In a comment on the article, a reader wrote that those of us with multiple myeloma “have evolved.”

I found this comment to be especially on point. So much so, that I often …

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[Aug 30, 2016 3:26 pm | 18 Comments]
Myeloma Rocket Scientist: Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

A few months ago, I wrote a column about taking the cortico­steroid dexa­metha­sone (Decadron). I took dex most days for eight months after I was first diag­nosed with myeloma in 2006, and have been taking it, be­tween one and three times a month, for the past two years.

I figured that this ex­peri­ence would mean that I didn’t have any­thing new to learn about taking dex, but this turned out not to be the case. Instead, the feedback …

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[Aug 24, 2016 5:32 pm | 11 Comments]
Myeloma, Party Of Two: First Responders

It’s funny how the most obvious things in life can escape your notice until you nearly miss the boat.

This was definitely the case for me recently. The wake-up call I answered has changed me as a caregiver, and it may be a friendly reminder to other caregivers and myeloma patients that the boat that’s sailing by could be about to run you over!

My moment of clarity came as I was lying on our front lawn at 3 …

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[Aug 22, 2016 5:15 pm | 21 Comments]
Mohr’s Myeloma Musings: Just Livin' The Dream

It is interesting to note the clichés that have become common in our lexicon. Some of those clichés are useful for describing life with multiple myeloma. However, there are clichés that, because I have multiple myeloma, I am not so fond of.

My favorite cliché, which appeared about five years ago, is "It is what it is." A colleague of mine, who heard me use the saying frequently, gave me a plaque with the phrase engraved on it. I kept the …

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[Aug 16, 2016 5:12 pm | 30 Comments]
Myeloma Dispatches: The Gift Of Blood

I am lying in a windowless room with dark red blood dripping steadily into my body. I do not want to be here. Yet here I am. Once again I feel that I’m travel­ing backwards in time. Six years ago, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma after having severe anemia. Right before and after my stem cell trans­plant, I received multiple infusions of packed red blood cells and platelets. That time remains a blur for me. Time travel can be.

Yet in the …

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[Aug 12, 2016 5:57 pm | 14 Comments]
Myeloma In Paradise – Lessons On Living With Multiple Myeloma

I have been living with multiple myeloma for over four years now.

While I have no illusion that I am an expert on being a myeloma patient, I would say that I am past the beginner stage and into the intermediate level.

My disease was discovered while looking for the cause of some severe mystery colon inflammations I had been having for over two years. After I was diagnosed, I first took a “wait and see” approach for about six …

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[Aug 8, 2016 3:23 pm | 12 Comments]
Sean’s Burgundy Thread: Multiple Myelathon

My wife will tell you that I am more like a tortoise than a hare because I always take my own sweet time about deciding things. I’m not so sure I agree. I’ll have to think about it and get back to you.

When I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma back in 2008, I was not afforded the luxury of channeling my inner tortoise to contemplate whether or not to begin treatment right away. I was in rough shape and …