The leaves have turned, and they have lined our yard with golden hues of brown and russet — a reminder that all good things must change in their own time. It’s almost Thanksgiving, and I find myself very thankful. I’m thankful that, while the winds of change have blown, we’re still here; my husband Daniel, smoldering with asymptomatic myeloma since 2012, and me, his caregiver.

The topic of my column this month came to me while attending a patient edu­ca­tion program in Houston …

So why is hair so important? This may seem like an odd question to ask. As you will see, it is an especially unusual question for me to ask.

My hair has always been a very important part of my life.

As a child, when the relatives would gather and the family photos would come out, my mom would  always pass around one of me as a three-year-old standing on the beach with a full head of dark curly hair. …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has postponed for up to three months its decision on pano­bino­stat’s new drug application.

The FDA action was announced earlier this morning in a press release issued by Novartis (NYSE:NVS), the Swiss pharmaceutical company developing pano­bino­stat as a potential new multiple myeloma therapy.

A decision on pano­bino­stat’s application for FDA approval had been expected by the end of this week. The decision was widely anticipated to be a negative one, …

The other day, I realized I share a common bond with my daughter’s pet fish: We’re both survivors.

Maybe I’m getting too attached to this fish. Maybe I’m overthinking things. Just hear me out.

Statistically, betta fish who come to live in our home have an extremely low survival rate.

When a fish learns he is going to live in the Crowley house, it is grim news indeed. It is essentially a death sentence. The fish is stunned. He begins …

One thing that has enabled me to maintain a positive attitude while battling multiple myeloma is the realization that, no matter how difficult things become for me, there are others who are fighting far tougher battles than I am. I am in­spired by their courage and resiliency.

Little did I know that I would get that inspiration from my immediate and extended family. I was reminded of this when a large post card arrived in the mail the other day. …

This month marks ten years since my initial diagnosis of multiple myeloma. The more days, months, and years between then and now, the farther out I am on the branch of mortality. As I told my friend Larry, who was diagnosed with myeloma 13 years ago, we’re both at the point we can hear that branch creaking and threatening to crack.

What an excellent time to read Atul Gawande’s new book, Being Mortal.

Being Mortal is getting a lot of …

As you may remember from my July column, I celebrated my five-year myeloma survival this summer.

I was particularly happy that I have not received any treatment since April 2011. Instead, I have comprehensive blood testing done and see my doctor every three months.

Unfortunately, the ‘watch and wait’ phase that I had been in since April 2011 is now over.

At the beginning of October, my blood test results showed that my M-spike had increased to 1 g/dL …