Throughout 2013, multiple myeloma patients once again graciously shared their personal experiences related to myeloma in columns they wrote for The Beacon.

Last year, two new myeloma patients joined the ranks of Beacon col­um­nists.  Both are women, both were diagnosed with myeloma much before the average age (one when she was a new mother), and both are long-term survivors.

Over the past year, The Beacon columnists have written about their recent myeloma-related happenings, including recent lab results, changes to their …

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life!”

“No kidding," I mutter under my breath every time I see that saying on a card or in an advertisement. It is such an obviously true statement, why does it have to be said? What makes it so profound?

For some reason, that saying came repeatedly to mind on Wednesday, October 30, 2013, as I took my first dose of dexamethasone (Decadron) at 6 a.m. and my first …

Results of a recent observational study show that all known molecular subtypes of multiple myeloma are already present at the early, smol­der­ing myeloma and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance stages of the disease.

According to the investigators, these findings indicate that the various molecular subtypes of myeloma, which have different genetic char­ac­ter­istics, are es­tab­lished early in the course of the disease.

The researchers defined the different molecular subtypes of myeloma they investigated based on a method called gene ex­pres­sion profiling. …

“Oops.”

It wasn’t until the radiology nurse finishing taping down the IV line she had just inserted in my arm that I remembered my husband Warren was sitting in the room with me.

I looked over at Warren. “Sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s okay. I just looked away.”

My husband is not comfortable with medical procedures, to put it mildly. But there he was, sitting in the room with me while the nurse prepared me for a bone marrow …

Each year, The Myeloma Beacon publishes many news articles sum­ma­rizing the latest research findings about multiple myeloma.  As in recent years, 2013 was a year filled with important multiple myeloma-related news.

During 2013, a new drug, Pomalyst, was approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma; researchers presented new findings about other potential new treat­ments; experts learned more about the factors that influence a patient’s prog­no­sis and reported improvements in survival over the past decade; the role of stem cell trans­planta­tion and …

I have been on a long journey so far since my diagnosis with myeloma in 2009. Through all of my treatments and recovery from injuries, my family and friends have been at my side.

In particular, my husband Dilip has made it a top priority to help me. He is a true ‘care giver,’ not only in his work as a physician, but as my spouse and father to our two daughters. We have been married for 36 years, …

I took off from writing my column in January while under­going treat­ment and try­ing to sort through other treatment options.

Since my donor (allogeneic) stem cell transplant in August 2012, my multiple myeloma had recurred again with aggressive extramedullary disease (myeloma outside of the blood and bone marrow).

This progression occurred despite several cycles of a regimen of Kyprolis (car­filzomib), Pomalyst (pomalidomide, Imnovid), cyclophosphamide (Cy­toxan), and dexamethasone (Decadron), leaving me in a …