I am slogging through a new battlefield of treatment.

Weekly for 10 weeks, I’m receiving intravenous Darzalex (daratumumab) over a five-hour inter­val. One hour before the infusion, I take a cocktail of Tylenol (acetaminophen, paracetamol), metoclopramide, Benadryl (di­phen­hydra­mine), dexa­metha­sone, and intra­venous methyl­pred­nis­o­lone. This combination should decrease the risk of an in­fusion reac­tion. I'm told that in­fusion reac­tions are common with the first two Darzalex in­fusions. Although I suffered a scary reaction during the first in­fusion, I have not experienced a reaction with the following ones.

On some weeks, I receive …

This year, the autumn colors have been unusually magnificent here in Colorado. I believe this Indian summer has been the finest show in recent years.

The riot of colors on the hillsides created a contrast to what was hap­pen­ing to my body. Multiple myeloma cells were ad­vanc­ing aggres­sively and reducing the pro­duc­tion of nor­mal blood cells. I became acutely ill with severe anemia, easy bleeding, and shortness of breath.

My husband Mark and I had planned a three-week trip to the East Coast for the end of September to revisit the life …

I am lying in a treatment room with a large window that looks onto a fall-colored ridge. The room is crowded. My husband is with me, leaning over holding my hand, as are two familiar oncology nurses, a young phar­ma­cist, and my long-time, faithful oncologist. Everyone looks worried.

I am in the midst of experiencing fever, chills, and then the worst, vomiting. Even though I am the one with the awful symptoms, I feel the most distant. Simple nursing maneuvers soon help: warm blankets wrap me like tamale, the drip of the new …

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 five years since my transplant, I have not needed any blood trans­fusions. …

Six weeks ago, I traveled to a new country in my very own myeloma land. For the first time in five years since my stem cell transplant, I experienced clinical symp­toms: low hemoglobin levels, low white blood cell counts, and very low platelet levels. These symptoms are invisible to others. I look the same, but I am ex­peri­enc­ing fatigue, shortness of breath, and bruises without any injury.

The symptoms came as a surprise to both me and my clinical team. This new journey began when I took a six-week break from treatment …

“How are you?”

This innocent, well-intentioned question often trips me up.

I have lived in a small Colorado town for the last 40 years. Until recently, I was a nursing professor in the same valley for 15 of those 40 years. In addition, I have been a very active participant in this mountain valley community. I was a vol­un­teer with the local fire department for years, I belong to the same small church, and I volunteer in schools and the local art organization. For fun, I par­tic­i­pate in a local tri­athlon team. …

As I mentioned in my pre­vi­ous column, I started treat­ment with the newly approved myeloma drug Empliciti (elo­tuzu­mab) in Feb­ru­ary. I thought I would share more details about my ex­peri­ences with the drug so far.

Before I started treat­ment with Empliciti, I had enjoyed a drug holiday for the pre­vi­ous three months. I ap­pre­ci­ated the break from the side effects of drugs and nu­mer­ous trips to the cancer center.

Before the drug holiday, I was on Kyprolis (car­filz­o­mib), Revlimid (lena­lido­mide) and dexamethasone (Decadron) for …