Everybody reacts differently, I’ve learned, to the challenges that come with a multiple myeloma diagnosis.

What I might dislike or find annoying may not be so troublesome to someone else. Similarly, things that may not bother me much, if at all, can be hugely vexing to others.

Sometimes, as patients, we can be drawn into situations by our disease where we aren’t sure exactly what to expect. Most of us, I think, take these things in stride, and grin and bear it. Well, maybe not always grin, but as most cancer patients …

It’s the second week in January. How many of you have already broken your New Year's resolutions?

That's the problem with resolutions. Losing weight and exercising more. Eating better. Trying not to smoke. These are all noble goals that are almost impossible to keep—to keep perfectly, that is.

Slip and fall off the wagon, and most of us get discouraged and give up.

But I look at goals and resolutions differently. I don't try to be perfect. Instead, I expect to take two steps forward and one step back. It’s a cumulative …

I believe the supplements I take help keep my body healthy and strong. But I don't take any supplements considered to have anti-myeloma properties.  Not that there are many of these.

Bioperine, a derivative of black pepper, is thought to help increase the absorption of nutritional supplements.  Used in combination with other anti-myeloma supplements, it may enhance anti-cancer effects.

Acetoxychavicol acetate, found in an edible plant in the ginger family that comes from Thailand, has been shown in pre-clinical studies from several years ago to have anti-myeloma properties.

Green tea is …

Happy New Year!

As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season fades away in the rear-view mirror, I find myself entering the third year of my journey living with a diagnosis of multiple myeloma.

And as with many things in life, I have learned as much about what NOT to do, as what to do. Sometimes the lessons haven’t been easy.

Therefore, in 2011, I hereby resolve:

1. To stop referring to my pain medication as ‘Oxy-cotton-candy’. My pharmacist knows that I use the drug to control bone pain, …

Based on comments on my first article about nutritional supplements that I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I was able to identify four important questions anyone should consider before deciding to take a nutritional supplement:

What benefits do you hope to achieve? Are the contents in the bottle what the label says they are? How much do they cost? Are there any risks to taking them?

All good questions. But I would like to stay focused on the first and last question: “What benefits do you hope to achieve?” and …

Strings of colored lights brighten the darkness of the season. Last week, a winter solstice full moon ornamented the sky with a radiant glow. I hoped to catch a glimpse of the rare lunar eclipse, but all I could see from my location was a veil of snowy clouds behind tall treetops—no moon glow in sight. And so it is living with multiple myeloma—much is hidden from view, such as abnormal cells and holes in bones.

Soon we mark the start of a new calendar year, the second decade of the millennium. …

Last week I wrote about how taking nutritional supplements is like walking through a mine field for multiple myeloma patients.  So this week, I’ll describe my nutritional supplement plan.

First, let me describe the prescription medications that I take:

Revlimid (lenalidomide) is my monthly chemotherapy drug.

Warfarin (Coumadin) is a generic blood thinner. I use it to prevent blood clots that may be caused by Revlimid.

Oxycodone and Tylenol help my bone pain.

Gabapentin (Neurontin) helps my peripheral neuropathy symptoms.

My peripheral neuropathy (pain and tingling in the extremities) seems …