We had a really long, cold winter with lots of snow and ice this year. Our Chinook winds, which bring warm air from over the mountains to the west, did not blow very often. When finally at the end of April our streets were clear of snow and a few spring bulbs came up in the garden, I was glad to get back to spending more time outdoors.

When I walk outdoors, I often listen to Ian Tyson’s song ‘Springtime in Alberta,’ a moody song with the lines, "Just like spring time …

Having multiple myeloma is quite a big thing. Being diagnosed with the disease certainly is one of the biggest things that has happened to me. It’s a big deal that we sufferers, and our loved ones, live with every day.

For me, multiple myeloma often permeates my thoughts even when I try to drive it away. Sometimes I’m having a chat with friends, and I’m feeling much like everyone else, but then The Big Thing gets in the way. I find that I can get upset about the way in which …

HIPAA. We, or at least those of us living in the United States, all know the five-letter acronym even if we can’t tell you what the letters stand for. Passed in 1996, the Health Insurance Porta­bility and Account­ability Act has been with us for more than two decades.

And we all know about HIPAA, even if we don’t know it. Any­time any one of us goes to a hospital or medical center for testing or x-rays or surgery, registration staff will ask, “Do you want a copy of your HIPAA rights?”

HIPAA …

Last month, I watched the Juno Awards, the Canadian music awards, on TV. Broadcast from Vancouver, the show featured a live performance by Diana Krall. That alone was enough for me to watch the cermonies, for Krall is an artist I admire, both for her music and for her support of multiple myeloma patients and their families.

The Artist of the Year award was awarded posthumously to Gord Downie of band ‘The Tragically Hip.’ He passed away last year from brain cancer after a two-year battle that he played out publicly with …

It’s 2:30 a.m. The night sky is dark and vast, but the myriad high-rises of the medical center glow with hazy white outlines from this 18th floor window. I can see the helipad on the roof beneath me and the blinking blue-tipped antennas that guide pilots to the lifelines below.

My husband, Daniel, is finally sleeping in his bed, directly across from my watch­ful gaze, but I am too weary to sleep, so I watch, from this room with a view. As I look out, I remember other views we’ve shared: …

Recently I spent a lot of time fighting a new enemy in my myeloma battle: a treat­ment denial by my insurance company.

This hasn’t been an issue for me up to this point. The treat­ments I had received were obviously very expensive, but they were all covered and, thanks to my employer’s generosity, I have very low premiums and a very low out-of-pocket cap.

I am very aware of the stress that my family and I could experience if I didn't have such good insurance. Fortunately, we've been able to avoid any …

I hope that all readers are enjoying this season, mid-way between winter and spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and mid-way between summer and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere!

Recently, my husband Dilip and I took a two-week trip to Australia, where we really enjoyed being in peak summer weather. That trip has taken some of the bite out of our winter, since we are still experiencing severe cold and heavy snowfalls here in Canada, even in March. We all hope that since March came in like a lion this year, it …