Back in December and January, while my oncologist was restaging my myeloma and we were discussing courses of treatment, he suddenly said, “And I want you to go see your dentist and ask him whether he sees you having any major dental work done in the next year.”

The calcium levels in my blood were rising. My oncologist intended to start me on a bisphosphonate, such as Aredia (pamidronate) or Zometa (zoledronic acid), as soon as possible to supplement the calcium that was leaching out of my bone. …

After a stormy, cold winter in the northern hemisphere, I think we are all looking forward to spring in all of its glorious aspects: longer days, spring flowers in the gardens, return of the migrating birds, and warmer tem­per­a­tures.

Spring is also the time when a lot of people change out the content for their closet, putting away the winter boots, warm coats, mitts, and scarves to make room for lighter clothing, both in texture and in color.

As I put away my winter gear, my thoughts wander back four years when …

Hardly a day goes by when I am not inundated with the news of incredible advances that have been made in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Survival rates have gone from three years to five years and now to eight to ten years.

Five new drugs have been approved for the treatment of myeloma over the last decade.  A couple of dozen more are in various stages of clinical trials.

We are tantalized by the promises of “breakthroughs” just on the horizon.

Immunotherapy hopes to harness the body’s own immune system to …

Last month I promised to update you following the discovery that I had developed several large plasmacytomas (lesions or tumors) under my ribs.  I had just started radiation therapy to relieve the sharp pain I felt there.

I’m happy to report that most of the pain is now gone.

Reflecting back, it’s been a tough month.

Leading up to the discovery of the plasmacytomas, I had been feeling much better than in the past, thanks in part to ongoing testosterone ther­a­py and a maintenance regimen of once-a-week Velcade (bor­tez­omib) and …

While living with multiple myeloma, I have learned to expect the unexpected.

In fact, Myelomaville is a land of Great UNexpectations – my sincere apologies to Charles Dickens.

I certainly never expected that my mildly annoying backache, which rather quickly deteriorated into excruciating pain, would usher in a life-altering diagnosis of cancer.

It seemed that I always had something important to do, places to be, schedules to keep, and people to see.  My dance card was perpetually full, but I liked being the conductor of my own proverbial train, traveling at a …

Much to my surprise, I’m finishing up this Manhattan Tale from a uniquely Manhattan Tale vantage point.

I’m sitting in the 11th floor of Mt. Sinai Hospital in the day room, with an IV in each arm, looking east over East Harlem. A week ago, I swam a mile without difficulty in a pool beneath Rockefeller Center. Two weeks ago, my wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary with family and friends at a lower Manhattan restaurant.

Life is full of unpredictable change.

This room is providing me with a stunning …

I was in the middle of making dinner a few weeks ago when I got an urgent text from my sister-in-law.

“Did you know Tom Brokaw has multiple myeloma?”

I occasionally hear about celebrities who have multiple myeloma, and I’m always interested in their stories, but this was somehow different. This was stunning. It felt like a friend had been diagnosed.

This was Tom Brokaw! Tom Brokaw, people!

I’m not a creepy stalker. Let me explain. I’ve never technically met, written to, spoken to, or made actual eye contact with Tom Brokaw, …