A freezing rain was coming down that mid-January 2009 morning as I arrived at the hospital to continue round number two of induction chemotherapy in my ongoing battle against multiple myeloma.

Although I was feeling the unpleasant side effects and exhaustion of the rather aggressive treatment, I was nonetheless in good spirits.

My fingers were crossed that it would be an uncomplicated, give-some-blood, get-some-chemo, and skedaddle-on-home, kind of day. That was the plan anyway.

Sharing an umbrella, my wife and I sloshed up the wet concrete sidewalk to the infusion center.

To …

Sometimes newly diagnosed patients will contact me, looking for advice.  I love connecting with other patients, but when it comes to advice for the newly diagnosed, I always have to sit and think for a while. What are the most important things they should know? What do I wish I had known when I was diagnosed back in 2005?

I know that every case of multiple myeloma is different, but here are the things I have learned in my eight-plus years with the disease:

You’re the boss of this cancer business. I …

This “Manhattan Tale” is the first that I have written outside of Manhattan.

My wife and I are spending a few days in Washington, D.C., celebrating my brother-in-law’s 70th birthday. He and his wife live in Florida, and they have come up to DC for a chilly week to tour the sites of Washington, my hometown.

Just as the 20-degree cold we had a few nights ago gave a jolt to my brother-in-law and his wife, who are used to the tropical climate of southern Florida, this trip to Washington has given …

I have started 2014 in the throes of a relapse that has dogged my heels through­out the fall. When I see my oncologist this month, we will be dis­cussing treat­ment and, presumably, starting it soon thereafter.

Because the relapse is steadily increasing and my energy and overall health are steadily diminishing, we spent the holidays qui­et­ly. (Well, quietly after my hus­band finished five rehearsals and five performances in the space of three weeks.) When coworkers ask what I did for Christ­mas, I smile and say “nothing.” They think I am joking.

Similarly, …

Hello, my name is Steve Mohr. I am 57 years old, and I was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in December of 2011, which was quickly revised to a diagnosis of multiple myeloma in April of 2012.

After reading this website almost daily since my initial diagnosis, I feel that, per­haps like every columnist who writes for The Beacon, I may be able to offer a helpful perspective to others with multiple myeloma, especially those newly diagnosed with the disease, and those about to undergo treatment.

As was the …

I recently had the opportunity to take a tour of the myeloma research laboratory at our local cancer center. During that tour, I got a close look at the latest myeloma research that is being done.

First, we were shown the DNA se­quenc­er. This is an expensive piece of equip­ment, paid for by generous donations. It cost about half a million dollars and is set up in a separate room to avoid any cross-con­tami­na­tion from other lab materials and people in the area.

There are many different types of DNA se­quenc­ers available. …

A medley of my local multiple myeloma buddies and I occasionally gather to­geth­er to shoot the breeze over mugs of high-priced coffee and an en­tic­ing as­sort­ment of sweet treats.

Accustomed to dietary restrictions, our klatch has determined that one of those delectable goodies is perfectly suitable for folks like us to consume -- in mod­er­a­tion, of course.

You see, way back when, some astute dessert engineers cleverly in­serted a large zero-calorie hole smack dab in the middle of said treat. You read it correctly -- a large zero-calorie hole! Genius!

What? You’re …