In my February column, I discussed my decision to forego maintenance therapy and go drug free following the conclusion of my initial treatment.  I closed the column with the statement "I have made my decision, and good, bad, or indif­fer­ent, I will live with it."

A bold, confident statement and one I still stand behind.  However, in the weeks since ending my treatment, it's also one that I think will be easier said than done.

It's difficult not to wonder whether every unexpected ache or pain may be myeloma related, though …

Myeloma is measured by the numbers. Those of us with it are always counting on our fingers, tallying our gains and losses.

We know our IgG number. We know our M-spike. We can reel off our free light chain kappa/lambda ratio. Our hemoglobin, our red blood cell count, our creatinine levels, our neutrophil count – we know them all.

Some of us keep detailed spreadsheets, tracking our lab results over long periods of time. Doing this is yet another tool to try to control the uncontrollable. I admit, I used to keep …

When I look back on the last five years, I can see real changes in my life due to having had myeloma, including at least two years of intensive cancer treatments.

Before I was diagnosed, I was active physically and enjoyed jogging, working out at a gym, singing in a choir, playing bagpipes in a band, and doing Pilates classes.

Pilates, as done on floor mats, includes strengthening and stretching exercises with the aim of building a strong core.  Taking a class just once a week or less wasn’t enough to change …

One of the most common clichés in the cancer world is “one day at a time.”  However, I think that it is human nature to look ahead, to plan, to envision where you will be at a certain point in time.

We all have things that we are looking forward to: events, milestones, and trips.

I’m planning to go to Washington, D.C., in two weeks to visit my son. I’d like to take that big trip in 3 months. I’ve got that big wedding anniversary party for my parents coming up in …

I just finished re-reading my column from last month on the topic of denial about death and dying.  The column generated so much discussion, I wanted to write a follow-up.

Let me start by clarifying my take on denial:

We all need to grieve or emotionally deal with our diagnosis in whatever way works best for each of us; I would never be so presumptuous as to tell someone how they should do that.

Denial can be a magnificent coping tool.  If trying to come to grips with your diagnosis is …

On Easter morning, I woke up way before the roosters clocked in for duty and made my way through the heavily wooded hollow toward the Ozark mountain lake, which sits a long stone’s throw from my home.

I carefully perched myself on a flat outcropping of limestone table rock set high above the quiet waters and gazed at the star-washed sky as it slowly surrendered to the yellow-orange of the approaching dawn.

For me, there is something peaceful, even spiritual, about being outdoors, alone, immersed in the natural beauty of a new …

So far, 2013 has been a difficult year for me — innumerable visits to the hospital for infusions, blood tests, PET scans, x-rays, consults, two bouts of pneumonia, and unending stomach distress to cap off the experience.

Using my electronic calendar, I counted 13 visits to the hospital over a five-week period, seven of which were all-day affairs.

But hallelujah for broad spectrum antibiotics, which seemed to start working within hours of taking them. And kudos too to an alert and sympathetic set of doctors and nurse practitioners who listen closely. They …