Before I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010, medical science was not my field of expertise, but rather my wife’s. She is a pediatric endocrinologist and had taught me about pediatric diabetes and other metabolic disorders.  

I, on the other hand, was an expert in municipal law. I also had developed an expertise in construction accidents because, for eight years, I had been working with a New York City government agency that regulated construction. I was responsible for editing many of the reports on construction accidents that affected the public, and …

This week’s Beacon forum poll asks, “How does your quality of life compare to your quality of life prior to your multiple myeloma symptoms and diagnosis?” There is still another day left for people to respond to the poll, but so far, “moderately worse” seems to be the leading answer.

I answered “significantly better.” How can this be? I often feel aching bones and less-than-boundless energy, and although I require more sleep, I have a harder time falling asleep. These symptoms are really quite minimal — The more I pay attention …

How many times have you seen an abstract summarizing the results from a study or clinical trial in multiple myeloma that reads something like this:

The median progression-free survival (PFS) for 24 patients taking drug X was 18 months, and the median overall survival (OS) was 73 months.

So what useful conclusion can you make from this?

In a nutshell, not too much.

First, you need to understand what the "median" is. In statistical terms, if you have a set of values arranged in numerical order, the median is the middle value.  …

A study from the Netherlands reported the other day that multiple myeloma patients experience low health-related quality of life.

Further, the study says that quality of life (QOL) worsens as time goes on.

As I read the headline for the short study description published in The Myeloma Beacon (“Quality of Life Decreases After Multiple Myeloma Diagnosis for Many”), I thought, “Oh those Dutch researchers, they’re such kidders.”

Who else has the time to pluck out 150 or so patients from the myeloma universe and do a bit of prospective questioning about …

This past May, I was traveling on a flight from Calgary to Victoria, British Columbia, to attend a seminar in needle arts, which is a passion in my life.  I have been taking classes and doing projects in embroidery since 2001.

The flight was delayed. When we finally boarded, I and all the other passengers found that the aircraft had been switched from a jet plane to a Dash-8, a smaller propeller-type plane.  My seat assignment was still the same number, but I was now in a row by an emergency exit …

Although thankful for the quiet month celebrated in my last column, the joy was short-lived.  Right after my column was published, my sister Deana, who has multiple myeloma, developed a head cold.  At that point, we were off to the races, as the saying goes.

Following instructions, Deana called her oncologist Dr. Agha immediately and was prescribed ciprofloxacin (Cipro).  Her condition was not improving, and according to my trusted Assistant Team Captain, our sister Darrie, Deana didn't look good.

On June 14, with the situation unchanged, Deana called the doctor again, …

After writing with a broad brush about caregivers from a patient’s perspective last month, I promised to “think back and dig deep to remember how I felt and coped when I wore a caregiver’s hat” while I watched over and tried to help my lovely wife, Pattie, while she battled her cancer.

Being cared-for by my wife – and having taken care of her while she battled three different cancers for over six years – I have a somewhat unique perspective on caregiving.

I also interact with other patients and caregivers …