I’m not exactly sure when it happened.   Maybe it changed two or three years ago. 

Regardless of when, the result is clear: I can’t remember what it’s like to not have multiple myeloma.

I’m not a poet – I haven’t written any poetry since high school.  But I would like to give it a try this month:

Do you remember when you didn’t have to live with pain
Aching bones, twitching nerves, and needles
Every day, every week, again and again
 …

Before I get started, I want to share good news about my ongoing myeloma therapy.

If you recall, after a recent relapse, my doctors and I had decided to try adding Revlimid (lenalidomide) to my doublet of Velcade (bortezomib) and dexa­meth­a­sone (Decadron) one last time, hoping it might still work.  Although it has only been two months, the combination does seem to be helping; my M-spike has dropped from 0.5 g/dL down to 0.4 g/dL, or 20 percent.

But enough about me!

I recently heard from …

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 …

Myeloma is a heterogeneous disease.  I hear that phrase used often among multiple myeloma specialists.  But what does it mean?

It means that myeloma isn’t a single type of cancer.  It‘s a multifaceted demon, effecting each of us in surprising and unexpected ways.  Researchers now believe that there can even be several different types of myeloma in the same patient.  As you can imagine, this makes myeloma exceedingly difficult to treat; it’s hard to hit a moving target!

Sometimes myeloma affects our kidneys; sometimes our bones.  A large minority of patients remain …

I’m a big fan of New Year’s resolutions.  Sure, most of us never really give them a shot; often they’re broken before the ink is dry.  But what have we got to lose?

I have trouble planning for more than a year or two anyway.  I’m a realist and don’t want to tempt fate.  But one year at a time?  Perfect!

Like many of you, 2013 wasn’t my best year.  Although my hip replacement went off without a hitch, I relapsed again last fall.  But one thing to remember about multiple myeloma: …

Earlier this year, I realized that I might need some emotional help.  No matter how determined I am to stay hopeful and positive, living with multiple myeloma and being surrounded by my fellow myeloma patients, some of whom are seriously ill, can take its toll.

Many Americans are reluctant to seek professional help.  Working with a psychologist or psychiatrist is often stigmatized, and mental health is often misunderstood.

Neither of these was a problem for me.  My master’s degree in education included training as an alcohol and drug abuse counselor.  One reason …

"You gotta fight – for your right – to party!"  Remember that popular 1986 song by the Beastie Boys?  I was never a "rocker," but I couldn't get the song out of my head yesterday morning while I was doing some yard work.

A fellow multiple myeloma patient recently asked me, “How do other patients you know deal with their fatigue?  I’m tired all of the time…”  A great question with no simple answer.

So many things can cause fatigue in a multiple myeloma patient.  Stem cell transplant patients can feel the …