Last week I discussed the advantages and disadvantages of a growing number of multiple myeloma therapy options.

How could there be any disadvantages to more options?  I mentioned how even oncologists and hematologists that specialize in treating multiple myeloma will only be guessing when deciding which drugs to use, when, and at what dose.

Then I suggested how with choice comes responsibility.  Responsibility for the patient and caregiver to learn as much as they can about therapy options to understand when to start or switch to another therapy option and to …

My initial reaction to the question of whether there are too many therapy choices for multiple myeloma is, “What a nice problem!”

It looks like the newest myeloma therapy, carfilzomib, will be widely available to relapsed/refractory patients soon.   Pomalidomide shouldn’t be far behind, along with a half dozen new drugs that enhance the effectiveness of Revlimid (lenalidomide) and Velcade (bortezomib).

Soon, multiple myeloma patients may be treated with four-, five-, and even six-drug combinations.

This is a “nice problem,” except for several discouraging things.  At least in the …

Last week I visited Wisconsin to attend the myeloma support group I had been a member of before moving to Florida almost three years ago.

My wife Pattie and I were members of the Wisconsin group for several years.  We became close friends with many of the members, and I have kept in touch with them.

It was exciting to return!  But it was also a bit “touch and go,” if you would excuse the pun.  At support groups, handshakes and hugs rule the day.

The special bond between multiple myeloma survivors …

I just returned from my first air travel since my stem cell transplant in July.

It has been ten weeks since my stem cells were infused back into my body and seven weeks since I returned home.

All of this begs the question:  Should I wear a protective mask in the airport?  How about on the plane?

Those of you who read my column regularly know I normally take an aggressive stance when it comes to what I can and should do now that I’m home.

So far, all has turned out …

As promised, I would like to share my thoughts on the important question:  Is treatment for multiple myeloma a privilege or a right?

After reading some of the comments and emails following my column about battling my health insurance company, it is clear that a number of readers strongly feel that treatment for multiple myeloma—or any type of health care, for that matter—is definitely not a right.

Although my opinion differs, I shouldn’t be surprised by this.  Support for free market principles runs deep in this country.  A large, vocal minority …

Whether you agree or disagree that private insurance and Medicare should always pay for every necessary multiple myeloma-related medical procedure or treatment, it’s clear that they don’t always.

The key word here is “necessary.”  The insurance company or Medicare may not agree with what you and your doctor feel is necessary.

The example I used in last week’s column illustrates this perfectly. Although Revlimid (lenalidomide) is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an initial treatment for multiple myeloma, it is often prescribed for newly …

Learning that you have multiple myeloma can be a shocking, life-changing experience.  It certainly was for me!

There are tests, painful procedures, lots of drugs, and the anxiety of whether your treatment is working.

Being diagnosed with multiple myeloma was tough enough without having to battle my insurance company to pay for the therapies my doctors recommended.

In some ways, I found dealing with my insurance company at the time was more stressful than living with my cancer.

At age 51, I was relatively young and otherwise healthy.  I was also self-employed.  …