I shouldn’t have to write this, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to write it. Multiple myeloma is hard. Cancer is hard. Being sick is hard. Recovering is hard. Not being able to do what you used to is hard. It is so hard that it is actually more likely than not that myeloma … Read more
Financial Toxicity in Cancer They call it financial toxicity. Many multiple myeloma treatments cause unwelcome effects in myeloma patients. One of the most common side effects of myeloma treatments is peripheral neuropathy in which the patient develops pain or numbness typically in the hands or feet. Other treatments cause nausea, vomiting, and so on. The … Read more
I wouldn’t with multiple myeloma on anyone, and goodness knows those first two years were not fun. Sitting here in MRD- land, however, I can take joy in the excitement of the FDA approving a new multiple myeloma drug. What Is the Latest Multiple Myeloma Drug? All right stick with me here folks. The science … Read more
As with most cancers, and really anything medical, there are a lot of multiple myeloma terms and vocabulary out there that you might not know from the beginning. Getting to know the definition of multiple myeloma terms will help with understanding information about the disease. What Is Relapsed Multiple Myeloma? It is often said that … Read more
My oncologist left. I had a different oncologist in the beginning. A search on my insurance’s in-network doctors sorted by distance from my house gave me my first oncologist. He was fine. There was nothing wrong with him. But my autologous stem cell transplant introduced me to another oncologist — and his team, and his … Read more
I often say that we aren’t in the name, but they are our people anyway, about Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The LLS advocates and helps not only those with the title diseases of leukemia and lymphoma, but all the blood cancers, including multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s disease. So, when they talk, those of us with … Read more
So, you have multiple myeloma, or you know someone who does (or how else did you end up here?). Chances are you have heard of CAR T (pronounced car — like a Ford — and the letter T — like Sesame Street). What is CAR T exactly and how does CART fit into multiple myeloma … Read more
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. It’s been two years since I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. It has tried to kill me twice. The second time caused my oncologist to parse his words very carefully in front of me, “That was… that was a save. Mucor is usually fatal.” I should feel lucky. – … Read more
I’ve wanted to write about how health insurance works when you have cancer for a while now, but haven’t really gotten around to it. But, here we go. How to deal with health insurance when you have cancer. Cancer Claims with Health Insurance First off, you really, really need health insurance if you have cancer. … Read more
Update: I got my booster (third covid shot) last fall. I didn’t have any side effects from it, although my wife seemed pretty beat up for a day or two after hers. After my January meeting with my oncologist, I’ve learned that as a multiple myeloma patient, I’m considered immunocompromised, and they now recommend another … Read more