Empliciti is the brand name for elotuzumab. (*Adds elotuzumab and empliciti to autocorrect dictionary*) I will be using elotuzumab and Empliciti interchangeably so that I can focus on facts and not what elotuzumab is called. I will be taking elotuzumab soon, so it is time to review elotuzumab and look at potential elotuzumab side effects … Read more
GoodRx works to get a cheaper price on prescriptions. OK, look. I’m a skeptic. I write a personal finance blog about financial independence, and one of the key things I do is analyze the fine print to find the gotchas. Things are almost never what they seem, and there is always a catch somewhere. As … Read more
If you’ve been reading the news, you know that the Covid vaccine rollout has had its share of problems. You also probably have seen that virtually all states have come up with a tier system that tries to get the Covid vaccine to the most vulnerable people the fastest. Cancer patients count as vulnerable in … Read more
When I got blasted with melphalan last year as part of my autologous stem cell transplant (SCT), it chewed up the nerves in my feet leaving me with some pretty substantial neuropathy. What Is Neuropathy? You can find the official medical definition of peripheral neuropathy here. For, those of us with multiple myeloma, neuropathy is … Read more
It is easy to forget that first and foremost, multiple myeloma is a blood disease. That means that in addition to being a cancer treated by oncologists, it is also right in the wheelhouse of hematologists. The big hematology conference each year is the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, or ASH Annual … Read more
Who is your daddy!? OK, I’m old, so that doesn’t mean what you think it means. I mean it in the Ace Ventura, “First I’d find a motive, then I’d lose 30 pounds PORKING HIS WIFE!” sort of way. Fighting Multiple Myeloma When I fought through my autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) and its aftermath … Read more
My multiple myeloma bone marrow biopsy results came in. And today we Google. As is always the case, I have a visit with my oncologist coming up after having done some testing to check on the status of my multiple myeloma. Talking to the doctor will give the actual, real results of my MM condition … Read more
Cancer is a tough beat. That being said, for the most part, I tend to keep my spirits up. Unfortunately, a large part of that relies on the optimistic belief that I’ll “get my life back,” somewhere in the future. Cancer and Optimism The truth is that I’ve spend most of the year-plus since my … Read more
Health care in America is dumb. Anyone who says differently is peddling political talking points. Still, in America these days, all that matters is “winning” against the other party, and on talk shows, and Twitter. That means taking care of actual Americans falls pretty far down the list, which brings us to today’s topic. Cancer … Read more
I have multiple myeloma. It is a blood cancer that weakens the immune system. So, why am I flying across the country to spend a week on a beach on the Outer Banks of North Carolina? Because time marches on. My kids are getting older. One of them will be leaving the house soon. I … Read more