What a year it has been for the myeloma community. The collaborative effort of the myeloma family was rewarded with four new drugs approved for multiple myeloma (MM) in 2015—three of them in November. My friend Dr. Jim Omel called it a November to Remember. Sponsored by the International Myeloma Foundation, 15 support group leaders […]
ASH 2015: Wow – What a Meeting!
Trying to process all of the information that I heard at The American Society of Hematology (ASH) Conference is a bit overwhelming. But, the one thing I can say (without looking at my many pages of notes) is that advances in multiple myeloma treatments are on the fast-track and a countless number of researchers are […]
Let The Debates Begin . . .
The room was overflowing with more than 1,000 medical professionals from around the world who have come to the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Meeting and Exposition to learn the latest developments and how they can use them to benefit their patients back home. The first day in Orlando kicked off with a pre-conference Symposium […]
Imagine Moving Forward
I start every day before work with a 2.5 mile walk. And, every day I look down at the IMF bracelet around my wrist that reads “Imagine Moving Forward.” I’m so grateful for the advances in myeloma treatments that enable me to continue working and to lead a pretty active, normal lifestyle. Since my diagnosis […]
The very first blog of my life
My life as a myeloma patient has so far been fairly private. This blog may change all that. I am good with it. Now that I am an IMF group leader (rather than a proud substitute for Mike Katz when he was traveling), I feel a greater responsibility to other patients. I will allocate a […]
Tick-tock, tick-tock…
The clock is ticking . . . the time nears for the 57th annual American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting. Again this year, I am privileged to return as part of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) Support Group Leaders (SGL) program as an SGL representative and nurse liaison. With this honor comes preparation to make […]
15-Year Myeloma Survivor Reports from ASH
When I was diagnosed in 2000, only a handful of treatment options were available. We used our options sparingly, hoping to keep something in our back pocket for when we needed it. Today is a very different story. We have treatment options that use various types of drugs that can work alone and in combination […]
Anticipating the Power and Importance of ASH15
ASH (American Society of Hematology) 57th Annual Meeting and Exposition brings together the brightest minds in hematology to share new knowledge, ideas, and trial results. Because topics and revelations at ASH affect literally hundreds of thousands of patients around the world, the importance of this yearly event cannot be overstated. To give ASH proper perspective, […]