Some reading about my myeloma specialist's success rate. A press release and an article from Targeted Oncology.  ..read more

I confess, I don't write very much anymore. So I'm using this post to spill all the beans, in no particular order. Take a break if you need it.  First confession, I used to love zoos, marine mammal shows, horse racing and seeing the animals at fairs. Now, not so much, they can be pretty cruel to animals. Zoos, perhaps there is an argument to make that they do good. But, I won't go to one. And horse racing is terribly abusive. Just look at all the horse deaths at tracks around the country. If I was younger and had the energy, I'd have a farm for retired horses. Here's a petition to sign ..read more

 In my opinion, the Leukemia and Lymphoma is far and away the very best organization for blood cancer patients. Some of the many things they do is fund research, provide patient financial and educational support, and connect newly diagnosed patients with patient "veterans" via the First Connection Program. The Light to Night event is one of the organization's biggest fundraisers.  A friend has created a fund raising team for this year's Anaheim event. The team honors two former volunteers, Phil Ow and Tom Swick, who have both passed on. I knew them both and both were tireless volunte ..read more

 I say worry and stay away from diet soda and equal and anything else that uses aspartame. I have a couple of theories of why I got myeloma and the one that I put the most weight on is my addictive-like consumption of aspartame. Pre-myeloma I lived on diet coke and loaded my coffee with 6 of 7 packets of equal.  I'm glad to see the World Health Organization say aspartame might cause cancer. The FDA won't make this kind of statement because of the unfortunate intersection of public policy and corporate money.  Please read this article and let's all be more thoughtful about our de ..read more

 You may recall the case of my lost Kindle, which I wrote about in 2019. I left a Kindle on a plane and tried to track it down at the Atlanta Airport during a 45 minute layover. The end result was I never found it, but Leslie had a new one waiting for me when I got home. Now it's the case of the Mini ceramic salt and pepper shakers that somehow ended up at a Jacksonville, Florida mail distribution center. Some context. When I was diagnosed I decided I needed to get rid of stuff. Which I did, but kind of haphazardly, and I now miss some things that I got rid of. I stopped the purge for a ..read more

 Today is May 2. It is 12 years since I received my Myeloma diagnosis. Crazy, right? In the past, I've done something special to celebrate/acknowledge the occasion. I can honestly say I never thought I'd live with myeloma this long. What am I doing today? Well, I just had a bowl of oatmeal and soon we're driving into LA to see a urologist. I have something called a Staghorn Calculus in my right kidney. It's basically a stone over 2 cm with a hook in it. Too large to pass. It showed up on a CT Scan that was done of my lower back. And with my already damaged kidneys, it needs to come out. M ..read more

 Exactly 100% how I feel! Early Aging and Cancer Published on: February 28, 2023 Martha Carlson Research backs up my personal experience regarding aging and cancer. One of the hallmarks of my life with ongoing cancer treatment, following confirmation of metastatic breast cancer in January 2015, is the exponential list of health issues and their associated doctors. I’ve got my primary care physician, my breast oncologist, my blood-thinner oncologist, my neurologist, my cardiologist, my urogynocologist and other specialists who I haven’t yet assigned permanently to my stable of expe ..read more

 Dr John: Right Place, Wrong Time ..read more

I'm sharing an email and link I received: Hello Matt -  My name is Jeff Wiesen and I’m a casting associate with Nonfiction Unlimited, a production company that specializes in documentary-style projects, mostly with non actors.   We are casting DARZALEX FASPRO® patients and their care partners for some exciting patient testimonial projects. We are looking for diverse patients who have taken DARZALEX FASPRO® for at least a year, and/or their care partners. This is an opportunity to share their stories with others who are eager to learn more about their experience on treatment. I ..read more

A ..read more