Yellow mustard.

Today is one year ago that I had my stem cell transplant.  One year ago they put back, via an hour drip, 3.6 million stem cells of the 9.35 million I harvested on November 8, 2016.  One year ago today, I was at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa and would be in Tampa for another 26 days since check in on the 12th.  One year ago today, I had no idea of the path that I was about to travel for the next year.  One year ago today, Bill and I were joined at the hip as he had to be with me 24 hours a day once I was released from the hospital to the hotel.  One year ago today, they said was my day zero, my new birthday.  One year ago today, I was, I was, I was.

Today, November 14, 2017, I am still battling active Myeloma but have come a long way from last year this time.  Today, am I frustrated?  Today, am I worried?  Today, am I sad?  Today, am I disappointed?  Yes to frustration, worried, sad, disappointed.  But also yes to, do I think Dr. Sarriera has a handle on my Myeloma journey.  Yes to I have to have faith in my life to make this Myeloma journey.  Yes to not curable but treatable.  Yes to all the new studies out there looking for a cure for Multiple Myeloma.  Yes to ME!!!  Yes to BILL!!!

Last night was our Myeloma support group meeting.  As always, great meeting.  The two new guests came back.  That's wonderful.  Our members are growing.  This was a pot luck dinner and fund raiser for the IMF (International Myeloma Foundation).  There were about 35 persons, members and caregivers.  So figure about 17 Myeloma patients coupled with their caregivers.  And, drum roll please, we donated last night $1,020.00.  I thought that was wonderful for so little members.  The IMF sponsors our support group.  They have so much free literature available to us.  They have free webinars.  They have a free magazine.  They have free IMF Infoline available to us.  On and on.  Great Foundation.  Glad to be a part of the IMF.  One of the drug companies provided us with a spiral ham and a turkey breast to accompany our pot luck casseroles and desserts.  The left over ham was being taken to the food bank near one of our members.  Continuing to pay it forward.

Our speaker was a transplant doctor from Greenville, SC.   Of course her plane in to Orlando was delayed but she eventually made it.  We were able to fill in with another speaker that was also there.  The doctor talked in depth about Myeloma.  Even though Bill and I know a lot about Myeloma, we always pick up new information from the speakers.  She was a wealth of information for sure.

At the end, she was answering questions from the members.  One of them asked what she recommended for leg cramps?  She told us some of her patients swear by tonic water.  The one who asked the question agreed and added - have you heard about yellow mustard?  Well, Bill and I just about fell off our chairs.  Denny Domer has been saying this for years!!!!  See Denny, this made it to the transplant doctor's office.  Oh, she said - why yes.  Several of my patients have told me this.  The person who questioned this also agreed on the mustard remedy as well as several of our other members.

Quote:

Cancer changes us.  It sculpts us into someone who understands more deeply, hurts more often, appreciates more quickly, cries more easily, hopes more desperately, loves more openly, prays more freely and lives more emotionally.