This is the type of clinical trial that may help our doctors make better multiple myeloma treatment choices:

I’m guessing most of you missed Dr. Brian Durie’s blog post about nutrition on the International Myeloma Foundation’s (IMF) website a few weeks back:

Today was just what my wife, Pattie and I needed; a mental health day.  My hip felt good enough to walk along with Pattie and our dog, Finnegan, in a beautiful wooded area for a half an hour or so.  We came home, ate breakfast and then pulled-out the legal pad.  Time to revisit some of the vexing questions facing our future.

Our good friend and healthy lifestyle columnist, Danny Parker, has been off-the-grid for several days at a Buddhist retreat.  Upon his return, Danny discovered lots of comments and questions about Interleukin-6 (IL-6).  He has been gracious enough to put-together an unscheduled column to try and help explain what’s going on:

Awesome Patient Power video features Dr. Shaji Kumar discussing how new understanding of myeloma pathology and therapy is moving the multiple myeloma treatment field toward personalization to improve outcomes.

I’m guessing that most of our readers don’t “tweet.”  Facebook seems to be the more popular social media among us 50 and older types.  But I like twitter.  And doctors love it!   Easy way to access abstracts and to post theirs.

I learned a few moments ago that there are still slots available if you would like to participate in tonight’s support group meeting.  Here is the direct link to register below:

Tonight I’m taking part in an experiment.  With the help of Priya Menon and the team at Cure Talk, we will be launching an on-air, nationwide multiple myeloma support group.

I think Danny’s column this week is exceptional.  See what you think:

70% of multiple myeloma patients are over 70 years old.  So it isn’t unreasonable to anticipate that a wife or husband–currently acting as caregiver–might be blindsided by a serious medical setback themselves.  What then?  Do you have a contingency plan?

What do we do when our caregiver is unable to help us?  Pattie has been having medical issues for years.  Still undiagnosed, her wrists are mangled and painful.  Her back seizes-up on her, often with no warning.  Her joints swell and I can see the pain and fear in her eyes.

I started writing this post yesterday afternoon, exactly one week following my hip replacement surgery.  I’ve received so many kind comments and emails.  Thank you!  But hearing from John Knighten puts things in perspective.  I feel so bad for the guy.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, John!

Our local Nature Coast Multiple Myeloma Support Group meets the third Wednesday of every month at 6 PM.  That’s next Wednesday.  It won’t happen again, but this month at the same time, Cure Talk is helping me to launch a monthly online/on air support group.  Our one hour broadcast will allow 50 myeloma patients and caregivers to ask questions about myeloma related issues live and in real time.

I often describe how living with multiple myeloma is like riding a roller coaster.  In the beginning, the bottom falls-out and you drop screaming.  Then you slowly climb-up, often doing things you never dreamed you could.  At that point its a relatively easy ride around the corner and up and down a few minor bumps.  Then comes relapse; another jaw-dropping, emotional crash…

Enough of the hospital gown shots already!  But I have received some really fun emails from readers, teasing me about “showing more skin.”  I think we’ve all had the feeling from time to time that we are being watched.  Remember a few days ago when I wrote I was suspicious of Pattie; the way she had been lurking behind me?

I’m home!  Pattie was having transportation issues taking me home on Monday–and I was feeling surprisingly good–so we checked-out around 6 o’clock Sunday evening.  I chased the doctor down the hall using my walker trying to get him to change is orders from Monday to Sunday.  The fact I could catch him that way may have helped influence his decision!

There is a lot going on in the world of myeloma research.  Fortunately for us, it seems like these hard working scientists never sleep!  And things certainly don’t stop because I’m in the hospital having a hip replaced!  To start, here’s a link to an interesting research paper that was published in the latest edition of the American Society of Hematology publication, BLOOD:

I’m off the IV pain meds.  Good news, no IV pole to drag around.  Nurses only use it it in the evening now to administer some antibiotics.  Magic pain button was working well for me.  Dilaudid (hydromorphone hydrochloride), a hydrogenated ketone of morphine, is an opioid analgesic.  A lot better than old fashioned morphine, at least for me.