Category Archives: celebrities

Brokaw Speaks

celebrities, media, Myeloma

VETERAN JOURNALIST TOM BROKAW, as many of you know, was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma at about the same time I was. He hasn’t shared a great deal about his experience publicly,  until now.

Tonight (Thursday, May 7, 2015) at 10 PM ET, he shares his cancer story on a special edition of NBC Dateline “Tom Brokaw: A Lucky Life Interrupted.”

In the special, Brokaw, a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees, interviews his Mayo Clinic doctors. Part of his goal is to “raise the level of dialogue between the patient and physician.” Continue reading Brokaw Speaks →

Day Zero

celebrities, collection, Myeloma, stem cell, transplant

I GOT MY PROPERTY BACK TODAY. That’s right folks, half my frozen stem cells were put  back in circulation this afternoon. A fascinating process that involved liquid nitrogen, a water bath, my new pal the IV tower, and my old pals the danglers.

This is day 0 in the transplant sequence,  since yesterday was day -1. The nurses who handled the entire procedure wrote “Happy Birthday” on the white board opposite my bed, since it is truly the moment of birth for my new, improved immune system.

Continue reading Day Zero →

Famous Myelomans

celebrities, Journal, Myeloma

CURIOSITY LED ME to do a little research about well-known people who have faced Multiple Myeloma. I learned that we Myelomans are in some pretty fantastic company:

(Note: This post has been updated)

Tom BrokaMEET THE PRESS -- Pictured: Tom Brokaw -- NBC Photo: Mitchell Haasethw — One of the most respected journalists of our era, Brokaw announced his MM diagnosis in Feb. 2014 at the age of 74. He has said he is in treatment and expects to “be OK,” and he continues to make television and public appearances from time to time.

Ferraro200x200Geraldine Ferraro — A groundbreaking American politician, Ferraro served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and was the first female candidate for vice president, running on the  Democratic ticket alongside Walter Mondale in 1984. Ferraro lost her battle with MM on March 6, 2011, after surviving for 12 years. Continue reading Famous Myelomans →