Understanding Multiple Myeloma: More Than Just a Disease

Hi. Last time, I talked a little about my journey to diagnosis. This time, I want to dive into what Multiple Myeloma really is—not just the medical definition, but what it actually means to live with it.

If you Google it, you’ll find the textbook definition: Multiple Myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow. Sounds simple enough, right? But that definition barely scratches the surface. Myeloma is more than a diagnosis. It’s a constant companion. It changes everything. I tend to have the perspective that the cancer shares the same space that I do.

This isn’t the kind of illness you can shake off, take some medicine for, and go about your day. It’s with you when you wake up in the morning, when you go to sleep at night, and every moment in between. It’s in the decisions you make, the plans you cancel, the energy you no longer have. It’s in the pain that comes out of nowhere, in the side effects of treatment, and in the moments when you feel like a stranger in your own body. Some days, it’s just a dull hum in the background. Other days, it demands your full attention, refusing to let you focus on anything else.

But it’s not just about you. Myeloma affects every single relationship you have. Family, friends, coworkers—everyone interacts with you differently, whether they realize it or not. Some people disappear because they don’t know how to handle it. Others get overly protective, treating you like you’re made of glass. Some think you should “just stay positive,” as if that alone could make it go away. And then there are the rare ones—the people who stick around, who listen without trying to fix, who understand that this is a long haul and not a temporary setback.

It affects your career, too. Maybe you loved your job, but now you’re forced to slow down, take more breaks, or even step away entirely. The mental and physical exhaustion is real. Work becomes a balancing act between what you want to do and what your body will let you do. Even hobbies and personal passions shift. The activities that used to bring you joy can become physically draining or mentally frustrating. That’s a hard pill to swallow.

And then, there’s the unpredictability. Some days, you feel like your old self again. Energy levels rise, and for a brief moment, you forget you even have cancer. But then, just as quickly, it knocks you back down. That’s the hardest part—it’s not just a battle, it’s an ongoing war. And every time you think you’ve gained ground, the disease reminds you that it’s still there.

But here’s the thing: even though Myeloma changes everything, it doesn’t define who you are. It’s a part of your life, but it doesn’t get to decide how you live. Yeah… some days are harder than others, but every day you are here and in the fight is a day you win.

Next time, I’ll talk more about coping with things after diagnosis. See you then.