I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in the summer of 1990, over twenty years ago. Over the years, I have seen so much progress in the diagnosis and treatment of multiple myeloma!
People diagnosed with myeloma can now look forward to a much brigheter future, as we work towards the day when myeloma will be a chronic and, ultimately, a curable disease. With proper care, most myeloma patients should expect to live well for many years with the still challenging disease. Everyone should understand that this takes hard work and perseverance-- but it can be done!
One of the most important lessons in being a "Good Patient" is not to be too good. Being too good can get you killed. A distinguished opinion leader of days gone by, Mae West, perhaps said it best:"When I'm good, I'm good, but when I'm bad, I'm better!"
Examples of how being "too good" can get you killed include:
- Not getting a second opinion because you don't want to insult your doctor
- Taking "no" for answer when you need to hear "yes", like getting that question answered today instead of tomorrow, getting that appointment this week instead of next
- Not wanting to offend the nurse hanging that IV by asking what's in it
- Not letting the doctor or nurse know that you're having bad side effects from your medications
Congrats to the IMF for moving into the "blogosphere" ... and to Mike Katz for (nearly) 20 years of helping myeloma patients get the very best out of their doctors!
Mike ... I hope you get to be able to do this for at least another 20 years!
:O)