Between The Chapters

Flu and COVID-19 can be serious for anyone, but for people living with multiple myeloma, respiratory virus season deserves extra attention. Myeloma itself can weaken the immune system, and some treatments can further reduce the body's ability to fight infection. That doesn't mean you have to spend the season afraid to leave your home. A few practical precautions, along with guidance from your healthcare team, can help reduce your risk while allowing you to continue living your life. Here are seven strategies to consider during flu and COVID season. 1. Talk to Your Healthcare Team About Vaccines Vaccination remains an important tool for reducing the risk of severe illness from influenza and COVID-19. Because myeloma and its treatments can affect how strongly the immune system responds to vaccines, talk with your oncology team about which vaccines are appropriate and the best timing for receiving them. This can be particularly important around treatments such as stem cell transpl...

Intimacy is about much more than sex. It can be the way your partner reaches for your hand, the comfort of lying beside someone you love, a private conversation at the end of a difficult day, or the physical closeness that reminds you that you're still partners—not simply patient and caregiver. Multiple myeloma can change that connection in ways people don't always talk about. Cancer affects the body, but it also affects how we see ourselves and how we relate to the people closest to us. Pain, fatigue, treatment side effects, changes in appearance, anxiety, and uncertainty can all influence sexual desire and physical intimacy. There is no single definition of a "normal" sex life. What matters is finding a form of intimacy that feels comfortable, safe, and meaningful for you and your partner. How Myeloma Can Affect Intimacy Myeloma and its treatments can create very real physical barriers to intimacy. Pain, fatigue, nausea, neuropathy, bone damage, weakness, and medica...

Receiving a multiple myeloma diagnosis can turn your world upside down. One moment, you're living your ordinary life. The next, you're learning a new language filled with blood counts, bone marrow biopsies, treatments, scans, medications, and words like remission and relapse. And somewhere in the middle of all that medical information is you . The emotional impact of myeloma can be every bit as complicated as the physical one. Shock, fear, sadness, anger, hope, gratitude, frustration, guilt, and even numbness can appear—sometimes all in the same day. There is no "correct" way to feel after a cancer diagnosis. Your emotions may change from day to day or even hour to hour. You may feel strong one morning and overwhelmed that afternoon. That doesn't mean you're coping badly. It means you're navigating something extraordinarily difficult. When Cancer Begins to Change Your Identity Myeloma can affect parts of life you never expected cancer to touch. Appointment...

When you're living with multiple myeloma, food can suddenly become much more complicated than deciding what's for dinner. Patients often wonder whether there are foods they should eat, foods they should avoid, or a special diet that might slow the disease. Unfortunately, myeloma also attracts its share of claims about restrictive diets, supplements, and foods said to "starve" or cure cancer. There is currently no diet proven to cure multiple myeloma. Instead, nutrition should be viewed as part of supportive care —helping your body maintain strength, manage treatment side effects, protect overall health, and recover. And during treatment, the "perfect" diet isn't always realistic. Sometimes the most important nutritional goal is simply finding foods you can tolerate and getting enough calories, protein, and fluids. Build Your Diet Around Balance For most people with myeloma, the foundation is similar to that recommended for the general population: a varie...

When you're living with multiple myeloma, exercise may be the last thing on your mind—especially on days when fatigue, pain, neuropathy, or treatment side effects make simply getting through the day feel like a workout. But movement matters. Regular physical activity can support cardiovascular health, muscle strength, mobility, balance, emotional well-being, sleep, and overall quality of life. Exercise also plays a role in maintaining healthy immune function and controlling inflammation. For people living with multiple myeloma, however, exercise isn't about pushing harder or proving how strong you are. It's about finding ways to move safely within the limits of your body. Exercise and Your Immune System Physical activity affects many parts of the immune system. During and after moderate exercise, immune cells circulate throughout the body, helping with normal immune surveillance. Regular activity can also help regulate inflammation and reduce stress hormones. That doesn...

Multiple myeloma, often simply called myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells that develops in the bone marrow. Although it begins in one type of blood cell, its effects can reach far beyond the marrow. Bones, kidneys, blood cells, the immune system, nerves, and other organs can all be affected. That is part of what makes myeloma such a complicated disease. Two people with the same diagnosis may experience it very differently. Some develop significant bone disease, while others first show signs of kidney problems, anemia, frequent infections, or abnormal bloodwork. Understanding what myeloma can do to the body isn't meant to create fear. It can help patients recognize symptoms, understand why certain tests are performed, and have more informed conversations with their healthcare team. The Impact on Bones Bone damage is one of the best-known complications of multiple myeloma. Normally, our bones are constantly being remodeled. Old bone is broken down by cells called osteoclasts, while ...