Yolanda is
Blood Cancer United

\A general doctor’s appointment that included standard bloodwork changed my life in my thirties. I was planning a trip when my doctor came back with news of high protein levels and told me I should find a hematologist. It was when he contacted me twice to see if I found one that brought seriousness to the conversation. I chose a random doctor who told me I had multiple myeloma (MM), gave me a list of the dos and don’ts, and the drug I needed to be placed on. It all happened too quickly and was confusing, but after learning a bit and asking questions with those I trusted in the medical spectrum, I made the jump to find and get a second opinion. After learning MM has a high incidence rate specifically for Black people, I did not want to leave any rock unturned in getting another eye on what was happening. I’m glad I did as I learned I had asymptomatic myeloma, or smoldering myeloma, which is a wait-and-watch process as the disease is not totally active, but it’s in there.

After five years of a good run, while in observation, my disease in fact progressed into active MM. I’ve gone through about two to three lines of treatment, one in radiation which I tend to forget but is worth mentioning. My numbers were brought down and stable, but the last batch brought me into complete remission. I’ve been in remission for some years now.

I’m not sure what the future entails, but I’m very humbled and making sure I live life to the fullest. I left a high-powered and high-stress corporate industry career and started an instruction boutique business in fitness performance training catering to those seeking day-to-day exercise while active and post-treatment. It was important for me to try to stay fit and healthy despite being told I had cancer. And sometimes when patients are affected, it’s assumed we are no longer healthy, or that there’s no longer room to be healthy. Well, that sentiment is further from the reality. Being diagnosed with cancer doesn’t mean we can’t still make an effort to bring some form of healthy habits to an already dire situation, whether by diet or exercise and any bit of normalcy while making these new adjustments. I knew I had to add these benefits. Now whether this is what helped me get to remission, I don’t fully know, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt.

I was diagnosed over a decade ago, and quite frankly, I’m amazed and grateful to still be here fighting the fight and sharing my story. I’ve learned the power and humility I have in sharing another viewpoint on survivorship with myeloma.

The time to fight is now, with integrity, grace, hope, and a smile...when you feel like it.