Myeloma

I am a native of Birmingham, Alabama. I have a daughter who is a psychiatrist at the University of Maryland. I have two grandchildren, ages three and seven. Along with surviving myeloma, which I was diagnosed with in 2015, I am also a cancer survivor of a meningioma (tumor) in the left hemisphere of the brain, which was diagnosed in 1993.

Thirty years ago I was told I needed additional blood tests after a routine check-up. I was too busy to follow those instructions. Looking back, it probably was an excuse not to have to face the truth. My fatigue and many infections I had attributed to stress in my personal life. I convinced myself there was nothing to worry about.

I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in February 2014. My journey with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) began one year later when I signed up to participate in my first-ever Light The Night Walk and put together a fundraising team.