Personal stories of myeloma

In 2016, my personal cancerA term for diseases in which malignant cells divide without control. Cancer cells can invade nearby tissues and spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body. journey started during a routine doctor’s visit. I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. At the time, I had never heard of multiple myeloma. After my diagnosisThe process of identifying a disease by its signs and symptoms., I learned that multiple myeloma is the second most common form of blood cancer in Canada, and it has no cure.

My name is Jessica Slack. In February 2023, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at the age of 43. My journey to diagnosis began the previous summer. I was feeling perfectly healthy and living a busy life as a full-time working mom to two teenagers, completely unaware of the danger lurking within. 

When immigrating to Canada in December 2007, my mother Lilowtie Ramdass’s arm suddenly broke while packing the suitcases. We managed to get her arm casted so that she could get on the flight with some degree of comfort. We hail from Guyana, South America and at this point, mom had spent her entire lifetime working on the immigration application to Canada for a better life and long-term conditions of her 6 daughters.  

Hello. My name is Megan, and I am Dwight’s wife and caregiver. Dwight was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) in February 2018. Confusion and feelings of devastation followed as it was found that he had high risk smoldering myeloma. Then, four months later, Dwight was also diagnosed with AL amyloidosisA condition in which myeloma light chains (Bence Jones proteins) are deposited in tissues and organs throughout the body. This occurs more commonly with lambda versus kappa Bence Jones proteins. In patients with amyloidosis, the light chain proteins bind to certain tissues such as heart, nerves and kidney rather than being excreted out of the body through the kidneys. in his kidneys and heart. He was 53 years old.  

Hello, my name is Ashely Dieks.In 2022, at the age of 36, I was diagnosed with myeloma. And I was in shock.
 It all started in December of 2021, when I had to lift a patient at work. I felt a pop in my sternum, followed by some pretty intense pain.

My name is Dominic Jean and my experience with multiple myeloma is a bit different than most of the other experiences you may have read about in previous Spotlight stories. While you may not know me, you may have heard of my late partner. His name was Aldo Del Col and he was the co-founder of Myeloma Canada.

My name is Jean Lelievre and I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in June 2021 at the age of 65. In the spring of 2021, following a hike with our dog Charlie, I thought I had pinched the sciatic nerve in my right leg. Unfortunately, even after several physio treatments, the pain was worsening.

My name is Betty Boudreau and I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) on July 4th, 2018. I was 62 and had never heard of multiple myeloma.Two years into my diagnosis my eldest daughter Misty was also diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

My name is Susan McElwain. I was born in Toronto, Ontario, 1960. I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in December 2016. Previous to my assessed illnesses I was an avid sports enthusiast and relished in the idea of worldwide travel. During my twenties I resided in Kailua and Honolulu, Hawaii, and in Porto Ercole and Rome, Italy.

My name is Germaine Nadon, I live solo and I am a myeloma patient. At the time of my diagnosis, I Iived in Kelowna, in the interior of British Columbia. I had access to a cancer centre that provided some treatments, but no transplant options.