There is no single myeloma experience
Myeloma touches the lives of tens of thousands of Canadians. Whether you are living with the disease, caring for someone who is, or are connected another way, your experience and your story are important. We strive to share stories representing the multitude of experiences myeloma can bring.
Filter these stories by topic, or scroll through them chronologically.
Personal stories
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Supporting our loved ones and others is key
January, 2024
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.
I refuse to stop for myeloma!
December, 2023
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.
Honouring Aldo’s legacy
November, 2023
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.
Fulfilling my dreams in spite of multiple myeloma!
October, 2023
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.
Multiple myeloma, you picked the wrong gal to mess with!
September, 2023
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 diagnosisThe process of identifying a disease by its signs and symptoms. my eldest daughter Misty was also diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
Soaring and enlightened
August, 2023
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.
Living solo with myeloma
July, 2023
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 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. centre that provided some treatments, but no transplant options.
De-stigmatizing cancer for Black Canadians
June, 2023
I would like to share my experiences with you as a Black African cancer patient, the series of battles I fought against cancer, the barrage of treatments I underwent, the notions people in our community still have about cancer, the Art of Caregiving to ca
This is my story
May, 2023
What makes some so compelling are their depictions of heroism, struggle, stamina and courage often in the face of impossible odds or dangerous situations. (Think Amelia Earhart flying solo across the Atlantic, the Prophet Moses leading the Exodus of the I
Living life to its fullest!
April, 2023
April 26 will mark 7 years since I first heard the words ‘multiple myeloma’, and the shock that came with it! While it will soon be 7 years since my diagnosis, it still feels like it was yesterday. Fortunately, with time, the first anxieties and fears I