Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. Healthy plasma cells help you fight infections by making antibodies that recognize and attack germs. In myeloma, cancerous plasma cells accumulate in the bone marrow and crowd out healthy blood cells.
My partner was diagnosed with myeloma and multiple sclerosis in 2017. He had a bone marrow stem cell transplant in 2018 and receives excellent comprehensive treatment from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital and the wonderful myeloma nurses from Myeloma Australia.
My partner was diagnosed with myeloma and multiple sclerosis in 2017. He had a bone marrow stem cell transplant in 2018 and receives excellent comprehensive treatment from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital and the wonderful myeloma nurses from Myeloma Australia.
- Myeloma affects multiple places in the body where bone marrow is normally active, eg within the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, shoulders and hips. Its impact can include frequent infections, bone pain, broken bones, reduced kidney function, reduced immunity and anemia.
- Treatment can often help control symptoms and improve quality of life but myeloma isn't curable. For many people treatment is ongoing and needs to change when/if it stops being effective. The treatment itself can create additional symptoms, particularly fatigue, brain fog and further reduced immunity.
- In 2014–2018, individuals diagnosed with multiple myeloma had a 55% chance (54% for males and 56% for females) of surviving for five years compared to their counterparts in the general Australian population. Source: Cancer Australia.
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In 2021 I took part in a fundraising walk for Myeloma Australia in Warrandyte, painted a view from the walk and donated the painting to the charity for their fundraising purposes.
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Warrandyte River Walk
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