In the past I have worn bright shirts to treatment in the hope of cheering someone else up. Today I realized I needed the shirt for me.

Part “I Ride For:”, part treatment post, this story is about Dan and my cousin Chris. Both working hard in the fight against multiple myeloma.

Started Round #8 of maintenance and the excitement today was my new shirt! I got this from my friend and fellow cancer warrior, Mary, the first person I talked to about my cancer. I do treatment every other Monday for the next 29 years. If you send me a shirt, I’ll wear it!

Another treatment day, another LOUD shirt!

Jeri got me this one for Father’s Day as kind of a joke. She for sure never thought I would wear it to work. Wrong!

I messaged Jack’s parents I told them that I wear colorful or meaningful shirts to every treatment session. If they sent me a shirt, I could do both - colorful AND meaningful. Here it is, my brand new “I Know Jack” shirt!

Treatment on Monday was tough. I’d recently reconnected with Roger who used to be a co-worker. He had a different kind of blood cancer, but seemed to be on the same treatment schedule as me. I found out that Roger died 8 days after our last treatment together.

As Jeri and I were about to get off the ship in Willemstad, Curacao to explore, I got a message from Cindy at the Ottawa County Health Department. She wondered if I had finished the last dose of my treatment for latent tuberculosis. I forgot to message her, but she did not forget me. THANK YOU, CINDY!

As the ship we are on pulled out of Fort Lauderdale, I was filled with emotion that I was not expecting. Not enough to actually elicit a tear, but enough to kind of take my breath away. Even 5 days later, the contrast between March of 2023 and March of 2024 causes my breath to catch just a little.

It’s been a while since my last vlog on Option B. Here’s Part V, with an update following my March 13, 2024 bone marrow biopsy and restaging.

For many who complete chemo and radiation, there’s a bell you ring at the end of your last treatment. A victory bell, of sorts. For those with multiple myeloma like me, there’s no bell because there’s no end to your treatment—just maintenance. No bell, just ice cream!

I never really understood a “cancer anniversary.” This was weird to me. But here we are—one year ago today I got the first inkling that cancer was part of my future.

The support I’ve received from people is just AMAZING!

Back in February when I found out I had a broken vertebrae, I ask the doctor about bicycling. He told me I could ride all I wanted to. His instructions, “just don’t fall”. That meant ride on a trainer inside, which is what I have been doing ever since.

You might have heard that my stem cell transplant was schedule for today, September 7. A few weeks ago, we received some new information that caused us to pause and rethink our plan.

Today’s vlog is about this new information and the decision we had to make—do the stem cell transplant, or not.

I have not met my fundraising goal. The lake is not super warm. It is not the start of summer. And there is no end in sight for my Multiple Myeloma. So, why am I jumping out of the lake in triumph? The short answer is, “Because I Can!” …

There comes a time in life where you just have to say, “What the…”  If you know what movie this comes from your are as old as me or older. 

You’re a vegan? How are you eating enough to stay healthy?

A lot of concerned, well-meaning friends, family and coworkers have asked about my vegan diet. I promise I’m getting enough protein and all the other good stuff—and WAY less of the bad stuff. Check out my video diary: 100 grams of protein in a day!

It’s been about 3 months since I last shared the details of Option B with you. Back in March I was just getting ready to start treatment,

Round #1 of treatment + my 2nd bone marrow biopsy is done! So why not treat myself to a Starbucks!

Most of us are asked daily (sometimes multiple times per day), “How are you doing?” Often the other person is just trying to be nice and they don’t really care how we answer. They have moved on even before the expected reply, “I’m good, how are you?”