03_IMG_ClinicalTrials

A new member of our Santa Fe support group sent the following email to Susan Benjamin, our support group co-leader. She wrote, “Many thanks to you and the warm and so very helpful members of your group! The information I gained has already helped me tremendously. I shared it with my husband. We are both […]

I experienced four days of intense scientific meetings with some of the most amazing Support Group Leaders. We shared our thoughts and summaries of the sessions during our commute to and from the hotel, and over meals. While we all shared a connection with myeloma, we all had very unique gifts. I learned as much […]

Social media is everywhere! It’s a way for all of us to take Action to increase Awareness and Information about myeloma! Over 12 years ago, the IMF began a program to invite leaders to attend ASH and to share their experience. It’s different how patients and caregivers understand complex medical information and while we are […]

In this video, Yelak Biru and Jack Aiello provides a Patients’ Perspective on this year’s 59th American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, that took place from December 9–December 12, 2017 in Atlanta, GA.

On Tuesday afternoon I returned from snowy Atlanta to snowy New Jersey. While at the airport I was gathering thoughts on what the topic of my Post-#ASH17 blog should be. I didn’t want to repeat what others were saying.  What could I write about that would be meaningful to my audience? I could highlight the […]

December 13, 2017 The ASH conference in Atlanta in December, 2017, was so interesting and overwhelming. From the IMF Satellite Symposium on Friday afternoon to the panel on Monday evening, there was so much to absorb about the advancing research and new treatments in myeloma. The abstract presentations came at us with a scheduled pace […]

As I write this post ASH 2017 blog the day after we returned home, I’m exhausted, but overwhelmed with gratitude and hope for all of us. I’m a visual learner, so I love photos of people and slides     Thank you to our Sponsors for supporting this program:  Amgen, BMS, Celgene, Janssen and Takeda. […]

Day 1 & 2: The orientation breakfast is a working breakfast to organize our team to have an organized approach to a very complicated scheduled. Dr. Durie and Debbie Birns go to great lengths to review the ASH2017 app to find the most significant oral, education, and scientific sessions for the Support Group Leaders (SGL) […]

I’ve been a myeloma caregiver to my husband Michael for longer than half our married lives together. For 17 of our 28 years of marriage, myeloma has been a part of our lives. When I visit with support groups and talk with caregivers, many times I’ll give the analogy of holding a glass of water. […]

I remember well in 2015, we had monumental FDA approvals of Kyprolis in July, followed by Darzalex, Ninlaro and Elotuzumab in November (also known as the November to Remember!) This year at ASH, each of these approved drugs continued to have new trials using them in a variety of combinations. I am impressed with Darzalex […]