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?”

I recently went to a vegan restaurant when I was in Columbus, Ohio. EVERYTHING was vegan, even the “meat” and “cheese”!

My treatment is going well (starting round 2 of 4), but the biggest side effect of the steroids I’m taking with the chemo is sleeplessness. Here’s a peek at my best night yet!

It's been a month since I first talked about "Option B", and I thought it was time for an update. As I begin treatment Monday, March 13, I want to share an update on how I'm doing, what I'm doing, and the 3 things I need you to do.

I had the scan the first week in January 2023. Another week of testing revealed that the break was actually caused be a tumor and the tumor was caused by Multiple Myeloma. In short, I have cancer…

All it took was a fly.

My mom Karen explains God nudges as persistent thoughts or feelings that we just can’t shake—feeling like we need to take action or engage somehow. I’m not sure if reading Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Option B, was a God nudge, foreshadowing or something else, but it definitely made an impression on me.