I was honored to be asked to deliver a keynote address at a celebration event for transplant survivors last week, which accompanies this post. The event, held at the Skirball Center in LA, was organized and paid for by the head of the Cedars Sinai transplant program. About 500 people were in attendance, 90% were transplant survivors and family. Not all were myeloma patients. And there were many who, unlike me, had allo transplants (requiring donors).
The address is about 6 minutes long. It is upbeat and positive, as fitting the occasion. I'd like to advise my fellow myeloma sufferers that I struggle with how best to relay my good fortune when so many of you have a much harder road. I do feel particularly blessed with how well I've done and I attempted here to simply tell my story...with the thought that it can provide some semblance of hope for those that aren't as fortunate. Susan felt i glossed over a lot of the difficulties I encountered along the way. Maybe so. But be assured that I have not lost site of how difficult the battle is and can be for those who have not had the good fortune that I enjoy. My heart is very much with you.
