Processing your feelings about multiple myeloma

Getting a cancer diagnosis is never easy to hear. Many people wonder how much time they have left. In some cases, others might think it’s easier to move through life without knowing and live life as it comes.

Although there is no cure for multiple myeloma (MM), our treatment options have come a long way. When MM is caught early enough, it’s possible to control it so that it can no longer be detected in tests. People with MM can have a good quality of life for many years with treatments that help control the disease.

While we have options for dealing with MM, we may still feel the initial shock.

Infographic emotional toll

It’s important to feel our emotions and express them, so that we can process and deal with them. When we have trouble doing this on our own, we might need additional help.

Help can come in many forms:

  • Leaning on a best friend or family member for advice
  • Seeking spiritual guidance from your church group or religious community
  • Meditating and practicing mindfulness
  • Joining an MM support group and connecting with others who have MM
  • Attending therapy
  • Asking your doctor about medicines that can help if our feelings don’t go away

If you’re having a tough time with MM, you’re not alone. Opening up about what you’re feeling to others is healthy so that your body can save its strength to fight MM.

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Black woman looking at a cello image

He was totally shocked, you know, when he found out. I had never heard of it. And neither had he ever heard of it.

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— Stephanie Hubbard

Wife of Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, original bassist for The Roots

In consideration of the time spent participating in this activity, Stephanie Hubbard was paid an honorarium by Janssen.