On Stepping Forward
There are, in my wardrobe, four folded cotton t-shirts of bright green, neon orange, and crisp white, acquired from four subsequent years of walking for advocacy, stepping in pursuit of a cure for multiple sclerosis. I participated in my first Walk MS in the spring of 2014. Having been diagnosed with MS a couple of months earlier, my blood coursed with rage and denial, prompting me to run—and even, at times, sprint—the outdoor route of five kilometers in solitude. I refused t
Anne Mason
4 days ago
In Need of ….?
Hard to believe it is already near the end of May 2026. It has been said that the older you get the faster time flies. Amen to that. It has been 29 months since my Car T cell procedure (December 2023) and I am holding steady. No blood draw was required in May. Does that mean that all is fine? Well, who knows? The reality is that after over eleven plus years of living with Multiple Myeloma I am not sure what “all is fine” looks like. This Multiple Myeloma journey has presented
Mark Pajak
4 days ago
On Fraud and Faring in a Storm
I fell victim to a spoofing scam last week. It is not something I am proud of—in fact, I feel incredibly foolish about the whole ordeal. But, after an unhealthy dose of psychological battering and self-admonishment, I was able to take a step back and examine the events that led to my hoodwinking. To start, the circumstances were primed. The days leading up to the fraudulent debacle were packed with stressors: hosting out-of-town guests, sprinting towards opening night of a pl
Anne Mason
Apr 28
Feeling Small
When living or surviving with Multiple Myeloma, it is quickly figured out that there is no such thing as a routine or trivial blood draw. Each and every blood draw matters. The blood draw is king. Every time the arm gets poked and/or the port gets accessed it is an event of major significance. The nurse or clinic/lab technician draws the vials of blood and then the waiting and wondering begins. What will the results show? Where am I at? The results of the blood draw, the bloo
Mark Pajak
Apr 20
On Connection
I woke up this morning and could not will myself to rise out of bed. It’s often difficult for me, balancing daily demands, navigating fluctuating MS symptoms, and staying meaningfully connected to others. I've been more active than usual as of late with the early stages of rehearsals for a show that I'm acting in, and a week-long family visit, and a commitment to more regular exercise—be it on the basement treadmill shrouded in shadows or the sunny trails of the Happy Jack Re
Anne Mason
Mar 24
