No one is ready for the initial shock that comes with a diagnosis of cancer. The feelings that accompany a cancer diagnosis may be difficult to imagine beforehand, challenging to process as you hear and attempt to accept the news, and impossible to appreciate fully if you are not the individual who has just been diagnosed.

After the shock of being diagnosed with multiple myeloma wore off, you have learned a new “language” related to cancer and multiple myeloma care, you have likely read and talked about treatment options, and you may have already started treatment. You may have also joined a support group.

Learn about your insurance benefits and find out what financial resources are available to you.

Here is an overview of vital things to consider after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, from selecting your treatment team to understanding your insurance plan and costs.

Staying active is one of the best ways to care for your health. In fact, during times of illness, a person’s activity level can predict how well they will recover. Sitting for a long time has been suggested as harmful to our health.

Some chemotherapies can cause problems with sensory and motor skills; these disorders are called “neuropathies.” Most neuropathy problems improve after chemotherapy is finished.

Many cancer treatments are associated with side effects that affect the physical appearance of hair, nails, and skin. However, not all cancer-fighting drugs cause complete hair loss (called alopecia).

Beverly was stunned after learning that her husband Jim had multiple myeloma. She had many questions, such as, What is multiple myeloma? How is it treated? How can I help?

Being underweight or undernourished can be detrimental to our health by negatively affecting our balance, memory, and immunity.

Beverly was stunned after learning that her husband Jim had multiple myeloma. She had many questions, such as, What is multiple myeloma? How is it treated? How can I help?

Instead of receiving cancer treatments in a hospital or outpatient setting, many patients are now being treated in the comfort of their own home with oral pills that they administer themselves.

Nausea is clearly one of the associations people make when they think of chemotherapy, but chemotherapy is not the only type of cancer treatment that can produce nausea.

When the body is healing, energy is directed toward repairing the cells that have been damaged by surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation; this often leads to an energy deficit described as fatigue and weariness.