Beating Multiple Myeloma

I posted a story last year about my 83 (now 84) year old mother who had been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. She had multiple tumors through her spine and ribs. You were all fantastic and supportive in your responses and I felt an overwhelming sense of support and love. I can’t tell you how much I admire and love this blogging community.

Some of my blogging friends have been through, or are going through, very serious illnesses and when I read their posts I feel a great deal of compassion and I wish for the day they can write a Tests are all clear! post (you know who you are).

-Now for some good news-

– After 12 months of chemo my mother’s blood tests last week revealed –

😀 😀 😀  no sign of cancer 😀 😀 😀

*(She is in remission)*

A big CONGRATULATIONS is in order for my mum. I admire her strength and courage – she’s a true champion and I love her dearly!

                                                                                       XXXXXX

Now – I hate to add a sour note to this post, but I’m going to:

When I wrote the post about my mother last year I received a comment from someone calling themselves Anon (how original). I didn’t approve it and that’s not because I’m into censorship – I was mainly worried because my mother reads my posts and the comments and I didn’t want her to see such a bitter and negative comment regarding her illness.

Today I responded to Anon and no longer have him/her/it haunting my unapproved comments box.

Anon said

“As an oncology nurse, I find this blog post really distasteful. Myeloma is an incurable cancer and your mother is seriously ill. Insinuating that giving her an ipad and access to your blog would result in a ‘miraculous’ recovery is fantasy at best and seriously trivialising the disease at worst. The work of the Doctors, nurses and carers in stabilising the disease and assisting your mother has not been mentioned. It takes more than ‘on-line love’ to support cancer sufferers.”

I replied

“I haven’t approved this comment until today. The reason being my mother reads my blog and I didn’t want her to think:

1. You are actually an oncology nurse
2. You knew what you were talking about when you stated ‘Myeloma is an incurable cancer’
3. That someone who professes to work in the medical profession could be so blatantly naïve to think that family support and love have no place in medicine.

I am not a doctor so I can neither prescribe nor administer the medicine she needs. I can only do what any other child can do – try to make her happy and comfortable and to feel as if she is loved. When she reads my posts and smiles because I’ve said something funny or she sees a picture of my children or what I’m doing with the house (she can’t travel here to see it for herself) I feel as if I’m doing something instead of nothing.

My mother was given the ‘all clear’ news from her doctor last week. You’re welcome.

I sincerely hope you don’t put comments like this on the posts of other’s who are doing their best to put a smile on a loved one’s face because if anything is distasteful, it’s people like you who think they can take out their negative thoughts and bitterness on others while you wear the mask of Anon.”

That’s enough of my time wasted on oxygen thieves calling themselves Anon.

Time for a champagne 😀