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The Myeloma Survival Guide

Essential Advice for Patients and Their Loved Ones

Second Edition

Authors

Jim Tamkin, MD, FACP, FACE

Dave Visel,

Description

The Myeloma Survival Guide makes sense of the difficult questions myeloma patients face, dealing with every aspect of life after diagnosis, from creating a wellness team to navigating treatment options to building a financial safety net. Jim Tamkin, MD, who lived with myeloma for 11 years, and Dave Visel share the insights they’ve gained as a doctor, patient, and caregiver, including:

Everything you need to know about drugs and treatments, including stem cell transplants
How to deal with the pain and side effects of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery
Insurance and tax benefits to save money and get you the care you deserve
Take-charge tools you can use today to feel better tomorrow

The second edition has been thoroughly updated and includes a new chapter on pills and medical adherence.

“An invaluable guide to patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Not only have they provided clear information on the disease and its treatment, but most importantly also convey critical guidance on how to deal with the very personal life-impacting effects of this disease for patients and family members alike.”

— Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, Kraft Family Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Director, Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center and LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Contents

Preface: Hang In and Hold On

Jim Tamkin, MD

Introduction

Part One: First Steps

1. Take Charge: You Don’t Get to Just Sit There

2. Today’s To-Do List: Easy, Important Next Steps

3. How to Be a Caregiver: Myeloma Is a Team Sport

Anita Chambers, Tammy Famularo, and Fern Tamkin

4. Meet Other Patients: Get to Know Your New Community

5. The Cognoscenti: Your Treatment Team

Part Two: Financial and Workplace Issues

6. Health Insurance and Other Benefits: Your Financial Safety Net

7. Low-Hanging Fruit: Financial Help, Free Services, and Discount Drugs

8. Myeloma Tax Savings: Minimize Your Tax Burden and Get Some Money Back

Eric S. Fisher, CPA, and George Russell, CPA

9. Your Workplace: Myeloma Changes Everything

10. Looking Ahead: Estate and Practical Planning

Malin Dollinger, MD, FACP

Part Three: Managing Treatment

11. Humuhumunukunukuapuaa: Things to Know About Your Drugs

Dave Visel

12. Pills: Take ‘em. Seriously.

13. How to Deal With Chemo: What to Do and How to Do It

14. Rules for Radiation: Huge Machinery Simply Explained

15. Notes on Surgery: Surgery Plays Supporting Roles

16. Your Stem Cell Transplant: Lots of Patients Do It

17. Thoughts on the Human Condition: Sometimes Things Go Wrong

Jim Tamkin, MD

18. Is It Too Late for Broccoli? The Role of Diet and Herbs

19. Pain Management

20. Home Care: You’ll Visit Hospitals but You’ll Live at Home

21. When Bad News Gets Worse: Don’t Be Surprised

Jim Tamkin, MD

Epilogue

Pat Killingsworth

Glossary

Acknowledgments

Notes

Index

Authors

James Tamkin, MD, FACP, FACE lived with myeloma for eleven years. He co-founded the TBA (Their Best Advice) Foundation in 2009 to provide myeloma patients with the resources they need to cope with the disease. He worked as an internist and endocrinologist in Los Angeles until his death in March 2011.

Dave Visel, is co-founder of the TBA Foundation and author of Living with Cancer: A Practical Guide. He is a retired advertising copywriter and marketing executive, and is a caregiver to his wife, Karen, who has lymphoma. They live in Los Angeles.

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