Trip to San Francisco & MMRF Seminar

Jenni and I made a day trip to San Francisco. We walked the pier and had a nice time at lunch together. We went to Jack's crab shack near the pier. Don't go there... It was just OK food and the beer I had was watered down :-(. The lunch cost a bloody fortune and wasn't worth it. We then went to Pier 39 and bought some candy for home. Driving to Union Square I got stopped by the SFPD because I can't drive in the city. I didn't get a ticket, just a warning and I'm sure a good laugh by the officer.. City people always get a good chuckle about us rural folk. Then Jenni and I shared a great piece of cheese cake at Cheesecake factory at the top of Macy's.

After that it was time to go to the seminar put on by the MMRF. Several good speakers and 4 topics of interest to M/M patients. I came away with a much better knowledge of how the MM cancer cells work and how they are taking that knowledge and targeting treatments to attack the cells. They went over the new and improved treatments and the future of clinical trials. They also had a speaker on supportive treatments. It was a lot of info but well worth the trip. Jenni just said her head hurt from all the data!

I did come away with a feeling that I was there too soon in my walk with this cancer. They made several mentions of smoldering M/M patients but they stopped before giving any helpful information. I'm getting a little frustrated because I feel SMM patients are the step children of the M/M world. We just wait & wait & wait.... It might be better for me to consider going to this kind of seminar after I need to start treatment. I trust my MM oncologist, Dr. Martin (he presented the clinical trials part of the program), so to wait until I'm in active MM might be a better plan. In their own words, "things are changing at the speed of light". Information gained now might be out of date by the time I'm needing treatment.

I really don't know what to expect & when. Like I've said before I'm not good at waiting, I like to take clear and quick action. However; when "they" talk about smoldering myeloma "they" just always say watch and wait.

We met a great couple setting in front of us. He also has SMM and was diagnosed about the same time as I was. I got his name and contact information and gave him mine. It will be nice having a contact who is in the same stage as I'm in! They have been to some support groups and Jenni and I would like to meet them again at one if we can work it out.

I guess I'm being selfish about all this. The patients with active MM are the ones who need the help more than me. So... in that vein... I'll stop complaining and be glad I'm where I'm at, and the blessing of the time I have before I really need treatment! OK..I'm back to my same old smiling self.....:-)

We left before the question and answer part because we had a long drive ahead of us to get home. Jenni and I had a nice dinner at Chili's and we got home about 11:30pm. That's really late for me as I'm a morning person but we made it OK.

All in all a great day of fun and information and both Jenni and I are glad we went. I would like to thank the MMRF for putting it on.

The body is sick, but thanks to Jesus the soul is alive and well...