Shucks
Expectation: A strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future Disappointment: A sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfillment of a hope or expectation. Happy Thanksgiving. May the joys of the season extend to all readers. When I went in for my Car T Cell Procedure, I was told that I could expect about 12 – 18 months without treatment (chemo). As time progressed, that estimate was raised to 18 - 24 months. November 2025 marks twenty-three months
Mark Pajak
6 days ago
On Invisibility and Interior Glimpses
Upon learning that I have MS, others often extort some iteration of: “I’d never’ve known from looking at you!” “You look great! You must be doing well.” “You don’t look sick…” I acknowledge the complementary subtext of such statements, ignoring the psychological zing it triggers, graciously thanking my interlocutor while fighting the urge to sardonically snap, “looks can be deceiving.” The reality is, much of the burden of multiple sclerosis is veiled to the naked eye. Neurol
Anne Mason
Oct 28
Surviving, I Think
Twenty-two months removed from my Car T Cell procedure and overall, my numbers are holding steady. This past month I had an injection of stem cells (harvested some 10 plus years ago when I went through a stem cell/bone marrow transplant) in an attempt at increasing my ANC number which has been hovering in the very low range (as low as 200) for quite some time. The result to date indicates a slightly improved ANC situation. Shots and infusions attempting to generate better num
Mark Pajak
Oct 21
A Need To Purge
(Maybe I need a vacation) Twenty-one months since my CAR T cell procedure, and my cancer numbers are holding steady. The monoclonal peak...
Mark Pajak
Sep 18
On Permission
I’m a recovering over-achiever. Hustler. Striver. But if you’ve been reading my columns for a while, you probably already gathered that....
Anne Mason
Sep 15
Bucked Off
I still do not feel 100% following a turn with pneumonia but as Gene Autry, the Singing Cowboy once sang, “I’m back in the saddle again”....
Mark Pajak
Aug 26
On Travel
A handful of months after receiving my MS diagnosis in 2014, I boarded an international flight that deposited me in Istanbul, Turkey to...
Anne Mason
Jul 29
Detour
This month is like none before. About three weeks ago, I started to have some profoundly serious fatigue and lack of motivation. I was...
Mark Pajak
Jul 23
On Outdoor Activity
Ask anyone in Wyoming and they’ll tell you that our summer weather and access to the outdoors makes enduring the brutal winters worth it....
Anne Mason
Jun 24
About Yesterday
Month 18 post Car T Cell protocol and my blood numbers are holding steady. Other than the routine monthly shots to increase my ANC...
Mark Pajak
Jun 24
Today – Tomorrow
I go in for my monthly blood draw on Monday at 11:00 am and, as usual, I am a bit nervous about what will be revealed. 17 months post CAR...
Mark Pajak
May 22
On Retirement
I’m nearing one full orbit of the sun since stepping down from a top leadership position at the theatre company that I founded twelve...
Anne Mason
May 20
On Running
In the months after my MS diagnosis, riddled with the WebMD-derived fear of a wholly dependent, disabled future, I ran. A lot. I embarked...
Anne Mason
Apr 25
Just Don’t Know
Sixteen months post Car T and gratefully not much has changed since the last post. Numbers are holding steady regarding the monoclonal...
Mark Pajak
Apr 22
15 Months/Tons
It has been almost fifteen full months since my CAR T cell procedure. December 2023 seems like a long time ago. Again, I am reminded that...
Mark Pajak
Mar 24
On Conversation
In an exciting and terrifying turn of events, I have journeyed into the realm of publishing. A recent artist residency allowed me the...
Anne Mason
Mar 24
On Relapses, Retreats, and Returns
It’s been one year since my health took its latest turn. Perhaps it was a relapse. Perhaps a pseudo-flare. Perhaps the label does not...
Anne Mason
Feb 24
No What!
Forest Service Sign seen on a hiking trail: Warning – Extreme Hazard – No Water, No Shade, No Cell Service HMMM? This past month I...
Mark Pajak
Feb 20
???
Not sure where this is all going, so let us begin here: Welcome to the start of the second decade. I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma...
Mark Pajak
Jan 21
The Trip
“…. This is the worst/best trip, I’ve ever been on” -- Beach Boys, Sloop John B Happy Holidays to all who visit this site. May the joys...
Mark Pajak
Dec 21, 2024
