Mark Pajak, Author
Greetings from the high plains of Wyoming!
As most of you are aware of, I had previously been writing a monthly column for the Myeloma Beacon. But alas, in December 2020 the Beacon ceased to be available thus resulting in the end of my writing.
Well, things change.
After careful consideration and a good many requests from former Beacon readers, I have decided to begin writing again and making column(s) available to those who wish to read the musing of a myeloma carrier.
Let me introduce:
Myeloma On The High Plains – PART TWO !!!
Now before I go much farther, I want to first thank those of you who were kind enough to offer words of encouragement, compassion and understanding to me through my column. For me it helped develop a real connection with others who were traveling the Multiple Myeloma journey as either a caregiver or as someone who is living with this cancer. The “connectedness” I felt with others was wonderful and supportive in helping me on my journey.
The positive comments I received on the column’s musings were terrific in letting me know that in some small way maybe I was helping and making a difference. I have always wanted my actions and efforts to be in service to others. It is my intent that this new site will begin a new chapter in that regard.
Having never before undertaken a similar endeavor such as this (starting a web-site/writing a blog), I am not sure as to what will transpire. It is my desire that however this turns out, it will be of value to others. Hopefully, I can get this going and in the process we can all benefit.
I would encourage those of you who are reading this to please pass along this site to others who you feel might enjoy or benefit from the site. To begin with, the site will be a pretty simple. However we do have many ideas and desires for the site and so it will change as time goes on. For instance, we are in the process of trying to organize links to other sites with information on MM and so if you have any suggestions as to how to build a “better mousetrap” so to speak, please forward your thoughts to the site.
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OK, well there you have it. Onward we go! I am excited, uncertain and to be brutally honest somewhat tentative to “put myself out there” in such an undertaking. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Contributors
Mark Pajak
I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in January 2015. I underwent induction therapy and a bone marrow/stem cell transplant and am currently under my second maintenance therapy protocol taking monthly daratumumab injections and daily oral palmylist. My wife and I have been married for 34 years and we have two grown sones who are gainfully employed and not living in the basement. We live in Laramie, Wyoming (elevaton 7240 feet/ 2215 meters) where winter is in season about 8 months a year. I recently retired as a financial advisor/insurance specialist and now I enjoy spending my time hiking, golfing following the NHL Avalanche and trying to stay alive.
Anne Mason
Anne Mason is a non-profit theatre artist who is passionate about transforming skills and lessons from within the theatre sphere into tools for all facets of community, industry, and humanity. She is a 2020 Wyoming Arts Council Performing Arts Fellow and a Leadership Wyoming Class of 2022 graduate. Anne was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014 and strives to turn her experience into lessons of hope and resiliency. When Anne isn’t at the theatre, she can be found writing, enjoying the outdoors, communing at coffee shops, or solving (and creating!) crossword puzzles. Anne lives in Laramie, Wyoming with her cat, Orange Julius Caesar.
We will add new contributors here in the future. We look forward to adding new perspectives!