Randi Schwartz

mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma coach since 2020

Hi! I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma at age 47 and had an autologous SCT in August of 2016. This summer, I will be celebrating my 5 year “new” birthday -a wonderful milestone! To date, my myeloma presents free of high risk genetic markers; however, it is accompanied by the complication of light chain deposition disease which compromises kidney function. As someone who loves the outdoors & endurance sports (running, biking, hiking, triathlon) dealing with kidney issues has been a tricky piece of my puzzle while I’ve worked to re-gain parts of my pre-myeloma life. Tricky as it may be, with the support of a good team of medical professionals, family, friends, and myeloma community paired with properly educating and advocating for myself, I have been incredibly fortunate to return to many of the things I love while managing this disease. For me, the power of mindset has played a huge role in living a vibrant life while co-existing with an incurable blood cancer. As a practitioner & coach of mind body medicine (and yoga instructor) I have personally experienced how powerful our daily practices and lifestyle can be in optimizing our sense of well-being and inner peace-especially while facing the many challenges and uncertainties of a cancer diagnosis. I have had the honor of sharing these practices with many cancer patients and others dealing with adversity and have witnesses the life changing results of developing a tool box of healthy coping strategies within a “safe circle of support.” Going through a cancer diagnosis is, no doubt, scary and can feel very lonely. My hope is to help any Myeloma patient I can through their journey; emotionally, physically, spiritually and in any way I can to help empower him or her through the process. Whether they want to laugh, cry, ask questions or compare notes, I want to support myeloma patients in navigating their needs and to never feel alone in doing so.

Derek Johnson

mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma coach since 2023

I was diagnosed in 2019 at 34 years old, on my grandmother’s birthday. Though, symptoms were compounding for over 9 months. I had some cough and congestion that held-on for 1 1/2 months. Then I had extreme eczema on my hands which made it apparent my immune system was starting to go haywire. Finally, leading-up to diagnosis was extreme back pain and 1/2 hour long back spasms. Hindsight is 20/20. Obviously, I shouldn’t have gone 10 years without a blood test. With that in-mind, perhaps my Myeloma could have been caught sooner instead of 90% Myeloma concentration found at the ER with a subsequent 2 1/2 week hospital stay due to uncontrollable pain. Now, I advocate for anyone with odd symptoms to schedule a blood test as it could save their life! Though, it’s funny looking-back as my pup had regular blood tests… we’re educated that’s the best way to catch major health issues for our furry friends, right? My introduction to Myeloma and cancer was not gentle. I was kicked-into the fire pit. But thanks to close family support, my pup, and fortunately an A+ oncology team I’ve made it out the other side. As I was getting past the emergency phase and into the maintenance phase there were some real shockers. I learned that I was outside the normal age-range for this cancer. I learned nearly 6months after diagnosis that there is no cure. Thus, I’d be on cancer meds for the rest of my life. Finally, why would I need a stem cell transplant? I had a successful stem cell transplant experience in July of 2020. I’ll admit it was a rough ride, but the hospital food was beyond excellent and made it that much better. Having Cancer sucks. There’s no other way to put it. No one wants to receive news they or a loved one has cancer. Though, thanks to modern medicine, Multiple Myeloma can for the most part be kept under control and maintained. Sure, there may be some physical limitations due to cancerous effects on the body and/or side effects from medications. But thanks to new cancer medications, one can still live a life worth living with some alterations. Don’t allow this cancer to get the best of you…

Cynthia Martinez

mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma coach since 2024

After retiring from a career as a registered nurse, I was diagnosed with kappa light chain myeloma in 2015—a turning point that reshaped my life. What followed was a complex path marked by spinal fractures, a stem cell transplant, lung infections, and, in time, relapse. Throughout it all, I’ve learned that while we can’t control everything in this journey, we can choose how we care for ourselves: through movement, nourishment, and rest. Today, I walk 5 to 7 miles a day, follow a Mediterranean-style diet, and do my best with sleep—knowing that even small victories matter. My husband and I still travel, especially enjoying cruises, embracing adventure with thoughtfulness and caution. As a coach, my mission is to walk alongside others living with multiple myeloma—offering support, shared experience, and encouragement. I believe in the power of listening, adapting, and finding moments of joy, even in difficult times.