Randi Schwartz

multiple myeloma 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.

Margo Holleran

multiple myeloma coach since 2022

I was diagnosed with MM IgG Kappa on October 12th 2017 after 6 months of numerous sinus and bladder infections. A knowledgable nurse practitioner and radiologist took the time to understand my issues and infections. I followed their advice of a CT scan to rule out kidney stones and acquired additional blood work. My PCP ruled out multiple myeloma, had additional blood work suggested by the radiologist that viewed my scans. I went to see a hematologist-oncologist who suggested a 24 hour urine test and additional MM panel. Bloodwork came back, Mspike of 3.14, I had a bone marrow biopsy on September 29th, 2017. Two weeks later I was diagnosed with IgG Kappa MM. Started RVd right away, went into complete remission, although the Velcade gave me horrible neuropathy. I am being treated at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, second opinion Dana Farber. I still continued to work full time in medical device cardiac surgery sales and finally took off 3 months to become a patient and sought additional treatment for my neuropathy. Took one year off of treatment to give my neuropathy a rest, it came back with a vengeance. I went back on Revlimid and dexamethasone, neuropathy continued to get worse, switched to Pomalyst and Darzalex, went back into complete remission. Currently on maintenance Darzalex every 6 weeks as a monotherapy. COVID vaccines X5 I worked full time for 6 yrs. I was a sales Director for a Vascular & Cardiac Surgery. Now semi-retired except for my advocacy work with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and The International Myeloma Foundation, and HealthTree Foundation. Current Status: MRD negative I am now a Board Certified patient Advocate and have my certification in non profit management. I also have a certification in cannabis horticulture & business. I believe humor is the cure for all that ails. I started an irreverent cancer blog called www.cathychemo.org Please feel free to contact me at margoholleran@gmail.com

Lisa Gray

multiple myeloma coach since 2025

Hello! I was diagnosed with myeloma in 2023, at the age of 56, after months of undiagnosed back and rib issues. I led a busy and active life working in senior fundraising roles for cancer nonprofits, traveling frequently, playing competitive tennis, and being happily married. Having worked with cancer patients and families for years in a non-medical role, being a patient has given me a new perspective and reinforced the importance of being an advocate to support my care. My cancer journey started with radiation (for lytic lesions) and induction treatment. After only a few months of treatment, I ended up in ICU in 2023 with a lung infection, respiratory failure, and sepsis. Once home and somewhat recovered, I restarted treatment and working full-time. By May 2024, I had only a small amount of myeloma detected and was considered in remission. Unfortunately, I had an early relapse within two months as I was considering ASCT. I harvested stem cells but decided to have CAR-T (Carvykti) which had recently been approved as 2nd line for relapsed or refractory MM. I felt that CAR-T was the best path for me at the time for many reasons (early relapse, clinical trial results, etc.), and I had my CAR-T infusion in Dec 2024. I started my 3rd line of treatment in Feb. 2026. As an advocate for cancer patients and their families and a multiple myeloma patient, I welcome the opportunity to help support others on their journey.