How a Myeloma Coach Helped with My High Risk Smoldering Myeloma

Posted: Feb 20, 2020

Navigating Your Health

BY SUZANNE STEEL

My experience of choosing and working with a Myeloma Coach has been profoundly helpful to me in my situation with High Risk Smoldering Myeloma.

When the Myeloma Coach program was announced, I couldn't wait for it to open up, because I knew it was something I badly needed. I was in a fearful state of anxiety and stress about my diagnosis and felt that i had nowhere to turn to get my questions answered, that the oncologists and myeloma specialists I was seeing were basically treating my like a number and not showing much interest since I wasn't ready for treatment. I had a lot of confusion, despite the many hours of copious research I had done, about the details of the disease and my own markers and numbers. I was depressed and deeply fatigued with all of this and felt all alone with this giant burden.

I carefully read the bios of every Coach before deciding on Maddie, feeling that she was a good personal match for me. My instincts proved correct and we connected immediately. I think this is important - choosing someone who you feel will understand where you are coming from and who you can relate to on a personal level.

Maddie has been incredibly helpful to me in so many ways:

Understanding my myeloma lab numbers and what they mean
Dispelling my fears of the worst case scenario and giving me a more realistic view of a much more positive and manageable path going forward
Doing research on my behalf on various complex questions I had not been able to find answers to
Being such a bright spirit and inspiration for me to shift mental gears into a much more positive state of mind

Maddie is an experienced Myeloma Coach who knows how to listen, how to keep on track, how to present the facts, how to accentuate the positive and generally steer the energy to one of helping me realize that I will be able to manage this disease and that this is decidedly NOT the death and despair scenario I was imagining.

Everything has changed for me as a result of many things I'm doing to navigate MM, including psychotherapy, physical therapy and meditation AND coaching has been a large contributor to that.

I can't say enough about how the Myeloma Coach program has helped me to transform my reality from the fear and loathing of my myeloma diagnosis to one of hopefulness and looking forward to my life going forward. I highly recommend the Myeloma Coach program!

BY SUZANNE STEEL

My experience of choosing and working with a Myeloma Coach has been profoundly helpful to me in my situation with High Risk Smoldering Myeloma.

Maddie has been incredibly helpful to me in so many ways:

Understanding my myeloma lab numbers and what they mean
Dispelling my fears of the worst case scenario and giving me a more realistic view of a much more positive and manageable path going forward
Doing research on my behalf on various complex questions I had not been able to find answers to
Being such a bright spirit and inspiration for me to shift mental gears into a much more positive state of mind

Everything has changed for me as a result of many things I'm doing to navigate MM, including psychotherapy, physical therapy and meditation AND coaching has been a large contributor to that.

about the author
Rozalynn Hite

Rozalynn Hite is the HealthTree Coach Director and wife of myeloma patient Richard Hite. Rozalynn is an occupational therapist and mother of three beautiful children. She is passionate about providing support, education, and resources to help others live full and active lives.