Luckily, I was diagnosed with lambda light chain MM almost by accident. My orthopedic surgeon discovered bone “nibbling” after a CT scan after complaining of shin splints for over two months. I am a 75-year-old widow living in Santa Barbara. After induction and an SCT, I am in stringent complete response (SCR) and MRD. In my previous life, after college and a dual degree in biology and chemistry, I have been an IBM programmer, purchasing agent for a government contractor, Director of Materiel of a large international manufacturing company, and later Vice President of Operations for same. I thrive on information and research. I want to know why, how, and when for most problems presented to me. I enjoy charts, graphs, and writing project directed articles. For fun, especially now during my second year in lockdown, I enjoy reading and baking (new love) and preparing things I have never tried before. My neighbors and friends now ask what’s next as I don’t usually eat what I bake – I’d be as big as an elephant. I’ve enjoyed my introduction to the Myeloma Crowd (or Care Hub) as it is a vehicle for my own advocacy as well as education.

Audrey joined the HealthTree Foundation as the Myeloma Community Program Director in 2020. While not knowing much about myeloma at the start, she has since worked hard to educate herself, empathize and learn from others' experiences. She loves this job. Audrey is passionate about serving others, loves learning, and enjoys a nice mug of hot chocolate no matter the weather.