My selection was easy - my onco/hemo doc is a nationally sought-after MM specialist at Karmanos, a premier cancer institute in Southeast Michigan. Fortunately, he has a great bedside manner and assembled a great team of specialists (urologist, ortho, palliative, etc.) to address the variety of needs that go along with the aggressive myeloma that I have.

I was originally diagnosed with MM and Amyloidosis at Mayo Rochester. I live in Florida and made every effort to have my treatment there, believing that they were the most talented facility. Unfortunately, they were too busy to meet my needs, They could not schedule tests or appointments because they were too busy. I am a physician and their answers to my inquiries were condescending and avoided answers.I switched to University of Arkansas Medical Systems Myeloma Clinic and have been very happy with their treatment. Very responsive and I always feel like they are on top of things and get things done expeditiously. So expertise, availability, and transparency were the determining factors as to where I ended up with care.It was quite an eye opener for someone in the business.

I read Scott’s reply. “ Unfortunately, they were too busy to meet my needs, They could not schedule tests or appointments because they were too busy. I am a physician and their answers to my inquiries were condescending and avoided answers.I switched to University of Arkansas Medical Systems Myeloma Clinic.” I go Dec 8 for my first visit. I need a team that supports me and who are MM specialists. My dr in VA keeps telling me my numbers look good but he never seems to have time time to show me my scans and to explain what he sees. It took a Nurse Practitioner to do that at a spine center. My pulmonologist ordered a pet scan in my lungs and it revealed a myeloma lesion on my kidney. How can I be improving dramatically but still gave 2 deteriorating vertebrae and 4 fractured ribs? I have finished 3 cycles of chemo and will not do stem cell for 4 weeks. I look forward to my evaluation at UAMC in Little Rock. If you read this far, thank you.
Any advice or??
Vicki

Shipmates, I found out I had MM in 2021 because of compression fractures on my back and also too much protein in my urine . The doctor said it was osteoporosis and ordered me a prescription, an injection a generic for Forteo. After my first injection and $3,000. Later my endocrinologist said don’t take it. He suggested i see an oncologist/hematologist. I then proceeded to find a local oncologist/hematologist, which I did, only 15 minutes away. He told me it was Multiple Myeloma. My family and I did our research. We decided on Mount Sinai on Madison Avenue in NYC. It’s about 40 miles away but the are MM specialists. I highly recommend them. I had my stem cell transplant in 2022 and have been in remission since. Thanks be to God Almighty.

Thank you all. I look forward to meeting Dr Zangari at UAMC in Monday. Even their intake personnel have been reassuring and respectful.