MARCHing together for myeloma awareness

There’s a lot of awareness going on in March. So far, we’ve learned more about sleep conditions (how pain can increase sleep debt), multiple sclerosis (the myths and facts) and brain injury (how it might be more common than you think). Today, we’re shining a spotlight on myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects more than 750,000 people worldwide.¹ You can add to your knowledge during Myeloma Awareness Month (MAM), and educate your friends and family about the condition. Awareness is contagious. Here are the basics about myeloma:

• Myeloma is the second most common blood cancer in the world
• It begins in plasma cells (white blood cells that are part of the immune system) and eventually collects in bone marrow
• When myeloma collects in more than one location in the body, it is called “multiple myeloma”
• Common symptoms include bone pain, anemia and extreme fatigue

It’s estimated that over 24,000 new cases of myeloma were diagnosed in 2014.² For these people and everyone living with myeloma, here’s how you can get involved in raising awareness:

• Change your Facebook or Twitter picture to the Myeloma Awareness Month social media badge
• Share on social media via the #DiscoverMyeloma hashtag – for every Tweet, Takeda will donate $5 to the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF)
• Join the #MamboforMyeloma initiative – film yourself, friends and family dancing and share the video online
• Print, post and share the MAM poster in any location

As the IMF says, let’s MARCH together for myeloma awareness this month. If you’ve been diagnosed, read about PatientsLikeMe member AbeSapien’s journey with multiple myeloma in his interview. And don’t hesitate to reach out to the more than 1,600 PatientsLikeMe members living with multiple myeloma. Share this post on Twitter and help spread the word for Myeloma Awareness Month.