@donna195
I don’t let my health issues define me. I stay active in my community and enjoy family time when they’re busy schedules will allow. It sounds as though your medical team is on top of it and that they’re scheduling scans and a BMB. That’s a good thing.
When you have chronic health conditions, it’s easy to stay focused on that and not the happy things. But MGUS is not cancer and the risk of progression to cancer is very small. It’s important to keep that in perspective.
I’m sure your family does view you as a vital, healthy person. The truth is that you are a vital person who has some health challenges. That doesn’t take away from your value as a human being. As I age, I am vexed by the aging process and the decline in my physical stamina. I still do the things that bring me joy, but I do them slower and with less frequency. I feel no shame in that.
You wrote that you don’t really discuss your health with your family and while I understand that, I do hope that you have people with whom you can share. It’s great to have other people who know what you’re going through and in whom you can confide.
Like you, I wish I could get rid of the MGUS but unfortunately, it’s sticking around. We will probably die from something totally unrelated, however. So I stay positive by living my life fully, doing as much as I can to stay fully engaged and understanding that my risk from MGUS is very small for progression to blood cancer. I stay connected to other people who have a similar journey through Mayo Clinic Connect. It really helps to know that I’m not alone.
I hope your April appointments are reassuring. Will you let me know how they go?