January 2012 Meetings in Minnesota

Wednesday, January 11, 2012:
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Family Means Center
1875 Northwestern Ave S
Stillwater, MN 55082
MAP

Agenda:

• A representative from Onyx will tell us about the a new myeloma treatment Carfilzomib
• Dr. Brian Van Ness from the University of Minnesota will update us on his research into the genetics of myeloma.

Saturday, January 21, 2012
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Methodist Hospital Cancer Center Conference Room
6500 Excelsior Blvd.
St Louis Park, MN
MAP

Park in the Orange Ramp at the BACK (northeast side) of the hospital, take ramp elevator to 1st floor, follow the hallway, the conference room is on the right before the big curved stairway.

This will be a regular group meeting. Pat Harwood and Don Wright will talk about the ASH conference.


Saturday, January 21, 2012
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Gift of Life Transplant House
705 Second St SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507/288-7470
MAP

Snacks, sharing, and always a representative from Mayo Clinic.

Rochester Support Group Web Page

December 2011 Meetings in Minnesota

Saturday, December 10, 2011
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Methodist Hospital Cancer Center Conference Room
6500 Excelsior Blvd.
St Louis Park, MN
MAP

Park in the Orange Ramp at the BACK (northeast side) of the hospital, take ramp elevator to 1st floor, follow the hallway, the conference room is on the right before the big curved stairway.

This will be a regular group meeting.


Wednesday, December 14, 2011:
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Family Means Center
1875 Northwestern Ave S
Stillwater, MN 55082
MAP

This is the Christmas Buffet meeting.


Saturday, December 17, 2011
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Gift of Life Transplant House
705 Second St SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507/288-7470
MAP

Snacks, sharing, and always a representative from Mayo Clinic.

November Meetings in Minnesota

Wednesday, November 16, 2011:
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Family Means Center
1875 Northwestern Ave S
Stillwater, MN 55082
MAP

Agenda:

• Sharing
• Don Wright update on lobbying
• Marilyn Theesfeld on benefits
• Clem Duffy on supplements

Saturday, November 19, 2011
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Methodist Hospital Cancer Center Conference Room
6500 Excelsior Blvd.
St Louis Park, MN
MAP

Park in the Orange Ramp at the BACK (northeast side) of the hospital, take ramp elevator to 1st floor, follow the hallway, the conference room is on the right before the big curved stairway.

This will be a regular group meeting.


Saturday, November 19, 2011
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Gift of Life Transplant House
705 Second St SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507/288-7470
MAP

Dr. Kumar has been invited to speak.

Snacks, sharing, and always a representative from Mayo Clinic.

October 2011 Meetings in Minnesota

Wednesday, October 12, 2011:

Myeloma survivors and family/friends are invited to a support group meeting on a paddle boat cruise on the St Croix River. $19.25 each person.

Stillwater, MN
October 12, 2011
11:30 am to 2:00 pm. Don't be late!
MAP

For more detail, see the previous post.


Saturday, October 15, 2011
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Methodist Hospital Cancer Center Conference Room
6500 Excelsior Blvd.
St Louis Park, MN
MAP

Park in the Orange Ramp at the BACK (northeast side) of the hospital, take ramp elevator to 1st floor, follow the hallway, the conference room is on the right before the big curved stairway.

This will be a regular group meeting.


Saturday, October 15, 2011
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Gift of Life Transplant House
705 Second St SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507/288-7470
MAP

Snacks, sharing, and always a representative from Mayo Clinic.

Rochester group's Brochure
Rochester group's MMCF Web Site

Minnesota Myeloma October Boat Cruise

Myeloma survivors and family/friends are invited to a support group meeting on a paddle boat cruise on the St Croix River.

Stillwater, MN
October 12, 2011
11:30 am to 2:00 pm
MAP

Please plan to arrive at the boat by 11:15. The boat waits for no one. It will probably be the ANDIAMO, but check back the morning of Oct 12.

Cost: $19.25 per person, which includes a lunch of sliced meats and cheeses served with fresh bakery rolls, sandwich fixings, fresh fruit, seasonal salad, a warm entree selection, and a gourmet cookie selection. Make out the check to St. Croix Boat.

There will be no speaker and no formal sharing session, just one-to-one conversation. Cash bar.

Fall color should be as good as it gets.

September 2011 Myeloma Meetings in Minnesota

Wednesday, September 14, 2011:
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Family Means Center
1875 Northwestern Ave S
Stillwater, MN 55082
MAP

Our guest will be one of our own. Pat Killingsworth, formerly from this area, will speak as a Millennium Ambassador.

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SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR

Saturday, September 17, 2011
8:30 am through lunch
Methodist Hospital Auditorium
6500 Excelsior Blvd.
St Louis Park, MN
MAP

You and yours are invited. Speakers are:

Dr. Morie Gertz, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Chair, Mayo Clinic Dept. Internal Medicine

TOPIC: Myeloma Updates / Questions & Answers

Robert Hall, R.N., C.N.P.

TOPIC: Management of Side Effects

There is no cost to attend this seminar, but you are asked to register your intention to come. Here is the seminar brochure which includes a registration form. (pdf)

Special directions: This meeting is in Methodist Hospital in St Louis Park, as usual, but in a different (larger) auditorium. Park in the Blue Ramp at the front of the hospital, take the ramp elevator down one floor. The Auditorium is on the ground floor next to the Cardiovascular Center.

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Saturday, September 17, 2011
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Gift of Life Transplant House
705 Second St SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507/288-7470
MAP

Snacks, sharing, and always a representative from Mayo Clinic.

Rochester group's Brochure
Rochester group's MMCF Web Site

Stacy Needs Your Stem Cells

Stacy is a young Minnesota mother with myeloma. She has tried just about every treatment, including an autologous transplant, but her aggressive myeloma will not relent. She has a Caring Bridge site.

Stacy's doctors want to do an allogeneic transplant, hoping that stem cells from another person, a donor, will give her a brand new immune system which will view her myeloma cells as invaders and will destroy them. This is called the "graft versus myeloma effect" and can sometimes provide a long-term remission.

So far, though, the doctors have found no matching donor.

The web site www.marrow.org gives guidance for registering, and information about the actual process of donating stem cells.

From the web site, some of the donor requirements:

• Age 18 to 60.
  
• Good health, including NO CANCER.

We who have myeloma are not eligible, but many of our caregivers, relatives, and friends may be.

According to the web site, the registration procedure involves a swab of cheek cells, to be done at home. Once registered, a person could be "matched" to anyone with a need. If an opportunity to donate is presented, a person can accept or decline it.

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