On-line support

When Tim was first diagnosed with MM, a woman I know, whose best friend also has it,
gave me a few websites to check out. One of them was a listserv and being somewhat
technology challenged, I started to check it out and then put it off when I saw that I had
to create an account and all that. I have no patience or I have ADD, not sure which at this
point. :o) Some months later, I finally signed onto it and wished I had not put it off. The information and more importantly, the support I have found on this site have been so vital to me ever
since. I have spoken to MM patients from all over the world, some of which are doctors themselves or just plain geniuses. I have learned more from these people than anywhere
else in our MM journey and when I recently had a breast cancer scare myself, I turned to
them at 5 AM on a desperate morning and got scads of e-mails offering support, prayers,
and well-wishes. I have received so much emotional support that it is the first thing I recommend to anyone I run into now who is newly diagnosed. I think it is a must for patients
and caregivers. There are many days I am laughing out loud at the posts there as so many of us use humor as a coping mechanism. This ACOR listserv, in addition to some blogs that I follow, have been a lifeline of sorts for me. It
is amazing how bonded you become to people who are dealing with the same things you are even
if you have never met them in person. There has been more than one time that I have been brought to happy tears while reading great news on someone's blog or the listserv. When someone is struggling, we all worry and when they are doing great, we all celebrate. It is powerful stuff, I tell ya. For anyone dealing with illness or MM, I highly recommend finding
the applicable listserv at the ACOR site. Before this, I never would have believed you could
feel such support and learn so much from strangers via the web. I know better now. Every little bit helps.