Author Archives: J. Michael Jones

We lost a great American hero today, Colin Powell. A man with a good heart. Yes, I believe that he made one big mistake when he spoke for the Bush (George W) administration in its asinine decision to invade Iraq, but I believe he did this out of his ideals of loyalty to the presidentContinue reading “Ramblings: Colin Powell, an Observation from a Fellow MM Patient”

Well, after 5 months of worsening cancer numbers, I’ve now have had two months of improving numbers (light chain lambda proteins down to 111, was 138 in august, normal is below 20), and improving kidney numbers with a est. GFR of 28.3, (closing in on half of normal). But, this is without any changes inContinue reading “Health Update: 10/12/21”

When I was in college, my father did a kind gesture toward me each Christmas. Part of his professional position was buying huge quantities of very expensive alloy pipe. The company that he bought the pipe from would send him a “token of gratitude,” a catalogue of Christmas gifts he could choose from. These wereContinue reading “The Gift of Empathy”

On Sundays I take a hefty dose of steroids, which counteracts, to some degree, the diarrhea of my chemo, and it also helps the chemo to work a little better. However, the steroids’ have their own side effects of causing two nights of insomnia, and at least the first night, a touch of mania. ManiaContinue reading “Steroid Nights, Part II”

Starbucks Guy: Hi, how’s your day going so far? Lady (teary): Just found out I have an inoperable brain tumor and I’m in shock . . . I’ll take a latte while I try to quieten my nerves to drive home. Starbucks Guy (now teary): Sorry, but I just have to go off script toContinue reading “A Little More Cancer Humor, and I’m Done (for a while)”

Okay, my manuscript (after 10 months of writing) is off the editor so I have time to write other things … and be silly. Now, my humor can cause some people to cringe as it is a bit edgy and odd. But, having an incurable cancer myself, gives me the license to make fun ofContinue reading “Cancer Humor Part II”

There is always an impetus, a moment of inspiration, that leads to thoughts and expressed in my writing here. This time, my son Ramsey and his girlfriend, Kate, were visiting and they choose the movie, Eight Grade, for our Saturday night movie night. I wasn’t excited by the choice based on the fact I hadContinue reading “Searching for Significance: Observations From the Film, Eight Grade”

Back in the 1990s I ran a website devoted to medical humor. I’m not an artist, but I hired one to create cartoons based on my ideas. I’ve toyed around with doing something like this in the “Cancer world.” I have found others doing it already, I will probably will not make a herculean effortContinue reading “Cancer Humor”

My PET scan is complete. The results show five small bony lytic lesions BUT those are typical for active Multiple Myeloma, even MM in remission. The thing we were worried about, pain in my right ribs (small area) x 4 months, did not show cancer-related findings. That pain came on after spending several hours perContinue reading “Health Update 9/14/21-Follow Up”

I know there are a handful of aspiring writers like me who come to this page. I will give a peek preview and update of my present project. Bryan Rogers, PA-C, went to Yemen to save the children … he left Yemen to save the world. It usually takes me about six months to writeContinue reading “Writing Update”