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Woman with rare blood cancer supports others through group by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff Health 41 | Thursday, September 29, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" Not knowing if today will be your last weighs heavily on you, says Norma Lindner, who is living with the blood cancer multiple myeloma. The disease affects people differently and while some die within a year or two of diagnosis, others may live much longer. "It's an unknown as to when death is going to come knocking at your door," said Lindner, admitting diagnosis also brings financial burden, chemotherapy treatment and its side effects. Rather than dwelling on her diagnosis, Lindner has dedicated the past two years to helping others living with myeloma. She started the Halton-Peel and Area Myeloma Support Group as support for those living with myeloma, and their caregivers. Myeloma, she admits, was something she had never heard about before her diagnosis. And yet, 7,500 Canadians are affected by it each year, according to Myeloma Canada. There have been advancements in treatment to help prolong life expectancy, however, there is no cure for the cancer that makes up 1.3 per cent of all new cancer cases in Canada and 1.9 per cent of all cancer deaths, according to Myeloma Canada. It is most often diagnosed between 65 and 70 years old and is slightly more common in men than in women. Lindner, 60, says the support group meets at the Wellspring Birmingham Gilgan House, 2545 Sixth Line, in Oakville, about every six weeks. It's a place for patients and caregivers to socialize and share their cancer journey, as well as learn from myeloma specialists about the latest treatments, pain management, physiotherapy and the complexities of reading their blood test results. not speak in years, we speak in months," she said. Although her cancer went into remission for 18 months after a stem cell transplant, it returned in 2014. "The setback, it takes the wind out of your sails," she admitted, speaking about the "peaks and valleys" that come along with a cancer journey that can often feel lonely. The support group has been a great outlet to deal with those overwhelming feelings, said Linder, noting she is thankful for the gift of meeting people "challenged by cancer" and the opportunity "to support them as best I can." The Burington resident said she'll continue with the treatment plan she's on until it stops working and then she'll move on to the next drug. She's also working on her bucket list and remaining positive. Still, she admits she can feel the disease affecting her body. "What's happening now is my legs are getting weaker and weaker, which is very difficult for me as I was a trained dancer and I'm a person who moves around a lot," she said. As a means of coping, Lindner said one of her goals is to have group members build the "mental tenacity to fight through this." Myeloma, she says, is very complex and complicated. With that said, strides are being made in terms of providing more options for myeloma patients to prolong their lives. A new treatment option for Canadians living with multiple myeloma was just approved by Health Canada. The drug, called NINLARO, was developed by pharmaceutical company Takeda, which has its Canadian offices headquartered in Oakville, according to Lindner. The Halton-Peel and Area Myeloma Support Group's next meeting is Saturday (Oct. 1) from 10 a.m. to noon. Jennifer Wiernikowski, a nurse practitioner in hematology at the Juravinski Cancer Hospital and the Cancer Centre, in Hamilton, will be a guest speaker. For more information, email myelomahaltonpeel@gmail.com or visit www.myelomahaltonpeel.org. Norma Lindner, diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, is the founder of the Halton-Peel and Area Myeloma Support Group, which helps those living with myeloma and their caregivers. | Metroland file photo Are you sick And tired of being sick And tired? Wellness and Corrective Care for All Ages · Early morning and late evening appointments · Special interest for caring for infants and children available. · Pregnancy care · Advanced computerized scans for spinal nerve stress · X-ray facilities on-site The group has grown from 35 members to more than 100, and Lindner said its members have become a tight-knit family. It has a steering committee of 10 members and outside of meetings, the membership also makes hospital visits, hosts outreach events and does advocacy work. When you have an incurable cancer like myeloma, it feels like you're racing against time to find a cure, said Lindner. 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