Jessie Daw | The IMF at ASH 2021

That’s an ASH Wrap!

Dec 16, 2021 | Jessie Daw

Attending the 63rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting for the first time was an illuminating experience! I feel quite privileged to be a part of the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) team and to have this educational opportunity. This was an amazing experience and I’m so grateful! Thank you, IMF and my fellow team members! In my Pre-ASH blog, I organized the SMM abstracts into five (5) categories. To wrap things up, it makes sense to provide highlights from those categories. In...

Mental Health and Myeloma Research

Dec 15, 2021 | Jessie Daw

As I mentioned in my previous blog, “What are You Going to Fill Your Glass with?” I reviewed a variety of sessions dealing with various aspects of mental health. Almost all of them were poster sessions, which I personally like because they have such a different feel from oral presentations (at least in my field; I imagine it’s the same at ASH). In poster sessions, posters are placed in aisles, and you get to walk around a large room with the presenters standing nearby. You can stop and...

What are You Going to Fill your Glass with?

Dec 13, 2021 | Jessie Daw

As a Ph.D. with a focus in sport and exercise psychology (Kinesiology, Illinois, 1999), I naturally want to understand thought processes and emotions, and how they influence behavior. As a myeloma support group leader, I also participate in discussions with those on their myeloma pathway. And, as someone diagnosed with smoldering myeloma, I have evaluated (and constantly evaluate) my own pathway from a psychological perspective. This is natural for me, as this is life with a capital “L.” My...

Under the Bright Lights of ASH

Dec 11, 2021 | Jessie Daw

December 10, Friday Friday was a light day, program-wise. Even so, I was immersed quickly into the bright lights of ASH. I learned a lot by attending an excellent symposium, Adapting Clinical Practice to a Rapidly Changing Therapeutic Landscape in Multiple Myeloma, moderated by Dr. Brian Durie (IMF & Cedars-Sinai), and including myeloma specialists Dr. Jesus San-Miguel (University of Navarra, Spain), Dr. Philippe Moreau...

Pre-ASH Blog: Onward to ASH!

Dec 7, 2021 | Jessie Daw

Wow! I’m continually amazed by all top-notch doctors and researchers who focus on finding new and better approaches to deal with myeloma – whether in the active multiple myeloma space or the smoldering multiple myeloma space. As I was thrust (unceremoniously, I should add) into the world of myeloma five years ago, I’ve learned about the astonishing advances in myeloma treatment in recent years. This year, I’m thrilled to be able to play a part in sharing latest research findings. I...