Mayo Social Media Week Patient/Caregiver Scholarship Essay
Life is not about the steps you’ve taken, or the places you’ve been, it’s about the footprints you leave behind. My name is Cindy AKA @ MyelomaTeacher and I hope the digital footprints I leave behind help a future generation of myeloma warriors become empowered patients. July 14, 2014 was my 6 year Cancerversary. I have grown tremendously as a person over these six years. Six years ago I was an uneducated/uninvolved patient who blindly followed doctor’s orders. I didn’t ask questions, research my conditions or seek second opinions. Today I am an empowered patient and an active participant in my healthcare. I attribute social media as being a major impetus for my metamorphosis. I learned through listservs, blogs, Facebook, forums, teleconferences and Twitter. I was diagnosed with myeloma after being misdiagnosed with degenerative disc disease for two years. My orthopedic doctor prescribed pain medications and countless sessions of physical therapy to help with the debilitating p