#FacesOfMyeloma: Sandra’s story of living well with myeloma
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Sandra’s Story: Living Well with Myeloma
Sandra, 50, lives in Belgrade, Serbia. She’s a mother to two teenagers and worked as an interpreter until recently.
“I worked long hours,” she recalls. “Sometimes ten, twelve hours on my computer. Sometimes sleepless nights.”
Listening to your body: the diagnosis journey
At 48, Sandra developed fatigue, headaches, and anaemia. Like many women approaching fifty, she dismissed these as perimenopause.
Her GP prescribed supplements, but symptoms worsened. “Every day I woke up more tired. I couldn’t focus or be as active as I was used to.”
After visiting multiple specialists, a nephrologist told her there was something serious and she needed professional medical care.
More than a year later, a haematologist diagnosed stage three myeloma in late 2023.
“After a year of searching, it was a relief to know,” she says. “My doctor called a spade a spade. I appreciated that honesty.”
A mother’s lesson in mental resilience
Despite intensive treatment, the first two lines of therapy showed zero improvement. High-dose melphalan and a tandem stem cell transplant finally worked.
Sandra’s approach to mental wellbeing is deeply influenced by her mother, who lived with a heart condition for thirty years, going to emergency departments at night then continuing with life the next morning.
“I treat it as just another event in my life. It’s your life—live it to the fullest.”
Adapting and staying active
Sandra is now retired. Managing infection risk is her biggest challenge.
“I travel by car with my family to Serbia, Montenegro or Croatia for my holidays—not by plane or a train with too many people.”
She exercises at home and outdoors along the Danube River. She’s taken up new hobbies, like knitting and gained new perspective.
“Life is even better now in some ways. You start appreciating every day, every breath. Your priorities change—the essential things become important. Little things we deemed important before no longer matter.”
Advice for wellbeing
For women approaching fifty, Sandra’s message is clear: “Try to listen to your body. Don’t dismiss persistent symptoms.”
Her final thoughts turn to gratitude: “I’m amazed and grateful for the scientists and medical experts who developed these treatments. They are saving my life and the life of so many others. Thank God for them.”
Check out our Faces of myeloma series to read more stories from patients and carers around Europe.