Life has changed for Bill Paul of Memphis since he was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer almost four years ago.
He and his wife decided to build their Arkansas retirement home.
They decided they'd waited long enough to cruise the Caribbean and the waters around Alaska, so they booked the trips.
But Paul, a bookkeeper and tax preparer, still hasn't started treatment for Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM). That's because the cancer, a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that affects immune system components known as B cells, usually progresses slowly and Paul remains largely symptom free.
Later this week, about 250 patients and supporters as well as health providers and researchers are expected in Memphis for the International Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Foundation's 2009 Educational Forum. The agenda includes updates on the latest research and treatment.
For newly diagnosed patients, Paul said such meetings, as well as the patient support groups he leads in Memphis and Nashville, are often reassuring. This year, federal officials estimate about 1,500 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease.
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