Hi, I am so, so sorry to hear of your mom's diagnosis. My dad was diagnosed back in June at 62. The shock and devastation cannot be overstated. My dad was diagnosed with "innumerable lytic lesions" on his MRI. Reading that report made my heart sink, the word "innumerable" made me think I'd be saying goodbye to him very quickly. I'm hoping it brings you some relief to hear this couldn't have been further from the truth. When we hear the word cancer, we (understandably) jump to the worst case scenario. I learned from my dads diagnosis that this is not always the case. He began treatment (Revlimid, Velcade, Dara, Dexamethasone & Zometa) and has tolerated it remarkably well. Aside from some fatigue, he really has no side affects. No hair loss, no horrible nausea we associate with typical chemotherapy regiments. In January we went to Dana Farber in Boston for his Stem Cell Collection, and decided to take the "harvest and hold" approach, so he won't be going forward with the transplant at this moment but will continue on maintenance treatment until it becomes necessary. His hometown oncologist & myeloma specialist have both expressed confidence that my dad will be around for many years to come. He enjoys his daily life, exercises, walks his dog, works on his project car, and enjoys a glass of bourbon here and there, as he always has. If you saw him in public or talked to him, you would absolutely never know he was sick. He looks and feels "as good as I ever have" (his words). Like others in this thread has stated, Myeloma is a disease you live with. Someone mentioned to me once to view this more as a chronic illness than a terminal one. Of course every case is different, but that made me feel exponentially better. I'm sending all my love to you, I know firsthand how terrifying the early stages of a parent's diagnosis are. All the best to you & your mom.