Living with multiple myeloma: How art helps her cope

Wong was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a usually benign condition where the body makes an abnormal protein in the blood. However, MGUS patients have about a 1 per cent yearly risk of developing multiple myeloma.

She was scheduled for regular blood tests to monitor her condition, and put on painkillers.

Two years later, however, she started to have daily nose bleeds, which led to a bone marrow biopsy to check if her MGUS had progressed into multiple myeloma or other plasma-cell disorders.

The call from the hospital came just as she boarded a cruise to Hong Kong. She went to the hospital after the trip.

“I was expecting bad news but I did not expect cancer,” she told CNA Women. “In fact, when they told me I had multiple myeloma, I asked them what it was. Could they spell it out for me?”

“When they told me it was cancer, I broke down,” said Wong, who was 49 then.