I just found out that my friend, Joyce Wells, has died. Myeloma took her life.
Joyce and I met in 2003, because she saw something I posted to the ACOR myeloma list, and wrote to me. I always signed my posts, “Beth in NC.” Joyce asked where I lived in North Carolina, and it turned out that we were less than a 30 minute drive from each other. We met for lunch, and were friends ever since. We scheduled our clinic visits and treatments at the same time whenever we could. We’d meet for lunch before (or after) and sit along side each other when we were having infusions of something or other. We tried to schedule our stem cell transplants for exactly the same time frame, but it didn’t quite match up. Mine started a week before Joyce’s. Still, our apartments were next door to each other, and we saw each other in the clinic every day.
Joyce made me laugh. I’ll never forget how she spoke of stem cell transplant programs as being either “inhouse” or “outhouse.” Of course, she meant to say inpatient or outpatient. It stuck though, and that’s what we called it from then on. She explained what the term, “Massholes” meant. It has never come up in conversation, but, if it ever does, I’m not going to have to ask what it means.
Dr. Peterson, who we both saw for a while, used to call us the “Myeloma Twins.” I have to say that, if you can manage it, having a treatment buddy is the best way to get through chemo.
I don’t have anything more to say right now, except that I’ll miss her terribly. I’ll never forget Joyce. I’ll try to post more memories of her as time goes by.
Here are blog posts I’ve been re-reading to remember Joyce. I wish I had written more about her over the last dozen years. Farewell, Joyce Wells