My KIA LIFE Soulful HEART

14/07/2025

Well, treatment was cancelled today—not my fault this time! The pharmacy fridges broke down over the weekend, so the meds couldn’t be used. First thing I thought? That’s a lot of wasted $$$

Ironically, it kind of worked out—I was so wiped out today with fatigue I could barely keep my eyes open. Ended up napping like it was my full-time job.

Positive is I’ll be fully recharged for the reschedule on Wednesday!

Have a great week everyone. ###

30/06/2025

Vampires were out again this morning. No one gave them the newly diagnosed, occasional Anemia!

My monthly treatment today (even after cooking an Indian feast last night!) is still a full blown one of bloods taken, Zometa, Carfilzoxmib (fortnightly IV)
Dexamethasone & IVIG and nightly chemo, Mezigdomide

The latter is being a real bu**er with painful spasms in my body so we resort to an antihistamine & the sleep inducing Phenergan! 12 hours sleep (excluding getting in and out of the car).

That’s my day - Monday-start of the week-beginning of the month 😜How was yours?

I gave to add, I am not complaining as I constantly feel blessed to have this option to keep me going

30/06/2025

Despite limitations, joy is still on the menu 💫

Working just one day a week as a social carer—where I cook and reminisce with my beautiful 93-year-young client—leaves me thinking: How can I fill my days in ways that spark joy, engage my brain and don’t break the bank? This is aside from daily chores and managing a household and family.

After 6 years of living with cancer and a low immune system, I’ve learned to pace myself through fatigue, body pain and those CBF days (especially in winter), all whilst I’m still ticking off my important bucket list moments.

Last night: An Indian feast with friends! 🍛

Indian food has a special place in my heart. My dad loved it, but couldn’t enjoy it often because Mum was more of a meat-and-three-veg kind of gal—though mostly, it was pasta night! That love of flavour and sharing has stayed with me. Feeding my family with wholesome, nourishing meals (like a giant spinach pie!) is a joy I keep coming back to.

Even with a 7-day RSV that’s lasted a month and still going (yes, you read that right) and being grounded at home (thanks to a compromise with my GP to avoid hospital), I still managed to cook up a storm last night. I was actually let loose this weekend —out for dinner & brunch, a takeaway night and of course, my Indian spread.

So here’s my reminder to you (& myself):
Find the things that make you happy. Plan around your treatments, energy levels, and budget. If you need to shift plans, that’s okay—your tribe will understand. Joy doesn’t always follow a schedule, but it’s always worth pursuing. 💛

myeloma

19/06/2025

Well, I’ve fallen short on the Push-Up Challenge this month. EPIC FAIL.

Since getting back from Darwin, I’ve been in and out of bed with a chest cold — cancelling work, coffees, lunches, Yoga classes and retreating indoors, feeling sorry for myself.

I know many of you have had this bug, but for me, a simple cold isn’t so simple. With asthma in the mix, it brings the real risk of hospital as I take a little longer to bounce back.

Ironically, this challenge is about raising awareness for mental health — and here I am, battling a cold and feeling the mental toll creep in. If a cold, a few puffers and antibiotics can send me down a spiral, imagine living with ongoing mental health struggles. Imagine a world where the smallest trigger can feel like the end of the road.

I’ve been in that dark place before. It’s suffocating. I’ve also learned that being open, talking (a lot, in my case) and staying connected helps me climb back out. Not everyone has this strength or view.

So while I may not be doing push-ups right now — while I’m still fighting off asthma attacks and trying to stay out of hospital — I am still showing up. I’m still using my voice (even if it’s croaky) and my mind (even if it’s foggy) to keep this cause alive.

So maybe I haven’t failed.
If you’ve donated — thank you.
If you’ve read this far — thank you.
Either way, I’ve made some kind of impact. And that matters.

👉 If you’d like to support the cause, here’s the link to donate: https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraiser/mariacamerotto/the-push-up-challenge - link in bio

Every little bit helps raise mental health awareness, su***de prevention, and support mental health research.

Thanks again. 💙

16/06/2025

Ah here we go again. Fortnightly Mondays. Fuelling up for two weeks with (IV)
(Steroids). This one is the “small treatment”. Today’s Treatment was hit and miss with the cold I caught whilst away (Officially now known as my that tags along with me every single travel!). Treatment only reduces the even more but seriously, I don’t think mine can get any lower with all the colds I catch.

Anyway. Can’t complain. I just came back from . .

Have a fabulous week my loves ❤️
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10/06/2025

06/06/2025

The Push Up Challenge

It’s me again!! Firstly thank you to those who donated to our Bridge To Good Memory Walk. The team across three States raised $7,000.00 for Dementia Australia. Thanks especially to those who donated through my channel and those who decided to start up their own teams and walk with me. What an amazing effort!!!

So the second charity we are involvement in is Mental Health’s, Lifeline, whom my colleagues are also working closely with. Our fundraising involvement is The Push Up Challenge. The challenge is to do 3,214 push ups over 23 days in June to recognise the 3,214 lives lost to su***de in Australia each year.

Now for those who know me, I get sore arms hanging clothes on the line but I’ll try. My target has been altered to half the challenges BUT you can join me and don’t make me look so bad by setting your own daily challenges and addingg it to my list pf supporters 😜

Simply sign up, get yourself in my group (last part of the registration) *Bridge to Good and let’s see how much we can raise for awareness, support, research and su***de prevention in Mental Health.

Are you in? Sign up, push up (or yiu can do squats - allegedly) or simply donate through my page - see link!

*NB: Event & monies are managed 100% through the Push Up Challenge with our nominated funds going to LifeLine.

Mental Geakth is not a laughing matter but i do hope to out a smile on someone’s face. My promise is to send you a few laughs over the 23 days in the challenge. Hint in my participation: delegate 😂😂

https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraiser/mariacamerotto/the-push-up-challenge

05/06/2025

22/05/2025

Thank you again for all your kind messages and encouragement. I’ve had a few people ask why I haven’t been on here much lately. Honestly, it’s because I haven’t known what to write about.

Being in remission has brought a huge shift in my day-to-day life—I’m able to do more now (even if it’s just the mundane things like work and chores).

Last week, during my off-week from treatment, I felt a major change—my energy returned and the brain fog lifted. It was the first time I truly noticed a difference. But this week, being back on treatment, I’ve barely been able to get out of bed. I’m hoping these off-weeks continue to rebuild me enough to get through the treatment weeks.

I’ve been thinking about how to keep posting and stay connected. Should I revisit tips and tricks for the newly diagnosed? Or just post updates when there’s something significant to share? I’ve always wanted this space to be both a place of inspiration for me, and a source of hope and strength for others—whether you’re a fellow , a carer, a friend, or family member.

My goal has always been to help take the fear out of cancer and instead, learn how to live alongside it—to conquer and control what we can, and let go of what we can’t.

Back in the COVID days, they called it . I like to call it reinventing myself—the new me. The remission me. The “normal” me.

Would love your feedback. ###

09/05/2025

As we approach I’m learning more and more the significance of appreciating this day myself. I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the gift of being a mother myself.

In years gone by it was about celebrating my own mum and everything she did for me. When I lost her to heaven, I couldn’t understand why I’d celebrate Mother’s Day. Now I see it’s about my kids appreciating the presence of their a mother in their lives like I did and for me embracing the joy of being their mother.

Tonight was an example of the excitement in my heart that we found ourselves all at home on a Friday night. A rarity, especially during footy season. Of course I opted not to cook so we went out for dinner instead. I still cannot stop smiling!! It’s the little things that bring me so much happiness—just being together, even amidst life’s usual time pressures.

05/05/2025

Here we go again—fortnightly treatments kicking off with the usual suspects: (IV), , , and . Followed up with a daily dose of , then back on the fortnightly train. The good news? I’m still in remission—scratch that—TOTAL remission. My is officially untraceable!

Have I kicked its ass completely? Well… maybe not entirely—the drugs are still doing their thing, hunting down any microscopic stragglers and keeping production shut down. So now we wait and see if this new schedule keeps the beast asleep. Still, not bad, right?

Off to sleep soon—the still throws some spasms my way, but and antihistamines are holding the line. Oh, and there’s a potential plan in place for the other end of things (yes, the 💩 saga continues).

Total remission didn’t come for free—my bowels are staging a protest ( ), but the chemo must go on. So now it’s a bit of a dance: treat the cancer, juggle the side effects, and try not to lose my sense of humour in the process.

16/04/2025

I’ve graduated!

After 12 months of weekly treatments, I’ve officially stepped up to fortnightly as of today!

I’ve been in remission (after only a few months on the trial) thanks to weekly and , plus daily night time , plus monthly .

This warrior is still holding strong! While is incurable, maintenance treatment will continue indefinitely — and now we get to see how my body responds to the reduced schedule 🙏

I won’t lie, I’m nervous. Unless you’ve been through it, it’s hard to explain how a routine filled with toxic meds and awful side effects can actually make you feel safe. Pain becomes part of your “normal”. Lack of sleep on a Monday night after becomes a fun watch of /TV. Tuesdays are my most productive day, Dex filled and high - like an Eveready battery, until I crash on Wednesday. All this is ok when it means buying more time.

For now, I’ll take this milestone and celebrate it.
🎓👩🏻‍🎓 Here’s to the next phase. Let’s go.

Yes, AI has reproduced me with big b***s. It must’ve picked up on the steroids - and it’s not wrong! One positive outcome of weekly (this won’t change to fortnightly; remains weekly!