“It’s Good To See You”

Just a few years ago Maureen Bauchman’s life was going along extremely well. She and her husband, Bob, had relocated to the beautiful seaside community of La Jolla in southern California. Bauchman had just started an exciting new career as an investment analyst for the fashion industry, and all five sons in their blended family were starting their own career paths.  

Then this athletic and active woman, who had always eaten right and taken care of herself, couldn’t understand why her bones hurt, especially after a brisk morning walk. She wondered whether the terrain in La Jolla was that different from the flat territory she used to cover on foot in Vero Beach after the physician she consulted said this was the cause of her pain. 

Remedies such as new shoes, yoga, massage and visits to a chiropractor didn’t help. Bauchman, whose job required plenty of travel, kept a heating pad permanently packed in her suitcase for relief after long flights and during conferences.

Five years ago, when the couple moved back to Vero Beach, the problem lingered. Her Vero Beach physician made a startling diagnosis, multiple myeloma, and immediately referred her to an oncologist. Bauchman’s first reaction was, “How do you spell it?” she says. “I had never heard of it and had to ask, is it cancer?”