#92 Multiple Myeloma While Mothering Two Young Children

What happens when life as a young mother is suddenly interrupted by a cancer diagnosis most people associate with older adults?

In this episode of It Happened To Me, Cathy Gildenhorn and Beth Glassman are joined by Corinne Torney, a mother of two, elementary school teacher, cancer advocate, and multiple myeloma survivor.

Corinne was diagnosed at just 34 years old with an aggressive form of multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer that changed nearly every part of her life. Her diagnosis came with a serious prognosis and treatment that required her to receive care away from home, separating her from her young daughters during an already overwhelming time.

Now in remission, Corinne shares what it was like to navigate cancer as a young parent, how she stayed connected to her family during treatment, and how survivorship has changed her relationship with uncertainty. She also reflects on why she chose to share her story publicly and how advocacy has become an important part of her life.

Corinne is an ambassador for Bristol Myers Squibb’s Survivorship Today initiative, where she helps raise awareness and support others navigating life during and after cancer.

Episode Discussion Topics

• What Corinne’s life looked like before her multiple myeloma diagnosis
• The symptoms and warning signs that led to answers
• Being diagnosed with a cancer at the age of 34 years old
• What her medical team told her about the aggressiveness of her disease and prognosis
• Processing a serious cancer diagnosis while raising young children
• Why treatment required Corinne to receive care away from home
• The emotional toll of being separated from her daughters during treatment
• Talking to children about cancer in an age-appropriate way
• How Corinne and her family stayed connected while she was away
• The guilt, pressure, and purpose that can come with parenting through cancer
• How motherhood influenced Corinne’s experience during treatment
• What remission felt like after such an intense period of uncertainty
• The emotional complexity of survivorship and the possibility of recurrence
• Why Corinne began sharing her cancer story publicly
• What she wants people to understand about multiple myeloma in younger patients
• Her work as a Bristol Myers Squibb Survivorship Today ambassador
• The message she hopes newly diagnosed patients take from her experience

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Stay tuned for the next episode of It Happened To Me. In the meantime, explore our previous episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, ItHappenedToMe.com, or your favorite podcast platform by searching for It Happened To Me.

It Happened To Me is created and hosted by Cathy Gildenhorn and Beth Glassman. Kira Dineen of Gene Pool Media serves as Executive Producer.

For questions, guest suggestions, or other inquiries, contact us at ItHappenedToMePod@gmail.com.