14 years!!!

Stefano and I got married on May 8, 1999, which means that today is our 14th wedding anniversary. šŸ™‚

We lived together for a couple of years before getting married, but it soon became difficult for me to remain in Italy…legally, I mean. I needed to find a more permanent sort of job, and I certainly couldn’t do that on a tourist visa. So we decided to tie the knot. Now I have a permanent resident visa, which gives me almost all the rights that an Italian citizen has (free healthcare, the right to work anywhere, etc.)ā€¦except the right to vote, which I don’t really want, anyway, truth be told! šŸ˜‰

That same year, 1999, I discovered I had MGUS. I found out by chance, as is often the case. What happened is that we’d decided to try to get pregnant, so my family doctor, who is very scrupulous, had me take a whole series of pre-pregnancy tests, which included a serum protein electrophoresis test. When my doctor looked at my results (at the time, I didn’t know beans about anything, including beans!) and mentioned the word “mieloma,ā€ I thought he had said “melanoma.” Iā€™d never heard of “multiple myeloma” before. Iā€™m sure thatā€™s what happened to most of us when we were first diagnosed…

14 years have passed since then…In the end, Stefano and I decidedĀ notĀ to have kids (we thought that I wouldnā€™t live very long, that it would be too risky for me, possibly for the child as well,IMG_1647 blablablaā€¦)…and, well, we now have six adorable cats that we love more than anything else…The one in the photo is our youngest, Prezzemolo, who has a chronic viral (=stuffy nose, mainly) condition, poor sweet, but is otherwise a very active, healthy kitty. When you call him, he comes running, like a little dog…tail straight up in the air and an eager look on his handsome face. He’s always ready to play or be petted. Sooooo cute!!!

This evening weā€™re going to celebrate our anniversary with a couple of good friends who are visiting from Cape Cod, one of whom has never been to Italy. For that reason, I chose a restaurant that not only has yummy Tuscan food, but is also located on the side of a hill with amazing views of my beautiful city, right from our table…It should be fabulous!!!

Happy Anniversary/Buon Anniversario, amore mio!!!Ā 

8 Comments

  1. Hi Margaret,
    Congratulations with your 14th marriage-anniversary!! I wish you and Stefano a whole lot of healthy & happy years together to come.

    Do you happen to know of some Curcumin studys about it’s effect on people who have been treated with chemos and an autologue stemcell transplantation (witch I have had in 2012)?
    Thamks again for your informative blog!
    From Holland, with love, Gertie

  2. Ciao Margaret! I wish you a very happy anniversary from Virgina, USA!
    I am originally from Connecticut with grandparents all from Italy!
    I just started reading your blog because I was recently diagnosed with MM, possibly smoldering. I have always done as much alternative/natural as possible, so I was very excited to read your blogs about your success with curcumin. I plan on starting it ASAP. My husband and I will be celebrating our 35 anniversary August 4 with all of our children and grandchildren. I am 53 and hoping for many more years with my family and appreciate people like you that are willing to share their knowledge to help others in the same situation. May you and your husband have a very happy anniversary…….and many, many more! Annette

  3. CONGRATULATIONS !!!

    It would not surprise me in the slightest if we are still not emailin in 14 yrs.
    And I am not just being positive, I read read and watch what is avialable and happening, I beleive we will stay ahead of it, most situations are controlable and right at the door with new immun… can’t spell it, but been reading of the latest techniques they are using, where they tweek the immune system to go and attack the actual cells.

  4. Dear Margaret and Stefano:
    Many happy wishes for both of you and your cat-family with years of Happiness to come, Beatrice

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