Back to basics: assessment, communication, caring, and follow-up: a lesson from a couple's journey with multiple myeloma.

Ian was a patient with multiple myeloma. His wife, Judi, chronicled their journey and experiences with myeloma and the healthcare system. Through her own eyes, Judi provides a view of the positive and negative consequences of actions or omissions by the healthcare team. The other authors, oncology nurses affiliated with a myeloma treatment center, collaborated with Judi to tell her story and remind oncology nurses that they can and do make a difference when focus is placed on the basics: assessment, communication, caring, and follow-up.