Hello, everybody! I'm new here, and I'd like to briefly share my cancer journey and explain what I'd like to do to give something back.

Two and a half years ago, I was diagnosed with systemic AL Amyloidosis, a rare form of blood cancer where overproduced (and sometimes faulty) antibody light chains form sticky aggregates that can deposit themselves on various organs, impairing their functionality. In my case, my kidneys and heart were badly affected. It's an incurable condition with a grim prognosis, and at that point, I was ready to say goodbye to life.

Fortunately (a strange word to use in this context), I had the opportunity to enroll in a clinical trial. Thanks to this trial, along with over six months of weekly chemotherapy, I've been granted more time among the living. Considering that just two months after my diagnosis, I was moving around in a wheelchair, today, I'm doing remarkably well. Although I had to stop working and I still have my share of bad days, I've managed to find solace in cycling on my electric mountain bike in the beautiful countryside around me.

Furthermore, I've somehow found the strength to pursue one of my great passions – cooking – for both myself and my supportive family. Over the past year, I've developed a particular obsession about hand-made bread, specifically using wild-yeast or sourdough. For me, this has been a game-changer. Instead of sitting in my reclining chair, I'm up and about, tending to my wild-yeast cultures (yes, I have more than one, all cultivated/generated by me), getting my hands dirty, and baking something new or a loaf of bread that my incredibly supportive wife and daughter truly appreciate.