Author: Beth

I saw three tonight!

TAURIDS (very broad maximum in early November) (radiant drift map from IMO)

Moon: Waxing crescent to waxing gibbous (minor to moderate interference)

Best viewing window: Between 11pm and 2am local standard time on any night in early November; late October may be productive as well.

Recommended for: Observers who don’t mind seeing low rates in exchange for the possibility of a spectacular fireball or two.

The Taurids produce maximum rates of about 5-10/hour. The shower has a complex double radiant. For 2005, it has been suggested that there may be an increase in the number of bright and/or fireball-class Taurids. Taurids are rather slow meteors; bright ones are often vividly colored and may be spectacular. Usually, they are noticed casually while undertaking other observations. This year’s display may or may not be worth watching in and of itself; the Taurids are included here to give fair warning.

I wish people wouldn’t smoke. They do though. But why do they have to throw cigarette butts and empty packs out across the countryside? Smoking increases your risk of heart attack, lung cancer, stroke, esophageal cancer and much, much more. Let’s not forget about secondhand smoke and its impact on the health of innocent bystanders!

Cigarette Smoking Statistics

In the United States, an estimated 26.3 million men (25.2 percent) and 21.2 million women (20.7 percent) are smokers. These people are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke. The latest estimates for persons age 18 and older show…*

Among whites, 25.2 percent of men and 20.7 percent of women smoke (2002).
Among black or African Americans, 27.0 percent of men and 18.5 percent of women smoke (2002).
Among Hispanics/Latinos, 23.2 percent of men and 12.5 percent of women smoke (1999-2001).
Among Asians (only), 21.3 percent of men and 6.9 percent of women smoke (1999-2001).
Among American Indians/Alaska Natives (only), 32.0 percent of men and 36.9 percent of women smoke (1999-2001).
Studies show that smoking prevalence is higher among those with 9-11 years of education (35.4 percent) compared with those with more than 16 years of education (11.6 percent). It’s highest among persons living below the poverty level (33.3 percent).
* National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 1999???2001, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Health United States 2003 and 2004

There are giant piles of sand in my back yard that are there as a result of excavation for a pool. Yesterday my neice and I were playing in the sand, and I covered her up, shaping the sand like a mermaid (as close as I could come with a wiggly 7 year old underneath). This picture makes me laugh every time I look at it!

I have the distinct feeling that CNTO 328 isn’t helping me. My IgA was in the 1800s before I quit dex, but then dropped to the 1600s during my “wash out” period before I began the CNTO trial. During the trial, my serum IgA has been in the 2000-2400 mg/dL range. At the last test, it was 2300.

I’m interested in enrolling in the Multicenter, Open-Label, Single-Arm, Expanded Access Program For Lenalidomide Plus Dexamethasone In Previously Treated Subjects With Multiple Myeloma. There are two in North Carolina. One is at Winston-Salem and one is in Charlotte. Charlotte is a miserable two hour drive. W-S is about 110 miles from here, but good roads with a higher speed limit. I have emailed the Principal Investigator, and so has my doctor. They are currently not recruiting, but the study may be opened up in about 4 weeks. The Charlotte place IS recruiting. I’m going to try to hold out. I’m sure I’ll survive another 4-6 weeks. There’s a 28 day wash out period, so it would be nice to know if I should stop the CNTO now.

My BMB showed no change in the per centage of plasma cells between the start and official end of the CNTO trial, so they considered that a stable disease. My IgA has gone up 700 mg/dL though. Did you know that, to be called disease progression, the MM has to advance by 25%?

This is from medline plus:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/202018.html#SXX20

Side Effects of This Medicine

I’m staying on this for a while longer. It’s not clear if it’s helping, because My IgA isn’t going down. It’s slowly going up, I think. I don’t have yesterday’s results yet. I don’t know if it would be better to do nothing at all, since this drug has had a negative impact on my cholesterol and triglycerides. I have to have an ultrasound of my pancreas next week because one of the enzymes was up. My triglycerides had gotten to a dangerously high level. I started to take the meds for it on Friday night, and my tg had gone from 1300 to 199 in just 3 days. Much better. What I want to do is get on the rev/dex trial at Wake Forest. This would be the only way to get the drug before it’s approved. We don’t know how long that will be, and I don’t want to do anything more aggressive just yet.

That’s what someone said when I told him the trial drug I’m on has raised my triglycerides to 1300 mg/dL. I think it’s appropriate here. It was known that CNTO 328 could affect lipids, so that’s why they’ve been testing every few weeks. Believe it or not, when I had my first test, they forgot to tell me to fast, so I had a rather unhealthy breakfast on the way to the hospital. Loaded with fat and starch. Bad, I know. But, my lipid panel was really good anyway! Cholesterol was 137 and the triglycerides were a little elevated (224 I think). LDL and HDL were good. In fact the LDL cholesterol was only 54. When Rey, from UNC, called to tell me they had to start me on meds for the triglycerides, I was curious and asked, “Is it over 500?” Imagine my surprise upon hearing it was over 1300! Until yesterday, I never knew that such elevated tg can cause pancreatitis. I’ve been prescribed Gemfibrozil, which I started taking last night. I also made sure to do more exercise, which is something I plan on doing every day now. Not just leisurely walks with the dog anymore.