Category: General

Dan B. is undergoing his SCT now in Utah. To read about his experiences, you can go to http://www.mustard.com/myeloma.html.

The stem cell transplant is a very scary thing, if you ask me. It can provide some years of event free survival. The average is about 18 months. Some people get more, some less. A few get no benefit at all. There’s no way to predict. However, the transplant doctor I met with at UNC said that my prognostic factors and good health (other than cancer) give me a good chance for a nice remission after SCT. No guarantees, of course.

Monthly dex pulse: On September 1st, I started monthly dex pulses. I used to take 40 mg once weekly. It wasn’t as bad as I remembered my initial dex pulses to be. When I first started taking it in April, it was 4 days on, then 4 days off (4 times). I saw my acupuncturist 3 of the 4 days, and I was able to sleep every night without drugs for at least 4-5 hours.

Big storm: Last Thursday there was a big storm that took out my wireless router, my TiVo/satellite receiver, broadband modem and garage door. I spent an hour on the phone with tech support. I don’t live inside my own DSL service area, so I have to get Internet service from someone else. I already knew that the ethernet interface on the modem was bad, but you have to jump through all kinds of hoops to convince them that you didn’t do something stupid that caused your service outage. DirecTV has a special deal on the TiVo/receiver replacement and installation, and someone will be here Wednesday to install. I’m so used to being able to fast forward through commercials!

According to a recent article in Alternative Medicine magazine (What’s behind the power of prayer?, Sept. 2003, pp.66-70, 106-108.), there’s scientific evidence to show that prayer has healing potential. The article offers 4 suggestions (p. 70):

     1. Don't let "I'm not religious" thoughts stop you.
        You don't have to be religious to pray or meditate.  Meditation is as simple as silently
        repeating a mantra - a word or sound like "om," "one," or a chant - and focusing on the 
        in-and-out tide of breathing.  When your mind wanders, gently return to the mantra.
     2. Keep more formal prayers simple and loving.
        "Help!" counts as a prayer.  Or you might just ask God or a higher power to heal mind,
        body, and spirit.  When Catherine Karas, an energy healer based in New Jersey who 
        volunteers in an NIH study, prays, or meditates, for patients, she invokes energies
        and calls in "guides." And then, she says, "I surrender to a higher power for the highest
        good."
     3. Consider joining a group or congregation that prays.
        Not only can it help make prayer a regular part of your life, it's got solid scientific
        backing: In several studies, membership in such a community has been linked with good
        health.
     4. Make prayer or meditation a habit.
        Aim for at least 10 minutes twice a day, and don't just pray when you're sick or in
        trouble.  A steady practice of prayer can reduce stress, help prevent stress-related
        illness, and make it easier and more natural for you to pray when times are hard.

There are lots of drugs that produce a side effect of hiccups, and dex is one of them. My acupuncturist recommended that I try applying pressure to an area of my wrist to see if that would stop the hiccups I get when I’m on dex pulses. I did try it, and it works for me! Here’s a picture of the area of my wrist that I apply pressure to with the thumb of my opposite hand. Apply the pressure until you feel a bit of an ache. Once I do this, my hiccups stop after just a few more. It’s like magic.

It’s the same place where the Seaband device applies its pressure to help prevent seasickness. He also said that Seaband is good for use with chemo induced nausea.

Basically, it’s the underside of your wrist, beneath the palm and toward the center of the wrist. Apply pressure with your thumb (do both wrists if the first one doesn’t provide relief). I get relief within 2 hiccups!

The dex makes me more vocal. These have always been rants, but I probably didn’t share them so freely.

People who speed in residential areas. What’s the hurry? Can we have more speed bumps?

Car dealers who lie or do anything to make a sale. Coming soon – a web site featuring my letter to Toyota and their response.

Finding porn and mp3s on an employee’s (er, ex-employee’s) computer. No unemployment for that one! North Carolina is pretty much a pro-employer state, and our denials for unemployment have always been upheld.

Noise. I like peace & quiet. Noise is stressful for me. What’s noise? Other people’s loud music, televisions that nobody is watching, people who talk too much.

Dex. It makes me cranky, makes me lose sleep, gain weight, lose hair, gives me indigestion, hiccups and is just a very hard drug to be on at these doses.

People who litter.

People who abuse or mistreat children, animals and other people.

I decided to start my dex a little after midnight, and slept pretty well. I woke up at 5 am and by 6 am took some xanax to get back to sleep. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I have acupuncture appointments. Acupuncture always helps me to relax. I see Lance Allen at the Acupuncture Center of the Sandhills in Southern Pines.

Tomorrow will be the start of 4 days of dex for me. I’ll take 40 mg (10 tablets) in the morning each day, for 4 days. I haven’t done that since April, so I’m apprehensive about it. However, changing to this schedule may be better for me than taking 40 mg once a week. The weekly dex tended to be a rollercoaster. Each week I had 2-3 unpleasant days. Taking it monthly will give me more consecutive no-dex days.

If my IgA is still unchanged as of the next test, I might try another 4 cycles of 4 days on and 4 days off to see if that has an impact.

DATE 7/21/03 For more information contact:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Amie Fraley, 910-949-4000

Register Your Relay For Life Team Now

(Moore County) ? Moore County?s Relay For Life is just around the corner. Register your team today by calling the 2004 event chairs, Amy Millard ?949-2599 or Jackie Tyson ? 949-0424. This ?celebration of life? brings the Moore County community together in unified effort to fight cancer.
Former and current cancer patients, their families, businesses, civic organizations, and the public are invited to take part in this exciting team event. Relay For Life takes place from 10:00 a.m. on September 20th until 10:00 a.m. on September 21st.
Relay For Life is a family-oriented event where participants enjoy the camaraderie of a team and also raise funds to support the activities of the American Cancer Society. Participants camp out at the Relay site and when they are not taking their turn walking or running, they take part in fun activities and enjoy local entertainment.
Teams from companies, churches, organizations, hospitals, and schools collect donations and can win individual and team prizes for their efforts.
?Relay For Life brings the progress against cancer to the forefront,? said Amy Millard, event chair. ?Many participants are our family, friends, and neighbors who have been cured of cancer themselves. Their involvement is proof of the progress that has been made.
?The funds raised enable us to continue our investment in the fight against cancer through research, education, advocacy, and services to patients,? said Jimmy Frye, corporate sponsorship chairperson. ?Due to the generosity of teams and corporate sponsors already committed to the 2004 event like Pinehurst OB/GYN, Merrill Lynch, St. Joseph?s of the Pines, Progress Energy and Centennial Bank, Moore County is able to heavily support the American Cancer Society?s mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem.?
Information about how to form a team or become involved in Relay For Life is available from the American Cancer Society at 949-4000. For more information on cancer, call the American Cancer Society?s 24-hour hot line at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit the web site www.cancer.org where you can enter your zip code to link to more information about the Moore County Relay For Life.
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service.
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www.cancer.org