The upcoming week will be busy. On Monday, I’ll be taking mom to see a radiologist. On Thursday, she’ll be having surgery. Just a little over a week ago, we were told she has DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ). It has a nearly 100% cure rate if treated properly, and that means surgery, radiation and possibly Tamoxifen. I haven’t had much time to research this kind of cancer yet, but have talked to a few people who have had it. In a few days though, it will have been removed. The surgery is done outpatient under general anesthesia. I’m not sure how long after the radiation will follow. It’s not going to be external radiation, it will be MammoSite radiation. It takes 5 days (10 visits) to complete, as opposed to the typically 50+ visits for external radiation. I’ll post more as I learn.
Category: Life
Life
Dear SavetheInternet.com blogger,Net neutrality supporters are gearing up against a Senate vote on Sen. Ted “The Internet is a Series of Tubes” Stevens’ telecommunications bill (S 2686). This bad bill fails to protect Net Neutrality. To preserve Internet freedom, we need to be sure that this bill gets overhauled or stopped in its tracks.
Today, we launched a Senate map that makes it ridiculously easy to a) figure out where your Senators stand, and b) urge them to take a public stance in support of Internet freedom. The goal is to get as many senators on the record as possible before any vote on the Senate floor. You (and your readers) can help the cause by checking out the map and flooding the Senate with calls.
July is a pivotal month. The Senate leadership won’t schedule a vote on Stevens’ bad bill unless 60 senators say they’ll vote for it. Now’s the time to call senators and tell them to support Net Neutrality instead — and to oppose last-ditch industry efforts to push through a bill that more and more Americans are turning against.
We’re not the only ones who’ve been busy; there’s lots of creative work being produced in support of Net Neutrality. Check out this techno remix of Sen. Stevens’ recent speech, a slew of new clips on the SavetheInternet.com videos page and other artistic output at the SavetheInternet.com blog.
We need more creativity like this to call attention to what the telcos are trying to get away with — but eventually it all boils down to what the Senate does. So don’t forget to check out the map, call your Senators, and encourage your friends/readers to do the same.
With your help, we can match the millions of dollars spent by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth with millions of citizens speaking up for Internet freedom.
Tim Karr
SavetheInternet.com
Persey (nickname for Persephone), a little schipperke was put to rest today after the vet diagnosed her with kidney failure. She was 16 years old. She also suffered from Cushings. She was a puppy that I got those many years ago, but could not care for her and almost immediately gave her to a friend. She’s no longer suffering, and we will see her again one day.
For reasons I can’t elaborate too much on, I want to urge everyone (no matter where you are) to keep you pets indoors. If you MUST have them out, do not do so without being there to supervise them. I have a good reason for saying this. A few weeks ago, my mom’s cat was killed by a human being. Her cat was taken from her yard and killed. She was brought back after having been cut in half. There was NO blood left. Only the back half of the cat was returned. I can’t say anymore, because I don’t want to interfere with the investigation. Please, please, please! Keep your pets indoors! This is something that is happening all over the country. It doesn’t matter where you live. If you love your pets, don’t allow them outsinde unless you’re willing to stay with them. If you don’t love your pets enough to do this, please take them to a rescue or no-kill shelter so they can be loved by someone who will care about them.
After I took the 5 days’ rx of Levaquin for my sinus infection, I felt fine for a few days. I think I need to stop swimming for a while though, because the sinus infection is back again. Maybe it never was really all the way gone. Anyway, from what I’ve been reading, I’ve gathered that swimming is bad for someone prone to sinus infections. Not that I’ve ever been prone to them, but, when you have myeloma, you may find yourself suffering from various infections that never bothered you in LBM (life before myeloma).
Here’s some good info on sinusitis:
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/sinusitis.jsp
I’ve been reading things about coffee, such as it can help regulate blood glucose levels and that 4 cups a day can reduce the odds of getting cirrhosis of the liver by 80 percent. The reports never say if decaf works as well as caffeinated coffee. I quit drinking coffee because the caffeine makes me have PVCs and it usually makes me feel kind of sick anyway. But, I saw some coffee in the store made by Folgers that’s supposed to be stomach friendly. Has anyone tried it? I am about to get some, to see if it makes a difference. It’s called Simply Smooth.
I know that sometimes studies are funded by the industry, so I am going to try to look into that.
We’re starting a free blogging site for patients and caregivers, or anyone interested in health topics. The basic stuff is there, and we need people to create accounts and test. Please give it a try: www.healthblogs.org
Please create an account and try out all the features. When you run into a problem or have a question, use the online help form to submit your comments. Using your feedback, we can write the FAQs and make sure the blogging experience is easy for everyone.
Right now Congress is pushing a law that would abandon the First Amendment of the Internet — a principle called “network neutrality” that preserves the free and open Internet. Congress needs to hear from you today or they will hand over control of what you do online to companies like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast.
http://action.freepress.net/campaign/savethenet