The Cancer Diaries

Stem Cell City

2011-11-20T16:22:00.004-07:00

Lisa Ray, a stunning actress that was diagnosed with MM, fights for stem cell awareness and research! For more information on Stem Cell City, go HERE

Happy Anniversary

2011-09-02T02:15:00.007-06:00

Wow, it's been a while since i've updated this blog! I must say, i've done an absolutely deplorable job of updating it - and for that, I apologize. Right now, i'm sitting in Kelowna, British Columbia, visiting my cousins and having just returned from a week long trip in Vancouver with my family. Aside from eating like it was nobody's business and laughing as if no one could hear us (boy, were we wrong), my family and I have just been enjoying life. Today also marks the one year anniversary of my mom's transplant - a significant date that has left us sitting back, pondering, and appreciating every breath we take in. It's hard to believe that an entire year has already passed, how many things have occurred since one of the most terrifying, and important, days of our lives. Since that day, so much has happened in our lives. It's almost as if we're completely different people than the fragile, yet indestructable, ones a year ago today. Older, wiser - aware. But not so cautious that life's joys cannot be enjoyed nor appreciated. Looking back and looking at my mother, I feel an overwhelming mixture of emotions. Pride, because I am so proud of how incredibly far my mother has come. Sad, because she had to go through, and still experiences, cancer. Awe, because of the sheer amount of strength and resilience she has shown. And most of all, happiness, that we all have each other, that we are so much stronger and closer than we have ever been.

Though my mother is not yet in remission, she still remains in a consistent and steady decline with her numbers (M-Spike, Freelites) that have left us feeling satisfied and content. As far as we are concerned, as long as the numbers aren't going up, there's no need to fix something that isn't technically broken. In the mean time, she remains on a very low, maintenance dose of Revlimid and regular check ups. While the word "cancer" is always on our minds, it remains so at a distance, allowing us to take pleasure of the simple joys in life. Since then, I have also managed to successfully complete an editorial internship at a men's fashion and lifestyle magazine out in Toronto, called SHARP, that has, quite honestly, changed my life as well. Fashion is something that I am passionate about, and this internship provided me with an invaluable amount of experience and insight that has only fueled my drive even more. You can check out some of my work over at my other blog, the Fashion Relic! In addition, i'm just about to finish up my last semester in school where i'll be obtaining my commerce degree. So, as you can see, a lot of excitement and new beginnings!

Remembering this date led me back to this blogging account, and to my great surprise, showed me that many of you were still coming back and reading my previous posts! Thank you so much, and I can only hope that some of my previous posts were able to help any of you in one way or another. Remember, you are never alone. Your support has inspired me to continue writing from this account, so be sure to check back soon for some updates (especially one involving the magazine's September issue!)

Love and Light,

Lance

The World of MM

2011-02-01T16:32:00.002-07:00

I'm in the middle of my marketing class right now. Clearly, I am paying attention.

Here are some links to news and updates in the Myeloma world. I'll explain them in further detail when I get home!

Carflizomib gets fast-track designation from FDA for treatment of refractory/relapsed Multiple Myeloma patients. Yay! Click HERE

Revlimid Maintenance and Secondary Cancers - More details emerge. BOOO! Click HERE

Why should you take Dex(amethasone) with food? Click HERE

PHASE 2!!!!!!!!

2011-01-25T15:03:00.007-07:00

HOLLAAAA!

Ok, so we know it's been a while and we kept on saying to "get ready" for Lord knows how long, but we're *SO* excited to announce that M.A.M.is.BACK! and with a vengeance! After an incredibly successful awareness and fundraising campaign (that has received press coverage from front-page news to PEREZ HILTON), we're officially launching PHASE II of our campaign with a pair of tickets to LADY GAGA's concert in SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH! Whoever can raise the most money for charity (100% goes to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation) wins the tickets! It's that simple!

With Mother Monster's new album, Born This Way, hot on its way to being released, we think this concert is going to be an AMAZING opportunity to see her perform her debut single, named after the album, as well as her iconic hits! Gaga's forthcoming album is being hailed as one of the most revolutionary, mind-blowing LP's of the decade by music industry executives! So you'll definitely want to be a part of this unforgettable experience :)

If you, or someone you know, would like to participate in our contest, please e-mail monstersagainstmyeloma@live.com indicating so and we'll set up a fundraising page for you right on the MMRF website! If you would just like to donate without competing for the tickets, please go HERE! If you would like to know more about our campaign, please read our description on the HERE :)

Thank you everyone so much for everything. All the support that we've received from the past and present has been incredibly inspiring and motivational. Everything we've been able to achieve has been a TEAM effort. So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you ♥.

The World of MM

2011-01-13T04:31:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I FINALLY figured out how to find all the e-mails I flagged on my phone, which I had meant to relay onto the blog. They're all basically messages that I thought would be of interest and importance in the Myeloma community.

1. First off, Mike Katz, the moderator of the ACOR ListServ, messaged all the members not too long ago on the issue of myeloma stem cells. It's a very hot and heated issue in the MM world, as there are many on both sides of the fence in this argument. Basically, what this is referring to is the debate that there exists stem cells with a myeloma blueprint, allowing it to "resurface" or relapse following a transplant or chemotherapy. The argument goes on to state that we're basically hitting the bulls-eye on the wrong target. Yes, these drugs may be very effective against current existing myeloma cells in some people, but instead, our focus should be on developing treatments to cut off the myeloma at its root, in the stem cells, to prevent myeloma cells from ever coming back. The trick is HOW we'd be able to discriminate between normal, healthy stem cells and myeloma stem cells, and ensure that these two would be clearly and concisely separated from each other. It's a very important issue, as stem cells are not an unlimited resource for patients. From what I have read and seen, most patients will be able to harvest enough stem-cells for about two transplants. So. When and how to utilize these stem cells is a critical matter, and literally, makes the difference between life and death. I'm all for the research. Not that I am anywhere CLOSE to being a scientist by any means, but the theory behind all this seems to make sense. It's uncharted territory. Who knows, maybe this'll be the holy grail of what the Myeloma community finally needs to find a cure? So, provided are two videos from the IMF (International Myeloma Foundation) on the matter.

LINK
2. A fellow ListServ member posted this a while ago (Nancy!) The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) posted their guidelines on for patients on treatment strategies for Multiple Myeloma. From the looks of it, it looks pretty comprehensive. But, a very resourceful tool for patients to use. You can find the site HERE. NOW. With all that being said, I just want to reiterate something that I believe is very important for patients, especially new ones, to know. When you're first diagnosed, often times the first question you'll ask is in regards to the prognosis, how long you have to live. Well, i'm sure some have their reasons for doing so, and I respect that. But in my opinion, I think it's a huge waste of time and energy. The thing is, with the extremely rapid pace that science is moving, any statistics on prognostics are constantly becoming outdated because of how fast research is going. So don't listen to any of it. Nothing good comes out of it. And honestly, do you REALLY want to know? It's a GINORMOUS ball of stress and pressure to live each and every single day out of however many years you may or may not have left to the fullest. Prognostics are bad news bears, in my opinion.

3. I can't offer too much advice on this matter because my Dad is the one that handles all the finances of this stuff. But you don't have to be affected by cancer to know that financing treatment on your own, without any assistance whatsoever, is not an option. A ListServ member (Dianne!) mentioned a website that I think many will be able to utilize. Laurie Todd is a cancer survivor and has a site titled "The Insurance Warrior" that deals with a lot of insurance issues and money matters. Take a look.

4. Lastly, it's been reported (again, thanks Dianne!) that Bortezomib (Velcade) can cause severe irreversibe bilateral hearing loss. I haven't had the chance to read it over just yet, but the link is HERE if you would like to check it out.

That's all i've got for now!
Hope it helps

L

Oh Happy Day!

2011-01-13T03:35:00.006-07:00

Well, it's probably time for an update on Mama Bear and LIFE! How sweet it is :) Before I begin, i'll apologize in advance if my grammar and/or sanity get lost in translation. The repairmen came to fix a bunch of things in the apartment, so you know what THAT means! Yep, i've been inhaling the wonderful fragrances of GLUE, DRYWALL, and PAINT for the last 5-6 hours. joy.
Anyway...
Mama Bear had her check up with the good doctor on Tuesday to see if we would need to go through with another transplant. Fuck. The days leading up to the appointment were filled with absolute DREAD as I had been almost 100% sure that she would have to go in (which would have been the following Thursday aka TWO.DAYS.LATER). Over the break, I had the chance to go back to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre for one of her chemo sessions and was able to look over her blood work. Her CBCs were pretty stable, but her Total Protein, which is a mix of both good protein and BAD protein (aka Myeloma protein), had gone up a little. Based on our history, rises in the total protein have never been because of the good protein going up. Aside from that, her Beta-2-Microglobulin levels had also gone up a little as well... Recent discussions on the ListServ on this matter have informed me that it is a new prognostic measure for myeloma patients. In other words, you do not want this number going up. Of course, I didn't tell her any of this because I didn't want her to worry. But all these things combined led me to believe that a transplant would definitely happen. Needless to say, it wouldn't have been a very good start to the new year. But, to my surprise, my mom answered the phone with sunshine in her voice, saying that her m-spike (myeloma protein) had actually gone DOWN from 13 to 11. Granted, it's not a lot, but any decrease is a step in the right direction, yes? That was a SHOCK. Our doctor had also said that her FreeLite Chain things (i'm still unsure about what these are exactly, so i'll have to research it a bit more) went down a lot. Apparently, it is a better indicator of where you're at than the m-spike? This, i'm not too convinced. I'm a little skeptical. Why had we never looked at these numbers in all the appointments before???? So, it's still something that requires a little more investigation on my part. But I do trust our doctor. He's a very good man, I just don't understand what's really happening and need to gain a little more information/control on my part. Anyway, he recommended, instead of a transplant, adding on another drug, Revlimid, to her current regimen. That brings the total to a chemo cocktail of 4 different drugs: Dexamethasone (Dex), Revlimid, Bortezomib (Velcade), and Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). Technically, Dex is a steroid, but whatever. A drug is a drug. I'm not the most elated with adding another drug to her regimen, as the body can only handle so much. And with the recent findings that Revlimid can cause secondary cancers, well... yeah. But I suppose it's better than the alternative, yes? I'm pretty sure another transplant is due down the road, but right now is probably one of the worst times to do one. Flus, slippery ice, cold weather, etc. do NOT make for an easy recovery. Regardless though, I'm extremely grateful that that day was filled with good news, more so that my mom didn't have to receive any bad news. I could tell BOTH my parents were relieved. It's funny though. The night before, I prayed, like any other night. But instead I decided to ask just that the appointment would go well. Just one thing, not a whole list of things like my overall family's health, happiness, etc. One precise, specific thing. And it's like God, or someone, heard my prayers. So since then i've just been sending up prayers of gratitude and thanks. Aside from the obvious, I have nothing to ask for right now and plenty to be thankful for. I can tell we're all growing a little weary of this, but anytime you receive good news, it fuels the fires that push you forward. A dear friend of ours, whom we met during this whole ordeal, recently came thisclose to dying. From what I was told, his numbers came back so high they asked the technicians if there was a mistake, perhaps in a decimal placement or something. But nope, they were the real numbers. This was all in the post-transplant recovery in the hospital, so you can imagine just how discouraging that would have been. This is hard for me to write because it could happen to anyone affected with cancer, but it was suggested that they call family members to say their good-byes. That...is just heartbreaking. But. One morning, the numbers came back and...THEYWEREZERO!!! Miracles happen, my friends. Keep the faith and never give up.

So that pretty much brings you up to speed on where the family is at. In other news, I'm just about to start the Phase II of my fundraiser and awareness campaign "Monsters Against Myeloma". If you've been following the blog, you'll probably know what it is :) Someone had heard about our cause and very graciously donated their own tickets to Lady Gaga's concert in Salt Lake City in March. So i'm supersupersuper excited (and supersupersuper busy) to get this thing up and running ASAP, hopefully by the start/middle of next week! I plan on contacting the media within a couple days to get the word out. So if any of you, my beloved readers, know anyone in the Salt Lake City area wanting to go to a Lady Gaga concert (c'monnn, who WOULDN'T?!), please let them know about our event! I realize fundraising can seem a bit daunting sometimes, but our last winner from the summer won two tickets with $250 dollars raised (most of our donations have come from those just wanting to support the cause). It's a lot of money, but also very do-able! So we've got that in the works. I also am in the midst of applying for any sort of volunteer position at the Edmonton Cross Cancer Institute, just to show my gratitude. Over the course of my mom's treatment, the volunteers and nurses really were the unsung heroes. I cannot even begin to tell you how much these men and women do, how much love and care pours out of them. While doctors are amazing, these people are truly the faces of care and treatment and are severely underrated in our society. So I really want to try and give back to the community to show my gratitude and help others who are going through what I went through just over a year ago. If any of you, my readers, have not been directly affected by cancer, I would highly recommend volunteering at a local cancer center. Yes, it will be very uncomfortable at first. I remember the first day we went in for treatment. Dear lord, that was horrible and very unsettling. But you get used to it, as with all things, and have the opportunity (because it really is an opportunity) to meet the most amazing and courageous people, and have your lives changed. Forever.
Either than that, school is keeping me on the hustle as usual, studying lecture notes (yeah, right), looking for internships, and getting involved. BUSYBUSYBUSY!

Hope all is well with you, my readers.
Sending good vibes into the universe and you.

L

Bones

2011-01-11T20:20:00.004-07:00

The FDA has released a new warning against osteoporosis drugs, stating that many of them cause thigh bone fractures.
According to NaturalNews, the FDA has issued a new warning for *ALL* drugs in the bisphosphonate family, including Merck's Fosamax (marketed generically as alendronate), Roche's Boniva, Novartis' Reclast and Warner Chilcott's Actonel. Why does this apply to us? If you're like my mom, then you go for bisphosphonate treatments once a month, be it Pamidronate (Aredia) or Zometa. In a nutshell, there are two types of cells that maintain the metabolism (wearing down and growth) of our bones. Osteoclasts break down the bones and Osteoblasts build them up. In normal, healthy individuals, both are necessary and essential. However, in individuals with Multiple Myeloma, osteoclast activity is greater than that of osteoblasts, meaning that the bone is wearing down at a faster rate than it is building up. From what I know, these bisphosphonates prevent or slow down osteoclast activity, but do nothing for osteoblasts. This is all great and dandy, but when taken over time, it can cause bones to become brittle and rigid, increasing the likelihood of fractures. This is because osteoblast activity is already limited/hindered, and thus, no new bone cells are formed (instead, old ones remain).

Back to the article...
The FDA is also requiring that consumer-friendly guides be distributed with every bisphosphonate prescription to make sure that risks are understood by those taking the drugs, and how to minimize them. Thigh fractures are a common occurrence amongst those taking bisphosphonates and come with little or no preceding trauma. They may also be followed by months of a dull, aching pain in the thigh or groin area.
The FDA has also directed doctors to reassess whether patients should continue taking the drugs after five or more years, as they appear to offer little or no benefit after this time (but, with an increasing rate of fractures), according to Felicia Cosman of the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
You can read the entire article HERE

Super

2011-01-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

Ok. I SERIOUSLY have to change my sleeping patterns here. Constant late nights have tricked my body into thinking 4am is my regular bedtime. It is now 5:55 am... CURSES!

Thought writing a blog post would exhaust whatever remaining reserves I have in my brain to let me sleep. Have you ever wondered what you would choose if you were given the choice of a super power? Or perhaps 3 wishes from a genie? Or do I really have that much time on my hands... (Don't judge)

The question pops into my head at random intervals throughout the year. Random, of course, meaning monday afternoons in the middle of an economics lectures (I despise Mondays...). But what would you choose? Perhaps time travel or super-human strength? Invisibility (youuuu pervert) or regenerative powers? Up until diagnosis, I definitely would have said time control. That would have meant no more all-nighters and cramming. But then again, those powers would be in direct conflict with my already existing ones of procrastination. It would bring a wholllle new meaning to "last minute", you don't even KNOW! But now, I think the greatest gift one could receive would be the ability to heal all illnesses. That would be absolutely beautiful. Just think about the sheer number of people's lives you could change! No longer would people have to fear the inability to see their child's graduation, or the fear of not having a parent there at your wedding or see their grandkids grow up. Agh, a man can dream... Of course, then BigPharma probably hire someone to lock you away forever and ever (just kidding.........). But can you imagine? You'd be able to heal people left, right, and center! People would think you'd be the next savior, and then you'd have a REAL interesting situation on your hands! (Can you tell how many times i've thought this one over?)

Dream a little dream...

2011

2011-01-01T02:24:00.002-07:00

Dear 2010...
Don't let the door hit your nasty ass on the way out. 2011, can I buy you a drink?

Happy New Years everyone! Here's to a fresh new year full of love, light, health, hope, and happiness!

L
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Anniversary

2010-12-30T17:12:00.007-07:00

"If there were ever a time that I needed a prayer to be heard, now would be it. Mom has cancer."

Immortal words I wrote down when my mother was discharged from the hospital exactly one year ago. It started out two days earlier as a sore throat and, somehow, ended up with cancer. It's absolutely incredible how much can happen in a single year. Your life can change in the blink of an eye. YOU can change. The experiences we have experienced in this last year can be described as nothing short of phenomenal, in both good ways and bad. We've been presented with a very... Hard reality. I don't want to say unfortunate, although in many ways it is, because it implies an unhappy ending to me. But to say this past year has been a struggle would be an understatement. However, a lot of good has come out of our situation as well. Its almost like Pandora's box, where all the evils of the world flew out once opened. But despite all the darkness and malice in the world, there's still a little light, hope. And no matter how big or small that light is, it is enough to be seen in a world of darkness. With hope we gathered strength, and with strength we built resilience and fortitude. Like a bricklayer, we built ourselves up, slowly but surely. This year has taught me many lessons in strength and perseverance, in appreciation and gratitude, and has given a depth to my perception of the world I never knew possible. Though it has been a difficult year, a number of unlikely blessings have revealed themselves, and I am extremely grateful for them. While it would be quite a stretch to say that these experiences have been blessings in disguise, there has been much good that has risen from our ordeal. The end of the year is a time for reflection for many, and this year is no exception. In fact, these last few weeks are more like a reflection of reflections amassed over time, an incredible sum of lessons learned and trials tribulated. And now, here we are. We've come full circle, back to the day where it all started. But the world is not the same, nor are we. As the world turns, life goes on and regardless of what happens, you gotta keep up. You gotta pick them legs up and move, because the world doesn't wait for anyone, and you end up getting left behind in the dust. Although I am only in my early twenties, I feel like an old soul. As traumatic as the last year has been (especially the first 4 months), I have learned more in one year than I have in 21. It's hard to put these experiences into perspective. People just don't understand, unless they, too, have been impacted by the claws of cancer. On one hand, you wish they could understand the depth and magnitude of your pain. But on the other, this is an experience that you would not wish on even your worst of enemies. It's a twisted reality, it is. Everything about cancer is twisted. You get jaded real fast on certain aspects and develop a deep respect and appreciation for others. Why is it when you are threatened with death that life seems so much more beautiful? It's like some sort of sick joke being played. There is still residual trauma that lingers inside from those first few months. Physically, I may have recovered. But mentally, still shell-shocked. Not a day has gone by where I do not think about the mortality of my mother. It is now a dark cursed cloud that follows me everywhere I go. Some days are only slightly overcast, while others, thundershowers. And I know my mother feels the same. I can still see the pain in her eyes, hear the sorrow in her voice. She's pretty good at covering it up, but this son knows his mother well. Overall though, I would have to say that we are all in much better places. Cancer has forced us to make certain lifestyle changes, both physically and mentally, which would benefit anyone regardless of the circumstances. We're completely different people now. You'll have to excuse me if this post seems a bit drawn out, i'm just writing down these words as they come to me.

In the past year, we've faced and overcome a cancer diagnosis, been on several different chemotherapy regimens, started a fundraiser that received world-wide attention, gone through an autologous stem-cell transplant, completely changed our lifestyles in the way we eat, exercise, and think, and so much more. We've come...a very long way, and we still have a long ways to go. But, if we've come this far, we can do anything. Currently, mama bear is on a mix of Velcade, Cyclophosphamide, and Dex to bring the numbers down a little more. We're hovering and debating the addition of Revlimid to her current regimen or the possibility of another transplant. With the news that Revlimid may cause secondary cancers, i'm a little hesitant to have her go on it again. Then again, what kind of chemotherapy doesn't have the risk of secondary cancers? That stuff is poison and meant to shock the system. On the other hand, the very thought of another transplant is exhausting and daunting. Due to overbooked hospitals, I'm pretty sure we've passed the time period that would consider this second one a tandem transplant (and thus, the possibility of higher effectiveness), so i'm a little reluctant to go down that route as well... It's not like these stem cells are an unlimited resource. We've got enough for one, MAYBE two, more transplants. So we have to be smart with our choices. As usual, we must face some tough decisions... In other news, i'm gearing up to start the second half of my fundraiser, Monsters Against Myeloma, so stay tuned for more information. I'm also planning to use this site as a resource for new updates and news in the MM world. Definitely lots of work ahead of us, but it's all stuff that will hopefully help us move forward :)

I'm thankful for what 2010 has taught us, but i'm ready for it to be over. I'm hoping with everything that I have that 2011 brings health and happiness to my loved ones. I've come to realize that the important things in life are the simple things. Now, with everything in my life put into perspective, things seem much more clear. All I could ask for in this life is for my loved ones to be happy, healthy, safe, and strong. Cheers to a (soon-to-be) New Year my friends.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T22:16:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Family. Friends. Food. Laughs. Love. Its a time where we are able to come together as one and enjoy each other's company (and not be judged by our mountainous plates of food). It's also a time to really sit back and reflect on the past, present, and future. What we are grateful for and the things that we cherish most. When it really comes down to it, family and those close to our hearts are what really matter. I think the reason why Christmas, and the holidays, have always been such a pivotal time of the year for me is because they symbolize so many important things. Within religious contexts, it signifies hope, light, and love. There is a warmth that emanates from the very thought of being together with my loved ones, enjoying each others company and eating together. I am so grateful to be able to have opportunities to come together like this. It truly is a blessing. For those of you spending the holidays alone, my heart goes out to you. There is always an extra space at the table here for you. And for everyone, I hope your hearts and your bellies are full tonight :).

Merry Christmas!

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Truth?

2010-11-17T01:16:00.001-07:00

When a pharmaceutical company tells you they "aspire to cure cancer", do you really believe them? Color me a cynic, but wouldn't that be the worst business model ever? You'll have to forgive my attitude. I feel like I'm bipolar today, going from disappointed and letdown to inspired and motivated to frustrated and scared, and then back again. I just learned that my mom may need to go through another transplant, and before Christmas too. This has NOT made me a happy camper. And while I realize that this is the case for many others, that doesn't change the fact that it completely fucking blows. To go through that procedure AGAIN!? How did this day go from hoping everything we've done would be enough to wash, rinse, **REPEAT**?! And to clarify on my previous post, I knew something was off with my mom's biopsy numbers... And now I know why. Her most recent biopsy before the last showed 16% and from that time to transplant, it went UP almost 10%! TEN!!!! I knew we should have tried more chemo before collection, but our doctors insisted that that wouldve damaged the stem cells. And I'm sure they were probably right, but I feel like something else could have been done... So now, our predicament now is whether or not to go with a transplant (time is of the essence) or continue with treatment. With Thalidomides new availability in Canada, I want to say treatment. But would that be best? Lost and Confused...
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Fly

2010-11-16T22:33:00.003-07:00

It's been transposed a few keys up, but take a listen. A great feel-good song to get you through the day :)

Cheers

2010-11-16T19:05:00.003-07:00

After a week of painstaking agony and stress, the results of the biopsy have finally come back. The percentage of myeloma cells now present in Mama Bear are about 12%. Definitely not what we were hoping for. I think I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say we were disappointed. After SUCH a huge procedure, our hopes were that it would be down to zero. So, that was definitely a letdown. I guess you could say we were hoping to get more bang for our buck. Apparently, however, my mom went into the transplant with about 24%. So, it was reduced by about half, which is great. But from my understanding, I thought doctors normally wouldn't proceed with a transplant unless you were 20% or below? Which leaves me a bit confused, as our information seems to be a bit contradictory... It's not that i'm not grateful or anything, because 50% is huge. But I was really really hoping that the transplant would have been the end of it. Seriously, I have never prayed so hard for anything in my life. To exert so much hope and trust into something, and then to have results come back with... not the best results, it puts you into a bit of a slump. Sometimes, on this journey, you grow weary of constantly trying to be grateful. Sometimes, you just want a damn break. Sometimes, you just want to have a bad day. Today would probably be one of those days... But i'm **trying** to look at the bright side, because 50% IS a lot. I'm trying to keep myself busy with school and everything, because I really don't have the time or energy to mope. So.. CHEERS to a significant reduction! Because the important thing is that the myeloma cells went down. That's all that matters. One woman we know, her biopsy showed only a 1% decrease post-transplant, which i'm sure, must have been devastating. But after a few additional rounds of treatment, she was able to get to a place where her myeloma was untraceable. I realize that getting down to 0% after a transplant, depending on where you start, is not that common (which actually makes me question the validity of this procedure...). And truthfully, at the back of my head, I had a feeling that we wouldn't get down to zero, just because of how high we started off at. Granted, the path of those impacted by cancer are filled with many highs and lows. And so far, our highs have outnumbered the lows. We have a lot to be thankful for, compared to many others. SO. We'll roll with the punches just continue to chip away, like we've been doing since January, until we get to where we need to be. If we can get through what we've gone through, then there's nothing that can bring us down.

Wish Bone

2010-11-09T02:56:00.003-07:00

So tomorrow is the big day. Mama and Papa bear are going into the clinic to get a bone marrow biopsy done, which will basically tell us whether or not the stem cell transplant was effective. For those of you who aren't aware, this procedure is the best way of getting the most accurate image of "where you're at" because it gets a direct sample of the myeloma cells residing within the bone. Needless to say, i'm pretty sure I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say that we're a little nervous... Since my mom was discharged, we've been living in this magical land that goes by the name of ignorance. Ok well, maybe not ignorance, as we are not choosing to ignore anything here. But after a stem cell transplant has occurred, there is usually a period afterwards where you go medication-free and just focus on recovering, on healing. It's been absolutely amazing, almost as if nothing ever happened. As if our lives had returned back to normal, whatever that means anymore. But subtle hints, like my mother's lack of hair and an ever-present cloud hovering above my head (although small), show that reality exists, and gives this dreamscape away. Ignorance truly is bliss. The truth is terrifying. If I could stay in this moment of not knowing forever, I would be satisfied. But alas, the world does not work that way, and we all must come to face reality sooner or later. Whether that is a good or bad thing remains yet unseen. Sometimes, the truth is a hard thing to face. Yet we all manage to derive strength from within in order to do so. I will be honest, since the transplant, not a day has gone by where I do not think about the mortality of my mother. I have gotten better over time at ignoring or shunning these thoughts to the recesses of my mind, but that does not mean it isn't easy, that it doesn't cause me great pain. I don't think my brother, or even my father sometimes, realize to the full extent of what we have gone through and what may lay ahead. A blessing indeed, to not be burdened with such thoughts. Or maybe they do, and they just don't show it. I try my best not to. But there are times where I feel the lessons we've learned, such precious lessons, have already been forgotten among them. I hope not, because those are lessons that no one should have to re-learn. Since the transplant, I have literally prayed every.single.day for the same thing, hoping that they be heard by someone above. That this transplant, and all the treatments beforehand, be all that my mother needs in order to obtain a strong, sturdy, everlasting remission until a cure is found for her, that will work for her. Every day I have prayed for this, and the general well-being of those close to me. Every day. I have never prayed so much for anything in my entire life. And so now, here we are already, turning the page of a new chapter that will hopefully be filled with good health, hope, and happiness. Tomorrow is the day, and I am praying with everything i've got. Please pray for us.

Vive Ut Vivas!

2010-10-18T00:33:00.009-06:00

Hi!

I was just contemplating writing another post or studying for my (ugh) Management Science exam coming up (it sounds as bad as it is) and realized that my last post was almost a MONTH ago! Shame on me *slaps wrist*. So here I am, almost a month later, bringing you all up to speed on what's been going on in our lives.

Since my mom was set free from the transplant ward, things have been quite calm, serene, and almost surreal-like. At least compared to when we were in for the transplant. Looking back, it seems as if we live in an entirely different WORLD now. My mom is like... Superwoman. The rate that she was able to recover exceeded even my own expectations. I knew she had her relatively young age, otherwise very healthy body, etc. on her side, but I was still shocked to hear when I called home one day (within the same week she was discharged) that she was "out for a drive".........BY.HER.SELF!

..umm WHAT?! Her naivety was cute, but DANG! I almost had a baby heart attack when I heard that. She was supposed to be at home resting and recovering, partitioning herself from the outside world and its GERMS. But I guess I couldn't really blame her for wanting to get a little air. Who wouldn't want a little adventure after spending almost two weeks cooped up inside a hospital room? Regardless, my mom was pretty much back to her normal strength and eating habits before she even left the hospital. From what I read and have heard, that can take anywhere from 4-6 months to get back to! And yet mama bear hadn't even been discharged??? We were talking about why we thought she was feeling so great post-transplant and came up with this: Organic vegetables and fruits, elimination of sugars, TONS of water, regular exercise, lots of laughs and smiles, and aloe vera juice PRE-TRANSPLANT(!!!). We had been seeing a naturopath (shhhh) for a little while and he had recommended taking aloe vera juice because it was supposed to help protect and regenerate the digestive tract. As i'm sure many of you know, the digestive tract is probably the part of the body that is hit the hardest - primarily due to the megadose of Melphalan. When your digestive tract goes, so too does your appetite and ability to hold down food and thus, your rate of recovery. My mom was pretty adamant and determined with her aloe-juice-taking and really credits it for why she was able to recover so fast. There were a couple days where she threw up, while we were in the transplant ward. But other than that, she didn't lose any weight (she had actually GAINED a couple pounds within the first week after discharge!). I'm not trying to sell or endorse anything to you guys at all, but I encourage you to do your research on it. If it is the reason why my mom was able to recover so fast, then many, MANY others would be able to benefit from this knowledge as well.

On another note, I had tried to.. well, fatty my mom up before she was admitted in order to offset the weight loss that was associated with the transplant. But apparently, this isn't really a good idea because the weight loss is due to a decrease in MUSCLE mass, not fat. So if you are someone you know is going into transplant, make sure they try to build as much muscle beforehand as possible.

I'm happy to report that mama bear is doing incredibly well :) Everyone is commenting on how good she looks, so that is great! We got back into Church when we were diagnosed (funny how that happens huh?) and really got back in touch with God (as I'm sure many of you can relate). My mom had to miss out on about a month's worth of Church when she was in transplant, and went right back afterwards - and no one noticed a thing! That's how good she looked! We have a couple doctor appointments ahead of us that entail a biopsy and re-staging. We're all a bit nervous... But hoping for the best. What else can you do, right?

Mama Bear and her cub

Family Thanksgiving :)

Friend Thanksgiving :)

With Thanksgiving weekend (here in Canada) just past, i've been able to reflect on what it really means to be thankful for what you have. Having my entire family in one gathering, eating and laughing (truly the BEST that this world has to offer!) - it was just incredible. I'm truly, truly thankful for everything that I have, the people in my life, and the lessons that I have learned. That weekend was definitely one massive moment of reflection. To think that one year ago, we had not yet been diagnosed...and then everything that we have learned since then? It's absolutely staggering, incredible, and humbling. Our journey with cancer has not yet ended, but for now, everything is perfect. Fall, my favourite season, is upon us and i've come to learn that it is essential to live in the moment. So naturally, I got a tattoo! I'd been wanting to get another one for awhile, so what better a time then Thanksgiving?! It says "Vive ut vivas", which means "Live so that you may live" in Latin. I thought it was fitting :)

Some Fall pictures on campus :)

So basically, that's pretty much you being up to speed :) My brother and I are currently back in school, and my parents are back home doing their thing. And i'm so very grateful to have such a simple luxury like that. I will admit, once everything was back to "normal", I felt this great pressure to do something amazing and life-changing. Coming from an experience like cancer and a stem-cell transplant, with all the lessons you learn and perspective you gain, I felt like going back to the ho-hum days of school weren't worthy of my newfound outlook. But i've come to realize that this "ho-hum" normality is exactly what we've been fighting so VERY hard to regain. This lifestyle, this ability to be somewhat "normal" again, really is a luxury, it is not a right. These lessons that i've learned, they are something that I am extremely grateful for, things that I will carry in my pocket for the rest of my life, wherever I go. This year has, undoubtedly, been the hardest year of my life. But it's also been the greatest (not ... "happy"-greatest, but more along the lines of "epic"-greatest, if that makes any sense). I feel like i've just returned from some grand adventure, a lifetime's worth of sorrow, gratitude, and wisdom on my back. I'm a changed person. We are changed people. And even though I know our adventure isn't over, I do know that if we were able to survive (and pass with flying colors!) the last 9 months, we're capable of overcoming anything set before us. And so are you. Never forget that! YOU can get THROUGH this! And if you ever need someone, know that I will always be here for you.

Ra Ra

2010-09-25T22:40:00.003-06:00

You ready Salt Lake City? Paws Up... ;)

FREEDOM!

2010-09-14T18:37:00.003-06:00

Mama Bear is OUT of the hospital!!!

THANK GOD!!!

My brother and I went down to see her over the weekend, and her counts were slowly rising (with the help of G-CSF shots). Saturday her neutrophils (a type of WBC) were at 0.4. The doctors usually want you to get to a CONSISTENT level of 0.5 before they discharge you, so we were close. But on Sunday, when we left, they actually dropped to 0.3. To our big surprise, I found out that yesterday (Monday), my mom was discharged from the hospital. Um, EXCUSE ME?! As much as I want her out of there and at home, I want to make sure these things are done properly so as to avoid any unnecessary issues in the future. But apparently her counts went from 0.3 on Sunday to 4.0(!!!) on Monday! So, I guess it was a safe assumption that it would be ok to discharge my mom.

Today, they went in for an appointment with our Onc and her counts remained good. Our visits to the hospital have now gone from live-in patient to ONCE a week!!! What a blessing! Once she gets home, I know she'll recover even faster. Nothing feels as good as home right?

The storm is over and it is a huge, HUGE relief to know that we can just focus on recovery now. Although I can't really say much (because i'm not the patient, myself), the whole transplant process seems to have gone without a hitch! The side-effects were somewhat minimal and, all in all, everything was quite tolerable. My mom's biggest issue towards the tail-end was boredom, which of course, isn't really an issue at all. So i'm very thankful for that. Just goes to show the power of support and prayer.

To anyone that is just about to embark down the road of a transplant, know this: It's not as bad as it seems. It really isn't. I think the fact that it's a TRANSPLANT is what makes the situation seem so intimidating and terrifying. While it IS a major procedure, most people are more afraid of the word than they are of the actual process. All the connotations and associations with that word seem to imply some grand, DRAMATIC procedure. But in all honesty, it's not that bad. In truth, the amount of work-up to get to the actual transplant is probably harder than the transplant itself. The anxiety, the stress, the planning, the re-planning, the research. It takes a toll. My advice to you? Take it day by day. The work-up schedule is...intimidating and overwhelming, to say the least. But instead of looking at the overall view of the million things you have to do in a month, just think about what you should do that day, or even the week. It makes things a LOT easier. And ALWAYS remain optimistic, strong, and positive :) I want to talk more on this, but I currently have an assignment due tomorrow that I have yet to start hehe :) First week of school and i'm already getting my ass handed to me. JOY!

Much Love,

2010-09-08T02:15:00.001-06:00

Lying in bed right now, trying to rest my body, my mind, my soul. Tomorrow is the first day of school. It's a bittersweet experience for me. On one hand, I'm genuinely excited to be going back (yes, you read that correct). I haven't seen a lot of my friends in a while, so it's something that I'm actually looking forward to. Last term, I dropped out of school to stay at home and help take care of my mom. There was no questioning my decision and I am so glad that I did it, even if it meant that I would be graduating a term later (in the grand scheme of things, this is a teensy weensy blip on my radar). To me, going back to school just wouldn't have been right, especially when *we* (I highlight this because we all faced the challenges TOGETHER, as one) were diagnosed just days earlier. My decision to stay meant that I would be out of school for almost nine months. To put that into perspective, I have never taken that long of a break from school since before kindergarten! So, I am happy to be back, not only because I get to see some great familiar faces again, but also because it means there will be a sense of normalcy again. In a day and age where people strive so hard to be different, I pray to be the same. In this sense at least. But the experience also leaves a bitter taste in my mouth because, while I am here trying to be happy that I am back at school, my mom is back at the hospital (3 hours away) recovering from an autologous stem cell transplant, with my dad by her side. I've been with her since the very beginning of this roller coaster journey, through all the ups and downs, the triumphs and struggles. It doesn't feel right to me that I leave her now, at SUCH an important time. The scheduling of the transplant and the start of school was a little shitty. Driving up for school, I felt this resounding sense of guilt inside me the whole three hours. I know I'm not, but it almost feels like a sense of abandonment. On the plus side (because we must always remember that there exists one), ill be driving back down to see her on the weekends at least for the month of september. So, that makes me feel a little better. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to be by her side and see her through this until she's in the clear. We start together, we finish together. But my dad is there and gives her a surplus of love and attention. her progress so far has been not too bad. I don't think people can heal properly (or at the very least, it is slowed down) when they are in the hospital. The docs let us take mama bear back home for the weekend after the transplant and she did pretty great. Yes, there has been nausea. Yes, there has been vomiting. But it's actually not as bad as we thought it would be. If taken in the correct doses and time, anti-nausea medications can make an enormous difference. Her appetite took a nosedive, but that was expected. Ensure seems to be the only thing that she can tolerate on a consistent basis. It's not the best, but right now, a calorie is a calorie, and we don't have the luxury of being picky and choosy (healthy vs. Not-as-healthy). Today, however, my prayers were acknowledged. I've been praying that God ease us of our pains and struggles and give us strength, give us health, hope, and happiness. But last night I decided to take it a step further and go into specifics, for my mom to get her appetite back, for her nausea to go away, for her to have enough energy to exercise and move around. Well, when I called my dad today to check in and see how things were going, he told me that he was on a food-run for (get this).... ETHNIC FOOD. Specifically, seaweed and rice hahaha (a korean comfort food, you understand). Before, my mom could barely stomach plain, boring broth. Now she's asking for seaweed and rice!?!? Her appetite MUST be back. Not only that, but she also sounded GREAT on the phone, bright, loud, and full of energy, a typical family trait (emphasis on the loud). She also told me she did four laps around the ward with my dad, so she got her body moving too! (13 laps=1K). So, for any family members reading this post, mom is doing better :) I'm hoping that everything stayed down for the rest of the day. Tomorrow she receives her first G-CSF shot, post-transplant. If you remember, she was given these before transplant to help mobilize her stem cells, so much so that they were pushed out of the bone marrow and into the blood from all the buildup. Well, now that she is post-transplant, that means that her stem cells were completely wiped out (which is why we collected them before to put them back in after) from the chemo. The G-CSF stimulates her small supply of re-introduced stem cells to start producing WBCs, RBCs, etc. I'm not quite sure yet, but I **think** this might mean that she is neutropenic (zero neutrophils aka WBCs). If so, then that means the worst is OVER. Now, the road ahead is just a matter of recovery and rebuilding her strength, health, etc. Did I mention that its also DRUG-FREE!?! Its a great opportunity to really take advantage of, and something that we all look forward to. To only have to focus on healing the body and not have to worry about drugs and side effects? 'Tis a gift and a blessing.
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Upchuck

2010-09-03T18:05:00.008-06:00

This.

is deplorable.

HOW do they expect you to recover if they're feeding you... poo.

*I* don't even want to eat this, so why would someone that has nausea and little appetite want to???

Believe it or not, this delectable dish is supposed to be some sort of pot pie (I think...)

Hmmm *thought*

Maybe we can try to install some sort of quality, nutritious, appetizing food program in the hospital? Cause lord knows THAT shit ain't cutting it. Calling Jamie Oliver!!!

Britney Spears II

2010-09-01T22:48:00.007-06:00

Before

Ryan!

After

Monsters Against Myeloma!

Britney Spears

2010-09-01T22:28:00.004-06:00

The following is a copy of the message I sent out to all the members of our "Monsters Against Myeloma" facebook fanpage:

Subj: Britney Spears!!!

I just shaved my head.

Where to begin, where to begin… If you grew up in the 90’s, like me, you might know what I look like. Yes, that’s right, Krillin from DragonBall Z, minus the robes and muscles. Add in Will Smith ears and, now, a never-ending forehead (or in the words of Rihanna, “5head”), then VOILA!

Spitting. Image.

Two days ago, my family decided that it was time to shave my mom’s hair. To say that that was traumatic would be a small understatement. So yesterday, my brother and I shaved OUR heads to make mama bear feel better. Needless to say, hair is NOT just hair. Hair loss is a common side-effect of chemotherapy seen in cancer patients. Although many will often say that "Hair is just hair, it'll grow back", the issue can often run much deeper. Hair is not just hair, it's something that is a part of our being, like our laughs and our smiles. The hair loss associated with chemotherapy is a strong symbol of a cancer patient's plight. Before all this stuff happened to us, as someone viewing from the outside-in, I used to associate the hair-loss as a sign of frailty, sickness, and vulnerability. However, my perspective on the issue couldn't be any more different now. Now, whenever I see a patient suffering from chemotherapy-induced hair loss, I see it as a true sign of strength. This might sound a bit awkward, but I really do think that this image, this "symbol", is actually quite beautiful. To see someone fighting so hard and willing to do whatever it takes, it is a sign of bravery, strength, and perseverance. One that deserves a standing ovation. I don't usually send out messages that are so personal, but I thought that this was important.

My hopes are that, through this message, your views of the "typical" cancer patient will be changed (if you see them like I once did). That baldness, that fatigue, that struggle. It is something to be admired. These people are *literally* fighting to live, fighting for things that we take for granted every day. They are fighting for a walk in the park, a swim in the lake, a moment to laugh. They are putting every single ounce of their BEING into fighting off a terrifying beast, so much so that they have no energy left to eat, walk, or even talk. This courage and strength is something to be admired. So, without sounding too preach-ey, the next time you see a cancer patient, please keep this message in mind.

In conclusion, I leave you with this:

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. 'Well,' she said, 'I think I'll braid my hair today.' So she did, and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she only had two hairs on her head. 'Hmmm,' she said, 'I think I'll part my hair down the middle today.' So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. 'Well,' she said, 'today I'm going to wear my hair in a ponytail.' So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. 'YEAH!' she exclaimed, 'I don't have to fix my hair today!'

Health, Hope & Happiness my friends

Lance

If you've been following my blog, you'll recognize that a lot of that message mirrors a post I put up earlier titled "Standing Ovation". I think, if we can spread this message to as many people as possible (in this case, 970 members), we can start a shift in attitude that can result in more support and understanding. I have a fairly large platform of young (actually, all ages!) people that I can speak to, so why not take advantage of it?

As you know, my brother and I shaved our heads last night to help support my mom. A few observations:

1. I am almost positive I had more hair when I came out of the womb than I do now.

2. I cannot stop rubbing my head!!! It feels like a peach :)

3. It is shocking how much your hair does for your scalp! It's so sensitive now! And if I walk really fast, I can feel the wind on my head, and DANG is it cold!

REBIRTH

2010-09-01T11:27:00.014-06:00

Well, today is the big day! Today is the day that we've all been working and waiting for! Today is the day mama bear gets her stem cells back a.k.a Day 00. A lot of people refer to this day as their second birthday because you are receiving pure pluripotent stem cells (able to turn into RBCs, WBCs, etc.). That means that, somewhere down the road, my mom will have to re-receive her immunization shots (just like a child) because the "information" from her last vaccinations were not stored in these stem cells' memories. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY mama!

11:20am
Stem cells are being re-introduced!

Beautiful Stem Cell Warriors

Stem Cell Warriors marching off to the front

11:25am

I will never be able to eat corn again...

Why, you ask?

WELL. Before the stem cells were infused back into the motherland, they were stored in a type of preservative. Now, as they are put back into my mom, her body starts to take up the stem cells and rid itself of anything else that is foreign a.k.a the preservative. This is done purely through the natural process of perspiration (not sweating, but just...diffusing out). As my mom exhales and her body perspires, the preservative, which has a HEAVY "creamed corn" scent, is excreted. At first, it wasn't that bad. But now, holy guac.

It. Is. THICK! I may need to go for a walk/breather so I don't pass out. Needless to say, corn will never taste the same again (if I can work myself to eating it again).

11:35am

Months of stress and anxiety. Weeks of work up (tests, medication, etc.). A day and a half for harvesting. All leading up to this critical point, the ACTUAL transplant itself. This grand and momentous occasion.

It took 15 minutes.

I must admit, for all the work that you put into this procedure, the transplant, itself, is QUITE anti-climatic. It is such an important procedure, a procedure that can make the difference between life and death really, that you expect something very.. I dunno, BIG! But just as fast as they nurses were in, they were out. I barely had a chance to take a picture because the stem cells were being infused back so fast. You almost expect something a little more intense. But, like I said before, perhaps great things come in small, humble packages. And that's exactly what this transplant was.

I was really hoping to take my mom out on pass (you don't start to feel the side-effects for about 3-4 days afterwards), but we are apparently a part of this new study (mama bear is only the second person to have gone through this at our hospital) where patients are given Velcade (chemo) before and after the transplant. Hopefully it will mean a long and lasting remission. Has anyone heard of this before? So that means we can't take her today after she's completed her hydration because she's getting her Velcade tomorrow. But afterwards, we should be good to go. I think she needs to get out of the hospital. Aside from the absolute STUFFINESS of this place, you feel like you're bunking in (as our dear friend, Carol, said) an A&W a.k.a Brown, yellow or Brown, orange color schemes. Let me tell you, whoever the hospital hired as their interior designer for this ward...Fail. Unless you have some weird fantasy to live in an A&W or something...

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Wtf?!

2010-08-31T21:30:00.001-06:00

My mom's HAIR is growing back!

hahaha

Fighter!

Ice, Ice, Baby

2010-08-31T12:02:00.001-06:00

My mom looks like a big, bald squirrel. Because of all the ice she is chewing (see picture), she looks like she's hoarding a bunch of nuts in her cheeks haha. But she's determined! Her cheeks are cool to the touch when you feel them so that's good, now all we have to do is maintain consistency and be diligent! Other than that, today is a beautiful day. We have a million dollar view!

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Bald.

2010-08-30T20:25:00.005-06:00

Shaved the head yesterday.

...

To say it was a little traumatizing would be a bit of an understatement.

It takes a little bit of adjusting, but I think these things just take a little bit of time to get used to.

Yesterday we packed all our clothes (like we were going on vacation or something!) and today we checked into our inpatient unit. It's been a long, busy, and heavy day. Right now, mama is hooked up to the IV machine for hydration therapy and will be until about 6pm tomorrow (it is now 830pm). The reason for this is because TOMORROW, she will be receiving the MEGA dose of chemo (Melphalan) to clear out her body. Apparently it is a tiny "push", but is potent enough to affect your taste buds for 6 months and give you mucositis. The half-life of melphalan is about 4 hours (?), so you want to get this out of your system A.S.A.P. (hence the hydration). So basically, mama bear will be forced to pee a LOT tomorrow. We do NOT want this chemo in her system. Get in, get out. She'll also be chewing on ice before, during, and after the administration of Melphalan. The reason for this is because, normally, you get mouth-sores (so bad that you have trouble breathing). What doctors discovered, though, that something as simple as chewing ice was enough to completely eliminate this very serious side effect from happening at all! What the ice does is it constricts the blood vessels in the mucus membranes of your mouth. Significance? The more constricted the blood vessel, the harder it is for the Melphalan to get circulated through that area. THEREFORE, ICE=GOOD!

Other than that, her room is MASSIVE. Its enough for two patients, but because of the unique circumstances of this ward (zero immune system), you aren't allowed to share your room with other people because of the risk of spreading germs, etc.

Tomorrow is a big day, will keep you updated.

Media Minute

2010-08-29T13:28:00.003-06:00

We're in the news again!

Check it out HERE

Don't Rain On My Parade

2010-08-26T03:01:00.003-06:00

I’ve been meaning to write this post for awhile now… A little while ago, I consulted those on the MM ACOR Listserv (my friends, my therapists, my teachers, and my doctors all in one neat, amazing package) on a topic titled “Don’t Rain On My Parade”. It was in regards to, well, basically how you are supposed to keep your head up knowing that you or someone you love so much has cancer. How do you avoid that dark, ominous cloud from following you wherever you go? As many times as I try to flip that “cloud” the bird and tell it “FUCK YOUUU!”, it always seems to be there. Some days are better than others, but there is never a moment where I don’t have the reality of our situation sitting at the back of my head. No matter how great the news, there is this constant black cloud above my head always reminding me of my mom’s condition. And even if my mom were declared to be in remission (KNOCK ON WOOD!!!), I think it would still be there, following me wherever I go. I don’t know if this is some sort of paranoia or anxiety issue, but what I DO know is that the carelessness and blissful ignorance, that sense of peace, we once had pre-diagnosis, is something I will probably never really be able to experience again.

What I discovered through their responses was that, yes, I would probably go on living with this cloud hovering above my head for as long as my mom has cancer. However, that is beside the point. For those of you struggling with this same issue, you must learn to adjust, adapt, and witness the world through a different perspective. NONE of us know what the future holds, and that applies to both those fighting the brave fight and those not. As one person put it (thank you Val from Texas), although Multiple Myeloma is considered “not curable”, life, by nature, is “not curable”. The fact of the matter is that we must not dwell on what is to happen in the future and instead, appreciate the present. In our society, we have been so conditioned to plan and prepare ourselves for the future. The decisions we make are solely based on the benefits that we will reap, or the consequences we will bear, further down the path. But what happens when someone tells you you have cancer? What happens when all your hopes, dreams, plans, and thoughts don’t, all of the sudden, extend into infinity anymore? What happens when you are forced to face the very reality of your own mortality? Well, along with a huge slap in the face, you learn to adjust and refocus. Planning for the future is not a luxury that we have anymore. But perhaps that is a blessing in disguise. Perhaps it is us being forced to finally learn to live in and appreciate the present, to smell the flowers and feel the warm glow of the sun on our skin. To pause and take notice. We cannot let ourselves dwell on the “Big C”, not if we are to have the peace that we so desperately seek. Simply put, there is no future to deal with. All we have is each moment, opportunities given to us to live our lives. That is all that is possible. We cannot cry thinking that we are dying. We must laugh knowing that we are living. These are facts that I still struggle to come to terms with, but they are works in progress. And that's all we can do right? At least try to appreciate what we have been given and lead a life that is as honest and sincere as possible, no?

Fundraising 101

2010-08-25T19:03:00.004-06:00

Having just completed (Phase I) of my very first fundraiser, I must say... I'm SUPER proud of what we've been able to accomplish. The amount of awareness that we've been able to generate since the beginning has surpassed all my expectations. I know that many of you will probably try to start your own sort of fundraiser to raise money and awareness for myeloma, so I thought I would share with you my "lessons learned" from this experience to help you out :)

1. There will always be those who support you, and those who criticize you. That's just how the game is played. Always show your gratitude and try not to take anything personally :)

2. ALWAYS have a Plan B... and C, D, E, F, G. Things never go the way you originally planned, so be prepared to make adjustments. You must be able to adapt to new situations and circumstances to make the most of your fundraiser.

3. Plan for the worst, Hope for the best :)

4. Stop searching. Make your own opportunities

5. He/she who cracks the whip will not always be the most popular person on the team. Such is the sacrifice that a team leader may have to make in order to get work done.

6. If you have a team working for you, delegate tasks. That is the only way to get work done.

7. Give yourself deadlines.

8. Have everything set up before you begin any promotion. Momentum is key and comes with publicity. If your donations program, etc. is not set up, then you will lose that momentum and interest.

9. Find ways to constantly keep up the momentum and motivation, in your team and your supporters. Once it is gone, it is very difficult to get back.

10. Never lower your standards. Mediocrity is NOT an option!

Feel free to add any of your own tips/advice!

Paws Up!

2010-08-25T18:39:00.004-06:00

Little Monsters!
I wanted to update everyone on how PHASE I (more on this later!) of M.A.M. went :)

The competition for two floor tickets to Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball at Rexall Place in Edmonton on August 27, 2010 concluded two days ago.

We are pleased to announce that Kathy Chia of Edmonton is the winner. Congratulations Kathy, you’ve earned it!
We would also like to thank everyone who took part in the competition; thank you for participating and helping us raise funds and awareness for this little-known disease.

In addition, thank you to everyone for joining our campaign of awareness and hope. Now, little monsters and myelomaniacs, we are that much closer to making multiple myeloma a household name, a feat that will undoubtedly aid in the discovery of new treatments and, one day, a CURE! This would have never happened without the sheer, collective power of working together for a better future. So again, thank you!

Monsters Against Myeloma is FAR from being over (as we have some VERY exciting news to share with you all soon!), so please encourage all those you know to join our group and follow suit.

We have members here that come from all over the world! From France to Germany to Iceland to Brazil to the States to right here in Canada! Together, united as one, we are capable of achieving anything. We are capable of what, at times, seems like the impossible; we are capable of DEFEATING.CANCER.

We are still accepting donations for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Please visit http://321cure.themmrf.org/site/TR?pg=fund&fr_id=1040&pxfid=9150 or the discussion board of our facebook group for more details.

PAWS UP LITTLE MONSTERS, PAWS UP!

7:0

2010-08-25T17:07:00.003-06:00

It is exactly 7 days until my mom gets her stem cells reintroduced into her body (Day 00). Honestly, I think I am more anxious and nervous about this procedure than my mom is! She is actually very prepared to go in, but I can't help but feel a little terrified. Everything is just happening so fast. Hopefully it'll be the same for recovery as well... Prayer Warriors, please send a message to God that everything will go well. That this is the very last thing she will need before a long, deep, drug-free remission. Thank you.
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The Alchemist

2010-08-21T16:45:00.006-06:00

This is absolutely RIDICULOUS! A person on the Multiple Myeloma ACOR Listserv recently presented a fascinating, and shocking, question on the forum in regards to the cost of Revlimid.

Which would rather have? A pound of GOLD or a pound of REVLIMID (chemotherapy)?

Recently, someone had expressed her concerns on the MM forum in regards to her not being able to afford her medication, that is, Revlimid. This form of chemotherapy comes in the form of a capsule that is taken once every day for about 3 weeks on, 1 week off. For her, the cost of this medication and ultimately, the cost of a possible remission, is about $10, 052.88 USD for just 21 pills (the cost of one "cycle"). Her pills weigh about four-tenths of an ounce, which means that Revlimid currently retails for about $20,000 USD an OUNCE!

Now, on the other hand, today's approximate GOLD price is about $1, 227 USD per OUNCE right now.

THAT means that if you chose the pound of gold over the pound of Revlimid, you made a very, very big mistake! According to today's current rates, a pound of GOLD is about $20,000 USD, while a pound of REVLIMID is $320, 000 USD!!!! So basically, the leading Multiple Myeloma drug, by weight, is about TWENTY TIMES the value of GOLD! Now just think about this.... If a UPS driver is delivering a supply of Revlimid (say 4 or 5 pounds) on his truck, he's transporting over a MILLION DOLLARS of cargo!

Now, as if that weren't bad enough, another forum member pointed out that only a tiny fraction of the capsule's content consists of the "active ingredient". The majority of the capsule's weight comes from inert components, such as binders and fillers. THAT means that for about 21 capsules, there are only about 521 milligrams of "active ingredient" a.k.a slightly over half a gram of TRUE Revlimid.

THUS, if we readjust our calculations, Revlimid ACTUALLY retails at a "mind-blowing" EIGHT.MILLION.DOLLARS A POUND!

So now, a new question is presented...

Would you rather have a pound of REVLIMID or a pound of weapons grade PLUTONIUM?

According to WikiAnswers, Plutonium sells for about $4,000 USD per gram, which is $1.8 MILLION USD a POUND. Are you catching our drift here? That means that Revlimid is roughly FOUR TIMES the cost of PLUTONIUM!

The cost of pharmaceuticals in exchange for life. Yet another issue that a cancer should NOT have to deal with.

Fucking Ridiculous.

Thank you Mr. Baron for this insightful slap in the face (from none other than BigPharma)!

Needless to say, CHANGE is needed.

BAHHHh1!!1

2010-08-17T22:41:00.003-06:00

14 hours into our 24 hr urine collection...

and she forgot to collect.....

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

The trials and tribulations of this GOD-FORSAKEN test!!!!

Panini

2010-08-17T14:33:00.002-06:00

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I have a funny story for you.

Scene: Cafeteria getting lunch.

Dad: I wonder what the lunch special is.

*sees sign*

Ill have your roasted chicken punani

Cafeteria Lady: you mean chicken panini?

Dad: Yah! Your chicken PUNANI!

Bahahaha
For those of you who don't know, a "punani" is, basically, another word for...well, a woman's lady bits.

So, essentially, my dad asked the cafeteria lady for some roasted chicken va-jay-jay haha.

Only in my family...
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The Great Divide

2010-08-17T10:17:00.002-06:00

Sitting in the clinic while mama bear gets her blood drawn.

Can't stop staring...
My brother's sock tan is RIDIC.

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Shed.

2010-08-13T21:36:00.003-06:00

The hair has started to slowly fall out :(

JUST when we thought we were out of the clear...

It has begun...

The Harvest II

2010-08-10T09:53:00.003-06:00

6:00AM
Up again! Here's to round 2! And THIS time, I actually went to bed at a reasonable hour! No zombies to-day!

8:50AM
I lied. Why was I so perky this morning? Me=zombie. We got some good news though. We're just about to start the harvest today andd our lovely nurse told us we collected about 400 million stem cells instead of the 200-something we had previously thought. From my understanding, one transplant takes about 275 million stem cells. So by the end of yesterday, we were closer to the two-transplant mark for the amount of cells we collected than we were for the single transplant. Two transplants take about 550 million stem cells, so we're getting there! If we can collect even MORE, that would be great! Waste not, want not right?

12:00PM

This is the "colorgram" that the transplant nurse uses while she is monitoring my mom. The tube in the middle is supposed to be a color that is in between the third color from the right and the third color from the left. As you can see, the tube is a bit dark, so some adjustments had to be made.

2:ooPM

TRANSPLANT IS OVAAA! We don't know our final numbers yet, but we've collected somewhere between 600-700 million little warrior stem cells! That is DEFINITELY enough for at LEAST 2 transplants!!!
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The Harvest

2010-08-09T20:35:00.001-06:00

6:00AM

Bed at 2am. Up at 5am. Today is the day. Well...maybe. We are going in for a blood test to see if my mom has enough stem cells in her blood for transplant(s). Prayer Warriors, God has heard you from above. So far, this process has been actually quite lackluster and uneventful, which is a GOOD thing. Everything is going very smoothly and we are facing this massive procedure one step, one day at a time. Please unite again and pray that the remainder of this process go quickly, efficiently, effectively, and successfully. Please pray that my moms body will be able to produce enough stem cells, enough little warriors, for two to three transplants! Thank you. Ill keep you posted.

9:00AM
Transplant is a-go-go! The machine looks like a map of the London Tube! I'm going into this with a couple reservations... This is a REALLY important procedure, and I feel like we are rushing it for some reason. From my understanding, the more stem cells collected, the better no? I know that the standard for these things are to collect enough stem cells for about two transplants, but if you have the chance to, wouldn't it be better to collect for three (if possible)? Why not wait another week and take more G-CSF (stem-cell stimulating) shots to increase production? I asked the nurse this and she said that most myeloma patients don't even use a second transplant and that if a third one is needed, a transplant is probably not the best option anyway? On one hand, my gut tells me that she is misinformed... On the other, I know that these doctors and nurses know what they are doing and have had plenty of practice. Just a little confused. Any thoughts on this my wonderful readers?

12:00PM
I feel like I need to get a bottle of wine or something for every nurse we work with. They are THAT awesome! There really should be a nurse appreciation day. These guys are IMPECCABLE and absolute angels. How they do their jobs, I really don't know.

Nice View :)

2:00PM

THIS is what LIFE IN A BAG looks like, my friends (literally)! Inside that beautiful bag is an army of little warrior stem cells just WAITING to be put back into mama bear's body!

3:00PM

For SUCH a critical procedure, today has been quite uneventful. Despite the horrendously early morning, today has been very low-key. Mama bear has been lying on the bed while Dad and I float in and out of the room. Basically what happens is the machine circulates her blood out of her body, filters out the stem cells, and puts the blood back in. From my understanding, it is like...an incredible hulk version of a dialysis machine. Kind of. There's only so much amusement you can get from watching a bunch of tubes circulate blood before the novelty wears off (a.k.a the first 20 minutes of a 6 hour process). So basically, one must learn to improvise. THAT included a chit-chat party with our hilariously sarcastic nurse, walks, and two of my most favourite-ist activities in the world: eating and sleeping (obvi). At this rate, I will have gone from moderately in-shape pre-transplant to incredibly obese post-transplant. God gifted me with the ability to emotionally eat and ill be damned if I don't take FULL advantage of that. Just give me a cake and let me be, and ill be as happy as a clam (ADD moment: why ARE they so happy anyway?) It is ironic, though, no? There is so much D.R.A.M.A that comes with this process and yet the most exciting moment of a 6hour day was a 20 minute moment. But I like to think that great things come in small, humble packages. Mama bear's little stem cells quietly got together for a K.S.A. (Kick Some Ass) meeting and decided to rally together and march off into a hospital IV bag. It's almost as if they were like, "we'll leave quietly so you can rest mama bear. Don't worry about us, because we'll be there for you when you need us". They are like her Little Warriors. I like to think of it like that :) or maybe that is my sleep deprivation talking... WHO KNOWS!?

4:00PM
We are done Day 1 of 2. Amazingly enough, mama bear collected enough stem cells today for an entire transplant. So, we've got that covered. Tomorrow's collection will be more of a "just-in-case".
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Rest, you

2010-07-29T15:03:00.003-06:00

Sitting in the Bone Marrow Transplant clinic right now. Today is a LONG.ASS.DAY. Its about 230pm right now, and we've been awake for about 9 hours already. FUN! Today's massively exciting agenda includes sitting in our quaint little room for Jeebus knows how long as mama bear receives her first dose of "transplant chemotherapy". The transplant procedure can basically be divided up into a couple different stages: Mobilization, Collection, Administration, and Recovery. During Mobilization, which is where we are at now, my mom is given a series of drugs to encourage her bone marrow to create a (hopefully abundant) surplus of stem cells. Stem cells are born within the bone marrow environment, so when there is too much, what happens is they get "pushed out", due to overcrowding, into the blood stream. The first type of "transplant chemotherapy" is something called Cyclophosphamide, which *primarily* helps to encourage this overproduction of stem cells (it can also help to bring down your m-spike). Cyclophosphamide, along with a series of G-CSF shots (taken mostly at home), make up the mobilization process. That is, they help the bone marrow produce and "mobilize" your stem cells. During Collection, you basically collect your stem cells by filtering them out of your bloodstream (because remember, they were "pushed out", right?) via apheresis. However much they are able to collect determines how many transplants you can have down the road (usually about 1 or 2), or if you can at all. After your stem-cells have been collected, you move onto the Administration stage. This is where the second type of "transplant chemotherapy" is administered. Nowadays, they are using a nasty little drug called Melphalan in extremely high doses that would not be administered if they couldn't collect enough stem cells (there is no way your body could recover, otherwise). From what I understand, this is to basically wipe out all the cancer cells in the body and allow the patient a fresh start afterwards. The only thing is, similar to many other chemotherapeutic agents, it also targets your healthy cells as well. Lame. Once THAT pain in the ass is over with, you are in the Recovery phase, which is basically what its name states. The reason why an autologous stem cell transplant (where you get stem cells from yourself, rather than a donor) is not considered a cure is because when the stem cells are reintroduced into your body during the Recovery phase, there is a chance that these cells could also be cancer stem cells as well. At least, that is how I understood it... So, we are hoping for the best. Prayer warriors, please keep us in your prayers during this time, that the transplant will go smoothly and that it will be everything my mom needs to be healthy again.

Right now, my brother and dad are running errands while I am sitting on a chair facing my mom. She is sleeping while her IV slips her fluids. I feel sad when I see her like this. Heartache and heart break are perhaps the most accurate words to describe the feeling. But we are strong..and we've made it this far. Almost over the hill. I am glad to see her resting though. Her body needs it. And occasionally, she will let slip a little snore as only a mother bear can do. :). It is a comforting sound to hear. Rest mama bear, rest.

In other news, right before I started writing this post, I was in the midst of a much-needed nap. Basically, I woke up from my awkwardly sprawled position and peeled my face off of the lovely vinyl surface of my chair, emerging (CLEARLY) a vision of absolute beauty. My hair was this way and that and the imprinted lines on *one* side of my face made me look like some crazy half-wrinkly asian hobbit. Like I said, a VISION of beauty. There are not many that could resist THAT face, I assure you. Mirror, mirror on the wa-... Oh, never mind.
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Fashion Forecast!

2010-07-28T20:54:00.005-06:00

Fashion Forecast: This season's must-have accessory?

Central Line Catheters.

SO hot right now.

Whirlwind

2010-07-28T12:57:00.002-06:00

It is quite a profound experience to have to shop for scarves in preparation for chemotherapy-induced hair loss. It is inspirational. It is crippling. It is beautiful. It is tragic. And despite the months and months of treatment, the time you've had to prepare, one never actually thinks they'll see the day. And before you know it, the cold reality is right there staring in your face. Slap. The other day I went shopping with my mom for scarves to wrap around her head once she loses her hair. Let me tell you, a book should be written on how to wear those things, because it is practically an artfrom. What length do we get? How do you tie it? What materials work best? Finding a way to wrap the scarf itself, without looking like a fool, was difficult enough. Long story short... We decided to go with a hat instead :P. I have read that your scalp is actually much more sensitive than you think, that having hair makes a world of a difference when it comes to warmth and sensitivity. We decided to go for a nice, soft, and very warm rabbit fur touque. Thankfully, my mother's recovery time will be during the winter, so it will not be an odd sight to see.

Presently, I am in the waiting room of the radiology department. Today is the day that mama bear is getting her central line put in. Last night I experienced a small moment of weakness before eventually falling asleep. I think I am more scared and anxious about this procedure than my mom is. As many caregivers will discover, you will experience varying degrees of control over the course of treatment. Control is very important. It makes you feel like you are able to stand on solid ground, feet planted firmly. But sometimes, you feel like you have been picked up in a whirlwind of despair, anxiety, stress, etc. Being tossed about upside down, left, right, back, and forth, a complete loss of control. Last night's "whirlwind" stemmed from my...sadness for my mom. I try not to feel sorry for my mom, for my self, or for my family, because it does you no good. It prevents you from being able to think straight and act effectively. But sometimes, it happens. As a caregiver, all you want to do is protect. As my mother's son (or in other people's cases, as a son's mother/father), you try to protect with such a fierce passion that you are willing to do whatever it takes. If you could, you would share the burden, take the burden, in a heartbeat. But you can't... And that is the pain and the struggle of a caregiver. It is a constant tug-of-war between control and mayhem. My fear and my despair from last night stemmed not from the actual transplant procedure, but from the worry of how my mom was handling this. Everyday, no matter how bright the sun shines, my heart breaks. I worry about her. Worry, worry, worry. My heartache comes from the thought of her fear. It is like if you saw an abandoned child on the street. Your first wave of worry is not about the living conditions, the hygiene, etc. It is about how the child is coping and able to draw the strength and will to survive. Seeing my mom's strength is inspiring, but it also breaks my heart. The fact that she even HAS to draw so much strength from god knows where, makes me both sad and proud. It is a hard experience to describe. But I guess it is what it is, and all you can do is learn how to adapt and stay strong. Wish us luck.

**Update** All went well! The transplant nurse was right, a CVC (Central Venous Catheter) insertion is MUCH less painful than a bone marrow biopsy. So if you can handle the biopsy, the CVC should be a cake walk for you ;)
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A Sign?

2010-07-22T23:29:00.003-06:00

Went for a drive with Mama bear today, and THIS (pictured below) is what we saw! So beautiful. So peaceful. The elk had the most beautiful (and symmetrical!) set of antlers i've ever seen! Perhaps a sign of strength? It's broken up, but there was a FULL rainbow, from beginning to end! I've never seen the landing pads of a rainbow before! And you can't really see it here, but it was actually a double rainbow! Hopefully this is a sign from someone, letting us know that everything will be ok... A sign of hope? Lord knows we need it.

GAGA FOR GAGA! MONSTERS AGAINST MYELOMA! WE.ARE.LIVE!!!

2010-07-21T23:50:00.006-06:00

Ok so I just realized that I hadn't made this **VERY** important post yet!!! Tsk tsk. But as i'm sure you can tell, our fundraising effort "Monsters Against Myeloma" is officially LIVE!!! (FINALLY). If you don't know already, basically I am giving away a pair of FLOOR.LADY.GAGA tickets to her August 27 show in Edmonton, Alberta to the person/team that is able to raise the most money for the MMRF (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation). If you would like to compete, please send us an e-mail indicating so at monstersagainstmyeloma@live.com! If you don't want to compete for these wonderful tickets, but would still like to support our campaign of hope, awareness, strength, and gaga-tude, the steps are SUPER easy!

1. Visit out site here

2. Click on the "Make a Donation" button

3. Fill out the necessary fields

4. (optional) Write your name, donation amount, and a message in our guest book!

*note*: Tax-receipts are mailed out to the address indicated in the billing information

Easy peasy right?! I can't tell you how much your support means to us. We appreciate every word, every hug, every dollar, everything. In the end, we are all working towards the same cause (a CURE!), so hopefully M.A.M. will be able to contribute towards that ambitious, but fully possible and realistic, goal. Even if we only manage to raise a penny, I will still consider M.A.M. a raging success. We started off as a small idea to raise a little money for charity, and exploded into this international, global campaign of hope and awareness. It has been through our global brothers and sisters (yes, YOU!), that we have been able to add an extra step in making Multiple Myeloma a household name. Gaga is the biggest superstar on planet Earth right now. Combining her incredibly passionate (and LARGE) fanbase with all us crazy and super duper myelomaniacs(/myelomics/myelomians), we have been able to communicate our message to the farthest corners of the planet. In our facebook group, we have people from Canada, America, Germany, France, Iceland, Italy, and more! Currently, we have about 870 members. THIS MEANS that at LEAST 870 members now know about Multiple Myeloma, a disease I had never even HEARD of pre-diagnosis. I think it is safe to say that you may now check off step 1 of Operation: WORLD DOMINATION. Great Job Little Monsters/Myelomaniacs, great job! Now let's see this to the end and END.CANCER.ONCE.AND.FOR.ALL!

The Big T

2010-07-19T16:51:00.004-06:00

So. Today is a big day. It is the first day in a very important and long process that will **hopefully** do the trick in setting my mom into a deep and long remission, until a cure is discovered. Yesterday I went to bed with a mix of emotions... This day has been a long time coming. And you would think 7 months would be plenty time to prepare yourself not only mentally, but also physically and spiritually. But the truth is, no amount of preparation can make you feel "ready" for this kind of procedure. Unless you've gone through it before, you really have no idea what to expect. And even if you have, I doubt the second time is the same as the first. We figure, it is best to just take this thing on a day to day basis. It can get a little overwhelming if you look at the process as a whole. So, baby steps here. Let's hope this thing goes by as fast as treatment has (its already been almost 7 months!!!).

In other news...
This has probably been one of the longest weeks of my life. Let's see:

Thursday (July 8) - Newspaper interview

Friday (July 9) - Front page news, damage control, last day of chemotherapy before transplant, PEREZ HILTON shout-out. HUGE influx of facebook group members!

Saturday (July 10) - Global Shift article

Sunday (July 11) - Unproductive M.A.M. Meeting

Monday (July 12) - Drama/Crisis/BIGTIMEDamageControl. My very first meltdown :) (total gongshow, by the way)

Tuesday (July 13) - Productive M.A.M. Meeting

Wednesday (July 14) - Bone Marrow Biopsy Results (74% down to 16%!!!!)

Thursday (July 15) - A **LOT** of M.A.M. Work

Friday (July 16) - Monsters Against Myeloma is LIVE!

Saturday/Sunday (July 17/18) - Rest

Monday (Today) - Begin Autologous Stem Cell Transplant process.

Shiz. We've definitely been busy. Overall, I think my stress level has probably gone up a couple notches. From the fundraiser to some family issues to the stress of the transplant, it is a miracle I have not been admitted into an institute yet. To tell you the truth, I am absolutely terrified of this transplant coming up. Not so much the procedure itself (although that is undoubtedly a bit daunting), but more so wondering how my mom will take it... All I want to do is protect her, but in these situations, it is QUITE a frequent occurrence to feel powerless... But not hopeless. Because there is ALWAYS hope. Sometimes it feels like a David and Goliath battle. But we all know what the outcome of that situation was right? ;) So, like every other day, I put on my brave face and do everything all over again. Its not easy, but you'd be surprised in the places you are able to draw strength from. We're starting a new chapter now, so wish us luck :) And for my prayer warriors out there, please pray that this thing goes without a hitch. That my mom has a super speedy recovery. And that it will be the last thing needed to set her into a long and lasting remission. Thank you :)

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

:)

2010-07-17T16:37:00.004-06:00

And check out our interview with Global Shift!

Biopsy!

2010-07-14T15:35:00.002-06:00

Just found out my mom's second, and most recent, biopsy results. I can't quite remember the exact number, but I think back in january mama bear had about 74% cancer cells within her bones. From what I understand, a bone marrow biopsy is the most accurate way of determining "where you're at". With that being said, my mom's results indicated that she went from 74% down to 16%(!!!!!!!!!). That is absolutely AMAZING!!!! Today is a good day :)

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Fighter

2010-07-12T17:57:00.002-06:00

My Current Mood.

Listen to the lyrics and apply it to yourself.

On Our Own Terms.

2010-07-12T17:38:00.004-06:00

Mama bear be gettin' her hair did THIS.INSTANT!

So to prepare for the hair-loss, we figured that it would probably be easier and a LOT less traumatic if we cut my mom's hair before she lost it. Not buzz short, just yet, but in gradual stages to ease her in. So, first stage, she's going from shoulder-length to something similar to the late Heath Ledger's ex-wife, Michelle Williams. Eventually, we will have to cut it all off, but we're taking our time. No need to rush the gun. What I like about this, though, is that she is losing her hair on her OWN terms. Cancer will NOT determine how we live our lives. No one, or noTHING, is forcing her to do this right now except herself. And she is ready to take that step. So bravo mama!

If you haven't read my previous post on hair-loss, please view it here. I will mention this now and many times in the future because I really do think a new attitude must be embraced in regards to this universal symbol of cancer. Repetition is key, and I encourage you to try and inspire others to think differently.

This Shit is INSANE!!!

2010-07-10T02:07:00.011-06:00

HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!!

OK. I just thought I would update everyone on what we've been up to and how the "Monsters Against Myeloma" event has been going :)

The last 24 hours have been BANANAS! Where do I even begin?!

Perhaps the beginning is a good start (obvi).

(I'm running on about 4 hours of sleep here, accompanied by +30C weather. So if I seem a little crazy, it's because I am)

1. Yesterday I did a great interview with the Edmonton Sun, answering questions about the MAM event and basically what we've been up to since the beginning of the year (diagnosis). It was quick, simple, and that was that! I was expecting the article to be a tiny little blurb in some obscure location within the newspaper, but DANG was I wrong. This morning I woke up to a text message saying, "You're on the front page! Congratulations!" My mom would later tell me that she had opened up a fortune cookie the night before foreshadowing a "surprise". Coincidence? (Link to our article HERE)

2. This bit might seem a little confusing, so i'll try to lay it out the best I can. Basically, we have kept my mom's situation on the downlow within my family solely for the reason that my grandparents don't find out. The very last thing we need is for another family member to get sick from stress. Not cool. So because of that, we had only told a couple families within our extended family. I'm not entirely sure WHAT I WAS THINKING when I was doing the interview and sent in the picture for the news article, but it definitely was not one of my brightest moments. So when I read the above mentioned text, I literally sat up straight in my bed and almost screamed. Yeah yeah, drama queen, I know. But I soon found out that the Sun had posted a HUGEEEEE picture of Gaga with a picture of my mom and I on the bottom. Yeah, that's not gonna get any attention AT ALL! You see, there are still people in my family that live in Edmonton who don't know about my mom's situation. I think I was somehow trying to get publicity for the event but at the same time foolishly pretend that my family would never get word of it? Silly SILLY Lance, Tricks are for... (you can complete this sentence). So for about a gooood...5 hours, I was a nervous wreck. I don't think I have been that stressed out since my mom was diagnosed. Yeah, brutes. I even lost my appetite (if you will remember, this also happened to me when mama bear was diagnosed). MY APPETITE! This is coming from a guy that feverishly watched 5 hours straight of Cake Boss...WHILST.EATING.CAKE! (and lots of it) Anyways, long story short, we haven't heard from any family members (yet), so we're hoping they didn't hear the news. My mom freaked out a little this morning, but now she thinks it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. So... I'll roll with it. As long as she is cool, i'm cool. (PS: Is it weird that I am really really proud that we were featured FRONT PAGE, but also super angry of my incredible stupidity here?)

3. Today was the LAST day that mama bear received chemo before we start this crazy, wacky journey that is the "Autologous Stem Cell Transplant". It almost seems surreal. This abnormal routine has become such a constant fixture in our lives that it almost seems unnatural that we have stopped chemo (hopefully FOREVER AND EVER). Wow, I NEVER thought i'd see the day where I admit stopping chemo seems unnatural. Who would have thought? NOT I!!! Needless to say... Today is a monumental day for us.

4. I found out later on that PEREZ HILTON gave us a shout-out on Twitter, asking all the little monsters to join our cause, personally tweeting GAGA as well! Incase you weren't aware, this guy has a HUGEEEEE following!!! More than 2 MILLION followers on twitter!!! So to get M.A.M. on that kind of platform was BATSHITCRAZY!!!! Within half an hour of his tweet, we had more than 100 members join our group from all over the world! How amazing is that?!?! Little monsters globally uniting for a good cause. It's a beautiful thing. (PS: THANK YOU to whoever let Mr. Hilton aware of our event!!!!!)

5. (This week) I'm JUST getting over the cold (I know, WHO gets sick in the middle of SUMMER?!). It was one of those ones where you start of with a sore throat, then a cough, then fatigue, then faucet nostrils. Thankfully, i'm over that pain in the arse, but I think I might have accidentally gave it to my brother (oops) :( Perfect timing, eh? Well, while we were in treatment today, my mom's white blood cell and neutrophil (which go hand-in-hand usually) count were slightly above the normal range. Upside is, her immune system is working great! Downside, that could have been a sign that her body was creating an immune response to fight off something. NOT.GOOD. We need to get that down a little, which means my brother will probably have to be quarantined for the duration of his cold.

So YEAH! That's pretty much what's been happenin'! Monsters Against Myeloma is kicking into high gear now, so i'll DEFINITELY be updating more on that soon!

Hope everyone is doing well :)

Health, Hope, & Happiness

Reach for the Stars

2010-06-17T17:56:00.007-06:00

Hi Everyone!

Ok so I just wanted to let you guys know that i'm temporarily putting the Wellness Wednesdays on hiatus. I am barely keeping up with this M.A.M. event with my mom's new little adventure (lets call it that instead of a transplant shall we?) coming up. But I PROMISE it will be up soon. And if I have time, i'll definitely be putting something up :)

Also, just an update. In less than a week, we have more than 400 people who have joined our group!!! Ahhhh that is so incredible! The power of teamwork truly is beautiful and inspiring. We even have people from as far as FRANCE who have joined! And get this, the OPRAH show is now following our twitter account! Can you imagine the amount of awareness we could generate on a platform like that?! The stars are the limit! We're going to conquer the world my friends :)

Monsters Against Myeloma

2010-06-11T18:34:00.008-06:00

CALL TO ACTION!

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am an AVID Lady Gaga fan. She is my mother monster and I, her little monster. She is just... incredible. A force to be reckoned with. So, naturally, when word got out that she was having TWO shows in my city, I lost my shit. GONG to the SHOW. I bought tickets, and that was that! However, shortly after we found out that my mom was planned to undergo an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant close to the date of the concert. This kind of procedure reduces your immune system to nil. To give you some perspective, it is shot down to lower than that of a newborn baby's. It takes about 6 months, on average, for a person to fully recover from a stem cell transplant. So, unfortunately, that meant that I had to give up my tickets for the show. Sold-out concerts and jam-packed venues do not bode well for those wanting to avoid germs... As much as I love my mother monster (Gaga), I love my mama bear the most. I love everything about Gaga. Her music, her fierce independence, her love of life and passionate drive. All this is reflected in her body of work, right down to the sequin placed strategically, and unconventionally, on somewhere like her nose. But as much as I love her, I know she will FOR SURE be touring again in the future. I will have more opportunities to see her do what she does best. So instead of giving away the tickets, I thought, why not create something good from something bad? Thus, the birth of "Monsters Against Myeloma", a contest where a pair of floor tickets to Lady Gaga's August 27 show will be donated to the person(s) who can raise the most money for the MMRF (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation). Multiple myeloma is a cancer not typically of the young. But the tides are changing. I have seen and heard of people being diagnosed in their 40's (like my mom) and 30's, something that would have been unheard of twenty years ago. I figure, with this contest, not only can we raise money for a good cause, but also awareness. We can raise awareness in a demographic that is unfamiliar with this disease. Encourage and inspire others. When people come up to me, upon hearing about my mom, saddened with the news, I make sure they know not to be sad, but to be angry, to rally together and fight for a cure. Although it is saddening, it is also something we should be fiercely angry about. These rising rates of cancer are NOT acceptable, and we need to make sure the right people know that. Through this contest, I am literally trying to save my mom's life. But not only that, also the lives of all the moms and dads and grandparents, and sons and daughters out there so that they might be able to see their children get married, have kids, and live a life worth living. I have included a link at the bottom of this post to our Facebook group page. Please join, even if you do not want to compete in the contest. Please join to inspire and encourage others to join and spread the word. Who knows, maybe even Gaga herself will get word ;) And if you like, please donate to this great cause. Paws up little monsters, paws up.

Monsters Against Myeloma

PS: If you have any ideas in how to further promote this event, PLEASE share them!

Thankful

2010-06-10T01:42:00.002-06:00

Sometimes it's good to be just thankful. When I pray, I pray for a variety of things. I ask for my family and friends' health, hope, happiness, safety, and strength. I ask God to watch over us and help us get through our troubles. But sometimes, it's good just to send up your thanks. Even though you are in the midst of a war, it is good to always remind oneself that there is still much to be grateful for. Sometimes when I pray, I just say "thank you". Even though there are many things that I want to ask for, I feel obligated to show my appreciation for the things that I have. I say thanks for the fact that my family was able to share a laugh today, or that the sun was shining and the skies were blue. Because things like that, however small, sometimes matter the most. I say thanks for the fact that my mom has responded well with little side-effects to her chemo, or that we discovered my dad had 90% blockage in his heart before it was too late to do anything. I say thanks just because I am truly thankful. Whenever I do so, I am reminded of the fact that there is still a lot going for us, despite the unfortunate circumstance we find ourselves in. From time to time, it is always good to remind ourselves of why we love life. Why we fight for it. Even though my family has been afflicted with cancer, something that rudely makes you realize the value of life, we still fall into that daze of taking things for granted. Being in the situation we are in, you wouldn't think so right? But, as I have mentioned before, the abnormal becomes the normal, and so with it comes the staleness of a routine that often helps you to forget to smell the flowers and see the world through technicolor goggles. Remind yourselves of what it is that makes you get up in the morning. What are you fighting for? And always remember that just because the world seems dark, it don't mean the sun won't shine anymore. What are you thankful for?
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Wellness Wednesdays: Wireless Edition Pt. 2!!!

2010-06-09T03:41:00.007-06:00

How can you shield yourself from the radiation that, if you choose to live in civilization, is bombarding you at every turn?

24. According to Devra Davis, an epidemiologist and former director of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Environmental Oncology, "the most important thing you can do is use a speakerphone and an earpiece," which puts some distance between the phone and your brain. Strapping on a headset may make you look like a call-center worker, but for every inch the cell phone moves away from your body, you reduce radiation exposure dramatically. Lastly, "At no time should you - men especially - keep your phone in your pants pocket," Davis says. Even clipping a phone to your belt can damage sperm. What else?

25. Get a landline and use it at home. Stay away from cordless phones, which emit the same kind of radiation as mobiles.

26. Abandon wi-fi. Nobody likes being tethered to an Ethernet cable, but there are mounting concerns that wireless signals interfere with brain functioning (Germany has already advised its citizens not to go wireless). If you can't bring yourself to plug back in, at least place the hub far away from your head.

27. Dont' live next to a cell tower, if you can help it. When looking for an apartment, scout the neighbouring rooftops for clusters of antennas. "Major research still needs to be done," Davis says. "But there are already guidelines in place in other countries, and you'll be hearing more and more about the reasons for them"

Source: "Warning: Your Cell Phone May Be Hazardous to Your Health". GQ, February 2010

The article goes on to say...

- Though the scientific debate is heated and far from resolved, there are multiple reports, mostly out of Europe's premier research institutions, of cell-phone and PDA use being linked to "brain aging", brain damage, early-onset Alzheimer's, senility, DNA damage, and even sperm die-offs (many men, after all, keep their cell phones in their pants pockets or attach at the hip). In September 2007, the European Union's environmental watchdog, the European Environment Agency, warned that cell-phone technology "could lead to a health crisis similar to those caused by asbestos, smoking, and lead in petrol."

- Perhaps most worrisome, though, are the preliminary results of the multinational Interphone study sponsored by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, in Lyon, France... Interphone researchers reported in 2008 that after a decade of cell-phone use, the chance of getting a brain tumor - specifically on the side of the head where you use the phone - goes up as much as 40 percent for adults.

- Interphone researchers in Israel have found that cell phones can cause tumors of the parotid gland (the salivary gland in the cheek), and an independent study in Sweden last year concluded that people who started using a cell phone before the age of 20 were five times as likely to develop a brain tumor. Another Interphone study reported a nearly 300 percent increased risk of acoustic neuroma, a tumor of the acoustic nerve.

- ... At the vanguard of a new field of study that came to be known as bioelectromagnetics, he found what appeared to be grave nonthermal effects from microwave frequencies - the part of the spectrum that belongs not just to radar signals and microwave ovens but also, in the past fifteen years, to cell phones. (The only honest way to think of our cell phones is that they are tiny, low-power microwave ovens, without walls, that we hold against the sides of our heads). Frey tested microwave radiation on frogs and other lab animals, targeting the eyes, the heart, and the brain, and in each case he found troubling results. In one study, he triggered heart arrhythmias. Then, using the right modulations of the frequency, he even stopped frog hearts with microwaves - stopped the hearts dead.

The article is a bit lengthy, but it is a fascinating and informative read. I recommend everyone take a look at it and at least skim it over. You can read it here

Wellness Wednesdays

2010-06-03T00:05:00.004-06:00

#19: Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry. Ethoxylated diglycerides? Cellulose? Xanthan gum? Calcium propionate? Ammonium sulfate? If you wouldn't cook with them yourself, why let others use these ingredients to cook for you? The food scientists' chemistry set is designed to extend shelf life, make old food look fresher and more appetizing than it really is, and get you to eat more. Whether or not any of these additives pose a proven hazard to your health, many of them haven't been eaten by humans for very long, so they are best avoided. Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

#20: Get out of the supermarket whenever you can. You won't find any high-fructose corn syrup at the farmers' market. You also won't find any elaborately processed food products, any packages with long lists of unpronounceable ingredients or dubious health claims, anything microwaveable, or, perhaps best of all, any old food from far away. What you will find are fresh, whole foods harvested at the peak of their taste and nutritional quality - precisely the kind your great-grandmother, or even your Neolithic ancestors, would easily recognize as food. The kind that is alive and eventually will rot. Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

#21: Eat more like the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks. People who eat according to the rules of a traditional food culture are generally healthier than those of us eating a modern Western diet of processed foods. Any traditional diet will do: If it were not a healthy diet, the people who follow it wouldn't still be around. True, food cultures are embedded in societies and economies and ecologies, and some of them travel better than others, Inuit not so well as Italian. In borrowing from a food culture, pay attention to HOW a culture eats as well as to what it eats. In the case of the French paradox, for example, it may not be the dietary nutrients that keep the French healthy (lots of saturated fat and white flour?!) as much as their food habits: small portions eaten at leisurely communal meals; no second helpings or snacking. Pay attention, too, to the combinations of foods in traditional cultures: In Latin America, corn is traditionally cooked with lime and eaten with beans; what would otherwise be a nutritionally deficient staple becomes the basis of a healthy, balanced diet. (The beans supply amino acids lacking in corn, and the lime makes niacin available). Cultures that took corn from Latin America without the beans or the lime wound up with serious nutritional deficiencies such as pellagra. Traditional diets are more than the sum of their food parts. Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

#22: Eat Slowly. Not just so you'll be more likely to know when to stop. Eat slowly enough to savor your food; you'll need less of it to feel satisfied. If it is a food experience rather than mere calories you're after, the slower you eat, the more of an experience you will have. There is an Indian proverb that gets at this idea: "Drink your food, chew your drink." In other words, eat slowly enough, and chew thoroughly enough, to liquefy your food, and move your drink around in your mouth to thoroughly taste it before swallowing. The recommendation sounds a bit clinical perhaps, but try following it at least to the point of fully appreciating what's in your mouth. Another strategy, encoded in a table manner that's been all but forgotten: "Put down your fork between bites." Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

#23: Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. Eating a big meal late in the day sounds unhealthy, though in fact the science isn't conclusive. Some research suggests that eating close to bedtime elevates triglyceride levels in the blood, a marker for heart disease that is also implicated in weight gain. Also, the more physically active you are after a meal, the more of the energy in that meal your muscles will burn before the body stores it as fat. But some researchers believe a calorie is a calorie, no matter what time of day it is consumed. Even if this is true, however, front-loading your eating in the early part of the day will probably result in fewer total calories consumed, since people are generally less hungry in the morning. A related adage: "After lunch, sleep awhile; after dinner, walk a mile." Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

Omens

2010-06-01T21:32:00.006-06:00

Do you believe in omens? Although I am the religious type, I am not the superstitious kind. However, going through an experience such as cancer, having my mom be afflicted with cancer, my view of the world has changed. My opinions and my beliefs have been altered. I have found myself being more open to new things, new experiences, suggestions, etc. About a week or so ago, my mom was lying on the deck and saw two bright red hummingbirds flying around her, as if innocently playing and enjoying the sun. A couple days later, while my family was praying over dinner, I (for some reason) looked up to see a hummingbird through the kitchen door, looking at us, perfectly still in mid-air. Almost like it was watching us. And as my family woke up from their prayers, it flew away. And the odd thing is, we don't have any flowers on our patio either. Seeing that was very.... comforting, oddly enough. So, just for fun, I went online to see the meaning behind a hummingbird. In Native American folklore, a hummingbird is a very good sign. She is a good luck messenger that symbolizes timeless joy and the Nectar of Life. She is a symbol of accomplishing that which seems impossible and teaches us how to find the miracle of joyful living from our own life circumstances. She takes our prayers to the Great Creator. In addition, the hummingbird has the power to travel long distances under great odds and obstacles. The hummingbird opens the heart. Without an open heart, you can never taste the nectar and pure bliss of life. Is it coincidence that I saw the hummingbird while my family was praying? Regardless of whether or not you believe in omens, it is comforting to think that there is someone or something looking out for you, watching over you. That day I felt this great sense of calm and, almost as if someone had whispered in my ear, thought "everything is going to be fine".

Lift Me Up

2010-06-01T21:19:00.005-06:00

Music, for me, heals. I thought some of you might enjoy these.

If you need any suggestions, I have a HUGE list! So don't hesitate to ask :)

LaLa Land

2010-05-31T16:19:00.003-06:00

Have you ever experienced that odd sense of surrealism during treatment? Maybe surrealism is the wrong word here... Daze? Treatment has become such a regular fixture in our lives that what was once abnormal is now normal. You go through the days, living your new life. And when the times are good, things are usually not that bad. Aside from copious amounts of driving and needles, we have much to be thankful for. And so when you go from cycle to cycle, everything seems to all blend together into this massive clump of a routine that, unless something is different, you don't pay TOO much attention to. Its a bit like blissful ignorance... Maybe not ignorance, but more so of a blissful flatline, if you'll excuse the expression. But I'm not complaining, because no new news is good news. Treatment is going as expected. Today we had a consult for a kyphoplasty procedure, which is where they put this little balloon-thing in your vertebrae and fill it with cement to offset any compression fractures. The primary reason for this procedure is to relieve pain. Considering the fact that my mom's back pain is really the only thing that hinders her from doing the things she used to do (aside from some mild fatigue), this seemed like a great procedure for us. We were able to view the MRI and X-Ray slides she had, and wow. It was like a balloon popping. *snap* just like that, that dream-like state we were in, popped and we were brought back to reality. We were able to see exactly the effect that myeloma had on her bones, and that was like a rude reminder of her condition. We opted to go for the procedure, though, because the positives largely outweighed the negatives. I guess what I trying to say is that... We were enjoying the non-drama-ness (apologies for the baddd english lol) of what had become a routine for us. And now that we're approaching the end of our treatment (for now) and the beginning of what will be an undoubtedly arduous stem cell transplant process, we'll have to stop getting comfy and really gear up again. But, one must do what is necessary in order to be better again right? And of course, what is necessary is hardly ever easy. I think... The trick to being happy, because that is just as important as health (if not more), is to think you'll be ok. You have to view this as a chronic disease instead of something more ominous and dark. That's it, that's the trick. Because it is much more easier and comforting to try to lead a normal life if you see the disease in a different light. How can you possibly enjoy life if you are constantly thinking of how many more days you have left? It's more anxiety, pressure, and stress than anyone can handle, I'm sure! It is not a way to live. You are not being ignorant by approaching myeloma as a chronic disease because you are still very much aware of your condition, and more importantly, are taking the right measures to get better. We are very, very, very fortunate to have drugs out there that are not the stereotypical form of chemotherapy aka vomiting, nausea, hair-loss, etc. If you saw my mom, you would never think she had cancer. She looks very healthy. Maybe a little tired, but who isn't tired these days? What would be ignorant would be to stick your head in the sand and pretend like nothing is wrong... Until it is too late. I understand that fear can often be crippling, but what is more scary than cancer is the promise of death due to inaction. I'm sure by now you probably think this post is a bit random, that's because it is. I'm not really heading in any direction with this. Just saying what's on my mind :)
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Owie.

2010-05-28T14:19:00.002-06:00

Just got a B12 shot. I didn't even feel the needle, but wowwwww. Afterwards it felt like I got charlie-horsed by a bulldozer. So a word of advice, don't get the needle in your butt. Get the arm. It only lasts for about 20 minutes though. I'm running on three hrs of sleep right now and I actually feel energized! Not tired! Weeee! For any students out there like me, this might come in handy come midterm season or finals as these are used for energy and nerve preservation/regeneration. Make sure it is methylcobalamin form of B12, NOT cyanocobalamin.
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Wellness Wednesdays: Wireless Edition!!!

2010-05-27T18:59:00.006-06:00

Wow. So until about twenty minutes ago, I thought TODAY was wednesday. Dang. Apologies! I decided for this week's WW to talk about wireless technology, with an important emphasis on cell phones. This form of technology is a very recent development that we've seen only within the last two decades or so. And a rapidly expanding one at that. I remember when I was little, my parents would carry around the ever-so elegant brick phone. Now, cell phones are capable of so, so much. It is most definitely a symbol of my generation. If you're like me, your phone is not just some gadget you use to talk to others, it is like a vital limb used for social networking, e-mail, internet browsing, texting, instant messaging, music, and of course, phone calls. So, you can only imagine the sheer amount of desperation and panic that ensues after you mistakenly misplace or lose your phone. It is pretty much like the apocalypse - for your social life. You literally cannot FUNCTION. How sad is that? I think this is an extremely relevant issue that we need to be aware of because wireless technology is only going to expand in the future. So here are a couple tips to keep in mind.

1. Don’t allow children under 12 to use a cell-phone except in emergencies. Organs that are still developing are more sensitive to the possible influence of exposure to electromagnetic fields. A child's skull is thinner than an adult's, and every millimeter between the handset that's emitting electromagnetic waves and the child's brain cells can make an enormous difference.

2. During calls, do your best to keep your cell-phone well away from your body. (When the handset is held four inches away, the amplitude of the electromagnetic field drops to one-quarter of its full value, and it is 50 times smaller when the phone is a yard away). Use the "loudspeaker" mode whenever possible, and a hands-free mode or Bluetooth earpiece (which on average gives less than one hundredth of the phone's normal electromagnetic emissions).

3. Keep your cell-phone conversations short. The biological effects are directly linked to duration of exposure. Text as much as possible.

4. Avoid using cell-phones when moving rapidly, for example when in a car or train. (There's an automatic increase in power to maximum when the phone is trying to pick up a new -- or increasingly distant -- relay antenna).

5. Choose the phone with the lowest possible Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for your needs. (The SAR measures the quantity of radio frequency energy absorbed by your body). Classifications of the SAR values of phones from various manufacturers are available on a number of websites.

And So It Begins...

2010-05-26T19:20:00.002-06:00

Ok! Well that meeting was... Productive! It went really well, actually. We do not yet have the results back from her urine test, but our doc told us that our total protein (mix of good AND bad protein) is now in the NORMAL RANGE!!!! HALLELUJAH! You can imagine how elated we were when we heard that :) Being normal, that must mean that our m-spike protein levels went down a lot! So, as I mentioned before, we had no scheduled appointments after today. Well, we've decided to go for one more cycle of velcade/dex/rev to further reduce her proteins before we start prepping for transplant. June 15 is our consult date for stem cell transplant. Sooo, yeah. We're already at that point! I won't lie, I left the clinic with a mix of nervousness and anxiety (as did my mom). But, I think these feelings are normal and expected. This is a major milestone and treatment for us. I think we'll just need a couple days for everything to sink in. Good thing is, this is absolutely a step in the right direction, a step towards better health. It is completely necessary. We all know that. So, I guess we will have to start preparing for what is to come! Today was a good day and I am glad we are taking action and getting things initiated. *deep breath* This is another big step in our path to recovery. Wish us luck! All tips/recommendations/suggestions are greatly welcomed and appreciated.
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Wowza!

2010-05-26T15:30:00.001-06:00

Waiting for our end-of-cycle meeting with our doc. As of now, we have NOTHING scheduled after today, so obviously this meeting is an important one. Since our last meeting with him, my mom's PN has completely subsided! I'm not sure if its because we started seeing a nutritional doctor, but wow! Isn't that great!? Her back has been a little sore, but we're hoping that that is from her Revlimid and a sign that it is working. Gotta think positive right? We met a guy that we hadn't seen since our first support meeting (which I had posted about earlier), and since then, he has gone through a second stem-cell transplant. This man's story is astonishing and inspiring. Usually after a transplant procedure, you're in the hospital for about a month (give or take) in order for you to recover. This man was there for seven days. When he was first diagnosed, he had about 97% cancer cells within his body. He now has none. Zero. I think I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say, HOLY SHIT! You'll have to excuse my language, but how effing amazing is that?! He credits his recovery to eating healthy, being active, and having a strong, mental outlook. Before he goes to bed, he tells his white blood cells to "go and get 'em". His story was a reminder that it is so important to always keep your head up. Your mental outlook and perspective DOES affect your physiology, and he is living proof of that. Anyways, going in to see the doc. Ill keep you posted :)
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2010-05-25T07:44:00.003-06:00

Must...find...COFFEE!
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Hello Good Morning

2010-05-25T05:49:00.002-06:00

It's quarter to 6am and I've been awake for about an hour. Going on about four hours of sleep right now and, surprisingly, I am NOT TIRED! The fact that I have not downed five cups of coffee yet is quite astonishing. Maybe I'm so tired that I'm not tired??? Haha. Busy day ahead! Plan to get lots of work done so you can expect a post or two later on today :)
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Be Still My Beating Heart

2010-05-24T18:28:00.002-06:00

Sitting in Emerg at the local hospital right now... Not impressed. My mom was outside on the lounge chair all "la dee da". That was until she basically freaked out from a bug bite that felt "worse than a needle". No evidence of any bug or stinger, but there IS a bump that looks similar to a mosquito bite (except bigger). So, we thought we would have it checked out just in case. When you have cancer, there is nothing you can't be too safe about. But seriously, a bit of a break would be nice. I know they say that God doesn't give you anything you can't handle, but... I mean, is it really necessary to have it get to that point??? Luckily, no signs of anything gone wrong except symptoms of a typical bug bite (maybe a spider?), but I told my mom to stay out of trouble. OBVIOUSLY, she wants nothing more than that, but sometimes I feel like I have to wrap her up in bubble wrap in order to let her be on her own. It would be nice if we could have a drama-free stint. Plus, tomorrow I have to wake up at 530am to take my dad for an angiocardiogram to see if he has angina or not. CHERRY ON TOP! I'm hoping once this week is over, things will calm down. In other unrelated and random news, I have recently discovered that the path I frequent for jogs is also one that is favoured by a particular cougar (for the last month!). Joy. And there was apparently a bear in central park this week. Guess these things are to be expected when you live in the mountains?
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OZ!

2010-05-21T23:22:00.002-06:00

Currently watching Dr. Oz's show on cancer prevention. Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, who is the author of "AntiCancer: A New Way of Life", of which I have been featuring quite frequently on WW, is a guest on the show. TUNE IN peeps!
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H4H

2010-05-20T13:07:00.003-06:00

If you read my blog, you might remember a post I had made called "A Call to Arms". It was an invitation to any and all those affected by cancer to tell their story, stories of success and survivorship, to inspire hope and strength. So far, the number of responses that I have received have been... lets just say less than impressive. People are busy enough as it is with treatments, updates, and whatnot. But we're still trucking on and my hopes for the site are for it to slowly, but surely, grow to one that others can go to when they are feeling a little down or discouraged. As I have said to others, I realize that their already exist sites dedicated to such things. However, when my mom was first diagnosed, I was not aware of any despite the amount of research and web-surfing I did. During what was undoubtedly the darkest time of our lives, we had to find a way to lift each other up and find strength within ourselves to move forward. God bless all those who contribute to the ACOR ListServ, because without them, we would not know NEARLY as much as we do. God bless others who inspire hope and strength, like the Brabbs (MM for Dummies) and Margaret (Margaret's Health Blog). They have brought an incredible amount of light and positive energy in a world that can feel dark, scary, and lonely sometimes. It's a beautiful thing, no? Everyone working together, as a united front, to tackle this disease? Just like there are various forms of treatment, hitting myeloma from different angles, there are different resources that help to keep us standing. This, too, is done from a variety of angles, from humor and optimism to nutrition and well-being to the most up-to-date information and knowledge. When we hit cancer from all these angles, we become stronger not only as individuals, but also as a collective group. For H4H, although there are similar sites, I figure... The more resources and sites there are out there, the higher the chance there will be that those newly diagnosed and those feeling down will be able to discover, not necessarily H4H, but *A* site to help them out. Pat Killingsworth, who I am sure many of you are aware of, has just sent in his own story of strength, success, and survivorship. If you are not familiar with his blogs (Multiple Myeloma Blog and Help With Cancer), I highly recommend that you check them out. They are INCREDIBLY informative and host an abundance of the most up-to-date news out there. If you would like to send in your own story, I would love to put it up on the site! Until then, I hope you are all doing well :)

Wellness Wednesdays: The SUGAR edition!

2010-05-19T01:17:00.003-06:00

I've decided to dedicate this week's WW to sugar. As you will soon discover, it is ESSENTIAL that we all reduce the amount of sugar (primarily refined sugars) in our diets. It won't be so much an emphasis on tips (although still there), but more of an informative bit. So herrrrre we go!

#17 ALL ABOUT SUGAR!

- When we eat sugar or white flour – foods with a high “glycemic index” – blood levels of glucose (a form of digested sugar in the body) rise rapidly. The body immediately releases a dose of insulin to enable the glucose to enter cells. The secretion of insulin is accompanied by the release of another molecule, called IGF (insulinlike growth factor), whose role is to stimulate cell growth. In short, sugar nourishes tissues and makes them grow faster (see where this is going?) Furthermore, insulin and IGF have another effect in common: They promote the factors of inflammation, which also stimulate cell growth and act, in turn, as fertilizer for tumors.

- Today we know that the peaks of insulin and the secretion of IGF directly stimulate not only the growth of cancer cells, but also their capacity to invade neighboring tissues. Moreover, after injecting breast cancer cells into mice, researchers have shown that the cancer cells are less susceptible to chemotherapy when the mouse’s insulin system has been stimulated by the presence of sugar. … Each of us can already cut back on the amount of refined sugar and white flour we consume in our diets. It has been shown that simply reducing these two dietary factors has a rapid effect on the levels of insulin and IGF in the blood. This reduction has secondary effects, such as healthier skin (oh lala!)

- There is good reason to believe that the sugar boom contributes to the cancer epidemic, as it is linked to an explosion of insulin and IGF in our bodies. Mice inoculated with breast cancer cells have been used to compare the effect of tumor growth of different foods of varying glycemic indices. After two and a half months, two thirds (sixteen) of the twenty-four mice whose blood sugar peaked frequently were dead, compared to only one of the twenty that had been on a low-glycemic-index diet. … All the scientific literature points in the same direction: People who want to protect themselves from cancer should seriously reduce their consumption of processed sugar and bleached flour. This means getting used to drinking coffee without sugar. (It’s easier to give up sugar in tea.) It also means making do with two or three desserts a week. (There is no limit on fruit, as long as it is not sweetened with sugar or syrup). Another option is to use natural substitutes for sugar that don’t cause a sharp rise in blood glucose or insulin (ex. Agave Nectar, Stevia, Xylitol, dark chocolate). Eating multigrain bread (made from wheat mixed with at least three other cereals, such as oatmeal, rye, flaxseeds, etc.) is also essential in order to slow down assimilation of the sugars coming from wheat. You can also choose bread made with traditional leaven (“sourdough”) instead of the more common chemical baker’s yeast, which raises the glycemic index of bread. For the same reason, ordinary white rice should be avoided (CURSES!!!) and replaced by brown or white basmati rice, for which the glycemic index is lower.

- Avoiding candies and snacks between meals is essential. When cookies (or other sugar) are consumed between meals, there is nothing to block a rise in insulin. Only their combination with other foods – especially vegetable, fruit, fibers, or good fats, such as olive oil, canola oil, or organic butter – slows the assimilation of sugar and reduces insulin peaks. In the same way, some foods, such as onions or garlic, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, or spices like cinnamon, reduce the rise in blood sugar.

- Three Principles of Detox: When smokers give up tobacco, their risk of cancer drops sharply. If we stop promoting the growth of cancer cells in our bodies, the natural mechanisms of control over cancer can start to intervene and curb their spread. To protect ourselves against cancer, we can limit our exposure to toxic factors in the environment. Among all of those already identified or highly suspicious, I have selected three that seem to me the most deeply involved and the most easily changed:

1: Overconsumption of refined sugar and white flour, which stimulate inflammation (BADDDDD!!!!) and cell growth through insulin and IGF (insulinlike growth factor)

2: Overconsumption of omega-6s in margarine, vegetable oils (including trans fats), and animal fats (meat, dairy products, eggs) stemming from farming methods that have been out of balance since the Second World War.

3: Exposure to chemical contaminants that have entered the environment since 1940, which accumulate in animal fats, and – though studies are not yet definitive – exposure to the electromagnetic fields of cell phones.

Source: AntiCancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber

Buckle Up!

2010-05-16T14:58:00.002-06:00

I've got some very exciting news coming your way soon! All I can say now is... The "monsters" are coming ;) Buckle up kids!
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Vitamins and Supplements and ReallyAnnoyingBloodTests, Oh My!

2010-05-13T01:07:00.005-06:00

So, as I posted earlier, we started seeing our nutritionist/alternative practitioner recently. So far so good. The following is a list of recommendations provided for us to keep in mind:

Tests

There are a couple tests that we've decided to perform on my mom to identify certain conditions in her body. Besides the typical CBC work done from our regular blood tests, we've also gone ahead with one called a "Urine Toxic Elements Test", which is used to identify the presence of any toxic metals within the body. Basically, you're hooked up to an IV (pretty much my mom's BFF at this point) that contains a liquid that draws out the metals in your body and helps excrete it into your urine (which is collected and shipped off to the US for analysis). Simply put, you're given what is called a "chelation" agent. It was important for us to do this during our week off because, as mentioned, it draws out metals from your body. That combined with chemotherapy would be too much on the body. I'll keep you posted on our results, which take about 2-3 weeks.

The other tests that were recommended to us included a "Comprehensive Parasitology" (identifies organism imbalances within the digestive tract) as well as a "Comprehensive Bio-Terrain Test" (determines the balance between the major regulatory systems in your body, allowing for a more precise dietary and supplemental recommendation). Unfortunately, we couldn't go through with them, and won't be able to until we have a good long break from chemo. Chemo basically effs up the results and skews the information you receive from these tests, soo we'll have to put these on the back-burner until ... WE ARE IN REMISSION! (*positive vibes/spirit fingers-motion*)

Diet

Basically, we just have to continue what we've already been doing. That is, eliminating flour products and gluten-containing grains (i.e. wheat, rye, oats, barley) as much as possible, eliminating sugar/sweeteners and refined foods, and cutting down on our red meat consumption. In terms of what we are to add to our diet, more organic and free-range foods, as well as raw fruits and vegetables (blended, juiced, or chopped up). Oh, and of course, PLENTYYYYYY of water (even if it forces you to be in constant close vicinity of a washroom.....which it does). In addition, cooking our food with olive or flax oils, or if you want to get all fancy pantsy, coconut butter, butter (ok, not so fancy) or clarified butter (ghee).

We were also advised to purchase some sort of "green" drink (ex. wheat grass or barley grass) or powdered green drink (ex. Pure Synergy, Berry Greens, Greens Rx). We bought the Berry Greens and Greens Rx and are very pleased with it. It seems to keep my mom's energy levels up and, more importantly, consistent. No peaks and valleys, my friends! I know fatigue is a huge issue with cancer patients, so it's something that we needed to address.

Vitamins/Supplements

Wobenzyme PS: enhances natural killer cell activity and immune communication. It acts as an antiinflammatory and stimulates your immune cells to focus in on cancer cells.

Avemar: enhances natural killer cell activity while reducing cancer cell DNA synthesis and repair.

A.H.C.C: improves immune strength during chemotherapy. It is derived from a type of Japanese mushroom.

Vitamin D: 8000 I.U./day(!!!) There is a TON of information on vitamin D, specifically D3. My most-recent "WW" post had some information about it.

Salvestrol Platinum: related to resveratrol, they promote cancer cell death (apoptosis) via activation of CYP1B1.

Chemo Support Formula: keeps the liver, kidneys, and nervous system strong during chemotherapy.

Therapies

Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin): promotes normal cell division and growth while supporting nerve health. Specifically, these would be used to help with my mom's peripheral neuropathy. She's just starting to feel the tingling/numbness associated with the condition, so we thought it best to catch it early before any kind of permanent damage was done.

Modified High Myer's IV Cocktail: ensures basic nutrient needs are met. This is what we were receiving when I posted earlier today from the nutritionist's office! It was very interesting, actually. Basically, it's this little IV bag (once again, BFF...) that you're hooked up to that gives you, as the name suggests, a "cocktail" of different vitamins and minerals to replenish what your body is lacking. The nurse told us to note how much fluid was in the bag if my mom started to taste or smell something "vitamin-ey". Right away, my mom reported it within a couple seconds of administering the fluids. Initially, I thought that this would be a bad thing. But then the nurse told us that was an excellent sign as that meant that my mom's vitamin B levels were up to par and doing well! Yeeeeuh! Also something to note, after receiving the cocktail today, my mom felt pretty much energized throughout the whole day right up until around 1am. Hopefully that is the cocktail at work. HOPEFULLY. One other thing to note is that it is a water-soluble solution. From what I gathered, that means that your body takes what it needs from the cocktail and then excretes the rest through your urine within about 24 hours. This is important because it means we don't have to wait until our week off to receive it. If we administer the solution a day before chemo, that should give my mom's body ample time to absorb what it needs and get rid of what it doesn't so as to not possibly interfere with the other drugs. Correct me if i'm wrong?

Far Infrared Sauna: enhances tissue detoxification and elevates core body temperature which is known to slow cancer cell growth.

PHEW! that was a.LOT to get through! Now, out of that ginormous list, my mom decided that, for now, she would only pursue the basic dietary "rules", vitamin D (new dosage), B12 shots, and the Myer's cocktail. We were given this list of recommendations at the same time as when we were taking Revlimid for the first time. To be safe, we thought we would avoid all the other stuff (as most of them deal directly with the cancer and chemo) so as to not skew the results on how effective the Revlimid was. So, that's pretty much where we're at. I know it's a lot of information, but hopefully it helps you in some shape or form. Most importantly, our nutritionist is helping us plan for how best to recover from the transplant as quickly and safely as possible.

Update Yo!

2010-05-12T12:49:00.004-06:00

So I figure it's probably due time that I post an update on where we're currently at. A lot has happened since the last time I posted anything about my mom's progress. So here goes! About a month or so ago, we learned just exactly how fragile my moms bones are. We had just got home, and my mom was leaning against the kitchen counter (no biggie), and she fractured.her.ribs. That was a bit freaky. Definitely another wake-up call (don't you just LOVE how many this condition gives you!? Like oh em gee! (That was sarcasm, incase you couldn't tell)). Thankfully, it wasn't anything major or serious, so we just made SURE to take it easy and rest up. Thank the lord winter is almost over. Can you imagine what a slip on the ice could do! Not cool.

Because the velcade was not cutting down the numbers as fast as we wanted, we also added revlimid to our treatment. That was a little stressful because we had been anticipating a host of new and wonderful side effects, but thankfully, they have been quite minimal! All things considered, we have been very fortunate in terms of side effects. Some additional tingling/numbness in the hands and feet, and a little more fatigue, but definitely not anything that impaired our current quality of life. The other day, we got our numbers in from our first cycle of rev/velcade/dex, and the numbers were great! Our m-spike levels are down to about 34.9 g/L. Still not where we need to be, but compared to diagnosis (89.7!!!), that's a SUPERB number. One round of revlimid/velcade/dex has decreased the protein numbers more than about three rounds of velcade/dex. So, if the m-spike continues to drop at a constant or, hopefully, increased rate, we can expect to be prepping for transplant in about two more cycles! Yeeeeeuh!

A little while back, I had mentioned our little dilemma with the nutritionists and which to see. Well, we decided to NOT go with the doc with all the connections. Nothing says "I care about you" than being rushed out of an office with a price quote of supplements. Gee, thanks! Not. From personal experiences, I have found that a doctor's personality and how he/she addresses you is equally as important as how he/she treats you. At least in our case. In the past, when we were assigned a "substitute" because ours was too busy for our checkup, she ended up being very confusing and a little pessimistic. That took my mom a good week to recover from (you can imagine my frustration! My family worked so very hard to get her to a place where she was stronger and happier, and that came crashing down in about twenty minutes...) I find that if you feel a doc cannot give you the time of day, then how much do they really care for you? We need a doc that we can believe in. So we decided to go with the warm, inviting, PATIENT nutritionist instead. So far, we are happy with the experience. Albeit, we haven't done too much, but you can tell that the staff truly care for you. They see you as human beings rather than paychecks. So, that's always good. That's where were currently at (literally. In the nutritionists office as I type!) I don't have a paper of the current nutritional treatment we're on at the moment, but ill post one up when I get home so you can all take a look :)

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Wellness Wednesdays

2010-05-11T22:11:00.005-06:00

#12 Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not. Imitation butter – aka margarine – is the classic example. To make something like nonfat cream cheese that contains neither cream nor cheese requires an extreme degree of processing; such products should be labeled as imitations and avoided. The same rule applies to soy-based mock meats, artificial sweeteners, and fake fats and starches. Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

#13 Omega-3s. “Organic” meats or eggs contain few or no pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics, but they are not necessarily balanced in omega-3s. If the animals have simply been fed organic corn and soy but are not grass fed or free range, their meat and eggs remain excessively rich in proinflammatory omega-6s and deficient in omega-3s. To be sure that you’re eating products of the same quality as what your grandparents ate, look for labels that specify “grass fed” or “rich in omega-3s”. Source: Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber

#14 Sugar. Recently, the team at the University of Sydney that introduced the concept of “glycemic index” pointed out a natural substitute for white sugar with a very low glycemic index: Agave nectar. An extract from cactus sap (used to make tequila), it tastes delicious, comparable to a light honey. It is three times sweeter than white sugar, but its glycemic index is four to five times lower than that of honey. (The glycemic index is considered “low” if it is under 55; glucose has an index of 100. The glycemic index of agave nectar is between 15 and 21, and between 60 and 80 for most kinds of honey.) Agave nectar can be used instead of sugar or the usual syrups to sweeten tea, coffee, fruits, and desserts. Xylitol, a birch-bark extract, is highly sweetening but contains only one third of the calories of other sugars. It does not cause blood sugar or insulin levels to rise, and it is the only sugar that has been linked to a decrease in the risk of dental cavities. Source: Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber

#15 Vitamin D. Skin cells produce vitamin D when they are exposed directly to the sun. People who live away from the equator produce less vitamin D and can sometimes be deficient. It has recently been shown that a significant supply of vitamin D reduces considerably the risk of several cancers (by more than 75% with a daily intake of 1000 international units (IUs) of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D form), in a Creighton University study published in 2007. In a Canadian pilot study of fifteen patients with prostate cancer, researchers reported on the effects of taking just 2000 IUs of vitamin D3 daily over a median of eight months (up to 65 months for one of the patients). Fourteen of them saw a slowing of progression of their PSA levels (the most common marker of prostate cancer, used to follow its growth over time). And these levels actually dropped significantly in nine of the patients compared to their levels at the start of treatment.

Other studies published recently have shown positive effects of vitamin D3 on breast cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer. Many researchers now believe that vitamin D3 contributes to slowing down all forms of cancer, at least in the early stages. Moreover, we no know that vitamin D3 very likely protects us from colds and flu and contributes to maintaining a positive mental outlook – a precious antidote to lower energy levels during the dark, cold months of winter.

The Canadian Cancer Association now recommends a daily intake of 1000 IUs of vitamin D during the fall and winter months (because of Canada’s limited access to sunlight) and all year long to people over sixty-five years of age and those who get very limited exposure to the sun because of lifestyle or religious reasons. Take care: Vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol, should be avoided, since some specialists have reported potential toxicity from hypercalcemia.

Remember that twenty minutes of noonday sun exposure to the entire body provides between 8000 and 10000 IUs (but beware of the risk of overexposure, which is clearly related to skin cancer).

The foods that contain the most vitamin D are cod liver oil (1,460 IUs in a tablespoon), salmon (360 IUs in 100 grams), mackerel (345 IUs in 100 grams), sardines (270 IUs in 100 grams), and eel (200 IUs in 100 grams). Milk enriched with vitamin D contains only 98 IUs per glass, an egg 25 IUs, and calf liver 20 IUs per 100 grams.

Though rare, there are possible risks associated with excessive intake of vitamin D3. Kidney stones may develop, due to excessive calcium in the urine, and hypercalceima (excessive levels of calcium in the bloodstream) may develop, which, in some very rare cases, can be lethal to people with cancer. I therefore recommend that you measure blood levels of vitamin D3 and calcium levels in blood and urine under your doctor’s supervision before you begin supplements and roughly every three months subsequently. Source: Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber

Sorry. Bit of a doozy, eh? If you want to know more about the importance of vitamin D (and its connection with Multiple Myeloma), check out Margaret's Health Blog! It's Super!

#16 Meal Replacement Bars: Nutrition on the go. I thought this would be a relevant post as many of us are constantly busy with treatments and other activities.

Meal Replacement Bars: Formulated to be a meal substitute, these bars typically contain 300 to 400 calories. These are not snacks. Check out the calorie content and the nutrient density of a bar. When looking for a meal replacement, set the bar high. Look for those that contain whole food ingredients such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fruit – preferably organic. If ingredient names are unpronounceable or their true identities are unknown, take a pass on that product. To be of nutritional benefit, a bar should contain at least 5g of protein and at least 3g of fibre. Always watch the amount of saturated fat, sodium, and sugar a bar contains. This is especially important for those with health concerns such as high blood pressure or diabetes. High sugar content can rapidly elevate blood glucose in diabetics. However, bars that contain protein and fibre allow blood glucose to rise gradually and safely. Avoid bars that contain as much saturated fat and sugar as a candy bar. Meal replacement bars, when eaten occasionally, are a convenient, portable way to ingest an optimal amount of nutrients rather than skip a meal or resort to fast foods.

Energy Bars: Also known as sports bars, energy bars were created to improve the endurance of athletes, such as marathon runners, cyclists, or cross-country skiers. Many of these bars provide a big hit of carbohydrates. Bars that contain extra carbohydrates may benefit an endurance athlete but aren’t necessary for the average person. Some energy bars are high in carbs; others are high in protein. Strength training demands extra protein; tuck a bar in your gym bag for a post-workout snack. Look for bars that contain less than 200 calories; the goal is to boost nutrient intake and provide a balanced source of energy, not replace a meal. Avoid bars that list high-fructose corn syrup on the ingredient list.

Source: May 2010 Issue of Alive Magazine. Article by Ellen Niemer

True Life

2010-05-11T16:22:00.005-06:00

Mtv's "True Life" started off a brand new season with an episode that I am sure all of us can relate to. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this show, it is basically a documentary series that follows the lives of people, from schizophrenics to shopaholics to embarrassing parents. It is a fascinating and wonderful show. The premiere episode of the new season is titled "True Life: I Need A Transplant". I highly recommend you give it a watch. Although, an advanced warning if I may, don't watch it in front of anyone you want to impress, unless you'd like to do so with puffy eyes and a drooling nostril. It's very emotional (or maybe I am just an emotional person). Not gonna lie... I am terrified of the transplant procedure we are planning to go through this summer. My feelings towards it are a mixture of pure dread and anticipation, because I know it will do my mom wonders. In the long run, it is a small price to pay if it will mean a remission that lasts 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 years. Just gotta be strong.

Provided is a link to the show you can watch online. Note, this is the Canadian website. If you can't access it, try going to mtv.com, then shows, and search True Life. Should be there. Enjoy!

True Life: I Need A Transplant

An Observation...

2010-05-10T15:03:00.006-06:00

What does it mean when you see a full "new patient" orientation group every week in the cancer ward? It means people are getting sick. And more frequently. Not cool.

It also means that, even in a society as advanced as ours, we are still doing something wrong. Basic nutrition and well-being are so so important in prevention and treatment, my friends. Now is the time for change.
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I Heart You

2010-05-09T02:01:00.001-06:00

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Wellness Wednesdays

2010-05-05T01:41:00.007-06:00

#7 Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients: Labels list ingredients by weight, and any product that has more sugar than other ingredients has too much sugar. Complicating matters is the fact that, thanks to food science, there are now some forty types of sugar used in processed food, including barley malt, beet sugar, brown rice syrup, cane juice, corn sweetener, dextrin, dextrose, fructo-oligosaccarides, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, sucrose, invert sugar, polydextrose, turbinado sugar, and so on. To repeat: Sugar is sugar. And organic sugar is sugar too. As for noncaloric sweeteners such as aspartame or Splenda, research (in both humans and animals) suggests that switching to artificial sweeteners does not lead to weight loss, for reasons not yet well understood. But it may be that deceiving the brain with the reward of sweetness stimulates a craving for even more sweetness. Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

#8 Avoid food products that make health claims: This sounds counterintuitive, but consider: for a product to carry a health claim on its package, it must first have a package, so right off the bat it's more likely to be a processed rather than a whole food. Then, only the big food manufacturers have the wherewithal to secure FDA-approved health claims for their products and then trumpet them to the world. Generally, it is the products of modern food science that make the boldest health claims, and these are often founded on incomplete and often bad science. Don't forget that margarine, one of the first industrial foods to claim it was more healthful than the traditional food it replaced, turned out to contain transfats that give people heart attacks. The healthiest food in the supermarket - the fresh produce - doesn't boast about its healthfulness, because the growers don't have the budget or the packaging. Don't take the silence of the yams as a sign they have nothing valuable to say about your health. Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

#9 Eat your colors: The idea that a healthy plate of food will feature several different colors is a good example of an old wives' tale about food that turns out to be good science too. The colors of many vegetables reflect the different antioxidant phytochemicals they contain - anyhocyanins, pholyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids. Many of these chemicals help protect against chronic diseases, but each in a slightly different way, so the best protection comes from a diet containing as many different phytochemicals as possible. Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

#10 No such thing as "microwave-safe" plastic!: So we've finally woken up to the fact that microwaving plastic baby bottles is plain tantrum-worthy. Not only does estrogen-mimicking bisphenol A (BPA) leach from polycarbonate plastic during regular use, but studies have found that one zap in the microwave can cause as much leaching as 60 to 100 rounds in the dishwasher. Kind of erodes your confidence in the whole "microwave-safe" label, doesn't it? Especially when you find out that no one regulates the term. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised that when the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, in the fall of 2008, lab-tested 10 plastic food containers for microwave leaching, they found even plastics Nos. 1, 2 and 5 had BPA leaching. These included frozen food trays, microwaveable soup containers, and plastic baby food packaging. What? Isn't BPA only in No. 7 polycarbonate plastic? Guess not. Stay safe and follow these tips: 1. Never microwave food or drinks in any plastic. Period. 2. Never microwave or heat plastic wrap. 3. Don't put plastics in the dishwasher. Heat (including hot water from dishwashers) boosts leaching from purportedly dishwasher-safe polycarbonate, so who's to say your dishwasher-safe plastic won't leach when someone decides to test that too. Source: Ecoholic: Home by Adria Vasil

#11 Red Wine: Red wine contains many polyphenols, including the celebrated resveratrol. These polyphenols are extracted by fermentation; hence, their concentration is much greater in wine than in grape juice. Since they come from the skin and seeds of the grape, there are not nearly as many in white wine. The methods used for preserving wine protect it from oxygen, which means resveratrol is not exposed to rapid oxidation as it is in grape juice or raisins, which have lost most of their polyphenols. Resveratrol acts on genes (called sirtuines) that are known to protect healthy cells against aging. It can also slow the three stages of cancer development - initiation, promotion, and progression - by blocking the action of NF-kappa B. Because resveratrol also acts as an antiangiogenic, like thalidomide it can interfere with fetal development. This is one reason to avoid alcohol (even red wine) during pregnancy. Resveratrol supplements should also be avoided by women who may become pregnant. Recommendations for use: These results are observed with concentrations similar to those obtained after consumption of one glass of red wine a day. (More than one glass daily should be avoided, since it may lead to an increase in cancer.) Pinot noir, originally from the damp climate of Burgundy, is particularly rich in resveratrol. Source: AntiCancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber

** I should note that NF-kappa B, especially for MM patients, is BAD NEWS BEARS! I don't really want to get into the details because this post would never end, but you can go to Margaret's Health Blog (there is a link on the side of the home page), and read more about it. She has a PLETHORA of knowledge in regards to this subject (and many, many others), so I encourage you to at least take a look :) **

No Pee

2010-05-04T19:33:00.001-06:00

Four simple words: 24-hr Urine Test

I saw this little note in the bathroom today and thought it was cute. I'm sure you can all relate to the pains of this test. Last time we forgot to collect, and the whole test was RUINED! It's enough to throw someone into a conniption fit of epic proportions.
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Wellness Wednesdays

2010-04-28T17:42:00.009-06:00

Ok so i've decided that one tip is simply not enough, so WW will now include 5! Enjoy :)

#2: Eat only foods that will eventually rot: What does it mean for food to "go bad"? It usually means that the fungi and bacteria and insects and rodents with whom we compete for nutrients and calories have gotten to it before we did. Food processing began as a way to extend the shelf life of food by protecting it from these competitors. This is often accomplished by making the food less appealing to them, by removing nutrients from it that attract competitors, or by removing other nutrients likely to turn rancid, like omega-3 fatty acids. The more processed a food is, the longer the shelf life, and the less nutritious it typically is. Real food is alive - and therefore it should eventually die. Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

#3: Eat some foods that have been predigested by bacteria or fungi: Many traditional cultures swear by the health benefits of fermented foods - foods that have been transformed by live microorganisms, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, soy sauce, kimchi, and sourdough bread. These foods can be a good source of vitamin B12, an essential nutrient you can't get from plants. (B12 is produced by animals and bacteria.) Many fermented foods also contain probiotics - beneficial bacteria that research suggests improve the function of the digestive and immune systems and, according to some studies, help reduce allergic reactions and inflammation. Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

#4: Eat animals that have themselves eaten well: The diet of the animals we eat strongly influences the nutritional quality, and healthfulness, of the food we get from them, whether it is meat or milk or eggs. This should be self-evident, yet it is a truth routinely overlooked by the industrial food chain in its quest to produce vast quantities of cheap animal protein. That quest has changed the diet of most of our food animals in ways that have often damaged their health and healthfulness. We feed animals a high-energy diet of grain to make them grow quickly, even in the case of ruminants that have evolved to eat grass. But even food animals that can tolerate grain are much healthier when they have access to green plants - and so, it turns out, are their meat and eggs. The food from these animals will contain much healthier types of fat (more omega-3s, less omega-6s) as well as appreciably higher levels of vitamins and antioxidants. (For the same reason, meat from wild animals is particularly nutritious). It's worth looking for pastured animal foods in the market - and paying the premium prices they typically command if you can. Source: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

#5: Cruciform Vegetables: Cabbages (brussels sprouts, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) contain sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinols (I3Cs), which are powerful anticancer molecules. Sulforaphane and I3Cs are capable of detoxifying certain carcinogenic substances. They prevent precancerous cells from developing into malignant tumors. They also promote the suicide of cancer cells and block angiogenesis. In 2009, at the Cancer Research Center of the University of Pittsburgh, biologist Dr. Shivendra Singh and his team studied the impact of sulforaphane - an antioxidant contained in cruciform vegetables - on prostate cancer in mice. They made two radical new discoveries. First, consumption of sulforaphane three times a week considerably increases the action of NK cells against tumors (by more than 50%). Second, tumor-carrying rats that consumed sulforaphane were shown to have half as much risk of developing metastases as those that did not. Take note: Avoid boiling cabbage and broccoli. Boiling risks destroying sulforaphane and I3Cs. Source: Anticancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber.

#6: Ginger: Ginger root acts as a powerful antiinflammatory and an antioxidant (more effective than vitamin E, for example) and has protective effects. It acts against certain cancer cells. Moreover, it helps reduce the creation of new blood vessels. A ginger infusion tea also helps alleviate nausea from chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Source: Anticancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber.