LaLa Land

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.

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!!!

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.

More on this later. Family movie night.

Source: Anticancer: A New Way of Life (website)

And So It Begins...

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!

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

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

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!

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

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 :)

L