Touched by Cancer

Mass Hysteria

2012-02-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

Dr. Poddatoori called me this morning. It's Sunday morning, for heaven's sake! I have the most fabulous gynecologist.

She had been out of town with a family emergency, and hadn't kept up with what was going on with me. Dr. Stern's office had just sent her the MRI results. And she basically interpreted that for me, saying that the cancer had gone into the muscle mass. And that surgery will probably be removing muscle as well as the uterus and perhaps lymph nodes.

The PET CT will tell us, she said, whether the lymph nodes are enlarged or not, and whether it's spread. But, as I reported to Dr. P, the insurance has yet to approve the PET scan. And it's been two weeks already, when usually it takes a week.

I will be seeing Dr. Stern, the oncologist, this Thursday. I promised to call Dr. P that afternoon to tell her what was discussed. I don't believe we'll have the results of the PET CT, however, so I kind of wonder whether this is one meeting short of a full decision.

We wait on, but it sure doesn't look good.

A Weighty Matter

2012-01-31T17:41:00.000-08:00

This is sort of an addendum to the last post, but not really. Sorta, kinda.

I've been eating a lot. I've gained 20 pounds, exactly, since last August. And I know exactly why, or at least I do now. I didn't over the last several months.

Worry, stress, all over this medical thing. Do I have cancer, or don't I. What has to be done. Sometimes the tests are more onerous than the surgery. Being poked and prodded, suffering invasions and pain. It took a while for me to report, and now, some three months later, I'm still waiting for the solution.

So I'm eating my way through California. Actually, it's mostly sugar I'm eating. My nemesis, my addiction. This cancer thing isn't exactly eating me alive; rather, it's the other way around.

Still, I have to think of the colonoscopy I just had today (one less thing to worry about, DONE!) to get on the proper weight training track. I just cleansed my system. I hope to take advantage of that.

And if we ever get around to having that uterine- and ovaries-removing procedure, WHAM! I'll instantly lose, what, 10 pounds? At that point, I'm almost even for the year!

A Heavy Shadow

2012-01-31T17:24:00.000-08:00

Medical stuff takes a long time. Have you noticed that? Due to my commitments and Dr. Stern's journey to Japan, I can't get with him face-to-face until two weeks from now. However, my regular GP, Dr. Laura Miller of Lifelong in Oakland, called me a couple of times and left messages.

This last time was Friday night, and she said she was seeing a lot of paperwork with my name on it come through with test results. On Monday morning, I promptly called her to see if she had the results of the MRI. I had been waiting weeks and had heard nothing. She did. She hesitated in revealing what was on the report, but she kept repeating that it was a topic of "great concern." Over and over. Rather than leave me there, however, she called Dr. Stern's office and practically insisted that someone in his office, one of his staff, call me and tell me the results instead of just leaving me hanging there. And so they did.

Stephanie called to tell me that the radiologist reported that there was a "mass inside the uterus...suspicious for endometrial cancer," or so it was interpreted by Stephanie when she told me over the phone today. It's too large for a fibroid, she followed.

So, what does that mean. It means.... it's time for another test! This time it's a PET scan, similar to the last MRI I just had, only with radiological material (glucose) instead of contrast material inserted into my veins.

What did we ever do without the internet? According to RadiologyInfo.org, PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography, which is "a type of nuclear medicine imaging."

Small amounts of radioactive material are injected or taken orally or inhaled as a gas, accumulate in the organ or area of the body being examined, and help in diagnosing diseases because they're able to pinpoint molecular activity within the body. Radioactive emissions from the radio tracer are detected by a special camera that produces pictures and detailed molecular information.

The PET scan seems to be quite different in how it works as opposed to the MRI. The CT produces "excellent anatomic information, while the PET scan measures "important body functions, such as blood flow, oxygen use, and sugar (glucose) metabolism, to help doctors evaluate how well organs and tissues are functioning."

Stephanie went on to tell me the PET scan will aid in identifying cancer in the uterus, specifically that mass, and whether it's spread and where.

We are now awaiting clearance from my insurance company, which takes about a week. Megan will then call me with phone numbers, etc., by which to make the appointment. I'm going to make sure this one happens soon. After all, it would be optimal if we could get all the tests done and results in by the time my appointment comes up with Dr. Stern in mid-February.

Modern Dentistry and How It Relates to the Phantom of the Opera

2012-01-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

At the end of my dental appointment yesterday, I asked if I had another appointment. Because, I said out loud to the receptionist/scheduler, there's always more work to be done.

I just had a crown put on. The amazing part, to me, was that they have their own lab, and the crown only took about 20 minutes to manufacture. This, after waiting two weeks at my other dentist. Which meant that they had to pound off the well-secured temporary -- double the trouble. So I'm really pleased about that.

The surprising part is that the dentist, Dr. Binh, used dental software to figure out how the crown should be shaped (the photo to the right is actually him and a visualization of my changing tooth). It was an irregular shape, due to the fact that my previous dentist left some real tooth there. So the new tooth would look like the Phantom of the Opera's face: half real face (tooth), half mask (porcelain crown).

I can really get used to this kind of modernization. What I'll never get used to is the time every appointment takes (2.5 hours this time), and, of course, the cost.

P.S. Every time I go into a medical workshop, or whatever medical, they always ask when my last dental appointment was, my last optometrist's appointment, etc. Medical professionals have finally caught on that it's all interrelated. If I have rotten teeth, it's going to figure heavily into my health.

A Picture of My Uterus, Suitable for Framing

2012-01-21T16:36:00.000-08:00

I went to the MRI last Wednesday at the Imaging Center on Telegraph in Oakland. it's the same place that sees my breasts every year, so I knew exactly where to go. And going at 8am helped us find parking, although, as usual, the parking lot was still pretty full.

First, we got a runaround. I came in, presented my paperwork, and without looking anything up, the receptionist told me that I was in the wrong place. She told us to go to the Alta Bates Herrick Campus, the same place where the oncologist's office is. However, we turned to go back to her, as Ruth wanted an exact address, and found out that she had been on the phone with them; she subsequently discovered that I had no appointment there. When I asked her if she was sure we didn't have an appointment at her place, she looked and, voila! there was my name. Lesson Here: Don't always trust what they say.

Shortly after that nearly tragic snafu, some tech named Bill came in and told me to take my pants off and put scrubs on. He whispered to me, "Are you wearing a bra?" When I said yes, he whispered back to me to take that off, too, but keep my shirt on.

After sitting there with half of the pajamas on for 10 minutes, Bill finally came and got me. He explained that I will have an injection about half the way through the MRI. I understood that to be the dye for the contrast part of the x-ray.

The automatic roller took me into the tube. I have been in this chamber before. It's rather tight, so I have to pull my elbows in and rest my hands on my chest, but I'm not supposed to rest them on the plastic platform they've placed over my pelvis.

I was amazed at how long I was in there. I couldn't tell time, but the whole process took an hour, so I would guess a good half an hour. I learned what noises represented repositioning and what noises were about the x-ray itself being employed.

So, about half an hour later, they rolled me out. I met another tech, probably a nurse, who gave me an injection -- which I barely felt -- and told me I would have to hold my breath for 20 seconds. 20 seconds seems like an awfully long time. I could hear him through the earphones as he would tell me, in a thick accent, "Okay, hold your breath now!" I had to do this three times, with a minute in between to literally catch my breath. The second time, I couldn't hold it the whole time, which is just ridiculous. I obviously thought it would be easy. But the third time I got it, and he said it was all done.

They handed me a CD on the way out. Bill didn't explain it, but I supposed it was pictures of the MRI images. Yep. Except that the software provided on the disc was a million years old, a 0.3 version instead of the current 3.4 version, and so it wouldn't download.

I hired Neil, my Mac guy, to come out and help me with it. He downloaded the software from the OsiriX website. And then the pictures started coming up. Black and white, hundreds of them. I have reprinted some of them here.

I can't interpret these pictures. i can occasionally pick out intestines, a bone, but don't know what those big, round blotches are. But isn't it fascinating?

More Tests, Always

2012-01-12T10:38:00.001-08:00

I went to the oncologist last week, Dr. Jeffrey Stern in Berkeley. Everywhere along the way each person told me that he was the best. I kinda wonder how they would know unless they've been under his knife before. And I doubt that. But it does tell me that Dr. Stern has a great reputation.

Dr. Stern recommended two additional tests, a blood test and an MRI. Each will not tell them definitively if I have cancer in places they haven't biopsied, but they are additional tools to tell them what to expect once they open me up during surgery. As Dr. Poddatoori explained, the biopsies told them pretty much what to expect INSIDE the uterus, but nothing has told them about the outside.

If both tests are negative, I can reasonably expect a small incision during the hysterectomy. And I will go home from the hospital the next morning. If the tests are positive, or when they open me they find cancer, or that it's spread, I can expect a larger incision, more things like lymph nodes taken out, a longer recovery time, and possible side effects later on (like problems with my legs, for example, from the removal of lymph nodes). It's hard to think about that possibility, so for now I'll just do the tests.

I did the blood test the next day. Once that was taken care of, they would schedule the MRI. Only, it turns out, they don't schedule it, I do. I got a phone call from Dr. Stern's office this morning, telling me to schedule the MRI with the imaging center on Telegraph, a place I've practically dated over my many mammograms. After two phone calls, I got someone who told me they hadn't received the fax. So, again, scheduling problems. I'll have to wait a little and try again.

It's Not Cancer

2011-12-22T23:25:00.000-08:00

The relief I feel is palpable. It's not cancer.

My gynecologist called me when -- get this -- I was in a timeshare presentation in Hawaii, the Big Island. I excused myself, walked outside and walked on the grass next to the ocean. What an ironically beautiful place to take such a phone call, I thought.

I didn't understand most of what Dr P tried to explain to me -- after all, in stressful times like this, I only picked up on two terms ("there's no cancer" and "you'll need an operation"), but I did pick up that there's definitely abnormal activity going on in the endometrial wall. So much so that Dr P told me that she advocated for a complete hysterectomy. When she asked me how I felt about that, I said I was all for it.

Imagine being in paradise but unable to go in the water because you're on a perpetual bleeding cycle. One that won't quit. This operation will finally take care of that.

She did add in the conversation that she'll set up an oncologist to be on call during my operation, a Dr. Stern. Dr Stern will advise Dr P during the hysterectomy if more tissue or lymph nodes should be removed.

Stacy, the scheduling maven, called me later to advise me to call Dr Stern's office tomorrow to be scheduled for his end of the operation.

And so it begins.

The Biopsy Is Over

2011-12-16T12:18:00.000-08:00

My in-hospital but out-patient biopsy was done yesterday. It took all day.

But gosh, it was pain-free for the most part, except for the tech who tried to stick the needle in my hand over and over. I took two little pills -- actually, they rested between my cheek and teeth and just dissolved. They opened up my cervix to make it easier to insert the camera through the cervix to the uterus. So I felt some cramping from that, a little disturbing until I remembered where it was coming from. My doctor, Dr. Vineela Paddatoori, had prepared me well.

The object of this surgical procedure was to do a biopsy of several parts of the uterine wall while using an inserted camera to see where the best samples might be. And to do a PAP smear. I haven't had a biopsy since 1978. And have never had a PAP smear.

I was too far out of it to remember Dr. P's visit with me, but she explained to my partner, Ruth, that the lighter parts of the picture are the parts about which we should be concerned. The parts which may indicate uterine cancer.

She took 11 camera shots of the lining of the wall. It looks quite disturbing. We won't know the official results for another week or so. And, really, we won't know the results until Dr. P. interprets it all for us.

Right now, I feel great. Post-op has been really easy. For now, we wait. However, I'm 90% convinced that a hysterectomy is in my near future, as the signs don't look healthy.

Setting Up Appointments, otherwise known as, Shoot Me Now...

2011-12-01T22:21:00.000-08:00

I don't know how sick people do this. Sit through seven phone calls, trying to figure out what your appointments will be, and how to get back to people who don't answer their phone.

I got a call back from the Surgical Scheduler (you gotta love that moniker) for my gynecologist, who told me to call her back. Only she doesn't answer the phone. I finally reach her -- by accident, she picked up the phone, or so it seemed -- and she told me she wasn't ready for me. This is after she had called ME.

So I waited for her to call me back. This is a stressful time for me. I want to set this up so that I can behave like I'm supposed to, and actually go through with this surgical procedure. But this is one obstacle on the way. 24 hours later, literally, she called me back. But then I found out why it takes so long.

She has to clear times with the doctor, and she has to clear surgical times with the hospital. She has to set up a pre-op appointment with me and the GYN, with me and the hospital people (most likely the anesthesiologist), which is usually two days before the surgery, and then the actual surgery. And then she sets up a follow-up appointment with me and the GYN, again. AND I have to have my doctor send in an approval slip, a "clearance note," to her. That last part didn't make any sense to Dr. Miller (another tough person to get a hold of), but I think I talked the Surgical Scheduler into faxing my doc a note about it. Whew.

So I'm all scheduled for the actual surgery on December 15th, with pre-op appointments prior to that. You know, after this part of the dance, I think the actual procedure is going to be a piece of cake.

Just Don't Add Sugar to That Turkey...

2011-11-26T17:04:00.001-08:00

One way I have to not overeat at Thanksgiving, and, more importantly, not eat a lot of sugar during the holiday, is to control some of the dishes myself.

I am not known for my cooking. (Somewhere, my mother, father, and entire family are laughing at me upon reading that...)
But there are some things that I've learned I can do, and do well. For instance, I am known far and wide (okay, within the immediate family) for my pumpkin pie. What they don't know is that I use reduced sugar in the recipe.

Instead of 1 cup of sugar, I use a mixed blend of Splenda and sugar, the kind you can buy in a bag at Safeway. I could use 100% Splenda, and I have, but the lack of sugar plays with the consistency. So I just reduce.

I also have taken over the cranberry relish. I used to hate the jellied mess my mom would plop out of the can onto the set table for Thanksgiving. Ugh! Now, I take 1 quart of water in a saucepan, add 1 cup of Splenda, boil the mixture, take it off the heat, add fresh or frozen cranberries plus 1 teaspoon of orange zest, bring it back to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. I then take it off the heat, let the mixture cool, put it in a container, cover it, and refrigerate it until ready to serve. Voila! No added sugar.

The rest of Thanksgiving consists of turkey (or, in our case, brisket as well as the turkey), stuffing and biscuits. Plenty of food. But no sugar to give me trouble later.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Inside the Uterus.... Well, Not Yet...

2011-11-23T13:52:00.000-08:00

I went to see a female gynecologist in Berkeley. My own doctor, Dr. Miller, had told me that she had met Dr. Poddatoori, and found her to be kind and sensitive. She's also young, but I actually find that encouraging. It means she knows the latest breakthroughs in her specialty.

Due to the advocacy of my partner, Dr. Poddatoori decided not to do a pelvic exam. Instead, and she said this is the latest standard of care going on in gynecology regarding biopsies of the uterine wall, she's going to hospitalize me, insert a camera so that she can see what area of the uterine wall she's sampling for the biopsy, and then take the sample. While there, she will also do a PAP smear. All the while I will be completely out.

No one wants to wait a month or two to schedule this. She said they'd call me in a couple of days. However, Thanksgiving week interferes with office schedules, and I might not get a call until early December.

The earlier the better. I'm ready to get on with this. I found a doctor I can work with, one who explains things -- she took quite a bit of time with me -- and someone who doesn't want to hurt her patients unnecessarily.

It looks like progesterone pills are in my future, but first we determine if I have cancer.

Not a Good Sign(s)

2011-11-05T19:55:00.000-07:00

Two symptoms. I have two symptoms. I thought I only had one.

A 63-year-old woman should not be menstruating. But I am. Well, they don't call it that. They call it "abnormal bleeding." Hell, any bleeding would be abnormal.

That's one strike. My doctor finally talked me into seeing a gynecologist. And that's after an ultrasound. (I've had two.) The latest ultrasound, I found out yesterday, showed a thickening of the uterine wall. That's the second symptom.

I didn't think much of Dr. Miller's comment -- and the fact that she interceded for me and got a closer appointment. But a few hours later, I found myself wondering. Worrying. Cancer may be back. It would probably be endometrial cancer in this case. I'll have to research it.

My GYN appointment is Thanksgiving week. I'm sure they'll do an endometrial biopsy. We'll see what happens.

Light Drinking Linked to Breast Cancer Risk

2011-11-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

The L.A. Times reported this morning that "drinking as few as three to six glasses of wine a week may increase a woman's lifetime risk of breast cancer by 15%, according to an analysis by Harvard University researchers."

But, of course, if you're a heavy drinker of alcohol, your risk goes way up. Damned if you do, damned if you do a little.

"'Alcohol is a real risk factor, and the more you drink the higher your risk," said Dr. Steven A. Narod, a professor and breast cancer researcher at the University of Toronto..."

But preventive experts still say, "Whether women should consider abstaining from even light alcohol consumption... is not easily answered."

And, remember, previous experts in the field have noted that "having a few drinks a week has been found to lower the incidence of heart disease by 25% to 40%. The average woman's lifetime risk for heart disease is 1 in 2," while the average woman's risk for breast cancer is 1 in 8 over her lifetime.

Source: L.A. Times, November 2, 2011

My Greatest Weakness

2011-10-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Food. I love it. I'm addicted to it. But not the leafy, green, healthy stuff. More like the meat n' potatoes stuff, bread, the stuff I grew up on.

But you'd know that if you had paying any attention. I don't like to try "diets." I have this fear of winding up like Karen Carpenter. Besides, who likes to struggle and starve?

So I tried Nutrisystem. This is the system where they send you food. I ordered too much food -- one mistake I made -- and ran out of room to put the entrees, the desserts, and the snacks. I think another mistake I made was checking "diabetic," which meant that the food was mainly, well, bland. Boring. You have the option of selecting several things they will NOT send you, and while I found that valuable, there were too many for their lists. The best part is that they have a marvelous tracking system online. But in the end, the food was too bland, too cardboardy, to eat.

I then tried Bistro M.D., which looked like an upscale version of Nutrisystem. These meals you actually put in the freezer, and then pull them out, microwave them (all a standard 2.7 minutes, I learned after practice), and then keep track of what you eat. The tracking system online is non-existent, which was too bad. And I ran out of freezer space very quickly. In the end, however, the food was too bland, not interesting enough.

I am now on a modified Visalus shake system. I like the shake system as long as cherries are in season. You can use orange juice (which has a lot of sugar for my diet), non-fat milk, and fruit to spice it up. It has a very pleasant, slight vanilla taste. Cherries make a fanTAStic shake. But strawberries? Too bland.

I'm still experimenting with this. I like the idea of the shake, because I don't have to cook, I don't have to wander out to a diner, and I know it's good for me. But I've got to find some better fruit to put in the shake.

October Is Health Month

2011-10-10T14:52:00.001-07:00

Pardon me for saying this, but I dislike October. The health part. Not the birthday part or the Halloween part, which I love.

For some odd reason, October is often when health issues start calling. I just got a call from my clinic: It's flu shot season. Certainly I signed up for it. (I will take any shot for almost anything. If it means not getting the creeping crud and there's a shot for it, that's a no-brainer decision.)

I got a letter yesterday about my regularly scheduled mammogram. It said I was "overdue" for the check-up. They even stated when I had had the last mammogram: 11 months ago! How often do I have to be prodded and x-rayed? That benign cyst they found in my right breast several years ago keeps paying back dividends, I suppose. It was benign, though. What's the big deal?

At this point, I'm going through everything they request. There are certain things I won't do, I don't want to do and refuse to do. These things are not in that narrow realm.

You know, come to think of it, I think it's time for my every-three-year colonoscopy. Crap.

The F.B.I.

2011-09-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

You won't believe this. This latest medical problem I have isn't related to cancer. Or diabetes. Or even getting older, which is my latest "issue."

I call it the F.B.I. The Foul Ball Incident.

In July, I got hit with a foul ball, right in the chest. To be specific, right in the right breast. It took my breath away, as you can imagine. What made me mad about the whole thing was that I didn't get the foul ball. It fell into the seat in front of me (at the Oakland Coliseum, there are a lot of empty seats all around me). I was too stunned to reach for it. A 20-something guy ran by and got it, and then ran away. I felt cheated.

My right breast was black and blue -- actually, more like changing colors of blue -- for the next 45 days. Nothing was broken. I had reached up my hands to catch it, and the ball came right through them as if they weren't there and hit my body with a loud thump. Probably a good thing. Otherwise, I'd have broken fingers. Or a broken clavicle. Things could've been far worse, and that was my attitude. But I was still simmering.

But a few days ago, I got another chance. I was irritated with the guy sitting next to me, so I was about to leave my aisle seat at the A's vs. the Tigers game, crouching down to get my bag under my seat, when another foul ball came flying past me to the section next to me. It bounced and rolled over to me, and I put my hand on it. But right then a guy jumped on me. He started wrestling me for the ball.

I was still seated, mind you, and watching in disbelief as this 40-something man tried to wrest the ball out of my hand, attempting to pry my fingers loose. After several agonizing seconds, I leaned into him, into his face which was THIS far away from me, and yelled, "Let go!" He did.

I felt a strange sense of vindication as several gray-haired women high-fived me in the section.

Let's do the math. I've gone to an average of, say, 45 games a year from about 1993 to the present. Before that, I probably went to maybe 15 games a year, mostly at Dodger Stadium until I moved to Oakland in 1989. In my calculator, that comes to about 1,000 major league baseball games I've attended in my lifetime. And not ONCE did a foul ball ever come very close to me at all. So, what are the odds that a foul ball would touch me twice within three months in one summer? Astronomical? Or, in other words, as much as beating cancer?

I broke a nail in the wrestling match. 24 hours later, I discovered I had a muscle pull on my right side, no doubt caused by wrestling some grown man for a ball that I could easily have bought at the A's store for $10. And yet, I feel like that ball holds all my strength, my ambition, my will to survive. It's hard to explain, but it's a symbol. I think I'll hold onto it for awhile.

Remember that Cancer You Used to Have?

2011-05-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

I went in to see Dr. Miller today for my regularly scheduled quarterly appointment.

I had no idea why I was there. I had nothing to complain about for once. But, as Dr. Miller reminded me, they like to see me every three months just to make sure things are going well.

There's a lot to go wrong. My cholesterol. My diabetes, for sure. Testing problems, testing materials. Problems renewing my prescriptions. All of that will go wrong and has gone wrong within the past year.

But today was different. Things were going well (except for my diet, which has been tending toward the sugar).

She told me in passing, though, that Alta Bates had sent a questionnaire for her, a routine thing, just to keep up with their former cancer patients. She would fill it out, send it back, and report that everything was going fine. No recurrence, no signs of recurrence.

It's been 8 years since the 2003 colon surgery. I think that's called a colonectomy. At least, that's what I call it. I had almost forgotten about it, except when I run my fingertips along the scar on my abdomen. It's a solid memory. Or I remember it when somebody talks about their hospital experience. I have only been in the hospital twice, and that was one of them.

At this point, it's a good memory, good in that the result, so far, is good. And good for Alta Bates for running these studies. I hope to continue to be on their "inactive" list.

The Shingles Vaccination

2011-05-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

On a cruise to Alaska last summer, my partner discovered immediately as we were settling into our cabin that she was missing some medication. We decided to look for the medication at our first stop, Ketchikan.

A little internet research revealed that the only pharmacy in town was in the local Safeway -- yes, the only Safeway in town. So we found one of the taxis at the port and he drove us to that Safeway early that morning. We had to wait an hour for the pharmacy to open, and were met with a very friendly female pharmacist.

The pharmacy had a huge sign saying, "SHINGLES SHOTS HERE!" so I thought I'd take them up on that. After all, I'd been searching local East Bay pharmacies for the vaccine over the past year, only to be told that they were all out and didn't know when to expect the next shipment. Alas, the friendly pharmacist said the same thing: she had hoped for another shipment in a few months from then.

I found the same sort of sign at a Rite Aid in Montclair last month. I filled out the paperwork they gave me, but the pharmacist was out to lunch, so I decided to come back the next day. Unfortunately, I caught a cold before I could return. They won't give you the shot if you're sick at all.

That cold lingered for a month, but the day I was sure I was over it, I was back in that Rite Aid pharmacy again. The pharmacist ascertained that I was over the age of 50, collected $140 (!), $20 of which went to the pharmacy, and got the shot in the flab under my left arm. A peculiar place, I thought, as he put the needle in. I barely felt it.

The pharmacist told me that they were running out again. I felt fortunate. When I complained about the cost, not covered by my insurance, to my son, the son who had contracted shingles two years ago and still has the scars, he had one thing to say to me: "It's worth it!"

How to Stop Grinding Your Teeth

2011-04-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine gave me some advice a few months ago about grinding my teeth while I sleep. She advised that there are some new mouth inserts out there that have been reengineered to be smaller but effective in stopping your teeth from grinding. i promised I'd try some/

I had tried some mouth inserts a few years ago, and couldn't sleep while they were in. I was doubtful.

I bought a new product -- Plackers Grind-No-More Dental Night Protector. I ran out of excuses last night -- you know, I have a cold, I have to get enough sleep for an early meeting tomorrow, etc. -- and finally tried one. Wouldn't you know, it worked.

There are 12 in package. Each one is good for about 3 nights, and then you throw it away and get another one. Each of is plastic, and is really just a little rope with two wings. The wings fit in between your teeth. It's that simple. And it's so small, you barely feel it.

The teeth grinding, I don't need to tell you, was detrimental to my health: it wears down your teeth, it exacerbated my TMJ, the tightness of my jaws, and the grinding woke me often throughout the night. How do you know you"re grinding yourm teeth? the telltale sign: the inside of your mouth is sore where you've bitten your cheek in your sleep.

i just bought some more of the Plackers protectors at drugstore.com. it cost $25.99 at that site. Divided by 14 in a box, and each being used 3 times, that comes to about 65 cents a night.

I'm looking forward to laying in a supply of these protectors and getting some good sleep.

The Rejuvenating Benefit of Cherries

2011-03-26T14:38:00.001-07:00

I was reading rather perfunctorily the latest health newsletter I had just received, and it spent quite a bit of time on cherries. The catch line was, sick of blueberries? Try cherries.

The newsletter is Bottom Line Health, April 2011.

Research shows that tart cherry juice "eases post exercise muscle soreness," and points out that the New York Rangers hockey team drinks cherry juice regularly.

In a study reported by the Journal of Nutrition, "18 healthy men and women who supplemented their daily diets with just over two cups of Bing cherries daily for 28 days reduced their level of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker in the blood that can signal plaque formation, by 25%."

I have been trying to work blueberries into a normal breakfast routine with my cereal. However, blueberries aren't all that tasteful to my mind. Cherries, on the other hand, seem like a wicked pleasure. I'll have to work cherries into my daily diet.

Writing Class for Cancer Survivors

2011-03-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

Margo Rivera-Weiss from the Women's Cancer Resource Center (on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland) reports the following:

I’m happy to let you know that WCRC’s writing class will be meeting again. It will remain at the same time, 4th Sundays of each month (except for occasional changes – e.g. in June) from 2 -4 PM. I’m very excited to invite Leah be part of the wonderful panel of instructors offering their skills at WCRC. Information about the class and the instructor follow.

The class will meet the following dates in the next scheduling period: March 27, April 24, May 22, June 19 (note this is the 3d Sunday), July 24 and Aug. 28.

If you are interested in attending please register on the WCRC website.

Body Stories: a monthly writing workshop for women (and gender nonconforming folks) dancing with cancer and other health issues

Lead by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
Come to this supportive space to write down the stories your body is holding: the good, the bad, the amazing, the resilient, the difficult and complicated of living with cancer or other illness. This writing workshop is open to all, and no experience is necessary. We'll build a community of trust where we can write our uncensored truths, experiment with new kinds of writing and share the stories only we know how to tell.

Facilitator bio: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha is a queer Sri Lankan writer, performer and teacher who lives with chronic illness. The author of Consensual Genocide, her writing has been widely anthologized, including in Colonize This!, Without a Net, We Don't Need Another Wave, and Persistence: Still Butch and Femme. She is a lead artist with Sins Invalid, the Bay Area's performance project on disability and sexuality and has taught writing at UC Berkeley's June Jordan's Poetry for the People Program, Toronto's Asian Arts Freedom School and many colleges and community-based arts spaces across North America. She believes that writing can be a tool to liberate and heal.

Facing Every Pound, One by One

2010-10-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile, but that's because I haven't been happy with how I've been handling my health. I finally reached the tipping point. (Something about not being able to fit into certain pieces of clothing...)

I was inspired by my partner, who joined Weight Watchers. She had joined WW before, without much success, mostly because of the issues re: weighing in. She is now working with an online group, and is quite encouraged by her feelings of control over her own body as well as her dramatic weight loss.

But I didn't want to do that. Counting points...ugh. I don't want to write a food diary. I've tried that, and was really bad at recreating what I had eaten - in amounts and ounces. The other issue, and this is the BIG one, is that I can't figure out how to judge (1) how to control the number of calories and fat in one meal, and (2) how to judge portion size. When I had to eat out one night, I had a BLT, what I thought was one of the best choices I could've made. Oh, My God. Lots of calories, and obviously lots of fat.

So, with those challenges, I found that Nutrisystem was a pretty good match. You don't have to memorize the point system. You enter in your weight every day, or whenever you feel like it, and your meals. And it became a computer game.

I've been on the system for a week, and I have lost 4 pounds. I'm encouraged, more than the weight loss, because my glucose levels have been outstanding in the meantime. Well, that's easy to understand: since I'm not buying cokes and candy - I don't want to have to have the challenge of entering them - my blood sugar level is coming down to "normal."

If I could change one thing, it's the food Nutrisystem offers. It's not that it's bland, it's that some of it's weird. At least, unlike some other systems, you can order a la carte. I think I can do the breakfasts by myself, and I'm learning how to do lunch, but dinner is tough. So I have gone to some of the other sites, found better food on one, and ordered some from there, just to compare. We'll see how it goes.

The one thing I've learned is that the portion size is SMALL. I am so surprised. I thought I knew it all. I don't.

This Won't Hurt One Little Bit

2010-05-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

The doctor suggested I get a shot for tetanus. This was after several weeks of "fixing" my newly arthritic knee with a cortisone/steroid shot. I had heard rumors about tetanus shots, but I couldn't remember when I last got one. Oh, sure, go for it, I said.

After the nurse pricked me with the needle, I told her, "Oh, that's not so bad." She smiled. Did she smile because I was complimenting her, or because she knew the pain that would follow?

Tetanus is a musculature injection. That upper arm ached for several days afterward. In fact, a full week later, I still have a bruise.

In spite of the knee injection, which hurt in a different way, and the tetanus shot, I asked for another shot, if you can believe that: an injection against shingles. The medical term for it is Zostavaccine, otherwise known as Zostavax.

I had read about it in one of the pricey medical newsletters I get - but if I can get the shot, that newsletter will have paid for itself. Unfortunately, my clinic, Lifelong, did not have it, and did not expect to get it. So, they gave me a prescription. I knew it would be hard to fill.

I've gone to my regular got-to-have-it-now pharmacy, Long's, and she immediately knew they didn't have it. I called in to my mail-order pharmacy, CVS, and they said they don't send that to individuals. Hmmm....

I will pursue this next week. I'll probably have to try the larger spots like Wal-Mart. One friend on Facebook suggested I try Sav-On drugs, as she had hers administered there....but in Nevada.

My partner had shingles. My son had shingles just last year. My father had shingles, which made the last years of his life terribly painful. I'll keep trying.

Colon Cancer Update on March 16th

2010-02-22T15:40:00.000-08:00

There's a FREE class being offered to the public on Colon Cancer:

What you need to know...
*Cancer is preventable.
*Colonoscopy is the gold standard.
*Lifestyle does make a difference (i.e., diet, exercise).

Speaker: Brian T. Paaso, MD
Gastroenterologist, Palo Alto Medical Foundation

Location: California State building, Monterey Room
455 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco

Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Time: 12noon - 1pm

For more information, call 1-888-315-5988, or email education@cpic.org.

Visiting the Contagious

2010-02-18T12:25:00.000-08:00

My brother is still contagious, still sitting in Sharp Hospital in the MICU ward. James, the physician's assistant, was very helpful in letting me know how contagious this MRSA is. He made me suit up -- wear a gown and gloves -- before I went into the room to see my brother.

But see him this morning I did. I even touched him, although he didn't really acknowledge the touch of cold latex. He was awake this time, though, and talkative. The MRSA bacteria is still working on his brain, though, confusing him, so what he said didn't make a whole lot of sense. He did say, "What's new?" which was quite amusing.

He's still under treatment for a virulent strain of MRSA, which had been allowed to go unchecked for a year. But he's alive. And improving.

MARSA Hits Close to Home

2010-02-18T09:35:00.001-08:00

I'm currently in San Diego, where I am visiting my brother daily. My brother is in Sharp Hospital, where he's being treated for various things. At the top of the list: meningitis and MARSA.

I hadn't heard about MARSA before I got here. Apparently it's an invasive bacteria that worked its way into the spine and eventually caused meningitis. He's in the contagious ward of the ICU, the MICU. And, in order to go into the room, I have to suit up so that I'm protected.

So far there's been no need to go into the room, as I can see him from the doorway, and he's been asleep the entire time. He does wake up from time to time, answers questions briefly, but, according to the nurse, can't process much or have a heavy conversation. He most likely will not remember any visitors.

However, I have hope that he'll be more cognizant of what's going on today when I go in. If he is, I'll suit up and go on in. I'm leaving town today, at least for awhile. He's in good hands.

The Link Between Disease and Inflammation

2009-12-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

There's a fascinating article in the December 2009 U.S. News & World Report issue entitled, "Quenching the Slow Burn," and subtitled, "The evidence is mounting that chronic inflammation plays a role in diseases from cancer to heart disease to Alzheimer's. Here's how you can stop it."

Most of us have heard that inflammation is at the root cause of diseases like cancer, diabetes and so many more. And evidence keeps pointing in that direction. "Cancer, diabetes, depression, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's -- these seemingly diverse diseases are increasingly thought to have a common denominator: inflammation." (Quote is from U.S. News & World Report, December 2009, page 32.)

I'm not going to go into the why, although the article talks a bit about that. An interesting side-note in the discussion: what 'kick-starts' the disease? It seems in each person it's different, or unique. It might be smoking, or obesity (due to inflammatory proteins produced by fat cells), or a disease confined to one area (e.g., gum disease). However, what I'm most interested in, and for the purpose of this article we'll confine ourselves to a discussion of: what can we do to prevent inflammation? I will be quoting from the article in the points below.

* Assess yourself. Are you overweight, or even more importantly, is your body fat distribution -- on your waist as opposed to your hips and thighs -- more detrimental to your health? "Having a large waist measurement -- at or above 35 inches for a woman and 40 inches for a man -- means you're likely to have excess inflammation." Also, high blood pressure, high glucose levels (diabetes), and high cholesterol can also trigger inflammatory responses.

* Change to a Mediterranean diet. "Consuming a Mediterranean-style diet -- rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and fish -- is known to protect the heart, and that's probably because it lowers the level of pro-inflammatory chemicals in the body."

* Get active, but don't overdo it. This is pretty interesting. It's obvious that regular exercise can move your metabolism, "but research also suggests that superlong workouts can cause inflammation levels to spike for a day or two afterward."

* Reduce stress and get adequate sleep. An interesting study by Shively "demonstrated that monkeys that were the most subordinate in their social groups -- which means they got less grooming from their peers and were often the target of aggression -- also put on more belly fat when fed a Western-style diet high in fat and cholesterol compared with monkeys that were at the top of the pecking order. Anything that stresses the body, from too little sleep to too much tension, can cause belly fat to accumulate."

* Floss and brush twice every day. "The link between gum disease and heart disease has been well established... The very same bacteria that cause inflammation and swelling in the gums appear to be a source of inflammation and thickening of the arteries."

* Consider probiotics. "...the beneficial bacteria found in yogurt and probiotics supplements can help keep in check the 'bad' bacteria that reside in your gut and generate an inflammatory response. Try a daily serving or two of yogurt and other dairy products containing probiotics.... You can also try the supplement Align."

Colonscopy - Prep Day Is Sh**

2009-12-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

There is nothing more gruesome than Prep Day for the next-day colonoscopy. Nothing.

This is my fourth time. I should know all the ins-and-outs (sorry). Still, I read the instructions over three times so that I'd get it right. I prepared the icky Go-Lytely liquid and put it in the refrigerator that morning. I put everything out on the table: the pill I would take at 5pm. The instructions. The directions on how to get to East Bay Endoscopy.

At 5 in the evening, I took the pill. And half an hour later, I started the dreaded process of drinking one glass of Go-Lytely every 15 minutes. Hell, I don't even drink that much water during a regular day. Maybe if I did, well, that water is under the bridge.

Let me just interject that I don't know how those people who prepare Go-Lytely think that it's a lemon flavor they're giving me. If I were a lemon I'd be angry, very angry. It's more like a, say, dishwater-puke kind of flavor, not to be recommended.

I drank it all. Still, everything did not go well. I wasn't finished evacuating when it came time to get into the car and drive to the Endoscopy Center in Emeryville. I've been through this before, in a different way, when, a few years ago, I threw up and said to hell with it: I'm not finishing that horrible libation. As a result, the the pictures of my colon weren't clear. And I had to return a year later, do the whole thing all over again. I vowed that would not happen again.

Well, I got a slight reprieve. This time I did everything I was supposed to, but the results were still not clear. So I have to return in two years.

Next time I either need to start earlier or get a stronger laxative.

I'm still smiling, though: the results were super! No polyps in evidence. That's the good news.

And I have hopes that in two years they'll have developed an easier way of doing this.

Get started, scientists. You have time.

The Colonoscopy

2009-11-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

It was right there on my calendar. I didn't receive a postcard or letter from the gastroenterologist's office. I didn't wait. I went to my doctor, told her it had been 3 years, and I need another colonoscopy. She was surprised.

Most of us don't beg for these things. I'm not begging, but I'm not going to ignore it. It was the first of these in 2003 that made me aware, made everyone aware, that I had cancer. I'm kinda wondering what's been going on in there since. (I've had two colonoscopies since then; the latest was fine and clean, and the one before that not so much - there were several polyps adhered to the colon wall, but all benign.)

So I arranged with my partner to go with me to Dr. Hosseini's office in Berkeley. He did my last three, I believe. He did a minor check-up of my heart and my stomach region in the office, and then pronounced that everything seems fine. I don't think doctors are aware that, frankly, if they do too much, it would scare me off. Too intrusive an examination would definitely do that.

I thought they'd be booked past Christmas. Unfortunately, not. So, I'm scheduled for December 1st. I don't dread that date. I dread the day before.

How Gender Affects Your Cancer Risk

2009-10-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting article in the October 2009 issue of Bottom Line Health about "the surprising differences" of gender when it comes to cancer risk. Here are some of their conclusions and a summation of their advice:

Bladder Cancer: The increased risk of bladder cancer among men is "mainly due to environmental factors, including smoking (more men smoke) and job-related exposure to toxins -- especially in the processing industries, such as textile, metal, rubber, and printing, which often use heavy metals and other carcinogens." Also, men urinate less often than women, on average, "exposing the bladder to potential carcinogens longer."
Self-defense for men and women: Don't smoke. If you have symptoms of bladder cancer, such as blood in your urine, see a doctor. If you're at increased risk (see the above), talk to your doctor about the new tumor marker tests that can help identify this kind of cancer early.

Colorectal Cancer: This year, colorectal cancer is expected to attack 76,000 men and 71,000 women in the US. HRT, or hormone replacement therapy, significantly lowers menopausal women's risk for this type of cancer. One can assume from this that younger women are protected somewhat by higher estrogen levels. Women have shorter intestines than men (because women are generally smaller), thus lowering the transit time for food to pass through the digestive tract. Since women average three-and-one-half to four daily servings of fruits and vegetables, on average, than men, who average two to two-and-one-half, fewer women are stricken with this disease.
Self-defense for both genders: Starting at age 50, get a colonoscopy regularly, a test where a doctor checks for precancerous polyps in your colorectal tract.

Esophageal Cancer: GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a primary risk factors for this type of cancer. With GERD, the esophagus is repeatedly exposed to acid, which can cause cellular changes in the lining that may lead to cancer. Men are much more likely to have GERD, as well as related risk factors, such as drinking heavily, which increases stomach acid production. Plus, men are more likely to have big bellies, a factor which increases pressure on the stomach contents. In the US, esophageal cancer will affect 13,000 men and 3,500 women this year.
Self-defense: Drink in moderation (up to one drink daily if you're a woman, up to two drinks daily if you're a man), and lose weight, if necessary. Have any signs of chronic acid reflux treated.

Lung Cancer: Lung cancer is the deadliest of all cancers, striking about 116,000 men and 103,000 women in the US this year. Ten percent of lung cancer patients have never smoked, and women are the most likely to make up this group. Women's risk for this type of cancer may be due to second-hand smoke, but also to estrogen, which some studies indicate can fuel lung cancer tumor growth. HRT, for example, has been show to increase death risk, especially among women smokers.
Self-defense: Do not smoke, and avoid second-hand smoke, radon and asbestos whenever possible.

Melanoma: Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, and is more common among women than men under the age of 40. It occurs equally in both sexes between the ages of 40 and 50, and strikes significantly more men than women after 50. Estrogen may account for the difference in melanoma rates. About 30,000 women and 39,000 men in the US are struck by melanoma each year.

In addition, there's a new study out of New York University that found that women under 40 with melanoma "were much more likely to have a variation in the potentially cancer-promoting gene called MDM2." Screening for this variation with a blood test may help identify women at risk.
Self-defense for both men and women: Undergo yearly skin exams by a dermatologist, and perform self-exams in front of a mirror to identify changes in size, shape and color of existing moles. Check also for new moles, spots or freckles that look unusual.

It's All Pink at the Coliseum

2009-09-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

I'm a Survivor. I'm a Cancer Survivor.

500 Breast Cancer Survivors went onto the Coliseum playing field this evening to celebrate the fact that they're still alive. And I was there to watch them for the fifth year in a row.

It was a sea of pink, a glorious deep pink, as the women sang, danced, pranced across the field, some of them with walkers, others with canes, others helping others. Glorious.

The Oakland Athletics have raised over $1 million for cancer research/awareness in 11 years. This year they raised $75,000. We all can be proud of that.

It was so great to see pink all over the stadium, too -- old people, young people, even male teenagers, all wearing pink. We are all in this together, after all.

Cancer Screenings Help Detect Disease Early

2009-08-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

This is from the Health Net mailing:

Colon and rectal cancer. Various tests can screen for this disease. Screening usually begins at age 50. How often you get screened depends on which test your doctor recommends.

Breast cancer. Starting at age 40, women should have a mammogram every year. Some women may need to start when they are younger and have mammograms more often.

Cervical cancer. Women should have their first cervical cancer screening about 3 years after they begin having sex, but no later than age 21. Cervical cancer screenings should be done once a year for women in their 20s. After age 30, women who have had 3 normal tests in a row may switch to 1 cervical cancer screening every 2 or 3 years.

Prostate cancer. For most men, tests to detect prostate cancer should be offered beginning at age 50. Men at high risk, such as African Americans, should start at age 45. Exams include a DRE (digital rectal exam) and a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test.

Skin cancer. Regularly check your skin -- especially moles -- for signs of skin cancer. If you find a new mole unlike the others or notice a change in a mole, see your doctor.

Sleeping Disorders

2009-08-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

This information is second-hand, as I learned it from a friend who took her son to a sleeping disorder doctor.

His advice for those who are having trouble sleeping...

We all know about having a place for sleep, and sleep only. No late-night television. No caffeine or eating right before bed. But he also suggested:

* Two hours before bedtime, no computer. The bright screen throws your sleeping mechanism off.

* Two hours before those two hours of bedtime (i.e., 4 hours before bedtime), if you're on the computer, put the overhead light on. Don't do it in the dark.

* If you can't sleep while lying still in bed for 30 minutes, get up and read something. It should be something non-stimulating, almost boring, by soft light.

Of course, this is general advice for people who do not have severe sleeping disorders.

Cancer Therapies Discussed on Video

2009-08-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

CancerConsultants.com has some nifty videos to watch experts discuss various therapies. You can find it here.

Wow. I have to get used to this new technology!

Oakland Athletics Breast Cancer Awareness Day

2009-08-19T16:57:00.001-07:00

The Oakland Athletics have announced their Breast Cancer Awareness Day, which is at the Oakland Coliseum on Saturday, September 5, 2009, at 6:05pm.

Breast cancer survivors get a free ticket to the game, and can march on the field with other cancer survivors before the game.

Here's their official statement:

The Oakland Athletics are a proud sponsor of the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.

The Oakland Athletics are hosting Breast Cancer Awareness Day on Saturday, September 5.

The Oakland Athletics are inviting all breast cancer survivors to attend. Breast cancer survivors receive two free tickets and get to participate in an on-field activity. All participating breast cancer survivor form a pink ribbon the field. In addition, survivors receive a special gift from the Oakland Athletics.

If you know a breast cancer patient or survivor who might like to participate please have them call our hotline at 1-866-457-6669 or you can register online by visiting this website.

If you would like to purchase tickets for the game there is a pdf on the website above that allows you to purchase discounted tickets that also have $5 from each ticket support the Bay Area Making Strides walk.

Due to corporate, team, and player contributions, Breast Cancer Awareness Day generates over $50,000 for the American Cancer Society's work to defeat breast cancer.

Drinking Coffee Helps with the Pain of Exercise

2009-08-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Diabetes Forecast (August 2009) reports a study of 24 college-age men who took a caffeine pill an hour before 30 minutes of intense exercise felt last pain during the exercise.

The men's perception of pain was lower on days when they took the caffeine, regardless of whether they were regular coffee drinkers or not. The amount of caffeine the participants took was 5 milligrams per kilogram, or 2.2 pounds of body weight, or the equivalent of 2.5 to 3 cups of coffee, the average amount that Americans drink daily.

Identifying Drugs that can kill Cancer Stem Cells

2009-08-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Researchers have discovered a way to identify drugs that can specifically attack and kill cancer stem cells, a finding that could lead to a new generation of anticancer medicines and a new strategy of treatment. See this New York Times article for the news and the controversy.

Aspirin Decreases Mortality after Colorectal Cancer

2009-08-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is very exciting news, reported in the August 12, 2009 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers from the Harvard Medical School reported that "regular aspirin use after the diagnosis of colorectal cancer decreases the risk or dying of colorectal cancer that expresses COX-2."

"Studies have consistently shown that regular aspirin use decreases the incidence of colorectal adenoma and colorectal cancer.""

Cancer = Fatigue

2009-08-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

There's a marvelous article in this month's Women & Cancer (Summer 2009) which gives some hints as to how to beat the fatigue that cancer will inevitably cause. Here are some of their suggestions.

*Eat small, frequent meals.

*Choose low glycemic foods such as whole grains, brown rice, oatmeal, and green vegetables.

*Eat a little more protein than normal (easy-to-digest protein, such as whey powder, is best).

*Choose healthy fats, such as olive oil or almond butter.

*Stay hydrated.

*Avoid stimulants, such as caffeine and chocolate.

*Avoid refined sugar.

CNNHealth Invites Your Questions

2009-08-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

On August 24, 2009, health experts are getting together and will answer YOUR questions about cancer at the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit. Take a look at this link to participate on CNNHealth.

Breast Feeding Can Benefit the Mother as Well

2009-08-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to reader Dawn who pointed us to this web page on SFGate.com.

"New moms are well aware of the dozens of ways babies benefit from breast milk, but they often don't realize that nursing a child also benefits their own bodies. Studies have shown that women who breast-fed have a reduced risk of osteoporosis and ovarian cancer, as well as high blood pressure and heart disease decades later... And now a new study indicates that women who breast feed their babies even for short periods of time may lower their risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer if they have a family history of the disease."

H1N1: The Epidemic

2009-08-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

I went to my diabetes class the other day at Lifelong Medical, and Dr. Miller advised us that H1N1, or Swine Flu, is right around the corner in epidemic proportions. However, she also told us that we, older diabetics, are not the target audience for prevention.

The swine flu will attack pregnant women and children between 6 months and 24 years of age. And the danger of this flu is that H1N1 looks just like the other flu. The difference is:

Fever: 100 degrees (not much above our norm of 98.6)
Body Aches

So be on the lookout. The best source of information, according to Dr. Miller, is her favorite website, www.cdc.com, the Center for Disease Control website, which, in recent months, has really expanded their page on H1N1.

CDC is developing a vaccine for H1N1, but it's not yet finished. The CDC hopes to be finished with it by fall, just in time for what they think will be an epidemic.

Dr. Miller suggests that we, as diabetics, get the two shots for H1N1 (imagine: 2 shots!) as well as the 3rd shot for the normal flu. And keep washing your hands!

How to Reduce Your Cholesterol...Without Meds

2009-07-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting article in the latest UC Berkeley Wellness Letter (Aug 2009) on how to lower your cholesterol without medication. Or at least, which myths about lowering your cholesterol are actually true?

Niacin: Niacin is actually a drug and is sold by prescription as well as over the counter. "It's a proven way to lower LDL by up to 30%, and unlike statins, it also substantially boosts HDL ("good") cholesterol and reduces triglycerides (fats in the blood). Be careful: Niacin products can increase the risk of liver damage. Begin niacin therapy only under a doctor's supervision.

Sterols or Stanols: These are plant compounds which interfere with the absorption of dietary cholesterol. It's seems worth trying, as the FDA has allowed its sale and the claim that the dose will reduce the risk of heart disease if they supply at least 400 milligrams of sterols per serving, for a daily dose of 800 mg.

Soluble Fiber Supplements: Everyone knows that fruit, vegetables and grains rich in soluble fiber is good for lowering cholesterol. Psyllium is part of this, a seed grain sold as a laxative and fiber supplement, and can lower LDL by 5 to 15%. However, it takes high doses to get that kind of response, and such doses can cause gas and bloating - so start with a low dose.

Red Yeast Rice Extract: This extract is made by fermenting red yeast on rice, and it's long been used in Asia as a heart treatment. It actually contains a statin compound, lovastatin, and is sold over the counter as brand name Mevacor. It may be effective, but it's safer to take prescription quality statin under a physician's care.

Fish Oil Supplements: The omega-3 fats in fish have a lot of potential cardiovascular benefits, but they are not known for lowering cholesterol.

Garlic: Inconsistent results on garlic studies. Eat garlic if you like it, but not to lower cholesterol.

Guggul Extract (Guggulipid): Guggul is a gummy resin from a tree in India. Extract guggulipid is approved as a drug to lower cholesterol and triglycerides. However, two well-designed studies found no lowering of LDL, but did not frequent side effects. Not recommended.

Policosanol: Policosanol is usually derived from sugar cane or beeswax. Policosanol is made in Cuba, and most of the studies have been conducted there. Independent studies apart from the Cuban ones have found it ineffective. The supplement is usually combined with other ingredients, making it unsafe.

Artichoke Leaf Extract: A recent review by the Cochrane Collaboration states that results aren't convincing. Not recommended.

Death Rates from Cancer Continue to Decline

2009-07-30T11:06:00.001-07:00

From the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter (August 2009):

"The American Cancer Society's latest annual report shows that between 1990 and 2005, mortality rates decreased by 19% among men and 11% among women. If these rates had not improved, an additional 650,000 cancer deaths would have occurred in the U.S. during those 15 years. The decline is attributable to a reduction in smoking rates, increased screening (especially for colon cancer), and improved treatments."

Lee National Denim Day

2009-07-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Mark it on your calendars: October 2nd is Lee National Denim Day. The National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) will receive 100 percent of all Denim Day proceeds, up to $250,000.

Wear your favorite jeans on that day, and find out more about Denim Day at www.StopBreastCancer.org/denimday.

Also, tonight I'm going to hear the author of "The Adventures of Cancer Bitch," S.L. Wisenberg, speak at the Women's Cancer Resource Center. It's 6:30pm at the WCRC, which is on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland.

Meal Planning

2009-07-13T11:04:00.001-07:00

I had a recent class at Lifelong Medical, my clinic, about putting together meals at home. Most of what I remember about the class was taking little plastic renditions of food -- like corn, or a steak, or fruit -- and positioning them on my plate. One-third was fruit or nonstarchy vegetables, one-third was protein (like fish or steak), one-third was breads or grains or starch (like potato or corn). I found it quite enlightening.

I just got a little booklet that I ordered through one of my Diabetes magazines. It's called Meal Planning for People with Diabetes. And it's quite helpful. Yes, it gives me the calories for, say, a small apple, but what's more important is that it gives me what a portion size is for each of these choices. One-third of a cup of baked beans is 80 calories. One four-ounce apple is 60. 17 grapes, or 3 ounces, is 60 calories. In fact, all of their fruit choices are 60 calories because they tell us how much will make 60: 1/2 a banana, 3/4 cup of blueberries, etc. Very useful. If I think I can eat a whole bag of cherries in one sitting.... well, the book tells me that I can have 12 cherries. That's one serving.

And there's a visual to help me. A closed fist is equivalent to 1 cup. The palm of my hand is 3 ounces. What fits inside my closed palm, palm side up, is 1 ounce.

WCRC Cooking Classes

2009-07-02T12:57:00.001-07:00

The Women's Cancer Resource Center (located on Telegraph in Oakland) is having some cooking classes this summer 2009 and beyond:

Cooking Club
With Sandy Der, Chef and Certified Nutrition Consultant

Register with margo@wcrc.org or call 510-601-4040 x111.

Wednesday, July 15, 6-8 PM
Sprouting & Krauting - Learn about the benefits of fermented foods and how to make them - pickles, sauerkraut, kombuchas & more.

Wednesday, August 19, 6-8 PM
Foods of West Africa!

Wednesday, September 16, 6-8 PM
Noodles from around the worlds. Will include some gluten-free noodle dishes.

Wednesday, October 21, 6-8 PM
All About Beans.

Wednesday, November 18, 6-8 PM
Fun with Winter Squash.

The Scare of a Lifetime

2009-07-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

The older we get, the more health scares we are bound to receive. It's better than the alternative, especially if it wakes you up.

I had one two weeks ago, and I'm determined to take action this time around.

The Scare: I had two weeks of horrible bronchitis, and just had to get through it, as there was nothing the doctor could do for me. However, because of my health issues, with the fact that I was wheezing, she ordered a chest x-ray. The tech reading the x-ray told me I didn't have pneumonia, just bronchitis, but there was something else they found on the x-ray. I had an enlarged heart.

An enlarged heart is a problem for all kinds of issues, but mostly it can't do the job it's supposed to do, pump blood out in an efficient manner. The finding may also indicate that there are weak areas in the heart, like a valve. The next step is to have the echocardiogram, which I had today, and to stop whatever was causing the heart to enlarge in the first place. Control your blood pressure, for one. Reduce your weight, and continue with an exercise program.

The tech today told me that, in his experience and unofficially, I do not have an enlarged heart. (Yeah, whew.) However, one of the valves had an issue of some sort, perhaps the source of that heart murmur I knew I had. It would bear watching, he said.

So I'm getting serious, more serious about my weight and eating. Eating is a big issue for me, and I couldn't even tell you why. I eat the wrong things, in the wrong proportion, and I'm mainly going for the sugar rush at the end of the day.

So, in one week, I've lost 5 pounds. A good trend.

But one of the big reasons I am convinced I have to lose weight has little to do with this health scare. Well, a little but not a lot. My weight is preventing me from being diagnosed correctly.

One possible reason for the enlarged heart x-ray reading was the bronchitis coupled with my size. Also, getting a baseline on a treadmill stress test I attempted to take two years ago was halted because of my weight. I'm overjoyed, really, that the cardiac tech today was able to read the sonar pulses, that my size and underlying fat didn't prevent him from getting true readings.

Hey, any motivation works, right? Besides, every doctor I ever see mentions it repetitively. That gets so old.

Licorice Fights Cancer

2009-06-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

This is a really interesting article in the British publication, Mail Online, about the health benefits of cancer.

According to the article, "licorice could offer valuable protection against sunburn and skin cancer." Skin cancer is the most common cancer among 15- to 34-year-olds, according to the article, but it's not clear whether those are just British teens and young adults they're talking about. Judging by our sun-worshipping culture here in the States, I suspect not.

"According to the National Cancer Institute in the US, when applied to the skin, liquorice extract helps combat UV damage and can reduce sunburn by acting as a powerful anti-inflammatory." In addition, the article talks about the possible extraction of whatever the active ingredient is in licorice in order to form preventative skin creams.

Most Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Stopped at Childhood

2009-06-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

That's the name of a USAToday article, published June 22, 2009. Pretty intriguing that we as a nation could actually stop Type 2 diabetes, and yet we don't.

Of course, as the article points out, it's awfully hard for an eight-year-old to turn away from that donut when their friends are having one. Or two.

"About 150,000 children in the USA have been diagnosed with diabetes, most with Type 1, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the number of children with Type 2 diabetes has been rising steadily in the past decade.... according to the CDC.... Type 2 is especially affecting Hispanic, African American and American Indian youth."

The reasons why this rate has been rising are rather interesting. "'We have a new generation of children who are metabolically different. We think there's been a series of genetic mutations - linked to environmental and lifestyle changes - over the last few generations that have led to this,' says (Melinda) Sothern (professor of public health at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans). Why a child's body stops using insulin properly - called insulin insensitivity - isn't clear, but Sothern says her government-funded study suggests a child's current body fat is the strongest predictor of poor insulin sensitivity.

"While the majority of chubby kids don't get diabetes, if a child has a family history, or a mother who had gestational diabetes was obese while pregnant or did not breast-feed, they can be at risk, Sothern says." Of course, add that to the high-sugar, high-fat diet most kids consume in the United States, and you can predict the outlook.

The article suggests several behavioral changes for young Type 2's. Actually, I think I as an adult could use a closer look at these suggestions.

- "Think before you eat. Break out of the rut of eating when you're bored or lonely.

- "Eat a little bit less at meals. Leave food on your plate. Order small portions, not large.

- "Limit fatty foods. Burgers and fries are high in fat; try pretzels instead of potato chips.

- "Cut sugar. Switch to sugar-free drinks.

- "Even with diabetes, you can still eat cake and ice cream, just not every day. Ask your doctor to help you plan for occasional treats.

- "Be active. Don't just listen to music - dance.

- "Play after school. Or try a sport; take lessons.

- "Turn off TV. Watch just one show a day."

Pharmacy Phooey

2009-06-20T16:34:00.001-07:00

I've had bronchitis now for exactly 9 days now. Never a laughing matter, it is now time for frowning.

Oh, I'm not concerned. I saw the doctor on the 6th day, and she had me get a chest x-ray. The x-ray confirmed that I don't have pneumonia. That's a good thing. But the bad thing was, I still have bronchitis. And there's really nothing they can do for me.

The doctor asked her office people to call in a prescription for an inhalant, though, to my local drugstore pharmacy. Only they called it into the wrong pharmacy. And they called in three days later than they said they would.

Today was the 3rd time I had been to the pharmacy. After ascertaining which pharmacy, I went to the right one this time, wheezing and coughing, and stood in a very long line. Thirty minutes later, I reached the front of the line only to be told, "Go see that other person over there."

I won't reiterate the rhetoric, but the clerk didn't have time to deal with me, didn't take time to even find out my name, and I walked out without the inhaler. I won't die because of this, or even suffer that much, but I do wonder how many sick or elderly people go to the pharmacy and find that they can't deal with the pain of being invisible, or maltreated.

I saw several people being told, over and over, in a voice escalating in volume, to go sit over there. Most of the people who stood there bewildered did so because they don't speak English. But apparently these clerks couldn't figure that out.

I don't mean and I certainly don't want for this blog to be a rant - but you have to think, there's got to be a better way to get people their prescriptions.

Control Can Help Cancer Patients

2009-06-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

There's an interesting article in the New York Times that is entitled "The Limits of Control." It discusses how, in order to be happy, one must have control over some important aspects of life. Lose control, and people sink into depression, stress and experience onset of disease.

The point of the article is that some people go too far in trying to control in their lives what should be uncontrollable. However, for the purposes of this article, I would like to stick to the original concept: control of some important aspects of a person's life is a good thing, even needed.

And so this, I believe, works for health care. The best treatments work if the patient is involved. Health care these days is optimal if the patient is involved in important decisions, and kept informed along the way. I think that's why informative classes, and formation of action plans, as well as group discussion groups, can be vital to a person's health care approach.

4 Keys to Longevity

2009-06-15T04:47:00.000-07:00

There's an article in USA Today that talks about National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner's new book, "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest." Buettner traveled to Sardinia, Italy, Costa Rica and the Greek island Ikaria, the latter destination "where people nap often and enjoy regular festivals, sometimes five in one week."

Buettner and his colleagues took what they learned from their journeys to a little town in the Midwest, Albert Lea, Minnesota. Their goal was to help the residents there "live longer, better." Albert Lea, a town of 18,000, has some health issues: about 40% of its residents are overweight, and close to 30% have hypertension. The town was chosen among several others because its residents were most motivated to change.

The project's strategy: eat more fruits and vegetables, walk instead of drive, stay productive and social well into old age, and seek inner fulfillment.

The six-month-long strategy to transform the town was broken down into a four-pronged attack:

-Community environment. Creating more bike paths, garden plots, a new farmer's market.
-Social groups. Forming walk, biking clubs.
-Home and work habitats. Revamping school and business cafeterias, grocery stores and restaurants.
-Building the inner self. Motivational seminars.

So far, 20% of residents have signed on. The original goal was 10%.

The whole idea, says Buettner, is based around research that shows about 20% of our longevity is linked to genetics, whereas 80% is environmentally influenced.

The Latest Buzz on Tinnitus

2009-06-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

The hidden medical issue. Tinnitus. I have a couple of friends who have casually mentioned they suffer from this. I also have a friend whose husband thinks he's going to go crazy due to tinnitus. Apparently each person bears this disease individually and differently.

Tinnitus is often described as "ringing in the ears." The Latin, tinnire, means "to ring." But it isn't necessarily ringing. It could be buzzing, humming, whistling, hissing, and even roaring.

According to the American Tinnitus Association, 12 million people, most of them over 60, experience symptoms severe enough to seek medical advice. But, so far, there is no cure.

There's a great article in this month's John Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50 (July 2009) on tinnitus.

Since the cause of tinnitus is frequently in the inner ear, so the article suggests anyone who complains of these symptoms get an audiogram (hearing test), which will indicate how much hearing has been lost. It will also help determine if "centrally located tinnitus" is the more likely cause.

Be advised that there are medical conditions or medication which could be contributing to the effect, including thyroid disorders and high blood pressure, as well as 200 possible medications, including common pain relievers. Many patients are also given an MRI scan, which can detect tumors, enlarged blood vessels, or other abnormalities.

The article suggests that the first step in treatment is to cut out caffeine. "Many people who give up caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, and soda and foods like chocolate find that their tinnitus symptoms improve," says Dr. Lloyd Minor, M.D., Director of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at John Hopkins.

Another treatment is "to mask the internal noise with external noise." You might find relief from the noise of a fan or humidifier. Headphones can also help mask tinnitus with sounds, music or white noise. In-ear masking devices are available, but they're rather expensive (around $1,400). There's also such a thing as a Tinnitus Retraining Device (TRT), which combines ear devices that emit low-volume sounds with active counseling about tinnitus. The idea is that you retrain your brain to turn tinnitus into background noise. Treatment can be rather expensive, and can take up to two years.

Since those who suffer from tinnitus can suffer from anxiety and depression, and it's not surprising that they do, it's important that those who do get tested and then try some of these treatments to see if they can relieve the pain.

Nutritional Therapy

2009-06-10T17:17:00.001-07:00

Here's an interesting British article on how a nutritional therapist can change your life.

Cancer Bitch to Speak

2009-06-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to author S.L. Wisenberg, who commented on the blog about my review of her book, The Adventures of Cancer Bitch.

She'll be reading at the Women's Cancer Resource Center on Telegraph in Oakland (see the link on the right side of the page) at 6:30pm on July 16, 2009.

Kenny Rankin Dies of Lung Cancer

2009-06-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

I can't say this is personal news, but after following Kenny Rankin's singing career for about 40 years, it feels personal.

He died of lung cancer at the age of 67 on Sunday. People are still dying of lung cancer? I rarely hear about that cancer any more. It seems so 1950's.

This is devastating. The last time I saw him, I think, was about 4 years ago (?) or so at Yoshi's. I went with my friend, as we both shared a love for his music. His voice was so mellow, so smooth. He was jazzy in a rock 'n roll world. Even this morning, I was checking the pink pages for his name at Yoshi's, hoping to see his name so that I could see him perform one more time.

Another fine person struck down by a devastating disease. I think I remember that Kenny even mentioned, in that last set I saw, that he was a smoker. What an unfortunate, continuing decision.

What Makes Us Happy?

2009-06-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

Case No. 218

How’s this for the good life? You’re rich, and you made the dough yourself. You’re well into your 80s, and have spent hardly a day in the hospital. Your wife had a cancer scare, but she’s recovered and by your side, just as she’s been for more than 60 years. Asked to rate the marriage on a#FF0000 scale of 1 to 9, where 1 is perfectly miserable and 9 is perfectly happy, you circle the highest number. You’ve got two good kids, grandkids too. A survey asks you: “If you had your life to live over again, what problem, if any, would you have sought help for and to whom would you have gone?” “Probably I am fooling myself,” you write, “but I don’t think I would want to change anything.” If only we could take what you’ve done, reduce it to a set of rules, and apply it systematically.

This is the beginning of a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly, and is an utterly fascinating summary of the work of George Vaillant and his rather obsessive but scientific study of 268 men who entered Harvard in the late 1930s, and tracked them through "war, career, marriage and divorce, parenthood and grandparenthood, and old age," in search of what makes for a good life.

Warning, however: details about each man's life, which appear in the article (each "case" cited is done so anonymously) are voluminous, sometimes irritatingly so. Vaillant measured everything he could think of, especially physically.

John F. Kennedy is now known, just discovered lately, to be one of these men. His records have been sealed for another 30 years.

Two traits Vaillant has identified which, in his opinion, help to make men happy: healthy adaptation to the issues and problems that surround them, and social aptitude, how well they get along with people.

To read the Atlantic Monthly article, click on this link.

Another Reason to Have that Cup of Tea

2009-05-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

A new UCLA analysis of a group of studies (as reported in RemedyLife magazine, Summer 2009) as published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association concludes that "drinking at least three cups of green or black tea a day can slash your risk of stroke by 21 percent."

And it doesn't seem to matter how much tea you drink: the benefits keep on coming. "Each increase of three cups is associated with a 21 percent reduction in risk," says lead author Lenore Arab, Ph.D., a professor of medicine and biological chemist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

She believes the effect may be due to the amino acid theanine. "It is almost exclusively in tea, and it's nearly 100 percent absorbed," says Dr. Arab.

RemedyLife suggests we aim for six cups throughout the day for the greatest benefit.

Colon Cancer Test Predicts Risk of Cancer Recurrence

2009-05-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

According to a press release from Genomic Health, the Oncotype DX® colon cancer assay—a genomic test similar to one already in use for breast cancer—has been shown to predict the risk of cancer recurrence among patients with Stage II colon cancer. This test may eventually help guide colon cancer treatment decisions.

For the complete article from Cancer Consultants.com, look here.

Book Review: The Adventures of Cancer Bitch, by S.L. Wisenberg

2009-05-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

The Adventures of Cancer Bitch was a collection of blog entries made into a book. But, actually, if you hadn't known that up front, you never would have guessed it.

Cancer picks strange bedfellows. Wisenberg is a writer in her late forties or so who is afraid and determined all at once. This is her chronicle of dealing with the news, dealing with the inevitable mastectomy, dealing with the chemo and loss of hair, dealing with her friends. She's outgoing, but cancer drives her inside. Despite all this, she's relentlessly witty, asking the questions we are afraid to ask, and often providing the answers.

It's well written, easy to follow, wonderful to read. For those who are going through this hell, it's a worthy read. For those who know someone who has, it's enlightening.

Ginger May Ease the Side Effects of Chemo

2009-05-16T12:31:00.001-07:00

I feel this is an important discovery, one that could ease a lot of suffering: Adding ginger to foods before, during and after chemotherapy treatment may ease its side effects, according to one study.

Los Angeles Times' reporter Shari Roan, as reported through yesterday's Oakland Tribune (May 15, 2009), tells us that "simply adding a teaspoon of ginger to food consumed in the days before, during and after chemotherapy can reduce the often debilitating side effects of nausea and vomiting, a large, randomized clinical trial has found. A newer type of anti-nausea drug, when added to standard medications, can help such side effects as well.

"The findings are significant, cancer experts said, because about 70 percent of chemotherapy patients experience nausea and vomiting -- often severe -- during treatment.

"In the ginger study, 644 patients, most of them female, from 23 oncology practices throughout the United States received two standard anti-emetic medications at the time of chemotherapy. They also were given capsules containing either 0.5 gram, 1 gram or 1.5 grams of ginger, or placebo capsules. The patients took the capsules containing the placebo or ginger for three days before chemotherapy and three days after treatment.

"All of the patients receiving ginger experienced less nausea for four days after chemotherapy, said study lead author Julie Ryan of the University of Rochester Medical Center. Doses of 0.5 gram and 1 gram were the most effective, reducing nausea by 40 percent compared with the patients taking the placebo.

"Researchers do not know why ginger helps, Ryan said. But, she added, 'there is other research showing it has a potent anti-inflammatory effect in the gut.'"

Avoid Food Poisoning with Melon

2009-05-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

According to the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter (June 2009), "before cutting a cantaloupe or any melon, wash it with cool running water and a scrub brush."

The article tells us that food poisoning from salmonella and other bacteria has been linked to melons, and if you cut right through the melon without washing and scrubbing the outside first, the bacteria can be sliced into the fruit.

They also add: be sure to refrigerate cut melon. Cut melon can be left out for up to 4 hours; after that, it should be discarded. If you're at a farmer's market, and you see cut melon for sale under non-refrigerated circumstances, don't buy it.

Tips for Preventing Osteoporosis

2009-05-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is from the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, June 2009:

1. Do weight-bearing exercise (such as running or brisk walking), along with strength training, for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.

2. Make your diet count. For calcium, eat low-fat and nonfat dairy products, leafy greens, and calcium-fortified foods. Fruits and vegetables provide other bone-building nutrients.

3. To make up for calcium and vitamin D shortfalls, you need supplements. Take a calcium supplement to reach 1,200 milligrams a day if you're over 50. The official daily vitamin D recommendation is 400 IU for people 51 to 70, and 600 IU for people over 70. But we advise 800 to 1,000 IU daily.

4. Don't smoke.

5. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. That may actually boost bone density, while heavy drinking reduces it.

6. Ask your doctor if any of your medications could be taking a toll on your bones.

Calcium Drives Off Cancer?

2009-05-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

The Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 169, p. 391, as reported by The John Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50, suggests that consuming the recommended amount of calcium, which is between 1200 and 1500 mg daily, may have a health benefit beyond the usual one of making our bones strong.

"A large study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and AARP found that men who consumed at least 1,500 mg of dietary calcium daily were 16% less likely to get colon or other digestive cancers than men who consumed 500 mg or less.

"Women who reported consuming at least 1,300 mg each day were less likely to get any type of cancer."

Diet and Exercise are the Key to Reducing Risk of Cancer

2009-05-12T18:42:00.001-07:00

A great article on news.scotsman.com tells us the results of a 5-year-study: that diet and exercise are the key to reducing our every day risk of cancer.

Click here for the link.

Book Review: Growing Up Again, by Mary Tyler Moore

2009-05-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

I was at LAX this morning, and I had two hours to kill before lining up to board. I bought an interesting book and sat down to read.

The book is Growing Up Again, a new one by Mary Tyler Moore. The intriguing subtitle is: "Life, Loves, and Oh Yeah, Diabetes." I have to admit, that's what drew me in.

So I sat down in front of Gate 13, opened my bag of M&M's, and started reading. It wasn't long before the irony of that act was apparent to me. (Yes, I'm slow, and still deep in denial.)

Growing Up Again, published just recently, contains a lot about MTM's career, starting with the Dick Van Dyke show with a large dash of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She also throws in liberal doses of problems with her marriages and her parents. But that's all background, vital background, on how she deals with her Type I diabetes, and why. The book is all about diabetes, how she got it, how she deals with it, how she adjusts.

And remember that she was diagnosed at the age of 33, over 40 years ago, when a diabetic had to run a test strip, four times a day, under a stream of urine. Things are unbelievably easier now.

It's a fascinating journey. The good thing about this book is that it's inspiring because it's about a normal person. She doesn't handle the news well. She starts off her life with diabetes by using it to think she's now special, and worthy of attention. And it's her honesty and truth in this self-discovery that allows us in to witness this very personal story.

A criticism of the book is that it meanders endlessly. If you like chronological, or linear, you might have an issue with its structure. But if you can, stick with it, especially if you're diabetic. It's a journey, a message, that will speak to you.

By the time I reached the end of the book, I realize I've been, simply, a coward in how I am facing my diabetes. My self-awareness has been slow to come. I'd like to make a move to change, and I have Mary Tyler Moore to thank.

I do recommend Growing Up Again.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

2009-04-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, otherwise known as CLL or cancer of the blood cells, is the most common type of adult leukemia. CLL accounts for nearly one-third of all leukemia cases. The average age of diagnosis is 72.

The May 2009 issue of NARFE magazine has a terrific article on CLL by Dr. Marilyn S. Radke. She says:

"Leukemia starts in the bone marrow -- the soft material in the center of bones where blood cells are formed (white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets). CLL starts in lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, in the bone marrow. CLL invades the blood and can spread to the lymph nodes, spleen, liver and other parts of the body.

"One type of CLL grows slowly, rarely needs treatment and has an average survival of 15 years.

"Another type of CLL grows faster and has an average survival of eight years.

"Risk factors for CLL include:
- Certain chemical exposures;
- Family history (parent, sibling or child had CLL);
- Male gender;
- North American and European race/ethnicity.

"Smoking, diet, radiation and infections are not proven risk factors for CLL, and there are no known risk factors for CLL that a person can change to prevent this cancer.

"Symptoms of CLL can include the following:
- Weakness;
- Fatigue;
- Weight loss;
- Fever;
- Night sweats;
- Swollen lymph nodes (felt as lumps under the skin);
- Pain or 'fullness' ion the belly after eating (due to an enlarged spleen)."

Gentle Pilates at the WCRC

2009-04-29T08:52:00.001-07:00

A "Gentle Pilates" class, with Erica Wright Belle, is being offered by the Women's Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) at their place in Oakland.

Gentle Pilates
Saturday, May 2, 10 - 11 am
RSVP: margo@wcrc.org or 510-601-4040x111
Where: 5741 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland

Walnuts Reduce Cancer in Lab Mice

2009-04-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

todaysthv.com reports that researchers have found that walnuts reduce cancer in lab mice.

You can read the story at this link.

Breast Cancer Rate Tumbles to a Record Low

2009-04-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

British online newspaper, The Independent, reports that "Britain's cancer community was celebrating yesterday after the charity Cancer Research UK reported that deaths from the disease have fallen to a record low."

The report also says that, even though the death rate has plummeted, the incidence of cancer has soared, doubling since 1971 to over 45,000 cases per year. "Breast cancer is now Britain's most common cancer, even though it principally affects only one sex (there are a few hundred male cases per year)."

The article points to early screening, improvements in surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and longer-term hormone treatments as the cause for the drop.

See this link for The Independent's Health & WellBeing page.

What Are Friends For?

2009-04-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

from the NY Times:

Excerpts from What Are Friends For? A Longer Life By TARA PARKER-POPE

Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship and social networks in overall health.

A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends.

A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the risk for obesity among people whose friends gained weight.

And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties could promote brain health as we age. “In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t terribly well appreciated,” said Rebecca G. Adams, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. “There is just scads of stuff on families and marriage, but very little on friendship. It baffles me. Friendship has a bigger impact on our psychological well-being than family relationships.”

In a new book, “The Girls From Ames: A Story of Women and a 40-Year Friendship” (Gotham), Jeffrey Zaslow tells the story of 11 childhood friends who scattered from Iowa to eight different states. Despite the distance, their friendships endured through college and marriage, divorce and other crises, including the death of one of the women in her 20s. Using scrapbooks, photo albums and the women’s own memories, Mr. Zaslow chronicles how their close friendships have shaped their lives and continue to sustain them. The role of friendship in their health and well-being is evident in almost every chapter. Two of the friends have recently learned they have breast cancer. Kelly Zwagerman, now a high school teacher who lives in Northfield, Minn., said that when she got her diagnosis in September 2007, her doctor told her to surround herself with loved ones. Instead, she reached out to her childhood friends, even though they lived far away. “The first people I told were the women from Ames,” she said in an interview. “I e-mailed them. I immediately had e-mails and phone calls and messages of support. It was instant that the love poured in from all of them.” When she complained that her treatment led to painful sores in her throat, an Ames girl sent a smoothie maker and recipes. Another, who had lost a daughter to leukemia, sent Ms. Zwagerman a hand-knitted hat, knowing her head would be cold without hair; still another sent pajamas made of special fabric to help cope with night sweats. Ms. Zwagerman said she was often more comfortable discussing her illness with her girlfriends than with her doctor. “We go so far back that these women will talk about anything,” she said. Ms. Zwagerman says her friends from Ames have been an essential factor in her treatment and recovery, and research bears her out.

In 2006, a study of nearly 3,000 nurses with breast cancer found that women without close friends were four times as likely to die from the disease as women with 10 or more friends. And notably, proximity and the amount of contact with a friend wasn’t associated with survival.

Just having friends was protective. Bella DePaulo, a visiting psychology professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, whose work focuses on single people and friendships, notes that in many studies, friendship has an even greater effect on health than a spouse or family member. In the study of nurses with breast cancer, having a spouse wasn’t associated with survival.

“People with stronger friendship networks feel like there is someone they can turn to,” said Karen A. Roberto, director of the center for gerontology at Virginia Tech. “Friendship is an undervalued resource. The consistent message of these studies is that friends make your life better.”

Women's Health Fair at San Leandro Library May 16th

2009-04-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Annual Women's Health Fair will be held at the San Leandro Public Library:

When: Saturday, May 16, 2009
Time: 10am to 2pm
Where: San Leandro Public Library, in the Karp/Estudillo Room and Lecture Hall
Address: 300 Estudillo Avenue, San Leandro, CA
What: Free health screenings, hear about nutrition facts every woman needs to know, talk to health professionals, obtain the latest women's health information.

They will also have speakers on the following topics:
Feeling Fabulous After 50 from Head to Toe
Weight Loss at Any Cost vs. Health at Any Size
Fitness at Home: Exercises You Can Do in Your Living Room
Breast Cancer: Learn the Statistics, Risks and Latest Treatments

Free admission, but reservations are required by calling (510) 583-8818, or by visiting their government district website.

Thanks to California State Assemblywoman, the Honorable Mary Hayashi, for sponsoring this.

Diabetes Study: Doctors Too Strict in Treatment

2009-04-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

USA Today (April 21, 2009) reports that "doctors may be urging their Type 2 diabetes patients to maintain blood-sugar goals that are too strict, suggests an article in this week's Annals of Internal Medicine."

The authors of the journal study reviewed several trials of people with Type 2 diabetes and noted that, in their opinion, the patients are "burdened with complex treatments, hypoglycemia, weight gain and costs."

The authors go on to say that treatment concerning A1C level should be on a case-by-case basis, and not a one-size-fits-all treatment plan. They suggest that physicians focus more on supporting healthy habits, preventive care and reducing cardiovascular risks as well as individualizing patients' A1C targets.

Exercise Will Reduce Risk of Cancer & Dementia

2009-04-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Exercise is a wonderful thing. It's absolutely a motivator to read about the benefits of walking, my preferred way of getting exercise.

Exercise reduces the risk of colon cancer and probably breast cancer. New research confirms this, according to the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter (May 2009). The British Journal of Cancer combined the results of 52 studies and found that physical activity reduces the risk by 24%, on average. And a recent German study of nearly 10,000 women concluded that physical activity could indeed help protect against breast cancer, especially for women over 50.

Research has consistently found that staying physically active is a key to preserving brain function. Studies have shown that older people who get regular exercise are less likely to decline mentally or develop dementia. Aerobic exercise such as running or cycling seems especially beneficial, but any activity can help, including strength training and ballroom dancing (these two were the focus of recent studies). Exercise probably benefits the brain by lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow, controlling weight, and improving cholesterol levels and blood sugars. In addition, brain scans show that aerobic exercise can actually improve brain activity and produce new brain cells and connections between them.

I'm posting this as I get ready to go out and walk my 3 miles. As I said, this kind of news is a great motivator.

Oats Are a Good Source of Fiber

2009-04-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

Oats, along with barley, are the best source of a kind of soluble fiber called beta glucan. Beta glucan helps lower bad cholesterol (LDL). So, when you see a healthy claim on oat products, believe it.

Oat fiber helps control blood sugar and improves insulin sensitivity.

Oats contain phytochemicals such as saponins and other antioxidants that may also help reduce the risk of heart disease. They may also help relax blood vessels and maintain blood flow.

All forms of oatmeal (such as old-fashioned, instant, steel-cut) are whole grains and are similarly nutritious. But "oatmeal breads" barely have enough oatmeal to allow them to maintain that healthy image, but not enough for actual health.

Source: UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, May 2009

Take Classes

2009-04-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

I went to my first Diabetic Group meeting today. Actually, it's not my first, but I barely remember the other group meeting I attended; it was about 3 years ago or so.

I don't understand enough about diabetes, and I feel stupid even admitting that. So I admitted it today among the other 5 members and 3 staff. Fortunately, they're starting a Diabetics 101 at my clinic, and will notify me when it starts in a month or two.

My biggest problem with handling my diabetes is nutrition. I don't really understand what is a good meal, how to make a nutritious meal (that I will eat). What could be tasty but nutritious. And they apparently have one of THOSE classes going right now, once a month, so I'll attend that, too.

I made a goal of eating in a healthy way a few months ago, but I'm having problems following through. Hopefully, these classes, this information, will help.

Rage Workshop May 21st

2009-04-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

The WCRC is holding a free Rage Workshop at their offices on May 21st:

Healing Rage Workshop
Transform your rage~
A Rage Workshop is being given by the Women's Cancer Resource Center on May 21, 2009.

Host: Ruth King
Type: Education - Workshop
Date: Thursday, May 21, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Women’s Cancer Resource Center
Street: 5741 Telegraph Avenue
City/Town: Oakland, CA
Phone: 5106014040

Skin Cancer Deadliest for Women in Their 20's

2009-04-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

According to a new United Kingdom study, as reported by News-Medical.Net: "The deadliest form of skin cancer has now become the most common kind of cancer for women in their 20s - according to the latest figures from Cancer Research UK which launches its 2009 SunSmart campaign today.

"Almost every day of the year in the UK a woman between 20 and 29 is diagnosed with malignant melanoma - the potentially fatal form of skin cancer. In this age range there are twice as many cases of melanoma as there are of breast cancer.

"Latest figures show around 340 women in their 20s were diagnosed with melanoma in a single year.

"And for women in their thirties melanoma has risen to be the third most common cancer after breast and cervix."

Omega-3 Vitamins Can Fight Cancer

2009-04-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

The Senior Journal (seniorjournal.com) reported that, "Researchers who found that docosahexanoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oils, reduced the size of tumors in lab animals and enhanced the positive effects of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, while limiting its harmful side effects, are calling for wider use of omega-3 in the fight against cancer."

For the entire article, see this link.

Blushing Drinkers Are Prone to Cancer

2009-03-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

It was an interesting article posted on the New York Times news service: "People whose faces turn red when they drink alcohol may be facing more than embarrassment. The flushing may indicate an increased risk for a deadly throat cancer, researchers report."

There are other indicators, including nausea and a rapid heartbeat, which may or may not appear in such cases. The problem comes from an inherited deficiency in an enzyme called ALDH2, and can mostly be found in people of East Asian ancestry.

This deficiency results in an inability to metabolize alcohol, which leads to an accumulation in the body of a toxin called acetaldehyde.

Some people have such violent reactions that they are unable to consume large amounts of alcohol. The ironic part is that this reaction actually protects them against the increased risk of cancer since they can't consume too much and become heavy drinkers.

Mary Tyler Moore's Book on Diabetes

2009-03-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

I read in USA Today yesterday (March 23, 2009) that Mary Tyler Moore, the actress from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show, has written a book about handling diabetes in her life.

She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 30. The book, Growing Up Again, offers a personal account of living with this disease.

When she first learned she had Type 1, she had a vision of "languishing on a chaise lounge, nibbling chocolates." She soon learned about sticking herself to check her glucose level, and injecting herself with a syringe.

She has now lost a lot of her vision, which means she can't enjoy a lot of her hobbies. But she remains upbeat and courageous.

How to Lower Your Blood Pressure

2009-03-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

In Best Life magazine (April 2009), someone wrote into the health column, asking if an orange a day would automatically reduce his blood pressure.

No, replied cardiologist Steven E. Nissen, MD.

But he did offer this advice:

"To lower your blood pressure without (or in addition to) medication, exercise vigorously for 30 minutes a day, lose weight, consume a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, and reduce your salt intake. The last two strategies alone can lower your blood pressure by up to 14 points."

Cancer Victims Helped By New Government Program

2009-03-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

This from John Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50 (April 2009):

"Social Security benefits are now quicker and easier to get for people who have certain cancers and debilitating diseases. A new program, Compassionate Allowances, speeds up claims processing for people with qualifying conditions. For more information, check the program's website."

Giving to Breast Cancer Research for Broadway Cares

2009-03-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

My partner Ruth and I attended the San Francisco performance of "Wicked" yesterday, and we had a blast.

During the curtain call, actor Nicolas Dromard, who plays Fiyero in the play, announced that they were doing several things for Broadway Cares to benefit AIDS and breast cancer research. In addition to the usual t-shirts, etc., they were selling photo opportunities with the two witches, Elphaba and Glinda. Of course, we couldn't pass that up.

So the photo shows me, actress Kendra Kassebaum (Glinda), actress Vicki Noon (Elphaba in green face), and Ruth. I had a hard time pushing into the billowing Glinda dress to get reasonably close to her; it's extremely substantial and weighs a ton, according to one of the stage hands, the one who has to transport Glinda's dresses. But I managed. And it was wonderful to actually meet these performers, still see them in their wonderful costumes.

It's a very cool play if you haven't seen it, and turns the Wizard of Oz myth on its ear in several respects. And you'll be humming the songs when you exit. And if you get a chance, support Broadway Cares in its very worthy causes.

Sleep for Weight Loss

2009-03-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

One of our readers sent us the below article. She found it on AOL. Be sure and read the numbered pieces of advice at the end, a prescription for how to set yourself up for more sleep.

We don't want to give the impression that this makeover was effortless; finding time for more sleep does take work. In fact, one of our testers, Natasha Crawford, 33, wasn’t able to stick to the plan for more than two or three nights a week because of a crazy job schedule. But even though she didn’t lose weight, by the end of the plan she had still lost a total of two and a half inches off her waist, bust and hips.

At least two dozen studies have documented that people tend to weigh more if they sleep less, says Sanjay Patel, M.D., a researcher at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. In a 16-year study of almost 70,000 women, Dr. Patel and his colleagues found that those who slept five hours or less a night were 30 percent more likely to gain 30-plus pounds than those who got more rest. In fact, some experts believe lack of sleep is one reason for America’s obesity epidemic. The average woman gets six hours and 40 minutes of sleep most nights, according to the National Sleep Foundation -- much less than the seven-and-a-half-hour minimum our experts say healthy women need.

What exactly is the sleep-weight connection? Science shows that sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on hormones that control appetite, cravings and the metabolism of fat. See how these findings translate to your body.

Whether you notice it or not, you probably eat more, sometimes much more, when you’re tired. Proof: Researchers at the University of Chicago allowed people to sleep five and half hours one night and eight and a half on another, then measured how many free snacks the participants downed the next day. They ate an average of 221 calories more when sleepy -- an amount that could translate into almost a pound of fat gained after two weeks! “When women are deprived of sleep, they have an increase in ghrelin -- what we call the ‘go’ hormone -- because it makes you want to go eat more,” says Breus, clinical director of the sleep division at Southwest Spine & Sport in Scottsdale, Arizona, and author of Beauty Sleep. “They also have a drop in leptin, the ‘stop’ hormone that tells you to stop when you’re full.” Not only do you want more food when you’re sleep-deprived, you also want junkier food: Your body craves simple carbohydrates (chocolate, pastries, candy) that it can break down fast for quick energy, explains Breus. “I used to eat a ton of sugar every afternoon,” "Glamour" volunteer Johnson says. “But now I can have just a small piece and feel satisfied.”

Even before seeing the number on the scale drop much, our testers noticed other changes. Three weeks into the plan, Braverman easily put on a pair of pants that used to be too snug. And at the two-month mark, Hamilton-Romeo told us, “My stomach is getting flatter and my love handles smaller.” By the end of 10 weeks, she’d shaved almost five inches off her waist, hips, bust and thighs -- even though, at 5’4” and 133 pounds, she wasn’t overweight to begin with. The explanation? “During deep sleep, your brain secretes a large amount of growth hormone, which tells your body how to break down fat for fuel,” explains Breus. “Deprive your body of deep sleep, and when extra calories get stored as fat, there isn’t enough growth hormone to break it down. So your body takes a shortcut and packs it away in your butt, thighs, belly -- wherever you tend to put on weight.” Says Braverman, who lost a total of two and a half inches: “The changes in my body fascinate me, because I really haven’t changed anything except my sleep habits. I eat the way I always have and exercise the same amount, maybe even less because my schedule is tighter now that I have to go to bed earlier!”

Perhaps not surprisingly, all of the women on our plan said they felt much less tired. And though we told them not to make any conscious exercise changes, a couple of them couldn’t help themselves. “I’ve always worked out,” Barr told us, “but I’m spending more time at the gym because I finally have the energy!” Says Foley, “I used to have days when I’d want to go home and just veg out on the couch; now I’d rather run or do something physical -- a complete revolution in my lifestyle.” Breus wasn’t surprised. “Your perception of how hard or easy exercise is to do is directly affected by how sleep-deprived you are,” he says.

1. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
Write down the time you need to get up in the morning, then count back seven and a half hours. That is the time you need to be in bed. But we're not out to kill all your fun: On Friday or Saturday nights, you can go to bed one or two hours later than usual and sleep in one or two hours the next morning -- as long as you get your required seven and a half hours.

2. Start a bedtime routine.
Create a presleep ritual -- such as light reading, a hot bath, stretching -- beginning somewhere between 45 minutes to an hour before the time you've planned to close your eyes. Pretty soon, your body will start to associate specific actions with relaxation and falling asleep. And turn off your TV, computer, BlackBerry and cell phone before that time begins. "When your brain senses light shining in your eyes, it stimulates the wake response and lowers melatonin, the hormone that cues you to feel drowsy," says Steven Park, M.D., author of "Sleep, Interrupted."

3. Watch your caffeine and alcohol habits.
Don't have any caffeine after 2:30 P.M. (including caffeinated tea and soda), and avoid sipping alcohol three hours before bedtime. Booze may knock you out at first, but it keeps you from getting deep sleep, says Breus. As the sleep-inducing powers wear off, you may even wake up.

4. Experiment with exactly how much sleep you really need.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, some women require as many as nine hours of sleep a night. If you're snoozing seven and a half hours and still can't wake up without your alarm, you need more. Try hitting the sack 15 minutes earlier each night until you reach the perfect time for you -- it may take a week or so before you reach your own ideal sleep number.

What to Say to the Doctor

2009-03-14T08:52:00.001-07:00

I was talking to a young friend the other day. She was complaining about various aches she had, and that whenever she went to the doctor she would bring up one and then get sidetracked and forget the others.

Remedy Magazine (Spring 2009) had an article suggesting the best way of approaching that doctor's meeting.

Have an Agenda. Decide what you want to accomplish in your visit. This includes getting to the cause of your various symptoms as well as less urgent concerns, like prescription medication refills.

Prioritize. Write down your complaints or symptoms, then list them from most urgent to least. That way, if you get sidetracked or forget to go down the list, you'll have covered the most important issues.

Know Your Medications. Review your medications -- and why your doctor put you on them -- when you visit the doctor in order to avoid problems and dangerous interactions of the meds. The simplest way to do this is to bring the bottles with you.

Speak Up. If your doctor suggests a treatment plan that will be hard for you to follow, ask for adjustments. Doctors' orders should take in to effect your lifestyle and values. But your doctor won't know unless you tell them.

Early Detection for Cancer

2009-03-13T10:56:00.001-07:00

Thanks to a reader for sending me this link to a recent Wired magazine article on early detection of cancer. Our reader says, "It's an interesting piece on how money is being spent to fight cancer and the potential for getting an edge on the disease through better early detection."

Optimists Live Longer than Pessimists

2009-03-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

A new study (as reported in today's USA Today, March 12, 2009) suggests that you'll live healthier and longer if you're the glass-is-half-full kind of person.

The study analyzed 100,000 women in the Women's Health Initiative and found that optimists -- women who expected that good things, not bad, would happen -- were 30% less likely to die of heart disease during the course of the study than pessimists.

And "trusting" women were 23% less likely to die of cancer than their "cynically hostile" -- or highly mistrustful -- counterparts.

Which am I? Well, I have always considered myself an optimist but a cautious one. However, I do have friends who say I'm negative about possible outcomes. I mean, when I go to an event, I won't bother trying to seek out the closest parking space but will grab the first one I can as long as it's reasonably near.

I certainly don't see myself as "cynically hostile." Do you see yourself that way?

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

2009-03-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, California and the United States.

Getting screened via colonoscopy is the most important thing you can do for yourself in regards to this deadly disease. Do it now, and schedule it regularly (once every 10 years for those at low risk) in concert with your doctor's advice.

MRI Doesn't Reduce Risk for High-Risk Women

2009-03-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

This is from the National Breast Cancer Coalition. Basically, they found that surgery on the healthy breast once a woman is found with breast cancer only reduces the risk of cancer from 0.7% to 0.04%, but that women often choose the surgery anyway. And that MRI of the opposite breast in such women has shown no overall survival benefit.

"Many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast fear that they are at increased risk of getting cancer in their other breast. Actually, the risk of that happening is, on average, 0.7% per year. In recent years, more and more radiologists are doing MRI screenings of the healthy breast in diagnosed women. Is there any benefit of using MRI to look at a woman’s healthy breast when she has been diagnosed with breast cancer? What are the benefits and risks?

"In his presentation, Dr. Tuttle showed that the expanded use of breast MRI among newly diagnosed patients is one of the main factors behind the doubling of contralateral prophylactic mastectomies (removing of the opposite, non-affected breast before breast cancer is found in that breast). Although prophylatic surgery reduced the risk of cancer development in the opposite breast by 95%, it is important to remember that the annual risk was small to begin with. That means that prophylatic surgery reduced the risk from 0.7% to 0.04%. Dr. Tuttle noted that there was no proven survival benefit from such aggressive surgery, but many patients still opted for it.

"In multiple prior studies, researchers found that MRI screening of the opposite breast at the time of initial diagnosis led to a large proportion of women undergoing unnecessary biopsies. Prior research has also shown no overall survival benefit from contralateral prophylactic mastectomies. We are also concerned that prophylactic mastectomies create complications that can delay recommended chemotherapy or radiation. NBCC’s analyses points out that while existing guidelines recommend MRI screening for high-risk women (positive BRCA 1 or 2 mutation), there is no proof that vigilant surveillance and screening save lives.

"No studies have shown that MRI reduces a woman’s risk of dying from breast cancer."

Researchers Find Enzyme Behind Cancer Spreading

2009-03-07T23:01:00.000-08:00

This is very exciting news, reported by BBC News. The Institute of Cancer Research scientists have found that an enzyme called LOX is crucial in promoting metastasis, as reported by the Cancer Cell journal.

Drugs to block this enzyme's action could keep cancer at bay.

These results were found in mice, but researchers are confident there is a corollary to humans.

LOX, which stands for lysyl oxidase, sends out signals to prepare a new area of the body for an invasion by cancer cells. If a part of this preparation process were removed, cancer would not grow.

Lead researcher Dr. Janine Erler said, "This new discovery provides real hope that we can develop a drug which will fight the spreading of cancer." She describes the discovery as "the crucial missing piece in the jigsaw that scientists have been searching for."

(The photo to the right shows breast cancer cells.)

Cheese

2009-03-03T20:52:00.000-08:00

The University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter (March 2009) sums up the good and bad news about cheese.

Calcium. Like all dairy foods, cheese provides calcium and protein, as well as some vitamin A, B12, riboflavin, zinc and phosphorus. It's also a source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fat that may have anti-cancer, weight-reducing, and heart-protective effects. However, you'd have to consume a lot of cheese to get meaningful amounts of CLA, which also means you'd also get a lot of saturated fat and calories. Low-fat cheese contains less CLA; nonfat cheese contains none.

For cavity resistance. Cheese may help prevent cavities. In a small study from Turkey last year, people who ate cheese (1/3 ounce) after rinsing with a sugar solution had a rapid decrease in acidity, which lowers the risk of cavities.

For weight loss. Studies here disagree. A new study in Nutrition & Metabolism, funded by the National Dairy Council, suggests that cheese and other dairy foods may help prevent weight gain after dieting. Another study found that regular cheese eaters gained less weight over time than those who ate cheese less often. But other studies, including one from Johns Hopkins in 2008, have found that people who eat more cheese tend to be more overweight.

Cancer connection. This is another debatable topic. A large Swedish study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition a few years ago found a link between cheese (at least 2 ounces a day) and reduced risk of colorectal cancer in women. Other studies have not found this benefit. A few have even linked dairy products, including cheese, to increased prostate and ovarian cancer -- though others have found no such link.

Heart disease. Cheese may not be especially good for your heart, but some research suggests that it may not be so bad for it either, at least when it's part of an overall healthy diet. The Mediterranean diet, which is associated with many health benefits including a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, allows for moderate amounts of cheese. And dairy foods, including cheese, are an important part of the anti-hypertension DASH diet.

The conclusion: "Think of cheese as a flavor enhancer -- a supporting player in a meal. A thin slice with fruit makes a nice dessert. An ounce or two of cheese, even daily, is reasonable -- as long as you can afford the calories and your diet is not otherwise high in saturated fat."

Where Will That Stimulus Money Go for Cancer Research?

2009-02-27T08:32:00.001-08:00

There's a fascinating article today in the Wall Street Journal (online version, click here) that talks about how money spent on cancer research hasn't saved a single life.

Since President Obama's stimulus package is ready to dump more millions into cancer research, it's urgent, says the author, to figure out where that money should go, instead of down a "thousand rat holes."

The article also gives a handy-dandy catch-up on where we are now in cancer research.

HRT Doubles Risk of Breast Cancer

2009-02-26T09:02:00.000-08:00

There was an article in the Oakland Tribune (February 16, 2009) -- on the front page, no less -- which claimed that hormone replacement therapy can double a woman's risk of breast cancer every year.

Two new Stanford University studies show that using long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) poses a far greater risk of cancer than previously thought.

The research concludes that a woman who stays on the therapy for at least five years doubles her risk of breast cancer every year. This risk is far greater than the 27 percent described in the hallmark 2002 Women's Health Initiative report, the first such study to establish a link.

But there was good news. No risk was established when women took HRT less than five years. And for women who continued beyond the five years, continued taking hormones, risks dropped when they stopped.

Marcia Stefanick, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and a co-author of both the 2002 and present study, added, "I would encourage women to try and make it through menopause without starting hormone treatment."

B Vitamins Could Lower Risk of Macular Degeneration

2009-02-24T17:17:00.000-08:00

We know that Vitamin B has not been shown to prevent cancer. But apparently it has another healthy application.

A study at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston indicates that taking B vitamins could lower the risk for a leading cause of blindness in older Americans. USA Today (February 24, 2009) reported on the study.

"This is the first randomized trial to indicate a possible benefit of folic acid, B-6 and B-12 vitamin supplements in reducing the risks of age-related macular degeneration," said study author William Christen.

Christen and his team "collected data from a cardiovascular disease trial involving more than 5,200 women over 40 who reported they did not have macular degeneration at the study's start.... At study's end, 55 cases of age-related macular degeneration were confirmed in the vitamin group, and 82 were confirmed in the placebo group. Those who took the supplements had a 41% lower risk of being diagnosed with the disease."

The study appears in this week's Archives of Internal Medicine.

The Difference Between Angina and Heart Attack

2009-02-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

The below is from RemedyLife:

"Nearly 7 million Americans have angina. William E. Boden, M.D., clinical chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Buffalo schools of medicine and public health, explains.

What is angina?

Angina is not a disease but a symptom that occurs in those with narrowed coronary arteries (atherosclerosis). A person with arteries that are at least 70 percent blocked is likely to experience angina when the heart works harder than usual, such as during physical exertion, stress or sexual activity. The heart can’t meet the extra demand from heightened activity because an increase in blood flow is restricted by blocked arteries.

What does it feel like?

Angina typically presents with tightness and pressure—an oppressive sensation. Patients sometimes describe feeling as if an elephant were sitting on their chest. I always ask patients to distinguish between pain and pressure. Less typical symptoms are shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and sweating.

Atypical symptoms tend to be more prevalent in women, which explains why women are diagnosed less frequently.

How do angina and heart attack differ?

A heart attack is a more catastrophic complication of atherosclerosis, associated with a complete blockage in a coronary artery, which acutely obstructs blood flow. Symptoms are more severe and prolonged (usually 20 minutes or longer) and can come on suddenly. Angina typically lasts 5 to 10 minutes and subsides when the activity that triggered it is curtailed or stopped.

What are the risk factors for angina?

The four main risk factors are diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking and abnormal cholesterol levels. Other risk factors include family history, obesity and sedentary behavior.

How is angina treated?

Standard treatments include drugs such as beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, statins and nitrates. Sometimes angioplasty or bypass surgery is indicated.

When should emergency help be sought?

Usually, people who have had angina can predict what will set off an attack. If the usual pattern changes, especially if symptoms persist after 15 to 20 minutes of rest or occur abruptly at rest or in the middle of the night, the best advice is to call 911 and get to the ER.

Microvascular Angina

Microvascular angina, according to Dr. Boden, is a type of angina that has been identified in the past 5 to 10 years and is much more common in women than men. “People with microvascular angina can have normal major coronary arteries (where blockages cause heart attacks) but narrowings in the very small arteries supplying blood flow to the heart muscle, which can cause chest discomfort,” he explains. Those with microvascular angina rarely have heart attacks."

If You Do Research, You're More Likely to Get the Newest Drugs

2009-02-23T16:35:00.000-08:00

There's an article in USA Today that talks about "cancer patients who research treatment options are three times more likely to get the newest drugs...."

"Patients who sought information from the internet, newspapers and magazines were more likely than others to have heard of the 'targeted' therapies cetuximab, sold as Erbitux, and bevacizumab, sold as Avastin. But those who pursued second opinions from doctors as part of their research were the most likely actually to be prescribed these drugs, says the study led by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and published online today in Cancer."

Each Cancer Is Different

2009-02-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco Chronicle (through the Associated Press) had a great article today on cancer care.

"The days of one-size-fits-all cancer treatments are numbered: A rush of new research is pointing the way to tailor chemotherapy and other care to what's written in your tumor's genes."

I'm not surprised that we finally wised up and figured out that each cancer is different, and maybe even that even cancer in individuals is different, but that the answer lies in tailoring gene therapy. Wow.

I find this of particular interest: every patient with advanced colon cancer is supposed to get a genetic test that will tell them whether further treatment will do any good. Researchers found last month that Erbitux and Vectibix, cancer drugs which are rather expensive, won't work in 40 percent of patients.

There are currently studies going on regarding genetic testing for breast and lung cancer as well.

All of this work points to the fact that cancer medications don't work for about half the patients, patients who have to suffer through sometimes horrific side effects and financial impact with no benefit.

For the entire article, take a look at the San Francisco Chronicle, February 17, 2009.

Chemotherapy Resource

2009-02-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

Women and Cancer magazine clued me into the chemotherapy.com website.

The website is great especially if you just started treatment.

You can also get a free copy of Women and Cancer magazine on that page as well.