Blood tests

I zoomed into the Careggi hospital lab at 6:30 a.m. this morning. Even that early, I had 50 people in line in front of me. By 7:45, though, that number would have risen to almost 150…yikes. It’s a popular lab!

 

Unfortunately, since I am having some specific things tested (a few vitamins and my parathyroid hormone, e.g.), I won’t get my test results until mid December. Without those specialized tests, I would have had my results in 10 days. Bummer, since I am seeing my haematologist on November 26th and my endocrinologist on the 29th. Oh well. Can’t have everything!

 

Next week I am having a flu shot. If your immune system is compromised, ask your doctor about having a flu shot this year. And here is a word of caution. I always make sure that my vaccine doesn’t contain any mercury, i.e., that it is thimerosal-free, even though the percentage of mercury is supposed to be tiny. (Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative.) Still, a percentage is a…percentage.

 

It’s a controversial topic, some studies report that the mercury contained in flu shots exits the body quickly without causing any damage, others that it can accumulate in the brain…well, my reason for choosing the no-mercury option is that I think we already have enough toxins in our food and environment…I just don’t see the point in adding any more, even if the risk might be (!) minimal. Might be…

 

Might not be…

 

Nothing much else going on right now. I am settling back into my regular, post-election life—reading and monitoring new (or not so new, sometimes) studies/research and so on. Life is good.

 

Yesterday, in the spirit of change, I changed my blog header image. It’s a portion of a lovely photo I took last month on a Cape Cod (Massachusetts, U.S.A.) beach.

14 Comments

  1. I like it too! It reminds me of beaches a few hours from our home. Aaaaa so inviting! I think my favorite header is still the view of Florence from afar though! It’s even more inviting! Good luck on those test results! Donna

  2. No, _I_ apologize, I really thought you were kidding! Well, to me this photo looks nothing like anything we saw in Northumberland, but it’s also true that we didn’t climb down to the Bamburgh beach, so I could be wrong. Hmmm, I guess we will just have to make another trip back there…just to make sure…;-)

    By the way, recently Stefano told me that he preferred Northumberland to Bourgogne. I can’t decide since the two experiences were so different…but yes, the Farne Islands puffin experience was like nothing I have ever experienced. Undescribable. Definitely one of the highlights of my entire life. Even the pink flamingos in France didn’t come close…!

    Take care,
    Margaret 🙂

  3. Hi Joe, I know nothing of those two things. Do you take them?

    By the way, I forgot to thank all those who wished me well on my test results. Thanks a bunch! 🙂

    Margaret

  4. Hi Margaret,
    Take a look at the URL below if you can. I know it’s not exactly the same as your picture but there are lots of gaps in the dunes up there and I’m sure I’ve seen one that looks just like your shot. Tell Stephano you need to go again to check it out 🙂

    http://www.alamy.com/image-details-popup.asp?imageid={822BD5CD-572E-4B11-A80F-0B61B40EAE6A}&origin=sr&pv=1&n=NaN&s=2&pn=1&p=11882&orientation=0&searchtype=0&Stamp=2&srch=qt%3Dseahouses%2Bbeach%26lic%3D7%26ipn%3D1%26apn%3D1%26cpn%3D1%26cdpn%3D1%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26ot%3D0%26nu%3D0%26archive%3D1%26size%3D0xFF%26cdsrt%3D0%26pn%3D1%26st%3D0%26a%3D%2D1%26cid%3D%26s1%3D0%26s3%3D0%26s5%3D0%26s7%3D0%26cn%3D%26cdid%3D%26cdn%3D

  5. Margaret
    I purchase some and wasn’t sure of dosage
    but thought I might add this to the curcumin .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14608114

  6. Joe,
    If you check pubmed there’s a reasonable amount of information about IP-6 and Inositol. There may be enough information there to establish dosing for you though it seems you don’t need to get the MTD to have some effects. I don’t know whether this compound is applicable to MM, don’t see any MM studies on it.

    This paper is good (http://carcin.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/25/11/2115)

  7. Joe,

    One more point I should have made. Here’s a link to a monograph that’s a great jumping off point for your research. (http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/.fulltext/7/3/244.pdf).

    This indicates that doses of 8800mg/day in humans have been tolerated well over the long run. Don’t take near meals as this tends to chelate minerals and you may be left with mineral deficiencies. This may have an effect in copper chelation, which is good overall for reducing angiogenesis.

    Chris

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