I wrote this post on Monday, December 10th, after receiving my November test results (here in Italy, we patients receive our test results, not our doctors, which I personally think is great). Since I received more than a dozen comments (that were gobbled up by voracious Mr. Server during the updating process), I decided to create one BIG comment instead of several individual comments. As things stand, it really looks as though I wrote all those comments myself, but I didn’t, I didn’t, I promise! Here is the original post:
Spettacolare!, as we say in Italian! And here I was, dreading the arrival of my test results since I took them during a period of (a bit of) stress, I had just begun my new job etc. Well, HURRAY definitely replaces DREAD! But let me proceed by degrees.
I will compare these tests, taken on November 19th, to my not-so-good-but-still-semi-okay September tests. My IgG has dropped from 34.3 (September) to 27.8 g/L (now). The normal range is 7-16 g/L. I have always been terrible at math, but that’s almost a 20% drop, no?
My IgA and IgM are as stable as rocks, haven’t moved a bit, but that is ok with me, even though both values are very VERY low. The important thing is that they didn’t go any lower!
My blood viscosity has dropped from 55 to 48 mm/hour, which is good. Keep in mind that this value has gone as high as 95! My white cells have climbed a bit, from 4.63 to 4.98; my red cells dropped just a teeny tiny fraction. My haemoglobin is stable in the region of 13, and my hematocrit has increased a bit, from 38.1 to 39.5 (normal range: 36.0-46.0). Creatinine is stable at 0.7, within the normal range; calcium is slightly up but still way within the normal range; albumin is still within the normal range (yippee). Bence Jones is NEGATIVE (yeah, yeah, yeah!). Beta-2 Microglobulin has gone down slightly, from 1.8 mg/L to 1.6 (normal range: 1.2-2.5 mg/L). Also good.
Not much really stands out in a negative sense. My serum iron, however, has dropped from 109 to 62 micrograms/dL (normal range 60-140 mcg/dL), so I will have to do something about that. Yikes. I see a few steaks in my near future. But my ferritin, which was 7 ng/mL in June, then 8 in September, is now 10 ng/mL (normal range begins at 15). Still low, but going in the right direction, at least. Oh, my total cholesterol went up somewhat (but so did my HDL, the good cholesterol, so that is good), but I expected that to happen, since for more than a month and a half I tested a concoction based on a dab of butter and either double cream or whole milk, so I suppose even curcumin couldn’t battle against THAT! Have I forgotten anything? Oh, my m-spike is also stable, in the 2 region.
In sum, all is well! SUPER DUPER WELL! Little dance of joy today! 🙂
Congratulations!!
Beth
(Only thing is, it really looks as though _I_ am commenting on my own posts! I’m not, I promise! Oh well. At least Mr. Server gobbled up only a couple of my posts, not all of them! 😉 Signed: Margaret)
I have decided just to create one huge comment instead of a lot of individual ones. If space permits. Here goes:
2. hurrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaa!!! Great Margaret!! Congratulations!! It just confirms you have best treatment for yourself, doesn’t it? Keep the spirit and enjoy a “happy december”!! 🙂 Robert
3. Yuppy do yuppy do yuppy doooooo Yuppi do i do yuppi do!!!!!!!!!!!!! None happier than me, except (perhaps) you 🙂 Great job Margaret. Great job indeed. Anna
4. Cool! Minnesotadon
5. Margaret, what a great inspiration you are to all of us. You fight back-you search and find things that might help your problem-you give them a fair trial and check the results. You share them. When you succeed it gives us all hope that if we persevere, as you do, that we too will find the solutions for ourself, and our loved ones. Keep going Baby, don’t stop when you are ahead! Wally
6. Nice going, Margaret. But I wonder what pleases you more — the promise of good health prospects or being right about your curcumin protocol! 🙂 Chris
7. Excellent news, Margaret!! All that choco-curcumin is working! Yippee! Lisa
8. your news made our day! winnah you too! Winnah
9. Yea Margaret! A good news day for all! Congratulations! Donna
10. What a wonderful breath of fresh air. I’m referring to both you and your news! The news is fleeting, you are a shining beacon. 🙂 L.P.Cells
11. Congratulations and Bless you!!! Good news in many ways. Sunshine
12. Hi Margaret, if you are considering doing something about the iron try Molassas everyday. I take a tablespoon every morning and have no problems with my iron. It was a trick I learned when I was a regular blood donor. If I took molassas in the morning my iron would pass the test by the afternoon and I could give my pint of blood. Take care, Bev
13. Well done, Margaret. That`s a pretty good Christmas present!
All the best, Mary
14. Dear Bella Margo, Add peper to the mix….I found your wonderful site as I was researching curcumin. Nice site and clearly, you are a very smart lady. I am using Curcumin for stage 4, breast metts in the plural and liver. I have chosen not to do chemo again and go the natural route. It has been 7 months and I have bet all the odds. (Survival rate for plura in the lung is 6 months) . I am 42, and thought, that this time, I needed to change my insides for the better. I went on juice veg juice diet, all vegan no more sugar, white flour, wheat, dairy etc. Curcumin, is 2 tbs a day with flax oil and lots of black peper, on empty stomach. Tastes like rat doudou but it works!!!!!! All my inflmation in my back and joint pain from the Arimidex is 80 % down. . Please see the book by Dr. David Sevan Sceibert. It is now a Best seller in french but will be tranlated soon.
http://www.amazon.fr/Anticancer-David-Servan-Schreiber/dp/222110871X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197319385&sr=8-1
In it he, (a 2 X brain cancer surviror) suggests the peper and oil for absorbtion. I also take Green magma and just to cher you on,. my levels have been dropping like crazy. CA 125 normal…and CEA(inflamation) on a downword spiral from 1197 t0 84. So, I may never be cured but I am CONVINCED by the results I am living, that I can manage this as a long term illness but major life changes. Also taking SALBA (salba.com) with I also use as flour ang egg in baking healthy treats. Oh, and I cut out meat and soda and jucing. NUTRITION is key!!!! see book and also search on web : Dr. Richard Beliveau, University de Montreal.
I wish you the best, and please tell all to add much BLACK peper to their mixture. Essential for absorbtion. … Best, Louise, Montreal, Canada
15. Hi Margaret, This is AMAZING news! Congratulations!!! Thank you for your positive attitude, for your wonderful research and above all for the hope you give to the rest of us! Snezhi
I think I have put all the comments back, but if you don’t see your comment, please let me know. Or just resubmit it. Thanks! Margaret
Hi Margaret. Is the the SECOND consecutive drop in your IGg since you started taking curcumin?
Regards, Dora
Hi Dora,
Actually, this is drop number four since I began taking curcumin, but it’s not a consecutive drop. My September IgG counts were, in fact, rather high (34.3 g/L), although not quite as high as they were back in January 2006, when I began taking curcumin (34.5 g/L). However, this drop was a bigger one compared to my Jan-March 2006 tests. I figure this one is almost a 25% drop. The 2006 drop was almost 20%. Nothing to sneeze at, in either case.
Margaret 🙂