Hit in the stomach

I usually do not post about deaths that occur in the myeloma family…even though I am touched and saddened by each and every one. It’s all the more distressing when those who die are close correspondents of mine…or related to said correspondents, like Eric.

Well, today I am hit-in-the-stomach stunned. I found out only this morning that my blog reader/myeloma list friend Cathy died on July 7th. In April, she was hospitalized with an infection and apparently just got weaker and weaker. Cathy, my friend who loved cats…Cathy, who sent me research tips…Cathy, with her wonderful sense of humour and lovely prose…

My heart is heavy with sadness…

And Alex…oh Alex…I meant to answer his most recent e-mail as soon as we returned from our August holiday. But Alex died on August 22nd. It’s too late now.

In many ways, blogging has been a wonderful experience, an experience that will certainly continue in the years to come. I have found a purpose in life that I probably didn’t have before, I mean before my 1999 MGUS diagnosis…but these recent deaths have made me realize that my blog is also a bit of a…distraction. Doing research and answering messages takes up a huge amount of my free time. I don’t mind, of course, for obvious reasons, don’t get me wrong…but I need to do a much better job of keeping in touch with my friends, even if it means that I might be doing a little less research…a little less answering…

Never postpone to tomorrow what you can do today.

7 Comments

  1. Yes, you do need to take more vacation time for yourself, even though it could just be in your mind. Blog less, laugh more, get beaten at scrabble! Win at cards! Whatever!

  2. I blogged for about 3 weeks straight just once. It’s a lot of work. I tip my hat to your perseverance, generosity and awesome ability to present intelligible summaries of impossible to read research articles.

    I can think of nothing in my more important than my friends (of which Lu is my best!). I’ve had a few glasses of great Italian red wine this summer with my friends. May you find a balance that makes you happier and more fulfilled.

  3. It is truly sad that despite all of our efforts taking curcumin, EGCG, vitamin D and so on, this is not enough to save some of us from death by cancer.

    It should also be noted that perhaps we live that much longer with the knowledge that we have, and that you, Margaret, put out on your blog.

    Cures will come from the medical establishment. I know that the ‘mojo’ from the mainstream research community is much stronger than the mojo from curcumin and other such preparations. I’ve seen some great results from chemotherapy, but no cure.

    We have to be realistic. Any blood cancer can leave us more susceptible to infection or other problem such as organ dysfunction.

    Try to live a healthy life. Get your affairs in order (sound advice for anyone!). Gather your friends closer. Spend time with them and the loved ones in your family. Donate to cancer research to help bring, if not a cure, better treatments. Realize we all have a limited time on this earth.

    Those of us who try to help others through a blog or advising folks on successes and failures we’ve had, and by recommending a doctor you like, I think add to the health of the world, and do ‘make the world a better place.’

    I’m sorry for your losses. May this terrible disease be conquered soon!

  4. Actually, Scott, Cathy was following a different protocol that didn’t include curcumin…I didn’t mention that fact in yesterday’s post since I didn’t want to insinuate that curcumin might have made a difference in her case (who knows?).

    And yes, Scott, you are right. There are no guarantees that all the stuff that we take will save us. But we do have strong evidence stemming from solid scientific studies. Yes, many of these non toxic plant extracts are poorly bioavailable, but I am convinced that they work at different levels, as I have written in a few posts. I used to get infections all the time in the pre-curcumin period. That is a thing of the past. The list goes on.

    Rambling on, I also firmly believe that being proactive is important in any type of medical condition. And, of course, having a positive attitude!

    As for the medical establishment…yes, conventional “mojo” is stronger but, let’s not forget, also much much more toxic. I favor quality of life over quantity of life.

    Like you, I hope that some day researchers will find a cure. I also hope that they figure out how to protect healthy cells while bombarding the cancerous ones, stem cells included. What we need are more open-minded researchers who will test plant extracts together with, say, chemo drugs…some of this has already happened, but it’s NOT enough…

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