Happy New Year! Buon Anno!

The best part about these holidays:

  1. being together (=Stefano and I) whenever we want, not just on weekends and weekday evenings. 
  2. getting together (after several years of being apart) with my best friend from my University of Florence period and realizing that true friends are friends forever…I am so happy that we have found each other again!
  3. forgetting about myeloma (that is, until I received my test results!).

Speaking of which, after my not-so-hot saw palmetto results (which could be a fluke since, due to busy times, I was a bit sloppy about scheduling my daily supplement intake…), I have decided to test ashwagandha again. In case you don’t remember: ashwagandha, also known as Indian ginseng, has strong anti-myeloma activity and has been used in traditional medicine forever. I tested it last fall (September 2009), and my October test results were excellent. I still have enough ashwagandha for another trial. We shall see!

Incidentally, I am not giving up on saw palmetto, since a few blog readers have told me privately about their good results with it…besides, could my good immunoglobulins have increased thanks to saw palmetto?

capodanno-2010[1]By the way, a good friend (who has copies of my test results) pointed out that my IgA hasn’t been this high in years. If my myeloma were taking off, he added, my good Igs would (probably!) go down, not up. I hadn’t considered it from that angle. Well, another thing to celebrate…!

I was searching the Internet for a nice Happy 2010 photo and found this one (above) on an Italian website. I like it because the sign is pointing in a bright and sunny direction…I will drink to that! Felice Anno Nuovo a tutti! Happy New Year, everyone!

8 Comments

  1. Buon anno nuovo – Happy new year !!!!

    After my test with Curcumin C3+Bioperin in summer 2009 (4 months) i startet in october with Ashwagandha and Boswellia serrata until 26 january 2010 (my next blood control date at university of Tübingen).

    Rudi

  2. Happy New Year!

    My fiance was diagnosed with myeloma a year ago and has now completed the stem cell transplant. His counts didn’t come down as low as we had hoped so we are wanting to try the curcumin, his Dr is all for him using it too. Aside from finding some 500mg tablets in 60capsules size bottles for $37.00 here in Perth, Australia, I have located Sabinsa in Melbourne that can sell us curcumin powder in 5kg size for $125/kg and bioperine is $800/kg. I have not been able to locate bioperine/piperine at all in this area. We are wondering if there is someone in the Perth area that would like to share this with us to cut costs?

    Anyone who is interested, please contact me through Margaret’s contact form
    Thank-you,
    Cindy

  3. Thank you for your good wishes for 2010,which I warmly
    reciprocate.Have you made any New Year Resolutions?
    Here is some well-imtemded unrequested advice from an
    old duffer who really ought to “shut up you old fool”.

    Do not make yourself a martyr to myeloma.You are an
    indefatigable worker who does not know how to stop
    so don’t burn yourself out.As one of your followers
    I am greatly indebted to what you have taught me,
    and it may sound selfish to say OK stop now, but you can
    slow down.Your encyclopaedic banner contains so much
    information in addition to what you write that it provides
    an excellent source of knowledge for those who search.

    I am an old man – I’ve been there done that, and I
    write this in gratitude to a great lady.

    Here is a light-hearted thought to end:

    The Warden of Skomer Island (puffin island)
    is retiring.
    Applications for the job must be in by Monday.

    Whar a sanctuary!

    Old Bill

  4. Margaret, I wish you (and all your blog readers) a happy, healthy and stable new year. Your blog has helped me to discover what I can do and can’ t do with my illness. Last year I was much worse than now. I just think that particular turmeric (and some other substances) have helped me a lot.

    Hans

  5. Margaret, a happy and successful New Year to you and the other readers of the forum, I agree with Hans, thanks to your blog and information about Curcumin, my overall health this year is much better than last years’,
    saluti
    Sergio

  6. This is a message for Cindy of Perth, Western Australia – also my home.

    But first, Margaret, thank you for your sharp, inquisitive mind, your sense of fun and your willingness to share your self-experiments with everyone in blogland.

    I have been an avid reader of yours ever since being diagnosed with a close cousin of multiple myeloma called POEMS syndrome.

    To Cindy in Perth, I have been taking curcumin on and off in the hope of maintaining my M-protein levels after having a stem cell transplant in July 2007.

    I get my curcumin in 500g capsules via the internet from the USA. They are currently on special at about $18 for 90 capsules plus freight. These ones do not contain any piperine at all. I’m pretty sure it is the Sabinsa curcumin, as used by MD Anderson.

    I have never had too much success finding curcumin in Perth. Most places I have been to locally haven’t even heard of it.

    I had not considered using the bulk powder. Judging by the way even the capsules turn everything a vivid yellow, from my countertops to computer keyboard, I’m thinking the powder could do even more damage.

    However, I would be interested to know whether the curcumin works for you. My M-protein has been pretty stable but, of course, who’s to know whether that’s down to the curcumin. As long as it’s stable I’m happy.

    Are you a patient at the HCC at Charlie Gairdner? My doc was Brad Augustson and is now David Joske.

    My email address is janw@iinet.net.au

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