Stefano bought me a new camera while we were in the U.S. this summer. 

It’s small, smaller than my “old” camera, but it takes really sharp photos…much sharper, in fact, than my old camera, which I will still use for bird watching, mainly because of its long lens. 

This new camera, though, is purrrfect for taking photos of the cats, and so that is my work in progress.

 I’ve been taking photos of them almost every day. Such a joy. 

Here’s just a sample…and yes, I need more practice, but in my defense, it’s not easy to take photos of moving creatures who really want nothing to do with a camera… 😉

Hey, isn’t it weird how Prezzemolo looks like two different cats in the first two photos? 

Prezzemolo actually looks more like himself in the second photo, the cat tower one. There is some sort of weird light thing going on in the first photo, since I assure you our floor is NOT curcumin-orange but cotto-red (and no, that isn’t because I touched up the photos. The only thing I do with my photos is reduce their size and cut off some of the superfluous background).

By the way, I was recently informed that Pinga (our white cat with amber eyes, a white and orange striped tail, and a few orange spots on her soft, rabbit-like coat, especially on her head) might be a Turkish Van. Uhm, no, that’s not the name of a delivery company based in Turkey; it’s the name of a long-haired cat breed with genetic origins near Lake Van, in Turkey. Yeah, I’d never heard of this breed before, either…

Anyway, our little Pinga seems to possess a lot of the characteristics of this breed, except that she is a short-haired cat (but I read that there is a short-hair “Dutch” variety of the breed?). 

Pinga is incredibly smart and affectionate (when we’re in bed, e.g., she will lie on our chests and wrap her paws around our necks, purring ecstatically, and she loves to lick our faces, necks and arms, bleah…), very athletic, and she adores water (though I very much doubt we’ll test the Turkish Van’s swimming ability!!!). She is the most affectionate cat I’ve ever had…one of the funniest, too.

Well, she may not be a purebred T.V., but I’m curious, now, even though of course it makes no difference to us…Is anybody here a T.V. expert, by any chance? 😉

I even did some work today. Ahhh, yes…much better…

And, to celebrate my return to an almost-normal state, today I’m posting a photo I took of our eldest kitty, Puzzola, just last week…two days before I got sick, in fact, ugh. Anyway, that evening Puzzola did something she never does: she jumped up into our ensuite bathroom sink and just stayed there, even when I whipped out the camera (like lots of cats, she is camera shy…). 

She’s such a great cat…12 years old (according to our vet, she was born in June 2001…?) and going strong, in spite of the beginnings of hyperthyroidism, for which she is being treated, of course. Anyway, with no further ado, this is our green-eyed Puzzola. 

Wow, I haven’t been this sick in ages…In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I was so sick…

I began feeling a bit “off” on Thursday evening…By the time I woke up on Friday I had a sore throat and a fever, 38° Celsius, which is 100.4° F. I thought, okaaaaay, here we go again. But the symptoms were a bit different this time. Namely, no sign of a cough. So I didn’t go on an antibiotic. Not immediately, that is…

I slept through Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I just couldn’t keep my eyes open. In spite of all the endless naps, though, I didn’t feel any better. So I finally took my first antibiotic on Sunday night. Well, it got rid of the sore throat, anyway!

On Monday night my fever went up to 38.5, or 101.3. Okay, not a terribly high fever, but after four days of sleep-sleep-and-more-sleepzzzzz, I’d really had it. The following morning I called our family doctor who told me there are a lot of sick people with my same symptoms, and even worse ones. He approved of the antibiotic and told me I’d just have to rest and wait…a week or so…

Rest? Wait? A week in bed? No way. I have too much to do!!! But talking to him and realizing that a lot of people have the same thing made me feel better, I guess. Today I haven’t taken even one nap, e.g. And I turned on my computer for the first time…

Ah, and here’s another sign of improvement: since Friday I’ve had at least three devoted cats with me at all times…lying on me or curled up beside me. Well, today that number has gone down to one (= Pinga, who sleeps on our bed anyway).

So, when the furry little nurses decide they don’t need to be on duty 24 hours, you know you’re definitely getting better. 😉

Since these photos were in a separate folder (long story…basically, I used a different, smaller camera from the one I usually use…), I almost forgot about them! But then yesterday I remembered. 

And how could I NOT put up photos of my favorite town on Cape Cod: lively, colorful, fun Provincetown (or P’town, as we call it)? 

So here are some of my quirky shots of P’town, taken on the day we went whale watching with the Dolphin Fleet…I took photos of things that struck me…and of people, of course. 

In one photo, e.g., you will see (on the left) a guy dressed up in a Dalmatian costume. I suppose he and his friend, dressed in a long cape and white boots (= playing the part of Cruella de Vil, the evil character in Disney’s “One Hundred and One Dalmations”) were publicizing a show, but I’m not positive about that… 

Anyway, whatever…they were walking up Commercial Street in P’town, chatting with people…and now and again the “dog” would suddenly fling himself on the ground and do some funny, cute, entertaining things. 

For instance, he’d put his “paw” out to gently touch children in strollers (the children were absolutely mesmerized…it was so incredibly sweet, but I didn’t feel I should use any of the adorable photos I took…privacy issues, you know…)…or he’d grab people by the leg or legs and, well, just hold on. Hilarious to watch people’s reactions. 

And yes, you guessed it…the latter happened to me, too. 🙂 I suddenly felt my legs getting grabbed from behind as I was walking along, taking photos…and I was so startled that I let out a verrrrrry loud shriek. Surprise!!! I couldn’t move. The “dog” was embracing both my legs. So I just kept laughing. And petting the “dog” on the head. You never know what  is going to happen to you in P’town! And that’s the fun of it! 

My photo of a rainbow peace flag in P’town here on the left: I didn’t know it would mean so much to me right now, in this period of terrific apprehension…

Peace.

I hope. 

I love TED talks (TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, in case you’ve ever wondered, like I have). I mean, even if I’m not even mildly interested in the TED topic under discussion, I watch the video anyway, sometimes, because I always learn something. And learning new things is exercise for the brain, right? Plus, truth be told, I’m a curious gal…and my curiosity, in fact, has probably saved my life, certainly my quality of life…so curiosity can be very good (even though it apparently, er, “killed the cat,” eh 😉 ). 

Often, though, the TED topics are relevant, relevant to us myeloma folks, I mean. The TED talk I’m about to introduce is a case in point. First, though, I need to thank Julie for sending me the link to this talk on STRESS.

Ah, yes, stress.

I’ve always maintained here on the blog, that stress is bad for us. Very VERY bad. This is based on what I have read about the stress hormone norepinephrine, which is involved in myeloma progression, according to a study published in 2008, a study that we should all know from top to bottom, a study that I’ve posted about, and referred to, numerous times here on the blog… (see my Page on myeloma and stress, on the right). 

But what if stress were actually NOT so bad for us? What if we found out that what is bad for us is actually our ATTITUDE about stress? 

According to Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal, if you BELIEVE that stress is bad for you, you are at more risk of…dying. Yes, dying. No kidding. Simply by having the wrong attitude toward stress…

And then she asks the question: can changing the way we think about stress make us healthier? The science says YES, she answers. 

Yes?

Could that be possible?

Without further ado, here’s the link to Kelly’s fascinating TED talk. It’s less than 15 minutes long, so it won’t take up much of your time…and it may change your attitude/s toward stress and make you lead a healthier, happier life… 

Now I am really curious to read the University of Buffalo study that Kelly refers to in the second half of her lecture…I want to learn more about this “attitude about stress” business, because that myeloma-stress study has always been in the back of my mind, so I want more information…

One thing is for sure, though: I’m going to start changing the way I feel about stress…I mean, it can’t hurt…and it could possibly give a boost to my impaired immune system, which is always more than welcome…

Anyway, this video is a totally fascinating…I highly recommend it: http://goo.gl/EbJpxG 

Besides, where else are you going to learn about the “cuddle” hormone? Hehe. 

Since yesterday’s photos received so many lovely comments and compliments (on my blog’s Facebook page, mainly), for which I thank you all!!!, I thought I would upload a few more, which didn’t make it into yesterday’s selection…

By the way, if you hover (the mouse) over the photos, some will have a brief description. Not all of them…just some…

Enjoy! 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A HELP PAGE created in June 2011

[Work in progress…suggestions appreciated…]

Last month, a blog reader, = a research scientist with myeloma, suggested that I create some sort of “master listing” that would make it easier for readers to locate stuff. Good idea. I’ve realized for some time now that my blog has gotten a bit out of hand, as the saying goes. There is an amazing amount of information here (a lot of which comes from you, my readers!). Unfortunately, compared to a proper website, the blog format is a bit constraining, so I wasn’t able to get toooooo creative. Still, I hope that what I’ve done will be of help…especially to new readers… 🙂

In 2007, when I created my blog, who’d have thought I would find so much material? Back then, what I knew about anything “alternative” could have fit into the smallest pocket of my jeans. I had no idea that there were so many studies on non-toxic, anti-myeloma substances out there. And now there are even more…It’s encouraging…but frustrating at the same time, when you realize that most of it, most of this amazing research, gets totally ignored, even the most promising items, mainly because it’s not profitable…That is why our role, as patients, is so incredibly important. And we can make things change. Many MM doctors know about curcumin (no matter what they think about it, they KNOW about it) now. That was NOT the case when I began taking it (Jan 2006). But I digress, as usual!

Point is, my blog eventually became this huge, er, THING…daunting even for me, the creator/researcher/writer. I mean, I sometimes have trouble remembering if I’ve already written about a certain substance and have to double-check my own blog, using the Search box…Speaking of which, when I revamped my Page section, I put the blog Search box at the top, where I have also now put the section devoted to readers’ comments, which are always fun and interesting to read…informative, too!

At any rate, I hope what follows will make things easier for you, and perhaps even for me…Okay, ’nuff said. Let’s dive right in…By the way, if I do NOT put a direct link next to the item (below), it means that I’ve written too many posts about it…so you should just do a search of my blog or, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, just contact me directly…

POSSIBLY BAD STUFF:

• Gadolinium: http://margaret.healthblogs.org/life-with-myeloma/what-is-multiple-myeloma/mris-and-gadolinium/
• Asparagus: http://margaret.healthblogs.org/2011/06/09/no-more-asparagus-for-me/
• Hyaluronic acid: http://margaret.healthblogs.org/life-with-myeloma/what-is-multiple-myeloma/myeloma-and-hyaluronic-acid/
• Gluten intolerance (?): http://margaret.healthblogs.org/life-with-myeloma/what-is-multiple-myeloma/multiple-myeloma-and-celiac-disease/

POSSIBLY GOOD STUFF (Check under “Other anti-myeloma/cancer substances”). Here is a list of stuff I’ve tried:

• Curcumin, C3 Complex (in various clinical trials)
• Fish oil, molecularly distilled (clinical trial, MGUS/SMM/CLL patients)
• Quercetin (no more than 1.5 grams)
• Vitamin D
• Ashwagandha/Indian ginseng/withanolides (an interesting ashwagandha/curcumin trial in osteosarcoma is recruiting patients right now)
• Resveratrol (see my notes on the terminated SRT501 trial)
• EGCG/green tea (clinical trial, MGUS/SMM patients)
• Saw palmetto/Serenoa repens
• Reishi/Ganoderma lucidum (need to retest; ran out of capsules…)
• Black cumin/Nigella sativa
• Scutellaria baicalensis/Chinese skullcap
• Capsaicin

Now for stuff I still haven’t tried (and may never try…either because it’s too risky/toxic or because I haven’t found a reliable, affordable AND safe source):

• Betulinic acid
• Boswellia
• Butein
• Cardamonin
• Ciclopirox olamine (clinical trial, patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies) and Piroctone olamine (these are both anti-fungal treatments)
• Cyclopamine (possible eradication of the MM stem cell; BUT too toxic to try, in my opinion)
• Emodin/turkey rhubarb
• Genistein
• Guggulsterone
• Hesperetin
• Honokiol
• Kinetin riboside
• Moringa oleifera
• Oleanolic acid/olive oil & leaves (an interesting clinical trial is currently testing olive polyphenols on postmenopausal women with decreased bone mineral density)
• Papain/papaya
• Pristimerin
• Sea cucumbers/TBL 12 (currently being tested on untreated asymptomatic myeloma folks in two clinical trials in NYC)
• Sesamin
• Ursolic acid
• Xanthohumol (hop plant…beer!)
• Zalypsis

Note: If you’re on doxorubicin, eat spinach: http://margaret.healthblogs.org/2011/06/05/if-youre-on-doxorubicin-eat-spinach/

DIET: I don’t have any particular advice in this department…except to say that there are a number of cancer-fighting foods that should be part of our diet (whenever they are in season), such as anything in the broccoli family, as well as onions, garlic, turmeric, ginger…Also, try to cut down on your sugar intake (cancer cells LOVE sugar). Since 2005, I have cut down on my sugar intake. And I also cut down on pasta during summer, when it’s too hot to eat it anyway…Ah, and here is a note: Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez found that his myeloma patients did best on a high-protein, high-fat diet. Now, I’m not an avid meat-eater (on the contrary!), so the high protein part is a bit of a problem for me (see my Page for more updated details, though)…

IMPORTANT POINT: take a daily dose of hearty laughter…the kind of laughter that makes your belly shake and ache…Myeloma cells, you see, have no sense of humor and really hate it when we laugh… 🙂 So have a look at the Laughter section of my blog…lots of funny stuff, there…jokes and links to funny videos…

OTHER IMPORTANT POINT: try to avoid stress…See my page on Myeloma and stress: http://margaret.healthblogs.org/life-with-myeloma/what-is-multiple-myeloma/multiple-myeloma-and-stress/

As I mentioned, this is a work in progress. The Page (on the right) won’t have all the introductory stuff, of course. Otherwise, it’d be too long. Okay, I have to go now. Have a great Sunday, everyone! 🙂

I recently came across a rather curious item called glycyrrhizin, which is extracted from the root of liquorice, or Glycyhrrhiza glabra, a plant native to Turkey, Iraq, Spain, Greece and northern China. According to Wikipedia, it is 30-50 times as potent as table sugar. But it is not merely a sweetener. In ancient Greece, China and Egypt (see the MD Anderson write-up: http://tinyurl.com/2ylhja), liquorice was used to treat gastritis, coughs and colds. The MD Anderson summary gives an interesting bit of the history of liquorice; for instance, in ancient Egypt a liquorice drink was used to to honor spirits of the pharaohs, and then during World War II a Dutch physician discovered that it was effective against peptic ulcers. I should note that the liquorice FAQ page has not been updated since 2005 but is still informative (side effects, dosage and whatnot).

Glycyrrhizin is the active ingredient of liquorice root: it has anti-viral activity, ranging from the flu virus to herpes simplex and even hepatitis B and C; liver-protective (hepatoprotective) effects, and anti-HIV activity. It also clears up microbial and parasitic infections, is a thrombin inhibitor (see: http://tinyurl.com/364qr4), and is effective against allergies, chronic fatigue, asthma, arthritis and free radicals, just to give a few examples. Oh, and how about this for an interesting titbit (see: http://tinyurl.com/3yx72p)? Glycyrrhizin inhibits the replication of the SARS virus (remember that scare a few years ago?). It also apparently inhibits NF-kB and has anti-inflammatory properties. Very good. Nope, no studies on glycyrrhizin and MM cells. Too bad. However, there are other studies, so here follows a bit of a laundry list.

A June 2007 study (http://tinyurl.com/2mr62v) examines the cytotoxicity of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) in combination with dehydrozingerone (DZ). The latter is extracted from ginger and possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. I am going to do more research into this particular combination, but for now, I will leave it at that. When combined, these two conjugates were found to have potent cytotoxic activity ; however, when administered separately, they “were inactive.” An August 2007 study (http://tinyurl.com/38rhx3) examined sixteen GA derivatives and determined which had the strongest anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects against the previously-seen HL-60 leukaemia cells. This apoptotic effect on HL-60 cells had already been observed, as can be seen in this 2005 study: http://tinyurl.com/28osnh A 2006 study (http://tinyurl.com/3yd7q8) looked at the effects of a glycyrrhizin extract on human hepatoma, promyelotic leukemia and stomach cancer cells. Apoptosis was again the result.

A 2005 study (http://tinyurl.com/2sssqa) states that Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) and its related compounds are known to have anti-inflammatory activity and also to inhibit liver carcinogenesis and tumor growth. It concludes that GA may be important in the treatment of liver cancer. Another 2005 study (http://tinyurl.com/38oszl) shows that GA protects our bodies from the damage caused by UVB radiation, but has no effect on metastatic melanoma cells. A 2001 study (http://tinyurl.com/2sc6nv) tells us that Glycyrrhizic acid is an inhibitor of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase, inhibits protein kinase C, and downregulates the epidermal growth factor receptor. Licorice polyphenols induce apoptosis in cancer cells.

This is all very interesting, and there seems to be a lot of apoptosis going on, but, and there is a but!, it appears that ingesting too much glycyrrhizin could be fatal if you suffer from hypertension, heart disease or have water retention problems (you can read more about that in the MD Anderson FAQ page, and also see my September 25 2020 post https://margaret.healthblogs.org/2020/09/25/too-much-licorice-may-kill-you/ ). In fact, this German Senate Commission on Food Safety report (http://tinyurl.com/2tor53) recommends that no more than 100 mg should be ingested per day on a regular basis. High doses of this compound may also reduce potassium levels. Of course, we MMers don’t want that to happen!

Final note. There is a type of liquorice without glycyrrhizin, known as Deglycyrrhizinated liquorice or DGL. So you can still enjoy the taste and some of the benefits without any unwanted side effects. And the following just occurred to me: some curcumin-takers have reported having gastric problems after ingesting curcumin well, how about trying some liquorice to settle your stomach? And here is a thought (to be discussed with your doctor, of course) for those doing chemotherapy or about to have a SCT: taken in powder form mixed with water (as a mouthwash), I read that DGL can be effective against mouth ulcers. It can also can help prevent nausea and vomiting. I don’t like the taste of liquorice, actually, but if some day a study proves that it has an anti-MM effect, I will be running to the nearest…liquorice store!

 

Now that I have had my June blood tests, I have begun my summer supplement experiment. A few months ago I ordered curcumin capsules without bioperine from a reliable company in Milan. So this summer I want to see if the no-bioperine capsules will work as well as the ones with bioperine that I have been taking since last fall. I won’t change anything else about my intake, which will still include quercetin and oil capsules, and an occasional folic acid pill. A quick note: my Italian curcumin capsules are much smaller than my U.S. ones. I checked their weight (following the example of my friend Don, please see his informative Myeloma Hope blog), and found it to be correct. Why make big capsules if smaller ones work just as well? Smaller capsules are much easier to swallow, so that would be another point in their favour, if they work.

In the fall, I plan to take on a more ambitious project. I have ordered Chinese skullcap capsules (see my Scutellaria Baicalensis page for more information). I will test those for a couple of months and see what happens. When I say test, by the way, I don’t mean that I will stop taking curcumin. Too many potential risks involved (increase in IgG count and so on). Curcumin is to me what a security blanket is to the Peanuts’ character Linus.

Ending on a more personal note. I wish to thank those of you who suggested many wonderful names for our new kitten, who will be joining our merry household on July 10 (more or less). My Mom yesterday suggested Peaches, which I really liked. But last night my husband came up with what I consider to be the best name so far: Peekaboo. We will probably spell it the way it should be pronounced in Italian, that is Pikabu. Our mischievous furry baby loves to play peekaboo, so the name fits perfectly. Is there a cuter kitten in the world? I doubt it! I have no super recent photos, unfortunately; this one was taken about a week ago.

Puzzola showed up on our doorstep in September of 2001, almost as soon as we had moved into our home on the outskirts of Florence. She was skin and bones. Mostly bones. She was probably four or five months old at the time. Our cat-loving neighbours and I started feeding this affectionate little creature, who was clearly not a stray but had lived the first few months of her life with a family that had then abandoned her in our neighbourhood. Every time we went outside, there she was, our faithful little Puzzola, ready for some food, but also for love and caresses. Whenever we opened the front door, she would zoom inside, and we would have to rush after her and gently put her back outside. Until one day. She came inside and has stayed with us ever since. See, at the time we didn’t want another cat. We already had a cat, my Canadian cat, Keshé, whom I had gotten at a cat shelter in Toronto (unfortunately, she died of renal failure about six months after she arrived from the States, where she had been living with my parents until we got more settled here). But Puzzola was very insistent, and we had fallen in love with her, so it was just a matter of time.

Her name has a couple of meanings in Italian. In the beginning, the “aroma” emanating from her droppings in the litter box would send us scampering for shelter. I am not kidding. So the first meaning is: skunk (I happen to think skunks are gorgeous creatures, by the way). Puzzola is also the common Italian name for “marigold.” And our green-eyed Puzzola is most certainly a lovely flower, as well as the sweetest cat I have ever had.

One of the funniest and most remarkable things she does is to sit on our large farmhouse dining room table while we eat dinner. In the beginning, it was a bit disconcerting. Now we are used to it. As soon as I finish eating and push away my plate, I raise my hand, and that is her signal. She gets up, walks across the table and climbs into my lap, purring and kneading. But the amazing thing is, she won’t budge from her spot in the corner of the table until I let her know it’s okay. If Piccolo or Priscilla get on the table mamma mia, forget it. They MAY begin by sitting down at the end of the table, looking deceptively innocent, but they will begin inching closer and closer to our plates, trying to get their silly noses in our food. So they are not really allowed on the table. (Well ) [In this photo, by the way, Puzzola is pointing out the benefits of pure resveratrol 😉 ]

Even though Puzzola gets into my lap after dinner, she is definitely my husband’s cat. She worships him (perfectly understandable). Almost every evening, especially if he is late, she waits by the front door, listening. She gets very agitated when she hears his car approaching, starts meowing and stretching upwards, as though wanting to open the door for him. She doesn’t sleep with us. Our bed is too crowded for her, with the two youngest cats on it. She also doesn’t really play. I don’t think Puzzola played much as a kitten, unlike the other two. She had to scavenge for a living until she chose us as adoptive parents. So she just sits and watches Piccolo and Priscilla roll about on the floor. If they try to involve her in their fun, she runs up to the attic. She has dignity. She is our queen.