Okay, the holidays are finally over…I have been giving my brain a bit of a rest but am now ready to start reading the studies that have been collecting dust on my desktop…

Today, though, since I have some translations to do, I only have enough time to post about a recently-published abstract that I just read, see: http://tinyurl.com/yaewa9q. Here we have the case of a 39-year-old man with IgG kappa myeloma (my type, incidentally) who failed two chemo treatments but responded to other chemo combos, had an autologous SCT (stem cell transplant), then a kidney transplant that, however, didn’t go very well…anyway, you can go read the whole story…the poor guy had a very difficult time of it…

But this is the part that I really wanted to highlight: His maintenance therapy, in addition to six 2-week-long cycles of bortezomib separated by 1-week rest periods, includes cyclosporine (50 mg twice daily), prednisone (10 mg daily), and curcumin (9 g daily).

Wait a sec…what was that again??? Let’s see…bortezomib, cyclosporine, prednisone and…er…curcumin??? I was absolutely stunned when I first read that sentence. Pleased, too, obviously. But mainly, stunned.

I mean, here we have curcumin being used as part of a conventional myeloma treatment…This is the first time, I think!, that I have read anything of the sort…I sincerely hope it’s not the last…oh, I really hope so…

A blog reader (thank you!) sent me a list of test blunders (real ones, apparently) that cracked me up this morning. Enjoy!

Q: What was Sir Walter Raleigh famous for? A: He is a noted figure in history because he invented cigarettes and started a craze for bicycles.

Q: What did Mahatma Gandhi and Genghis Khan have in common? A: Unusual names.

Q: Name one of the early Romans’ greatest achievements. A: Learning to speak Latin.

Q: Name one measure that can be put into place to avoid river flooding in times of excessive rainfall (e.g. in Mississippi ) A: Flooding in areas such as the Mississippi may be avoided by placing a number of dames into the river.

Q: Name six animals that live specifically in the Arctic. A: Two polar bears; three (crossed out), four seals

Q: Assess Fashion House plc’s choice to locate its factory near Birmingham. Is Birmingham the right location for this type of business? A: No. People from Birmingham aren’t very fashionable.

Q: How does Romeo’s character develop throughout the play? A: It doesn’t, it’s just self, self, self all the way through.

Q: Name the wife of Orpheus whom he attempted to save from the underworld. A: Mrs Orpheus

Q: Where was the American Declaration of Independence signed? A: At the bottom.

Q: What happens during puberty to a boy? A: He says goodbye to his childhood – enters adultery.

Q: State three drawbacks of hedgerow removal. A: 1. All the cows will escape. 2. The cars drive into the field. 3. There is nowhere to hide.

Q: What is the meaning of the word ‘varicose’? A: close by.

Q: What is a fibula? A: A little lie.

Q: Why would living close to a mobile phone mast cause ill health? A: You might walk into it.

Q: Joanna works in an office. Her computer is a stand-alone system. What is a stand-alone computer system? A: It doesn’t come with a chair.

Q: Steve is driving his car. He is travelling at 60 feet/second and the speed limit is 40 mph. Is Steve speeding? A: He could find out by checking his speedometer.

Q: Give a reason why people would want to live near power lines. A: You get your electricity faster.

Q: Where was Hadrian’s Wall built? A: Around Hadrian’s garden.

Q: The race of people known as Malays come from which country? A: Malaria

Q: What is a vibration? A: There are good vibrations and bad vibrations. Good vibrations were discovered in the 1960s.

On Saturday Stefano and I met my best friend (see previous post), his wife and 8-year-old daughter (cute as a button; she has officially adopted me as “aunt,” by the way…I am very proud and happy about that!) at San Galgano, a Cistercian abbey built in the 13^th century in the province of Siena, a 1.5 hour drive south of Florence. In the 18^th century, the bell tower fell onto the vaulted roof, which collapsed. The walls, however, are still standing…creating a sort of magical atmosphere inside this magnificent Gothic church. Here are a couple of the many photos I took (Stefano took almost 200 photos…!).

The abbey is now a tourist attraction as well as the setting for concerts and theatrical performances. I have never been to a concert at San Galgano and can only imagine how it must feel to sit inside the church in the evening, look up at the stars and listen to Gregorian chants…like being transported back in time…I really must have a look at the summer 2010 concert schedule!

We also visited the nearby chapel of Montesiepi, which preserves the sword that Saint Galgano allegedly thrust into a rock in 1180, intending to use it as a sort of altar (see photo). For years the sword was considered to be a fake, but recent tests have shown that it really does date to the 12^th century. Many, in fact, believe that the myth of King Arthur and his sword Excalibur originated right here in Tuscany! I have no opinion in the matter…but I thought the chapel was lovely and had great views of the surrounding countryside.

From San Galgano, we drove to Massa Marittima, about 20 kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a hilltop Medieval town of probable Etruscan origin. Its cathedral, built in the 13^th century, is a fine example of Romanesque-Gothic architecture. Instead of a photo of the cathedral, though, I decided to publish a photo of one of Massa Marittima’s narrow cobblestone alleys…if you look closely enough at this one, you will see a few large and colourful glass jars sitting on a sort of wooden “bridge” over the alley. Lovely…

Well, at any rate, if you happen to be in the area…that is, about 30 kilometres southwest of Siena…don’t forget to visit the abbey of San Galgano, the chapel of Montesiepi and the town of Massa Marittima. Well worth it!

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?

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!

Wow, that was FAST! I wasn’t supposed to receive my saw palmetto test results until after January 7th. But they arrived yesterday! Surprise, surprise! Thing is, I was so busy yesterday that I barely had enough time to glance at them. Until this morning. But first things first.

I haven’t been posting lately because we have been, yes, incredibly busy. In a very good way, I should add. Just to give you an example: on Sunday I was reunited with other four University of Florence friends (I should probably explain that in the early 1980s I attended university here for a couple of years before returning to the U.S.,where I finished college, worked for a while, then went on to grad school…), some of whom I hadn’t seen in more than 20 years. Boy, that really puts a perspective on, er, things…I mean, one of my university friends has a kid in COLLEGE…eeeek! Anyway, it was wonderful to see them all…lots of laughter, chatting, eating, singing…this get-together was such a huge success that we are already planning another one…

Stefano and I had and still have a million other things on our holiday “agenda.” I have been trying to read all of my messages but haven’t had the time to answer very many. I should also note that some unanswered ones may have gotten (or will get, at this rate!) buried, so if you really want to hear from me, please drop me another line. Sorry for the inconvenience, but if you could see how many unopened messages I have in Outlook, you would understand…sigh!

Oh, I almost forgot another good reason for not posting much in this period: Piccolo (see photo). Every time I begin doing research for a post, he jumps up on my desk and lies down on my left arm, right between me and the keyboard, purring like mad (Simon’s cat = Margaret’s cat!). Perhaps he is trying to let me know that I need to take a break from the blog now and again…such a smart boy! Well, he cannot be ignored…in part because he is so irresistible, in part because he weighs EIGHT kilos…imagine typing anything with that kind of weight on one of your arms!

Okay, but let’s get to my saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) test results. Oh wait…I have to confess that during the saw palmetto experiment, I sometimes reduced my curcumin intake slightly, from 8 to 6-7 grams/day. Only sometimes, mind you. Silly of me, but sometimes even I get tired of swallowing so many capsules…(it won’t happen again, though!). 

Compared to my October tests, my total IgG has gone up a bit, from 2970 to 3410 mg/dL. But I also have a bit of good news: my IgA increased from 6 to 15. For me, that’s like jumping off the top of Florence’s cathedral and landing on the Taj Mahal! My IgM also went up, but only slightly, from 8 to 10. Still, even though these two numbers continue to be amazingly low, I am happy to see them go up, NOT down…about time, I say!

Now, about my increased immunoglobulins. I didn’t keep a daily record (I was just too busy this fall…I am sure that it would help if I wrote down every single thing I swallow…but what a chore that would be…)…but at one point in October, when I started getting a few cold symptoms, I did take some Sambucol, the H1N1-inhibiting black elderberry extract. For the record: the cold never materialized. At any rate, could Sambucol have pushed up my immunoglobulin counts? Hmmm…

As for my other myeloma markers, I cannot find anything that really sticks out. Some numbers have gone up slightly, such as B2M, M-spike and total protein, but others have gone down a bit, such as CRP. And my hematocrit and hemoglobin have increased a smidgeon, too (both are still well within the normal range).

Let’s see, what else? Yes, a bit more good news: my parathyroid hormone result has finally settled within the normal range. And yes, my vitamin D levels have increased from 25,7 to 35,1. Excellent!

Well, all in all, I am satisfied…NOT ecstatic, since I was hoping for better results, of course…but it is true that my results always seem to go a bit up, then a bit down: the teeter-totter effect! And what matters to me is that I am still stable. Besides, saw palmetto left me with a great head of hair! 😉

I hope that everyone is having a lovely and healthful holiday! Oh my, it’s almost time for dinner. I can hear Stefano in the kitchen…I’d better go and see if he needs any help! Ciao a tutti!

I wasn’t going to post anything today, but I just couldn’t resist sharing the adorable shot that I took of Peekaboo playing with a Xmas ribbon earlier this morning. All the cats helped us open our presents, but Peekaboo was certainly our most active, er…helper! 

Again, to all my blog readers, my best wishes for a very very VERY MERRY XMAS!!! May we all be as happy as a kitty with a ribbon! Ciao!

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry and Healthy Xmas! Tantissimi auguri di Buon Natale a tutti! 😀

(And yes, that is indeed the back part of one of our cats, guess WHICH one!, snooping around the presents under our Xmas tree a couple of nights ago…)

Finally, here is a charming Xmas cartoon video…enjoy!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7iLc7XhU8E

Well, lookie here, quelle coincidence…just a few days ago I wrote a post about Manuka honey and its amazing infection-fighting properties (my cut is completely healed, by the way!)…and today I read a Science Daily article on the same topic. Except this time it’s pomegranates. Have a look: http://tinyurl.com/yj8mxbd 

According to Prof. Naughton, the head researcher in this particular study, “The idea of using a foodstuff is unusual and means that the body should be able to cope more easily with its application; patients are less likely to experience any major side-effects.”

Hear, hear…!

P.S. Just for fun, check out Fanatic Cook’s post on an octopus carrying a coconut shell around the sea floor…watch the video…I have never seen anything like it! Weird: http://tinyurl.com/ylseh6j

A new cartoon video just in time for Xmas…enjoy! http://tinyurl.com/yewbybc

It’s hard to explain what happened without actually showing you a photo of my finger (which I don’t have anyway, since, at the time, I wasn’t thinking of documenting this, er, event!), but I will do my best: in winter, particularly when it gets really really cold, what I can only describe as small slits form sometimes between the fingernail and the skin on the top of my fingers. And these tiny cuts tend to get infected if I ignore them. Aggravating!

As usual, I completely ignored the tiny slit that formed on my right index finger about two weeks (?) ago…didn’t disinfect it, didn’t put a bandage on it, blablabla. And yes, to make a long story short, more or less a week ago it got infected. It happened by degrees so I didn’t notice until the top of my finger was really red and throbbing. At that point, feeling extremely stupid, I disinfected it (Italian home remedies, such as dipping your finger in warm water and salt, are usually effective) and covered it with an antibiotic ointment, which is also usually effective. But after a few days it still hurt like mad. The pain didn’t stop me from my everyday activities, including typing, but whenever my bandaged finger hit the keyboard or any kind of surface, OUCHHH! Uffa.

On Thursday I went to see my family doctor, mainly to give him a few Xmas gifties…while I was there, I took the bandage off my finger and asked him to have a look. He stated the obvious “well, you have a nicely infected finger, there. Do this, do that, but if nothing works, and it still hurts tomorrow, you should begin taking an antibiotic.” He wrote me a prescription. (Oh, incidentally, my doctor’s “do this, do thats” referred to the home remedies that I had already tried, see above, and that hadn’t worked.) Well, you can’t imagine how annoyed I was at myself…I hate going on antibiotics (but of course I will if I must!), especially for something so minor.

As soon as I got home, though, a thought popped into my head. Remember my post on Manuka honey =September 6 2009)?

Ah wait, before I continue, I solemnly swear (and I will swear on anything you want, even my cats!) that I am not being paid even half a cent by a Manuka honey manufacturer or anyone else, for that matter. I say this because, had this happened to someone else, I myself would have a hard time believing it…!

In a nutshell, I remembered that, among other things, Manuka honey is used to heal wounds. And I also remembered a Science Daily article that I read back in September (see below). So I figured, hey, before taking an antibiotic, why don’t I try some Manuka? As you know, I am always (well, almost always!) ready to experiment with something non-toxic as long as it has solid scientific backing…

So before going to bed on Thursday night I smeared a bit of raw Manuka honey (15+) on the top of my finger and bandaged it. The following morning my finger was not as red (Stefano is my witness) and didn’t hurt as much. And it also didn’t hurt as much to type. Even I was surprised. Needless to say, I didn’t go fill my antibiotic prescription…

I have applied Manuka honey five times since Thursday evening (when I am at home, of course, I take off the bandage and wipe off the honey so my slit can get some air…). This morning I am totally pain-free. The cut is healing, and my finger no longer throbs or looks red and puffy. But mainly, as I said, the pain is gone. I can type…no pain…no wincing…yaaaay.

This September 10th Science Daily article, http://tinyurl.com/y8wba6e, reports on a study showing that Manuka honey inhibits MRSA (= Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which is a HUGE problem now in hospitals. It particularly affects people with weakened immune systems (aha!) and older folks. You can find a million websites with loads of info on MRSA…I randomly chose WebMD: http://tinyurl.com/yofavx

Now, instead of administering different types of antibiotics to combat MRSA and other infections (incidentally, the above link tells us that There is also emerging antibiotic resistance being seen with some of these medications as well, so the battle between resistant bacteria strains and humans will probably rage on forever…), wouldn’t it be absolutely WONDERFUL if hospitals began to treat MRSA-infected patients with Manuka honey? The Manuka remedy is cheap, easy, non-toxic…and not as sticky as you would think! By the way, I would be very curious to know if anyone else out there has tried this infection-fighting goo, too! Thanks.

Well, it’s time for me to go start washing the veggies that we bought yesterday at a farmer’s market for an anti-myeloma soup (yep, with turmeric, rosemary and ginger, too). And now, yippee, I don’t have to be scared of any more bacteria getting into my cut. Fabulous…

P.S. By the way, I took the current blog banner photo yesterday from Piazzale Michelangelo, which overlooks Florence. What a sight…Florence covered in snow. Gorgeous beyond words…