Posted on June 30th, 2003 by Beth
This is an abstract brought to our attention by K.B. on the MM listserv.
Published online July 15, 2003
Blood, 15 July 2003, Vol. 102, No. 2, pp. 417-418
Angiopoietin expression in multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma demonstrates a progressive, and usually fatal,course, with current treatments generally producing only temporary remissions. Antiangiogenic therapies represent a potential new [...]
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Posted on June 29th, 2003 by Beth
I’ll be seeing the dentist in July. They have me scheduled for cleanings three times a year instead of the typical two. My dentist wants to keep the bacteria in my mouth under control, since I have an immune system that’s not up to speed. She’s also going to have me take [...]
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Posted on June 29th, 2003 by Beth
Ugh! I had a long nap yesterday afternoon, so that disrupted my sleeping schedule. Here I am, wide awake at 4:00 am. I decided to try Ambien. Dr. O. told me to start with 1/2 tablet to see how it works for me. I just took the 1/2 tablet and [...]
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Posted on June 28th, 2003 by Beth
I’m up to 10mg of coumadin a day now. The 8mg dose got my INR to 1.20, and Dr. Orlowski wants it to be between 2 and 3 (closer to 2). I’ll be tested again on Wednesday to see how the 10mg dose is doing. I’m taking coumadin as a preventative for [...]
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Posted on June 27th, 2003 by Beth
My IBM Thinkpad crashed in a big way yesterday. I think it’s the hard drive, because it failed to boot. The problem had been developing over the last several weeks, and I ignored it. I did manage to back up some files to CD, but lost all my mail from the last [...]
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Posted on June 27th, 2003 by Beth
If you haven’t yet donated to the MMRF (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation), you can go online and make your contribution.
MMRF - Donate Online
Fill out the form and be sure to choose “ConnectNC” as the Gift Designation.
Or visit th IMF and make a donation HERE.
Thank you for your help!
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Posted on June 26th, 2003 by Beth
My well water doesn’t meet state drinking water standards because of low pH. I’m having it corrected soon. Culligan will be here Monday to install a treatment system, including a tank to correct the pH, a conditioner and a reverse osmosis filter. When it’s all done, I’ll be able to drink the [...]
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Posted on June 23rd, 2003 by Beth
I want my friends and family to know how grateful I am for their support. Thanks to E for calling several times a day, and to M for checking in at least once a week. Thank you G for taking the time to stay in touch even though your mom passed away. [...]
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Posted on June 23rd, 2003 by Beth
I took my dex last night and fell asleep without the help of any other drugs. I also didn’t have any trouble staying asleep. This morning I have that speedy feeling I usually get with dexamethasone: rapid heart rate, shakiness, etc. I hope I can remain calm today. One day [...]
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Posted on June 19th, 2003 by Beth
I have no appointments today, and am over the effects of my weekly dex pulse, so I am going to enjoy the day. There are things I can do at the office, errands I can run and things to do around the house. My brother has been here fixing things and taking care [...]
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Posted on June 18th, 2003 by Beth
Dr. Orlowski cleared me to use Zometa again, so I had a 30 minute infusion this morning. I hate having a needle in my hand, but that seems to be their favorite place for it. It makes it difficult to do anything. I normally take my Palm Pilot and play solitaire. [...]
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Posted on June 17th, 2003 by uppityx
I appreciate you for doing this website. It is a marvel. Thanks. Many myelomics need a place just like this…non intimidating, friendly, hopeful. Please continue to keep us posted about your activities, life and treatment. We are al in this together! (Still jealous “cause you have the best doctor!) B
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Posted on June 17th, 2003 by Beth
Dr. Orlowski put me on coumadin as a preventative for deep vein thrombosis. One of the requirements of being on the drug is weekly testing to make sure the blood is at the desired International Normalized Ratio, or INR. An INR of 2.5 to 3.0 indicates the appropriate dosage. I’ve been enrolled [...]
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Posted on June 16th, 2003 by Beth
Ugh! I lied. I wasn’t able to sleep well last night at all. I was up until 1:30 or so, then woke up at 5:00 am. Next time, I know I need to take the Ambien, no matter what I think is going to happen.
I’m very tired now, and am going [...]
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Posted on June 16th, 2003 by Beth
I took my weekly dexamethasone (generic for Decadron)dose a few hours ago. I’ll be able to sleep tonight, and should be able to sleep tomorrow night too. I have an rx for Ambien, in case I need it. Dex produces some side effects that wear off a day or 2 after I [...]
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Posted on June 15th, 2003 by Beth
There’s been some question about whether people with MM should use calcium supplements when being treated with bisphosphonates (Zometa/Aredia). Most MM patients receive one or the other by IV every 4 weeks or so. ZOMETA Æ (zoledronic acid) is a treatment for hypercalcemia of malignancy (HCM) and for the treatment of bone metastases [...]
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Posted on June 15th, 2003 by Beth
I just got email from Dr. Orlowski that my IgA is now 911 mg/dL, which is almost a 10% drop since May 15th, when it was 995 mg/dL.
Date
IgA
IgG
IgM
May15
995
274
10
June 11
911
292
8
This is all I have for now. I know that he was going to do a CBC and test C-reactive protein, as well as beta-2 microglobulin. [...]
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Posted on June 14th, 2003 by Beth
I made a nice long scratch on my new van today at the mailbox. I think it can be buffed out. I hope it can.
This weekend I’m reading Model Patient: My Life as an Incurable Wide-Ass by Karen Duffy. Karen was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in 1995. The book details her experiences [...]
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Posted on June 13th, 2003 by Beth
Dr. Orlowski told me that people who have MM with Lambda light chain specificity are more prone to kidney problems than those with Kappa. Not only do I have the less common heavy chain (IgA), but I have Lambda light chains.
This is a good bit of information about light and heavy chains [...]
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Posted on June 12th, 2003 by Beth
Yesterday I had my first appointment with Dr. Orlowski at the Univeristy of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. I felt very comfortable there and liked Dr. Orlowski and the staff very much.
I told Dr. O. that I’m not interested in a transplant at this time, but he asked me to talk to the transplant [...]
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Posted on June 10th, 2003 by Beth
As I mentioned, I had an appointment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute last week. I was foolish enough to think I should drive. Flying scares me, especially since the SARS outbreaks started earlier this year. I started off for Boston last Wednesday. Within a few hours, I was feeling pain and [...]
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Posted on June 9th, 2003 by Beth
For the second week, I took my 40 mg of dex at night last night. It didn’t prevent me from sleeping at all last night. Last week I did have to take some xanax about 1:00 am on Tuesday morning to get to sleep. I’ll see how it goes tonight. The [...]
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Posted on June 9th, 2003 by Beth
When I was first diagnosed with MM, I just wanted to sleep all the time for several days. It was the only thing I could do that made it possible for me not to think about what was in my future. It seemed like every waking moment, I was thinking about MM. [...]
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Posted on June 8th, 2003 by Beth
It’s well known that stress has an effect on our immune systems. Recently, PBS aired a Scientific American Frontiers called “Worried Sick.” You can watch online HERE. The program is too short to go into any great detail, but there are some interesting facts presented. It’s clear that such things as [...]
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Posted on June 2nd, 2003 by Beth
Normally I take dex every Monday morning. Last night I took it at midnight. I am trying to see if that will make it easier for me to sleep tonight. On the morning schedule, I would have trouble sleeping that night. Well, I had no trouble sleeping last night, and am [...]
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