There’s a Playstation 2 game that I’ve been hooked on the last week or so. It’s called Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Maybe you’ve seen ads on TV for it? It’s addictive and quite fun!
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I originally had an appointment with Dr. O. yesterday at noon. Unfortunately, at the time I should have left to make it to UNC on time, we were having severe weather here. I called and rescheduled for next week. Wouldn’t you know that the bad weather subsided within the hour? I [...]
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On one of my first all-encompassing blood tests back in January, one of the reports stated that I had two m-spikes (2.8 g/dL and 0.6) instead of just one. I don’t know how unusual that is. What it means is that there are two errant monoclonal lines. I started dex and thalidomide [...]
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The owner of Cayo Espanto (http://www.aprivateisland.com) has generously donated time on the island to try to raise some money for research for MM. All we need now is an airline to give us a couple of round trip tickets. If you have connections at any airline that flies to Belize, please let me [...]
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My Tempur-Pedic bed was delivered today. Boy, is it nice! It’s adjustable and has a massage feature. The massage is very noisy, so it’s not very relaxing. No, it’s not like those Magic Fingers boxes you used to see in motels. It’s great to be able to elevate my legs [...]
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This was at a company picnic about 13 years ago! My sister and I were hamming it up for the photo. There’s nothing like an aluminum pan of rolls to brighten one’s day.
Sometimes I get really nostalgic for the past. It happens more now that I have this disease. [...]
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I bought a copy of Multiple Myeloma (on ebay for less than $10), edited by Gahrton & Durie. Chapter 1 is very interesting. Written by Robert Kyle, it covers a history of multiple myeloma. Some early cases are included. One patient was treated with leeches and the removal of a [...]
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Dex gives me a ravenous appetite at times. I’ve heard from people who have gained 50-100 lbs while taking steroids. I’ve gained about 20-25 lbs myself. I don’t want to gain any more. My doctor tells me not to berate myself for not being able to lose weight while on dex, [...]
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Since many questions about drug interactions and side effects come up, I wanted to let everyone know about ePocrates Rx for handhelds. It’s a free program you can download for your PDA. I can look up a drug on my Palm Pilot and see how it’s covered by my insurance, whether it interacts [...]
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In October I had blood drawn at my local clinic, rather than at UNC, since my doctor was out of the country. The local clinic folks couldn’t find the report when I was there for my appointiment, but said everything “looked ok!” At first I didn’t think it mattered that much to me, [...]
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Cayo Espanto is going to be featured on Oprah and the Bachelor! They’re one of our customers. Please feel free to visit their web site!
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Dex can cause increases in your blood glucose levels, which can wreak havoc for diabetics. I stopped over at my mom’s house today and used her monitor to check mine. It was a-okay on day 4 of my dex pulse. I’ll continue to check when I’m on dex. So far, no [...]
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This is a good response to a question about preparing to have blood drawn if you have problems getting a good sample.
Some steps that can definitely be taken to decrease your discomfort. You might try one at a time
before the phlebotomy -
Drink lots of fluid on the day of the phlebotomy.
Wet some paper towels [...]
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I got some really good answers to a question I posted on the ACOR mailing list. They’re here, in case you missed them. My question was:
I have been wondering about complete response to a treatment, whether it be SCT or use of chemo, and the need for continued use of drugs or other [...]
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This is the kind of ALA I buy. I found a great price at Expert Fitness. ALA is part of the Dana-Farber list of neuropathy supplements. This ALA is easy on the stomach, and it smells really good!
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Here we go again. It’s the first day of four days of dex for me (at 40 mg/day).
When I take dex, I feel really speedy. I notice a more rapid heart rate, I feel very jittery, I talk a lot, have trouble sleeping and become easily agitated. My knee joints [...]
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