Cancer

Common Cancer Concerns

A cancer diagnosis brings with it questions, challenges and uncertainty, for both patients and their loved ones. We understand that cancer changes your life. That is why we focus on caring for you as a whole person. These resources – including books, brochures, organizations and websites –Cancer offer guidance and emotional support for patients and families.
Emotional care
Physical care
Social care
Spiritual care
Supportive Oncology Services

Emotional and Psychological Well-Being
A cancer diagnosis can bring with it a lot of anxiety and emotional stress. Through the emotional care pathfinders, individuals will be able to find resources to help them cope with the emotional and psychological effects of cancer.
Coping with Loss [PDF]
Mindfulness [PDF]
Coping after Cancer [PDF]

Physical Well-Being
People with cancer are often want to know about eating well, getting enough sleep and staying physically fit. The physical care pathfinders provide resources for patients to help them stay well both during and after cancer treatment.
Eating Well
Fatigue (Tiredness)
Food Safety Guidelines
Physical Activity
Sleep and Rest
Quit Smoking

Social Well-Being
Cancer not only takes a physical and emotional toll, but it also has a tremendous social impact on areas of life such as personal relationships, career and finances. The books, brochures and websites in the social care pathfinders provide valuable information to help patients cope with the social changes that cancer may bring to their lives.
Family Distress
For Caregivers
How Do I Look?
Intimacy
Money Concerns

Spiritual Well-Being
For many patients, spirituality or religion plays a very important role in their life. Our spiritual care pathfinder provides resources for patients to help them engage their spiritual side as they deal with cancer and its related issues.
Spiritual Care Resources

Health Issues

According to the University of Rochester Medical Center...

10 Most Common Health Issues:

• Physical Activity and Nutrition
• Overweight and Obesity
• Tobacco
• Substance Abuse
• HIV/AIDS
• Mental Health
• Injury and Violence
• Environmental Quality
• Immunization
• Access to Health Care

Read More...

"B" Cell or "T" Cell Lymphoma

In order to determine whether the surface marker phenotypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas affect the prognosis, we have studied the differences in response rate and duration of survival between T- and B-cell lymphomas. Sixty-four patients who underwent first-line therapy, including combination chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, from February 1979 to August 1985 were evaluated. 

With the aid of standard immunological methods and monoclonal antibodies related to T-cells and B-cells, 21 T-cell lymphomas and 21 B-cell lymphomas were identified. In the other 22 cases phenotypes were not determined mainly because of the inability to obtain fresh samples. The complete remission rate was 100% for B-cell lymphomas and 52.3% for T-cell lymphomas. 

The median survival time for patients with lymphomas of Stage III and IV, excluding those with low-grade histology, was nine months for T-cell lymphomas and 17 months for B-cell lymphomas. T-cell lymphomas were found to have significantly poorer prognosis than B-cell lymphomas. 

One patient with B-cell lymphoma and six patients in an undetermined phenotype group, who were treated with combination chemotherapy, have been alive more than three years without relapse and these patients are considered potentially cured. Our results suggest that the surface marker phenotype study of lymphoma cells as well as histological subtyping is important in prognosis and that more effective therapy is needed to improve the prognosis of T-cell lymphomas.

Healing Drum...drum... drumming...

 

Tranquility

 

Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma

FROM THE MAYO CLINIC...

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is cancer that originates in your lymphatic system, the disease-fighting network spread throughout your body. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, tumors develop from lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is more common than the other general type of lymphoma — Hodgkin lymphoma. Many different subtypes of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma exist. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma are among the most common subtypes.

Advances in diagnosis and treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have helped improve the prognosis for people with this disease.

Signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may include:

• Painless, swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpits or groin
• Abdominal pain or swelling
• Chest pain, coughing or trouble breathing
• Persistent fatigue
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Unexplained weight loss

Labs and OPDIVO

Every 4 weeks, I have my OPDIVO infusion to regulate and control my Melanoma Cancer that I have had for about 6 years...  and, while no one will point-the-finger, the literature indicates that contracting Melanoma is entirely possible as a side effect of taking chemo drugs:  Cytoxin and Fludara.  I received both Cytoxin and Fludara for 6 months when being treated for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma which I am currently being treated for as well and currently just entered my 13th year of treatments, starting back in 2009.

For half those 6 years, my infusions were given to me by accessing my veins in either the right or left arm until one vein accessing hurt like hell, so I decided to have a port inserted on the right side of my chest.  It is a dual port so that the actual port will last longer or can still be used if one side goes bad.

So, every 4 weeks, I get my OPDIVO and every other month on the day that I get my OPDIVO, I see my Oncologist just to see how I am doing.  I take that opportunity to talk about any side effects that I think have been lingering an especially long time, or if I am experiencing something that I should not be experiencing...  like constant sinus infections.

Because of on-going sinus infections and continued anemia and a low immune system and low platelet count, my Oncologist decided to put me on monthly IVIG infusions.  But today, it is just an OPDIVO infusion and I can go.

I start about about 8:00-8:30 am and since the infusion only last 30 minutes, I am usually out by 9:00 am at the latest and back home by 10:00 am just in time for a late breakfast or brunch of perhaps an omelet and/or grits along with an English Muffin.

We get very used to our routines.

Staying Stable

My IVIG infusion will give me a boost for about 3 weeks before it starts to wear off...  so, what does that mean exactly?

For me,

• I sleep better
• My appetite is suppressed
• My energy level is high
• My fatigue lessens
• an end of sinus infections
• I am more active

My Oncologist wants me to receive IVIG infusions every month instead of every other month which would result in me feeling pretty darn good all the time.  And, if one feels good then one is also emotionally healthy as well which then leads to having good psychological health.   This is important, at least for me because having Lymphoma and Melanoma simultaneously means that at some point-in-time there is always the possibility that either one of these cancers or both could turn AGGRESSIVE at any time putting me in a critical health situation and threaten my life.

CAR T Cell Therapy

As reported by The University of Helsinki:

In cancer immunotherapy, cells in the patient's own immune system are activated to attack cancer cells. CAR T cell therapy has been one of the most significant recent advances in immunotherapies targeted at cancer.

In CAR T cell therapy, T cells are extracted from the patient for genetic modification: a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is transported into the cells using a viral vector, helping the T cells better identify and kill cancer cells. When the antigen receptor cells identify the desired surface structure in the patient's cells, they start multiplying and killing the target cells.

CAR T cell therapy was introduced to Finland in 2018, and the treatment form has been used in support of patients suffering from leukaemia and lymphomas.

So far, the application of CAR T cell therapy to solid tumours has been difficult: targeting the therapy at just the tumour is difficult when the cancer type is not associated with any specific surface structure. In many cancer types, there is an abundance of a specific protein on the tumour's surface, but as the protein also occurs in low numbers in normal tissue, CAR T cell therapy is not able to discriminate between target protein levels. This is why genetically modified cells are quick to attack also healthy cells and organs, which can result in fatal adverse effects associated with the treatment.

A study recently published in the Science journal has found a solution to applying CAR T cell therapy to solid tumours as well: through collaboration, American and Finnish researchers identified a new way of programming CAR T cells so that they only kill cancer cells, leaving alone healthy cells that have the same marker protein as cancer cells.

New technique based on ultrasensitive identification of HER2 cells, further investigation underway

HER2 is a protein characteristic of, among others, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and abdominal cancers. The protein can also occur in great numbers on the surface of tumour cells, since, as a result of gene amplification, HER2 expression can be multiplied in tumours.

A new CAR T cell engineering technique developed by the researchers is based on a two-step identification process of HER2 positive cells. Thanks to the engineering, the researchers were able to produce a response where CAR T cells kill only the cancer cells in the cancer tissue.

"Our solution requires the preliminary identification of the surface structures associated with the cancer. When the preliminary recognition ability that induces the CAR construct is adjusted to require a binding affinity that is different from the affinity used by CAR to direct the killing of these cells, an extremely accurate ability to differentiate between cells based on the amount of target protein on their surface can be programmed in this two-step 'circuit' which controls the function of killer T cells," says Professor of Virology Kalle Saksela from the University of Helsinki.

Further studies for the application of the technique are already ongoing. Postdoctoral Researcher Anna Mäkelä, who works at Professor Saksela's laboratory, is coordinating a project funded by the Academy of Finland investigating the use of CAR T cell therapy on various cancer types and their surface structures.

"We are very excited about these results, and we are currently developing the technique so that it could be used to treat ovarian cancer. As the work progresses, the aim is to apply the technique itself and the targeting molecules of CAR constructs even more broadly to malignant solid tumours. Our goal is to develop 'multi-warhead missiles', against which cancer cells will find it difficult to develop resistance," Mäkelä says.

Exercise: Will Not Help You Lose Weight

As presented by TODAY...

Of all the wonderful things exercise does for your body, more evidence suggests losing weight isn’t one of them.

Your daily activity level has almost no bearing on the number of calories you burn and burning more energy doesn’t protect against getting fat, Herman Pontzer writes in his new book, “Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy.”


“Your brain is very, very, very good at matching how many calories you eat and how many calories you burn,” Pontzer, an associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, told TODAY.

“The person who has a sedentary lifestyle and the person who has the active lifestyle will burn the same number of calories.”

What? We’ve all been taught the more you move, the more energy you burn, helping with weight loss. But that’s the wrong view of the human body’s flexible metabolic engine, Pontzer says.

A person starting that new Peloton program, for example, and exercising like crazy will burn more calories at first, but her body will adjust over the course of a couple months and begin to spend less energy on its many other tasks, like inflammation and stress reaction, until things are back to the way they were, he noted.  READ MORE

Tibetan Healing Music

 

Meditation Music

 

IVIG: Pros and Cons

Pros and Cons of IVIG Infusions...

Advantages: Noninvasive. Pretreatment with NS 250 mL; Tylenol and Benadryl can mitigate complications.

Disadvantages: Risk of hypersensitivity with IgA deficiency (should check IgA levels before starting), aseptic meningitis, headache, chills, myalgias, transient hypertension, fluid overload, acute tubular necrosis, hyperviscosity syndrome (stroke, MI, cryoglobulinemia, monoclonal gammopathy, high lipoproteins, or preexisting vascular disease). Benefits last only a few weeks.


This last comment is what bothers me the most... benefits only last a few weeks. Currently, my Oncologist ordered the treatment every other month. So, 3 weeks after the treatment, all the adverse situations that the IVIG treatment eliminated are back in full force and I have to wait another 4-5 weeks before my next infusion takes place.

Today... I receive my every other month infusion and by Sunday, I should be experiencing the benefits of the two and a half hour treatment. the port that has been put inside my chest is accessed and within seconds the premeds are flowing through my body and as my legs begin to twitch nervously, my body feels drowsy and I close my eyes... I wake up two hours later... in 30 minutes another treatment is over and I am heading home.

My Second COVID Vaccine Shot

TODAY...  I had my second COVID Vaccine shot...  so, for the time being, I am protected against the Pandemic with the Moderna Vaccine...  that is to say unless there is a new variation that develops in the USA...  Regardless of what may or may not happen, it is my understanding that I will have to get a booster shot every year from here on out...   or, at least for a few years anyway.

What does this mean for me and others like me?

Well...  while I cannot speak for others, I will continue to wear my facemask when I am in public or in a doctor's office or in a hospital environment for a test like a CT scan.  I will continue to social distance and I will continue to wash my hands often especially after opening doors to enter or leave a building.  However and because of both shots, I will feel more comfortable venturing out of the house that I did before.

Do I trust the shots completely?

Not really...  but, not because of the WARP SPEED DEVELOPMENT PROCESS that was ordered by former President Trump...  but because, this vaccine has no proven track record like is the case for other shots like the FLU.

But...  until that happens...  Americans will just have to wait and see how this works out...

American Obesity

Yesterday, I decided to run a few errands with my wife and while out, we decided to put the care through a car wash and remove all the winter crud and slush that had built up over the last couple of months.  We were not the only ones who had decided to wash their vehicle but we only had to wait about 10 minutes before it was our turn to enter the tunnel.

While out, I waited in the car while my wife visited a variety of stores to look for this or that...  and I played solitaire on the phone while I waited except for looking around at the people that passed by the car.  What I was amazed at was the amount of extremely obese people that walked by me.  There were obese males and females...  obese adults and children...  obese males and female of a variety of ethnic groups.

After losing 30 pounds and according to the charts, I was still considered to be obese, but if I lost another 30 pounds, I would be at the high end of my ideal weight for my height...  however, I think there is some flexibility depending upon one's age.

I started gaining weight at age 40 and over a 20 year period of time, I had added 30 pounds to my weight at age 60.  My age 60 weight is also my current weight at age 73.  Due to over 10 years of monthly steroid use to offset chemo sickness, my weight gained another 30 pounds which I have now lost.  As mentioned before, my goal for 2021 is to lose another 30 pounds by counting calories and reducing my food intake.

Obese parents typically have obese adolescent children and teenagers...  and if you wondered around the grocery stores, you would see them selecting for purchase food that is not healthy.  Not only are they eating fat creating food, but there is no desire in their minds to spend time outside exercising.

At age 40, I had stopped smoking and started running 2 miles a day during my lunch hour.  Once I arrived home, my wife and I would fast walk around the neighborhood for 90 minutes.

What kind of society are we creating?

On Going Health

Just as my weight fluctuates fractions of a pound up and down so too does my overall health as I continue to take daily immunotherapy pills and month immunotherapy infusions to halt and contain my two types of cancers:  non Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Melanoma.  Up and down side effects include:  nausea, fatigue, night sweats, loss of appetite, anemia, sinus infections, and a low immune system.  At the end of this week, I will have an infusion of IVIG which will improve the way I feel, stop the infections, and boost my immune system...  that good feeling will last about 2-3 weeks and I will return to the way I was feeling before IVIG unless my Oncologist is approved for me receiving the infusion every month like before.

I also will be receiving my second COVID Vaccine later this week which will mentally improve my outlook on life especially since my overall health puts me into an extreme risk category for DEATH if I were to contract COVID.  It did not bother me that my health condition did not put me at the top of the vaccine list because I knew my age would put me high enough on the list that it would not make that much difference, especially since I rarely leave the house...  and when I do, I do not interact with people...

On March 31, 2021, I will be teaching (in the classroom) a class in PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING for college students in Knoxville.  The classes are small and everyone is required to wear a facemask, but the fact that I will have had my second COVID Vaccine shot before the class begins gives me a lot of reassurance.

This Week's Medical Responsibilities

Monday and Tuesday are the only two days where I do not have any medical obligations aside from the weekend.  On Wednesday, I get my teeth cleaned which is covered by my dental insurance program and usually only lasts about 30 minutes, and I do get seen by the dentist for 30 seconds or so to simply verify the findings of the dental assistant. 

Thursday is my long anticipated SEOND COVID VACCINE shot and while the actual shot takes 30 seconds, I have to wait in my car for about 30 minutes in line and there is another 15 minute wait to make sure there are no problems with the shot.

Friday...  brings me in contact with my second long awaited IVIG infusion where my body is loaded up with antibodies from about 30,000 to 50,000 other individuals.  I am receiving this infusion because of my low immune system which has in turn caused me to have constant sinus infections and nose bleeds.  A couple of years ago, I was receiving this infusion monthly, but due to a shortage, I was eliminated from the schedule since my need was not critical.

A year later, my Oncologist put me back on the schedule for IVIG but every other month...  and, the month of the infusion, everything inside my body was cleared up but in the off month, everything that it had corrected returned.  I shared this with my Oncologist and he was going to write orders for me to receive the infusion every month.

I will find out if those orders went through this Friday.

Walking Everyday

 

Deep Meditation

 

Emotional Intelligence

Recently published neuroimaging research provides evidence that the directional connectivity between several brain regions plays an important role in emotional processing abilities.

Although interest in emotional intelligence has been steadily growing since the 1990s, the underlying neural mechanisms behind it have yet to be clearly established. The new study, which appears in NeuroImage, is part of a process to begin to fill in this gap in scientific knowledge.

“Emotional intelligence is one of the least studied topics, especially in conjunction with cutting-edge computational neuroimaging techniques,” explained lead researcher Sahil Bajaj, the director of the Multimodal Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory at Boys Town National Research Hospital.

“For the last 11 years, I have been using some cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques, including directed functional (e.g., Granger causality) and effective (e.g., dynamic causal modeling) brain connectivity, which allow estimation of directional information flow among brain regions.”

“While most of the existing studies have focused on small-scale functional brain connectivity correlates of emotional intelligence, to my knowledge, no work (prior to this work) has ever been published that talked about the association between strength of directional information flow among brain regions and emotional intelligence,” Bajaj said. “I have always been fascinated by directionality of information flow among brain areas, which really raised my interest in exploring the complex causal neural interactions underlying emotional intelligence.”  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, Click Here...

Key To Longer Life

A recent study by researchers at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA, provides further evidence for current dietary guidelines and expands on them, finding that consuming at least 2 fruit and 3 vegetable servings on a daily basis may lower the risk of both disease-related death and death from all causes.

The study appears in Circulation, a scientific journal of the American Heart Association (AHA).

“While groups like the American Heart Association recommend 4–5 servings each of fruits and vegetables daily, consumers likely get inconsistent messages about […] the recommended amount and which foods to include and avoid,” says Dr. Dong D. Wang, M.D., Sc.D., an epidemiologist and nutritionist at Harvard Medical School and lead author of the study.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture published their recommendations in the form of the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

According to this set of guidelines, half of the plate for every meal should contain fruits and vegetables.

However, the guidelines also note that more than 80% of people in the United States do not meet this recommendation and should aim to increase their consumption of nutrient-dense foods.  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, Click Here...

One's Sense of Smell

 According to the BBC, it is possible that smell can predict one's overall health...

Several initiatives are now developing tests which could use smell to help diagnose neurodegenerative diseases.

Predict-PD is one such initiative. According to Alastair Noyce, a clinical senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, who leads the project, it has developed a smell test called Scratch and Sniff. This is a quick test that presents six smells to the patient that we commonly encounter throughout the day, based off a larger roster of 40 odours.

The hope is the data they collect could be used to predict who is going to develop Parkinson's, which might lead to new early treatments that could prevent the disease from progressing or slow it down. And with up to 0.45-3.4% of individuals (depending on the test) apparently unaware of their own smell loss, tools such as Predict-PD could help people to identify it.

The catch is that such tests are currently expensive. "The standard smell test costs on average £25 [$34.88] to undertake but only a few pence to produce," says Noyce. Whilst cost may not be a barrier for the many private clinics that are using smell tests as a tool for diagnosis, it would limit its usefulness for public healthcare systems with limited resources.

Of course, smell impairment does not only develop as a result of neurodegenerative diseases. Around 19% of the population have some sort of olfactory dysfunction, with 0.3% losing their sense of smell entirely (anosmia) and 19.1% suffering from reduced ability to detect odours (hyposomia). Recent studies have found that smell loss may be linked to mental health conditions such as depression, schizophrenia and dystonia, a movement disorder in which a person's muscles contract uncontrollably.  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, Click Here...

COVID Vaccine

In a couple of weeks, I will receive my 2nd COVID Vaccine at our local Health Department and will, at least theoretically, be 95% protected against the COVID Pandemic...  and, while that gives me a little comfort, I am still concerned about all the COVID Virus Varieties that could at some point in time, enter into the USA through unaware travelers.

Even though I will soon be protected, I will continue to wear my facemask in public and will continue to maintain a distance of 6 feet and will continue to wash my hands...  and, my reasoning for doing this is simple:::>  throughout this entire process, I have witness numerous individuals both male and female, foreigners, especially MEXICANS who have decided that they have no desire to protect other Americans and wear NO MASKS AT ALL...

However, with that said, I have also witnessed dozens of Americans who, for some reason, have decided that they are not going to wear the facemask properly...  and, I am not sure if they are arrogant and just plain stupid.

I understand that Americans don't like being told what to do but one would think that even if they don't agree they would be willing to protect other Americans.    

Our Family Doctor

My wife and I make appointments every 6 months to see our family doctor and have been doing this eve since we HOOKED UP about 30 years ago...  and while that practice is a good one to get into, it becomes redundant when for someone like myself, I am seeing medical specialists 2-3, sometimes 4 or 5 times a month...  and each time I see a specialist, blood work is taken and analyzed as well as my vital signs.  When I see my Cardiologist, an EKG is performed which is not performed when I see my family doctor.  Additionally, I undergo alternating CT and PET scans every 3 months which is not something that my family doctor can do either...

Right now, my family doctor is more or less a data collection center for all my medical activity because everything that I do medically or ever medical specialist I see sends notes and test results to my family doctor.  After 14 years, one would think that I would have my own filing cabinet drawer...  LOL

To date, I have regular and standing appointments with a/an:

• Oncologist
• Cardiologist
• Urologist
• Dermatologist

Detoxing

 

Trust the Reasons

 

It Never ENDS...

In 2007, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's "B" Cell Lymphoma which is also referred to as SLL (Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma) and quite interestingly is treated the same way and considered to the be companion of CLL or Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.  Leukemia starts in the blood while Lymphoma starts in the lymph nodes...  it is also widely believed that SLL can turn into CLL at some point in time.

In 2012, I was diagnosed with braf negative acral lentiginous Melanoma in the foot which was surgically removed and later moved to the groin and then to the neck.  It is entirely possible that my Melanoma was contracted because of the drugs I was taking for my Lymphoma.

Over the past 13 years (2021 begins my 14th year) I have received:

1. 150+ chemo infusions
2. 60+ Hemoglobulin infusions
3. two surgeries
4. 6 radiation treatments
5. 20+ CT Scans
6. 20+ PET Scans
7. 2 MRI's
8. Immunotherapy 

In 2009/2010, I experienced a heart attack and underwent 3 heart surgeries to install stints rather than enduring a triple bypass.

For the rest of my life, I will have:

1. monthly chemo infusions
2. daily immunotherapy pills
3. 2 CT scans a year
4. 2 PET scans a year
5. 4 full body scans by a Dermatologist
6. quarterly visits to a Cardiologist
7. dealing with constant fatigue and nausea
8. dealing with intermittent night sweats
9. monthly hemoglobulin infusions
10. constant anemia
11. on-going anxiety attacks
12. a non-existent immune system
13. susceptibility to other diseases
14. the anxiety of my cancers turning aggressive

And...  while there may not be that much to report from one day to the day, the items listed above have a direct and cumulative effect/affect on one's state-of-mind which causes sporadic depression...  to mention this every day or even every week or monthly seems kind of REDUNDANT to say the least...  but, let me assure you that having cancer, especially the kind that cannot be cured, is NOT FUN AT ALL.

Xarelto Bleeding

My Cardiologist put me on Xarelto because when I was experiencing AFIB in the hospital, I did not feel anything in my chest...  He did not say if this was common for people or for males but he decided since AFIB could cause a stroke, then he thought it prudent that I be placed on blood thinners.  Well...  while that may be fine from a technical point-of-view, it is absolutely horrible for the patient because the least little cut or scratch could literally bleed for hours.  At least that is what is happening to me...   and, it is gotten so bad that I have stop taking Xarelto for 1 or 2 days, so that my blood will clot...  and, even though 1 or 2 days is not a big issue, the on-going bleeding problem is an issue...  and, might eventually impact how my cancers are treated.

Braun wet dry electric razor

So, when I discovered that I had been given a new Cardiologist, I asked him about Xarelto and he indicated that if I wear a heart monitor for a month, that there might be evidence to support a reduction or even stopping Xarelto.  I am in my second week of wearing this heart monitor and it has presented no problems, not even when showering, but I have to recharge the sensor/monitor every evening which takes about 60-90 minutes.

I wear a patch on my chest into which the sensor/monitor fits and I have to change out those patches every 5 days...   so, if I wanted to do this (which I have not done so far) I could get into the hot tub before I put on a new patch and while the sensor/monitor is charging.

Even though the little cuts and scratches bother me, the big issue is shaving with a safety razor as these cuts seem to take the longest to heal.  I have discovered that razors with two blades are not enough and five blades are too many, so three blades seem to be perfect as long as I change to a new blades after the second usage.  What pisses me off is that before Xarelto, I could use the razor for 2-3 weeks before cuts became a problem.  By shaving in the shower, the water sort of sealed any minor cuts which extended the days of usage.

I purchased 4-5 packs of razors a while back and I believe I have two packs left and when they are finished, I think I am going to invest in an electric razor and see if that helps the situation any.

CONNECTION: Heart and Cancer

After a cancer diagnosis, most patients and providers have one goal: treat the disease at hand.

But an unexpected and equally serious complication can arise when doing so.

“We are seeing more and more patients undergoing treatment for cancer who are experiencing cardiac complications of their therapy,” says Salim Hayek, M.D., a cardio-oncologist at Michigan Medicine’s Frankel Cardiovascular Center.

LISTEN UP: Add the new Michigan Medicine News Break to your Alexa-enabled device, or subscribe to our daily audio updates on iTunes, Google Play and Stitcher.

Those complications affect patients with no known risk factors for heart disease — as well as individuals with other health issues unrelated to cancer.

In either case, the connection is gaining more attention from researchers and specialists.

Cardio-oncologists focus on preventing and minimizing heart damage caused by chemotherapy and radiation, an effect known as cardiotoxicity.

And they work as part of a larger cancer team.

“Our role is to advise our oncology colleagues on their patients’ risk of experiencing cardiovascular side effects of cancer treatment, recommend preventive measures, address cardiac complications, and monitor them closely throughout the course of their therapy,” Hayek says.  SOURCE:  healthblog.uofmhealth.org

Reversing Heart Disease

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., author of “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” and a former president of staff for the Cleveland Clinic and for more than 20 years, Esselstyn has followed a plant-based diet, which he says is essential to protecting against heart disease.

“If you eat the American diet, you can guarantee obesity and heart disease,” Esselstyn said.

The approach Esselstyn takes differs from the traditional meat-and-potatoes kind of meals associated with this country. In his book, Esselstyn espouses a straight-forward one: Eat nothing with a mother or a face (so, no meat, poultry or fish); eat no oil; and eat no dairy products.

Ann Crile Esselstyn developed 150 recipes, which are contained in her husband’s book. Esselstyn said when his patients realize they are not sacrificing taste they embrace his plan.

“They become absolutely empowered as their weight and heart pain disappear,” Esselstyn said.

Antioxidants

PUT SIMPLY...

A diet high in antioxidants may reduce the risk of many diseases (including heart disease and certain cancers). Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body cells and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation

Spices/Herbs

1. Cloves
2. Oregano
3. Thyme
4. Allspice
5. Garlic
6. Parsley
7. Chives
8. Cinnamon
9. Rosemary
10. Sage
11. Ginger
12. Mushrooms
13. Lemons
14. Cayenne

Foods

1. Dark Chocolate
2. Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries
3. Artichokes
4. Kale
5. Spinach
6. Pecans
7. Pinto Beans
8. Broccoli
9. Collard Greens
10. Cauliflower
11. Salmon
12. Tuna
13. Barley
14. Oatmeal
15. Lean Red Meat
16. Brown Rice
17. Whole Wheat Pasta
18. Lentils

Healthy Foods (not antioxidants)

1. Chicken
2. Veal
3. Beats
4. Avocado
5. Black Beans
6. Walnuts, Almonds
7. Apples, Bananas, Oranges
8. Eggs
9. Lamb
10. Bell Peppers
11. Carrots, Cucumber
12. Onions
13. Green Beans, Kidney Beans
14. Legumes (soybeans)
15. Cheese - not processed
16. Yogurt
17. Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes

OBVIOUSLY MISSING FROM THESE LISTS ARE:

1. Red Meat
2. Processed Meats
3. Fried or Grilled Foods
4. Sugars & Sweets
5. White Bread
6. Sugary Drinks
7. Sweetened Cereals
8. French Fries & Potato Chips
9. Most Pizzas
10. Junk Food & Ice Cream

The food that I eat is from the top 3 lists...  These foods are not only good at preventing cancer, but are good for heart health, as well as a diet for losing weight.  Bear in mind that losing weight is only achieved when one reduces one's intake of food.  If the intake is not reduced, one will not lose weight not matter how healthy the food is that you are eating.