Two Weeks Free

Starting tomorrow, I have two weeks completely free of doctor's appointments which is highly unusual...  to say the least...  What I do have scheduled in three weeks is I will be starting my monthly IVIG infusions and the following day, I will have my chemo treatment after visiting with my Oncologist for a few minutes.  Actually, he spends whatever time he needs to spend with me, in order to answer all my questions to my satisfaction.  I usually not have any questions unless he is going over the results of a recent CT scan.  My last scan was April and it was a CT scan so around July/August, I should be scheduled for a PET scan.

So...  what do I do with so much time off?

Well...  I will be working out in the yard mowing and weed eating, staining the new deck boards I replaced last year, draining-cleaning-refilling the hot tub while making sure that everything inside the house is squared away as well.  Interesting how since 1972, I still use military terms.

Most of my days will be occupied posting articles to my blogs and adding pages to my 4th novel...  and NO...  I have no plans in seeking out a potential publisher...  I have always wanted to write a novel and now I have almost written 4...  and these are not short novels...  at least 300 pages or approximately 75,000 to 90,000 words.  I had no idea that I was so talkative...  lol

Center and Focus

 

A Vegan Skeptic

 

Meds From the Pharmacy

Today, a package of meds arrived from my mail-order pharmacy associated with my medicare supplemental insurance and while I understand that they mail order place is being measured as a  revenue center, it still tries to convince me that I need my meds earlier than i really do, for the sole purpose of billing my credit card to increase their monthly or quarterly revenue positions.

On the surface I do not have a problem with companies trying to generate revenue, but I do have a problem with them telling me that I need something when I don't.

This practice is what influences many of us to be against the free market enterprise system and if it does not stop, will have long term impacts on our economy as well as our society.

However, a more important issue exists here...  and that is the ongoing consumption of meds and will it will do to my body and all the healthy organs inside my body.

so... now i have made both a mental note and notes in my calendar to ask all my doctors about this concern,. so that I can have it on the record...  if, in fact, some sort of office record and conversations that take place during these office visits are documented.

Cancer Insurance

Back in 1990, before my wife and I were married, she purchase a cancer insurance policy that applied to her as well as her husband should she married which she did about 8 years later.  In 2007, when I was 60 years old, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's "B" Cell Lymphoma and about 3 years after that, my wife was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Folicular Lymphoma which she believes came from her use of a pesticide.

The cancer insurance immediately paid us both a lump sum of money for the initial diagnosis and according to the policy, for every year of treatment they would pay us a lump sum of money as well.  I started my treatment protocols in 2008 and for the next 13 years, I have been under ongoing monthly treatment for my cancer, and according to my Oncologist those treatments will continue each month for the rest of my life.

My wife however is in remission and has been in remission for over 5 years.

Every year about this same time in May, we submit a claim to our cancer insurance company for their agreed to allocation for my ongoing monthly treatments.  AND...  every years about this same time in May, our cancer insurance company contacts us and lets us know that our claim has been denied.

Each time we contact them about this, they tell us they need another piece of documentation which we retrieve immediately and about 60 days later we are paid in full.

This year, our claim was once again denied but not because of another document needed but because we submitted it two days before our new year began.  Because, those two days, put us into a new monthly cycle, we had to get documentation from our Hospital for the next month.

This is what pisses me off and others off about the healthcare industry...  and, if the Federal Government get their claws into healthcare, it is only going to make the SYSTEM WORSE...

There ain't nothing effective and/or efficient about the flow of work and productivity when the damn government is involved.

Back in the Day

 

Over Thirteen Years and Counting

 

Except for the one year spent in KY where my Oncologist there prescribed the chemo drugs that made me violently sick two days after my infusions, lasting for another two day, my treatments since 2007 have been rather uneventful and have only caused me nausea, extreme fatigue, 30-50 pounds of  weight gain, no immunity from other diseases, and a damaged thyroid.  I would say that is pretty damn good for thirteen years of ongoing treatment that has included:

• Chemotherapy
• Surgery
• Radiation
• Immunotherapy

My hair never fell out, although I have been losing my hair since I was 21 years old.  My eyesight never deteriorated. My internal organs like my heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs were never damaged from the extended intake of infused toxins into my body.

Needless to say, I am glad that I am no longer vomiting all the time for two days straight ever month, but I am wondering if experiencing constant fatigue is just as bad if not worse...  especially for someone who has been physically active for their entire life or at least up until the age of 60.

Still, my life has forever been changed by my battle against two cancers.  I can no longer spend as much time in the sun as I want to spend without wearing long sleeve UV shirts and pants or a great deal of high UV protection sun screen...  and the clothing is by far the better choice.  I also have to watch what I eat as certain foods encourage the growths of cancers.

One out of every five Americans will contract some form of cancer during their lifetimes and I don't wish that experience on anyone.

This Week in Preview

This week is pretty much going to be non-eventful in terms of doctor's appointments or anything else that will take me out of the house, forcing me to get "cleaned up," as they say.  I may have to drive down to UT Medical Records department and ask for some verification that I was being treated for cancer in 2008, 2020, and currently in 2021...  and, the reason for this is that we are trying to arrange a DEED BACK from the Owner's Association of the timeshare we were coerced into buying and they are asking for proof of medical conditions that I used to claim was the reason that I had allowed myself to be duped into buying.

But, other than that one trip outside the home, my butt is going to stay inside as often as it can this week, since it is going to be hot in the valley....  still, the heat of the spring/summer is much preferred over the cold of the fall/winter and even the winter/spring warm up.

Perhaps, towards the end of the week, I will have to mow the lawn, but that is an hour and I can wait until 7:00 pm before I start since we have long days now.  The heat is not the problem for me but the humidity is...  I love my relax time in the hot tub when I feel in the mood.  The temp of the tub was 104 but I turned it down to 98... but, it will still be warm enough to relax the muscles.

When I am not writing articles for my blog, I am watching my recordings of ANCIENT ALIENS...  and if, you have not seen an episode or two, then you are missing something.

Trouble With My Ears

While my overall condition seems to be stabilizing, if not improving, , there are aspects of my health   that are not getting  any better at all in fact they may be worsening....case  in point are both my ears.  My ears in general have a tendency to fill up with wax quite easily but over the last several years, I have been experiencing  a loss of hearing in both ears due to my Eustachian Tubes filling up with something that I assume is probably mucus....  for some reason or another.

In the past,  taking Flonase twice a day has cleared this condition up for me but this year, nothing seems to have improved this condition not even the IVIG that I just started again on a monthly basis...  as it was every other month...  so I am going to wait until next month which will be my second month in a row to draw any kind of conclusions.

As one ages, if it is not one thing  then it is always another with which  one must deal.

Life's a bitch sometimes./

Cooking Cauliflower

 

Cancer Killing Foods

A Good Day

The middle of May 2020 will be looked back upon as a transition point for my change of health conditions which could alter in a heartbeat, but this has definitely been a transition month for the better.

First, my Cardiologist, after wearing a heart monitor for a month, said I no longer had to take Xarelto, the super duper blood thinner.  So now, my arms will no longer show the blue and black tattoo bruises that have been so obvious recently.

Second, my Dermatologist put me on an antibiotic that is dealing rather well with my skin infection that was present on my face, little welts that itched and when scratched bled real bad and turned the area around the welt a dark shade of red, but not really a bruise.  

My Oncologist sent through an order for monthly IVIG infusions, so within a couple of four months with these and my sinus infections should stop and it should also help with my skin infections and perhaps I can stop taking the antibiotic.

My ongoing cancer treatments for Lymphoma and Opdivo seem to continue to be working in that there is no metabolic activity present with either cancer which is a very good sign and it is hoped that this will continue to be the case.

My weight is down 30 pounds largely due to three factors:

1. I am counting and reducing my calorie intake
2. My staph infection and loss of appetite
3. My colon cleanse for my colonoscopy

And...  while I am still about 20 pounds over-weight I still feel a lot better physically not that I have shed 30 pounds.

My constant fatigue has almost disappeared and has become intermittent and my daily nausea has disappeared as there have been no signs of that for weeks.  My appetite has returned but I do not feel constantly hungry.

My diet is totally focused on fish, chicken, beans, and vegetables with heavy doses of onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, and garlic, along with eggs, oatmeal, non-processed cheeses, whole wheat breads.

My sleep habits are uninterrupted and I no longer feel the need to take afternoon naps nor do I wake up still feeling sleepy after sleeping for 8-10 hours.

These are all good signs for a person of 73 years of age.

Opdivo Day

Every 4 weeks like clockwork, I return to UT Medical at 7:30 am to receive a 30 minute Opdivo Infusion to fight and/or control my Melanoma that had migrated from my foot to my groin to my neck where, when removed there, it was DEAD, so my radiation/opdivo treatment had worked...  Protocol for this disease/cancer now states that I will be receiving monthly infusions of this drug until my body decides it no longer likes receiving the toxic liquid.

While the actual infusion only lasts 30 minutes, one of the blood tests that must be conducted prior to my receiving the infusion, takes an hour, so I am usually there from 7:30 am until 9:30 am maybe 10 am depending upon how long I have to wait in between each set of circumstances.

Today, it is 9:30/10:00 am because I do not see the Oncologist but when I see the Oncologist that typically adds another hour to my time at the hospital.  However, I am always on the way back home before NOON...  so, I have my afternoons on these days completely free.

It is widely believed that my Melanoma tumors that invaded my body, came from some of the "wicked" chemo treatments that I had received for my non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma when I had lived in Kentucky for a year and was seeing a new Oncologist...  who happened to believe that a more aggressive treatment against Lymphoma was appropriate based upon the literature that he had read.

I have no way of knowing if this Oncologist was right or wrong in his thinking...  all I know is about a couple years later, a Melanoma tumor was found on the bottom of my left foot that we originally thought was a wart and had it removed twice until the third time when the doctor decided to send it off for a investigation.

Immunoglobulin Therapy

IVIG is made from the antibodies of blood from about 20,000-30,000 people or so I was told by one of the nurses who administers the infusion.  These infusions help boost the immune system of patients who have low immune system protection due to on-going cancer treatments.

In previous years, many of the people who died of cancer actually died from contracting other diseases as a result of a low immune system and not from the actual cancer itself.

IVIG stays in the body for about 3-4 weeks and I was receiving monthly infusions every month until the healthcare industry started experiencing shortages and my treatment was stopped because I was not experiencing a life threatening situation.

After about 18 months of not receiving any IVIG treatments and because I was getting constant infections, I was put back on receiving IVIG every other month which only had minimal influence.  My Oncologist last month said he was writing an order for monthly IVIG infusions and I will find out today if that order was approved.

Keeping The Brain Healthy

According to neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta, CNN medical correspondent and author of the new book Keep Sharp: Building a Better Brain at Any Age, the answer is no. Forgetfulness is normal at all ages, and your genes don’t doom you to dementia. What’s important is taking care of your brain in the best way possible, he argues.

“You can affect your brain’s thinking and memory far more than you realize or appreciate, and the vast majority of people haven’t even begun to try,” he writes.

Gupta distills results from hundreds of research studies to help readers understand what’s known (and not known) about keeping your brain healthy. Along the way, he busts common myths—for example, that doing puzzles is a good way to ward off dementia—and replaces them with science-based advice on how to live a longer, healthier life with a more functional brain. 

He also distinguishes typical memory lapses (like forgetting an acquaintance’s name) from more troublesome ones (like not remembering the way home from a frequent destination)—a distinction I found quite reassuring.

While he’s quick to hail the cognitive strengths of older people (they tend to have better vocabulary skills, for example), he also points out that our cognitive capacities can start to decline much earlier in life than we think, even in early adulthood. That’s why he recommends making lifestyle changes now to improve brainpower at every age—not just when you hit your 60s.

Keep Sharp includes a questionnaire assessing risk for cognitive decline—with some surprising questions, like “Do you sit for most of the day?” or “Do you have a history of depression?” Understanding your risk can inspire you to take corrective action. To that end, here are Gupta’s five keys to a healthier brain.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

A Constant Reminder

 My cancer journey began in 2007 and in 2008  I began having chemo treatments for non-Hodgkin's  Lymphoma (SLL/CLL) and in 2012 and probably a direct result of my treatment for Lymphoma, I contacted Melanoma (bottom of left foot) and in 2017 found that it had spread to my groin.  

After the fact, my Oncologist informed me that both my Melanoma as well as my Lymphoma had turned aggressive and that he was not sure that he would be able to stop or slow down the process.  It was almost like a HAIL MARY that he combined radiation treatments with Opdivo infusions while maintaining my daily Imbruvica pills.  The Cancer Team at UT Medical was not sure that he was doing the right course of action, but he stood his ground.

AMAZINGLY...  he proved to be right...

I also remember listening to the Surgical Oncologist who had removed the melanoma from my foot who told me that "I WAS LIVING ON BORROWED TIME," and that it was too dangerous to remove the cancer from my groin...  and, that the cancer was all over my body.

TODAY, both cancers are under control...  and every time I feel around my groin area, the dead cancer tissue is still there and is a constant reminder of what I went through.  These lumps are no longer worrisome but at one point-in-time they were.  I will live with these lumps for the rest of my life.

Healthy Soup

 

Healthy Eating

 

Drinking Water

The warmer weather and longer days have inspired reminders to “stay hydrated” and drink eight glasses of water – or about two liters – a day.

Not to burst anyone’s water bottle, but healthy people can actually die from drinking too much water. I am an exercise physiologist, and my research focuses on overhydration and how drinking too much water affects the body. Since water – and sodium – balance is essential to life, it is extremely rare for people to die from drinking too much – or too little – fluid. In most cases, your body’s finely tuned molecular processes are unconsciously taking care of you.

Water out, water in
As spring unfolds, hydration challenges take root across schools, sports, and workplaces. These heavily marketed hydration challenges serve to cultivate both camaraderie and friendly competition to ensure that we drink compulsory amounts of water throughout the day.

Hydration and “Gallon Challenges” support the widely held belief that water consumption beyond physiological need – or thirst – is healthy.

But this is not so. Individual body water needs – intake – are primarily based upon how much water people lose. How much water each person needs to drink mainly depends on three factors:

• Body weight. Bigger people need more water.
• Environmental temperature. When it’s hotter, people sweat and lose water.
• Physical activity levels. Increased exercise intensity increases sweat water losses.

Therefore, a “one size fits all” fluid replacement strategy, such as drinking eight glasses of eight ounces of water per day, is inappropriate for everyone.

It remains unclear where the “8 x 8” water intake recommendation comes from. Perhaps, this two-liter intake threshold is derived from a misinterpretation of original recommendations offered by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board in 1945 as well as the 2017 European Food Safety Authority, which states the daily recommended amount of water includes all beverages plus the moisture contained in foods.

This means that the moisture contained in foods, especially fresh fruits, sodas, juices, soups, milk, coffee and, yes, even beer, contributes to this daily recommended water requirement. These guidelines go on to suggest that most of the recommended water content can be accomplished without drinking additional cups of plain water.  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, CLICK HERE...

Ending Cancer

President Joe Biden, whose son Beau died of a brain tumor, promised to "end cancer as we know it." To better understand how that could happen, USA TODAY spoke with Ned Sharpless, director of the National Cancer Institute, which will help lead the effort.

Sharpless talked about the current "golden age" of cancer research, in which investments from decades ago are finally paying off for patients, as well as the role the NCI can play in making even more progress, despite the challenges that remain.

Question: What does the president mean by "ending cancer as we know it"? Is that really possible?

Answer: Notice what the president didn't say. The president didn't say eradicate all cancer. It's not likely to occur because of the fundamental links in biology between cancer and aging. It would be hard with the present technology and understanding of biology to end cancer deaths entirely.

What I believe the president meant by that is changing cancer from what it is, what we know today, to more of a disease where the age-adjusted mortality is much lower and where cancer death is largely occurring in the old and frail. So the idea is reduction of mortality and incidence in otherwise healthy individuals.

Question: What about extremely lethal cancers such as pancreatic cancer, or the glioblastoma that killed Beau Biden? Is it going to be feasible anytime soon to make progress against these?

Answer: That’s going to require new thinking and new ideas. The hard thing to predict is when that’s going to happen. In 2000, I would not have said we’re about to make huge progress in melanoma. It did not look particularly opportune back then, but lo and behold the world changed very quickly.  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, CLICK HERE...

Normal Again: Whatever that is

After several days of staying inside, plus cooler temperatures, and elevating my feet, my left foot and ankle has for the most part returned to normal...  as I can clearly see again the veins on the top of my foot and the swelling is just barely noticeable.  As with every other experience, I learn that when riding in the car for two hours or more and regardless of how I try to extend my left leg, I am simply going to need to wear a compression stocking.  

These stockings are easy to find in Drug Stores even though they are less than medical grade, they still provide adequate compression.  I had purchased a medical grade compression stocking at the very beginning of my ordeal...  that is to say after foot surgery to remove a melanoma in 2013...  and, when the leg did not swell as much as was anticipated by the Surgical Oncologist, I was informed only to wear the stocking as needed.

We were all under the impression at that time my melanoma was gone, but in 2017 it returned in my groin area with a vengeance and obvious bias against my body...  I started infusions of Opdivo and Yervoy and a year later my Oncologist suggested that I undergo radiation treatments that would be accompanied by on Opdivo treatments as the radiation was inclined to supercharge the Opdivo...  the concept worked perfectly in my body but my Lymphedema remained.

At one point I thought my days in the Hot Tub were over but after submerging myself in the hot liquids for 30-40 minutes, my left leg show no signs of swelling, so I continued my ritual of hot water relaxation unless I noticed swelling which was typically caused now by too much sitting without legs elevated.

Just Another Week

This entire week is a rare week for me in that there are no medical appointments on my calendar...  it has happened before but not often...  however, yesterday I received a call from a high school classmate that I have not talked to for over 5 years...  he wanted to let me know that a fellow classmate of our died this past week and he believes (based upon what he could figure out) that he died of cancer after visiting MD Anderson in Texas.

Apparently, he told someone that he was going to the hospital to have his lungs checked out and after the visit told that same person that everything checked out ok...  that conversation took place 6 months ago and now this classmate is dead.

While the data is somewhat cloudy, one might conclude that he was diagnosed with lung cancer and was told by the MD Anderson doctors that they could do nothing and that he had perhaps 4-6 months to live....  although, this is sheer speculation by me.

However, it made me realize how fortunate I am to be still alive after fight two types of cancer for over 6 and 12 years.  Recently, my Oncologist informed me that both my cancers had turned aggressive and that he was not sure if he could stop them...  he never shared that with me until after he was able to stop them.  I wonder what my mental state might have been if he had shared that truth with me like MD Anderson may have shared with my classmate.

Do I consider myself lucky, fortunate, or spared?

Med Diet

Meals inspired by traditional foods from the sunny Mediterranean, a new study found, may lower your risk for dementia by interfering with the buildup of two proteins, amyloid and tau, into the plaques and tangles that are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

"The mountain of evidence continues to build that you are what you eat when it comes to brain health," said Dr. Richard Isaacson, who directs the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

"In this important study, researchers showed that it's possible to not only improve cognitive function -- most specifically memory -- but also reduce risk for Alzheimer's disease pathology," said Isaacson, who was not involved in the study.

"For every point of higher compliance with the diet, people had one extra year less of brain aging. That is striking," Isaacson added. "Most people are unaware that it's possible to take control of your brain health, yet this study shows us just that."

What is the Mediterranean diet?
Forget lasagna, pizza, spanakopita and lamb souvlaki -- they are not on the daily menu of those who live by the Mediterranean seaside.

The true diet is simple, plant-based cooking, with the majority of each meal focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra-virgin olive oil. Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are consumed rarely, if at all. And say goodbye to refined sugar or flour.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Deep Focus

 

Releasing

 

Too Much Time Sitting

 My wife and I just got back from spending 6 days in Destin, Florida and were able to sit in lounge chairs under an umbrella and watch the waters of the Gulf of Mexico crash into our southern borders.

It took 8.5 hours of drive time to reach Destin from our East TN home plus some additional time sitting in the car or moving slow because of construction, traffic, or an accident so each leg of our driving took about 10 hours to get down there and about 10 hours to get back.

About 8 years ago I had foot surgery to remove a melanoma tumor from the bottom of my left foot and in the process, the surgical oncologist also removed 3 lymph nodes from my groin that had tested positive for cancer as a result of a sentinel node biopsy being performed before the surgery.  Consequently, I experience lymphedema in my left leg which under normal circumstances is very manageable and does not require me using a compression stocking even when I spend every other night in the hot tub for 45 minutes.

However, when I drive long distances or fly in an airplane over two hours at a time, my left leg, around the foot and the ankle swell.  I usually remember to wear a compression stocking when flying but forgot to wear one in our drive to and from Destin.

Now that I am back home, my left lower leg is again swollen from our journey in the car and it will take several days for it to return to normal.  My concern is that one day after forgetting to wear a compression stocking my left leg swells and will not return to normal...  once this happens, my entire lifestyle will change.

Once we arrived at Destin, my left leg did return to normal after a couple of days...  so, I am hoping the same thing will happen now that we have returned home.

Staying Mentally Sharpe

It was once long believed—by the average person and by brain health experts—that each person had a finite number of brain cells, which decreased over time. Lose enough and it can lead to neurological damage or diseases, including dementia. It’s a school of thought that could cause someone to obsess over every soccer ball they’d ever head-butted or night they had one too many alcoholic drinks.

But this line of thinking isn’t exactly true based on what researchers have learned about brain health over the past decade. A wealth of scientific studies are connecting certain food and lifestyle habits with neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons grow in the brain. It’s a topic psychiatrist Drew Ramsey, MD talks about in his new book, Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety ($22) and means that we can actively protect ourselves from cognitive decline—at least in part. Encouraging, right? The key, of course, is knowing how to do it.

How are brain cells destroyed?
Before we get into brain cell growth, it’s helpful to know what exactly kills them off in the first place. Dr. Ramsey says this comes down to high levels of chronic inflammation. While small doses of short-term inflammation can actually be beneficial, experiencing high-levels of inflammation for extended periods of time can be damaging to the brain (and the body as a whole, TBH).  READ MORE...

Recommended by Dieticians

Heading to the grocery store without a grocery list almost always never goes well. Without a game plan for what foods to buy and what meals to make, it's easy to aimlessly walk around those grocery aisles and just plop food in your basket. If you ever find yourself with this conundrum after a busy week, don't sweat it—there are a variety of healthy foods you can grab that even dietitians recommend you should eat every day that will easily make all kinds of healthy, nutritious meals.

In general, any whole, real foods will work well for a healthy diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich whole grains, and lean proteins (chicken, eggs, fish) will all help in making a few nutritious meals with minimal effort. Eating real foods, in general, provides your body with a variety of nutrients that help with your overall health.

Protecting One's Liver

Whether you follow a low-carb way of eating or stick to a vegan diet, there are likely some obvious examples of how your eating habits affect your body, from your energy level to your weight to your digestion. However, there's one surprising organ that may be suffering due to your dietary choices—and you might not realize anything's amiss until something's seriously wrong. Studies say a number of popular diets can cause liver damage over time, so read on to find out if your food choices could be putting this vital organ at risk. And if you want to improve your health, start with these 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work instead.  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, CLICK HERE...

High Blood Pressure

Fancy a nice slice of watermelon? It’s so much more than a refreshing snack on a warm day. Research is increasingly showing that it has surprising health benefits too — ranging from beating post-workout muscle soreness to potentially lowering blood pressure.

A team at Reading University is the latest to investigate its benefits, with a study into the impact of watermelon juice on blood pressure. Dr Charlotte Mills, a lecturer in nutritional sciences, has recruited ten young, healthy adults for a trial that involves the volunteers having blood-pressure measurements taken before drinking half a litre of a commercial watermelon juice or a placebo drink of water, and again after drinking.  SOURCE:  The Times

Spinach & Feta

 

Stronger Knees