Too much licorice may kill you
This morning, thanks to a friend’s post on Facebook, I read an Associated Press article, picked up and published by NBC News, that REALLY shocked me. Here’s the link: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/daily-black-licorice-habit-kills-massachusetts-construction-worker-n1240902?fbclid=IwAR1kiMGaCEQGdDrGjyVkkdy1l0MT8nNSAByFBnzqdYQFxkqYGAuQIjNgrcM
Is it possible for someone to DIE from eating too much licorice??? The incredible answer is…yes.
It happened to a 54-year-old man in Massachusetts, U.S.A. He had been eating A LOT of licorice, a bag and a half apparently!!!, every day for a few weeks before he co...
Source: Margaret's Corner - September 25, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll death licorice. glycyrrhizic acid Source Type: blogs
A new curcumin-myeloma study
Unfortunately, the full study, just published in the journal Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, is not available online for free, but the abstract gives us a good idea of its content: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32951583/
The abstract begins with a description of multiple myeloma, stuff we already know or should know…But then I noticed two words in the following sentence: “MM is almost incurable, and patients faced to this disease eventually relapse.”
Did you see that?
“Almost” and “incurable.”
That “almost” suggests that there is a form of myeloma that is c...
Source: Margaret's Corner - September 23, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll cancer curcumin myeloma Source Type: blogs
Masked reunion
Yesterday, for the first time since the middle of February (!), I met with my card-playing girlfriends. I mean, we’re in touch on a daily basis…text messages and so on, but I’ve seen only one of these friends in the flesh since February.
Anyway, we had a lovely visit, complete with tea and birthday cake made by yours truly, but it felt really surreal. No hugging, no kissing, no close contact. For Italians, this is MOST unusual…
In addition to keeping our distance, we all wore our surgical face masks…sitting in our friend’s living room.
Weird…really weird.
But…necessary, of co...
Source: Margaret's Corner - September 11, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll covid-19 social distancing surgical masks Source Type: blogs
Margaret ’ s Cats. Living with cats in Florence, Tuscany
Potter in a pot! August 2020
Well, recently I’ve had a bit of extra time on my hands, which I’ve devoted to organizing sock and undie drawers (no, really, I’m not kidding…I have photos of my incredibly neat drawers if you need proof. ), and, right now, not much desire to dive into medical/scientific articles, to be super honest…even though I do keep my eyes open and continue to read anything of myeloma interest.
Anyway, this is how I came up with the idea of creating a separate blog, a CAT blog. I’d actually been thinking of doing something like that for years, but didn’t have ...
Source: Margaret's Corner - September 6, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll cat blog https://margarets-cats.net/ Margaret's Cats. Living with cats in Florence Tuscany Source Type: blogs
Coronavirus can damage your heart, even if you ’ re asymptomatic
This article is therefore a MUST READ for those who don’t wear masks or practice social distancing, in the belief that Covid-19 is a hoax or an exaggeration. It’s not. Coronavirus can really hurt you, even long-term, or hurt someone you love (or anyone, really). So…please be super careful: wash your hands a million times a day, practice social distancing and, most of all, wear a MASK…I mean, it’s such a simple thing to do that could save so many lives…Why some people are so stubbornly against it is beyond my comprehension, way beyond…
So be smart: be safe and wear a mask! (Source: Margaret's Corner)
Source: Margaret's Corner - September 2, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll coronavirus covid-19 Source Type: blogs
Test results
Yesterday I received the results from my Covid antibody test AND my routine myeloma tests. Yesterday was definitely an important day!!!
So, even though I’m super busy today, I just had to stop and write an update.
First, I tested negative for Covid, which means that I have never been exposed to it. I opted for the more complete antibody test, the one where they draw blood from your arm. There is another test, a mere finger prick, which tells you only if you are positive or negative. But I wanted to know if what I’d had back in January was coronavirus or not. Well, I have my answer now: it wasn’t Covid-19,...
Source: Margaret's Corner - July 24, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll myeloma test results Potter Source Type: blogs
Welcome, (Harry) Potter
Some time ago, Stefano and I decided that we wouldn’t adopt kittens anymore, not because we don’t like kittens, on the contrary, who can resist a KITTEN?, but because there are so many adult cats who need good homes. Getting adopted is much harder for adult cats, especially if they have any kind of physical disability or if they are elderly or…whatnot. And so we made up our minds: no more kittens!!! Our rule became: if we come across an adult kitty that nobody else wants to adopt, we’ll adopt it.
SInce then, I’ve learned a lesson: never make any rules where cats are concerned…
About two ...
Source: Margaret's Corner - July 23, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll Harry Potter Source Type: blogs
Blood tests
I haven’t had my regular blood tests (plus Bence Jones) in several months for a variety of reasons, mainly the Covid-19 lockdown, then the slow reopening here in Italy.
On Monday, I finally decided to make an appointment at the lab where I always have my tests done. I went there yesterday morning.
I got there early and had to wait for about 15 minutes. Things have really changed, compared to the pre-Covid era, I mean: a nurse greets all patients outside the lab building and makes the early birds like me wait outside. Much better…I feel safer outside, anyway.
So here’s the new procedure: you wait outside u...
Source: Margaret's Corner - July 16, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll blood tests covid-19 myeloma Source Type: blogs
Dexamethasone and Covid-19
I meant to write this post earlier but…stuff happens, such as our blocked kitchen sink pipe (We spent all day Sunday trying to “unblock” it using a bunch of different methods, including a high-pressure cleaner!, but to no avail. So today I’m waiting for the plumber to come fix it…), and I didn’t get to it until now. So you have probably already read about the Dex-Covid-19 connection. I’ll write this bit of news anyway, for those of you who might have missed it.
Last week Stefano asked me if I knew what dexamethasone was. Do I know what dexamethasone is? Hah! You can imagine my rep...
Source: Margaret's Corner - June 23, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll dexamethasone and Covid-19 Source Type: blogs
Yesterday I helped save a dog
Yesterday morning I received a whatsapp text from one of my neighbors who had spotted a small, terrified dog on the other side of the tiny river at the bottom of our hill. She took a photo of it and asked if it belonged to anyone we knew. Wait, before going on, I should note that, years ago, my neighbors and I created a whatsapp group that enables us to get in touch quickly should anything happen or if anyone needs anything or whatnot. This group is super useful at times, as it was yesterday, as it turns out…
Some of my neighbors immediately mobilized to help this little dog. They didn’t wait for the municipal...
Source: Margaret's Corner - June 18, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll Source Type: blogs
Quercetin has anti-myeloma activity
This study shows that quercetin works well both alone AND in combination with dexamethasone. Let’s not forget that it’s a proteasome inhibitor (like curcumin and, in the conventional world, Velcade).
Here’s the direct link to the study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5216736/?fbclid=IwAR2Nk3FwZ3b8MfAqKUNOz1YXfQ6PU2lcQzAN-eGSMWvVBO7dTD9waNpxXn4
I have to admit that I haven’t taken any quercetin in years, but it looks as though I’ll be putting it back on my “menu” now. For many reasons, not just because of its anti-myeloma activity…
Quercetin is good for a bunch...
Source: Margaret's Corner - June 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll dexamethasone myeloma quercetin Source Type: blogs
Terry Golombick ’ s new website
Now, I don’t usually do this sort of thing, but I’m making an exception today because I have such a HIGH regard for Dr. Terry Golombick. If you don’t know who she is, just do a search of my blog…In a nutshell, she was in charge of the Australian MGUS and SMM curcumin patient trials…so, lots of experience, there…
Terry has recently relaunched her website and is offering consultations specifically for MGUS and SMM folks who live in or near Sydney, Australia. I think it’s WONDERFUL…
Anyway, here’s the link for those lucky Sydney-dwellers: https://www.mgustherapy.com/
But ...
Source: Margaret's Corner - May 28, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll curcumin Dr. Terry Golombick MGUS SMM Source Type: blogs
Reaching out to all MGUS, SMM, MM patients and caregivers
Last week I was contacted by Stephen Quinn, a Ph.D. student at Queen’s University in Belfast. He informed me about a study called IMPaCCT whose intent is to look at the effect that the current Covid-19 crisis has had, and is having, on pre-cancer, cancer and rare disease patients and their caregivers. The researchers, which include Stephen, hope to be able to use this data to inform patients and caregivers, as well as publish their findings in scientific journals.
He asked for my help in reaching out to smoldering myeloma and MGUS patients. Of course! So, how can we help? By taking their online SURVEY. I am about to do ...
Source: Margaret's Corner - May 25, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll ImpaCCt study Source Type: blogs
Cat is the star of a classical music concert
I loved this…absolutely loved this… (Source: Margaret's Corner)
Source: Margaret's Corner - May 20, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll Stray cat crashes concert Source Type: blogs
More important news on vitamin D and coronavirus
On March 27, I published a post about some findings of a team from the University of Turin (Italy) showing that low levels of vitamin D might increase:
your risk of being infected with Covid-19
your risk of having complications if you already have the virus
The University of Turin data also showed that vitamin D can counteract lung damage caused by hyperinflammation.
Well, now a research team led by Northwestern University has found a “strong correlation between severe vitamin D deficiency and mortality rates.” Their results are based on data from hospitals in several countries, including Italy.
Incidentally,...
Source: Margaret's Corner - May 12, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll covid-19 vitamin D Source Type: blogs
