Gut bacteria plays a big role in the progression to active myeloma, according to a new Italian study
One of my Italian blog readers sent me this link today: http://goo.gl/AEwRXo
I realize the article is in Italian, but hey, you’re in luck : you can read the full study, on which the Italian article is based, in English…at this link: http://goo.gl/9U8NoN
In any case, I’m going to give you a brief summary (based only on the article. I need more time to read/go through the full study). Here goes.
Researchers at the Ospedale di San Raffaele in Milan have discovered that a particular type of gut bacteria, called Prevotella heparinolytica, plays a big role in the proliferation of some of the inflammatory lym...
Source: Margaret's Corner - December 9, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll Arianna Brevi gut bacteria myeloma Prevotella heparinolytica Source Type: blogs
A cold is almost never just a cold …
So much to do, so little time. And I wasn’t supposed to get a COUGH again, either.
No, I’m not kidding.
I know where I was infected. To make a very long story short, exactly a week ago I accompanied a friend (who has very little Italian) and her 5-year-old daughter to a pediatric dentist. We had to wait for a couple of hours (the dentist was very busy and behind schedule) in a small, airless waiting room with other adults and their…kids.
Yes, I’m well aware of the danger of my being around potentially ill kids, especially in a situation like that where I couldn’t escape, but my friend needed m...
Source: Margaret's Corner - November 22, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll Source Type: blogs
Almost spitting images
One of my best friends here in Florence gave me a lovely present the other day. It was supposed to be a Xmas present, but my friend was so excited and eager to see my reaction that she couldn’t wait until December.
She had ordered two small, woolen versions of Pixie and Pandora (my 14-month-old sisters) from an Italian woman who specializes in the needle felting technique, which I believe originated in Japan and is quite ancient.
My friend didn’t have any up-to-date photos of the two sisters, so, while we were away in Matera, she asked our cat sitter to be her accomplice…Photos were taken and sent off to...
Source: Margaret's Corner - November 13, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll cats needle felting technique Source Type: blogs
Matera, the 2019 European capital of culture
The weekend of November 1st was a long holiday weekend, so Stefano and I, and his aunt and uncle (yes, the uncle with MM), decided to visit the ancient southern Italian city of Matera, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. It is also one of the OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY INHABITED cities in the entire world. How about that, eh!
In 2014, Matera was also awarded the title of 2019 European city of culture and since then has become a big tourist attraction. By the time we managed to book a B&B, in fact, Matera was 97% booked!
Matera is mainly famous for its Sassi (Italian for “Stones”), for its 1500 cave...
Source: Margaret's Corner - November 12, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll Matera Source Type: blogs
Concern over too much EGCG
I just finished reading a BBC article about a man in Texas who had been taking an EGCG (extracted from green tea) supplement for 2-3 months when he found out that his liver was in very bad shape, to the point that he had to have an urgent liver transplant. His doctors ruled out everything else and concluded that this serious injury may have been caused by the EGCG supplement.
Even though I personally don’t take EGCG, I was horrified, at first. Then I read the article, which states that drinking green tea, as I do on occasion, is perfectly safe. What you have to be careful about is its extract, known as EGCG, which ap...
Source: Margaret's Corner - October 27, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll EGCG EGCG toxicity green tea liver injury Source Type: blogs
Broncopolmonite!
I realize it’s been quite some TIME since I’ve written a post, almost a MONTH!, so today I decided to sit down and write one, and it’s going to be a long one, so get yourselves some tea and get comfy…
CHAPTER ONE. PEEKABOO: in September I spent a lot of time researching possibly helpful but definitely non-toxic treatments for Peekaboo, my 11-year-old kitty whom I’ve written a lot about in recent times. She has a slipped disc, basically, and has been having a VERY hard time walking. The risk, of course, is that she’d stop walking altogether. Couldn’t let that happen!
I discover...
Source: Margaret's Corner - October 19, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll Source Type: blogs
September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month
When, many many years ago (19, but who’s counting? ), my doctor uttered those two words, “mieloma multiplo,” I thought he’d said: “melanoma.”
Who’d ever heard of multiple myeloma???
Ahhhh, how things change!!!
And today, thanks to my research, mixed in with quite a bit of determination (stubbornness?), and, oh yes, quite a bit of luck, I’m doing okay:
No CRAB symptoms.
No conventional treatments.
Just…curcumin (mainly).
And, for sure!, lots of awareness!!! (Source: Margaret's Corner)
Source: Margaret's Corner - September 24, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll mieloma multiplo; myeloma multiple myeloma Source Type: blogs
A Fairy Pools anecdote
The Fairy Pools are a series of waterfalls and crystal-clear green/blue pools located on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. it’s an absolutely beautiful spot…highly recommended…My photos don’t do it justice, but you can check online for MUCH better ones.
We spent an entire morning there, walking slowly up the hill, taking in the views, stopping to admire the waterfalls and pools, aaaah and the colors!…and taking lots of photos, of course!
It usually takes about 45 minutes (each way) to complete the uphill walk without stopping, but how can you NOT stop? It’s simply stunning everywhere you look....
Source: Margaret's Corner - September 19, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll Fairy Pools Isle of Skye Scotland Source Type: blogs
Memories of Scotland
Instead of going on and on about each place we visited in Scotland, I’ve decided to put together a series of anecdotes, cute or funny things that happened during our stay there.
First, though, here is a descriptive list of most of the places we visited, starting from Glasgow and ending in Edinburgh:
We spent a day and a half in Glasgow. To be honest, and I hope I don’t offend those who live there, as far as I could tell, there isn’t much to see, from a tourist’s point of view, except for the cathedral, but it’s very good for shopping, and it’s a very lively city. We also photographed a couple of excell...
Source: Margaret's Corner - September 12, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll Culross Desperate Dan dinosaur prints Drumnadrochit Dundee Dunnolie Dunnottar Edinburgh Eilean Donan Harry Potter Highland Games Islay Kilchurn Castle Plockton Scotland Skye Source Type: blogs
Two cortisone stories involving Peekaboo and yours truly …
First, the news about Peekaboo. When I met with the vet a few days ago, he repeated that we wouldn’t be able to give her the current anti-inflammatory drug forever. Too bad, since she eagerly takes it in her wet food in the morning, and it seems to have no side effects. Oh well.
He suggested I substitute it with a drug called Contramal, which is basically Tramadol, and with another one that contains quercetin (I checked it out, it’s okay, so she’s on that now).
Tramadol is a different story. That’s the drug that Piccolo was on for some time last summer, and I am CONVINCED (although I have no proof, ...
Source: Margaret's Corner - September 7, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll cortisone Medrol Source Type: blogs
Back from Scotland
We’re baaaack! Back in Florence with our kitties, that is. Actually, we’ve been home since last Wednesday, but I’ve had lots of things to do, PLUS my computer wasn’t working properly, so Stefano spent the entire weekend fixing it, checking it out, updating programs, and so on. I’m so lucky to have him (in so many ways!)!
About our fabulous holiday in Scotland…so hard to decide where to begin…And so I’ve made a partial list of some of my fondest memories, as follows:
One of the funniest things: animals of all sorts (goats, sheep, chickens, cows…) in the middle of the r...
Source: Margaret's Corner - September 4, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll Harry Potter Islay Scotland Skye whisky Source Type: blogs
New test results and other bits of news
As you may recall, my April “andrographolide” results were disappointing, although some MM markers did improve. But my IgG jumped up quite a bit.
But now, incredibly, in just three months, and in spite of ALL the stress I’ve been under in the past weeks, my new, August test results are, well, excellent!!! My IgG has gone down to less than it was in 2012. Obviously, it’s still high, but it’s back to where I prefer it to be.
So I’m pleased. VERY pleased. Incidentally, all I took in this period was curcumin (the usual 8 grams a day) and Reishi, which has done well for me for the second t...
Source: Margaret's Corner - August 8, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll curcumin bioavailability Source Type: blogs
The margins are CLEAR!!!
Peekaboo, my 11-year-old cat, is such a star. Our amazing little star…And yes, in case you’re wondering, all of these photos are recent, post-surgery photos. Obviously, her right side looks better than her left, as you can see…But once her fur grows back, she’ll be as good as new (not that that’s the most important thing, of course!).
Here’s the most important thing:
Our vet just called to let us know that the final results of Peekaboo’s mandibulectomy (half of her lower left jaw was removed) show CLEAR MARGINS.
In other words, no cancer cells were found in the outer portion of he...
Source: Margaret's Corner - August 3, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll feline oral cancer feline oral melanoma Source Type: blogs
Forskolin: another natural compound goes on my list of myeloma killers
Yesterday I came across a 2015 study that really caught my attention. A group of Norwegian researchers has discovered that the combination of dexamethasone with a natural compound called forskolin kills multiple myeloma cells.
They tested forskolin with other conventional myeloma drugs, too: bortezomib (Velcade), cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and melphalan.
And by itself.
Results in a nutshell: dead myeloma cells.
Excerpt from the abstract: “Our findings support a potential role of forskolin in combination with current conventional agents in the treatment of MM.”
The researchers believe that forskolin mi...
Source: Margaret's Corner - August 1, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll forskolin myeloma Source Type: blogs
Curcumin eye drops
I’ve been reading and researching curcumin for almost 13 years now, but I am still amazed at all the things it can do…
A new study shows that it might be able to treat the early stages of glaucoma: goo.gl/W98w8x
That’s music to my ears, since glaucoma runs in my family…hmmmm, my eye pressure happens to be normal…I wonder if my high intake of curcumin might have something to do with that?
Excerpt from the above-mentioned Science Daily article: “‘Curcumin is an exciting compound that has shown promise at detecting and treating the neurodegeneration implicated in numerous eye and bra...
Source: Margaret's Corner - July 30, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll curcumin glaucoma Source Type: blogs
