Cowgirl Up!!! ... Does Horse Poop Cause Cancer??

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

No April Fools Day Jokes This Year

Hello 4.1.20

Often I have posted a funny, sarcastic or joking update on April Fools day, but not this year, with all the scary and sad things going on with CoronaVirus! Ugh, at first it seemed overly dramatic on the news, with the word "Pandemic" flashed all over our screens. Now reality has set in, that this tiny microscopic virus is HUGE! I just can't wrap my head around what's happening. Can you? The impact on the world, on society, on each one of us, is just enormous. Maybe in isolated, minimally occupied areas of the earth, things are different, but in large cities and communities, this thing is overwhelming. I am not the type to panic or have anxiety, but the longer this thing goes on, and the longer there's a possibility of me and those in my circle being infected, the more "scared" I have become. First Myeloma is trying to kill me, now this little critter is out to get me... ugh, I just want a simple, uncomplicated, drama free life for whatever time I have left. And I just want to feel ok. Is that too much to ask???


Anyway, we're all aware of what's going on, so I don't need to go on and on about it all here. Please stay safe everyone, and hopefully this monster will pass soon, and medical science will get it under control. Thank goodness for all the super smart researchers working so hard to figure this out for all of us!

So in my little world, Myeloma thinks it's time to aggravate me, and overpower the meds I am currently taking. Here we go again with how smart biology and chemistry is, and Myeloma's ability to mutate and become smarter than the drugs trying to kill it. I've been on 40mg Dexamethasone steroids, Velcade and 400mg Cyclophosphamide/Cytoxan since September 2018, and that's a remarkably long run for me! Often my type of Myeloma is able to overpower the meds within about a year or less, so I am grateful I've had as long as I've had with this current triplet battling for me. It's a crazy way to live, month to month, actually week to week, actually day to day, wondering what's going on inside me and wondering how powerful Myeloma is becoming.

Well here's my recent IGA results, and you can see what is going on:


January I jumped to 1000, then February down to the 500's, now March way up to the 1400's! How crazy is that!! Normal is between 70-400. Additionally, my M Protein (M Spike) has increased to 1.02, (zero is normal). So here we go... the Myeloma roller coaster on one side, and Corornavirus on the other side. And of course the continued insanity of my husband's Alzheimer's. Just never expected my "golden years" to be so full of "platinum" drama lol.

What am I going to do, you ask. Well nothing, as I just don't want the stress of changing meds and dealing with new medication side effects at this time. As I write this, I am having side effects from Monday's chemo, but over a year and a half into this protocol, the side effects are fairly predictable and somewhat tolerable. I feel yucky, but still functional, as I'm always pushing myself... except when I feel completely awful... which is what I fear from CoronaV. I was so sick with a "headcold" or "flu" so much of later Dec, into most of Jan and I think into early Feb. Took me a long time to get well. I just hate feeling awful, and just hate feeling sick all the time, from Myeloma, side effects, chemo, etc. Maybe I had CoronaV back then, and now I'm immune! Wouldn't that be an ironic miracle. And maybe all the meds and chemo I'm on, and have been on, will fend off CoronaV!!

And now...  a Huge Shout Out to my amazing local Kaiser that has implemented incredible cootie screening protocols! Here's a few pics I took on Monday when I went for my Velcade shot. I actually feel safer now, then ever before, as the cleaning and sanitizing, and screening for sickies and cooties is way beyond anything I have ever seen. And it should be like this all the time! Cross contamination is what gets all of us, the well and the sick. Just be clean people, and have common sense about what you touch, what you cross contaminate, where you walk, and touch, and take precautions around dirty humanity! Yikes I have been saying and doing this for decades! Most likely why I am still alive, and why I've been able to battle Myeloma back for over 10 years now!!!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay for Kaiser:

Just looooooove my Kaiser staff!!

You can't enter the parking structure now
without being screened!

Look at this!

After being directed where to park,
you can go to the entrance

Where they actually screen you,
ask questions, and take your temp!

Awesome!
Back off coooties!

And it's Valet Pharmacy Rx delivery in the parking lot!
Looooove all these new protocols
to keep us safe from crazy CoronaV!

hahahhaaa!

Yep!!!

Take care everyone, and be smart, wash wash wash, clean clean clean. Take your shoes off outside your house, stop close contact with everyone, sanitize any personal space surface that you've contaminated with cooties from public places. Be super clean inside your own home. Always be thinking about what you touched where, then touched that other thing, with that, then touched this, with that! It's amazing how germs are shared. Cooties lurk everywhere to get us, and now everyone is seeing how much smarter they are then us! I've known this, but everyone thought I was an "OCD germaphobe" lol. Not so much anymore! Get outside in fresh air as often as you can! I've made it 10 years with Myeloma, so I'm doing something smart, right :))

Thanks for reading and I'll be back again soon :))




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My Story... How my MM was diagnosed

October/November/December 2009...

Most of my life I was VERY presumptuous about being healthy, taking my (mostly) GOOD health for granted...
I was committed to annual check-ups for all of us, and so late October 2009, my daughter and I went for our annual and very routine physicals.

Surprise, surprise... my routine blood tests revealed extreme Anemia, significant White and Red Cell issues, low Platelets, and a variety of other CBC red flags! I was (stupidly) not worried when my GP doc left repeated phone messages to contact him, and when we did speak, I (stupidly) requested postponement of his referral appointment to the Hematology Dept until the end of the Fall academic term.

Arriving for my first appointment Dec 14, 2009, I was confronted with the check-in sign that read: "Hematology/Oncology"... What? Nooooo! not me... I must be in the WRONG place! And so my diagnosis journey began with vials and vials of blood drawn "stat", urgent Dr consultations, a surprise and painful Bone Marrow Biopsy, a full body Skeletal Scan, more blood tests stat, and then on 12.30.2009... THE revealing meeting... the "huh-what" moment ... the confirmation diagnosis that I, Julie, have CANCER!!!

Happy New Year to me, I just learned a new vocabulary word:
Multiple Myeloma!!! MM, Multiple Mye-what-loma!!!

January - June 2010

My medical metamorphosis began.
I read, and read, and read and researched and researched MM. I trusted my expert Oncology/Hematology team's plan and began my "New Normal" as a cancer patient.
My treatment plan was developed to include powerful Dexemthesone steroids paired with Revlimid chemotherapy, with the plan to be hospitalized for an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant July 2010.

I began living "one day at a time" like never before.
Jim was a wreck. Alissa and Scott were stunned; family and friends shocked.

Me... Cowgirl Up! I got back in the saddle and knew I was in for the ride of my life!
I did well on my initial pill-form Revlimid Chemo, "roid-rage" Dex Steroids and other supportive meds. I am forever deeply grateful and appreciative for all the love and support from everyone in my personal and professional life! I thank all of you for working along with me, and allowing me to continue to lead a semi "normal" life!
YOU have helped save my life!

My treatment trail ride forks to City of Hope hospital as I will saddle up beginning June 9, 2010 for a new rodeo called an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant!
Ye-Ha, let the adventure begin!

Chemical Warfare...

January 2010 - May 2010:
My initial chemo regimen:

Pill form Chemo= Revlimid (10mg, 15mg capsules)
Pill form Dexamethasone Steroids (40 mg, 4 days on, 4 days off!
Omeprazole for steroid acid reflux
Mepron (looks like yellow finger paint) Anti-fungal, Anti-viral, etc for my very compromised immune system
B-12
.81 Aspirin to prevent DVT, Revlimid complications
Allopurinol- keeping the kidneys healthy
Acyclovir- anti-Shingles, anti-viral

June 2010:
High dose IV Cytoxan chemo
Neupogen to build up stem cells for Apheresis, stem cell harvest, which was very successful, as City of Hope was able to collect 9.5 million of my own stem cells

July 2010 Hospitalization:
Two days of high dose Melphalan chemo
Then July 5, 2010 = my Autologous Stem Cell transplant infusion!

And you can read my whole story from that point forward in this blog!


What is multiple myeloma?

What is multiple myeloma?

Cancer starts when cells in the body begin to grow out of control. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer, and can spread to other areas of the body. To learn more about how cancers start and spread, see What Is Cancer?

Multiple myeloma is a cancer formed by malignant plasma cells. Normal plasma cells are found in the bone marrow and are an important part of the immune system.

The immune system is made up of several types of cells that work together to fight infections and other diseases. Lymphocytes (lymph cells) are the main cell type of the immune system. The major types of lymphocytes are T cells and B cells.

When B cells respond to an infection, they mature and change into plasma cells. Plasma cells make the antibodies (also called immunoglobulins) that help the body attack and kill germs. Lymphocytes are in many areas of the body, such as lymph nodes, the bone marrow, the intestines, and the bloodstream. Plasma cells, however, are mainly found in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside some hollow bones. In addition to plasma cells, normal bone marrow has cells that make the different normal blood cells.

When plasma cells become cancerous and grow out of control, they can produce a tumor called a plasmacytoma. These tumors generally develop in a bone, but they are also rarely found in other tissues. If someone has only a single plasma cell tumor, the disease is called an isolated (or solitary) plasmacytoma. If someone has more than one plasmacytoma, they have multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma is characterized by several features, including:

Low blood counts

In multiple myeloma, the overgrowth of plasma cells in the bone marrow can crowd out normal blood-forming cells, leading to low blood counts. This can cause anemia – a shortage of red blood cells. People with anemia become pale, weak, and fatigued. Multiple myeloma can also cause the level of platelets in the blood to become low (called thrombocytopenia). This can lead to increased bleeding and bruising. Another condition that can develop is leukopenia – a shortage of normal white blood cells. This can lead to problems fighting infections.

Bone and calcium problems

Myeloma cells also interfere with cells that help keep the bones strong. Bones are constantly being remade to keep them strong. Two major kinds of bone cells normally work together to keep bones healthy and strong. The cells that lay down new bone are called osteoblasts. The cells that break down old bone are called osteoclasts. Myeloma cells make a substance that tells the osteoclasts to speed up dissolving the bone. Since the osteoblasts do not get a signal to put down new bone, old bone is broken down without new bone to replace it. This makes the bones weak and they break easily. Fractured bones are a major problem in people with myeloma. This increase in bone break-down can also raise calcium levels in the blood. (Problems caused by high calcium levels are discussed in the section “How is multiple myeloma diagnosed?”)

Infections

Abnormal plasma cells do not protect the body from infections. As mentioned before, normal plasma cells produce antibodies that attack germs. For example, if you developed pneumonia, normal plasma cells would produce antibodies aimed at the specific bacteria that were causing the illness. These antibodies help the body attack and kill the bacteria. In multiple myeloma, the myeloma cells crowd out the normal plasma cells, so that antibodies to fight the infection can’t be made. The antibody made by the myeloma cells does not help fight infections. That’s because the myeloma cells are just many copies of the same plasma cell – all making copies of the same exact (or monoclonal) antibody.

Kidney problems

The antibody made by myeloma cells can harm the kidneys. This can lead to kidney damage and even kidney failure.