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Treatment Nurses

One of the most pleasant things about treatment were the nurses. For the most part, they were caring and compassionate. Need a warm blanket or a cup of juice? They they are. It seems the dacarbazine in the ABVD chemo was always the worst - it burns the vein if it goes in too fast so the nurse & I would adjust it to go in the rate the vein could take it which could take a long time.

I hear the new therapies like Bexxar are alot easier to tolerate, maybe just some flu-like symptoms. That would have been better than the ravages of ABVD.

Comfort & Commercialism

You can guess I support the site using the Amazon Associate program. It doesn't cost the customer anything - Amazon gives about 5% to the site. This time of year that helps pay for the site hosting.

I still remember long hours in the chemo chair or apheresis machine. Radiation machines are similar. You get bored silly. 10 years ago they had some small TVs only in some chairs. Maybe read if I could concentrate.

Look Good Feel Better

Let's face it, during treatment we have a pretty low image of ourselves: we feel bad much of the time, we're scared about the effectiveness of treatment, and our hair often falls out! Well there is something you can do.

National Family Caregivers Month

"Every day, family caregivers across our Nation are caring for loved ones who are aging, chronically ill, or disabled. Through their selfless actions, they bring comfort to those in need, enrich their own lives, and reflect the true spirit of America." So begins the proclamation that US President George W. Bush signed November 4th declaring the month National Family Caregivers Month.

Humor Revisited

My humor blog a few days ago seems to have generated some interest. Through Amazon I could see that people were buying more books than I had noted leading me to find a new crop of cancer and humor books. A few I found:

I'd Rather Do Chemo Than Clean Out the Garage

Not Now I'm Having a No Hair Day

Some more down to earth books:

Lymphoma and Humor

Some would ask what does humor and lymphoma have in common? Cancer is a scary thing, not to be laughed at. Very true. But in all serious illnesses, it helps to be able to look at situations and introduce some humor into it - just to cope. The famous story is of some very sick person who got a bunch of Three Stooges movies and "laughed himself well". If it were so easy in most cases.

NHL Steers Journalist to Music

You may have read Jamie Reno's columns in SI, People Magazine, and Newsweek where he still writes today. In 1996, Reno was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After chemotherapy in 1997, he achieved remission but the cancer returned in 1999. At that time, he participated in a clinical trial of Bexxar, one of the new monoclonal antibodies I wrote about earlier. Since his treatments he has remained in remission.

Art and a Marrow Transplant

Scott Barber, a Dallas artist, ironically known for paintings inspired by cancer cells, is currently undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkins's Lymphoma. He is awaiting a bone marrow transplant in January. Scott's story can be found at http://www.marrowingexperience.com/dallasmorningnews.htm

Mandy Moore Helps Kids with Lymphoma

Pop and movie star Mandy Moore has teamed up with the Starlight Starbright children's foundation and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help children with cancer using online tools.

If you have not heard of Mandy, I'm sure the young ones around have. My daughters love her stuff and she is a "good girl" compared to Britney.

You can find out more about this program at:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041013/nyw002_1.html

US Senator Arlen Specter Diagnosed With Hodgkins

Senator Arlen Specter, R-Pa., announced Wednesday that he has Hodgkin's disease. Specter had experienced persistent fevers and enlarged lymph nodes under his left arm and above his left clavicle. He received testing on February 14th at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. The testing involved biopsy of a lymph node and biopsy of bone marrow. The lymph node was positive for Hodgkin’s disease. The bone marrow biopsy showed no cancer.