Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the joints, causing arthritic inflammation and damage. It can also extend to other parts of the body. Early in therapy, successful treatments induce remission, usually by reducing or eliminating inflammation. If progression of the disease is caught at an early stage, when it can be most destructive, serious joint damage could be prevented.

The above info came from Medical News Today.  Please click on this link for more information on a clinical study.

"Stand firm and rejoice in the joy of our heavenly Father. I have had a hard time this past year. It has been a real test of my faith. My husband has had lymphoma cancer, and he does not have the Lord our God in his heart and is of a negative nature, so he did not handle things well.

I was sitting in the living room one day and feeling sorry for myself and crying. The Lord said to me, 'Be strong and believe. Everything will be all right."

I went to bed that night and prayed and had a lovely deep sleep, and felt refreshed the next day. It is always better when you are living in the light of God. He has help me through. My husband is in remission now.

Remember, God always comes through for you.

Blessings to all, Gail."

"Bonjour,

Je viens ici pour témoigner que l’accompagnement psychologique est primordial pour vaincre un cancer.

J'en ai fait l’expérience en tant que “survivant” d’un cancer du cerveau supposé “incurable” par la médecine traditionnelle.

Quelque soit la maladie, nous avons tous un potentiel de guérison, et nous avons de besoin des “accompagnants psychologiques” pour nous mettre sur le chemin de la guérison."

Angelo Ferro, 30 sept. 2008

See I have found myself feeling better and better.  The Celebrex (started taking 3 weeks ago) has made an amazing difference where my leg and hip are involved.  Truly reduced the pain to something tolerable.  However I have put forth some effort lately to do some normal things like clean out my garage.  I had boxes packed and stacked all over the place from moving here back in February.  I thought to myself..."hummm, does not look like such a big ordeal to go through it all and move it around to form some sort of organization to gain space in that hollow".    Man was I ever fooling myself.  Of course this South Florida heat and humidity did not help matters.   I soon realized just how much I have lost from my own previous strength and endurance. (Ya know Before cancer)   I guess feeling better is not always a sign of true improvement.  Because the lack of all that was evident in that garage.  It saddened me.  I had once been a pretty physically strong woman, with the power to lift and move things like a man.  Yet there I was struggling to push a darn box across the floor.  Then attempted to moved the sections of my daughters old Loft Bed (with desk and shelves).  That was my real awakening.  Just a few years ago it was nothing for me to lift a piece of that furniture over my head and walk out of a room with it.  Silly me, in a moment of insanity or memory loss...I thought I could raise that wood loft bed frame over my head.  It had different ideas.  It went over my head and kept going, I knew it was going to clip me behind my knees, so I bent them (and prayed)  to reduce the impact.  Greatest fear was "Oh Shit... it's going to break my damn leg again".  That was when the frustration set in and I learned at that very moment just how much I have lost over the past 2 years.  I am not able to do what I used to do.  I am much weaker then I myself even thought I was.  It was a disheartening moment for me. I am one that pushes myself when I am motivated to achieve something.  Not one to quit until I am done.  I eventually started feeling sick and weak.  Got the shakes, etc...  It just ended up being a sad day for me, however the garage does look better.  I lived to tell about it.  That's worth it in my books.

I have a meeting tomorrow with a local establishment to plan a huge fundraiser for my Non-profit "Army of Angels Foundation".  Our Motto:  We are your Wings when yours can't Fly.   Had planned on an October event for "Breast Cancer Awareness Month",  but given the time frame now, might have to post pone the date.

Cancer treatments on Wednesday.  Having my PETscan on Oct 8.  Won't be seeing the Doc for the results till Oct 29th, which will include my next round of therapies as well.  Given the last scan showed only one location of cancer activity I me hoping and praying for a diagnosis of Remission. For however long that remission might be would just give my body a longer time to gain strength.  Especially my bones so I can go sky diving!!

Most importantly another milestone reached.  They told me 2 years and 8 months ago I had between a year to two years to die.  Flat out told I would never see Remission and no possiblity of beating this.  I set out to prove them wrong!!

PLEASE LOOK TO THE RIGHT FOR A LIST OF BLOGS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER FROM THE ONSET OF MY DIAGNOSES DATING BACK TO FEB. 2006.  I will keep posting the older one's as pages till I am caught up, then will resume up to date posts.  This is therapy for me and someone else may be going through the same ordeal.

after somewhere around 120 miles and 11 hours
and $98,000 raised by our team ($3500 of which
some of you helped me raise)
it is over.

the ride, not the cancer.

but the cancer will end.

if only it was as easy as a long day on the bicycle.

there are times when things were hard.
really hard.
get-off-your-bike-and-swear-at-the-rocks-hard.

nothing as hard as fighting cancer.
that's what we always remind ourselves.

but when things were hard, here's what i did:

i took 1/10th of the prescription bottles
from leanne's chemo treatment
and i taped them all over my bike -
on the handlebars and the seat post and above the brakes,
everywhere.

and syringes too.
see the blue syringe up there?
that's from her $12,000 neulasta shot.

but here's what i did:
i took the names of all the people who wrote in asking
me to ride for them and i wrote the names on little slips
of paper.  and i put the names on the little slips of paper
into the bottles, the orange bottles all over my bike.

in my head i said that anytime i was struggling
i was going to open the bottles and take a name out
and eat it.  because those of you who are fighting
are like medicine for me.

the way that fight begets fight
in the best sort of way.

.

for some reason, the idea of gatorade
sounded better than paper, so i just threw
the names to the utah wind.

enough.

-----

on the drive back we stopped on the colorado river,
to meet up with one of my friends who had donated
and come down to cheer me on.

we got in the water of the big river,
stuck our feet in the mud,
and buried each other in sand.

spa day, eat your heart out.

and later on the long drive back to denver,
we passed a highway sign that read "Loma"
with an arrow to the right.

and i remembered that Loma was the name
i had given to our baby - short for Lymphoma -
that we thought we were going to try and keep
through the treatment, back when we thought
the cancer wasn't all that bad.

-----

last night liddy sat with us on the couch
and helped us think up names for the baby
that maybe one of these days we'll get.

"Jara," she said.

and then...

"Oh, I know, I know, how about Piñata?"

and i thought about the medicine bottles
on my bike.

yes.

No change. I am still in remission.

I have not begun to appreciate how relieved I am.

I have a new post, The Metastatic Cancer Patient's Guide to the CT Scan in 16 Easy Steps up at MyBreastCancerNetwork.Com.

New Images for October

You will find that it has been created with the same signature hearts found on every single image of Lovely Creations.

Starting with Pink Ribbon for Cancer Awareness month!

I will continue to add more images to the Halloween collection... stay tuned.

For those who haven't had one here's how it works.  You go in for fasting blood work where they check your blood sugar.  Then they bring in the lead box, inject the radioactive tracer and then you have to wait for an hour.  During that hour you're not supposed to move.  So you lay in this cross between an exam table and a Lazy Boy.  The location I have mine done at brings warm blankets.  I'm generally over heated to begin with but give me a warm blanket and lay me down at 8 am and I'm out.

So I had a nice little nap and then they took me in for my scan.  The table you get laid on is a little narrower than an ironing board and slightly less comfortable. You lay down, fully dressed, and in my case, with  my arms up over my head and stay in that position for about 30 minutes. And that's it. They scan from basically the level of the eyes to mid thigh.

I asked one of the techs one time, "Why don't you scan all they way down my legs, why not my feet?" and was politely told "We don't see foot cancer very often ma'am."

I've since learned that it is because cancer can actually be pretty predictable.  When breast cancer comes back it usually hits the liver, lungs and bone.  So basically, if they were to find it in my foot, they would find it somewhere else as well.

I can't remember if my oncologist office calls with good news, bad news or all news so I left them a message. I've got to crash but I wanted to thank all the people on the cancer boards who were sending up good vibes and love.  THANKS!

Thank you for all your kind words and support over the past year!  It isn't the magic two year point yet, but every day is another day away from the edge of the cliff ...

I take rebif three times a week.  I have low energy levels, brain fog, and confusion.  I think it's due to lack of sleep.  Would my body be healthier if I went off Rebif?  It would certainly rest when it's suppose to.  I wonder, am I doing more harm right now?

I am still working on my diet.  It's so hard.  I must cut out everything I love.  I believe it's working though.  The last few days have been good days...I've almost felt...do I say it?  Normal!

What are your thoughts when it comes to the therapies you're on?  Let me know.

xo

Lora

I have been really struggling lately - fighting so many symptoms but mostly fatigue.  It's an effort to do almost anything.  I am totally convinced that diet has so much to do with it.  As I wrote in earlier posts, I was attempting to follow a gluten-free diet.  Easier said than done.  At first I was really good and did well with it.  I began to feel better but then slipped into bad habits.

On Friday, I found the book "Healing Multiple Sclerosis   Diet, Detox, & Nutritional Makeover for Total Recovery" by Ann Boroch.  So much of what she wrote in her book made sense.  After reading her book I took a close hard look at my diet and realized what a disaster it was.  Loaded with sugar and processed foods it's amazing my body is functioning at all. 

Our grocery stores are jam packed and jelly tight with fatal foods.  It's no wonder that not only are we obese but are children are following right in our footsteps!  As a nation we have adopted such an unhealthy lifestyle and we are passing it down the generations. 

All of the recommendations in Ann Boroch's book were amazing.  I have comitted to eating the right way for my body.  I am staying away from sugars, processed flours, red meats and porks.  That means my diet will consist of mostly chicken, fish, vegetables, fruit - but not a lot of fruit as it is a form of sugar and whole grains. 

Today I tried a new grain...Quinoa.  I've heard about it but never tried it.  This grain is awesome and has a nutty flavor.  I love nuts so this will end up being a staple in my home now. 

I expect that the first two weeks will be difficult as I detox my body and get rid of the sugar and caffeine.  I love my coffee but I love living life more so the sacrifice will be worth it!

I will keep you updated as I go along on this journey to better health.

xo

Lora

this guy.

i know, i know, not what you were expecting.

but for me, it just seemed simpler.

kevin, our friend and fellow cancer cyclist
and vet surgeon (appearing soon on er vet)
called.  he had a good one, he said.

i went.

i came home with artie.

liddy named him artie after her favorite
food (allegedly):  Artichoke

she wanted to name him Movie
but i nixed that.

my grandpa's name was Arthur.
he was old and died years ago,
but once ate a fortune cookie....whole.

my brother and i joked with him
that we had heard that fortunes come true
if you eat them.

he didn't laugh.

he didn't say much at all.  ever.

and it's funny, because Artie has never
really meowed.  maybe once, but it's iffy.

two quiet sweet men.

i wish all adoptions were this easy.

Sacrifices to idols and to Molech are an effort for man to please god by giving him a thing most valuable.  Our most valuable offerings cannot appease God.  Only a perfect sacrifice could satisfy the requirement that remission must come by the shedding of blood.  Only God Himself was good enough. 

God, even more than life, is the highest priority.  Faith in Him is more important than anyone’s life, and disobedience is not justified even in a situation where a life is at stake. 

The child sacrifices to Molech had more to do with bartering with god than with repentance for sins or faith.  Abraham, in contrast, was the patriarch of faith, and the Bible implicitly says that the command to sacrifice Isaac was about Abraham’s faith (interesting since Isaac was old enough to have resisted Abraham, but he didn’t). 

Abraham’s faith was tested when God asked Him to sacrifice Isaac.  But what does child sacrifice really have to do with faith? 

Hebrews 11 explains why he got so much credit for his faith in the story of sacrificing Isaac:

Hebrews 11:17-19, "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure."

Abraham believed God would make his son live, no matter what.  God also knew when Jesus gave His life that there would be a resurrection.  Jesus knew about it, and told His disciples to expect Him to come back on the third day. 

Even if Abraham just believed Isaac would not stay dead, we might think that he was self-deluded and irrationally hopeful rather than a man of great faith, unless God gave Abraham a strong reason to believe this.  Did He? 

Abraham had some difficulties believing God’s plan for him.  Years into the covenant and promises, Abraham and Sarah still hadn’t born any children.  So Abraham tried things his own way, siring Ishmael through Hagar, his wife’s slavewoman.  God made it quite clear that He had promised a son through Sarah, and that Ishmael was not the heir. 

Then Abraham believed God, but Sarah doubted until she conceived Isaac.  God reiterated that the promise to make Abraham many nations, to bless the world through his Seed, (the Covenant) was through Isaac:

Genesis 17:15-16, 19, "And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him."

They gave birth to a son.  So Abraham had learned his lesson about doubts.  He knew that either God would intervene, or God would raise Isaac back to life. 

Abraham knew that God’s command (to sacrifice Isaac) could not supercede God’s promise (to make Isaac into many nations).  This point is made in Galatians:

Galatians 3:17, "And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect." 

The just always lived by faith. 

In Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son, I see a vivid example of God’s plan for salvation depicted in the story of the Sacrifice of Isaac. 

• The promise was from God, and He would keep it. 
• The son was miraculously given by God. 
• The command was God’s. 
• The faith was in God. 
• And the substitute sacrifice was God’s. 

To God be all glory,

Lisa of Longbourn

Canada's #1 Nursing Consulting Service

Expert RN's Consulting:

No one wants to visit the Emergency Room, Critical Care Unit, or Intensive Care Unit, and they certainly don't want to be a patient.  The families in the waiting room almost always appear to be petrified, because they know that, at any moment, a physician might enter the room and tell them, "I am very sorry. We tried everything possible, however …."  If and when this moment passes, there is a long road ahead for your loved one.  Many questions crop up in your mind that may not be able to be addressed promptly.  You may still be a bit confused and disoriented by this life changing event, and feel helpless and at a loss of what to do for your 'stable', "unstable", or "critical" relative.

You need answers, details, and explanations now.  That is where Expert RN's can help.

Who we are:

A consulting service comprised of an experienced team of Registered Nurses specializing in the areas of Critical Care, Intensive Care, and Emergency.  We are all still working in the Medical-Surgical ICU at Mt. Sinai, Neuro Trauma ICU and Coronary Care at St. Mike’s, Critical care and the Burn Unit at Sunnybrook, and Cardiovascular ICU and Transplant Units at Toronto General Hospital. We remain knowledgeable on current trends, health, and safety in institutionalized settings and in regards to Canadians, and especially those living in Toronto and the GTA.  We have the expertise to answer any of your concerns regarding your care as a client/patient, or your loved one in hospital.

Who we service:

Patients and relatives who live in Ontario, and have an inquiry about Intensive Care, Critical Care, or Emergency.

What we do:

We ANSWER your questions regarding the care you, or your loved one is receiving.  We address your concerns, and offer you the best possible solutions, options, and outcomes.

Why use us?:

We answer the questions you are apprehensive about asking your Physicians, and Nurses.  We help you formulate the right questions to ask medical personnel in regard to the specific tests, outcomes, and prognosis of your loved one.  We address your concerns truthfully and can help direct you to the right resources on either the Internet or in your local area.

How we work:

Follow these steps:

1. First read our terms of service agreement.  If you have read and agreed to the conditions, email us on this website: www.woomail.com/expertrns with your questions/concerns regarding the care of your relative who is in ICU, Critical Care, or who has been admitted to Emergency.  Please be concise and as thoughtful with your questions/concerns as possible.
2. Wait for a personalized email response from us acknowledging receipt of your email (within one business day).  We will be responding from www.woomail.com/expertrns to the email address you provided.

Get answers fast from unbiased, experienced Registered Nurses who are still working in Toronto's Critical care, ICU, and Emergency areas.

An example of information that you should know:

In five of Toronto's teaching hospitals Sunnybrook, Mt. Sinai, Toronto General (UHN), St. Michael's, and Toronto Western (UHN), you will be encountering Residents, Fellows, and the Attending Physician of the ICU/Critical care or Emergency.  Residents and Fellows stay close by in the area and are accessible to the Nurses.  It is important for you to choose a family spokesperson who will then pass on any information to the rest of the family.  Know what the name of the Doctor is who visits and "rounds" on your family member, and whether he is a Resident or Fellow, because they may change every 12 hours.  Also know the name of the Attending Physician responsible for the entire unit.  Know the name of your assigned Nurse for that 12 hour shift and develop a rapport with her/him (they change every 12 hours).  You have a right to an update every 12hrs, and you can ask for one from the assigned Nurse.  If you have not been updated by a Resident or Fellow in a couple of days, you have a right to an update from them as well.  A Nurse is your best patient advocate and they will go the extra mile for you, but they are human and will not put up with overly assertive or rude behavior.

Know what times the Nurses give report at and when the best times to visit are.  Do your best to adhere to the visiting policy of the unit.  Unless your relative is in grave condition and may die, you will not be allowed to stay overnight in their room, or even in the waiting room (ask permission from the Charge Nurse before you decide to bunk in the waiting room).  There are some exceptions made for patients who do not understand English, however consult with you Nurse or the Nurse in Charge before staying beyond visiting hours, or arriving before visiting hours.

Your Nurse will welcome your help in giving your relative mouth care, eye care, or skin care, but since most ICU/Critical Care patients are ventilated by mouth, and have various lines in their hands and sometimes legs, ask permission before doing such things.

Please read our Terms of Service Agreement before emailing us.

A Day In The Life Of A Critical Care Nurse:

Ok, so here goes.  My mother was diagnosed with A Plastic Anemia in May.  After 7 long weeks in the hospital, they originally thought she had ITP.  After a big long hassle with her doctors, and me basically putting my foot down with their various plans for treatment, and finally firing her hematologist, I finally found a doctor I was satisfied with.  Still, I insisted on MY PLAN for treatment, as it was now the 11th hour and we had basically zero options left.

I researched and found an experimental treatment which is an immune suppressant type of chemotherapy.  The doctors by this point didn't want to mess with me and just did what I asked.  I guess they figured it couldn't hurt, and I wouldn't sue them for their original misdiagnosis.

When my mother was released from the hospital she had a blood count of 2,000 left in her body (120,000 is normal).  She only had 1/3rd of her bone marrow left.  Basically she had about two days left to live, if that.  She decided that she wanted to die at home, so I was carrying out her wishes.

Well, guess what?  It worked!  Her blood level is back to normal.  She is in full remission.  She is off of hospice care and basically all well for now.  We don't know when the A Plastic Anemia will come back, but for now she is fully functional and back driving me fully crazy.  Its a miracle!

She had an appointment with her Cardiologist today and he just looked at her in total amazement.  He told her that in all of his years of being a doctor (he's an old guy) he's never seen anything like this, or even heard about anyone recovering from this kind of situation.  He kept checking her results over and over in wonder.

So, thank you to all of those of you who prayed for my mother.  Im sure that those prayers helped guide me to the right medicine, and that God did the rest of the work.

it wasn't until the last comment
on that last post
that i started thinking
about the title:

would you give a baby?

it's not what i meant...
by why not?

i keep thinking of ways to justify
this blog.

(and no, this is not fishing for compliments, people,
it's just a healthy way of managing my own wandering
thoughts of exploiting my wife's illness and a potential
proclivity for narcissism and ego augmentation)

no matter what you say,
this blog is somewhat sinful, i'm sure.

but one women took it seriously,
the title, that is, and she tried,
really tried,
to get us a baby.

and now i'm thinking...
that that's what i was asking for all along,
somewhere.

-----

one of my favorite bloggers
just put google ads on his blog

i know many of you bloggers out there,
many of you whom i don't know but read this site,
have ads, so please take this
just as a meandering of thoughts
and not judgment.

but the truth is that
in a weird way i feel betrayed.

i don't like the site as much as i used to.

i guess i just want to believe
that we can still give each other things
without a price tag.

at some point, when i started getting
a lot of hits when leanne was really sick
and we were in the clutch of badness,
i made a vow not to do that,
not to turn this into an ad

i don't have a blogroll,
i don't accept awards,
i don't link much to other sites.

i suppose the only thing i've done
is ask you to donate to cancer
and ask you to join the bone marrow registry,
things that are not really for me at all.

and if i write a book from all this,
which maybe i'll do, i would donate
all the money to cancer research
or to women who are made infertile
by chemo drugs who are trying to adopt.

is this noble?
or selfish?
or just plain stupid?

i've never been much of a businessman,
and i got out of advertising 10 years ago
for a reason.

----

and now i ask you to give us a baby.

something absolutely
for us.

is this worse than a million google ads?

some price tag.

Of course in the cases that don't kill you,  there is always the potential to have a really screwed up life.  One filled with high doses of Prednisone,  side-effects which are high blood pressure,  diabetes, glaucoma, weight gain,  etc....

I wasted the last 20 years of my life pretty much.  I did very little that I wanted to do. 

At least I realize this now,  instead of when I'm 60 years old.  Sixty is actually approaching pretty fast.  In less than 19 years,  I'll be 60.

I guess what bothers me is that I read about someones case where it was bad like mine,  they responded well at first like I am,  then things got real bad and it quit responding.  I've been taking it for granted that my case is going to continue to respond well.  But what if it doesn't?  What am I going to do then I guess?

I try not to really dwell on the negative so instead I am looking at this as I have one more shot to really accomplish something.  I need 2 good years,  maybe 3 although 20 more good years would be better still.

I know one thing,  I'm not going to stop running until I can't run another step.

i'm not sure i would.

sometimes i talk in my workshops
about how most of the pictures we take
are lies.

how asking someone to pose
is like asking them to leave their life.

the only thing about posed pictures that i like
is the discussion that happens when the question
is asked:

what can you not see in the picture.

which 1000 words are posed pictures worth?

maybe that's the question.

(this one was taken for our adoption profile)

you cannot see
that i am afraid of the camera
that lydia had just fallen off that swing and into the river
that leanne's hair is just now at the point
that nobody knows she was ever sick
in the first place.

you don't see that we swear at each other sometimes
or that i still pick my nose or that lydia has been having
trouble going to bed or that leanne still makes food spicy
even though i don't like it or never buys enough groceries
or that i don't listen as deeply as i should or that lydia
wants so badly to be a sister.

an adoption lawyer emailed me and said that i'm right,
that most birth mothers giving their babies up for adoption
want three things:

1. a good looking family  (i told her none of us wear glasses - yippee!)
2. a family with money (i work for a non-profit :( boo hoo)
3. a nice house (well, WE like it)

the end.

I relate completely to Prasad's story and yet in many ways his experience was much more painful as it just dragged on for so long.  He never experienced remission.  I have been fortunate to have had long periods of remission on Asacol and Azathioprine and for that I am so grateful. 

I can understand his frustration with the doctors and with test results.

For example, when I take my car into repair, prior to paying or ever having any work done, I am usually provided an estimate or some detailed report.  Why is this not so with the doctor for health issues?  Doctors are busy people, but couldn't the patient be provided with automated information including test results and notes? I think partly this is seen as taboo in the medical world.  There exists a real hiearchy between patient and doctor.   When I was in the hospital I had many blood tests, stool tests, x-rays and never saw one single test result on paper.  I was told results when I asked, but the detail in the answers varied and this stuff is hard to remember.  As a patient, I think this information would be helpful in making important decisions.

I have not yet finished Prasad's book but apparently he finds relief through diet.  Prior to, his troubles with food and digestion, I find so similar to mine.  I have this pre-occupation with diet and eating. It's as though I may never get enough or get it right.  I am always thinking about my next meal and what I can concoct that will be delicious and satisfying, yet go down, stay down, and come out well.  I also go back and forth between eating healthy and right to going totally over the edge and JUNKY FOODING OUT!!  Its terribly discouraging and time marches by marking what goes in and out my body.  I constantly strategize and doing so wears on the soul after awhile.  I then find ways to reinvigorate through creativity, dance, and other distractions like house rewiring and painting.