Our favorite healthy lifestyle columnist, Danny Parker, wanted me to sneak-in an additional exercise column before the holiday weekend. An extra day to get out and get moving! Exercise & Multiple Myeloma(Part Four) Exercise & Cancer: The Active Ones Live Longer The title of the column should get your attention. And it’s not mine, but [...]
pat-and-pattie-killingsworth Killingsworth
Pat and Pattie are both cancer survivors. Pat was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in April, 2007 at the age of fifty-one. There is currently no cure for this cancer of the plasma cells that are found in bone marrow. Pat experienced what is called a Complete Response (CR), or temporary remission after a year of intense steroid, radiation and oral chemotherapy. He remained in CR for more than two years. Unfortunately, Pat's multiple myeloma is slowly creeping back. But he has lots of treatment options and is doing fine so far. Pat's wife, Pattie, was first diagnosed with cancer in 1996. She is a cervical, uterine and ovarian cancer survivor. Despite a close call in 2009, Pattie remains cancer free today. Pattie now works with cancer patients at a Florida dialysis clinic. Pat is an author and freelance medical writer. He travels often, attending important medical conferences and speaking to cancer support groups. The Killingsworth's have dedicated their lives to helping other cancer patients and survivors learn to cope with their disease. My Cure Talks:
Pat’s (Hopefully!) last surgical update
Multiple myeloma survivors may be tough, but that doesn’t mean we’re not human! Yesterday was my second week back on chemotherapy. Dropping Revlimid has helped my blood counts soar back to normal levels. Even my platelets have been boosted-up to the highest they’ve been since my transplant two years ago; 161. But–and you knew there [...]
Hip check leads to reality check: Multiple myeloma survivors are TOUGH!
My “hip check” headline isn’t a NHL hockey reference. Tuesday I headed down to Moffitt Cancer Center to get the staples removed from my incision and undergo a surgical follow-up, three weeks after my right hip was replaced. The doctor confirmed what I already knew; the surgery was a rousing success and my recovery is [...]
New clinical trial tackles age-old question: What’s better, one transplant or two?
This is the type of clinical trial that may help our doctors make better multiple myeloma treatment choices: A Promising Clinical Trial for Multiple Myeloma Patients Tuesday, May 7, 2013 – 1:24pm Philip McCarthy, MD Director, Blood & Marrow Transplant Program Roswell Park recently honored March as Myeloma Awareness Month and I want to share [...]
IMF’s Dr. Brian Durie: “Pay close attention to what you eat.”
I’m guessing most of you missed Dr. Brian Durie’s blog post about nutrition on the International Myeloma Foundation’s (IMF) website a few weeks back: On the Subject of Cancer and Diet: My Interview with BBC Radio That’s a shame, because it was surprisingly open and forthright. What made the post exceptional was when [...]
Reflections from a quiet, thoughtful Sunday together
Today was just what my wife, Pattie and I needed; a mental health day. My hip felt good enough to walk along with Pattie and our dog, Finnegan, in a beautiful wooded area for a half an hour or so. We came home, ate breakfast and then pulled-out the legal pad. Time to revisit some [...]
Exercise & Multiple Myeloma (Part Three)
Our good friend and healthy lifestyle columnist, Danny Parker, has been off-the-grid for several days at a Buddhist retreat. Upon his return, Danny discovered lots of comments and questions about Interleukin-6 (IL-6). He has been gracious enough to put-together an unscheduled column to try and help explain what’s going on: Exercise & Myeloma: Part 3 [...]
Myeloma doc’s dilemma: “Where do we use what, when and how?”
Awesome Patient Power video features Dr. Shaji Kumar discussing how new understanding of myeloma pathology and therapy is moving the multiple myeloma treatment field toward personalization to improve outcomes. There are now a large variety of treatment options for patients with multiple myeloma. Patients are also living longer and better with this disease, making it [...]
Twitter and upcoming ASCO meetings in Chicago
I’m guessing that most of our readers don’t “tweet.” Facebook seems to be the more popular social media among us 50 and older types. But I like twitter. And doctors love it! Easy way to access abstracts and to post theirs. I use twitter to help get my posts “out there.” Not quite sure where [...]
Still time to register for tonight’s broadcast!
I learned a few moments ago that there are still slots available if you would like to participate in tonight’s support group meeting. Here is the direct link to register below: Live On-Air Myeloma Support Group Meeting And here is the phone number to call and listen to the broadcast: 718-664-6574 You can [...]
Nationwide myeloma support group broadcast tonight
Tonight I’m taking part in an experiment. With the help of Priya Menon and the team at Cure Talk, we will be launching an on-air, nationwide multiple myeloma support group. The broadcast will begin at 6 PM Eastern time. Due to a scheduling snafu, it happens to air at the same time my local support [...]
Exercise & Multiple Myeloma (Part Two)
I think Danny’s column this week is exceptional. See what you think: Exercise & Multiple Myeloma (Part Two) Interleukin-6 While there is no conclusive research showing benefits from exercise on myeloma, the circumstantial evidence from scientific sources is so compelling, that not to tell you about it would seem unconscionable. The available information indicates that [...]
What happens if your caregiver can’t help anymore?
70% of multiple myeloma patients are over 70 years old. So it isn’t unreasonable to anticipate that a wife or husband–currently acting as caregiver–might be blindsided by a serious medical setback themselves. What then? Do you have a contingency plan? That’s the challenge my wife, Pattie, and I faced this past weekend. Pattie has been [...]
Unexpeced Mother’s Day hiccup leaves us searching for answers
What do we do when our caregiver is unable to help us? Pattie has been having medical issues for years. Still undiagnosed, her wrists are mangled and painful. Her back seizes-up on her, often with no warning. Her joints swell and I can see the pain and fear in her eyes. I don’t write about [...]
Pat’s Surgical Update: One week post surgery
I started writing this post yesterday afternoon, exactly one week following my hip replacement surgery. I’ve received so many kind comments and emails. Thank you! But hearing from John Knighten puts things in perspective. I feel so bad for the guy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, John! Pattie carefully drove [...]
On-air myeloma support group meeting launches Wednesday, May 15th at 6 PM
Our local Nature Coast Multiple Myeloma Support Group meets the third Wednesday of every month at 6 PM. That’s next Wednesday. It won’t happen again, but this month at the same time, Cure Talk is helping me to launch a monthly online/on air support group. Our one hour broadcast will allow 50 myeloma patients and [...]
Patient Snapshot Update: John Knighten needs our prayers!
I often describe how living with multiple myeloma is like riding a roller coaster. In the beginning, the bottom falls-out and you drop screaming. Then you slowly climb-up, often doing things you never dreamed you could. At that point its a relatively easy ride around the corner and up and down a few minor bumps. [...]
THE MONEY SHOT!
Enough of the hospital gown shots already! But I have received some really fun emails from readers, teasing me about “showing more skin.” I think we’ve all had the feeling from time to time that we are being watched. Remember a few days ago when I wrote I was suspicious of Pattie; the way she [...]
Exercise & Multiple Myeloma (Part One)
I recently referred to fellow Floridian, Danny Parker, as a MMB “lifestyle columnist.” I had labeled him as our nutritional columnist, but understanding the breadth of Danny’s experience, I don’t think that’s sufficient anymore. Danny is a published author, scientist and engineer. He is also a Zen Buddhist priest, making Danny a modern day Renaissance [...]
Pat’s surgical update: Monday morning
I’m home! Pattie was having transportation issues taking me home on Monday–and I was feeling surprisingly good–so we checked-out around 6 o’clock Sunday evening. I chased the doctor down the hall using my walker trying to get him to change is orders from Monday to Sunday. The fact I could catch him that way may [...]
