I've Nothin' To Do
by Douglas Beckstein
I opened my eyes and saw my brother, David, napping in the chair in the corner of my hospital room. This was day two after my abdominal resection.
My hair was soaked with sweat. Pain meds worked great, but I had had wild dreams last night. I had no idea what kind of day it was outside the hospital. Food did not appeal. A young doctor making his rounds entered my room. “Good morning, Mr. Beckstein," he said. "What are you reading?”
I had to look at the book open on my bed to answer his question. “Gods and Demons,” I replied, with a very dry mouth. I took a sip of water through a straw.
“Is it any good?"
"I don't know,” I said. “I can't really read on this pain killer.”
Ignoring my brother sprawled in the chair, the doctor walked over to the window and stood with his back to me. “How’s the view from here?” I asked.
"I can see the highway and the roof of this hospital,” he responded. Then he turned to face me again. “Is that an iPOD you have there?"
"Sixty gigs!" I said proudly.
"Cool. I want one," he said, inspecting the device closely.
The doctor sat on my bed, lifted the sheet covering my incision, and inspected the tubes connected to my body. I was very relaxed due to his engaging conversation. There was a nine inch incision in my body; staples held me together.
He stared at my drainage tube. “You don’t need this thing anymore,” he said. He placed one hand on my belly, grabbed the tube with his other hand, and yanked. Then he stood up, wrapped the tubing and collection pouch into a ball, tossed the mess into the hazardous medical waste garbage can, and returned to my bedside.
“You are doing very well. Healing right on schedule," he said, applying a band aid to my belly. Then he was gone.
My brother woke up. “Who was that guy?" he asked.
“I think he was a doctor.” Song lyrics entered my brain. "David, do you remember the artist who sang this song?"
Countin' flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire 'til dawn, with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me
I've nothin' to do.
"Statler Brothers," he replied, opening yesterday's newspaper.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting for an appointment
Waiting for a parking space
Waiting for an elevator
Sitting in a waiting room
Signing yet another medical form
Looking for my health insurance card
Glancing at magazines that have nothing to do with my life
Waiting to see the doctor
Waiting for the diagnosis
Wondering, is this test accurate?
Looking at numbers on a page
Wanting to understand
Lying on my back for a CAT Scan
Trying to be brave
Asking for a second opinion
Crying quietly
Wanting you to make it better
Worrying about dying
Waiting for a cure
Wanting something sweet
Waiting for a blood test
Wanting to run away
Waiting for a prescription
Cursing side effects
Looking for solutions
Wasting time
Wishing my life was different
Wondering how long will I live?
Praying to God
Talking with friends
Telling my story
Recovering
Living more
Loving deeply
Waiting for an appointment
Waiting for a parking space
Waiting for an elevator
Sitting in a waiting room
Signing yet another medical form
Looking for my health insurance card
Glancing at magazines that have nothing to do with my life
Waiting to see the doctor
Waiting for the diagnosis
Wondering, is this test accurate?
Looking at numbers on a page
Wanting to understand
Lying on my back for a CAT Scan
Trying to be brave
Asking for a second opinion
Crying quietly
Wanting you to make it better
Worrying about dying
Waiting for a cure
Wanting something sweet
Waiting for a blood test
Wanting to run away
Waiting for a prescription
Cursing side effects
Looking for solutions
Wasting time
Wishing my life was different
Wondering how long will I live?
Praying to God
Talking with friends
Telling my story
Recovering
Living more
Loving deeply
Friday, January 2, 2009
Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is the #2 cause of cancer-related death among BOTH men and women in the United States. Yet this cancer is highly treatable if detected early. I would like to introduce you to an invaluable resource in our ongoing war against colon cancer:
The numbers are alarming: The American Cancer Society ranks colorectal cancer—a term that includes cancers of both the colon and the rectum—as the #3 cause of cancer overall in the United States (and the #2 leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women).
Yet it is one of the most preventable cancers, thanks to what we now know about effective colon cancer prevention. It is also one of the most curable of all cancers if you detect it and treat in its early stages.
The five-year survival rate for colon cancer when it is discovered and treated in the early stages is over 90%. In addition, early screening may reveal pre-cancerous growths (polyps) that can be removed easily, preventing you from developing colon cancer in the first place, even if you have a family history of colon cancer.
The key to preventing and treating colon cancer is current, accurate, reliable knowledge.
John's Hopkins University 2008
The numbers are alarming: The American Cancer Society ranks colorectal cancer—a term that includes cancers of both the colon and the rectum—as the #3 cause of cancer overall in the United States (and the #2 leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women).
Yet it is one of the most preventable cancers, thanks to what we now know about effective colon cancer prevention. It is also one of the most curable of all cancers if you detect it and treat in its early stages.
The five-year survival rate for colon cancer when it is discovered and treated in the early stages is over 90%. In addition, early screening may reveal pre-cancerous growths (polyps) that can be removed easily, preventing you from developing colon cancer in the first place, even if you have a family history of colon cancer.
The key to preventing and treating colon cancer is current, accurate, reliable knowledge.
John's Hopkins University 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Cancer will Overtake Heart Disease as World's Top Killer iby 2010
ATLANTA – Cancer will overtake heart disease as the world's top killer by 2010, part of a trend that should more than double global cancer cases and deaths by 2030, international health experts said in a report released Tuesday. Rising tobacco use in developing countries is believed to be a huge reason for the shift, particularly in China and India, where 40 percent of the world's smokers now live.
So is better diagnosing of cancer, along with the downward trend in infectious diseases that used to be the world's leading killers.
Cancer diagnoses around the world have steadily been rising and are expected to hit 12 million this year. Global cancer deaths are expected to reach 7 million, according to the new report by the World Health Organization.
An annual rise of 1 percent in cases and deaths is expected — with even larger increases in China, Russia and India. That means new cancer cases will likely mushroom to 27 million annually by 2030, with deaths hitting 17 million.
Underlying all this is an expected expansion of the world's population — there will be more people around to get cancer.
By 2030, there could be 75 million people living with cancer around the world, a number that many health care systems are not equipped to handle.
"This is going to present an amazing problem at every level in every society worldwide," said Peter Boyle, director of the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Boyle spoke at a news conference with officials from the American Cancer Society, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Cancer Institute of Mexico.
The "unprecedented" gathering of organizations is an attempt to draw attention to the global threat of cancer, which isn't recognized as a major, growing health problem in some developing countries.
"Where you live shouldn't determine whether you live," said Hala Moddelmog, Komen's chief executive.
The organizations are calling on governments to act, asking the U.S. to help fund cervical cancer vaccinations and to ratify an international tobacco control treaty.
Concerned about smoking's impact on cancer rates in developing countries in the decades to come, the American Cancer Society also announced it will provide a smoking cessation counseling service in India.
"If we take action, we can keep the numbers from going where they would otherwise go," said John Seffrin, the cancer society's chief executive officer.
Other groups are also voicing support for more action.
"Cancer is one of the greatest untold health crises of the developing world," said Dr. Douglas Blayney, president-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
"Few are aware that cancer already kills more people in poor countries than HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined. And if current smoking trends continue, the problem will get significantly worse," he said in a written statement.
By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe, Ap Medical Writer – Tue Dec 9, 5:43 pm ET
So is better diagnosing of cancer, along with the downward trend in infectious diseases that used to be the world's leading killers.
Cancer diagnoses around the world have steadily been rising and are expected to hit 12 million this year. Global cancer deaths are expected to reach 7 million, according to the new report by the World Health Organization.
An annual rise of 1 percent in cases and deaths is expected — with even larger increases in China, Russia and India. That means new cancer cases will likely mushroom to 27 million annually by 2030, with deaths hitting 17 million.
Underlying all this is an expected expansion of the world's population — there will be more people around to get cancer.
By 2030, there could be 75 million people living with cancer around the world, a number that many health care systems are not equipped to handle.
"This is going to present an amazing problem at every level in every society worldwide," said Peter Boyle, director of the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Boyle spoke at a news conference with officials from the American Cancer Society, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Cancer Institute of Mexico.
The "unprecedented" gathering of organizations is an attempt to draw attention to the global threat of cancer, which isn't recognized as a major, growing health problem in some developing countries.
"Where you live shouldn't determine whether you live," said Hala Moddelmog, Komen's chief executive.
The organizations are calling on governments to act, asking the U.S. to help fund cervical cancer vaccinations and to ratify an international tobacco control treaty.
Concerned about smoking's impact on cancer rates in developing countries in the decades to come, the American Cancer Society also announced it will provide a smoking cessation counseling service in India.
"If we take action, we can keep the numbers from going where they would otherwise go," said John Seffrin, the cancer society's chief executive officer.
Other groups are also voicing support for more action.
"Cancer is one of the greatest untold health crises of the developing world," said Dr. Douglas Blayney, president-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
"Few are aware that cancer already kills more people in poor countries than HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined. And if current smoking trends continue, the problem will get significantly worse," he said in a written statement.
By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe, Ap Medical Writer – Tue Dec 9, 5:43 pm ET
Monday, November 10, 2008
CEA test used for tracking Colon Cancer
The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test is a laboratory blood study. CEA is a substance which is normally found only during fetal development, but may reappear in adults who develop certain types of cancer.
Purpose
The CEA test is ordered for patients with known cancers. The CEA test is most commonly ordered when a patient has a cancer of the gastrointestinal system. These include cancer of the colon, rectum, stomach (gastric cancer), esophagus, liver, or pancreas. It is also used with cancers of the breast, lung, or prostate.
The CEA level in the blood is one of the factors that doctors consider when determining the prognosis, or most likely outcome of a cancer. In general, a higher CEA level predicts a more severe disease, one that is less likely to be curable. But it does not give clear-cut information. The results of a CEA test are usually considered along with other laboratory and/or imaging studies to follow the course of the disease.
Once treatment for the cancer has begun, CEA tests have a valuable role in monitoring the patient's progress. A decreasing CEA level means therapy is effective in fighting the cancer. A stable or increasing CEA level may mean the treatment is not working, and/or that the tumor is growing. It is important to understand that serial CEA measurements, which means several done over a period of time, are the most useful. A single test result is difficult to evaluate, but a number of tests, done weeks apart, shows trends in disease progression or regression.
Certain types of cancer treatments, such as hormone therapy for breast cancer, may actually cause the CEA level to go up. This elevation does not accurately reflect the state of the disease. It is sometimes referred to as a "flare response." Recognition that a rise in CEA may be temporary and due to therapy is significant. If this possibility is not taken into account, the patient may be unnecessarily discouraged. Further, treatment that is actually effective may be stopped or changed prematurely.
CEA tests are also used to help detect recurrence of a cancer after surgery and/or other treatment has been completed. A rising CEA level may be the first sign of cancer return, and may show up months before other studies or patient symptoms would raise concern. Unfortunately, this does not always mean the recurrent cancer can be cured. For example, only a small percentage of patients with colorectal cancers and rising CEA levels will benefit from another surgical exploration. Those with recurrence in the same area as the original cancer, or with a single metastatic tumor in the liver or lung, have a chance that surgery will eliminate the disease. Patients with more widespread return of the cancer are generally not treatable with surgery. The CEA test will not separate the two groups.
Patients who are most likely to benefit from non-standard treatments, such as bone marrow transplants, may be determined on the basis of CEA values, combined with other test results. CEA levels may be one of the criteria for determining whether the patient will benefit from more expensive studies, such as CT scan or MRI.
Precautions
The CEA test is not a screening test for cancer. It is not useful for detecting the presence of cancer. Many cancers do not produce an increased CEA level. Some noncancerous diseases, such as hepatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, and obstructive pulmonary disease, may cause an elevated CEA level.
Description
Determination of the CEA level is a laboratory blood test. Obtaining a specimen of blood for the study takes only a few minutes. CEA testing should be covered by most insurance plans.
Preparation
No preparation is required.
Aftercare
None.
Risks
There are no complications or side effects of this test. However, the results of a CEA study should be interpreted with caution. A single test result may not yield clinically useful information. Several studies over a period of months may be needed.
Another concern is the potential for false positive as well as false negative results. A false positive result means the test shows an abnormal value when cancer is not present. A false negative means the test reveals a normal value when cancer actually is present.
Normal results
The absolute numbers which are considered normal vary from one laboratory to another. Any results reported should come with information regarding the testing facility's normal range.
Abnormal results
A single abnormal CEA value may be significant, but must be regarded cautiously. In general, very high CEA levels indicate more serious cancer, with a poorer chance for cure. But some benign diseases and certain cancer treatments may produce an elevated CEA test. Cigarette smoking will also cause the CEA level to be abnormally high.
Purpose
The CEA test is ordered for patients with known cancers. The CEA test is most commonly ordered when a patient has a cancer of the gastrointestinal system. These include cancer of the colon, rectum, stomach (gastric cancer), esophagus, liver, or pancreas. It is also used with cancers of the breast, lung, or prostate.
The CEA level in the blood is one of the factors that doctors consider when determining the prognosis, or most likely outcome of a cancer. In general, a higher CEA level predicts a more severe disease, one that is less likely to be curable. But it does not give clear-cut information. The results of a CEA test are usually considered along with other laboratory and/or imaging studies to follow the course of the disease.
Once treatment for the cancer has begun, CEA tests have a valuable role in monitoring the patient's progress. A decreasing CEA level means therapy is effective in fighting the cancer. A stable or increasing CEA level may mean the treatment is not working, and/or that the tumor is growing. It is important to understand that serial CEA measurements, which means several done over a period of time, are the most useful. A single test result is difficult to evaluate, but a number of tests, done weeks apart, shows trends in disease progression or regression.
Certain types of cancer treatments, such as hormone therapy for breast cancer, may actually cause the CEA level to go up. This elevation does not accurately reflect the state of the disease. It is sometimes referred to as a "flare response." Recognition that a rise in CEA may be temporary and due to therapy is significant. If this possibility is not taken into account, the patient may be unnecessarily discouraged. Further, treatment that is actually effective may be stopped or changed prematurely.
CEA tests are also used to help detect recurrence of a cancer after surgery and/or other treatment has been completed. A rising CEA level may be the first sign of cancer return, and may show up months before other studies or patient symptoms would raise concern. Unfortunately, this does not always mean the recurrent cancer can be cured. For example, only a small percentage of patients with colorectal cancers and rising CEA levels will benefit from another surgical exploration. Those with recurrence in the same area as the original cancer, or with a single metastatic tumor in the liver or lung, have a chance that surgery will eliminate the disease. Patients with more widespread return of the cancer are generally not treatable with surgery. The CEA test will not separate the two groups.
Patients who are most likely to benefit from non-standard treatments, such as bone marrow transplants, may be determined on the basis of CEA values, combined with other test results. CEA levels may be one of the criteria for determining whether the patient will benefit from more expensive studies, such as CT scan or MRI.
Precautions
The CEA test is not a screening test for cancer. It is not useful for detecting the presence of cancer. Many cancers do not produce an increased CEA level. Some noncancerous diseases, such as hepatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, and obstructive pulmonary disease, may cause an elevated CEA level.
Description
Determination of the CEA level is a laboratory blood test. Obtaining a specimen of blood for the study takes only a few minutes. CEA testing should be covered by most insurance plans.
Preparation
No preparation is required.
Aftercare
None.
Risks
There are no complications or side effects of this test. However, the results of a CEA study should be interpreted with caution. A single test result may not yield clinically useful information. Several studies over a period of months may be needed.
Another concern is the potential for false positive as well as false negative results. A false positive result means the test shows an abnormal value when cancer is not present. A false negative means the test reveals a normal value when cancer actually is present.
Normal results
The absolute numbers which are considered normal vary from one laboratory to another. Any results reported should come with information regarding the testing facility's normal range.
Abnormal results
A single abnormal CEA value may be significant, but must be regarded cautiously. In general, very high CEA levels indicate more serious cancer, with a poorer chance for cure. But some benign diseases and certain cancer treatments may produce an elevated CEA test. Cigarette smoking will also cause the CEA level to be abnormally high.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
steps to avoid cancer
Some do’s and don’ts for helping to avoid and fight cancer.
Your mental state
* Be positive.
* Resolve stress and past traumas.
* Accept yourself and your emotions, including the negative ones.
* Practice meditation, yoga, tai chi or some other form of relaxation.
Your diet
* These vegetables have great cancer-fighting characteristics: beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, garlic, kale, leeks and scallions.
* Also good are onions, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, red wine, soy.
* Increase your intake of omega-3s, typically found in fish (herring, trout, sardines, mackerel, halibut) and flax seeds and oils.
* Avoid sugar, white flour, vegetable oils, white rice and non-organic animal fat (meat, eggs, milk, cheese).
* Filter your tap water.
Your activity
* Spend 20 to 30 minutes a day on a physical activity like tennis, swimming or walking.
* Be out in the sun for 20 minutes every day.
And...
* Avoid being surrounded by people who smoke.
* Use cosmetic products that don’t contain parabens or phthalates.
* Use skin-care products without estrogens or placental by-products.
* Use cleaning products without synthetic chemicals.
* Don’t prepare food in a scratched Teflon pan.
* Reduce the influence of cell phones by using a headset consistently.
Source: David Servan-Schreiber, Anticancer 11-05-08
David Servan-Schreiber | November 2008 issue of ODE Magazine
Your mental state
* Be positive.
* Resolve stress and past traumas.
* Accept yourself and your emotions, including the negative ones.
* Practice meditation, yoga, tai chi or some other form of relaxation.
Your diet
* These vegetables have great cancer-fighting characteristics: beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, garlic, kale, leeks and scallions.
* Also good are onions, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, red wine, soy.
* Increase your intake of omega-3s, typically found in fish (herring, trout, sardines, mackerel, halibut) and flax seeds and oils.
* Avoid sugar, white flour, vegetable oils, white rice and non-organic animal fat (meat, eggs, milk, cheese).
* Filter your tap water.
Your activity
* Spend 20 to 30 minutes a day on a physical activity like tennis, swimming or walking.
* Be out in the sun for 20 minutes every day.
And...
* Avoid being surrounded by people who smoke.
* Use cosmetic products that don’t contain parabens or phthalates.
* Use skin-care products without estrogens or placental by-products.
* Use cleaning products without synthetic chemicals.
* Don’t prepare food in a scratched Teflon pan.
* Reduce the influence of cell phones by using a headset consistently.
Source: David Servan-Schreiber, Anticancer 11-05-08
David Servan-Schreiber | November 2008 issue of ODE Magazine
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
How Often Should You Get a Colonoscopy?
If you are at low risk for colorectal cancer, how long should you wait between colonoscopy screenings? Johns Hopkins looked into this question and provides advice.
Most of us grudgingly accept the need for regular colonoscopy screenings but may wonder: Is it really safe to wait a decade before your next colonoscopy? Some researchers have wondered as well.
The 10-year interval, the gold-standard period between screening colonoscopies for people at low risk, is based in part on the amount of time it usually takes a benign polyp to become cancerous. Until recently, there was little evidence to support this practice in people whose previous colonoscopies showed no evidence of cancer or polyps.
But new research suggests that the 10-year standard is more than adequate. In fact, it may be safe -- although not recommended -- to wait up to 20 years between colonoscopy screenings. For example, a Canadian study that reviewed colonoscopy records of 35,975 people confirms that those with a negative (cancer-free) test result had a 72% lower risk of developing cancer over 10 years than the general population.
A German study that spanned more than a decade confirmed this finding and went even further: For people with a prior negative colonoscopy, the low-risk period can extend to 20 years. We're not suggesting that you allow 20 years to pass between your colonoscopy screenings. But if you have a normal colonoscopy result, you can most likely wait at least a decade before undergoing the procedure again.
Important: If a screening colonoscopy catches even one polyp, your risk of colon cancer goes up and so does the recommended frequency of screenings. The same is true if you have a family history of colorectal cancer or other risk factors for colorectal cancer.
Posted in Colon Cancer on October 7, 2008
Most of us grudgingly accept the need for regular colonoscopy screenings but may wonder: Is it really safe to wait a decade before your next colonoscopy? Some researchers have wondered as well.
The 10-year interval, the gold-standard period between screening colonoscopies for people at low risk, is based in part on the amount of time it usually takes a benign polyp to become cancerous. Until recently, there was little evidence to support this practice in people whose previous colonoscopies showed no evidence of cancer or polyps.
But new research suggests that the 10-year standard is more than adequate. In fact, it may be safe -- although not recommended -- to wait up to 20 years between colonoscopy screenings. For example, a Canadian study that reviewed colonoscopy records of 35,975 people confirms that those with a negative (cancer-free) test result had a 72% lower risk of developing cancer over 10 years than the general population.
A German study that spanned more than a decade confirmed this finding and went even further: For people with a prior negative colonoscopy, the low-risk period can extend to 20 years. We're not suggesting that you allow 20 years to pass between your colonoscopy screenings. But if you have a normal colonoscopy result, you can most likely wait at least a decade before undergoing the procedure again.
Important: If a screening colonoscopy catches even one polyp, your risk of colon cancer goes up and so does the recommended frequency of screenings. The same is true if you have a family history of colorectal cancer or other risk factors for colorectal cancer.
Posted in Colon Cancer on October 7, 2008
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