Author Archives: bk

Funny as a Rubber Crutch

Posted on February 21, 2012 by bk

I was getting some dark looks as I rolled my way through the VA hospital on my way to an oncology maintenance appointment. Not everyone gave me the stink eye, a few people did double takes and then cracked a smile. I was on the verge of sniffing my own armpit to see if perha ...

Do It My Way

Posted on February 20, 2012 by bk

I was giving thought to my various woes. I have cancer, money is tight, my damn feet are swollen with edema. If that wasn’t enough, I missed a repeat of An Idiot Abroad: The Bucket List last night leaving me only a few hundred opportunities to see a repeat. Sometimes I ...

Clown Feet

Posted on February 17, 2012 by bk

I stared at my feet in horror. The ends of my legs had turned into balloons or something, either that or I’d donned a pair of clown shoes as I slept.  My feet were huge, really big. Their normal shape was disguised to the point I couldn’t make out my usually pro ...

Waiting Room Conduct

Posted on February 16, 2012 by bk

There comes a time in any writers life when he or she must do a bit of primer writing. Which is to say that we need to make introductions between our readers and the subject matter at hand. This is one of those occasions. It fell upon me to make this discussion after spendin ...

Liver Regeneration Coming?

Posted on February 15, 2012 by bk

Liver damage due to the infiltration of plasma cells in Multiple Myeloma victims is one of the collateral effects of the cancer. The liver is the body’s filter, removing toxins from the bloodstream. The only solution to liver failure is transplant, but with only 6,000 ...

Blame Game: Supply and Demand

Posted on February 14, 2012 by bk

Around the country something is happening. Medical facilities are running out of drugs. The medications turning up in short supply are usually those for cancers. One in particular, Methotrexate most often used  for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is down to a couple of weeks s ...

Causes of MM Symptoms

Posted on February 13, 2012 by bk

While a lot of people are aware of the symptoms of Multiple Myeloma, often sadly because they experience them, many don’t know why the symptoms appear. The causality is actually kind of simple when you think about it. We know that the cancer affects the bone marrow, an ...

Perpetual Neuropathy

Posted on February 10, 2012 by bk

Stop waving your hands out there. I see you, all ready to jump on me and say “Hey, Doofus, it’s Peripheral Neuropathy, not Perpetual.” Au Contraire, mon ami. For some of us, perpetual is exactly the right word. Let’s roll back a little:  I have Multi ...

Multiple Myeloma Vaccine?

Posted on February 9, 2012 by bk

The line was a long one and we chatted with one another quietly as we stop stepped forward as the line progressed. We were wearing only our military issued boxer shorts, dog tags clinked like wind chimes occasionally, adding random punctuation to nothing in particular. Most ...

Caregiver Basics

Posted on February 8, 2012 by bk

Caring for Multiple Myeloma victims that suffer severe adverse effects isn’t a walk in the park. It requires an understanding of the cancer, at least so far as symptomatic cautions, and in terms of the emotional effects on the patient. Some Myeloma patients are easier ...

Positives of Patient Involvement

Posted on February 7, 2012 by bk

Patients should be involved in their treatment. Of course, they already are involved insofar as the are the object of said treatment. But my meaning is that patients should take a strong hand in the decisions about treatment for their cancer. In conversations with other vict ...

Challenges of Non-Secretory MM

Posted on February 6, 2012 by bk

The popular anti-Multiple Myeloma agent Bortezomib (Velcade) has just won FDA approval for subcutaneous injection. This means that it can be administered as a simple injection versus intravenous (IV) infusion. Velcade and it’s subsequent analogs work by being protein i ...

I Swerve Momentarily Off Course

Posted on February 5, 2012 by bk

I could write a whole bunch of stuff about Google Plus, the social networking platform by the search engine giant. But there are articles galore about it, and it’s easier to just give you a couple of links to follow if you want to read about it and how it fares in comp ...

Nutrition of Promotional Baloney

Posted on February 3, 2012 by bk

Last week MSN ran an article in their Health News section called “Treatments for Multiple Myeloma.” The article was one of those written that really gives no solid information, it merely encourages people to take treatment by not giving any alternative. Further, ...

Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma

Posted on February 2, 2012 by bk

Multiple Myeloma, as cancers go, is somewhat common although it’s not as common as many cancers and certainly not as well known. The numbers of its victims, on a per capita basis differs from country to country, but the counts remain somewhat constant in terms of prese ...

Mysterious Cravings

Posted on February 1, 2012 by bk

One of the most peculiar symptoms that I’ve experienced since getting Multiple Myeloma is the cravings. From what I have described, my wife says it reminds her a lot of when she was pregnant; she had peculiar cravings for things that never relented, even if she satisfi ...

Criminalizing Pain Sufferers

Posted on January 31, 2012 by bk

Washington state is suffering an epidemic, or so claims the state’s law enforcement community. While appearing a medical system issue,  it’s the police and government acting to stop it. The epidemic is addiction to prescription pain medications based on opiates. ...

Choosing Mobility Aids

Posted on January 30, 2012 by bk

Mobility scooters can make a huge difference in the lives of the disabled. In recent times, the number of mobility scooters offered has grown, leaving behind the old electric wheelchair concept. Today offers a dazzling array of indoor scooters, ranging from simple powered wh ...

Neuropathy and Cognitive Impairment

Posted on January 27, 2012 by bk

There used to be an anti-drug advertising campaign that showed an egg and said “This is your brain.” Then they cracked the egg into a frying pan where it sizzled while they said “This is your brain on drugs.” I was just sitting here thinking over the ...

Specifically for Veterans

Posted on January 26, 2012 by bk

I have to admit that when I heard that the VA has a benefits website I greeted the news without enthusiasm. I had already had experience with the VA’s MyHealtheVet website, and for all its promise, turned out to be a marginally convenient way to renew prescriptions. I ...