One of the hardest parts about developing leukemia at age 22 was how restrictive it was: My treatments left me highly susceptible to infection, airplanes were strictly off limits and even a trip to my neighborhood bodega required a protective face mask.
7-Yr-Old Girl Takes Medical Marijuana To Help With Leukemia Treatment
Mykayla Comstock’s family says marijuana helps her fight an especially aggressive form of leukemia, keeps infection at bay and lifts her weary spirit. Twice a day she swallows a potent capsule form of the drug. Some days, when she can’t sleep or eat, she snacks on a gingersnap or brownie baked with marijuana-laced butter.
Mykayla is one of 2,201 cancer patients authorized by the state of Oregon to use medical marijuana.
She is 7.
[…] “It helps me eat and sleep,” she said, nestled against her mother on a couch. “The chemotherapy makes you feel like you want to stay up all night long.”
Marijuana, she said, “makes me feel funny, happy.”
“She’s like she was before,” her mother said. “She’s a normal kid.”
A novel method known as whole genome sequencing focuses on genes that drive a cancer, not the tissues or organ where it originates.
I pray for this young lady’s strength.
It made me think about my own illness. I was diagnosed with Graves Disease at 23. For awhile, I despised the healthy individuals and it took me a long time to cope. I knew the things I used to enjoy, as far as activities and food (lol), became very limited and had to be pushed aside. Every 3 months I have to get checked for Leukemia and Breast Cancer because Cancer is eating my family alive.
I hated my life but through it all, I thanked God because I’m not going through it alone.
I couldn’t imagine living with MS like this young lady… *praying for her*
My husband is registered! If I was allowed to be I would be! Encourage your friends and families, and if you can register try to! You can literally save someone’s life! EmTo my followers,
This is a picture of Jack & Luis, two of the bravest little boys ever, who are battling Leukemia . LUIS (on the left) has Leukemia with no bone marrow match, you may be the one to help save his life. Please visit www.getswabbed.org to get your swab kit. Leukemia and finding potential bone marrow donors is a very important cause to me.
Currently, African-Americans and Latinos are very underrepresented in the donor registry and are needed more than ever so patients young and old can continue to live.Please consider getting your swab kit in the mail, you may be a match for Luis! It is easier than brushing your teeth.
Thank you! It is a very easy process.
(via chronicillnesscommunity)
Leukemia, nausea, diarrhea and death: Small price to pay for “fresh” fruits and veggies
September 20, 2011
By Alex Formuzis
Enviroblog
Chemical agriculture’s defense of pesticides conjures up the image of the chain-smoking industry attorney Nathan Thurm slithering through a minefield of facts and figures about the causes of global warming in this classic skit from Saturday Night Live.
Stacks of scientific studies have documented serious health risks to humans from pesticide exposure, but pesticide makers and sprayers, like the fictional Mr. Thurm, ignore the research and stick with talking points or their own questionable “science” in their efforts to muddy the waters, create confusion and delay government action to protect the public. Meanwhile, we eaters are left to consume pesticides along with conventionally grown produce.
Pesticides are engineered to kill living organisms in a number of ways, including destroying the nervous system of the insects they target. They can’t be good for human health, either.
The most worrisome pesticides in wide use today are organophosphates, OPs for short. Earlier this year, three separate studies published at the same time reached very similar, and very disturbing, conclusions: Children exposed to organophosphates while in the mother’s womb had lower IQs when they reached school age than unexposed children.
Other health problems that have been linked to low-dose exposure to OPs include disruption of the endocrine (hormonal) system, lower levels of testosterone and other hormones, leukemia, lymphoma and Parkinson’s disease.
Here’s a rogue’s gallery of the most worrisome pesticides:
1. Chlorpyrifos:
One of the OP pesticides most widely used by chemical agriculture is chlorpyrifos, also known by the brand names Dursban and Lorsban. It’s applied in large quantities to a number of crops, including corn, oranges and apples. It was once heavily used as an in-home insecticide, but the Environmental Protection Agency banned it for home use in 2001 because of the risk to children’s health.
Most recently, chlorpyrifos was back in the headlines when it was linked to the deaths of several tourists in Thailand, who were apparently killed by a chlorpyrifos-based fumigant used to eradicate bedbugs from hotel rooms.
None of this seems to matter to sprayers and manufacturers, though. In the face of this and plenty of other evidence that chlorpyrifos exposure can cause serious and permanent health problems in humans, the statements of leading agribusiness representatives reveal their true colors:
“CAFA (California Alfalfa and Forage Association) has been working hard to oppose some people in the environmental movement who are trying to basically take all the organophosphates away from us, but in particular, chlorpyrifos.”- Philip Bowles, CAFA board member and president of Bowles Farming in Los Banos, Calif. Western Farm Press, January 17, 2009
“Chlorpyrifos has become a major target of environmental groups who are trying to take it off the market. Fortunately, Dow AgroSciences has stated its determination to defend the insecticide.” – Aaron Keiss, Feb.18, 2010 column in Western Farm Press
When environmental and community groups pressed EPA in 2010 to restrict Lorsban, one of Dow AgroSciences’ popular products, the company ran this (scare-tactic) ad depicting a world without fruits and vegetables.
1. Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol.
2. Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes.
3. In some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing…
(via faithhopepain)
I have always been a helpful person, its just always been a part of who I am, and I’ll be the first to admit I have a big heart and often times forget about myself. I suffer from Crohns disease diagnosed at 5, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. At the start of 2011 I became dangerously ill and was admitted to hospital for 12 days. It was all resolved by surgery, but while admitted i just had the urge to do something more. I wanted to help someone, anyone. Not just telling them their beautiful, or giving them a hug and telling I loved them, but I wanted to save a life. I was only 16 but I had a big dream that needed to be fulfilled. I dont know why I chose Leukemia, it just came to mind and I went with it. I was discharged for about 2 weeks before I finally got admitted again with the same problem. I had to get alot of my friends to organise my fundraser for me, but as usual everything came together just fine. I was discharged shortly after going under the knife again. The day finally came around, and to be honest I wasnt really nervous, but excited.. very excited at the fact that i could be saving a billion lives. I shaved my whole head down to a #2, alond with a good friend and my uncle who both went down to a #1. The shave happened at my school, and children had to pay $1.oo to come out of uniform, $.1oo to watch the shave and $1.oo to have their hair sprayed a groovy colour. My principle also shaved his eyebrows off as a joke. It was published in the local paper, and as a school of only about 450 students at the time we were able to raise over $2,000. I have never been more proud of myself, my friends and my school. Life has never been better and I have realised the more you help people that need your help the better you will feel. I donated my hair to a foundation that makes wigs for girls across Australia who are suffering from Aleopecia. Unrelated.. I was also able to find funds to help a foundation who helps to feed children in countries suffering poverty. I know for the rest of my life I want to help people in anyway I can, and I just wanted to get my story out to hopefully inspire other people. My hair will always grow back, but if a person suffering leukemia dies they will forever be gone.
(via crohns-sucks)
National Warning to blood banks due to strong link between chronic fatigue syndrome and a certain type of leukemia
Friday, July 22, 2011 4:45
National Warning Has SA Blood Banks On Edge
A warning going out to blood banks across the nation to be cautious when receiving blood. This comes after a new study that shows a link between chronic fatigue syndrome.. and a certain type of leukemia.
(Source: newstome1)
I was diagnosed with SLE when I was 8 (I am now 24) and over the years I have managed to maintain a certain degree of control over it (with the usual flares here and there of course). I’ve had two experiences of acute kidney failure, the last case leading to a transplant last year. On a day to…
Let’s help this blogger out if we can, check out her full blog at Planet Duvet.
