Japanese green tea: Some facts to consider

 Food & Wine, My MCL  4 Responses »
Jun 232011
 

If you’re as devout a [green] tea drinker as myself, you’re no doubt concerned and somewhat conflicted about the news coming out of Japan. Specifically that up to 679 becquerels per kilogram of Cesium have been discovered in Shizuoka Prefecture, the largest green tea growing region (42%) in Japan. 500 becquerels per kilogram is the permitted max in Japan [and Europe].

I should note, the maximum allowable amount of Cesium is 1200 becquerels per kilogram in the United States.

In this case, I’m going to stick with the Japanese and European limits. First off, they have a lot more experience dealing with nuclear power, plus with the influence big business holds over our elected representatives, there’s no doubt in my mind where their loyalties lie.

There is, however, more to consider before jumping to conclusions or panicking should you have or accidentally purchase some of this tea.

The processing of green tea starts with picking, steaming, drying and rolling the green tea (removing nearly all the moisture) into what is known as Aracha, and is where the high levels of Cesium were reported. This process concentrates the levels of Cesium up to 5 times, but when the tea is infused (when you make tea), the concentration of Cesium is reduced by from 10 to 40 times (The two articles referenced previously gave two different numbers, one much greater than the other.)

So the question arises, and is a point of some contention between farmers and government officials, when should the levels of Cesium be measured? The farmers obviously wanted it measured in the fresh leaf, prior to becoming Aracha, but government officials disagreed, and won out, arguing people can ingest raw leaves (some of the leaves always manage to find a way out of the infuser), and some product is ground up, and used in ice cream, latte’s etc.

As for me, I’m not going to risk purchasing any green tea from Shizuoka Prefecture (as hard as that may be), which may some how escape proper inspection, and limit my purchases to areas west of Shizuoka i.e. Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu areas of Japan.

No amount of Cesium is good (it has a 30 year half life), and if I’m going to err, it is going to be on the side of caution. And who knows for sure, a little Cesium may not be so bad for someone such as myself. I don’t think it can be much worse than infusing my body with any of the deadly chemicals, sometimes referred to as medicine [which is incorrect IMO] and currently used for the treatment of cancer.

Research sheds new insight into understanding lymphoma

 Diagnosis, General Health, My MCL  2 Responses »
Jun 112011
 

Researchers from the University of Sheffield have discovered new insight into how and why people may develop B-cell lymphoma.

….researchers demonstrated that B-cells are deficient in one of the main DNA repair pathways, known as Nucleotide Excision Repair. This pathway repairs a lot of different DNA lesions, including UV-induced damage and chemical adducts (e.g. from air pollution and cigarette smoke).

Read the full article

I wonder how [if] I might be able to use this information to my advantage.

The trend is down

 My MCL  4 Responses »
May 312011
 

While there is still quite a bit of scatter (and those are 6 month moving average data points), everything that counts, i.e. lymphocytes, platelets and hemoglobin, are slowly moving down. I only wish the platelets and hemoglobin were moving in the opposite direction of the lymphocytes , then I might be a lot happier. Just not sure how that opposite trend bodes.

Too much information

 My MCL  1 Response »
May 022011
 

Received results from some interesting blood tests today. Some of which I haven’t received in a long while, and some I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before.

CREATININE, SERUM
LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE (LDH)
AST (ASPARTATE AMINOTRANSFERASE), SERUM
ALT (ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE), SERUM
BILIRUBIN, TOTAL, SERUM
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE
ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE
TOTAL PROTEIN, SERUM

Creatinine and LDH are routine tests, both of which were in the normal range. But it was a different story for the remaining six tests.

Four of the six were in the normal range, but two, the ALT (ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE), SERUM, and the ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE where outside the norm. The ALT being low, and the Sedimentation Rate high.

Now ALT by itself, being low, doesn’t seem to be an issue (and according to my doctor, there really shouldn’t even be a low range), but when you couple that with the AST, an AST/ALT ratio above 2 can be an indication of alcoholic liver disease. Mine is at 1.93, which got me a little concerned since, as you know, Edie and I do love our wine. But according to my doctor, as long as the ALT and AST are both in the normal range, there’s no reason to be concerned. WHEW!

That one test alone was  enough to screw up my day, so I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead. One problem is plenty to deal with let alone trying to add to that! Besides the Erythorcyte Sedimention Rate, can be the result of any number of factors, and since my neutrophils were also higher than usual, I’m choosing to ignore that. At least for now.

And my doctor agrees! Too much information is not always a good thing. Next time she won’t order so many tests.:)

Another year come and gone

 Diagnosis, Life, My MCL  3 Responses »
Apr 042011
 

It’s now been just over 9 years since I was diagnosed with MCL, but unlike the fact I no longer have to go into work, this is something I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.

I’ve even gotten to the point now where I think I may never need treatment, which wouldn’t be a bad thing, but what’s scary is, that mindset has become so engrained, I’m at the point where I’m afraid of treatment, and may be hesitant to take it, or even realize I need treatment, when the time comes.

I may even benefit from beginning treatment now, with single agent Rituxan, which would likely make me feel better by reducing the size of my spleen, and my feelings of fatigue, but when I think of all the known [and potentially more severe] unknown side effects, I’m hesitant.

After all, I’m not at the point where I am totally debilitated. I can still function somewhat normal (and not having to make that 80 mile drive to work any more has helped), so I maintain the status quo, hoping [beyond hope] I don’t wait too long, and it becomes too late to do anything that will be effective.

One thing I have learned from all this, making decisions at work was a lot easier than the ones you have to make in life.

Some random thoughts

 Life, My MCL  2 Responses »
Mar 212011
 

I wish I could write those catchy little articles that inspire others to do things, or that just make you laugh like so many others I come in contact with, but alas that just isn’t me. Heck I have enough trouble reading the catchy little articles of others, let alone write them.

Anywaze, it looks like the sun has come out for now, giving us a short respite from the pretty intense storm we had yesterday and this morning. The bad news is, it’s supposed to start all over again on Wednesday, so I’d better start enjoying it while I can. Fortunately no longer having to go into work does give me a leg up in that respect.

I’m now on my 4th oncologist, in just over 6 years. Oncologists/Hematologists, at the VA, are all Fellows (except for the one attending physician who fortunately doesn’t change), only obligated for 3 year stints [or less as I recently discovered], so I am used to change. I just wasn’t expecting it so soon, as my most recent doctor decided he couldn’t take it any longer, and quit after only about a year and a half.

So now I have to train a new oncologist, who knows nothing about MCL [and admitted it], but at least is willing to follow my lead. She’s also much easier to look at than my last oncologist, and even better, I can actually understand her.

Fortunately I don’t need much doctoring just yet!

Ok, enough for now, time to go for a short walk, and load up on vitamin D, before the sun decides to disappear again, like I think it just did as I was writing this post.

Oh well, such is life!

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