Every year it’s the same

 My MCL  2 Responses »
Dec 202011
 

Every time winter rolls around, I get into these funks. I have little or no energy.  All I want to do is either stay in bed, or just lay around doing nothing. Every ache and pain is magnified, and it’s all I can do to muster up enough energy to drag myself out of bed and do something.

Even the thought of blogging about politics, health care issues or the problems of others can’t get me excited.

And every year I wonder whether this time is different. I wonder whether it’s my MCL that is making me feel more run down, rather than the time of year.

For the last 9 years it’s always turned out to be just this time of year making me feel more run down. But what if this time is different? What if it’s not just the shorter days and colder temperatures?

How do [will] I know?

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 Posted by Marc at 6:46 am

If I weren’t one of the unluckiest people

 Life, My MCL, Philosophy  No Responses »
Dec 122011
 

I was talking to someone I’ve known for a number of years recently, and he happened to mention he only had $45 in the bank. At first I didn’t believe him, but he was adamant. He’s married, with one kid, and earning what I believe to be a half way decent wage, and he only has $45 in the bank?? How can that be? Sure I know there are likely many in that situation, but I felt a lot better when I thought I didn’t know anyone in that position.

Couple that with just learning another friend is experiencing a reemergence of his lymphoma (he was initially diagnosed after me), and is starting treatment again today, things don’t seem to be boding well for the new year.

Of course that got me thinking. [Something I really need to stop doing.] How is it I have been so fortunate in life, where so many others have not? How have I been able to dodge so many bullets put in my path? Even a diagnosis with a very aggressive variant of lymphoma hasn’t been as devastating [yet], has it has been for many others. And I have a few other friends who have health issues that seem a lot more disconcerting than an enlarged spleen and some fatigue. And I won’t even to go into everything Edie has had to endure.

Now some may argue it’s just been a matter of good planning, and that is certainly open for debate, but considering everything going on around me and in the world, I can’t help but think, lots of people plan, and it doesn’t always work out. I think there a saying about “the best laid plans…….”

In the end, I believe it’s simply the luck of the draw, which reminds me of another saying someone once told me

I’d rather be lucky than good any day!

I think that pretty well sums things up for me!

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 Posted by Marc at 6:37 am  Tagged with: ,

To smartphone or not to smartphone?

 Life, Philosophy, Politics  6 Responses »
Dec 022011
 

Two years ago, when I got my DroidX, I was all excited. The thought of being able to log on to the internet where ever I was, having access to GPS, my Kindle books, a camera etc. all in one convenient, compact device, seemed like a good idea, maybe even necessary and important.

But now I’m not so sure.

When I think about it, is it really worth $30 per month ($60 if you add in my wife’s Droid), to have access to the internet everywhere, especially when you consider I’m already spending $40/month for wifi access at home? I hardly ever use it, except when I am at home, and I’m too lazy to go get my laptop to check whatever it is I feel is so necessary to check. And why do I need a Kindle or camera on the phone, neither of which is a good substitute for the real thing? The GPS may be about the only thing that is a good idea, but is it worth $30/month, considering how little I use it?

We have become slaves to technology. We’ve been brain washed into thinking we need to stay connected every hour of every day. Some of us would rather spend hours in front of our computers discussing whatever, with strangers around the country and the world, who we’ve never met [GETTING FAT!], while others sit in front of the TV [GETTING FAT!] being bombarded with reality shows and political diatribes, designed to distort and confuse reality, and hide what is actually happening in our own backyards.

We use technology as baby sitters for our kids [who are GETTING FAT], when their time would be better spent outside playing a pick up game of baseball or basketball, or simply engaging their friends in conversation face to face, instead of texting on their smartphones.

I’m sure some people may find it useful, mostly salesmen and the like, but for me, and the vast majority of other people, it’s just plain stupid, not to mention non productive and a waste of money, and I think it’s time I got rid of my smart phone.

There’s no reason why a good old fashion [cell] phone can’t suffice for most of us. I think it’s time we started communicating more face to face, like we use to, instead of hiding behind our computers and smart phones. We certainly were a lot more civil to each other when we did.

Plus I can think of a lot better uses for that $30/month ($60 if I can convince Edie of the same), like a good bottle of wine.

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 Posted by Marc at 11:55 am  Tagged with: ,

When I was young

 Life, Philosophy  2 Responses »
Nov 302011
 

That was the title of a song written, and performed by Eric Burdon and the Animals back in 1967, which I thought was worth sharing. I can’t really say that I remembered it, but that doesn’t change the fact the words sure seem so much more appropriate, and poignant now [that I'm older].

Enjoy, and pay particular attention to the last verse.

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 Posted by Marc at 7:31 am  Tagged with: ,

Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD)

 General Health, Life  No Responses »
Nov 212011
 

I know I posted earlier about how I hate this time of year, but I always seem to be so adversely affected by this time of year, I thought it was worth reiterating.

I just can’t seem to get motivated to do much of anything lately. Sure I go through the motions everyday, and put on airs, but in reality it’s nothing more than a facade. And the winter season has barely gotten started. There’s still over 30 days of continually shorter days left before the days start getting longer, and even after that, I still have to contend with the likelihood of even colder days ahead, especially in February. (Typically the coldest month of the year.)

There’s also the rain to contend with. Californians (and I do consider myself a Californian) don’t do good in the rain. After all, we don’t get much of it, that is except for this time of year. And yesterday was one of those days. It poured. It poured so much, more of San Pedro (just west of us) is falling into the Pacific Ocean. It’s a good thing that section of road had been cordoned off due to potential landslides.

And then of course when you add in all the other problems Edie and I have, it just doesn’t help the situation.

Fortunately writing about it does help [a little].

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 Posted by Marc at 8:18 am  Tagged with:

Deep thoughts [AKA A little rant]

 Health Care, My MCL, Politics, Treatments  No Responses »
Nov 102011
 

I was thinking last night (I do that whenever I have trouble sleeping), and I’ve come to the realization, in the nearly 10 years since my diagnosis with MCL (when I was personally awoken to the issue of cancer), there has been a lot of research done, and too many to fathom clinical trials performed, yet there has been very little [monumental] advancement in the way we deal with and treat cancer.

We’ve managed to map the entire human genome. We’ve even come close to discovering the causes of [at least one] cancer, yet there is still no cure, and our approach to treating cancer remains, as it has been for the past 50+ years, to do nothing more than infuse deadly chemicals into the body, in hopes of destroying the cancerous cells. Even one of the biggest advances recently in the treatment of lymphoma, has been the reemergence of Bendamustine, an alkylating agent developed in East Germany in the 1960′s.

Yeah, there have been strides made in the use of stem cell transplantation (SCT), and there have even been some new blockbuster drugs that have come on to the market, e.g. Rituxan, Gleevic and Velcade, but they have done little, aside from maybe delaying the inevitable for a few more years, to advance a cure. And even those approaches have their limitations, especially in the case of SCT’s, which can produce debilitating side effects, i.e. graft vs host disease (GVHD), that in some cases may be worse than the disease.

You’d just think after all these years, with all the great minds and other resources available in this country, and around the world, there would have been greater strides made towards finding a cure for cancer, or at the very least develop new and safer drugs for the treatment of cancer.

What’s even more depressing is with the political upheaval in the US, it appears further advancements related to all types of health issues will be greatly hindered. There are already critical drug shortages showing up around the country, and expected cuts to funding for the National Institute of Health (NIH), portend few [if any] advancements for the foreseeable future.

The principle reason I’ve delayed treatment so long has been the hope something better would come along, but it seems I’m going to have to wait just a little [a lot] longer.

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 Posted by Marc at 7:11 am  Tagged with:
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