For the more technically enthusiastic there was an 18% drop in my serum lambda FLC expression to 1448 mg/dL. My kappa FLC expression was actually quantifiable although still pathetically low at 0.72 mg/dL. My IgA and IgM antibodies went up slightly :-) and my IgG went down slightly :-(. I have an insignificant serum M-spike. I'll learn about the rest of the indicators after the second cycle in a couple weeks. I'm gonna run to Andalasia with that news and sleep a bit better for a while.
On another note... I was pleased to find everything on The 10 Best Foods You Aren't Eating list from the March Wild Divine Newsletter in my kitchen (and diet) except Purslane. Something to try by the sound of it:
Although the FDA classifies purslane as a broad-leaved weed, it's a popular vegetable and herb in many other countries, including China, Mexico, and Greece.
Why it's healthy: Purslane has the highest amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fats of any edible plant, according to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The scientists also report that this herb has 10 to 20 times more melatonin -- an antioxidant that may inhibit cancer growth -- than any other fruit or vegetable tested.
How to eat it: In a salad. Think of purslane as a great alternative or addition to lettuce: The leaves and stems are crisp, chewy, and succulent, and they have a mild lemony taste. Look for it at your local farmer's market, or Chinese or Mexican market. It's also available at some Whole Foods stores, as an individual leafy green or in premade salad mixes.
The nights in the burn department were always difficult, and many of the patients would regularly ask (beg) for more painkillers to help them fall sleep. One afternoon I overheard the doctors tell the nurses not to give a certain patient any more morphine. A few hours later, when the same patient started begging for painkillers I saw the nurse go to her room with an injection and a few seconds later the patient quietly went to sleep. When the nurse stopped by my room, I asked her about it and with a smile she told me that she had given the patient IV fluid.This was the first time I experienced (secondhand) the power of placebo. I am not sure if they ever treated me with the same method, but it is certainly possible.Years later I became even more impressed with placebos when I learned that a placebo for pain has a very clear physiology. When we expect to get pain relief, our brain secretes a substance that is very much like morphine and this substance makes the pain go away. This means that even if the injection contains no painkiller we can still get pain relief courtesy of our own brain.Yesterday we published a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association about placebos. In this study we showed that when people get more expensive painkillers (placebos in our case) they expect a lot and get a lot of pain relief, but when the price of these pills is discounted, the expectations are lowered and so is their efficacy. As it turns out, with painkillers, we sometimes get what we pay for.
Posts
