Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Healthful benefits from music

If you don’t vacuum the rug for a period of time, it begins to get dingy. Dirty. Clogged with a web of dog hair and dirt from paws or the better half’s boots. So what do you do? You vacuum to get rid of the grime. Right? Music is like a vacuum. While it may seem to have nothing to do with health or spirituality, it actually has a very direct connection for many. It “cleanses the soul” paving the way for healing, reconnection and enjoying life around you.

When we have a “happy soul”, we carry a positive attitude, which then allows the body and mind to heal and be fed with life around us. Recent studies show, regardless of your musical genre preference (it doesn’t have to be classical), if you like it… if it makes you happy… it has actual healthful benefits. Music breaks loose the crusty build up on a sour mood and begins to wash it away. Purging that crust, the soul is open to be nourished, by any positive stimulants around. Sunlight. Refreshing Rain. A flower budding. A child’s giggle. The smile from a passerby. More music. It lightens the load we carry and revives us. It can assist us to heal physically. Stimulating by just making us feel good or finding upbeat encouragement. (Tracks like “Hang Tough”, “Gettin’ Better” and “I Want To Live”, I find particularly inspiring while combating cancer.) It holds befits for your heart, and is also valuable in pain management as a study from Glasgow Caledonian University shows.

“Experts” say, to help re-connect couples, they require “couple time”. Very true. My husband and I found at least one concert a year truly benefits our relationship, bring us together, by partaking in something we both enjoy. Collectively, we have a wide array of musical interests. I was disappointed when we missed our annual Tesla concert last year, because my chemotherapy overlapped the concert. I felt pretty crappy. Not to mention it’s difficult to bang a bald head when I’m used to having a long mane to toss around. Our boys are back in town. I’m mending and motivated to be there front (and hopefully) center, and while my hair can’t be tossed, I at least have some cover. Rock music brings us together. Christian music can inspire you to be closer to God. Opening your eyes to the very important spiritual relationship. “What You Give” & “Just In Case” (I don’t make it to heaven). These Tesla songs may not be played on Christian stations, they may qualify, displaying simple morals we all should have, along with a possible questioning of faith, which anyone with faith as questioned their own at one time or another.

Music releases frustration. It can be exciting, or can be a dear friend that understands how you feel. You can cry on its shoulder, let it take you somewhere else, be inspired or energized. Reducing the load, it can facilitate healing and reconnection with others. Revitalizing you and your relationships. Feeding your spirit.

Faith and God are the reason and heart of our souls. Music is the extra vitamins I need. Without it, I couldn’t stay balanced. So, when you begin to feel dingy or wound a little tight, vacuum. Plug in and turn up the volume of your favorite soul cleansing tunes and SHAKE OFF THAT DUST!
“….
It’s not where you’re at, or where you’re coming from
When all is said and done, you can call it,
Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Punk, Pop, or Thrash
You can call it anything it don’t matter to me
Call it what you want.
It’s ALL music to me…”

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Electromagnetic, completely kinetic - music/part 2

“Experts” say, to help re-connect couples, they require “couple time”. Very true.
My husband and I found at least one concert a year truly benefits our relationship, bring us together, by partaking in something we both enjoy. Collectively, we have a wide array of musical interests.
One band we can’t miss has been hitting the circuit hard. Tesla. They’ve become our yearly fix. A necessity. I’ve lost count how many times we’ve seen them, yet it’s never quite the same. Never disappointing. In this age of concerts, it’s hard to imagine a great show without fire and explosives. However, these boys have… something. Something inside themselves they release on stage. There’s no need for glitz. They transmit energy, display enthusiasm, and ooze passion that out shines fiery explosives. There’s an element of freeness and playful attitudes that emerge, though they are serious musicians. While I’m no Plaster Caster or Bangor Sister, I’ve had my share and been around the block enough to conclude, Tesla is among the best live bands to grace your ears you’ll ever see (or rather, hear). The fans (the Troop) drawing from the expelled energy, are enthusiastic as well. Exceptionally friendly. Extremely loyal.

I was disappointed when Bobby and I missed Tesla last year, because my chemotherapy overlapped the concert. I felt pretty crappy. Not to mention it’s difficult to bang a bald head when you’re used to having a long mane to toss around. Our boys are back in town. Particularly close by at the Genese Theatre in Waukegan, IL (Friday, April 17th). I’m mending and motivated to be there front (and hopefully) center, and while my hair can’t be tossed, I at least have some cover. We have our Tesla tickets already. Click here to Get yours from Ticket Master HERE….
Revitalize.
SHAKE OFF THAT DUST!

“….
It’s not where you’re at, or where you’re coming from
When all is said and done, you can call it,
Heavy Metal, Hard Core, Punk, Pop, or Thrash
You can call it anything it don’t matter to me
Call it what you want.
It’s ALL music to me…”

Friday, March 6, 2009

CellSearch™ - testing cancer cells

Something from the depths of the ocean? Attractive as it may be, it ain’t pretty as it looks. No. It is something I worry about almost every day. Just one of these. Something anyone who has or had cancer. A single cancer cell. Just one, can change your life forever. Just one haunts you.

There is a new-ish test out there now called CellSearch™. It detects cancer cells differently then tumor marker tests and much more accurately!

Below excerpts from RARITAN, N.J.,…
“Veridex, LLC… (Feb 2008)… announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an expanded clearance for the CellSearch™ System to be used as an aid in the monitoring of metastatic prostate cancer (MPC) patients. The CellSearch™ System currently is cleared for monitoring metastatic breast and metastatic colorectal cancer patients. The CellSearch™ System identifies and counts circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in a blood sample to predict progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with metastatic breast, colorectal or prostate cancer, and can do so earlier than the current standard of care. The results of serial testing for CTCs with the CellSearch™ System provide additional information to the oncologist and does so earlier than other currently approved diagnostic modalities, thereby allowing the oncologist to make more-informed patient care decisions.”

If you are concerned with your regular testing’s accuracy, ask your doctor to do the CellSearch™ test. Mine did. It can give you piece of mind, or a heads up for your doctor on which treatments are working for your, if you need a full course of treatment or if just a couple is enough .

… “Currently, oncologists often have to wait several months before they can determine if a specific treatment is beneficial to the patient. The CellSearch™ System helps physicians to predict disease progression and patient
survival any time during therapy. "I am extremely pleased that we now can offer this test to patients with metastatic prostate cancer," said Dr. Louis Fink of the Nevada Cancer Institute in Las Vegas, Nevada. "We have been evaluating the clinical utility of the CellSearchTM System in patients with metastatic prostate cancer since January 2007. Our findings demonstrate a strong indication that the baseline number of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) is prognostic, and that the number of prostate CTCs is altered by the therapy." Dr. Nick Vogelzang, also of the Nevada Cancer Institute, continued, "We have compared CellSearch™ CTC test results to the standard clinical and biomedical parameters, such as prostate specific antigen (PSA) measured in MPC patients. A decrease in the number of CTCs is most often associated with patients successfully responding to therapy. Further analysis of CTCs may provide information as to the most efficacious treatments for specific individuals."…”
… “The CellSearch™ System is the first diagnostic test to automate the detection and enumeration of CTCs, cancer cells that detach from solid tumors and enter the blood stream, and is a new class of diagnostic tools. The system's specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility allow for serial assessment of CTCs as early as the first cycle of treatment to help evaluate disease progression sooner. The CellSearchTM System was originally cleared by the FDA in January 2004 as a diagnostic tool for identifying and counting CTCs in a blood sample to predict progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer. …”


Wait. I kind of wonder, why haven’t we heard MORE about this if it has been around for metastatic breast cancer for FIVE YEARS?!

… “The authors of this study concluded: "The very short median progression-free survival in patients with elevated circulating tumor cells at the first follow-up visit suggests that these patients are receiving ineffective therapy." In addition, as recently as November 2006, a metastatic breast cancer study was published in Clinical Cancer Research where the authors concluded: "The results reported here indicate that the evaluation of CTCs is an accurate measure of treatment efficacy." Additionally, the authors said: "The ability to serially quantitate and interrogate CTCs in patients with breast cancer makes possible new ways of managing and investigating the disease." Dr. N. Vogelzang is the recipient of a research fellowship grant from Veridex for the purpose of supporting independent research in metastatic prostate cancer patients.

For case studies, and more complete detailed information visit Veridex directly:
http://www.veridex.com/CellSearch/CellSearchHCP.aspx