Monday, April 30, 2012

'Cake Boss' wife stores placenta stem cells


Dr. Daria Klachko of St. Barnabas Hospital and Short Hills Surgery Center said she is a supporter of cord blood and placenta blood banking and actively encourages patients to consider the option.
“I recommend it for a number of reasons,” Klachko said. “Cord blood stem cells are currently being used for a variety of blood disorders.”
The practice has been used to treat 80 blood disorders, including non-Hodgkins lymphoma, sickle cell anemia and leukemia.
“But I also have my eye on the future,” Klachko said. “Important strides are being made in the field of regenerative medicine, which is using stem cells to build different types of tissue that could potentially be used for traumatic injuries, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and more.”

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

VA's Agent Orange Registry

The registry data helps VA understand and respond to these health problems more effectively.



(WASHINGTON DC) - Please pass this on even if you don't qualify, you may know someone who does qualify and may be in need of help.
Subject: VA's Agent Orange Registry
VA's Agent Orange Registry health exam alerts Veterans to possible long-term health problems that may be related to Agent Orange exposure during their military service. The registry data helps VA understand and respond to these health problems more effectively.
Contact your local VA Environmental Health Coordinatorabout getting an Agent Orange Registry health exam.



More Info Here

First-Of-Its-Kind Northern California Public Blood Collection Program Opens at Packard Children's

A new public cord blood collection program at Packard Children's is now enabling new parents to donate their baby's cord blood to an international stem cell transplant registry.


"This is a public service project to expand the donor pool," said Rajni Agarwal, MD, the clinical director for pediatric stem cell transplantation at Packard Children's and medical director of the new collection program. "It will help physicians do more stem cell transplants and save more lives." The new program makes Packard Children's the first Northern California hospital to both collect cord blood donations and use them in stem cell transplants.


Great Story Here

Monday, April 23, 2012

U.S. vet pries lid off Agent Orange denials

U.S. vet pries lid off Agent Orange denials

“I am the tip of the iceberg. There are many others like me who were poisoned but the VA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) is denying their claims,” Carlson said during the interview at his Florida home. “I urge those men to dig in and plant their feet.”  During his time in the U.S. Army, Carlson was assigned to the 44th Transportation Company at the U.S. military port in Naha between December 1965 and April 1967.  ”Transport ships came in (from the United States) and we would move drums of Agent Orange. We worked 12 hours around the clock until we’d unloaded the ship,” he said.  ”A lot of the time, when they dropped the barrels in our truck they would leak. I got soaked at least three times and we couldn’t do anything because we were driving (the barrels to storage sites) and couldn’t shower until we got back to our barracks.”

An amusing joke from my friend, "Graybeard"


A man was sitting on a blanket at the beach. He had no arms and no 
legs.

Three women, from England , Wales , and Ireland , were walking 
past and felt sorry for the poor man.

The English woman said, 'Have you ever had a hug?' The man said, 
'No,' so she gave him a hug and walked on.

The Welsh woman said, 'Have you ever had a kiss?' The man said, 
'No,' so she gave him a kiss and walked on.

The Irish woman came to him and said, 'ave ya ever been fooked, 
Laddie?'

The man broke into a big smile and said, ‘no’.

She said, 'Aye - Ya will be when the tide comes in.'

More Vietnam Vets Aided For Ills Tied To Agent Orange


Nearly 2.6 million Americans served in Vietnam, and anyone who set foot there during the war is eligible for compensation if they suffer from one of 16 ailments. Some are fairly common, like Type II diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and prostate cancer.
The vast majority of these veterans are now in their 60s and 70s, and much more likely to develop the diseases covered by the law. Many veterans may not know that illnesses appearing so much later could qualify them for combat-related disability.
The Agent Orange law, passed in 1991, states that a military person who was in Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 and has been diagnosed with one of the named conditions qualifies for disability benefits. These payments can range up to $2,673 a month for 100 percent disability.
Medical conditions covered by the 1991 Agent Orange Act include:
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Respiratory cancers
  • Multiple Myeloma
  • Type II diabetes
  • Hodgkin’s disease
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • Soft tissue sarcoma (cancer)
  • Chloracne
  • Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Chronic Llymphocytic leukemia
  • B-cell leukemias       
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Ischemic heart disease
  • AL Amyloidosis
  • Spina Bifida and certain other birth defects in vets’ children.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Former Alabama football players get stem cell injections from Gulf Shores doctor


About three months ago, Williams, 38, began the new procedure in which he injects patients -- two of them being McClain and former University of Alabama receiver Marquis Maze -- with their own stem cells in an effort to repair damaged joints and muscles.
“This is going to be the future of medicine,” said Williams, who owns Precision StemCell, which includes a diagnostic and interventional radiology practice in Gulf Shores.

Here’s how Williams said his stem cell therapy procedure works:
Once collected in a tube through liposuction, the fat tissue is processed to separate the adult stem cells. Those cells do not leave the container until being returned to the patient. Williams injects the minimally processed stem cells the same day -- about two hours later -- under computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance.
To give the greatest possible benefit, stem cells must be injected into the exact location of an injury, Williams said. When a doctor uses CT scans or an MRI for guidance, there’s a better chance of putting the cells in the correct location.
The results, so far, have been startling, Williams said: “I was expecting some improvement. They’ve got cartilage regrowth. It’s unbelievable to see those changes.”

HEARING TARGETS “REPORT ON CARCINOGENS”

Dow Chemical made Agent Orange, which we know now is linked to long list of terrible disease in Veterans and their offspring, including AL Amyloidosis, Chronic B-cell Leukemias, Chloracne, Diabetes Mellitus Type 2, Hodgkin’s Disease, Ischemic Heart Disease, Multiple Myeloma, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Parkinson’s Disease, Acute and Subacute Peripheral Neuropathy, Porphyria Cutanea Tarda and other deadly killers.


JUMP

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Wendy and Nan Hit the Beach.... Groovy Bachelorettes!

We came home from the beach after Christine and Amy's visit for a total of one week.

Wendy came over on Easter Sunday after work.  The 3 of us had a non-traditional Easter dinner.... filet mignons, big-ass baked potatoes and sauteed mushrooms.

Wendy and I took off bright and early Monday morning for a week.  Big, big fun!









Hung out at the beach every day, frequented Beach Bar across the street, turned Wendy on to sushi and Thai food at Ketana, knocked her socks off at Dee's Hangout, hit Coyote Ugly, Hungry Howie's Pizza, and then on our last night, she sprung for wonderful food at Los Rancheros.

It's so nice to arrive, park the car, then walk everywhere!

New Options for Pretreated Multiple Myeloma

Several new agents have shown promise in studies

San Diego—Emerging data suggests that a range of new treatment options may be coming for patients with refractory multiple myeloma (MM) that has progressed after exposure to bortezomib, lenalidomide and other modern therapies for this disease.

Several new agents have shown promise in studies with clinically meaningful end points. Vorinostat, a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in a Phase III study, while pomalidomide, a derivative of thalidomide, demonstrated substantial activity in a Phase II study.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Stem Cell-AIDS Study Shows Genetically Engineered Cells Can Kill HIV In Mice

Unreal.... Dom is so fortunate that he was diagnosed with his cancer during the dawn of Stem Cell Research.  We're absolutely AMAZED!
Can stem cells cure AIDS? Not yet. But a provocative new study shows that human stem cells can be genetically engineered to attack living cells infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
"We believe that this study lays the groundwork for the potential use of this type of an approach in combating HIV infection in infected individuals, in hopes of eradicating the virus from the body," study author Dr. Scott G. Kitchen, assistant professor of medicine at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, said in a written statement released by the university.

Easter Weekend Gardening

We spent Easter Weekend gardening.... Pole Beans, Snow Peas, Creole Tomatoes, Best Boy tomatoes, Hot Banana Peppers, Sweet Banana Peppers, Jalapenos, Cukes, and Watermelon.

Going to run out tomorrow for Cherry Tomatoes and Grape Tomatoes.



Rewarded ourselves with ICE COLD beer.  LOL

Amy, Kirk, Ursula and Elsa in PCB

Hi gang-

After our Christine flew back to Colorado, oldest and dearest childhood friend, Amy and her family drove in from Ohio for a couple of nights after their family vacation at Disney World.  (which sounded absolutely horrid....doubt that they'll return anytime soon.)

We hung out on the beach, at the bar across the street (daytime is OK for kids), ate at Dee's Hangout, and at a local Mexican joint.

The highlight of Kirk's visit was probably Dom and he ditching us gals and venturing into Coyote Ugly!

Hoping that they return soon for a longer visit!







Friday, April 6, 2012

New Stem Cells Could Aid Transplant Studies

Researchers have generated a new type of human stem cell that can develop into numerous types of specialized cells, including functioning pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. Called endodermal progenitor (EP) cells, the new cells show two important advantages over embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells: they do not form tumors when transplanted into animals, and they can form functional pancreatic beta cells in the laboratory. 


This sounds promising.... jump here

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Zalicus discovers mechanism to treat multiple myeloma

“Combination drug regimens are quickly becoming the standard of care in the treatment of cancer and this is especially evident in multiple myeloma, where combination therapy has been shown to improve clinical outcomes for patients,” according to Dr. Mark H.N. Corrigan, president and CEO of Zalicus. 


JUMP

You Guys Have Come to Expect BEACH Pics....

(Loved the dude stylin' in red and his hair-do!)






More Fun with Our Christine.... Coyote Ugly and Ketana

We really got around during her visit....  Besides Dee's, we ate at the Pasta Bowl, Montego Bay and a relatively new Thai restaurant named Ketana.

Ketana

Dom and I had never eaten Thai food before.  LOVED IT!  Just like Dee's, it's right next to Coyote Ugly.  Pretty place.  Yummy food and friendly folks.  It'll be a regular stop in the future.

That afternoon, we stopped at Coyote Ugly for Happy Hour.  Christine "rode the bull" for about 5 seconds.  The guy felt bad for her and let her try again.  She might have lasted 6 or 7 seconds.  Our girl is no cow-gal.  Here are pictures...




Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Doctors Urge Their Colleagues To Quit Doing Worthless Tests

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/04/04/149978690/doctors-urge-their-colleagues-to-quit-doing-worthless-tests?ps=cprs


Nine national medical groups are launching a campaign called Choosing Wisely to get U.S. doctors to back off on 45 diagnostic tests, procedures and treatments that often may do patients no good.
Many involve imaging tests such as CT scans, MRIs and X-rays. Stop doing them, the groups say, for most cases of back pain, or on patients who come into the emergency room with a headache or after a fainting spell, or just because somebody's about to undergo surgery.
A child with low belly pain and suspected appendicitis? Don't rush her to the CT scanner. Do an ultrasound first. That will give the answer 94 percent of the time, is cheaper and doesn't expose the child to radiation.
 
Don't put heartburn patients on high doses of acid-suppressing drugs when lower doses and shorter courses will do, they say. You might just be making their symptoms worse when they try to stop the medicine.
An apparently healthy middle-aged guy with few cardiac risk factors comes in for a yearly exam and wants to know how his ticker is. Don't give him a full cardiac workup, with a treadmill test and fancy imaging. This kind of patient accounts for almost half of unnecessary cardiac screening.
Postpone repeat colonoscopies for 10 years if the first one is negative, or if it found and removed one or two early-stage colon polyps, the guidelines state. And stop prescribing antibiotics for mild-to-moderate sinus infections.
And here's one that raises some tricky questions: Most patients who are debilitated with advanced cancer shouldn't get more chemotherapy.
"When somebody is literally bed-bound and unable to walk or take care of himself, it's almost futile to use cancer-directed treatment and will probably have negative consequences," says Dr. Lowell Schnipper, a Boston cancer specialist who helped develop the new guidelines.
Schnipper tells Shots many cancer patients are getting chemotherapy in the last weeks of their lives. He says that does no good, makes patients miserable and may shorten their life.
The Choosing Wisely project was launched last year by the foundation of the American Board of Internal Medicine. It recruited nine medical specialty societies representing more than 376,000 physicians to come up with five common tests or procedures "whose necessity ... should be questioned and discussed."
The groups represent family physicians, cardiologists, radiologists, gastroenterologists, oncologists, kidney specialists and specialists in allergy, asthma and immunology and nuclear cardiology.
Eight more specialty groups will join the campaign this fall, representing hospice doctors, head and neck specialists, arthritis doctors, geriatricians, pathologists, hospital practitioners, nuclear medicine specialist and those who perform a heart test called echocardiography.
Consumer groups are involved, too. Led by Consumer Reports, they include the AARP, National Business Coalition on Health, the Wikipedia community and eight others.
The effort represents a growing sense that there's a lot of waste in U.S. health care, and that many tests and treatments are not only unnecessary but harmful.
Harvard economist David Cutler estimates that a third of what this country spends on health care could safely be dispensed with.
"That's certainly the number we use," Dr. Steven Weinberger, CEO of the American College of Physicians, tells Shots. "Most of us feel something like $750 billion or so could be eliminated from the system out of the $2.5 trillion or so that we spend on health care."
Weinberger says unneeded diagnostic tests probably account for $250 billion.
"I talk about this a fair amount around the country, and invariably physicians come up to me and recount their own anecdotes about overuse and misuse of care," he says.
Proponents of the campaign are aware they're wading into dangerous waters. "There will be some ... that may demonize this campaign and infer the R-word — rationing," Daniel Wolfson of the ABIM Foundation wrote in December when the campaign was launched.
But rationing is the denial of care that patients need, Wolfson points out. The Choosing Wisely campaign aims to reduce care that has no value.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Study finds method to improve transplant cell delivery

 A new technique for improving delivery of stem cells may lead to better and faster tissue repair, a breakthrough with promise for sports medicine and military populations.


“It's like your circulatory system is a series of highways. What makes you want to get off at New York City? We're putting an attraction in the middle of nowhere so the transplant cells will want to go there, to the target site,” said Joseph A. Frank, M.D., chief of the NIH Clinical Center Radiology and Imaging Sciences Laboratory of Diagnostic Radiology Research. Frank is senior author on the findings that were published online in Stem Cells on March 30, 2012.


Jump to story

Dee's Hangout..... For the BEST Food on the Beach

We always spend alot of time at Dee's Hangout     Dee and Brenda have never disappointed us.  If anything, they repeatedly amaze us with their food.

Lunch and Dinner Specials as well as ice cold beer..... and Coyote Ugly is right next door!

If you're ever in the Panama City Beach area, I urge you to stop in.

Christine's visit was no different.  Stopped in twice for dinner.  Loaded her up on wonderful fresh seafood.   Knocked her socks off with their bread pudding.

https://www.facebook.com/DeesHangout






Our Gang at Beach Bar and Package

Christine blew into town last Sat.  She flew in to our new airport.... just 17 miles from our condo.  Talk about convenient!  From home, we have a good 90+ minutes to our airport.

As usual, spent alot of time with our buddies across the street....
https://www.facebook.com/beachbarPCB







Monday, April 2, 2012

The Usual Sunset Pictures from PCB


Spent 4 nights as a "groovy bachelorette" at the condo before Dom arrived a couple of weeks ago.  Did plenty of sunbathing, beach walking and enjoying gorgeous sunsets.

Ping Outdid Herself, Yet Again!

Hi Gang.....

Just returned home after 2 weeks at the beach.  Glorious!  Gonna post pictures in batches.

On the way to Panama City Beach, I stopped at Joe and Ping's home in Pensacola for "lunch".  OMG!  She did it again.  I didn't think that she could top her Superbowl Sushi, but this stuff was to die for!

She called it a Hot Pot.  She already had the broth, prunes, meat, shrimp and fish balls going.  From that point, everybody (the 3 of us.... LOL) basically cooked their own dish.  She had shaved pork, shaved beef, mushrooms, napa cabbage, cellophane noodles, tofu, spinach......  I know that I'm forgetting stuff, but it was 2 weeks ago!


This was one of the most enjoyable meals that I've ever had.  Thanks, Joe and Ping.  Loved it and love you!