Positive thinking good for you? WOOP! Think again.

Strong positive thinkers often don't have an edge over more

realistic thinkers. 

I like "The Hidden Brain" segment on NPR, and this report explored the topic of "positive thinking," something many cancer patients try to (or are constantly being exhorted to) cultivate. 

While negativity can make you (and everybody around you) miserable, it turns out that strong positive thinkers may be worse off than those with a dash of more realistic, strategic thinking. 

Be well!

Musing on the latest platelet count

Platelet counts can bounce around like these kids on
pogo sticks.Remember those? I sure do. They were fun! 

Today's a good day! Got my quarterly platelet count results, and the platelet count was down a bit. Counts do bounce around, and it's a reminder not to get too excited about your periodic tests.

You may recall that I was up to 735 in March, an uptick of nearly 100 points from the previous quarter. My main concern was that the platelets would spike again this month and I'd need to talk to the doc about going on hydroxyurea (Hydrea). But for now, I'm back into the 600s (670), and, since no other blood counts are off, I'm still in the mild to moderate risk zone.

The blessing of a good night's sleep

It's the Archangel St. Raphael, 
patron of sweet dreams! Doesn't 
he look peaceful? Maybe he's 

watching over your sleep.

I woke up this morning after an unbroken eight and a half hours of sleep, and the difference in my energy levels and mood were noticeable. You may notice that a good night's sleep improves your alertness, clarity of mind, energy, and mood.

And you would be right; many scientific studies show that these are all benefits of a good night's sleep.

Sleep is especially important for those of us with ET because a) lack of sleep makes fatigue worse and b) good sleep reduces your chances of a stroke, something we already have a higher-than-average risk for.

Preparing to take hydroxyurea?

This photo has nothing to do with Hydrea; 

I just want to show off my cat, Flora, who 

is pretty, affectionate, and well behaved,

but does not want to pose for pictures.

This month I have my quarterly CBC test. At my March test, my platelets were up about 100 points, to 735; if they've risen, I'll need to contact my hematologist to see about starting hydroxyurea (Hydrea).

In getting myself prepared for the possibility of starting oral chemo, my first question is: How well does it work in reducing platelet counts that contribute to blood clots, the main danger with ET?

That question was answered 20 years ago in an article in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers followed 114 ET patients for a little over two years. They found that, among the control group (those taking no Hydrea), the incidence of a clot was about 24 percent. In the group taking Hydrea, the incidence was about 3 percent. The platelet count for those taking Hydrea stayed around 600. Those not on Hydrea had blood counts that varied between about 450 to 1.5 million.

Only 4 patients developed bleeding, just one was in the Hydrea group.

So, yup, it works, and that's why Hydrea remains the go-to drug for patients with ET.

Congress passes updated chemical safety bill ... and more

U.S. lawmakers sent a bill to President Obama yesterday to update the Toxic Substances Control Act.

For those of us with ET, this bill is important because it goes some way toward more strictly regulating toxic substances and makes provisions for studying "cancer clusters." Cancer clusters are areas that have unusually high numbers of cancers that could be linked to an environmental cause.

"Natural treatments" and ET

Turmeric! It's what makes your curry powder yellow

and your chick peas nice and spicy. Can it help with ET? 

Several people on this blog and the Facebook page have an interest in "natural" treatments for essential thrombocytosis. Turmeric and resveratrol have come up in conversation, but the hard scientific evidence about how well these substances work is sketchy.

But since there's a lot of interest in these treatments, here's what I found out, but first, a few caveats and disclaimers. (You can see from the number of "buts" that I'm a little hinky about this topic.)