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Living with Multiple Myeloma in Hyderabad , India . Random musings .

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Break from Lenolidamide for one month

Went for my monthly checkup along with CBP, LFT and RFT reports.
My observations on the results were:
TLC count is going down further. Has been going down every month for the last few months. Bad.
Globulin has increased from 4.0 to 4.2 . Whereas it has been consistently decreasing for the last few months.Bad.
Hb has improved from 9.5 to 10 , as I have started taking iron supplement last month.  I am also assuming that the immunity boosting medicine given by my ayurvedic doctor has begun working ☺. Good.
My creatinine level is normal.Good.
ESR continues to be on the higher side .Bad.

On seeing the reports my Oncologist commented on the low TLC . Was happy about Hb and creatinine. Was concerned that Neutrophils were also reducing.

He then looked up and said ‘let’s give a break to lenolidamide’
Saw my previous prescription and said ‘Stop calcium supplement,  stop antiviral tablet’.
He added folic acid 5mg to be taken everyday.
Told me to come back after a month along with the reports. As he was writing I suggested we do a Vitamin D test, which he agreed and included in the tests to be done after 30 days.
I came home and after relaxing a bit looked up on the influence of folic acid and see that it has a beneficial effect on anaemia.
I will be continuing to take Circumin ,  ashwagandha,  garlic oil and other immunity boosting tablets along with folic acid , iron supplement  and B12 .

For the first time in 4 years I am taking a break from the chemo tablets.
I was using Thalix 50mg for the last 3 years and lenolidamide for the last one year.

It does feel good to be off these drugs.
I am expecting a few changes because of stopping lenolidamide.
Will write as and when when I notice any changes.


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Kiwi , Orange and Carrot juice

I had a craving to eat or drink something sour since morning. Found Oranges , Kiwis and Carrots in the refrigerator and proceeded to make a juice.

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One Kiwi, one Carrot and an Orange will make one serving.

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Clean and cut into small pieces.

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Use a blender to make into a smooth paste , add water till you reach required consistency.
I didn’t add ice as the fruits were taken from the refrigerator and were already cool.
You can add crushed ice if you wish, instead of water.

Add a spoon of honey if you like.
These carrots are sweet and hence no sweetener is required.

Enjoy !


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Visit to Nellore

Love spending a few days in a village each year.
Thanks to Mom and Dad , we get to spend a few days every year at my Granny’s village near Nellore. After retirement Dad and Mom took up farming at Granny’s village. Mom loves gardening . Loves to be surrounded by greenery.

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The village is about 50km from Nellore and 15 km from Kavali town.
2km from the National quadrilateral and 7km from the Bay of Bengal.

Far from civilization yet not very far.
Village life revolves around agriculture and dairy farming.
Cool breeze from the sea and unpolluted air invigorates the body. Fresh food , be it veggies or poultry or seafood is got straight from the source.

Nov to Mar is the best time to visit this place as this is the main agricultural season in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

All that the village folks are interested is to grow their crops and get a bountiful harvest. Their planning is about labour , pesticides, manure , weeding, water sources.

National and International events don’t make any sense. Their village , a few few villages around their village and the nearest town comprises their world.

Though they are connected via TV channels and mobile phones and Internet , end of the day all that they are worried about is the wellness of their crops.
The villages have their share of woes with respect to finances , water sources ,labour scarcity etc. The ultimate worry is the weather.

While we in the cities are bogged down with our career and businesses . National and International politics, Economy , Global warming, pollution etc are the topics of conversation while we are totally oblivious to the problems faced in the villages.

It is a strange feeling when one compares both environments.
Each time i visit the village i feel as if I am travelling to another planet.
And while in the village it feels as if time stands still.

I get back to the city feeling rejuvenated and look forward to my next trip.


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Pesara Ponganalu – Moong Dal fritters using nonstick Ponganalu pan

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When it rains or when the weather is cold , most Indians immediately think of hot samosas or bajjis . These foods are deep fried in oil. All health freaks are aware that deep fried foods are best avoided. But what do we do when we have cravings for such foods.
Is there is a solution? Yes there is. Our ancestors had always known that deep fried foods are unhealthy and hence invented this device called ‘paniyaram’.

We dont see these anywhere in the cities, but we do get similar nonstick pans in various stores and supermarkets.

These pans are a boon. One can eat a variety of ‘bajjis’ with no guilt involved.
Batter is prepared the usual way .We can use left over dosa batter , idli batter or pesarattu batter. To this, add chopped onions, green chillies, cumin seeds, chopped ginger and coriander leaves.Add salt to taste. Add a little baking soda .Mix well. This will help in making soft bajjis.

One or two drops of oil in each of those ‘guntas’ are sufficient to make these yummy little bajjis. Pour sufficient batter into each of the guntas till the batter doesn’t overflow. Close the pan with a lid . When the ponganalu turns golden turn them over with a spoon and close the lid again. These fritters will be ready in another 3 or 4 mins.

Enjoy with tomato sauce or any kind of chutney or pickle. They can be eaten without chutney too .

I can eat these every day and not get bored 😀


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Living with Multiple Myeloma since 4 years

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It’s been exactly 4 years since the stem cells in my bone marrow started producing fresh and healthy white blood cells and other cells in the blood , while I was undergoing ‘Stem Cell Transplant’

In the BMT ward , each morning the nurse would take a blood sample to check my blood counts.
All of us were eagerly looking forward to the day when my stem cells would start creating various cells in the blood. The blood test on 1 Jan 2012 revealed the first few white blood cells .
A rebirth for me !

Am here now writing this after 4 years of that event. I am just 4 yrs old now 😉

A lot has happened since then.
There was a relapse in Dec 2014.
But thanks to Ayurvedic medication, I am now free of MM .

I am grateful to Lord Dhanvantari , the father of Ayurveda , who I met in the form of my Ayurvedic doctor.

Yes ‘Hope is Real’ .This was the slogan at Apollo Cancer Hospital in Hyderabad.
I could never comprehend the meaning when I was doing rounds for my check ups .
Those days I was sure this was a fatal disease. I was in a denial mode for two years, in a state of shock and moving around like dead.
But one day I had the courage to type the word ‘cancer’ on the keyboard. To look for information.
Spent a lot of time researching on cure for cancers. Didn’t believe what people wrote  and said on youtube about getting cured.
But I did a U Turn when I relapsed.
I told myself that I have to believe what was being said . That’s when I began to search further and dig deeper for information.
I zeroed in on ayurvedic methods and here I am, free of the disease for the last one year and confident that I will be free forever.

I had the hope and now strongly believe that ‘Hope is indeed Real’ .Hope can do wonders. Hope will show a way. Hope heals and Hope is the cure.


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Fruit chaat , add some spice to your fruit bowl

Try this recipe once and you will want more n more of this.
Flavour of fruits get enhanced once a few ingredients are added.
A fun dessert that everyone will love.

Ingredients can be seen in the pic

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Fruits : pick up at least 3 varieties of fruits.
Lemon: few drops or as per your taste
Pink salt : to taste . Even normal salt will do.
Honey: as per your taste.
Dates: optional.  Chop up a few.
Chat masala: a pinch of chaat masala for a bowl of fruits is a lot. This can be found in all Asian stores.

Procedure : chop all the fruits into bite sized pieces .

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Add lemon juice, honey, salt, chaat masala and mix well.

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Yummy fruit chaat is ready to be served.


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No salt No oil diet

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I am now following a No salt and No oil diet for two days in a week as instructed by my Ayurvedic doctor.

My diet during these days is as follows

Breakfast : idli or oats , two egg whites
Mid morning snack: Fruit or sprouts or vegetable salad, tea or buttermilk
Lunch : sweet kichdi made with rice , jaggery and moong dal
Teatime : tea, dry fruits and fruit
Dinner: jowar roti with jaggery

I am looking for more variety in the diet.
Each of these days I look forward to the next morning so I can eat foods containing salt and pepper 🙂

Usually salt and pepper go together . Being a South Indian makes things worse. We cannot survive without salt and pepper. Foods without salt don’t have pepper or chilli powder either. So ultimately it becomes a No salt, No oil and No pepper diet. It is a sweet diet.

I cant think of any dish with pepper and no salt. Thankfully i can have sweet foods but the day becomes too sweet 🙂 .

Hope to come up with more No salt No oil and No pepper foods.

I am scouring Internet for more such foods.

 

 

 

 

 


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Salad dressings

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I have started incorporating salads in my diet. I do not know a lot of ways to prepare a salad. All i know is to cut a few veggies like cabbage , red cabbage , tomatoes, cucumber, sprouts , baby corn, carrots, lettuce  and then add a wee bit of salt , pepper powder , olive oil , lime juice and mix .

I was beginning to get bored of the same ingredients and googled for some variety.

Found this great compilation.

Homemade Salad Dressings

I am enlightened after reading the article and will now be incorporating additional ingredients like honey, chopped almonds/peanuts/dates/walnuts, crushed sesame seeds, raisins , finely chopped mint/coriander/parsley/celery/basil, avocado , fruits .Not all but a few of these ingredients can be added depending on what is available at home.

These days we do get avocado , celery , lettuce , basil in the supermarkets in Hyderabad.


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Diwali 2015

Diwali is the festival of lights which is celebrated all over India with great gusto. Women enjoy making sweets and lighting diyas after doing Lakshmi Puja and kids love to burn crackers .

Lakshmi Puja is done in the evening.

Goddess of wealth is worshipped for showering her grace. One expresses and feels blessed for being showered with abundance.

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Diyas are also worshipped and are ready to be placed outside the house to welcome Goddess Lakshmi into the home.image

Our Balcony is decorated with strings of lights and Diyas.image

I like to place floating candles in the Urli on this day.image

These two diyas will be placed adjacent to the door every evening during Kaartheeka month.image


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Results of my Bone marrow test

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It has been 6 months since I had my Bone marrow test done.The previous test was during the end of April this year. In April , for the first time since my diagnosis in 2011 , my M-spike was ‘not seen’. That was the greatest news ever.

I have been taking Circumin and other ayurvedic supplements since January this year. Along with these I am also on a fasting regimen since one month.
I have been avoiding foods made with all purpose flour(maida), sugar , milk and curds.

All the above has definitely helped me in keeping the M-spike in control and this time too the ‘M-spike’ is ‘not seen’.

However , my hemoglobin level is at 9.7 and I need to work on this.

In spite of Hb being low I feel much more energetic than ever. It feels so good to be so active. I have never been this active in a long long time. I am able to concentrate and perform well at work too.

Incidentally today is ‘Dhanvantari jayanti’ along with ‘Dhanteras’.
Dhanvantari is the God/father of Ayurveda.
My heartfelt thanks to my Ayurvedic doctor who has been treating me remotely from Mumbai.

I feel blessed and hope to have a bright and beautiful Diwali.

Happy Diwali !!