Advances in Treating Chemotherapy-Related
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29Connect Education Workshop
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January 2014
Having Your Voice Heard: Taking an Active
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Feb
6Connect Education Workshop
Cancer and the Workplace
Feb
21Connect Education Workshop
Understanding Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia: Low White Blood Cell Counts
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Jan
16 Connect Education Workshop
Update from the 2013 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting
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News Spotlight
Learn more about a proposed bill that
could improve the quality of care for Medicare patients. The Planning Actively for
Cancer Treatment (PACT) Act supports
coverage for cancer care planning and coordination services.
2013
Year in Review
(As reported from Yahoo News)
FILE - Defense counsel Mark O'Mara carries lifesize cutouts representing George Zimmerman and
Trayvon Martin,
After a blistering election, 2013 should've been
a return to calm. Instead, hot-button issues
roiled online, from health care to privacy, race
relations to gun control. Overseas, hostilities
demanded attention but two newcomers
brought welcome distractions. Despite deep
divisions among Americans, a domestic bombing brought unity.
happy racist. After his acquittal, Zimmerman
stayed in the headlines when his wife of seven
years filed for divorce from her "selfish" husband and when he was arrested on domestic
violence charges involving his new girlfriend.
As for the president himself, Barack Obama gave
a rare and candid insight into his experience as
an African-American male. He also said the justice system had done its job: Divided the nation
might be about the acquittal, the initial injustice
of Sanford police failing to file charges over the
death of Trayvon Martin had been remedied -albeit spurred by an online petition. A petition,
at least in this day and age, does not render a
verdict, but it can ask for justice.
It was more classic courtroom drama that made
the Jodi Arias trial (No. 1) the most-searched
news story on Yahoo (and the defendant herself
among the top 10 most searched terms of
2013). The live-streamed, five-month media
circus, which cost Arizona taxpayers nearly $1.7
million, didn't end with the May 7 guilty verdict
in the murder of Arias' boyfriend Travis Alexander. The jury was deadlocked — 8-4 — on a
death sentence. Despite having to wade through
lies, the jurors did lay some credence in her
abuse claims. As the foreman explained, "You
don’t put people to death for being stupid. You
don’t put people to death for lying." There's no
date set yet for sentencing but this time, no
cameras will stream the penalty phase.
What did make our annual list reminds us what
a raucous, exhausting 2013 we had: not one
but two notorious court trials, a national health
care plan, conflicts both domestic and international, scandals in the entertainment and celebrity worlds, plus a couple of welcome newcomers. And you should see what didn't make
the list.
America's trials
If anyone renewed those idyllic 2008 claims that
a black president proved that America's race
problems were behind us, one only had to look
at raging commentary over interracial crime
statistics or racial profiling that the George
Zimmerman trial (No. 5) provoked.
Supporters cast Zimmerman as a citizen who put
down a thug, but antagonists saw a trigger-
Downfalls
Searchers also gravitated to a case that never
made it to court. Beloved for her Southern blunt
charms and caloric bombs, celebrity chef Paula
Deen made some remarkable missteps when a
deposition from discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit (No. 9) surfaced.
Hesitation in downplaying her casual defense of
racial epithets, brother Bubba's use of them as
well as porn consumption at work, and her nostalgia for an antebellum plantation theme cost
Deen her sponsors and ultimately her Food
Network show. Ultimately the lawsuit, filed by a
white female who used to manage the Uncle
Bubba's Seafood and Oyster House, was dismissed, although there may have been a settlement. Deen has had her defenders, but fleeing
sponsors might have resulted in a loss of more
than $10 million.
Downfalls in the sports world also set searches
afire, from the doping confession of Lance Armstrong to the appalling death of Oscar Pistorius'
girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The one that sent
shock waves online, however, was the arrest of
Aaron Hernandez. The promising New England
Patriots tight end had earned All-American honors in college, although his drug use and suspected gang ties had dragged him down to a
fourth-round pick. Still, the Patriots took a
chance. Three years later, the organization was
offering free exchanges for No. 81 jerseys, after
Hernandez was accused of killing his friend,
semi-pro player Odin Lloyd. He might face more
than one trial, as investigations tie him to other
unsolved homicides.
After years of judicial, political and budget challenges, the Affordable Care Act, more often referred to as Obamacare (No. 2), was due to
launch, but not before opponents sunk their
teeth two more times: first by tying the debt
ceiling vote to defunding the Affordable Care
Act, then investigating the beleaguered launch
of the national site, HealthCare.gov.
Technical glitches and reports of insurance
companies canceling plans led to a House hearing with curious comparisons to the "Wizard of
Oz," which might or might not have been inspired by Department of Health and Human
Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' birthplace
of Kansas. Amid grilling that could have been
scripted by news parody shows, people soldiered online to look for state exchanges and
get a straight quote, once and for all. Nearly 48
million Americans under 65 are not insured.
A different kind of debate about government
involvement raged around Syria. Despite reports
of chemical weapons, polls showed Americans
shied away from military involvement and offered skeptical support for diplomacy in Syria.
With more than 100,000 dead and nearly 9 million refugees, peace talks might at last begin in
Jan. 22.
That North Korea ranked so highly in news story
searches on Yahoo might be surprising. Then
again, that there were any teeth to that autocratic regime's threats surprised many. Nearly
half of its population — 24 million — live in poverty and its last supreme leader, the late Kim
Jong-Il, didn't intimidate what with his pompadour, platform shoes and those periodic missile
launches that fell miles off-target.
Until this year, when the country — under his
son and leader Kim Jong Un — performed successful nuclear tests, called the U.S. a "sworn
enemy" and declared war with its southern
neighbor. North Korea even disregarded requests from long-time supporter China. Analysts
now believe that North Korean missiles exist
and pose a threat.
Not getting involved
about his connections to the Argentinian
church's failures during the Dirty War, but his
famously low-key lifestyle, his homage to St.
Francis of Assisi and acts of humility soon endeared him to millions. Pope Francis even won
liberal spectators when he urged a shift to relieving poverty instead of decrying homosexuality, premarital sex and abortion.
Royal Crier Tony Appleton read the royal proclamation
announcing the birth of Prince George to Prince William
and the Duchess of York …
Papacy, royalty
It's a boy. Make that two of them.
Two institutions — and searchers — welcomed
newcomers, one expected for at least nine
months, the other a shocker.
For those who feast on fairy tales, the royal baby was that "happily ever after" for the Duchess
and Duke of Cambridge. George Alexander Louis, third to the throne, arrived to a great global
frenzy. His coming was well-timed, even if baby
watchers became a bit restless when the rumored birth date came and went: George
emerged in the heat of summer, the same year
as the Diamond Jubilee, and at a time when the
British economy needed another boost. Those
befuddled or downright outraged by royalist
worship once again stirred up the issues about
class (and Duchess Kate's "commoner" status),
feminism, motherhood and that whole throne
thing. Online, George's coming invited a look
back at his namesake forebears as well as interest in the grandmother he would never see,
Princess Diana.
On Feb. 11, Pope Benedict XVI decided to call it
quits – in Latin, of course. The announcement
sent the Vatican scrambling to find a replacements and armchair historians in a tizzy. (First
time in 598 years! What do you call a retired
pope! Can he even do this!).
Papal watchers expected plenty of time to read
signs like the seagull perched atop the Sistine
Chapel, but the elderly cardinals pumped out
the white smoke declaring "Habemus Papam" in
a little more than 24 hours — the kind of speedy
decision-making that Americans could envy (but
shouldn't, since envy's a sin). Out emerged Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Latin America, the offspring of Italian immigrants. Whispers circulated
BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 02: The World Series
trophy and the 'Boston Strong 617' jersey sit on
the finish line of …
Boston Strong, America united
As split as we were in our Capitol and our courtrooms, a horrific bombing united Americans.
On Patriot's Day, more than 23,000 Boston Marathon runners wended through the historic city.
Two brothers, whose family immigrated to Mas-
sachusetts in 2002, allegedly set down a backpack near the finish line. Homemade bombs
created from pressure cookers exploded, ultimately killing three and injuring 264.
J
The bombers picked the wrong city. Boston is
America's historic backbone, a mix of Yankee
pragmatism, working-class toughness and intellectual know-how. It might be ideal symbol in a
terror plot, but in reality its pugilistic spirit can't
be cowed. Victims were rushed within minutes
to America's most prestigious hospitals. Within
days, police tracked down the brothers in a
manhunt that left MIT officer Sean collier and
elder brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev dead.
Liberty watchers protested the city shutdown,
and social news service Reddit had to apologize
when its citizen policing bled into vigilantism.
The White House launched an investigation
about what happened to Russia's earlier warnings about Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Families grieved.
But Boston rallied behind its motto, Boston
Strong. And in a city wild about its sports, the
Red Sox vowed to dedicate its season to its city
and won the World Series on its home turf —
and broke the curse of the Bambino.
cian at the Indiana University Health Center in Bloomington.
Usually, gastroenteritis is caused by bacteria, viruses,
or parasites, which can spread quickly through contaminated food or water.
The Truth about Stomach Flu
It’s not really the flu, but gastroenteritis.
By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Feature Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
No doubt you've heard people complain they have
"stomach flu." You may have complained about it
yourself after a bout of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
that seems to come from nowhere. In fact, though,
stomach flu is a misnomer. There’s no such thing.
The flu, influenza, is a respiratory infection that affects the lungs. But when people say stomach flu, they
usually mean vomiting or diarrhea, says Jay Solnick,
MD, professor of medicine and an infectious disease
specialist at the University of California at Davis
School of Medicine. "Stomach flu is a vague, fuzzy
way to describe these things," he says.
Doctors prefer the term gastroenteritis, which means
irritated and inflamed stomach and intestines (the
gastrointestinal tract) and may be any number of
things, including bacteria or viruses.
Here, Solnick and other experts tell WebMD more
about gastroenteritis, what causes it, what symptoms
to expect, what self-treatment works, and when to seek
medical help.
What Is Gastroenteritis?
The term gastroenteritis is broad even when used by
doctors, Solnick says. "If I was talking to a colleague
and told him a patient of mine had gastroenteritis, my
colleague would expect that I meant he had nausea or
vomiting or diarrhea," he says.
Continue reading below...
Generally, however, doctors use the term gastroenteritis to describe the sudden onset of nausea, vomiting,
and diarrhea, says David Burkhart, MD, a staff physi-
Bacteria that cause gastroenteritis include Escherichia
coli. Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Shigella. These
bacteria are usually found in food, but can be spread
person to person, Burkhart says.
Viruses that trigger gastroenteritis include adenoviruses, rotaviruses, calciviruses, astroviruses, and norovirus. Certain viruses are found in specific places,
Burkhart says. For instance, norovirus often shows up
on college campuses, lingering on doorknobs and
shared keyboards, spreading the gastroenteritis among
students.
Parasites and protozoans that commonly lead to gastroenteritis include Giardia and cryptosporidium. The
parasite Giardia lives in the intestines of infected people or animals, and often spreads when someone swallows polluted water.
Chemical toxins in seafood can also cause gastroenteritis. So can exposure to heavy metals, such as lead in
drinking water.
Other causes of non-contagious gastroenteritis include
food allergies, caffeine, or medications such as antibiotics, steroids, aspirin, and laxatives.
Gastroenteritis Symptoms
Besides the nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, symptoms
of gastroenteritis can include a low-grade fever of
about 99 degrees.
The diarrhea is typically mild to moderate: two to four
loose stools a day for teens and adults. For babies, it
typically means the stools seep through the diapers.
Many people also complain of painful bloating.
More serious symptoms include:
Vomit or stool that contains blood
Long-duration vomiting, such as more than 48 hours
Fever that is 101 degrees F. or higher
Abdominal swelling or pain in the right lower side of
the abdomen
Dehydration
The good news, Solnick says, is that most cases of
gastroenteritis go away on their own, especially if
caused by a virus.
For nausea and vomiting, Burkhart recommends you
stick to the so-called convalescence diet: clear liquids.
Also, consider oral rehydration solutions, such as Pedialyte. "They have a balance of salts and sugars," he
says. Forget sports drinks, Burkhart says. Some have
too much salt or too many carbs.
"The big thing is avoiding dehydration with gastroenteritis," says Jason Dees, DO, a family physician in
New Albany, Miss., and a member of the board of
director of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Time can help. "The nice thing about the GI tact is,
most of the time the body is able to care for it," Dees
says. "The body is trying to wash out the infection or
irritation and return your GI tract to its happy state.
When it's trying to do that, you have to be nice to your
body and give it hydration to do that."
He advises avoiding anti-diarrheals to give the body
time to heal itself.
Continue reading below...
Gastroenteritis Treatment: Medical Help
If you are not able to drink fluids, and keep vomiting
or having diarrhea, seek medical help. Watch for these
symptoms, which warrant immediate medical attention:
*Sleepiness or fatigue
*Blood in the stool or in the vomit
*Vomiting that continues for more than 48 hours
*Fever higher than 101 degrees F.
*Abdominal pain in the lower right part of the
abdomen, or abdominal swelling.
*Dehydration, marked by little to no urination,
extreme thirst, dry mouth, and lack of tear production.
"The younger the patient, the quicker the evaluation,"
Burkhart says.
Typically, the worst of the gastroenteritis symptoms
are over in a day or two, Burkhart says. "Most of the
vomiting and diarrhea is the worst for the first 24 to 48
hours," he says. ''Usually, within three to five days the
symptoms are pretty much gone, depending on the
severity and the causative agent."
Gastroenteritis: What Your Doctor Will Do
Your doctor will take a careful history; including asking you questions about what you have eaten. You'll
be asked to describe your symptoms and how long
you’ve had the symptoms.
If the dehydration is severe, you may be given fluids
intravenously.
Don't expect an antibiotic until the bacteria has been
identified. Antibiotics are given for certain bacteria,
such as Shigella, but can worsen infections caused by
other problems.
Your doctor may also give medications called antiemetic’s to stop vomiting.
In general, doctors avoid giving antidiarrheal medicine
if they suspect the infection is caused by a toxin.
‘Kennedy Center Honors’
quintet of entertainment
Legends
Honors — a joyous celebration of the lifetime
achievements of artists in
music, dance, theater, film,
comedy, and television — is
a dependable postChristmas gift.
By Sarah Rodman | GLOBE STAFF
DECEMBER 26, 2013
For fans of the performing arts the Kennedy
Center
The 36th annual edition, airing Sunday night at 9
on CBS, is no exception as honors are bestowed
on a new quintet of legends: opera diva Martina
Arroyo, virtuoso jazz pianist Herbie Hancock,
Oscar-winning actress-singer-dancer Shirley
MacLaine, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers
Billy Joel and Carlos Santana.
The night begins with a raucous tribute to Santana’s genre-bending sound on tunes like “Oye
Como Va” and “Black Magic Woman,” featuring
vocals from Fher Olvera of Mana, Juanes, and
molten-lava guitar work from Tom Morello of
Rage Against the Machine. Buddy Guy’s take on
“(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man” has Santana
grinning from ear to ear, as do the team of Steve
Winwood and Sheila E. on “Everybody’s Everything.”
Grins pop up repeatedly throughout the night
on the faces of the honorees, those presenting
the tributes, the star-studded audience members, and a grooving President Obama and first
lady Michelle Obama, seated with the honorees.
US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
seems downright giddy in her presentation to
Arroyo, reminding the audience of the definition
of diva. “As a derivative of an Italian word meaning ‘goddess,’ it was used sparingly to describe
only those opera singers who took us to another
world.” Arroyo’s journey from Harlem to the Met
to mentoring young musicians is moving, as is
the Verdi tribute by stars like Joseph Calleja and
Sondra Radvanovsky and her own students.
In his remarks about Hancock, Bill O’Reilly is
both funny — the Fox News host opens by
quipping about the choice of him as presenter, “I
know, I’m surprised too” — and eloquent, praising the hard work, creativity, and humanity at
the heart of the revered pianist’s catalog. “It’s
that embracing of what is good in mankind that
infuses Herbie’s music and makes him a national
icon.”
On hand to display the breadth of that catalog is
a stunning array of musicians from the worlds of
jazz and hip-hop — including Chick Corea, Jack
DeJohnette, Snoop Dogg, and Mix Master Mike
— performing everything from “Watermelon
Man” to “Rockit.”
A quartet of fabulous broads from Broadway
(and film and TV) — Sutton Foster, Anna
Kendrick, Karen Olivo, and Patina Miller — hit
the heights in their heartfelt tribute to MacLaine
with tunes from “The Pajama Game,” “Sweet
Charity,” and more. But the real stars of the
MacLaine segment are the people who conceived
— and then edited — her career video, which
perfectly integrates the actress performing “I’m
Still Here” with clips from her storied career.
The night concludes with the tribute to Joel,
begun by Tony Bennett who calls his friend “no
less than a poet, a performer, a philosopher of
today’s American Songbook,” and naturally concluding with an audience sing-along to “Piano
Man” led by Rufus Wainwright, who also contributes a performance of the Long Islander’s
signature anthem “New York State of Mind.”
Don Henley of the Eagles offers a tender reading
of “She’s Got a Way,” and in the night’s most
poignant moment, Garth Brooks is joined by a
group of veterans on “Goodnight Saigon.”
While some of these names may be unfamiliar to
a segment of the audience tuning in for a specific
artist, the beauty of the Kennedy Center Honors
broadcast is its ability to make each branch of
artistry accessible and, hopefully, entertaining
for everyone, from diehard fans to newbies to a
particular form. And that is an honorable intention indeed.
Kennedy Center honorees (from left): Billy Joel, Martina
Arroyo, Herbie Hancock, Shirley MacLaine, and Carlos
Santana.
“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it
right.”
― Oprah Winfrey
“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called
Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”
― Edith Lovejoy Pierce
“the object of a new year is not that we should have a new
year, but rather that we should have a new soul.”
― G.K. Chesterton