Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Relfections from our Universe

Notes from a Conference

* When checking into the hotel, the front desk clerk asked if we were visiting for
"The von Hipe..the von hipp...the family reunion?"

We certainly were!

* The health and nutrition presentation was amazing this year!

* Kale, a super-power in the world of antioxidants, reportedly makes a delicious dish when combined with pine nuts, dried cranberries, and olive oil.

*Eat your apples! Though most accept the old adage, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", the nutritional specialist recommended up to six apples a day.

Of course that makes sense to the VHL population..."six apples a day keeps the geneticist, ophthalmologist, neurosurgeon, urologist, endocrinologist, and oncologist away!"

* Dr. G rocks the world of ophthalmology!

* We now have a much better "plan" when Steven's eyes show the ravages of the disease.
Knowledge gives peace.

* "I never forget my VHL patients."
And, of course, I got teary at the sentiment..

* A molecular biologist I was never meant to be.

* The anti-angiogenesis chemotherapy drugs, Avastin and Sutent, act on very different parts of the cell.

* I can nimbly throw around terms like human vascular endothelial growth factor and tyrosine-kinase inhibitor and have some idea what minute structures these big words represent.

(Cool party trick!)

* I need to learn my HIF before next year.

* In the past 13 years, Joyce and the VHLFA have raised nearly one and a half millions dollars for VHL research.

While this is wonderful news...I want more!

Could I interest you in a little 3-day or relay for VHL?

* It is awe-inspiring to sit in a room with people describing what year they lost half of their last kidney to cancer or how a tumor caused paralysis and realize that the "brave" factor in that room can only be described exponentially.

* Pommegranite juice is being used medicinally...with no propositions needed! The super-juice has actually been shown to slow the progress of protrate cancer, and the studies are now moving on to the effects of pommegranite juice in kidney cancer!

* I realized that my mind is to small for this enormous world in which we now live. I've tried for four years to understand the truths which face my sweet son by picking apart genes and cells, processes and proteins. But this world of VHL is too big for me.

A doctor referred to VHL as being our universe.

That it is.
That it is.

2 comments:

Angela said...

wow just wow

Britt-Arnhild said...

I am late, but still......how lovely to "follow" you to the conference :-)

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