Twas the night before Christmas...the spirit was stirring!

It continues..working, shopping, cooking, up at 03:00 trying to make publishing deadlines... trying to enjoy the Christmas season...

Christmas eve's eve

Finally, time to make the family fruit cake...



Ready for the oven...

                         
Wallah!

And then the unspeakable...in my holiday frenzy, I forgot to take the fruit cake to our family Christmas celebration...thankfully my dad and son bailed me out...the tradition lives on...everyone went home with their Christmas fruit cake.

Christmas eve

Up at 03:00 working...a day past my deadline...last-minute shopping, wrapping, cleaning, food prepping...broken dishwasher...EXHAUSTED! DEPRESSED! What happened to the Christmas spirit...it's gone for another year. 

Then 16:30 rolled around.., time for Christmas eve service...time to celebrate the birth of Christ...finally a visit from the Christmas spirit!

And the perfect end to a beautiful celebration...SNOW!

For unto you is born this day in the city of 

David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!

Merry Christmas!

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, is the story of Edmond Dantes, a young Frenchman who seemingly has it all...that is until the jealousy of "friends" brings forth an accusation of treason...followed by his subsequent wedding-day arrest for the alleged crimes.

Dantes is sentenced to life in the infamous Chateau d'lf prison, where the most dangerous political prisoners are imprisoned. During his imprisonment, Dantes meets Abbe Faria, an Italian priest who was jailed for his political views. While imprisoned together, Faria educates Dantes teaching him languages, philosophy, science, and history...As their friendship grows, Faria tells Dantes of a great treasure he has hidden on the island of Monte Cristo...he explains its where-abouts and leaves it to Dantes should he ever escape Chateau d'lf...

Don't be intimidated by the more than 1,400 pages...the constant adventure will keep you engaged ...you won't want to put it down...if you love classics, the Count of Monte Cristo is a must-read!

Baaaah Humbug!

And then it was December...the thankfulness of the Thanksgiving season, gone! 

Christmas is  right around the corner... house to clean and decorate, weekly travel, publishing deadlines, gifts to buy, cookies and fruit cake to bake, menus to plan, food to buy, parties to attend..This used to be my favorite time of the year...what's happened?...where has the Christmas spirit gone? 

I sit at my computer frantically working...if I listen to Christmas carols, I'm sure to catch the spirit...If I go shopping after work, I'll catch it by experiencing the hustle and bustle...if I set out one more Christmas decoration...if I attend just one more Christmas concert...NOTHING! 

Sound familiar?

Then I thought...one less person at our house this Christmas; the first Christmas without my grandmother...then, we received the news of the senseless tragedy involving the children and faculty of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT...and then today, the sudden death of a long-time family friend, how can there possibly be  joy and Christmas spirit this Christmas...

As I reflect on Christmases past, the true source of joy has been the reason for the season and time spent with family and friends....not gifts, decorations, or food. 

So this year, I've resolved to enjoy the special time we have together, the laughs, the thrown wrapping paper, the over-used cheesy lines, and the simple traditions...because every day we spend together is a special gift...one that can't be wrapped and tossed under a tree, only to be soon forgotten.

New drug: New hope

This week, 3 months ahead of schedule, the Food and Drug Administration put their stamp of approval on the new drug ponatinib (Iclusig). Indicated for treatment of adults with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that were resistant or intolerant to previous tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, ponatinib blocks an abnormal protein that stimulates the development of these two types of leukemia. This medication is important because it gives hope to those with CML and ALL who aren't responding to other medications. Prior to the approval of Iclusig, there wasn't a satisfactory alternative treatment for these two rare leukemias.

Black box warning

Iclusig was released with a Black box warning because of the associated risk for arterial thrombosis (blood clots) and hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity).

Arterial thrombosis

Cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular thrombosis, including myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke have occurred in patients receiving the medication. In fact, during clinical trials arterial thrombosis occurred in 8% of those patients treated with the medication. If thrombosis occurs, therapy should be interrupted, and possibly discontinued.

Hepatoxicity

Hepatotoxicity, liver failure, and death have also occurred in patients receiving treatment with the drug. Liver function should be monitored before and during therapy. If signs of hepatoxicity occur, the dose should be reduced or discontinued depending on the extent of toxicity.

Recommended dose

The recommended dose is 45 mg taken orally, once daily; it should be continued as long as the patient shows no signs of disease progression or serious toxicity. Iclusig tablets should be swallowed whole and may be taken with or without food. Dose modifications are necessary with myelosuppression and nonhematologic adverse reactions.

Common adverse reactions

Common adverse reactions experienced during clinical trials include:

• Abdominal pain
• Arterial ischemia
• Arthralgia
• Back pain
• Bone pain
• Constipation
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Dry skin
• Extremity pain
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Hypertension
• Leukopenia
• Muscle spasms
• Myalgia
• Nausea
• Neutropenia
• Oral mucositis
• Peripheral edema
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Pyrexia
• Thrombocytopenia
• Upper respiratory tract infection

Wordless Wednesday--

Christmas-time

              Christmas crafts

Sister act!

This weekend was a double-shot weekend...filled with proud musical moments...here are some highlights.

Sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella meet the philosopher

Saturday night was spent watching my daughter perform in Penn State University's production of Mozarts's  Cosi Fan Tutte...an amazing performance.



The opera is a story of two sisters, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, who are engaged to two young gentlemen Giglielmo and Ferrando.  

A philosopher, Don Alfonso, challenges the men to place a wager that their fiancee's won't remain faithful if persuaded to go astray...because cosi fan tutte (women are like that).

He convinces the gentlemen to pretend to go off to war, and then return disguised as Albanians...they then seduce the other man's woman...

And then Sunday, we traveled to Mansfield University to enjoy my other daughter's performance with the Mansfield University Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jeff Jacobson. 

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Russian Easter Festival, Overture on Liturgical Themes 

Alexandra Pakhmutova's Concerto for trumpet and Orchestra.

A beautiful, festive, music-filled weekend that speaks to the importance of the arts in our schools!


What holiday festivities did you enjoy this weekend? 

Kate Middleton's not so fairy tale pregnancy

This photo isn't my own; it can be located at this link.

Today it was reported that Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, was hospitalized for a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum. So what is hyperemesis gravidarum? It's extreme, persistent, nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that without treatment may cause dehydration, significant weight loss, and electrolyte imbalances. Hyperemesis gravidarum commonly begins between the 4th and 6th week of pregnancy and abates by the 15th to 20th week, but some women continue to have episodes throughout pregnancy.

Presenting signs and symptoms

• Severe nausea and vomiting
• Food aversions
• Weight loss
• Decreased urine output
• Dehydration
• Headaches
• Confusion
• Fainting
• Jaundice
• Extreme fatigue
• Hypotension (low blood pressure)
• Tachycardia (elevated heart rate)
• Loss of skin elasticity
• Anxiety
• Depression

Treatment

If symptoms aren't severe, treatment includes:

• Encouraging small, frequent, meals and dry foods, such as crackers to relieve nausea.
• Increasing fluid intake during the day; seltzer, ginger ale, or other sparkling water may be helpful
• Taking vitamin B6 to decrease nausea.

If hyperemesis gravidarum is severe enough to require hospitalization, treatment may include:

• IV fluids to reverse dehydration and replace electrolytes.
• Enteral tube feeding to restore nutrients.
• Metoclopramide to improve GI  motility.
• Antireflux medications to counteract reflux.