Books and Proteins

I have obviously had much time to read since I have been diagnosed and not working, so I thought I would share my favorite books. You won't see Catcher in the Rye, and will see some you have never heard of, but these have brought me joy multiple times throughout my life.



I am heading down to MD Anderson Cancer Center next week for another opinion on my cancer. It is one of the largest cancer centers in the world and has ranked as one of the top two hospitals in cancer care every year in US News & World Report (the other is Sloan Kettering). And I am very excited about what they have to say.

Very aggressive tumors like mine over express a protein called HER-2. There is a drug called Herceptin that only came out several years ago that works very well with people with tumors like mine, in fact, often times, melting them away completely.

However, 50% of patients show no response to this drug. MD Anderson has found that Herceptin uses a protein, called, PTEN to block a growth promoting protein called P13K. I want to know how much PTEN I have in my system, because people who don't respond to Herceptin usually have low or nonexistent levels of PTEN. If I do have low levels of PTEN, I can receive a synthetic PTEN that will block the P13K, greatly increasing my chances for survival!

Okay, to simplify this because there were a LOT of proteins mentioned above. Let's say that P13K is a mugger. I am in an alleyway alone. P13K pulls a gun on me and says he is going to kill me. Let's say that PTEN is a bottle of mace that I got when I moved to the city from my dad. Only . . . I don't remember if I remembered to put the mace in my handbag or not, and I don't want to move unless I know I have it because I might get shot.

MD Anderson can check to see if I have the mace, and if I don't, give me pepper spray that works the same way as mace, and I can immobilize the mugger!

Luis and I will fly down on Thursday after my Herceptin treatment and stay until Friday evening. I am looking forward to a very productive and informative visit!

I have been missing a lot of intellectual stimulation lately, and found a great website with lots of interesting articles and opinions. If you want to give your brain a boost after a long House marathon, which I need because that is now my primary form of entertainment, go to Arts & Letters Daily!