August | 2011 | Tracy Krulik

So I’m a Vegan. Why Does That Make You Mad?

August 31, 2011 7:51 am \ Tracy Krulik

In response to video on how a plant-based diet can prevent Alzheimer's.

Do you ever read the comments people post to articles and videos on the web about plant-based diets? People are angry that doctors and researchers like Sanjay Gupta, T. Colin Campbell, and Caldwell Esselstyn are telling us that with a plant-based diet we can prevent and reverse diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Why so cranky? Eat tasty veggies, fruits, nuts, and grains or take insulin, chemotherapy, radiation, and have surgery. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

We all know that I happened upon this diet out of love for animals, but as the years pass without my having to undergo chemo or radiation I am more and more convinced that there is power in the plant-based diet. Love for animals or no, I’ll never go back to eating animal products.

But why are people angry? Are we so afraid of change that we would choose painful death over healthier lifestyle choices?

WTF?

Posted in: As I See It, Nutrition and Health \ Tagged: cancer, diet, plant-based, T. Colin Campbell

The Last Heart Attack

August 29, 2011 7:29 am \ Tracy Krulik \ Video

In case you missed “The Last Heart Attack,” Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s fascinating special on how lifestyle changes can prevent and reverse heart disease, here’s a summary, and here’s a clip:

From South Beach Diet author and cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston: “One of the best kept secrets in the country… in medicine… is that doctors who are practicing aggressive prevention are really seeing heart attacks and strokes disappear from their practice.”

Got veggies?

UPDATE: “The Last Heart Attack” will replay on CNN on September 3 at 8p.m. and 11 p.m. EDT. (That’s my birthday BTW. And I’m pretty sure I’m here to write this to you because of my plant-based diet. WATCH THIS SHOW!)

Posted in: As I See It, Nutrition and Health \ Tagged: diet, heart disease, plant-based

Wouldn’t You Jump Through Hoops for a Liver Transplant?

August 26, 2011 6:30 am \ Tracy Krulik

Earlier this year I participated in an online seminar presented by a surgeon from Johns Hopkins regarding advances in liver tumor treatment. My ears perked up when he said that someone like me, whose cancer did not begin in the liver would NOT be a candidate for a liver transplant. My cancer started in my pancreas and metastasized to my liver — just like Steve Jobs. But Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, got a liver transplant in the U.S. a couple of years ago.

Well, it seems that his transplant shined a light on some inequalities in the transplant world. But according to American Medical News, the controversy hasn’t been about where his cancer began but where he applied for transplants. “[He] did not get his new organ at nearby Stanford University Medical Center — or anywhere else in California. Instead, he traveled more than 2,000 miles to Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in Memphis, Tenn., where the wait list for a liver is about 80% shorter, according to data from the United Network for Organ Sharing.”

Is it fair to apply for a transplant at multiple hospitals? Are well-off people better able to get on more lists? Do people lacking resources who only apply in their neighborhood fall back in line behind people from elsewhere in the country who have the means to get onto more lists? And what about this restriction the Hopkins’ surgeon mentioned? Would someone like me with metastases in my liver be turned away, and if so, how did Steve Jobs get the transplant?

These are some of the questions being asked. I’m torn on the issue, but not too much. Maybe if I didn’t have tumors inside my body I’d say that we should restrict applications to make the process more equitable, but I have a different frame of reference. If one day I need to get an organ transplant to stay alive, you better believe I will do everything possible (within legal limits of course) to get that organ. I have no doubt that Steve Jobs felt the same way.

What’s your take?

Posted in: As I See It \ Tagged: cancer, Johns Hopkins, Steve Jobs

Best Wishes, Steve Jobs

August 25, 2011 7:19 am \ Tracy Krulik

Yesterday Steve Jobs announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Apple: “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.”

He doesn’t know me, but Steve shares my same brand of cancer, so I’ve watched his story closely since learning that he too was battling pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer. I’m sad to see that this effing disease is keeping him from doing the job he loves so much.

I wish all the best for Steve and hope that this event turns out to be just a blip so that he can one day return to his life in full.

And for the record, I’m a Mac.

Posted in: As I See It \ Tagged: cancer, neuroendocrine, Steve Jobs

Hill Climbing Tips

August 23, 2011 8:19 am \ Tracy Krulik

I’m no pro, but I have spent the last two years overcoming my inability to climb hills on my bike, so I thought I’d share some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

First of all, equipment does matter. The heavier your bike (or you!), the more weight you have to carry up the hill. I thought I needed granny gears (a third chain ring [gasp!]) on my road bike. Wrong. I needed a lighter bike. You cannot believe the difference in my hill climbing when I bought a better bike.

That said, even more important for me than my equipment, was my confidence. I’ve heard that hill-climbing ability is 90% mental, and I believe that’s correct. Simple ways to make climbing easier:

Rather than looking up at the top of the hill as you laboriously climb towards it, focus on the ground just a few feet ahead of you. Try it the next time you ride and tell me that you didn’t suddenly find yourself in a more relaxed rhythm with easier breathing.
Take a break if you need it. I used to think that once my legs burned too much or my breathing felt too labored I needed to walk the rest of the hill. Wrong. A riding coach told me one time to pull over when that happens and take a break for 30 seconds to a minute. Then get back on the bike and continue up. Unbelievably when I tried it, I found that the rest of the hill was a piece of cake. It’s actually easier to ride the rest rather than walk your bike up the hill.
Practice hill repeats. Having difficulty climbing steep and/or long hills when you ride? Find one and just go up and down increasing the reps as you get better at it. The more you practice in a controlled environment, the easier you’ll find it when you encounter a hill you don’t know. Plus in the process you’ll strengthen your muscles and increase your breathing capacity.
Know that your legs will keep moving. If you get to a steep section and feel that your legs can’t pedal anymore, simply move into a harder gear and stand up for five to eight strokes, then shift back into your easier gear and sit again. You’ll breath a bit harder, but you’ll give your legs a break in the process.
Take a spin class. I was never an indoor-spinning believer before, but I am now. To get me ready for my hilly 70-mile Philly Livestrong ride, my trainer worked with me on hill-climbing in the gym on the spinner. He had me standing for two minutes, adding tension, doing seated hard climbs, and sprinting. We worked in two minute segments and built up to five minutes, and after a couple of sessions I could do anything he asked. That work immediately translated to my road bike — I was stronger, faster, and more confident on every hill.

For me, realizing that after a 30-second break I could climb the rest of the hill with ease was my tipping point (pardon the pun). If I could recover THAT quickly, did I really need that break after all?

Earlier this year I hated one hill, Rebecca Hill, the most. She is long, and she is steep, and then she keeps going up a curve. In June I had to stop twice — once at the very beginning and once about halfway up — to get up her. Then one day I got pissed. How long is this climb, really? At most four minutes to get to the top? I lasted nine years with a tumor on my pancreas, I can last four minutes! So I refused to stop. When I made it to the top I was breathing heavy, and my quads burned a bit, but the pride I felt in pushing past my previous limits was far greater than any pain I had felt.

Since then my attitude towards hills has completely changed. I don’t care what their names are or how tough someone says they might be. To me, to quote a friend, they are simply “a change in elevation.” I just keep pedaling. I focus my vision a few feet in front and find my rhythm and look forward to the swell of pride at the top followed by the thrilling downhill reward.

And now, the only rides that are fun to me are the ones with hills. (I cannot believe I just said that.)

Posted in: As I See It, Exercise and Fitness \ Tagged: cycling

Philly Livestrong Challenge 70-Mile Ride: No Sweat!

August 22, 2011 8:03 am \ Tracy Krulik

A soggy, but happy, finish.

Are you joking? That’s what kept running through my mind as I easily climbed Hill Road yesterday in the Philly Livestrong Challenge. Mission to become such a fit athlete that even a challenging 70-mile hilly cycling event could feel like nothing: ACCOMPLISHED.

Things started off a bit shaky before the ride. That waiter who assured me the day before that I was drinking decaf coffee rather than the real deal was clearly mistaken. Eve of the biggest ride of my life: I got one hour of sleep. (For those who don’t know, I can’t drink coffee because it gives me bad heart palpitations, so one accidental cup to me is like taking a hit of Speed.)

Then after I “woke up” to get ready for the ride, my Livestrong wristband snapped in two. Bad omen?

But nothing was standing in our way of accomplishing our year’s goal. We got to the start a bit early so that Tom could buy me a new wristband in the village, and despite the lack of sleep, we both felt energized. I proudly wore my Freshbikes kit (favorite bike shop) and smiled brightly when a guy rode by and shouted “Freshbikes!” — he also was representing with the kit.

So, the ride. Piece of cake! Remember when I said I wanted to be that girl who rode by me up a hill two years ago while I walked? I was her! For the first half of the ride, everyone stayed up on their bikes, but as the ride progressed and the hills got longer and steeper, many people walked their bikes up. Not me! And, of course, not Tommie! We rode every inch.

And the finish line. Since the minute we signed up we were looking forward to riding into the finish line: yellow banners everywhere, yellow chalked “Congratulations!” on the pavement, cheering supporters, me riding through the survivor lane to grab my rose, and the announcer calling our names as our pictures would be taken under the finish line. Not so much.

At around mile 65 the rain started, and moments later Tom’s bike chain fell off (for no reason, I might add). Sadly it got lodged between the bike frame and the chain ring, so we had to flip the bike over and perform a bit of maintenance to get it working again — in the rain. After that we hopped back on our now soaking saddles and continued on. Then we heard the thunder. And then as the thunder grew louder and louder, we saw the clear lightening bolts a bit too well.

The storm wouldn’t let up. Around mile 68 we accepted the fact that the finish line would probably be empty. No one would cheer us in, let alone announce our victory.

But, we caught up to a group of riders about a block from campus, and we all laughed about our new reality. We rode through the deserted finish line and were directed by a lone man in a raincoat to get to the gym ASAP — lightening strikes and tornado warning!

So, we didn’t get the ending we were looking for, but this one will never be forgotten. We made a lot of (soggy) friends in the gym, and our hotel was happy to provide us with a clean shower (for a small fee) so that we could de-thaw before our trek back to Ol’ Virginney.

70 miles. 5,400 feet of elevation. On one hour of sleep. In an electrical storm. And I was worried about cancer?

Eff you, Cancer!

(P.S. I happened upon this blog post that I thought you might enjoy. I like reading about her fitness and health journey, and more importantly, I love her story of her Lance Armstrong encounter yesterday.)

Posted in: As I See It, My Story \ Tagged: cancer, cycling, LiveSTRONG

Living Strong this Weekend

August 19, 2011 7:45 am \ Tracy Krulik

Here we are. After months of riding, climbing, lifting, stretching, and sweating the Livestrong Challenge is upon us. Tommie and I went in to the season planning to conquer Livestrong’s 45-mile Philadelphia ride and discovered weeks ago that we had surpassed that challenge. So, we raised the bar higher and set a new goal: ride 70 miles over 5,400 feet of elevation. We’re ready.

I have to thank my trainer James for working with me on my climbing skills in the gym and my chiropractor Dr. Ginger Lowe for doing release work on my pancreas surgery scar tissue to open up my breathing capacity. I feel like a new woman — a superwoman.

I said two years ago that I could be that woman who so easily rode past me up Hill Road in the Livestrong Challenge while I huffed and puffed my way on foot up that hill, and I’ve done it. Sunday is going to be a hard ride — I’ve never climbed that high in any one ride — but I’m just going to find my rhythm and keep pedaling and look forward to the downhill reward after cresting each hill.

Thank you to everyone for your support and for your donations to Livestrong. With your help we raised over $3,000 this summer to help Livestrong fight back against cancer. The Lance Armstrong Foundation has certainly made a huge impact on my life and my health.

All together now… EFF YOU, CANCER!

P.S. Livestrong has arranged for you to view the finish line in real time. Here’s the link. We’ll be crossing that line sometime around 2 p.m. I’ll post an update on the Facebook fan page when we are ready to leave the last rest stop with a better time estimate to tune in.

Posted in: As I See It, My Story \ Tagged: cancer, cycling, LiveSTRONG

Until Next Year, Hopkins!

August 18, 2011 7:00 am \ Tracy Krulik

So, this chapter of My Life With Cancer is coming to a close. Tom and I made the trek back up to Baltimore yesterday for my blood tests and the official visit with the doctor at Johns Hopkins. My doc had emailed me last week that the preliminary results of my scans looked good, but we’ve seen discrepancies from the preliminary to the final results in the past, so we were still a bit cautious.

This time however, there was no discrepancy — my disease has not progressed at all. My doctor asked how I’m feeling as it has been a year since I’ve taken any kind of medicine for my cancer, and I said I feel better than ever. He laughed and said that the best thing he can prescribe is that I stay away from doctors and medications as much as possible. I seem to do better without any help. I don’t have to return for scans for another nine months — my longest time between scans yet!

After we wrapped things up, the doctor smiled bright, shook my hand, and said “Congratulations, Tracy.” So I kind of feel like I’m in remission. The tumors are still in my body, but since they haven’t grown in years, and I’m getting healthier and stronger by the day, I guess we can call this my own kind of remission. I have cancer. And I’ve never felt better!

We’ll officially close this chapter on Sunday when we cross the finish line at the Philadelphia Livestrong Challenge. 70 miles over 5,400 feet of elevation. With cancer.

How do you like them apples! (That’s a little nod to our boy Lance Armstrong if anyone was paying attention.)

Posted in: As I See It \ Tagged: cancer, Johns Hopkins

The Dismantling of the Miami Hurricanes… Again

August 17, 2011 7:38 am \ Tracy Krulik

I feel like a friend died.

My brother and I both got our BBAs and MBAs from the University of Miami, my dad has been a huge athletic booster since we attended in the late 80s/early 90s, my hubby Tommie got his JD at Miami, I was the undergraduate student government vice president, I interned in the Athletic Department while in grad school, and when I worked in the Office of Alumni Relations I organized all the on-the-road football pre-game parties.

I watched the Canes win their national title my freshman year at the Sugar Bowl. I threw the 6,000 person pre-game party before the Canes won their last national championship title in 2001 at the Rose Bowl.

And yesterday, the bottom dropped out.

Yahoo Sports broke the story that Nevin Shapiro, the convicted Ponzi schemer who is living out a 20-year sentence in prison, gave players money, parties, prostitutes, and access to his yacht over an eight-year span.

It’s going to be hard to dispute this one. Sure, Nevin is a little ass who made a living off of lying and has a huge bone to pick with his Miami “friends” for not helping him out when he got arrested, but Yahoo Sports is a highly respected and credible news source. They did their homework, and they can back up the allegations.

We kick off the Al Golden era at Maryland in a few weeks, and Tommie and I plan to be there. It’s likely that the twelve current players named in the report will be put on suspension from the school, but the rest of team, the new coaching staff, and the fans will be ready to play. Wouldn’t it be an amazing story if our team could rise above this horror story and win the old-fashioned way?

That’s what I’ll be hoping for on September 5th. We rose up after surviving the Pell Grant Scandal and the Uncle Luke days. My orange and green blood will stick by the program through this miserable ordeal to watch us rise up again.

Go Canes!

Posted in: As I See It \ Tagged: The U

I’ll Take Some Serial Killer T Cells Please

August 16, 2011 7:55 am \ Tracy Krulik

I’ve talked about how immunotherapy might be the weapon of the future for battling cancer. Well, last week word came out that University of Pennsylvania researchers found a way to turn human T cells into leukemia tumor cell “serial killers.”

Here’s how the treatment works. The team took out some T cells from a patient, fused them with a virus, coated them with a tracker that would find a protein only found in the tumors and a minority of healthy cells, and then infused them back into the patient. Even better, they created a second bomb that would go off once the first tumor was attacked– it caused the cell to “trigger other T cells to multiply — building a bigger and bigger army until all the target cells in the tumor are destroyed.” (Image: what happens when you drop water on a gremlin.)

These sociopath T cells destroyed “at least a 1,000″ tumor cells each, an impressive statistic that even surprised the researchers. Better than that, the patients for the most part only exhibited normal flu symptoms during the treatment.

They only tried the therapy on three patients, so we have a long way to go before we know how well this therapy can work on a more diverse population and whether there are long-term issues, but it certainly looks promising.

Posted in: As I See It \ Tagged: cancer

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Monthly Archives: August 2011