Nina Blakeman's Blog, page 8

Science Lesson No. 6

It’s been reported that the number one access teens have to drugs is the medicine cabinet. That’s where Ella Davis found Faye’s prescription for muscle relaxants.

In The Blow-up Man, the thirteen-year-old Ella is distraught. She’s suffered humiliation and degradation at her mother’s hand one time too many. Her mother has called her a filthy slut, told her that she’s not deserving of a mother’s love, and has been told by her mother that she wished the girl had never been born…that she is a waste. At Christmas, Ella steals Faye’s pills and takes an overdose a few days later. In the book, it’s not clear whether its Ella’s intention to use the pills in order to curb the hurt she feels or to commit suicide. But a few days later, she lands up in the emergency room with an overdose.

In the real world, nearly half of all emergency room visits for prescription drug abuse are by young people 12-20 (http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/prescription/abuse-international-statistics.html). What can you do to protect your teen?

Talk to them and discuss the dangers of these drugs. Some teens think they are safer than street drugs—NOT.
Be alert to the possible signs of abuse. It could be something like excessive sleep, sleeplessness, or slurred speech.
Lock up your medications.
Properly dispose of the medications you no longer use or are expired. If you’re not sure how, ask your local pharmacist.

Bye for now, Nina B.

Science Lesson No. 5

Does anyone remember Gladys Kravitz from Bewitched? She was the nosy neighbor that lived next to the Stephens’ in the series. That was the sort of character I had in mind when I created Harriet White. Harriet likes Dr. Todd Davis, and she’s going to butt into her neighbor’s affairs given the opportunity.

Harriet is a widow. Her husband died from small cell lung cancer. What is that? According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), about 10-15% of lung cancers are of this type and it spreads quickly.

The link between tobacco use and cancer has been well established. ACS states that smoking accounts for about 80% of all lung cancer deaths. They also say that no form of tobacco is safe and that smoking a full-sized cigar equates to smoking an entire package of cigarettes. Learn more about small cell lung carcinoma at www.cancer.org/cancer/lungcancer-smallcell/.

In The Blow-up Man, Harriet faithfully tends to her late husband’s humidor that houses his cigar supply, but why? Does she not recognize that those cigars are what could have killed him, you ask. It’s not clear whether Harriet makes this connection or not, but those cigars are all she has left of her late husband, and she’s not about to let them go.

Join me next time when I discuss the problems associated with prescription drug abuse. Bye for now, Nina B.

Science Lesson No. 4

In The Blow-up Man, Dr. Morton is who Faye is replacing on the Anatomy & Physiology teaching team at Cullen State University. He’s been diagnosed with a brain tumor and has had to take a leave of absence because of the symptoms he’s experiencing.  The headaches, language dysfunction, and personality changes caused by the glioblastoma made it where Dr. Morton could no longer fulfill his obligations to the teaching team or to the students. This presented an opportunity for Faye to step-in as a replacement for Dr. Morton.

There are two types of tumors, those that are benign (noncancerous) and those that are malignant (cancerous). Just because you have a benign tumor doesn’t mean it can’t be dangerous. For example, a benign tumor usually grows slow but it eventually grows to a size where it can exert pressure on a vital region of the brain, causing problems that can mimic other disease processes. But this isn’t Dr. Morton’s problem. He has a very fast-growing, aggressive tumor that is hard to treat.

One fateful morning, Faye inquires with Todd about Dr. Morton’s prognosis. Leave it to Todd to give Faye a lecture on the blood-brain-barrier before trying to put the moves on her. I guess Todd’s ramblings about proteins and capillary pores are his idea of foreplay.

Next time, join me for a lesson about small cell lung cancer. In The Blow-up Man, who was it that died of this disease? Bye for now, Nina B.

Science Lesson No. 3

According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. In The Blow-up Man, Todd is trying to get funding for his lab to explore the effects of xe51β to stunt the growth/division of prostate cancer cells (you don’t want the tumor to get bigger, right?). Endothelin can constrict your blood vessels, but it can also cause growth/division of prostate cancer cells. Since xe51β is an endothelin receptor antagonist, Todd hopes the drug will be an effective treatment to limit tumor progression as well.

His grant application is due the next day, but he’s doing a last-minute experiment to be included with the preliminary data he wants to submit. He’s trying to get up to the lab to help Faye with the final experiment, but Annette pulls one of her “stunts”. Annette knows Todd has a deadline, but she doesn’t come pick-up the kids like she said she was going to do, so Todd is left to stay at home and watch over them. Thanks to Faye, and her friend Vindeya Datta, the experiment gets completed, and the application submitted on time.

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer? There are generally no symptoms in the early stage of prostate cancer and is usually found with screening, such as PSA.  Problems urinating, blood in urine, erectile dysfunction, or bone pain to the hips, back, or chest can be seen in more advanced prostate cancer.

Join me next time when we discuss Dr. Morton’s brain cancer. Does anybody remember who he is? Bye for now, Nina B.

Scientific Lesson No. 2

In The Blow-up Man, we see that the compound Todd and Faye are working with is an endothelin receptor antagonist. What? Nina, slow down. Endothelin is produced by endothelial cells (remember, Scientific Lesson No. 1), and it constricts the blood vessels resulting in high blood pressure and heart disease.

I don’t know how many of you remember a plastic, pull-apart toy made by Tupperware called a Shape –O-Ball. It’s blue and red and comes with yellow shapes. Only square pieces fit into square holes and only triangle pieces fit into triangular holes, etc. Endothelin will fit into an endothelin receptor on vascular smooth muscle, just like a circle piece fits into a circle hole, constricting it. That’s how agonists and their receptors work. An antagonist to this receptor, like xe51β, is going to block that interaction and dilation of the blood vessel occurs.

There are different types of the same receptor and these are known as subtypes. It gets complicated. But did you know that snake venom called sarafotoxin also binds to one of these endothelin receptors resulting in vasoconstriction? Remember Faye’s dream where two snakes wrap around her ankles and then curl their way up her chest, constricting Faye’s ability to breathe? Coincidence…you decide.

Next time, join me when I discuss why Todd and Faye are working with prostate cancer cells. Bye for now, Nina B.

Science Lesson No. 1

Early in The Blow-up Man, we see that Todd’s research area is endothelial dysfunction. What’s that, you ask? Well, endothelial, or the endothelium, are cells that line the inside of our blood vessels, from the smallest capillaries to those of the heart. Endothelial dysfunction can be defined as a condition that promotes inflammation, clotting, and constrictive properties to these cells that fosters heart attack and stroke. In the healthy endothelium, an appropriate amount of nitric oxide is produced to keep our vessels dilated and our blood pressure from becoming too high.

But, did you know that Viagra® was originally tested as a drug to treat high blood pressure and chest pain associated with coronary heart disease? When Viagra®, then known as UK-92480, was tested in clinical trials, it didn’t prove effective in treating heart problems, but men reported an increase in erections after taking the test drug. Viagra® works by influencing the nitric oxide pathway, increasing the amount of it. This results in more blood flow and better erections.

The compound that Todd is testing, xe51β, also increases nitric oxide, but not in the same way as Viagra®. The biochemical pathways of the body are complex, and Todd and Faye have a lot of work ahead of them before they really understand how xe51β works.

Did you know that heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States for men and women? Each October, we are barraged with the color pink to raise our awareness of breast cancer. One day I asked my mentor, Dr. Margaret Weis, why there seemed to be such a media blitz to highlight breast cancer research when heart disease is the number one killer in women. I’ll never forget her response, “Because breast cancer is what scares women, but its heart disease that kills them.”

Join me next time for Science Lesson No. 2. Don’t forget to check out the book trailer for The Blow-up Man @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwM4cNlwYgU. Bye, Nina B.

Who’s Mrs. Carson?

Mrs. Margaret Carson is a woman who’s learning to live her life without her soul mate, Michael. Michael had bone cancer which is particularly painful. He hurried his death along by taking an overdose of his pain killer.

Margaret and Ella’s friendship grew from the seed of their loneliness. When things become too much at home, Ella rides her dilapidated bike a mile up the road to Mrs. Carson’s place where she finds comfort in the woman’s nurturing ways. As far as Margaret is concerned, she enjoys the company.

Is Annette supportive of Ella’s relationship with Mrs. Carson?  Well, Annette doesn’t want to put any effort into raising her children unless she gets something out of the deal, so she’s not going to object to someone else doing the work. But Annette does try to poison Ella’s mind against Mrs. Carson by suggesting that Margaret killed her husband. Ella’s smart enough to see through her mother’s hateful ploy and writes her mother’s comment off as being just another way to try and hurt her.

Margaret tries to be a good friend to Ella, but the girl’s constant complaining about her mother and her home life are sometimes too much for Margaret to handle. She thinks Ella is prone to exaggeration and just craves attention. But when Margaret suspects that Ella might be telling the truth, she springs into action.

Join me next time as I start to delve into the science of The Blow-up Man. Boring, you say? Did anybody guess what the PDE5 inhibitor that was referred to on page 9 was? The answer is Viagra. What’s boring about that? Nothing, I say…nothing.

Who is Father Sweeney?

Father Sweeney is a devoted God-fearing man. He wants to be holy, but he’s open to temptation—just like any other man. He approaches his vocation with enthusiasm, but he soon finds out, when he takes on the world’s problems, they begin to quickly weigh on his shoulders.

Angel shows up at St. Bartholomew’s an obviously troubled man. The young priest wants to help, but Angel won’t open up about what has him so distraught. In The Blow-up Man, Father Sweeney and Angel develop a strange type of kinship where the priest wants to save Angel, and Angel wants him to. But guess who gets in the way? That’s right, Annette. Does Father Sweeney have what it takes to go up against such a wicked woman as Annette or will he be drawn into her web?

Next time, join me as I take a look at Mrs. Margaret Carson, a friendly neighbor that lives up the road from the Dolce’s.  More than once, the widowed neighbor proves herself to be Ella’s champion against the girl’s vengeful mother.

Who is Angel?

It’s two days before Christmas—a perfect time to discuss Angel Maya. His mother told him that angels visited her during her pregnancy and foretold of his greatness. That’s what she might have wanted to believe, but Angel’s life is anything but blessed.

A product of his mother’s indiscretion and a man’s lust, Angel is someone that struggles to find his way. He’s far from perfect, but throughout the book, you’ll find yourself rooting for this ‘lost sheep’.

Angel is alone in the world. His mother is dead and his father is nowhere to be found. The jerk is just not around—he never was, leaving Angel to fend for himself. Angel’s life could’ve been so different if he just had a father to turn to, but he didn’t.

When life (and Annette) become too much, Angel finds refuge at the local Catholic church. Under the wing of Father Sweeney, Angel learns the power of God’s forgiveness. It’s a lesson for us all. With that, I’ll wish you a Merry Christmas, Nina B.

Who are Emma and Ella?

These are Todd and Annette’s twelve-year-old identical twin girls, but they couldn’t be more different. Emma didn’t fall far from Annette’s tree while Ella tends to favor her father’s reserved and more serious ways. Their shared physical traits stem from nature, but the differences in their personality seems to have emerged from the nurture side of things…or a lack thereof.

Annette favors Emma, who is most like herself, but Ella is a different story. Ella is Annette’s proverbial whipping boy. Ella often finds herself on the receiving end of Annette’s anger, resentment, and frustration.

How is Emma’s relationship with her sister, you ask. Well, the answer is…not good. Emma will often mimic her mother’s behavior, leaving Ella to feel unloved and alone.

Is there anybody in Ella’s corner, besides her father? Well, there is a neighbor woman down the road, but in the Dolce household, it’s Angel Maya (Annette’s live-in boyfriend) who defends the helpless girl from the mother’s verbal assaults and psychological beat-downs. He is a well-meaning soul that lost his way…right into Annette’s arms. Next time, I’ll discuss more about Angel. See you then, Nina B.