All you need to know about lymphoma

Swollen glands in the neck can be a sign of lymphoma

Chronic fatigue, repeated infections, weight loss and inflammation of one or more nodes are symptoms that should be taken into account, because you can hide the presence of lymphoma.

Lymphoma is a form of cancer affecting the lymphatic circulatory system that is part of the body's natural defense mechanism. This consists of a network of tiny channels, lymph vessels, through which the antibodies, cells that destroy viruses and bacteria. In case of lymphoma, there is an excessive multiplication of lymphocytes (which make up the lymph), which accumulates both lymph and of some organs
Not yet known the exact cause leading to the development of lymphoma. Immune system diseases are offending, serious infections, such as immunotherapy treatments, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. And exposure to solvents or pesticides could be to blame for the installation of this disease.

Symptoms may go unnoticed

Because of nonspecific symptoms, like chronic fatigue, fever, night sweats, weight loss and difficulty breathing may go unnoticed lymphoma.

An event you need to send a doctor is painless swelling of the glands in the neck, armpit or abdomen. Only microscopic examination of a lymph node in a biopsy allows the diagnosis and possibly the type of lymphoma.

90% at non-Hodgkin's type

There are two types of lymphoma: Hodgkin's lymphoma (lymph nodes in the neck, underarms and bikini area) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (case does not destroy tissue lymphomas, but thrive around bodies). Annually, the world record 62,000 new cases of Hodgkin lymphoma and 25,000 results in death. In contrast, non-Hodgkin's form is 90 percent of the total cases of lymphoma. The world occur each year 286,000 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 161,000 deaths are recorded.

Depending on the disease, non-Hodgkin lymphomas are also divided into two categories: slow-moving (indolent) and fast-moving (aggressive). Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma requires immediate treatment, or life expectancy ranging from six months to two years. In case of indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a slower spread of cancer cells in the body leads to a longer life expectancy, those affected may live 10 years with this condition. To assist those who have non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was created www.viataculimfom.ro site.

What is therapy

In case of Hodgkin's lymphoma, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are indicated. In contrast, treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy, radiotherapy, biological therapy, and sometimes in bone marrow transplant.

When aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, standard chemotherapy is effective in about four out of ten patients.

Lymphoma is the generic name for cancer of the lymphatic system. There are non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma and lymphocytic leukemia. Symptoms of this type of pathology are: painless peripheral adenopathy (ie, peripheral lymph swelling), fever and weight loss over 10 percent. Also, there may be pallor and fatigue, bleeding and bruising, headache, nausea and respiratory tract infections.

As methods of treatment using radiotherapy, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant or stem cell therapy, monoclonal antibodies, lymphocytes or activated NK cells or vaccines induce specific immunity against tumor cells. Thanks to modern therapies, the cure rate is good. For example, with proper treatment, approximately 85 percent of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma are curable.

Chronicity in Strongyloides stercoralis Infections: Dichotomy of the Protective Immune Response to Infective and Autoinfective Larvae in a Mouse Model

Richard A. Brigandi, Harris L. Rotman, Thomas J. Nolan, Gerhard A. Schad AND David Abraham
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Strongyloidiasis is an intestinal disease that can last for decades due to the occurrence of autoinfective larvae (L3a) in an infected person, which contribute to the maintenance of the population of adult worms in the intestine. The goal of the present study was to determine if L3a are susceptible to the protective immunity that targets the infective stage of the worm, the third-stage larvae (L3). Mice immunized and challenged with Strongyloides stercoralis L3 kill more than 90% of challenge larvae contained within diffusion chambers. The L3 do not remain antigenically static in mice, however, but undergo some degree of antigenic change before they are killed, becoming host-activated larvae (L3+). The L3/L3+ are killed in this model system by the combined effects of both parasite-specific IgM and eosinophils. Mice immunized with L3 were able to kill L3/L3+, but did not kill L3a, in challenge infections. Eosinophils were, however, present in diffusion chambers containing L3a, and IgM bound to the surface of L3a. We hypothesized that differential IgM recognition of soluble L3a, L3, and L3+ antigens is the reason why the immune response generated against L3 could not kill L3a. Many common antigens on L3, L3+, and L3a were recognized by serum from mice immunized with L3, as determined by immunoblotting. However, several unique L3, L3+, and L3a antigens were also recognized by immune serum, thus indicating that antigen recognition with IgM antibodies is different between the L3, L3+, and L3a stages. This difference in antigen recognition could explain why L3a are able to evade the immune response that targets L3/L3+ in chronically infected hosts.

How to Treat Influenza

Influenza is one of the most common contagious diseases. Known more commonly as the flu, influenza is a viral infection that's spread through tiny germs. Influenza can affect people in a host of different ways, including sneezing, coughing and physical exhaustion. In addition to the steps you can take to prevent exposing yourself to influenza germs, there are several ways to treat the disease once you've been stricken.

Instructions

1. 1
   Get plenty of nourishing rest. Call in sick and spend as much of the day in bed as possible. By sleeping and resting, you'll allow your body's natural immune system plenty of opportunities to fight influenza on its own.
   
2. 2
   Drink lots of fluids. Stay away from alcoholic beverages, as alcohol can inhibit your body's ability to recover. Drink plenty of clear fluids, and look for drinks that are rich in vitamins and other nutrients.
   
3. 3
   Ask your doctor to prescribe an antibiotic to treat any bacterial complications that frequently occur when suffering from influenza. Your doctor will prescribe a regiment of pills to be taken over a specified period of time. Even if your symptoms ease, you'll need to continue the antibiotic schedule to completion.
   
4. 4
   Report to your doctor as soon as possible, and see about getting a prescription for drugs like Amantadine or Rimantadine. These medications have been approved to treat certain kinds of influenza. You can also take these drugs as a preventative step to guard against the risk of influenza exposure.
   

Tips & Warnings

• The best way to prevent the risk of contracting influenza is by getting a vaccination shot. Flu shots are available without charge for high-risk individuals. Vaccinations are covered by Medicare.
• Children and the elderly are especially susceptible to influenza. Though healthy adults are likely to recover from the flu with relative ease, young kids and seniors citizens may have more difficulties overcoming the illness, putting them at risk for other illnesses.
• People who suffer from diabetes, asthma or heart diseases need to be more attentive to the risk of influenza exposure. The flu can aggravate these other medical conditions, making it more difficult to recover.
• Some forms of influenza drugs can have undesirable side effects, such as depression, upset stomach or difficulty sleeping. These side effects are relatively mild and often subside quickly.

What is Cancer? What Causes Cancer?

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected.
Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign.
More dangerous, or malignant, tumors form when two things occur:

1. a cancerous cell manages to move throughout the body using the blood or lymph systems, destroying healthy tissue in a process called invasion
2. that cell manages to divide and grow, making new blood vessels to feed itself in a process called angiogenesis.

When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself is called metastasis, and the result is a serious condition that is very difficult to treat.
In 2007, cancer claimed the lives of about 7.6 million people in the world. Physicians and researchers who specialize in the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer are called oncologists.

What causes cancer?

Cancer is ultimately the result of cells that uncontrollably grow and do not die. Normal cells in the body follow an orderly path of growth, division, and death. Programmed cell death is called apoptosis, and when this process breaks down, cancer begins to form. Unlike regular cells, cancer cells do not experience programmatic death and instead continue to grow and divide. This leads to a mass of abnormal cells that grows out of control.

Genes - the DNA type

Cells can experience uncontrolled growth if there are damages or mutations to DNA, and therefore, damage to the genes involved in cell division. Four key types of gene are responsible for the cell division process: oncogenes tell cells when to divide, tumor suppressor genes tell cells when not to divide, suicide genes control apoptosis and tell the cell to kill itself if something goes wrong, and DNA-repair genes instruct a cell to repair damaged DNA.
Cancer occurs when a cell's gene mutations make the cell unable to correct DNA damage and unable to commit suicide. Similarly, cancer is a result of mutations that inhibit oncogene and tumor suppressor gene function, leading to uncontrollable cell growth.

Carcinogens

Carcinogens are a class of substances that are directly responsible for damaging DNA, promoting or aiding cancer. Tobacco, asbestos, arsenic, radiation such as gamma and x-rays, the sun, and compounds in car exhaust fumes are all examples of carcinogens. When our bodies are exposed to carcinogens, free radicals are formed that try to steal electrons from other molecules in the body. Theses free radicals damage cells and affect their ability to function normally.

Genes - the family type

Cancer can be the result of a genetic predisposition that is inherited from family members. It is possible to be born with certain genetic mutations or a fault in a gene that makes one statistically more likely to develop cancer later in life.

Other medical factors

As we age, there is an increase in the number of possible cancer-causing mutations in our DNA. This makes age an important risk factor for cancer. Several viruses have also been linked to cancer such as: human papillomavirus (a cause of cervical cancer), hepatitis B and C (causes of liver cancer), and Epstein-Barr virus (a cause of some childhood cancers). Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - and anything else that suppresses or weakens the immune system - inhibits the body's ability to fight infections and increases the chance of developing cancer.

What are the symptoms of cancer?

Cancer symptoms are quite varied and depend on where the cancer is located, where it has spread, and how big the tumor is. Some cancers can be felt or seen through the skin - a lump on the breast or testicle can be an indicator of cancer in those locations. Skin cancer (melanoma) is often noted by a change in a wart or mole on the skin. Some oral cancers present white patches inside the mouth or white spots on the tongue.
Other cancers have symptoms that are less physically apparent. Some brain tumors tend to present symptoms early in the disease as they affect important cognitive functions. Pancreas cancers are usually too small to cause symptoms until they cause pain by pushing against nearby nerves or interfere with liver function to cause a yellowing of the skin and eyes called jaundice. Symptoms also can be created as a tumor grows and pushes against organs and blood vessels. For example, colon cancers lead to symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, and changes in stool size. Bladder or prostate cancers cause changes in bladder function such as more frequent or infrequent urination.
As cancer cells use the body's energy and interfere with normal hormone function, it is possible to present symptoms such as fever, fatigue, excessive sweating, anemia, and unexplained weight loss. However, these symptoms are common in several other maladies as well. For example, coughing and hoarseness can point to lung or throat cancer as well as several other conditions.
When cancer spreads, or metastasizes, additional symptoms can present themselves in the newly affected area. Swollen or enlarged lymph nodes are common and likely to be present early. If cancer spreads to the brain, patients may experience vertigo, headaches, or seizures. Spreading to the lungs may cause coughing and shortness of breath. In addition, the liver may become enlarged and cause jaundice and bones can become painful, brittle, and break easily. Symptoms of metastasis ultimately depend on the location to which the cancer has spread.

How is cancer classified?

There are five broad groups that are used to classify cancer.

1. Carcinomas are characterized by cells that cover internal and external parts of the body such as lung, breast, and colon cancer.
2. Sarcomas are characterized by cells that are located in bone, cartilage, fat, connective tissue, muscle, and other supportive tissues.
3. Lymphomas are cancers that begin in the lymph nodes and immune system tissues.
4. Leukemias are cancers that begin in the bone marrow and often accumulate in the bloodstream.
5. Adenomas are cancers that arise in the thyroid, the pituitary gland, the adrenal gland, and other glandular tissues.

Cancers are often referred to by terms that contain a prefix related to the cell type in which the cancer originated and a suffix such as -sarcoma, -carcinoma, or just -oma. Common prefixes include:

• Adeno- = gland
• Chondro- = cartilage
• Erythro- = red blood cell
• Hemangio- = blood vessels
• Hepato- = liver
• Lipo- = fat
• Lympho- = white blood cell
• Melano- = pigment cell
• Myelo- = bone marrow
• Myo- = muscle
• Osteo- = bone
• Uro- = bladder
• Retino- = eye
• Neuro- = brain

How is cancer diagnosed and staged?

Early detection of cancer can greatly improve the odds of successful treatment and survival. Physicians use information from symptoms and several other procedures to diagnose cancer. Imaging techniques such as X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans, and ultrasound scans are used regularly in order to detect where a tumor is located and what organs may be affected by it. Doctors may also conduct an endoscopy, which is a procedure that uses a thin tube with a camera and light at one end, to look for abnormalities inside the body.
Extracting cancer cells and looking at them under a microscope is the only absolute way to diagnose cancer. This procedure is called a biopsy. Other types of molecular diagnostic tests are frequently employed as well. Physicians will analyze your body's sugars, fats, proteins, and DNA at the molecular level. For example, cancerous prostate cells release a higher level of a chemical called PSA (prostate-specific antigen) into the bloodstream that can be detected by a blood test. Molecular diagnostics, biopsies, and imaging techniques are all used together to diagnose cancer. 
After a diagnosis is made, doctors find out how far the cancer has spread and determine the stage of the cancer. The stage determines which choices will be available for treatment and informs prognoses. The most common cancer staging method is called the TNM system. T (1-4) indicates the size and direct extent of the primary tumor, N (0-3) indicates the degree to which the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, and M (0-1) indicates whether the cancer has metastasized to other organs in the body. A small tumor that has not spread to lymph nodes or distant organs may be staged as (T1, N0, M0), for example.
TNM descriptions then lead to a simpler categorization of stages, from 0 to 4, where lower numbers indicate that the cancer has spread less. While most Stage 1 tumors are curable, most Stage 4 tumors are inoperable or untreatable.

How is cancer treated?

Cancer treatment depends on the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer (how much it has spread), age, health status, and additional personal characteristics. There is no single treatment for cancer, and patients often receive a combination of therapies and palliative care. Treatments usually fall into one of the following categories: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, or gene therapy.

Surgery

Surgery is the oldest known treatment for cancer. If a cancer has not metastasized, it is possible to completely cure a patient by surgically removing the cancer from the body. This is often seen in the removal of the prostate or a breast or testicle. After the disease has spread, however, it is nearly impossible to remove all of the cancer cells. Surgery may also be instrumental in helping to control symptoms such as bowel obstruction or spinal cord compression.

Radiation

Radiation treatment, also known as radiotherapy, destroys cancer by focusing high-energy rays on the cancer cells. This causes damage to the molecules that make up the cancer cells and leads them to commit suicide. Radiotherapy utilizes high-energy gamma-rays that are emitted from metals such as radium or high-energy x-rays that are created in a special machine. Early radiation treatments caused severe side-effects because the energy beams would damage normal, healthy tissue, but technologies have improved so that beams can be more accurately targeted. Radiotherapy is used as a standalone treatment to shrink a tumor or destroy cancer cells (including those associated with leukemia and lymphoma), and it is also used in combination with other cancer treatments.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy utilizes chemicals that interfere with the cell division process - damaging proteins or DNA - so that cancer cells will commit suicide. These treatments target any rapidly dividing cells (not necessarily just cancer cells), but normal cells usually can recover from any chemical-induced damage while cancer cells cannot. Chemotherapy is generally used to treat cancer that has spread or metastasized because the medicines travel throughout the entire body. It is a necessary treatment for some forms of leukemia and lymphoma. Chemotherapy treatment occurs in cycles so the body has time to heal between doses. However, there are still common side effects such as hair loss, nausea, fatigue, and vomiting. Combination therapies often include multiple types of chemotherapy or chemotherapy combined with other treatment options.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy aims to get the body's immune system to fight the tumor. Local immunotherapy injects a treatment into an affected area, for example, to cause inflammation that causes a tumor to shrink. Systemic immunotherapy treats the whole body by administering an agent such as the protein interferon alpha that can shrink tumors. Immunotherapy can also be considered non-specific if it improves cancer-fighting abilities by stimulating the entire immune system, and it can be considered targeted if the treatment specifically tells the immune system to destroy cancer cells. These therapies are relatively young, but researchers have had success with treatments that introduce antibodies to the body that inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells. Bone marrow transplantation (hematopoetic stem cell transplantation) can also be considered immunotherapy because the donor's immune cells will often attack the tumor or cancer cells that are present in the host.

Hormone therapy

Several cancers have been linked to some types of hormones, most notably breast and prostate cancer. Hormone therapy is designed to alter hormone production in the body so that cancer cells stop growing or are killed completely. Breast cancer hormone therapies often focus on reducing estrogen levels (a common drug for this is tamoxifen) and prostate cancer hormone therapies often focus on reducing testosterone levels. In addition, some leukemia and lymphoma cases can be treated with the hormone cortisone.

Gene therapy

The goal of gene therapy is to replace damaged genes with ones that work to address a root cause of cancer: damage to DNA. For example, researchers are trying to replace the damaged gene that signals cells to stop dividing (the p53 gene) with a copy of a working gene. Other gene-based therapies focus on further damaging cancer cell DNA to the point where the cell commits suicide. Gene therapy is a very young field and has not yet resulted in any successful treatments.

How can cancer be prevented?

Cancers that are closely linked to certain behaviors are the easiest to prevent. For example, choosing not to smoke tobacco or drink alcohol significantly lower the risk of several types of cancer - most notably lung, throat, mouth, and liver cancer. Even if you are a current tobacco user, quitting can still greatly reduce your chances of getting cancer.
Skin cancer can be prevented by staying in the shade, protecting yourself with a hat and shirt when in the sun, and using sunscreen. Diet is also an important part of cancer prevention since what we eat has been linked to the disease. Physicians recommend diets that are low in fat and rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
Certain vaccinations have been associated with the prevention of some cancers. For example, many women receive a vaccination for the human papillomavirus because of the virus's relationship with cervical cancer. Hepatitis B vaccines prevent the hepatitis B virus, which can cause liver cancer.
Some cancer prevention is based on systematic screening in order to detect small irregularities or tumors as early as possible even if there are no clear symptoms present. Breast self-examination, mammograms, testicular self-examination, and Pap smears are common screening methods for various cancers.

 

 

After Multiple Procedures

The longer a patient is under general anesthesia, the longer the recovery period after.  This is because anesthesia strongly affects the cardiovascular system.  For this reason, there are some surgeons who prefer having to put their patients through surgery only once for a longer duration.  Soreness is generally greater after multiple procedures, and swelling usually lingers longer, therefore the option of more than one procedure during a single session is only an option for those who have adequate time to recover.  On the flip side, some surgeons wish to perform procedures on their patients one at time so that the progress can be gauged after each surgery, and the next can be altered, where necessary, to produce better, more directed results.   
Whichever option you choose, as always, you should do so carefully.  Select board certified physicians, allow for sufficient recovery time, and always follow your doctor's instructions as closely as possible. 

In this cultural climate where the cosmetic surgery boom meets the reality T.V. craze, doctors are enjoying an increase of patients at their front door.  This doesn't always translate to success, however, if the patient's expectations hover over the realm of the possible. Now is the time for patients to be educated, prepared and willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes.     

What You Need to Know About Multiple Cosmetic Procedures

On Extreme Makeover patients are getting several procedures done during a single session.  Sessions such as these occurred in rare numbers before the show aired, but now more and more patients are walking into their plastic surgeons with a wish list, wanting three or more procedures at a time.  Another new trend; they know the name of the procedures they want performed.  Before they knew the problem they wanted corrected, they had bags under their eyes and wanted that fixed, now they come in asking for blepharoplasty (eye lid surgery).  
For the most part, surgeons are willing to perform more than one procedure at a given time, but the general consensus is that more than six hours under general anesthesia is too great a risk. In the July/August issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Dr. W. Grant Stevens and two colleagues published the results of a study comparing abdominoplasty surgery performed with no other surgeries with the same procedure in conjunction with one or two others.  The results showed no significant difference in adverse effects.  Many surgeons agree that multiple surgeries are a viable possibility if the patient's health warrants it; after all, safety is the main concern.  Skeptics like Dr. Charles E. Hughes III, who wrote a rebuttal to Stevens' study in the same issue, are fearful that others might not have similar success, as more time on the operating table equals increased risk.  

Plastic Surgery

In earlier years, plastic surgery was seen as Hollywood extravagance, and most people marveled at the facial and body changes and unnatural youthful appearance of celebrities like Joan Rivers.  Now this couldn't be farther from the case.  With financing options now available, plastic surgery has worked its way into new markets including men and the middle class, and most patients are very open about the procedures that they have had done, often having coming out parties to show off their new look.

With around 8.7 million cosmetic procedures performed in 2003, and most patients happy with their results, it is evident that plastic and cosmetic surgery can mean success for prepared patients.  Last year numbers reached an all time high, and with the dramatic increase in procedures like body contouring after bariatric surgery and buttocks implants, operations that reflect the latest cultural shifts, the numbers only promise to grow.

Cosmetic Surgery Organizations React

Of course education and understanding expected results are something plastic surgeons have been preaching to their patients for years.  Not surprisingly, shortly after plastic surgery reality T.V. shows like this one, The Swan, and I Want A Famous Face, most cosmetic surgery organizations, including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) have issued statements urging patients to be reasonable and educated when choosing elective surgery.  As the marketplace expands and advances, and with media attention and television programs that portray either incredible success or surgical disaster, it is no wonder that patient education is seen as a top priority for most cosmetic organizations.
James Wells, former president of the ASPS further emphasized this point; quoted in an April 2004 article for National Geographic as saying "These shows (The Swan and I Want A Famous Face) are in very bad taste.  They really tread on the insecurities of the patient."  Wells offered his early endorsement of Extreme Makeover in 2002 because practicing surgeons were given final permission to veto potential patients, and because he believes it offers a more realistic impression, following patients from consultation through the follow-up.

Extreme Attention To Cosmetic Surgery Makeover

Ten thousand applicants tried for a spot on Extreme Makeover's second season.  The popular T.V. show is one in a line of many other reality programs and primetime dramas that take a look at the world of cosmetic surgery.  On Extreme Makeover, participants are away from their families for several weeks, during which time they undergo a number of different cosmetic procedures, and meet with personal trainers and fashion consultants who teach them how to uphold their improved look.  A good portion of the weeks away is spent recovering from surgery and working with makeover specialists.
The show emphasizes the willingness of the participants to stick to a regimented exercise and diet plan.  Also, because the surgeons used for the show are given final veto power over the participants, they have realistic expectations of what will happen after surgery and are willing to do whatever it takes.

The Worlds Worst Disease

Still here? Then be prepared to have your mind altered and your outlook changed. You are about to take a major step towards personal freedom.

Once upon a time there was this man called Adam, he was created and placed in the Garden of Eden to live happily ever after. There was only one rule, do not eat from the tree of knowledge. Well he did and now the world has a lot more rules. You do realize that the story of Adam and Eve is an allegory, don't you?

Remember for whom the first five books of the Bible were written for; a bunch of minimally educated slaves who had been freed from their servitude. Moses, the writer of these five books known as the Torah, was highly educated, taught by the Egyptians as a child of royalty. He did read from the library in Alexandria, and he had a lot of information unavailable to any of his people. He knew many things that we are just now rediscovering.

The problem, he realized, was that these people now needed to be educated and he had to keep it simple for those who did not have the same education that he did. You cannot explain rocket science to a three year old, you just say the rocket makes noise and then flies away. So it was with them, Moses had to keep it simple. To show that the story is just that, a story, there are many in-congruencies, for example when the brothers have their fight and one kills the other then we see that offending brother leaves his parents and goes to the city... An editorial mistake on the part of Moses? Not really he was writing an allegory, telling a story to make a point. God obviously made more than the initial pair of humans, just look at the races, if we all came from one set of humans, then why are there seven distinct races of human beings? So just how many people did God make? The answer is simple, he made all of them. The point here is not debating human creation, it is that the Garden of Eden story is an allegory, a story told with symbolic representations of a deeper spiritual meaning.

Let us continue with this allegory theory a bit further, so when God made man he said "let us make man in our own image", not make man in my image; but our image. So that implies more than a single entity. The next mind blowing part is what is the image of a formless being? If it was two arms, two legs, and a head then the monkeys should have been enough, rather it was something else the One created. The Source created conscious beings.

Did you catch that? The one God, the Source, created consciousness, and put it into human bodies. Consciousness exists, it does not evolve; it is the phenomenon that the humans have that the animal kingdom doesn't. Sure animals are intelligent, and able to perform many tasks that they learn, but they can not produce value.

Animals are consumers; they live by sacrificing each other to each other. They do not produce any tangible assets or physical values. They exist only to procreate and consume. They do not try to improve their lives by building better dens or shelters, they do not worry about fashions or jewelry, they only concern themselves with the next meal, and so on and so on. Not one other animal in the history of this planet has learned to write and build. If you think there is, please point me towards the reference that can show me ancient writings of a different species, or their ancient dwellings. No, only humans have done these things, we humans are the only animal on this planet that has consciousness, the ability to use the mind to know information.

The conscious mind needs no evolving to understand anything in existence. There is much that is unknown, but there is nothing that is unknowable. Knowledge is obtainable; it can be discovered, as well as generated. Once the correct knowledge is obtained the conscious being can do anything.
So what is God? First we need a base definition, with so many different beliefs and philosophies it may seem impossible. Once again, nothing is unknowable; it seems that all religions, from eastern to western, all agree that God is the controller of the universe. Now realize this; the controller, is an individual. Sure the one is a supreme being whose existence we can not comprehend yet, but nevertheless an individual.

Now when you have a relationship with an individual it is a uniquely distinctive interaction. The relationship whether it is as simple as friendship, or as deep as romantic involvement, is experienced differently by each individual. Try to share emotions with someone; you can't. What makes you happy may only make someone else mildly amused, or what you consider humorous another would consider blasphemy. Emotions are experienced by the individual, as personally exclusive to that one person.
So it is with your relationship with the One, the Creator, the Controller, the Source, God. Your relationship is your relationship; you can not explain or rationalize to another person your relationship. Sure you can use general terms like friendship, or love, but nothing concrete. Can you explain the love you feel for your spouse, your kids, or anyone else you care about? Probably not, you would use the term love, but you could not explain exactly what that was or is, as you are trying to explain an emotion. So far emotions are pretty much definition free as words would never be able to do them justice.