Category Archives: Health

Vive le Weekend!

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Albeit a short weekend, it’s still a day off! As of this moment, I have 37.5 hours left before I have to clock in again. About 14 of those hours will be spent sleeping. How much can I do in 23 hours? For starters: this blog post!

There are so many things I need to get done. One might think that just because you have time off work, you must spend all of that time doing personal things that need to get done. I protest! I think it’s important to spend at least half of your time off doing things you enjoy doing as well. I enjoy being lazy resting. I just worked 11 days in a row, including 50 hours in the past six days. I think some rest is not only well-deserved but downright necessary!

I have a couple of movies I bought for $1.99 each at a nearby Blockbuster that’s closing. I plan on watching at least one of those. I also must give my seriously neglected camera a workout. I long to create a new piece of jewelry, too. However, you can’t force creativity to happen in a small window of time. So that may not happen … unless I watch movies at the same time. I do enjoy multitasking!

The main things I need to do are office related (including taxes). After working so much, personal office work is the last thing I want to do, though. :roll:

Nope! Twenty-three hours is just not enough time! Once a new manager is in place and the new staff is put on the weekend schedule, I think I might press for a full 4×10 work schedule so I can have my Sundays back. Having a full two days off in a row is more important to one’s mental well-being than I realized.

Vive le weekend!

Rethinking Goals and Schedules

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After two (or has it been three?) weeks in a row of mandatory five hours overtime with a max of ten (and of course, I do the full ten), I decided to take my full day off yesterday and not start before my scheduled late start time today. I didn’t even touch my own computer in that time. Refreshing and relaxing!

Experiencing that feeling made me want to rethink my goals and schedules. To get everything done, I generally multitask or switch gears quickly several times per day. My goal of five blog posts per week is now ridiculous in my head. I mean, who am I posting for? Why is it important to gather “followers” to my blog? What self satisfaction do I really get from that? I’d like to think that someone out there finds helpful information in some of my posts, but often, I post to ramble. So my goal is now modified to three posts per week. My weekly photo self assignments has been modified to at least twice per month.

Finally, I’m still pushing for a modified work schedule. The 4×10 (four ten-hour days) schedule is becoming more popular and has been mentioned as a possibility for the department I work in as well. Since I work two half days per week, I’ve suggested a twist on this for myself: 3×10 + 2×5. So five hours on Sunday afternoons and Wednesdays, and ten hours on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays with Thursdays off. Then I would still work the first Saturday (ten hours) of each month in exchange for the preceding Monday off. Ten hour days may sound like a lot to some of you reading, but I’d rather get work out of the way like this and get an extra day off to relax and feel more like this…

P.S. I clocked in today to find that we now have mandatory overtime of TEN hours overtime this week. It’s a good thing I already worked an extra two hours on Sunday. :)

Sick

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What happens when you’re sick and shorthanded at work? If you’re me (and I am), you work 9.5 hours in your PJs and robe! This should absolutely count as going beyond expectations.

Me today…

Knee Pain

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I’ve always had this feeling that whenever somebody complains about something hurting, they’re perceived as whiners and just need to get over it. So I generally don’t complain too much about pain or make a big deal of it. Instead, I try to push through the pain without making a lot of noise about it.

I’ve mentioned my knee pain before, then I just let it go. It started late September, and I thought it was finally starting to do better. That was until I walked around the zoo yesterday and regretted it later that night and still today. The same spot on my left knee, low and to the inside, KILLS! It’s worse going downhill or down stairs than up.

I will eventually go to the doctor. I’ve been once before. I’m pretty sure it’s chondromalacia patella. They sent me to physical therapy, where they discovered there were many things I couldn’t do because it caused more pain. It was a waste of time and money.

To really see what’s going on, they may want more than an x-ray (affordable with insurance) like an MRI (not-so-affordable even with insurance). If they find that it’s not something easily fixed with R.I.C.E. and physical therapy and can only really be relieved with surgery, that’s also not-so-affordable even with insurance! We just finally got out from under monthly payments on medical bills. I don’t want to have to make them again. I would feel guilty putting yet another expensive burden on our already tight budget.

That’s not the worst of it, either. The pain is one thing, but the frustration over the resulting limitations is another. This affects my photography as it limits my motion. I like to get down low for angles not normally seen. That’s now extremely difficult. I like to get out and go places that require a lot of walking. Yesterday proved that to be painfully regrettable. I can easily see how people who suffer debilitating injuries can become depressed. :(

So, yes, this knee pain I have is having a pretty big negative affect on me. I try not to complain about it, but I’ve been stuffing it down for so long that I had to let it out here. IT HURTS! It’s not an excuse to get out of things, which should be apparent by the fact that I try to do things in spite of it. It’s not a ploy to get pity attention because I loathe that type of attention. I’m just tired of trying to pretend that it doesn’t exist.

Now that I got that out of my system for the moment, maybe I can get back to my regularly scheduled programming … work, work, and more work. :P

Sick Today, Gone Tomorrow

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Does this ever happen to you? You feel that ache all over, and your throat starts to hurt, and you just know you’re going to be miserably sick for at least a week. But wait! You wake up the next day, and your body’s all, “PSYCHE!” You feel completely fine! I searched the internet for this, and while there were no solid answers, there were many replies stating the exact same thing happens to others. A complete mystery!

However, we all know the story of the boy who cried wolf. So I’m popping open a can of chicken noodle soup and taking my ass to bed early tonight.

Turner Syndrome | 13 Months After Diagnosis

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On Tuesday, September 20, Ali saw the endocrinologist for a routine visit. Another inch! She is now 4’11″ and though the doctor was ready to recommend continuing the growth hormone shots, Ali said she’d rather not. She’s just done with it. She’s happy that she made it to the height her pediatrician had predicted when she was very young. She has noticed growth in her hands and feet, which is something that can continue to happen even after reaching maximum height. So no more daily growth hormone shots! The estradiol (estrogen replacement) will remain at 0.5 mg every other day for now, which the doctor said could still be working on its own to cause a little continued growth. If it gets her to an even five feet, great! If not, she’s perfectly fine with where she is now.

We went to Children’s at Parker Adventist this morning for a blood draw. Time for an annual check for cholesterol, diabetes, thyroid, and celiac disease. These tests were all normal last year, and we have no reason to believe they’ll turn out any different this time.

I don’t post a lot about this because Turner Syndrome doesn’t define who Ali is. It’s something that exists in her life, but it is not her life. Laughter, kindness, and theater are her life. :D I’m very proud of how she has handled all of this knowledge. As flabbergasting as it may be, we know there are far worse things that she could be dealing with. She’s happy, healthy, and active with no abnormal limitations. That is a fortunate thing!

If your interested in my first post about this, which includes a lot of details, you can read it here.

Miracle Party | Survivors and Angels

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Childhood Cancer

As we watch our children grow and marvel at their accomplishments and milestones, there are other parents who will never see as many of those milestones achieved by their children because they’ve lost their children to childhood cancer. It’s hard to think of a young child lying in a hospital bed battling cancer while our own children of the same age are outside playing, participating in sports, dancing, performing in the theater, riding a bike, running around the park – the list goes on and on!

Once a year, something so special happens here in Denver for the children battling cancer and for the families of little angels: Miracle Party

To help make this happen, you can VOTE in the Pepsi Refresh program. The ideas that make it to the top 15 get the money. Miracle Party is currently at 22, and voting continues through the end of August.

I leave you with this video from the 2010 Miracle Party:

Nine Months After Diagnosis: Turner Syndrome

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Our story started long before the diagnosis nine months ago, but that is the official starting point now. This morning we went to see the endocrinologist for a follow-up appointment. She sent us down to radiology to get yet another bone age scan of Ali’s wrist. The doctor called not much more than an hour later and told me that the bones had barely budged (still some room for growth), but that they appear thinner. Lower than normal bone density for her age has been a concern since Ali was three years old. Yet another piece of the puzzle along with several others that no other doctor ever put together before I finally spoke up a little louder last spring.

With this information, the doctor recommended continuing the same dose of growth hormone shots daily (what a trooper!) as well as begin a low dose of estrogen, in pill form, every other day for the next four months until we go in for another appointment. The doc hopes to avoid the bones closing too quickly by starting with a lower dose of estrogen but at the same time reap some bone strengthening benefit of the hormone. As long as the growth plates are fully closed, she wants to continue the growth hormone for any possible extra boost in growth. Her current height is 4’10″. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if it’s at all possible to get a little more height in this world that seems to be built for average to tall people, then why not? It’s easy to say, “Accept me just as I am!” But the truth of the matter is, most people really don’t. I know first-hand that looking younger than you really are when you’re ready to start taking on the world is a real pain in the ass. People don’t seem to take you seriously or give you a second thought because they assume you’re so much younger than you are. It’s no wonder we short people have to have such booming personalities!

We also found out that Ali’s case was presented at a quarterly conference! Her karyotype is about a mile long and one of the most complicated forms of Turner Syndrome out there. Her “condition” has reached celebrity status. I wish it had reached this status years ago. I know we can’t change the past, and it’s not going to help wondering about the “what ifs” but as a mother who only wants the best for her kids, I can’t help but feel disappointed in the medical profession for not recognizing all of these things and recommending genetic testing years ago. Maybe, just maybe, we could have been past this point and well into estrogen replacement therapy by now with all the benefits thereof in full swing.

For those who stumbled upon my blog post via internet search results, feel free to leave a comment to let us know what brought you here. I notice a lot of searches for the phrase “Turner Syndrome pictures”. I was equally curious but also relieved to find that hardly any photos found as a result fit Ali at all. Maxillofacial structure matches a little, but that’s really it. She’s a beautiful young lady with inner beauty to match! Shame on anyone who can’t or doesn’t take the time to see that in her. Our bodies are but a vessel; it’s our spirit … our soul that makes us who we are. Anything else is just a perk or an inconvenience – sometimes both in a strange sort of way.

Keep being strong, Ali-Bali! We love you!!! ♫ Princess Ali, Ali-ah-she, Ali-ah-bah-bwa! Genuflect, show some respect, down on one knee. ♫ (Quick! Can anyone name the movie I modified those words from??? …and Ali, you’re not allowed to play this one!)

Cancer Awareness | Breast, Prostate, Skin, Colon, but Where is Lung?

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I want to let you know upfront that I am about to express my strong opinion in this post. If you are easily offended or quick to send a defensive retort, then it’s probably best that you close this page now and don’t look back.

Breast cancer awareness dominates the airways. Public Service Announcements abound. Races for the cure happen all over the place. It is the #1 cancer found in women. There are even PSAs for Prostate cancer – the #1 cancer found in men. I’ve seen and heard spots on colon (colorectal) and even skin cancer. However there is very little going on to raise awareness of lung cancer, which is the #2 cancer found in both men and women. I want to see this killer get equal face time right up there with breast cancer. Pink, pink, pink – I see pink ribbons, shirts, and hats all over the place. I have family members who’ve battled this and, fortunately, have won! There are many more with lung cancer that don’t win their battles, though.

Early detection is a huge reason for breast cancer survival, and we are reminded all the time how important breast self exams (BSEs) are in early detection. We need to support such research for early detection of lung cancer. Detection at earlier stages greatly increases the chances or survival or, at the very least, to survive longer than a year or less as is often the case with late-stage detection. My dad lived only five months after detection, and he had a lot of “what if” and “should have” thoughts.

Even before detection needs to be a thought in your head, prevention is more important! For those who don’t have time or wouldn’t give a thought to clicking that link, here’s some interesting information from that page:

When Smokers Quit – What Are the Benefits Over Time?

20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drops.

12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.

1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.

1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.

5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.

10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker’s. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease.

15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s.

~ from American Cancer Society

I smoked on and off (more on than off) for a total of about 13 years. I quit cold turkey when I was 27 (that’s 17 years ago). Even before I started smoking, I had been exposed to second-hand smoke my entire life. That’s more than half my life so far exposed to smoke daily. {Please note that I am not trying to make anyone feel badly here.} So hopefully, everything in that list above now applies to me! If you’re in your 40s, 50s, 60s, or beyond, don’t think it’s too late to make any difference. Don’t think that if you’ve made it this long, you may as well die enjoying your death sticks. As early as one month after quitting, you can feel a big difference and have more energy. That alone would be worth it to me!

Why not add yet another tax to packs of cigarettes (1$ per pack) that is designated to fund lung cancer research? I like that idea! Do you want to see something interesting? I’m going to show you anyway! I found a breakdown of the price of cigarettes by state. The average price, all states considered, is $5.51 per pack. Smokers in New York pay $8.97 per pack! :O That is freakin’ INSANE! Think about it… if the average smoker smokes one pack per day, that’s about $270 per month! On average, using the same numbers, smokers are spending about $165 every month (that’s damn near $2000 per year) to smoke one pack per day. Why?! I just don’t get it! You can’t tell me, “You’re not a smoker; you don’t know.” I was a smoker; I do know! When I smoked, I thought it was relaxing. At the same time, if I smoked too much, I felt jittery. Contradiction!

OK – That’s all I have time for. It wasn’t as strong as I thought it would be so let me add a strong statement to close the post. How dare you smokers who feel it’s your right in this “free” country to smoke in restaurants and expose non-smokers to the carcinogens you are placing in the air we breathe! Just as we don’t understand why you continue to smoke knowing the risks (and a great number of you have seen the results first hand), you don’t understand how sad it makes us to be reminded of loved ones lost to this terrible killer every time we smell your smoke. Have a heart and show compassion before getting defensive.

Stepping off soapbox … for now.


Arbonne® Essentials 7-Day Body Cleanse

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OK, so here’s the embarrassing truth. I’m doing this 7-day cleanse using Arbonne® Essentials 7-Day Body Cleanse. I’m on day four. You don’t have to fast while using the supplement, but it’s recommended that you forgo caffeine and sweets. I’m still drinking my morning java, and I do partake of a few sweet morsels, but I am watching it and am eating more fresh fruits and veggies, watching portion sizes, and eating three meals plus two healthy snacks in between each day. I would give you a link detailed information but, sadly, there is none – not even on Arbonne’s site. That’s disappointing.

The box comes with seven one-ounce bottles of liquid supplement that they suggest adding to 32 ounces of water at the start of your day to drink throughout the day, shaking before each drink. I don’t have a 32-ounce shakable water bottle, so I just add half the bottle to a 20 ounce glass of ice water twice throughout the day and stir before each guzzle. Yes, I’ve found that sipping is not the way to go with this stuff. Take a guzzle each time while holding your breath, then let out a big AHHHH as if you’ve just done a shot of tequila afterwards. It really helps!

The other recommendation is that you stay close to a toilet. Good thing I work from home! Any of my co-workers reading, you may have noticed a few more breaks noted on Skype than normal. :) (TMI) I was down 1.5 pounds from Monday morning as of this morning, but I’ve had three brownies since last night and too many chips, salsa, & sour cream this afternoon. Oops! I wonder where I can squeeze in a workout?

Since there was no detailed information to be found, and I still can’t believe there wasn’t even so much as a pamphlet with my order, I researched each ingredient separately. I’ll list them below with a word or two describing each, but you can search the internet for full descriptions if you want.

Full Body Cleansing Blend Ingredients

Senna Leaf – laxative – In many OTC laxatives!
Astragalus – anti-aging properties (if you search nothing else, search this one for interesting stuff)
Fucoidan – flavor
Rhubarb root – purgative
Psyllium husk – GI transit aid
Milk thistle – used against poisoning
Agave – fiber
Inulin – prebiotic fiber
Aloe Vera – digestive aid
Nettle – fiber
Chlorella – detoxifier
Blue green algae/Spirulina – blood health benefits
Red marine algae – vitamins & protein
Cascara sagrada – laxative - Also in many OTC laxatives!
Buckthorn – purgative
Slippery elm – soothes digestive tract
Meadowsweet – treat diarrhea

Superfood Antioxident Blend

Juice powders of the following:
Grape
Orange
Pineapple
Grapefruit
Blueberry
Passion fruit
Carrot
Mango
Kiwi
Cranberry

Hmmm… Maybe next month I’ll eat plenty of the above fruits (carrot is the oddball in that mix of fruits), lots of fiber-rich foods, yogurt, and take Senokot® daily for seven days and compare the results (including price). I’m not knocking anyone’s business. Please don’t get me wrong. I do, however, believe the price is jacked up too much for the passing Casey Customer who doesn’t buy an annual membership to Arbonne for a 20% (I believe) discount. Nevertheless, I did buy it because I’ve been curious about this whole cleansing idea and the fact that you don’t have to fast while using this one. At the very least, no one will be able to tell me I’m full of crap anymore. :D (Expletive deleted to maintain G rating!)

4/8/11 Update: Mixing half an instant sugar-free flavored drink single packet (I like raspberry) to the water as well helps a lot!