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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Monday, November 29, 2010

Saturday, November 20, 2010

We had to go ahead and put Robin to sleep a couple of weeks ago. The spinal damage from Valley Fever was so extensive that I couldnt keep her comfortable even with combined steroids and pain killers. We did it at home because she had become so scared of going to the vet, and burined her up by the garage.

My wonderful niece and her daughter

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

AlterNet: 3 Lies Big Food Wants You to Believe and the Truth Behind Factory-'Farmed' Meat

This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by ajw1981@live.com

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3 Lies Big Food Wants You to Believe and the Truth Behind Factory-'Farmed' Meat
http://www.alternet.org/water/148542

Most of the meat Americans consume is from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, which are horrific for animals and terrible for our health and our communities.
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AlterNet: 8 Nasty Conservative Lies About the Democrats and Obama That Must Be Debunked Before the Election

This story has been forwarded to you from
http://www.alternet.org by ajw1981@live.com

This is important!!!

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8 Nasty Conservative Lies About the Democrats and Obama That Must Be Debunked Before the Election
http://www.alternet.org/news/148614

The public has been misled on a ton of issues like tax cuts, the deficit, the economy, and the cost of health care.
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Thursday, October 07, 2010

Robin has Valley Fever too

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I'm sorry. It seems the only time you ever hear from me is when I have bad news. Robin has been diagnosed with Valley Fever, and it is quite advanced already. Unlike Sam, she never had any lung problems or vomiting, so we never knew anything was really wrong until she went totally lame over the last 6 weeks. It has gotten into her spine and gives her neurological problems as well as pain. She staggers when she walks and doesn't seem to have a lot of feeling in her feet. I actually first took her to the vet saying that she had started acting like she has fibromyalgia. The original diagnosis was a pinched nerve in her neck but they did a Valley Fever test just to be on the safe side since she hasn't been tested since she was about 6 months old. And she will be 4 in December.

Giving her meds has always been a traumatic process since she wont eat anything with a pill hidden in it and if there is too much powdered med mixed in with her wet food, she wont eat that either. But I think we finally have that problem licked, by putting a dab of peanut butter with a pill in it on the roof of her mouth. She has no choice; the medicine goes down with the peanut butter and she cant spit it out. I have been at my wits end trying to doctor her before discovering that; she HAS to have pain meds and prednisone to keep her comfortable, as well as the fluconazole to kill the spores. I was getting very close to putting her to sleep, with her in so much pain and the only way to doctor her was to shove each pill down her tiny little throat with my fingers. Now I hope we can see see some improvement soon, although my vet says she may have to stay on the prednisone. I don't think she will ever return to normal activity but as long as she acts happy that's livable.

The vet actually gave me a referral to a veterinary neurologist who will immediately order a CT-scan to judge the extent of spinal involvement but I don't think we will go. The last few years have been very scary financially (we were both laid off in late 2007) and I have only since June gotten back my health insurance and a good job in the ER at a Banner Hospital. Bill turns 65 tomorrow so he finally has Medicare. Things are looking up finally except for this. Sam is still in remission; we had a titer done on him because of all this but he is still in remission. Thank goodness.

And its not like a CT-scan is needed to make a proper diagnosis. The blood test made the diagnosis. I cant spend $1000 to find out something I already know, and darn it is too late for pet health insurance. You can bet I will carry it on any future dogs; I can even have a payroll deduction through my employer.

I hope you and yours are all fine and thriving.

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Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Robin is very ill

I had to take Robin to the vet again yesterday, as she has been in so much pain she actually cries, and she is too weak to really get around.
The vet thinks the Valley Fever may have already gotten into her spine, as she is very sore from neck all the way back to hips, and she is showing many neurological signs as well. She staggers and wobbles when she walks, she cant put her head down, and she doesnt seem to have a lot of feeling in her feet. They also just slide out from under her when she tries to sit or lie down. It is pitiful.
ANyway, the vet gave me a referral to a veterinary neurologist and said she needs a CT-scan to really figure whether it is Valley Fever or some other spinal problem.
I dont see what difference it makes WHAT is causing it if the treatment is the same.
Rest, pain drugs, valley fever meds, prednisone.
See how it goes.

Friday, September 17, 2010

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Monday, September 13, 2010

Bloglines - Are We Really Going to Eat Genetically Modified Salmon?

Bloglines user ajw1981@live.com has sent this item to you, with the following personal message:

THis has got to be stopped!

The Greenest Dollar
Learn easy tips to save money and go green!

Are We Really Going to Eat Genetically Modified Salmon?

By heather on Health

Image courtesy Wikipedia

So the FDA is currently weighing whether or not to approve genetically modified salmon. I heard this on NPR the other night as I was cooking dinner.

Let me repeat.

The FDA is actually thinking about approving the first genetically modified animal for human consumption.

How many ways can I say this is a bad idea? Before I hop onto my soapbox, however, let's look at the facts.

Why the Salmon is Being Modified…

So apparently, the world eats a lot of salmon. I'm a vegetarian, but even I can say that yes, back when I was eating meat, salmon was delicious. And I'm not alone in that assessment.

AquaBounty Technologies is the company behind the genetically modified salmon. They've created salmon that grows to market size twice as fast as regular fish. This, of course, will help keep up with demand.

So how, exactly, is the salmon being modified?

Here's what Professor ANNE KAPUSCINSKI (Professor of Sustainability Science, Dartmouth College) had to say about it on the NPR interview:

The company that's developed these fish has inserted two genes. One gene is for growth hormone, and it's almost identical to the growth hormone gene that's already in these salmon.
And then the other gene acts like a little switch. It's a piece of DNA that comes from another fish, from the ocean pout, and it's normally connected to the gene that produces antifreeze protein in that fish.
In the case of these salmon, they've just taken the part of the DNA that acts like a switch, and that switch turns on the gene that produces the growth hormone so that the salmon will produce growth hormone in its tissues throughout the year, whereas a conventional salmon only produces growth hormone during the warmer times of the year, when the water temperatures are warmer.

Why This is Such a Bad Idea…

Most of us have figured out by now that whatever we put in our food (or food storage containers, or products we use daily) generally ends up in us.

A good example is the recent article in the Huffington Post. Here's the headline: Female Infants Growing Breasts: Another Disaster from Hormones in Milk Production.

If you haven't read that article, please do. It's a shocking expose of just how harmful commercially produced milk and cheese is for us.

Another good example? The high levels of BPA that pretty much all of us have in our systems from canned food liners. Or the antibiotics in chickens. The chemicals in dryer sheets.

I could keep going, but you get the picture. Whatever we consume, whatever we touch regularly, whatever we breathe, goes into our systems. And the same has got to be true with genetically modified salmon. If we're eating salmon that has been genetically modified to grow faster, is there a chance that it could somehow affect us the same way?

I'm not a scientist. But I do know that the FDA isn't always right about what they approve. And history has shown that when we start modifying nature to fit our needs, it doesn't turn out well.

The Center for Food Safety also has some serious concerns about this genetically modified salmon. One of their biggest concerns is this: genetically modified salmon will be more susceptible to disease, so they're likely going to have to have more antibiotics than regularly farmed salmon.

When we eat the salmon, we're going to be eating all those extra antibiotics as well.

Not good.

The Data's Coming From the Company…

Another major oversight here.

The data the FDA is using to decide if this genetically modified salmon is safe or not comes directly from AquaBounty Technologies.

That's right. The company is supplying 100% of the data that claims "Yes! This is safe to eat!"

This is a huge, HUGE conflict of interest.

Here's the exact quote, from the NPR interview:

The FDA asked the company to present data on several issues. First of all, is the inserted gene safe for the health of the animal? Is the inserted gene and the growth hormone it's producing safe for humans to eat the fish? And third, will the farming of these fish have any effects on the environment?
They are not required to conclude that they're environmentally safe, and that's the only condition under which to approve them. That law just requires an environmental assessment, basically figuring out what would be the effect on the quality of the human environment.
BLOCK: And you're saying they're asking the company for that data. This is information coming directly from the company that's producing the fish?
Prof. KAPUSCINSKI: Yes. It's the applicant or the company that's responsible for producing the data. That's the way it works under the drug law that is being used to regulate genetically modified animals, including these fish.

Another thing?

This data isn't available to the public. That includes other scientists.

We Won't Know the Salmon is Modified…

The FDA hasn't made a final decision about labeling. But the professor being interviewed at NPR says that, reading between the lines of the report, the company is pushing for no labeling. This means we would have no way of knowing if the salmon we were buying, or eating in a restaurant, was genetically modified or not.

What We Can Do…

We have a very limited time to oppose genetically modified salmon.

You can click here to send an email through the Center for Food Safety's website. The agency will be collecting all the emails and will present them at the FDA hearing on Sept. 19.

If the bill does happen to pass, and you're concerned about its safety, then you can skip eating it. Eating less meat, including salmon, is not only better for you but it's better for the environment.

What do you guys think? Are you willing to eat genetically modified salmon? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

Scary.

Comments

Friday, September 10, 2010

Bloglines - 7 Steps To Eliminating Joint Pain

Bloglines user ajw1981@live.com has sent this item to you, with the following personal message:

Words to the wise.

Zen to Fitness

7 Steps To Eliminating Joint Pain

By Chris on Vitamin D

11,750 Foot Yoga Moment
a4gpa

Young or old we all experience joint pain at sometimes in our lives. Be it from too exercise that is too strenous, an awkward move or simply the degeneration of our joints with age. Fortunatly there are several things we can so to reduce this pain and even eliminate it.

Joint pain is usually a result of a slight level of inflammation, a low grade inflammation around the body which can cause joints to ache. Inflamattion has many potential causes:

Over Exercising
Dietery triggers
Age
General Stress

And of course joint pain could also be result of Osteoarthiritis which is common in those above 65. Either way the tips I am about to mention can help you, they are also general guidelines that can help improve your health in general.

1- Exercise Consistently. Some sort of weight bearing exercise should be implemented as well as a low grade general form of exercise such as; Biking, Walking, Gardening, Hiking etc. Weight bearing exercise can strengthen bones through and increased production of Osteoblasts (bone builders).

2- Limit Wheat Consumption. Now I am not one to demonize wheat or tell you to stop eating it, but there is a good amount of research to show that in high enough doses wheat can cause joint inflammation and potentially lead to joint issues.

So what is your best bet? Go for the least refined product you can, and ideally something that has been prepared in a traditional way (which reduces the anti-nutrients) think sourdough or sprouted bread. Secondly slightly limit consumption – I feel the real problem with wheat comes not from eating it every now and then, but rather when it becomes a staple being consumed several times a day. There are an abundance of other non inflammatory sources of starch to be had like Corn, Roots, Brown Rice, and Quinoa…. Besides variety in diet is key.

3- Stretch/Mobility. As I haven mentioned in several previous articles stretching and mobility work is hugely important to maintaining and developing joint health. This is because it releases tightness in the muscles surrounding the joints, not only this but it allows more freedom in blood flow to the joints and therefore allows them to maintain their elasticity and mobility.

I had a friend who solved years of lower back pain just by implementing a regular and thorough stretching routine, focusing on the hamstrings. With times this seems to somehow strengthen the muscles and increase blood flow healing up the long standing injury. To me this is one of the reasons Yoga can work wonders on sports injuries.

4- Stress Reduction. General stress can also be a huge factor when it comes to inflammation - This doesn't just mean a stressful job, but it could be relationships, money problems, over exercising, not enough sleep, or just dealing with small stressors badly. Being chronically stressed to some level will increase the cortisol levels in your body and cause a chronic low grade level of inflammation. On top of causing joint pain this can also lead to several other health problems.

The solution is quite simply to find the main stressors in your life and do your best to deal with them. While this is not always easy it is one of the first areas to address when attempting to lead a healthy lifestyle.

5- Get your Vitamin D. A low intake of Vitamin D has been shown to lead to osteoarthiritis – Vitamin D is critical to calcium absorption in the body and most of the worlds population are at chronically low levels. I did a post a few months ago on ways to tan without blocking Vitamin D absorption. The best way to get Vitamin D is from sunlight, so supplements maybe worthwhile in the winter to keep levels topped up. So take every chance you have to get some sun…..

6- Keep Omega 6 intake Down. A high intake of Omega-6 fatty acids will increase blood concentrations of Interluekin-6 which is basically has a pretty substantial inflammatory effect on the body. It also seems to have a profound effect on down regulating the thyroid function. In a nut shell:

Avoid Vegetable Oils when possible (corn, soybean, canola, rapeseed) and. Use animal fat, butter, olive oil, and coconut oil instead, and eat plenty of fatty fish or take fish oil on occassion to balance out with Omega-3′s.

This stuff is nearly everywhere so make sure you read labels and make sure products are made with high quality oils/fats. This can be hard sometimes and its not something to get obsessed with but just a general guideline for better health.

7- Eat Spices. Specifically turmeric, which thanks to its curcumin has a potent anti-inflammatory effect on the body. What is interesting is that the specific anti-oxidants in turmeric seem to have a unique effect on arthritis of all forms.

It would be great to hear from readers who have suffered with some sort of joint problems and have overcome them. Tips and tricks from people who have actually lived it are invaluable.

Comments

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Etsy baby quilt

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Judge Bans Gentically-Modified Beets

Judge Bans Gentically-Modified Beets

Hello, I saw this on Care2 and thought you'd like it as well. Care2 is the largest and most trusted information and action site for people who care to make a difference in their lives and the world.

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