YOU’RE GETTING VERY, VERY SLEEPY…OR NOT

There is a song by artist Crystal Gale with the lyrics:
Three o'clock in the morning
And it looks like it's going to be another sleepless night.
Sadly so many of us know these lyrics by heart.

I wrote this post at 2:40 am.
I am often awake in the middle of the night. I have no problem falling asleep but I wake often and can’t get back to sleep.
Many times it is due to my lower back problems with sciatica which make me feel like I have electrical currents running through my legs.
Through the years I have tried many things to try and sleep properly without giving in to a prescription medication. Some have worked for a brief while and others have been of no help at all.
I have even left my job partly because of my inability to get enough sleep. I would have to get up for work by 5:00 a.m. so many days I was running on about four or five hours of sleep. That was not healthy or safe. I am now on early retirement and if I can’t sleep it is not the overwhelming feeling of desperation anymore. If I am too tired to get up in the morning I don’t have to get up.
Some of the things I have tried to aid in a proper nights sleep are listed below. In the middle of the night as we do the zombie walk we will try just about anything. Many of the suggestions people have are to help you fall asleep, which is not my problem. I just wake after about 3 hours and then cannot get back to sleep.

• Melatonin – worked for a couple months but then stopped.
• Mint water/tea recipe – worked great for quite a while and I still use this one off and on. Click here for that recipe.
• Meditations, clearing the mind – didn’t work for me at all
• Yoga – felt good and eased my back discomfort somewhat but not effective for sleep.
• Sleeping upright on the couch – worked a bit as it changed my position for my back but not all that effective.
• Eating protein before bed – this is something I had heard worked great for your kids many years ago and I used it for my boys. Not much help for me
• Aromatherapy – nope

I am sure there are many more tips and advice out there to help but I am not the type to go and buy a bunch of bottles of vitamins or sleep aids even if they are from a health food store.

The health issues that result from lack of sleep are becoming more an more evident. Besides the obvious problem of being tired there can be serious health consequences to being a zombie.
You have decreased performance and alertness. This is pretty serious because you need to drive a car or run machinery. According to webmd.com
reducing your night time sleep by just one and half hours at night reduces your daytime alertness by 32%. That is very significant.

Daytime sleepiness impairs you memory functions.
Stress increases and your quality of life decreases.
The long term consequences are much more serious. Lack of proper sleep patterns are associated with high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, obesity, depression, arthritis, chronic pain, thyroid problems, Alzheimers, Parkinsons etc.
Since retiring at the end of August I have felt much better. I can now sleep in the mornings until I no longer feel tired………. Just imagine that for a moment. I sleep until I am no longer tired…… That is life changing. It seems to me that the sleep I get after going back to bed around 4:00 a.m. is the best. I dream like crazy during that time and when I wake with my cozy quilt around me I just lay there and enjoy the feeling. I have even fallen back to sleep again at that point waking an hour later. It feels like I am getting away with something naughty and I like it.
So what are your sleep patterns? Are they affecting your health? Any tips to avoid the zombie walk?

BAD DATES

These dates don’t start out bad. They are full of promise in fact. They make you feel good. Happy. Energized. They can sometimes save your life.

But time passes. We become complacent. Our needs, once important have now dwindled. We now ignore what once we had to have.

One day though we realize we can’t live without them again. It can be in the middle of the night. It can be when we feel our worse.

But it is too late. They are no longer going to be available to us. They are not going to be good for us. They are not even safe any more.

 

 

THEY HAVE EXPIRED!!!!!!!!

There is a good side to these bad dates. We are so seldom sick in our house we never finish off these over the counter medications. Here we have Aspirin, Dristan, Robitussin Cough, Vicks Vaporub, Buckley’s Cough, Melatonin and some PMS type meds that I don’t even know why I have since I never had PMS.

We just don’t use this stuff more than a day or two in a year and that is a really good way to end up on a bad date. Some of these expired years ago. Hey don’t you judge me. I never go in there.

Make it part of your Spring cleaning routine to clean out your bathroom cupboards and medicine chest. Don’t flush things down the toilet though. Check with your local agencies and pharmacies on how to best dispose of your expired medications.

I AM A TOTAL HEALTH NUT…WHO KNEW?

There are so many news reports about  things that are good for you and bad for you. I take them all with a grain of salt (not completely bad for you…iodine is in salt)

The other day there were 2 stories in a row on our news extolling the virtues of two of my favorite things….red wine and coffee.

Red wine has always been considered good for us. Moderation….hmmm I might need a definition of that word.

Red wine has antioxidants, flavonoids, resveratrol all of which are good for your heart. They find that resveratrol might help protect us from obesity and diabetes but this has not been tested in humans. This miracle resveratrol  may also help to prevent damage to blood vessels, reducing bad cholesterol and preventing blood clots. (My hand is up to volunteer for testing, pick me, pick me)

To get the same dose used in testing a person would have to drink over 60 liters of red wine every day….okay even I can’t drink that much.

In the mean time I will continue self medicating with my favorite wines. They should start re-naming some varieties to better promote their health benefits. How about these:

Medicinal Malbec, Choleserol Cutting Chianti, Salubrious Shiraz, Positive Pinot Noir. Cheers, to your health.

SERIOUS WARNING HERE: BABY TEETHING GELS

So many of my blog friends have had grandbabies lately I thought I should share this. I

Remember back in our day when those precious little mouths would start drooling like crazy and the cranky baby would cry and cry for hours.

Teething was the culprit and we were so grateful for whatever relief we could give them. Many used brandy on the gums or was that in the Moms? Before our time our ancestors could have used Cocaine drops. Most of us though used the Orajel or Anbesol (though not limited to)type medications to rub on their gums.

These gel products we have been using contain Benzocaine to numb the gums. Benzocaine can cause a rare but sometimes fatal condition called methemoglobinemia.

This is a blood disorder where the oxygen carried through the blood to the tissue drops to levels that are dangerously low.

The FDA sent out the first warning in 2006 and a second one in 2011. The symptoms include pale, gray or blue coloured skin, lips and fingernail beds. Shortness of breath, headache, light headedness and rapid heart rate.

This can also affect adults who smoke or  have heart disease or respiratory problems.

The FDA recommends you keep these products out of reach of children, duh!!!! And that you use them only when necessary and then no more than 4 times per day.

Really? Are you kidding me? You think anyone in their right mind would still use these on their babies know this could happen? Take away their baby raising cards please. Oh right…anyone can have babies.

My recommendation is to freeze wet facecloths in ziplock bags and give them to baby to chew on when teething. What tips do you have?

STUPID SURGICAL CHOICES

Many people get cosmetic surgery done. It can vary from a bit of a lift to total recreation of their bodies.

There are different types of cosmetic surgeries. Some cosmetic surgery is really a great thing. It helps people with burns, breast reconstruction or many other legitimate reasons. I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS KIND OF SURGERY.

I am talking about the kind that is basically for sh#ts and giggles.

Sagging? No problem, they can tighten it up.

Bagging? They can suck that fat right out and inject it into your lips for that hideous big lip look. Ladies that is not sexy it is gross.

Not enough boobs? Pick a new size…EEE not recommended unless it is needed for your job as a porn star or stripper.

Already have the EEEs? They can relieve you of that extra boobage. Maybe they can use it to pad your rear like some people want. Good grief who wants a bigger ass.

Relatively speaking even though there are things that can go wrong with any of these procedures for the most part if they fail you can cover up the problem.

Well…not in Michael Jackson’s case but generally speaking you can.

There is something out there that I have never heard of before. Did you know that people are getting iris implants? You know the coloured part of your eyes. Brown, blue, hazel, green? People actually get their own irises removed and someone else’s attached so that they can have a different eye colour.

Why not wear coloured contact lenses instead?  Well of course there are problems happening and people are losing their eyesight. What are you nuts? What a stupid chance to take. It is not like you are going to have your ass implants removed when they cause problems and you might have some scarring.

The woman in this picture above is now legally blind. So sad. She was an artist.

These are your eyes people. What part of your brain is missing here that you don’t know that it is far too risky a thing to do.

MEET HEATHER VON ST JAMES AND BE AMAZED.

I have come into contact with an amazing woman who has been sharing her story of surviving a brutal form of cancer.
Can you imagine being a brand new mom and getting a diagnosis like this. Her attitude is one that hopefully is contagious.
Please meet HEATHER VON ST JAMES

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If you ask anyone who knows me well, they would tell you that I am an optimist. I've been optimistic throughout my life. Whether I was having a good day or a terrible day, I could almost always find a way to keep smiling and make others around me smile as well. However, my optimism would be severely tested when I turned 36. The year started out to be the happiest year of my life, thanks to the birth of my beautiful baby girl. Three and a half months after her birth, I received my shocking cancer diagnosis.
On November 21, 2005, I found out that I had a deadly form of cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma. Hearing the phrase "You have cancer" was truly surreal. No one can ever be prepared for cancer, and my diagnosis was unexpected and shocking. At first, my body froze and I felt numb. However, I soon realized that I had a choice to make in this process. Was I going to blame God and become bitter, or could I make the decision to fight with courage and optimism? I looked into my baby girl's face and instantly knew that I had to fight this disease with everything that I had. I summoned my inner strength and proceeded with hope.
It probably sounds like a strange thing to say, but so many good things have happened as a result of my cancer. There have been dark days in this journey, but the down times have given me valuable life lessons that have changed me as a person. I met other patients who seemed to have no hope, so I determined that I would find a way to encourage and uplift other patients. This goal gave me a sense of purpose on my hardest days. My incredible physician contributed to my positive attitude. Since he was the world's leading mesothelioma doctor, I was confident that my treatment would be successful. My surgeon scheduled my tumor removal operation for Groundhog's Day in 2006. My tumor quickly became known as Punxsutawney Phil thanks to my surgery date! In fact, we also renamed Groundhog's Day, and now call it Lungleavin Day, since that was the day my lung was removed. My family celebrates Lungleavin Day every year. During this special party, we remember all the gifts we have been given through this cancer journey. It reminds us to choose hope and believe in the power of optimism.
My greatest gifts throughout this cancer process are the wonderful friends that I have made. I cannot imagine my life without these incredible people. We have laughed together and cried together, and now we work together to spread awareness for the disease that has affected each of us and our families.

RIP EVELYN LAUDER

So sad to hear of the passing of Evelyn Lauder at age 75. You may not know the name but you know the symbol.

She helped created the pink ribbon campaign for breast cancer awareness in 1992.

She was married to the son of Estee Lauder and worked in the family business for years. Someone with some clout to get recognition for the cause.

Sadly she died of non-genetic ovarian cancer. My Grand-niece has raised money for research for this and other “Women’s” cancers in the past. I have posted about her before here

Though Michelle’s fundraising group has a clever name of Walkers For Knockers they are very serious about drawing attention and dollars to combat these awful cancers.

So to Evelyn Lauder and to all those who fundraise, research, donate, treat and caretake I salute your efforts.

Rest In Peace Evelyn Lauder.

HE DID IT

Eight hours, 25 minutes and 30 seconds. He did it. The worlds oldest person to finish a marathon. 

Mr. Singh....YOU ROCK
You can read his story here.

YOU OLD PRUNE

Another new study out there for us to be happy about.

Studies have shown that post menopausal women who eat dried plums, also known as prunes, have considerably lower risk of developing osteoporosis or fractures in comparison to women of the same age who don’t eat them.

Though all fruits and vegetables have a good effect on our bodies the consumption of the prune/plums are far above the others in increasing bone density.

A team from Florida State and Oklahoma State Universities tested two groups of women, 90 in total for one year.

Group 1 (55 women)consumed 100 grams of dried plums, equivalent to about 10 prunes per day along with 500 mgs. of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D daily.

The control group (34 women) consumed 100 grams of apples per day plus the same calcium and vitamin D as the first group.

The first group had considerably greater bone mineral density in the ulna and spine compared to group 2.

This is a really good thing because if you are eating that many prunes in a day you had better be able to get up those stairs the bathroom in a hurry.

PASS MY MEDS PLEASE

Every time we turn around there is another article about whether or not something is good for us.

Eat lots of this….no, no don’t eat that it causes your ears to fall off.

Drink wine, don’t drink wine, drink a little wine. Well I know what camp I am in for this one.

Now on to coffee and tea. Some studies say it is harmful where others tell us it is good for our brains and for our heart.

A U.S. study now says that people who drink coffee or tea regularly are less likely to carry the MRSA superbug than those who don’t drink either one regularly.

Coffee and tea are found to have antimicrobial properties which may protect against carrying the infection.

I for one am behind this study all the way. I knew my coffee was good for me and it certainly is good for others because without it I may just pinch someone’s head off in the morning.

I am starting on my second cup now….you are all safe for today.

WEEKEND TO END WOMEN’S CANCERS

For the second year in a row my Great-niece (she is on the far left) is participating in the Walk to End Women’s Cancers.

I know last year she ended up pretty blistered and had to go to work in Crocs… which is not dress code. Poor sore feet.

I am so pr0ud of her for all she has accomplished in life and am so pumped to help her reach her donation goal for the walk.

If you are able here is the link to her walk info. Her name is Michelle and she is a Supastaaarrrr. Want to share this? Feel free.

http://www.endcancer.ca/site/TR?px=3421132&pg=personal&fr_id=1453&fl=en_US&et=ltvh31G-VZFEeff1heYb-w..&s_tafId=368563

IT FIGURES

Just when I thought there might be an end in sight to the allergy issues and the tree pollen they announced on the news last night that most of the people who are sick with allergies right now are not being affected by tree pollen.

Oh no. The problem now is mold. Yup. So wet this year that there are mold spores coming up from the ground and they are a terrible allergen.

With the weather forecasts we have been getting there is no hope of this drying out any time soon. Wimper.

I’M ALIVE

Just a quick morning post to let you all know that thanks to the wonder of antibiotics and stubborness I am coming  back to the land of the living.

It only took a second trip to the clinic, which always involves a 2 hour wait. I knew I was not just sick with a cold or plain allergies.

I ended up with a sinus infection in my professional medical opinion. This second doctor asked me what color my nasal discharge is and what I am coughing up looks like. (sorry if I just ruined your breakfast)

Well if anything was coming out I could tell you but my nose is not plugged or runny. My sinuses were blocked completely and the pain in my face and head were getting worse. Nothing was coming out.

A few minutes later I was at the drug store with a prescription for antibiotics. It has been so long since I have taken them things have changed. They now tell you to take Acidopholus capsules with it so you don’t get the usual yeast infection along with it.

So in a matter of 2 days I have gone from lying on the couch in a state of coughing mania to getting ready for work with some energy and almost no coughing.

I know I am better because I am starting to rearrange things when I walk by them on a table. Yup. A sure sign of a blogger being better.

I SURRENDER–GOING TO THE CLINIC

I rarely go to the doctor. I am really lucky that I am in pretty good health and I take no medications other than for a headache.
Back in January I developed a cough and it lingered for 3 months. Other than the first couple days I didn’t feel sick, I just couldn’t stop coughing.
All you women know what happens when you cough all the time.
I didn’t miss any work because as I said I felt okay. I know my co-workers didn’t appreciate it though.
I was still coughing in February when went to San Francisco but it slowing got better finally stopping in March.
I put it down to allergies because there was a lot of tree pollen from our evergreen trees and many people were showing symptoms.
This week it started again. That sick feeling with a sore throat and the cough. Even more trees are pollinating now and I am not going through months of this again.
Although I never go to the doctor for colds knowing that they have to run their course I am going to the clinic in half an hour and hopefully they can give me something for the symptoms. I just can’t do another 3 months of coughing and peeing.
I don’t like over the counter allergy medications. They give me screaming night terrors. Plus none of them say they are for coughs. My nose is not plugged at all.
Do any of you get a cough like that when your allergies are bothering you?

UPDATE: I have a fever and likely a virus. Really? Who woulda guessed. Taking allergy meds to see if it is my nose draining down my throat causing the cough. And best of all my blood pressure is fine. I would have bet against that one.

STARVE IT OR FEED IT

You all know the old adage. Well at least we think we know it. Which do we starve and which do we feed? 
I think we feed a cold and starve a fever what with all that chicken soup for a cold business. Am I right? 

Image via Wikipedia

I fought the big fight against a cold for a few weeks but in the end the cold won. For me it has gone right into my chest and I am coughing a lot. The timing has me furious as I had a 3 day weekend and hoped to get lots done. I didn't. I napped a lot though. That was good.
The coughing leads to a sore throat and a sore chest and back. The coughing leads to peeing. I am making sure that my bladder is empty all the time in case a fit of coughing strikes. Should be fun at work today. 
One of my co-workers told me to cut up an orange and put a slice across my teeth like we would as kids and just suck on it to get the juice to run down my throat and do you know what. It stopped my coughing. 

Image via Wikipedia

She also told me to make an infusion of thyme and hot water and put that by my bed at bedtime and that would also help. I never did get around to that. 

Image via Wikipedia

I did have to break down and get some cough syrup Friday but other than that I don't usually medicate a cold. Except for Vicks Vaporub. That I do use on my chest.  

Image via Wikipedia

What cures do you guys use to alleviate your cold symptoms? Do they work or do you just do them because your mother did them for you when you were little?

POMEGRANATE PRESSURE

Image by JOE MARINARO via Flickr

Pomegranates have been everywhere for the last few years. From the juice to the pills to the all important Pom-tini. We have been gobbling it down with the knowledge that it is clearing our arteries and saving us from heart disease. 
Yes please, I will have another Pomtini, it is for my health. 
Well put that glass down (yes I know the alcohol isn't good for you, really I do) because it appears that the POM company has been fibbing a bit in their claims of super duper healthdom. 
There apparently is no scientific evidence that proves the claims of the wonder liquid according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The POM company disputes these findings from the FTC. 
Me??? Just pass me the limes and the tequila. I'll be fine.

MIGRAINE NEWS

Anyone who has ever suffered from migraines knows the pain is almost more than you can stand. The burning, throbbing, knife like stabbing sends  you hiding into a darkened room to wait for the pain to subside.

This is a monkey brain not a human one. Just so you know. 

Image via Wikipedia

The World Health Organization rates it as a leading cause of disability. I know that for more than 8 years I had headaches/migraines on a daily basis. My head wasn't always in that screaming stabbing pain mode but it burned and throbbed every day in various degrees. No treatments worked, not even the prescription ones until one day they just stopped when menopause kicked in. The hormones dropped and the headaches stopped.

Image via Wikipedia

Scientists have identified a genetic defect linked to migraines. They found a gene known as TRESK was directly linked to causing migraines in some patients. They found if it the gene does not work properly environmental factors can more easily trigger pain centres in the brain and cause a sever headache.
Scientists used DNA samples from families that had migraines in common to identify the defective gene.This will direct research to find a medication that will activate the gene and switch off the migraines. Migraines seem to depend on how excitable the nerves in a specific part of the brain are.

My husband looked at me with that knowing look when I just told him about the defective gene in the brain therory. He could have told them that years ago.

ONE WAY TO AVOID A HEART ATTACK

I read an article that says if you avoid the flu you may be staving off your first heart attack.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fdlWHkh2abYN0snw_cI26A

Researchers in the UK looked at 78,706 patients aged 40 and over in England and Wales.  Of the total 16,012 had had a heart attack and 8,472 of the patients had been vaccinated against the flu.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gandhiji40/395241000/ 

Early vaccination between September and November was linked to a 21 percent reduction in the rate of heart attacks. Later vaccination, after mid November was associated with a 12 percent reduction. 
It is thought that the related inflammation process from flu may be connected to heart attacks by affecting the coronary blood vessels and making them more likely to rupture and cause a heart attack. 
Now this has not been proven but something that has been proven is that washing your hands is one of the best ways to avoid the flu. 

Now let's all stay well this coming flu season.

ONE MORE REASON TO GARDEN

 commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Compost-dirt.jpg 

Do you know what seratonin is? What it does? It is a neurotransmitter. What does that mean for you and I?
Seratonin provides a wide range of control of emotions and the body, including anger, aggression, body temperature, pain, mood, sleep, dreaming, human sexuality, appetite, and metabolism.
Did you know that you can increase your seratonin levels by gardening. How perfect is that? We can do something we love and it might make us feel better.
Scientists in the UK suggest that  there is a bacteria found in soil that may act like an anti-depressant. This friendly bacteria that is commonly found in soil can jump start serotoinin production in your brain cells working like an antidepressant.
There had been a project where they treated cancer patients with this Mycobacterium and found it increased their quality of life.

flickr.com/photos/victornuno/1443345804/

Well this is a no brainer for me. Even if it doesn't work we still have lovely days in our gardens. And if it does work then maybe we will feel better, maybe sleep better or crave fewer foods. That is enough of an enticement for me. So get out there and play in the dirt. Pet your petunias, tickle your tomatoes, cuddle your calendulas. It is good for you.

BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FUNDRAISER

 I am posting this information that I received in an email. I can't vouch for any of it but enjoy the video and if it raises money for this cause all the better.

Emily (MacInnes) Somers, created, directed and choreographed this in Portland for her Medline glove division as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. This was all her idea to help promote their new pink gloves.
When the video gets 1 million hits, Medline will be making a huge contribution to the hospital, as well as offering free mammograms for the community. Please check it out. It's an easy and great way to donate to a wonderful cause, and who hasn't been touched by breast cancer?