Hello again

Yes, I realize that I've been gone for a few days. I'm sorry about that and will try my hardest not to let it happen again. I have no control over the weather, however, so if I don't post for a few days, don't give up on me. Just having a hard time getting everything in a routine and also competing with the weather for time. The weather here in Indiana really can't decide whether it wants to be Winter or Spring. The up and down of it all makes my joints tender and painful to move as well as causing my Fibro to act up more. So I was ordered by my dear hubby to remain in bed and only do my simple stretching exercises if it did not cause me a lot of pain to do so. I read a lot and tried to write a couple of letters but mostly I just slept because it was easier to digest the pain that way. I'm going to try and get through some of the emails and posts that I have had to neglect. It's a little overwhelming if I think about doing it all at once, so I'm going to go slow and take it one email or post a time. I hope that everyone out there has a great day and it be full of smiles.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Daily Inspiration

Wonderful Little Girl
by Unknown Author

There came a frantic knock at the doctor's office door,
A knock, more urgent than he had ever heard before,
"Come in, Come in," the impatient doctor said,
"Come in, Come in, before you wake the dead.
"In walked a frightened little girl,
a child no more than nine,
It was plain for all to see,
she had troubles on her mind,
"Oh doctor, I beg you,
please come with me,
My mother is surely dying,
she's as sick as she can be."
"I don't make house calls,
bring your mother here,"
"But she's too sick,
so you must come or she will die I fear,
"The doctor, touched by her devotion,
decided he would go,
She said he would be blessed,
more than he could know.
She led him to her house where her mother lay in bed,
Her mother was so very sick she couldn't raise her head,
But her eyes cried out for help and help her the doctor did,
She would have died that very night had it not been for her kid.
The doctor got her fever down and she lived through the night,
And morning brought the doctor signs,
that she would be all right,
The doctor said he had to leave but would return again by two,
And later he came back to check,
just like he said he'd do.
The mother praised the doctor for all the things he'd done,
He told her she would have died,
were it not for her little one,
"How proud you must be of your wonderful little girl,
It was her pleading that made me come,
she is really quite a pear!
"But doctor, my daughter died over three years ago,
Is the picture on the wall of the little girl you know?"
The doctors legs went limp for the picture on the wall,
Was the same little girl for whom he'd made this call.
The doctor stood motionless,
for quite a little while,
And then his solemn face,
was broken by his smile,
He was thinking of that frantic knock heard at his office door,
And of the beautiful little angel that had walked across his floor



Source

Health Headlines 2/27/06

Orthopaedic Surgeon Performs Innovative Microfracture Procedure On Arthritic Knees Avoiding Knee Replacement Surgery ~ Click here.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment With Methotrexate Effective The Second Time ~ Click here.

Scientists Find Variants Of Blood Clotting Genes Increase Risk Of Coronary Disease ~ Click here.

Moderate To Moderately-severe Chronic Pain - Once Daily ULTRAM® ER (Tramadol HCl) Extended-Release Tablets Now Available In USA ~ Click here.

New Insight Into Cause Of Crohn's Disease ~ Click here.

Tired today

This post won't be long. I am really tired today. I haven't done much activity-wise to be so tired, but I believe my body may still be recovering from the hospital stay as well as adapting to the Enbrel shots once again. I tried to do the laundry today but only managed to get the clothes in the washer without trouble. I was barely able to put the clothes into the dryer. I am paying for that right now. My back is still bothering me. I just get tired of not doing anything around the house. I know I need to do it little by little. Hope everyone out there is having a good evening. I will write more later if I'm able.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Daily Inspiration

A Brother's Love
by Unknown Author

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood to save her.



Source

Health Headlines 2/21/06

New York Times Examines FDA Approval Of Device To Treat Depression ~ Click here.

A Protein Known To Cause The Out-of-control Growth Of Cells Can Be Manipulated To Induce Those Cells To Commit Suicide ~ Click here.

Second Low-oxygen Pathway That Promotes Cell Survival In Low-oxygen Conditions Hints At Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease Physiology ~ Click here.

Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch Users Twice As Likely To Develop Blood Clots As Women Taking Oral Pills, Manufacturer-Funded Study Says ~ Click here.

Future Of Pain Therapies At Forefront Of Physician Meeting ~ Click here.

Wow! Over 100 posts!

That's my little dog, Dudley, as he went outside to potty just after some snow we had on Saturday. He's not happy that he has to go outside in this weather to potty. But it's better than messes in the house!

Today is a better day. I was able to take my Enbrel shot last night so my muscles aren't as tense and tight as they have been in the past week. I am still having some trouble with my neck and lower back muscles. I also have noticed that some of the tenderness and pain has gone from my joints although I have trouble going to the bathroom sometimes. Just walking there was the hardest parts of the whole deal. I did manage to sleep most of the night without waking due to pain. Who knew one little shot could do so much in such a short amount of time? I'm just really glad to be back on the medicine that helps so much.

I am still working on my cross-stitch project, one little stitch at a time. It's taking a while because my wrists are still sore and tender. Hopefully I'll finish it before the end of the year! Lol, everyone in my family continues to get me cross-stitch projects for Christmas so I never have to worry about not having something to do. Also making my way through a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. I do enjoy them. The book has the same number of pages as the recent Harry Potter book but the type used is smaller. Therefore, there's a lot more to read on the pages. If you don't read the stories carefully either, you're apt to get lost within the story. I still love it though. Writing is coming in spurts. I worked on one of my novels the other day for about an hour, then spent a half hour writing something else. Nothing really concrete is coming from them right now but I know I have to keep at it.

There's a concern of mine about a friend who I met during the time when Chris was going through his cancer treatment. "J" and I have talked off and on after joining the cancer support group. I found out last night that he was missing and hadn't checked in after work last Friday. I'm hoping he's okay and if you all could say a prayer or two, I'd appreciate it.

Love and blessings,

Kim

Daily Inspiration

The Way Things Seem
by: Author Unknown

The story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"

One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off.

Examining the situation, the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!"

To which the king replied, "No, this is not good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took them to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way.

As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this."

"No," his friend replied, "This is good!"

"What do you mean, 'This is good'? How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"
"If I had not been in jail, I would have been with you."


Source

Health Headlines 2/20/06

Calcium, Vitamin D Supplements Have Little Effect On Women's Bone Density, Risk Of Colorectal Cancer, Study Says ~ Click here.

Democrats Prepare Legislation That Would Alter Medicare Drug Benefit ~ Click here.

Unexpected Discovery Made By Scientists Exploring Inflammation In Rheumatoid Arthritis ~ Click here.

Study Finds Cymbalta® Was As Safe And Well-Tolerated As Routine Drug Treatments For Diabetic Nerve Pain ~ Click here.

Type 2 Diabetes - Merck Announces FDA Acceptance Of New Drug Application For JANUVIA™, The Company's Investigational Medicine ~ Click here.

Inactivating A Protein Called Mammalian Rad9 Could Make Cancer Cells Easier To Kill With Ionizing Radiation ~ Click here.

Winter's here to stay

Not going to be much of a post. In too much pain. The coldest night of the year last night with the windchill putting the temperature below zero for a while. Of course, there's supposed to be a slight warm up happening later this week, but until then I am going to be laid up in bed. My joints and muscles are all hurting today, from my toes to my neck. I hope you all have a great day.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Daily Inspiration

Sitting on Your Talent
by: Steve Goodier

There was a man played piano in a bar. He was a good piano player. People came out just to hear him play. But one night, a patron told him he didn't want to hear him just play anymore. He wanted him to sing a song.

The man said, "I don't sing."

But the customer was persistent. He told the bartender, "I'm tired of listening to the piano. I want that guy to sing!"

The bartender shouted across the room, "Hey buddy! If you want to get paid, sing a song. The patrons are asking you to sing!"

So he did. He sang a song. A piano player who had never sung in public did so for the very first time. And nobody had ever heard the song Mona, Mona Lisa sung the way it was sung that night by Nat King Cole!

He had talent he was sitting on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar, but because he had to sing, he went on to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.

You, too, have skills and abilities. You may not feel as if your "talent" is particularly great, but it may be better than you think! And with persistence, most skills can be improved. Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you possess! The better question is not "What ability do I have that is useful?" It is rather "How will I use whatever ability I have?"


Source

Health Headlines 2/19/06

Alzheimer's Disease Progresses In Highly Educated People More Rapidly ~ Click here.

Ovarian Cancer Responds To Aspirin Derivative To Make Recurrent Cancer Cells Less Resistant To The Chemotherapy ~ Click here.

New York Times Examines Concerns Over High Cost Of Cancer Medication Avastin ~ Click here.

Detecting Recurrent Bladder Tumors - Study Assesses NMP22 In Combination With Cystoscopy ~ Click here.

Disability Products Maker Launches Into European And Mid East Markets - The Comfort Company ~ Click here.

New Compound May Be Effective In Preventing Cancers With A Strong Link To Inflammation, Such As Liver, Colon, Prostate And Gastric Cancers ~ Click here.

It's still cold outside

Yep, colder than I have felt the outside be in the past few months. I know we've had our days here in Indiana when we've though winter had returned but it really has. I checked the weather channel at one point last night and saw that it was only 6F here. shivers I hope that it warms up a little. I'm all for the seasons and changes but this is way colder than I enjoy it being. Mostly likely I will make this an easy day as my body is screaming at me not to do a lot of things. My pain level is high because since I have been in the hospital, I haven't been able to have the Enbrel shots until I saw my arthritis doctor. I'm very happy to say he gave me the okay to take it tomorrow. Therefore, I'm hoping that the tightness and tenderness I feel will slowly dissolve over the course of the next week. Of course, I'm afraid that it will no longer work for me since I've not had the shot in nearly a month. Yet I have to try it once again. My back muscles are in revolt today. There are several joints in my neck, feet and hands that are tender as well. I am planning to do my small workout (simple stretchy exercises) and then maybe later take my walk around the house. Since I've been home from the hospital, I have been taking care in the amount and types of food I eat, what I drink and trying to get some exercise into my routines. It definitely hasn't been easy. I can no longer drink anything with caffenine in it. I noticed that while I was in the hospital. It increased my heart rate and blood pressure. I've even had to modify my diet some because of the Coumadin that I am taking now. So, since this was declared the year of Kim, I'm taking what pains I can to get healthier. I know it'll be worth it in the long run.

I have set a few goals for myself this year. I would love to read over 100 books for the entire year. I know it sounds like a lot but given the fact that I have more than enough time on my hands as well as the fact that reading stimulates the creative part of me allowing me to write more, I think the trade off is well worth it. I have noticed that the amount of writing I have done hasn't been as much as it used to be. When I really sat down and thought about why that could be the case, the only thing other than life I could think of was not reading as much as I had in the past. Years ago, you could always find me with a book in my hands. Nowadays, not so much until the beginning of this year. For the year so far, I have already read 16 books. It's not a goal that's going to be too difficult for me to achieve. knocks on wood The other goal would be to lose fifty pounds this year. I want to take it slow and lose what I can doing it the healthy right way so that I will have less of a chance of gaining it back. It's not an option for me to sit around and do nothing about my health any longer. I never said these were resolutions because they are something I plan to continue for the rest of my life.

For now, I'm off to finish the collection of Sherlock Holmes stories that came next on my list to read. Hope everyone has a joyful and wonderful day, wherever it finds you. Take care.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Daily Inspiration

* I decided to do something a little different for today. Instead of the usual story, I wanted to share some quotes that have inspired me. I hope they do the same for you all. Love and blessings, Kim*

Inspirational Quotes

Always keep a window open in your mind for new ideas. ~ Anonymous

Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends. ~ Cindy Lew

Don’t ever say that you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours in a day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo DA Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein. ~ H. Jackson Brown

"Yes, I can"-Three of the most potent words in any language. ~ Anonymous

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. ~ Hellen Keller

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today. ~ Dale Carnegie

Health Headlines 2/18/06

Several Health Programs Slated To Be Cut Under Bush's FY 2007 Budget Proposal ~ Click here.

Novel Cancer Therapy Developed From Basic Research ~ Click here.

GSK Application Accepted By The FDA To Expand Use Of Hycamtin(R) In Combination With Cisplatin For The Treatment Of Advanced Cervical Cancer ~ Click here.

NIH GAIT Study Supports Use Of Glucosamine And Chondroitin For Osteoarthritis Treatment ~ Click here.

CXCR4 Target Plays Central Role In Cancer Progression In More Than 75% Of Cancers ~ Click here.

Cancer-killing Ability Of Chemotherapy May Be Improved By MRI Drug, Study Says ~ Click here.

Rheumatoid Arthritis And Asthma - Sydney Scientists Discover & License Breakthrough Anti-Inflammatory Treatment ~ Click here.

Hello again :)

I haven't forgotten about my little place here. It's just been a wild road with so many bumps and turns that I had to regain my strength to update here. After I wrote the last entry in December 2005, I sank into a deep, deep depression that I could not bring myself out of no matter how hard I tried. Things were really tense at home. All the little things that had endeared Chris to me were making me even more irritated and annoyed than ever before. It all added up to a super heated arguement between us that lead to my leaving home for my mom's house. I stayed there for four days, enough time to let each of us cool off, think about what lead to the arguement and decide what to do from there. I finally admitted to myself as well as his sister that I needed some help for me. No matter what he decided to do about himself, there's things inside me that he can't work through for me. I needed to do it to make myself better. Therefore, I started seeing a counselor the week after Christmas and before New Years. Right from the start, I felt at ease and at home with the woman who I am talking with. From the first appointment I felt a huge weight be lifted off my shoulders. I didn't have to carry this burden alone any longer. All the stress and pressures I have been keeping inside and buried are being carried in a new way. It's really helping me and I hope to realize my full potential someday.

I'm happy to say that Chris and I are still together after having worked through some of the problems that were hidden from view until the fight. It's been a much closer relationship now that I realize what I do to make things hurtful or strained between us. I've been working really hard at not letting myself fall back into that same category as before. On New Year's Day, Chris told me that this year would be the year that I take care of me and no one else. Boy, was there never a more truer statement ever spoken. Ever since that day there's been so many things that I have had to address, acknowledge, deal with and then move on from them. I felt as though I was getting sick with a sinus infection around the 13th of January and by the 21st I was in the hospital being treated in the ER for pneumonia. I felt better for the first three days of treatment and then I was back in the ER on the 27th. This time the ER doctor admitted me to the hospital. The doctor in charge of my treatment during my stay was very concerned over my blood pressure being so high and the medications I take not being able to get it under some kind of control. He sent me down for a CT scan, something I had never done before. It was quite the experience. When they put the dye in your vein and tell you it will make you feel like you're peeing your pants, they aren't kidding! Lol, but I was allergic to the dye so it was a good thing. The results showed right away that not only did I have pneumonia in both lungs but a large blood clot in my right lung as well as a possible second smaller one. I was started on meds to dissolve the clots and then also put on Coumadin to keep them from forming again. The pneumonia was cleared up pretty quick because we had caught it at the start, but I was still in there until nearly the first of February. I did begin to write in my journal a few days before and have missed only one day of writing in it. My wonderful counselor said she would like for me to do it at least a half hour each day and no more than an hour. I am pretty proud that I've kept it up so long.

Needless to say I'm out of the hospital now. I am still having to take the Coumadin, so all my meds have been adjusted. Due to being sick, I haven't had an Enbrel shot for almost a month. Believe me, I can tell it too. I'm so stiff and my Fibro is acting up to the point that I have tears in my eyes most of the time. I can no longer take the Lodine and have been put on Celebrex until the Enbrel gets back into my system. Still take all the other meds until things settle with the blood issues. I did see my family and arthritis doctors earlier this week. I have been instructed to eat healthy and as low sodium as I can and to lose weight. I have been working on that but now I have more of a reason to lose the weight. I can start my Enbrel again on Sunday, so I am happy about that. Since I haven't been taking the Enbrel, my Psoriasis has been coming back with a vengeance on my elbows and knees. I have also noticed a few new joints that are tender and inflammed. That medicine is definitely my wonder drug.

Well, I'm off to update a few other things and get through all the emails I have. I am still recovering so I'm trying to take it slow. Hope all of you are well.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Daily Inspiration 2/17/06

Remembering You
By Catherine Pulsifer

If something were to happen to you tomorrow,
what would people remember about you?

Would they remember the hours you worked?
Would they remember the material things you own?
Would they remember how much money you had in the bank?
Would they remember the number of vacations you took?

Would they remember the love you showed?
Would they remember your caring and your sharing?
Would they remember the help you gave them?
Would they remember your smile, your laugh?

What will they remember,
your actions today
will determine
what they will remember.

The poem "Remembering You" is a gentle reminder to live each day and don't neglect the important things in your life.

Our careers are important to us but a quote I heard years ago puts a careers in perspective, "Do you work to live, or live to work". Our careers provide us with money to enjoy life, but they are not our life. And, material things are not the be all and end all. As my Mum used to say, keeping up with the Jones is not a good way to live! And money, yes we need it to survive, but money will not bring happiness. There are many people in this world that have more than enough money but they have little happiness.

Memories of happy times, of helping times, of laughter and love, these are the things people reflect on and remember. We sometimes get so busy we don't make time for these things.

When reflecting on your life, the following quote is a good one to reflect on: "What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it."

This week how many times have you laughed, have you helped someone, and have you shown your love to those who are special to you?


About the Author:Catherine Pulsifer is one of the editors of Inspirational Poems, Motivational Quotes, and More Visit Words of Wisdom 4 U for inspiration and motivation. Plus print our quote calendar, full of motivational and inspirational quotes, a free printable calendar! http://www.wow4u.com/

Health Headlines 2/17/06

ASKA Pharmaceutical Obtains Manufacturing Approval For Its New Painkiller Grelan Bit, Japan ~ Click here.

AstraZeneca Withdraws Its Application For Ximelagatran 36 Mg Film-coated Tablets ~ Click here.

Researchers Discover A Natural Defense Mechanism For Alzheimer's Disease ~ Click here.

Floating Alleviates Chronic Stress-related Pain ~ Click here.

Rituximab Maintenance Therapy Dramatically Improves Survival For Patients With Lymphoma - Risk Of Death Can Be Halved ~ Click here.