Going to the rheumy...

Just a small post right now to let you all know that I'm getting ready to go to the rheumatologist today in about 2 hours. I'll be able to post much more after seeing him and finding out what's going to happen with my arthritis medications. It will probably take me about an hour to get ready, so I'm off to get cleaned up and dressed to go. See ya again in a little while.

Edit 7:15pm Indiana Time (EST)

Ok, I'm back from the rheumy's office. Yeah, I've been back for a little while. Just trying to do a few things before sitting down to put all my thoughts and whatnot here. The heat here is making things difficult anyway. I just wonder who requested the extra helping of HOT for the last day of July! They should be stripped and whipped. At least they'd be partially comfortable then despite the heat and humidity. I was really glad that I only had to leave the house once today for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I am in a lot of pain and feeling so stiff all over. It takes me a long time in the morning to get going because I wasn't taking anything for arthritis. Because of the complications with quite a few medications, there is a limited range of things I can take. It took me about an hour to get moving this morning and I checked some of my emails. Instead of doing a 5 minute walk today because of the humidity and heat, I did my stretches. I'm glad I did the stretches because it really helped me to loosen up a little bit. I did a little reading and some writing before I got ready for the rheumy. That took me a good while to get ready even though I had did my stretches and moved around a bit. Chris drove me because the heat really seemed to sap whatever little strength I had after getting ready for the doctor's appointment.

I got there a bit early so that if they weren't busy, I could just go back and meet with the doctor for a bit longer than usual. The good news is that I have managed to lose 6 pounds according to the doctor's scales. I weighed at home and noticed that my scale is about 5 pounds off from what the one at the doctor's office. I'm going to keep that in mind whenever I use my scales now. That way I have a general idea of what I've lost. The main problem posed by the medication interactions is that I am limited...very limited. I can't take Methotrexate again because of how it messed up my liver before when I took it. I can't take Celebrex while I'm on the Toprol because of the swelling in the legs and the fluid retention. I can't take a number of different arthritis medications because I'm on Coudamin for the blood clot issue we found back in February. There are two options that I'm presently able to choose from. One, I take an older version of the arthritis medication called Salsalate. I'm going to give it a shot to see if it will keep the arthritis portion of my disease under a bit of control. If that doesn't seem to do the trick, the doctor and I agreed to give the Enbrel another chance. We both think that my blood clot was caused more by my genes instead of medications. Hopefully that is the case should I have to take the Enbrel again.

So, that pretty much leaves me starting from square one. There isn't much I can do for the psoriasis other than use the things I have had before to try and keep it from going all over. Hopefully once I lose enough weight, my blood pressure medication can be reduced and I can get back on the Celebrex if needed. It will also help my good cholesterol number to go up and the bad one to go down. Therefore, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. I finished book #34 last night and started the next one on my list. I'm going to go and get something to eat for dinner. Then it's off to do a bit more writing. Take care all.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 7/31/06

Lower Levels Of Anti-inflammatory Proteins May Contribute To Chronic Widespread Pain ~> Click here.

Baylor Institute For Immunology Research Receives $3 Million Grant To Create Cancer Vaccines Against Melanoma ~> Click here.

Understanding What People With Arthritis Believe About Exercise ~> Click here.

NICE Gives Backing For The Use Of Advanced Biological Therapies To Treat Severe Psoriasis ~> Click here.

Men More At Risk Of Recurrent Blood Clots Than Women ~> Click here.

Drug Triggers Body's Mechanism To Reverse Aging Effect On Memory Process ~> Click here.

Researchers Reveal How Long-term Use Of Anti-inflammatory Medication Can Cause Osteoporosis ~> Click here.

Life goes on....

Thank goodness for pressure fronts that move quickly through the state! This week had been terrible when it comes to the level of pain and stiffness that I had to go through. I should be used to the stiffness and the inability to do the things that I need to do. Add all the stress that has been piled on my family in the past week and it comes up to being a lot more than I have wanted to carry on my shoulders. I guess I'm just a little tired of enduring things over and over. I need a vacation. Lol, but I know that's not going to happen any time soon. So I am going to just stand a little straighter and walk (or limp) along this path with my faith and the love and the encouragement of my family and friends at my sides. I have a lot of worries going through my mind. My brother, Billy, is first and foremost on my mind today. He was doing so much better yesterday when I popped in at the hospital to see him. Of course, the day I go to visit him all he does is sleep. Lol, but his body needed the rest so I let him know I loved him and he could call me later in the day if he wanted to chat. The good news we got yesterday was that he was going to be moved out of the intensive care unit and into a regular hospital room because his tests came back within the limits the doctors wanted them. Even his need for oxygen dropped from 15 liters down to just 6 liters. I thought he was doing well until my mom called me later last night to tell me that he was a bit dehydrated so they were going to give him some fluid through the IV. This morning I waited for him to call me as he usually does but the phone never rang. I just thought maybe he was sleeping in or something. My mom called me when she got home from work to see if I had talked to Billy this morning because she couldn't get a hold of him. She called the nurses' desk and found out that Billy was down in the dialysis center getting dialysis again because his toxin levels were twice what the doctors wanted them, which means his blood was full of waste because his kidneys aren't functioning properly. One day, he's dehydrated and needs dialysis. The next day, he has too much fluid and can't breathe right. It's starting to really worry me (not to mention scare the crap out of my mom and dad) even though I know he's in the best possible place where they can take good care of him. I would really rather he be at home and not have to deal with this sickness stuff at all. If I could take the burden of this disease from him, I would without hesitation.

Today, the skies are clear but I'm still stiff and in some pain. More so from being exhausted from stress. As I've said before, there's a lot on my mind. I'm worried about various family members for problems with health, finances and just life in general. Not to mention the fact that our finances aren't the best right now either. I have all of my doctor bills as well as Chris's bills from chemotherapy last year and his treatment this year. But we've also been stuck because Chris hasn't been back to work since March. We're getting about half his regular paychecks every week thanks to his short term disability. Otherwise we would have lost our car, house and probably some of the clothes on our backs. We have some excellent friends that have extended their hands to help us. Many of the creditors have been working with us to help us get our bills paid off. There are only a few that have resolved to make our lives more difficult. But I still play by the rules and give them what little I can. It's times like these that I wish I could sell one of my manuscripts and not have to worry about money for a little while. One of these days it will happen. I do know that even if I came into a lot of money, it wouldn't solve all my problems. But I do know it will take away some of my worries.

Today I'm doing some laundry and loading the dishwasher. Chris is going to help me a bit with that so we can get more done. It's always that way. When we work together on something, it goes smooth and we are able to do more. Other than that I'm going to be working my way through some of my novel that I'm working on and read some more. Not too much more on my plate for the day. I go to the rheumy on Monday. Hopefully he will let me know what I can take for the arthritis because I can't live like this. Not when I know there are things out there that can help me live an almost regular life. Hope everyone is doing well out there. Please know that even though I haven't been online a lot, I still keep you all in my thoughts.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 7/29/06

Survival For Pancreatic Cancer May Be Improved By Combination Therapy ~> Click here.

Genta Announces FDA's Oncology Drug Advisory Committee Will Review Genasense(R) As Treatment For Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia ~> Click here.

Human Lung Tumors Rapidly Destroyed By Radiation-armed Robot ~> Click here.

Many Cancer Patients Struggle To Pay For Treatment ~> Click here.

Lower Estrogen Levels Are A Risk Factor For Knee Osteoarthritis ~> Click here.

Family History Of Breast Cancer On Paternal Side May Be Missed ~> Click here.

Backing For The Use Of Advanced Biological Therapies To Treat Severe Psoriasis, Provided By NICE ~> Click here.

National Professional Organization Of People In Recovery From Psychiatric Disabilities Is Created ~> Click here.

Tanabe Seiyaku Launches New Anti-rheumatic ~> Click here.

Too much going on....

I know I have been letting my blog slip lately. It's not that I have been meaning to not write. There's just been a lot of things going on. Saturday, we had a situation in the family where our niece and nephews had to come stay with us for a few days. I won't go into the details because the situation has been resolved and there's no need to rehash the problem when a solution has already been found for now. Therefore my Sunday and Monday were filled with keeping them busy and not at each other's throats as well dealing with not having slept for almost a full 24 hours. You see, my mom called me from work on Monday morning because Billy, my brother, was having difficulty breathing. I didn't get a chance to fall asleep the night before because my shoulder was still acting up as well as my feet and back. I was still awake when she called me and asked if I would go over and sit with him until she found a way to get off of work early. I went over there and turned his oxygen up so that he would be getting more into his system. I stayed there for a few hours just keeping him from worrying as well as making sure he would have someone to call for an ambulance if needed. My mother was finally able to get off work a few hours before she was scheduled so I drove over to her work and then took her home. After all that, I had to call and cancel my acupuncture appointment. I hadn't been able to get even a nap in between all of that going on and knew I couldn't make it much longer. Right before I slipped into dreamland, I heard the phone ring. Of course I answered the phone, thinking it was my mom calling to tell me that she was taking Billy to the hospital. Actually it was the Superior Court secretary calling to tell me that my jury duty is was cancelled because the case had apparently been settled. I was so grateful. I remember hanging up the phone and then going to sleep. When I woke up a few hours later, Chris told me that the kids had been sent home and that my brother had been taken to the hospital. He still couldn't breathe after doing everything that he knew to do.

I talked to my mom early Tuesday morning to see how he was doing. He is in the Intensive Care Unit at the local hospital and was put on 15 liters of Oxygen until his blood oxygen stayed within the limit the doctors were looking for. Of course, they pushed the medications to drain off the excessive fluids from his body. I spent most of Tuedsay resting and trying not to cry from the pain I was feeling in my back and feet. I'm definitely hoping that I can get an earlier appointment with the rheumatologist. I don't know how many more days I can last without taking anything to lessen the affects of the arthritis on my body. Later Tuesday night, I talked with my mom again and found out a lot more disturbing news. Seems my family is a magnet for bad news right now. My brother was doing fine and the fluids were coming off of him at the rate the doctors wanted last night. But my great grandmother was in the Intensive Care Unit as well. I've never met my great grandmother but I had heard a lot about her from other family members. She's my grandfather's mother. I had been trying to get ahold of that side of the family for a little while so I could fill in information in my family tree that I'm working on when I get a chance. Unfortunately, my great grandmother is dying. She has an infection within a hernia that can only be removed by surgery and right now she's too frail to even survive the surgery. She's 97 years old. I fear that I won't have the chance to meet her now even though I have tried a few times in the past. On top of this news, I also found out that there is a custody battle going on with my cousin's children. It's possible that her son and daughter may be taken from her. I don't know all the details surrounding that problem but I'm sure that if she's doing everything by the book and not hiding anything, then she'll not have a problem.

Today....oh today hasn't been the best day either. I work up extra early this morning intent on getting a shower and going out to the hospital to see Billy. I made sure to do some of my stretches, not pushing myself. Yet I couldn't even walk to the bathroom this morning without crying. My feet feel like they are full of knives. I knew I wasn't going to be able to stand in the shower and unfortunately, I don't have a shower seat. I have been putting off getting one because I don't want to admit that I need it. Sort of like, not wanting to admit that I'm worse. I made sure that I did call and talk to Billy a few times because I felt really guilty for not going to see him. I know that it's not fun being stuck in the hospital. I also know that he doesn't get a lot of visitors besides Mom and Dad. But I just was not physically able to get ready and go out to the hospital no matter how hard I tried or wished that I could. I mean, it's not like I don't go out of my way to be there and to keep him company when I feel up to it. I'm always calling and chatting with him. I go over there on the days when it's not that painful to walk. But I still feel guilty for not going today even though he says he understands. I'm hoping that the weather system that's been hovering near Indiana will pass on through soon. That way I should have a few days that I don't feel too bad and I can go annoy the crap out of him. I spent a large amount of the day reading and just stretching my joints off and on. I was supposed to get my 5 minute walk in today but with my feet, it wasn't possible. I went ahead and did some stretching so I was getting some exercise for the day. I've really been trying to get moving once again. As far as my other goals, I'm still working on the reading. The writings have really been coming along whenever I can sit and write for long stretches at a time. Writing with pen and paper is a bit more comfortable for me than typing. Plus, it just feels more natural to me. As far as everything else I have been talking about, I will admit that I haven't been doing any crafting here lately. That's just something I haven't been too interested in right now.

For all my friends out there, I just want you to know that I do love you and keep each of you in my thoughts. I hope that things are going well for all of you. I miss hearing from you so when you get the chance, drop me a line or two. Oh and before I forget.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIRSTEN!!!!!!!! May you have a day of laughter, smiles and memories that fill your heart with love. Take care out there.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Sleepy Saturday

With all the excitement in the last few days, I wasn't sure that I would be able to fall asleep at a decent time last night. The only way was to take my pain meds just as the rain began to fall here. It was kinda neat because the rain was hitting the window with a constant beat so I was able to close my eyes and focus on the beat. It was kinda like meditating in a way. I guess I fell asleep at some point because I don't remember anything until about 8am this morning when my alarm went off. I have decided that I am going to try and keep on a sleeping schedule so that my body can adjust to the new things I'm trying to do to become healthy. I have been taking 5 minute walks every other day and doing a stretching routine the other days to keep my muscles working. The diet part isn't hard for me to modify due to the fact I already have made the changes most doctors tell you to do. I use olive oil instead of other oils that aren't good for you and eat wheat or whole grain breads instead of white. The nurse that is assigned to look after our health for Chris's insurance was giving me some really good suggestions on what to look up to help modify my diet even more to help with the Fibro and maybe reduce some of the flares. I didn't know that too much refined sugar or enriched flour could cause my Fibro to act up a lot. Therefore I am being careful to watch what I eat now. Hopefully I can stick with this and do things a bit at a time so it becomes second nature to me and I can feel better and do more things.

Today I was able to get up at 8am like I said. I did spend a little bit of time on the net this morning before I did a little bit of my stretches. It was also time for me to get a few letters written to some of my dear friends. I love sending mail through the postal service instead of emails sometimes. It just seems more personal in a way. After a little while, I woke Chris so that he could get something to eat and take his meds for the day. Most of the day passed without a lot of excitement. Well, there was some excitement but for now, I'll not speak of it here. Once the problems start to work themselves out, maybe I'll write about them here. Until then, let's just say that all parties are separated and doing well for now. My shoulder is definitely feeling a bit better. I hope that with my acupuncture appointment on Monday, I will have more movement and less pain in it than with just the ibprofen the doctor prescribed for me to take. It's helping with some of the arthritis pain as well. So it's a two for one special. The writing is still coming along. I don't know why I'm so determined to write and write and write. Yet, I'm not going to stop the ideas as they come. My muse is often picky when it comes to working so I'll take what I can get when I get it. Still working my way through my next book that I'm reading. Just so happens to be the fourth book in the Harry Potter series. I had forgotten how long these books get after the first two. Lol, almost as if they are growing right alongside the boy wizard. Unfortunately thick books aren't going to help me achieve my goal by the end of the year. I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes. I hope that everyone is doing their best to stay cool if they live north of the equator and warm if they live in the southern hemisphere. I want to send best wishes for each of you and may your days be good ones.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 7/22/06

Other Highlights In The July 19 Journal Of The National Cancer Institute ~> Click here.

Authors Of JAMA Study Authors Did Not Report Financial Ties To Pharmaceutical Companies ~> Click here.

Mylan Announces Final Approval For Meloxicam Tablets ~> Click here.

Abbott Reminds U.S. FreeStyle(R) And FreeStyle Flash(R) Blood Glucose Meter Users To Verify Units Of Measure When They Test ~> Click here.

Biopsy Study Shows Long-Acting Beta2-Agonist And Low Steroid Dose In Advair Diskus(R) 100/50mcg Maintains Control Of Airway Inflammation ~> Click here.

Enhanced Breast MRI System Shows Great Promise In The Early Detection And Treatment Of Breast Cancer ~> Click here.

OHSU Scientists Say FreeCell Can Be Adapted To Spot Early Signs Of Dementia ~> Click here.

Bubbles Go High-tech To Fight Tumors ~> Click here.

Acupuncture Can Help Clear A Chronic Pain In The Neck ~> Click here.

Women Show 47 Percent Greater Persistence With Osteoporosis Drugs If Offered Monthly Tablet, Support ~> Click here.

Diagenic Asa Presents Breakthrough Data On Development Of The First Early Blood Test For Alzheimer's Disease At ICAD ~> Click here.

Potential Mechanism Of Food Allergy Demonstrated By Researchers ~ Click here.

Pseudomonas Needs Neuraminidase For Pulmonary Infection ~> Click here.

‘Creatinine Is The New Cholesterol' For Detecting Vascular Risks Of Kidney Disease ~> Click here.

Cloudy days continue...

I know my past few posts have been a little on the heavy side of things. There's just so much going through my head that I can't get it all out at one time. When I sit down to do my posts, some of that falls through and into them. At first I had thought this blog was going to just be a record of what my days are like, how much pain I go through and what limitations I had during the day as well as some information about recent health related headlines. But in reality, this blog has been becoming a bit more than that. It's something that has been helping to sort through all the jumbled thoughts that I've been having here as of late. I do apologize if that makes things seem dark or bothers some people. I don't mean to do that in any way, shape or form. I'm just trying to find a way that I can get through this journey called life without hurting others or myself.

Today we have had storm clouds hovering over us but not that many storms have come through our area. It seems fitting as the ashes are still settling over at the lumber yard building that was burnt to the ground. The fire marshall has ruled that the cause of the fire is indeed arson so the investigation begins. The fire department used over 1 million gallons of water to put out the blaze. Flames shot upwards of 60 feet in the air at one point. Hopefully they can catch whoever did it soon. I know that in this town we've also had a rash of robberies as well. Someone even robbed our hospital! I just hope that whoever did it figures out that move probably wasn't the smartest one for him to do. My niece stayed the night again last night with me. We ended up playing on the computer a bit together and then watching some movies. I finally made it through all of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I have tried to watch that movie and something always seemed to need my attention right when it would get to the good parts. She and I also watched The Grudge last night. I hadn't seen it either. I have becoming a fan of Japanese horror movies ever since I saw the movie, Audition. It had the right amount of psychological terror in it mixed with the right amount of gore. It was fun to get wrapped up in the movie and jump at the same time when the scary bits happen.

I also was in a really odd writing mood yesterday as well. All I did was write before my niece came over. I even wrote for about two hours after she arrived. There's just something inside of me pushing me to write more and more. Maybe my muse finally came back from vacation. We'll have to wait and see. I'm just hoping that it leads to me finishing some of the stories I have been working on and reworking through for the past few years. I'm so good at starting them but not so good at finishing them. Although that is something I'm working on everyday that I can. I finished my #33 book and started the next one. I'm getting closer to my goal with more than five months left in the year. Any bets on just how many I'm going to have read by the end of this year?

My pain level is extremely high today. No medications for the arthritis is taking a toll on me. I wake up in pain and spend most of the day trying to figure out a way to get through the next minute. I'm trying really really hard to stay positive and keep myself from lingering on the pain. I just don't want to go through this any longer. It is going to be another week and a half before I see my rheumy if no one cancels before then. Sometimes if another person cancels in enough time before my appointment, they will call me to see if I want to take the appointment time. Maybe they'll do it again. I don't know. I can't go back to living the way I did before getting on the Celebrex or the Enbrel. I can't lay in bed every other day because walking to the bathroom took too much out of me. I have too much life still left in me! I just got to keep going.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 7/21/06

Life Expectancy For Lung Cancer Patients Extended By Combined Treatment ~> Click here.

New Study In Journal Of Urology Shows UroVysion(TM) DNA Test Superior To Standard Cytology In Diagnosing Bladder Cancer In At-Risk Patients ~> Click here.

Nexavar Receives FDA Fast Track Designation For Skin Cancer ~> Click here.

Cancer Patients May Not Benefit From Dietary Modifications ~> Click here.

Women With Certain Types Of Migraines Have Higher Risk Of Heart Disease; Many Study Authors Did Not Report Ties To Pharmaceutical Companies ~> Click here.

Exercise Improves Physical Health, Quality Of Life For Breast Cancer Survivors ~> Click here.

Amnesia-inducing Drug Has Shed Light On How We Form New Memories ~> Click here.

Revealed: Inflammatory Processes In Arteriosclerosis ~> Click here.

A Sad Day...

The picture to the left was taken by my nephew early this morning as a part of my childhood literally went up in flames. Last night I couldn't sleep very well because the pain had increased in my shoulder and I felt as though I had something stabbing me in the area where I had felt something tear earlier this week. A little after six this morning, our power went off suddenly and completely. At first I thought we had blown all the fuses again because we have used a lot of electricity as of late with the high temperatures here in Indiana. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. I woke Chris and we both went to check the fuse box. None of the breakers had been tripped, so we walked outside to see if a transformer had caught fire or someone had driven into an electric pole. I sat on our covered porch while Chris went back inside to use the phone to check on his sister's family that lives a few streets down from us. He learned that there was a large fire not too far away. Being the adventurer he is, he hopped into the car and drove down close to where he had been told the fire was burning. Within about ten minutes he drove back home. That's when I found out one of the businesses I had grown up near as a child was on fire.

The business in question is a lumber yard, one of the oldest in the city here. When I was a little girl, my family and I lived just a block or two away from the buildings and often walked past them on our way to school. It's been in the city for nearly 40 years that I know of. When Chris came back home, I asked him to take me as close to the fire as the police would allow. The police had blocked off two streets all around the area of the fire. The main reason being that the business is located in a residential area and they feared it would spread quickly with the height of the flames. I'm just sad because this is another in a long line of things that have been forcing me to close the book on my childhood and open the new one of adulthood. There's these feelings inside that make me feel as though this is the time to do a bit of changing and become the adult I am supposed to be but I don't want to lose that childlike wonder and the hunger for knowledge. How does one meld those two aspects of one's self together and still go about living their life? I have thinking about that for a while now. Part of the reason is because I've had to grow up a bit faster than I should have given the circumstances of my family and all that we've gone through. Part of me wonders just what would my life be like if we hadn't faced those challenges. Would I have gone on to a good college and done something with myself in the corporate world or would I have found my true self within the creative minds of writers, painters, and others? What would my brothers have become had Billy not had to endure the pain and suffering he's had go through and Andy been allowed to explore all the avenues which would have been opened to him? Would we three be as close as we are now? Or would we be among the thousands who only talk to one another at holiday time, rarely acknowledging that the other existed? What would have happened with my parents? Would they have divorced over pettiness or pulled together at the last moment to really become loving to one another?

So many questions are going through my mind. After seeing the building on fire today and thinking about how it has basically become the symbol of the ending of my childhood and childlike days, I feel a bit sadder than usual. A part of me will always see the wonder and delight in things as a child would upon discovering them for the first time. I don't want to lose that part of me that finds joy in the small things this world has to offer because that wouldn't be me. Yet I know it's time to face the fact I have responsibilities as an adult now. Bills need to be paid. My house needs to be cleaned (yes, I know that I can only do so much. I have promised not to over do things any more). I'm sad to see this part of my life ending but I know that with adulthood comes more gifts to get through the rest of this life as well as new surprises and challenges. I will greet them head on with those I love by my side and my faith and experiences to lead the way before me. Thankfully I have been able to see the path before I have had to stumble onto it. Now maybe I can conquer it before I feel it conquers me.

Take care out there. Never forget to tell one another you love them.

Love and blessings,

Kim

Health Headlines 7/20/06

The American Liver Foundation Issues Warning On Dangers Of Excess Acetaminophen ~> Click here.

Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Treatments Compared By Study ~> Click here.

Seniors With Dementia Can Still Access Memory To Give Advice ~> Click here.

New Role For Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene Identified By Study ~> Click here.

Exelon(R) Patch, The First Transdermal Therapy For Alzheimer's Disease, May Provide A Promising New Approach To Treatment ~> Click here.

Guidelines Found To Be Effective In Treatment Of Osteoporosis And Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) ~> Click here.

Alzheimer's Sufferers May Benefit From Diabetes Drug ~> Click here.

FDA Approves Eli Lilly's Gemzar To Treat Ovarian Cancer; Contraceptive Implanon Also Approved ~> Click here.

Letters Respond To USA Today Article On High Price Of New Cancer Medications ~> Click here.

MRIs Show Drug Treatment Slows Brain Deterioration On Road To Alzheimer's Disease ~> Click here.

Oh, where to begin....

Yes, it's been a fair amount of time since I've been here to blog. This month has really been hard on me and I've been forced to limit the little bit of activity that I do. On Saturday (7/15) I was trying to pick my dog up when Chris decided he was going to make a smart-alec comment to which I went to playfully smack at him. When I did, I felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my left shoulder. From that moment until now, the pain hasn't really left. I did go and see the family doctor on Monday for several reasons including the shoulder. I had to discuss the other health issues that have been going on for the past three weeks. My doctor and I finally figured out that all my water weight gain was coming from an interaction between my blood pressure medication and the Celebrex that I have been taking while waiting to see the rheumatologist. So that means no more Celebrex for me...ever (or atleast I'll have to be off the dosage of blood pressure medicine before I can take it again). That pretty much means that right now I'm taking absolutely nothing for my arthritis. Not a good thing if you ask me. Yet not much I can do until I see the rheumy on the 31st of this month. Our weather here definitely hasn't been nice either for me. Humidity levels have been high as the temperatures have climbed into the 90s here. Not too uncommon for July in Indiana really. But compounded with the humidity, it's unbearable. The other subject my doctor and I talked about was my cholesterol test results. For being overweight, my results weren't really that bad. My total cholesterol is under 200 where they would like it to be. I do have some work to do on raising my good cholestrol number because it was really kinda low and I need to get my bad cholesterol down. It's only off by about 35 points which about what my good number is lacking. So if I can work on getting the bad one down, I'm hopeful that the good number will come up. Right now the thinking among us both is that I just need to work on losing weight. I already eat fairly healthy, although I do have my moments when I eat what I'm not supposed to. I do need to increase my activity which isn't that much of an option right now. Then we finally got to my shoulder. Since I can't take the Celebrex to get the inflammation down, the doctor decided to give me a cortizone shot. It's helped so far but I still feel like someone's wedging a knife in the space between my neck and shoulder. Of course the Fibro makes everything worse anyway. That was on Monday and today it still feels like there's something in there stabbing me whenever I try to stretch my arm out completely. I'm probably going to call my doctor tomorrow and let him know it's still really painful.

Needless to say that I haven't been up to doing anything. It's taking me a long time to do this entry today. It's the first time I've sat at the computer for more that fifteen minutes at a time. Okay, I have to take a break every fifteen but it all adds up in the end! Lol, with it being so hot and humid, I haven't done much with the afghan. Common sense thinking, right? Lol, my cross-stitch projects have taken a backseat as well for now. I hope to work on them again soon but I don't know for sure when I'll work on them right now. I've just been doing a lot of reading and working on my writings since there's not much else that I've been able to do. I think I have some sort of creative ADD because I can't focus on a project for too long before going off to start or work on another one. I have three stories that I'm working on and I can't stay focused on one for more than an hour at the most. So I've been going back and forth between them. Maybe I'll get them done a bit faster this way. I'm not sure but I'm going to try. I would like to some day see if I can get them published. :D That's a big dream of mine. Always has been. I've already fulfilled one goal of actually writing a full novel by the time I turn 30. I actually achieved that a few years ago. So we'll see what happens. I'm up to book #33 and working my way through them steadily. Of course it helps that I haven't been able to do anything BUT read in the past two days.

Oh! Before I forget, there's a couple more things I want to say before I log off for now. One is that I finally saw the interview I did with the local She magazine that is published throughout south central Indiana. They did a piece about bloggers and called me up. It's not much but it's a start! Lol, a few paragraphs is cool nonetheless.

Two, I want to give a late Happy Birthday to my brother, Andy, who turned 25 on Monday. He's working really hard to achieve his own goals in trying to become a wrestler. I'm sorry I didn't have the money to get you anything as of yet. But I hope that this year of life brings you that much closer to getting where you want to be!

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 7/19/06

Human Genome Sciences Announces Full Presentation Of Results Of Phase 2 Clinical Trial Of LymphoStat-B(TM) In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ~> Click here.

Raised Blood Sugar May Increase Alzheimer's Risk ~> Click here.

Researchers Find Cause Of Frontotemporal Dementia ~> Click here.

New Gene Link To Dementia Opens Up Possibilities For Diagnosis And Treatment ~> Click here.

Novel Approach May Offer New Hope To Women With Alzheimer's Disease, Study Shows ~> Click here.

Frontotemporal Dementia: Researchers Find Cause ~> Click here.

Weight Loss Precedes Dementia Diagnosis In Women Mayo Clinic Study Finds ~> Click here.

Ciphergen Reports Biomarkers Of Alzheimer's Disease ~> Click here.

Antibodies May Help Treat Alzheimer's Disease And Perhaps Reverse It ~> Click here.

Confusion Over Safety Of NSAIDs For Pain Relief Leads Patients To Suffer In Silence ~> Click here.

Multiple Myeloma Oral Therapy REVLIMID Approved By FDA ~> Click here.

Reversing Drug Resistance In Lung Cancer Patients ~> Click here.

Tumors Invisible From The Immune System ~> Click here.

Lpath Creates First Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies Against LPA, An Important Cancer Target ~> Click here.

Gene That Affects Human Cancer Cells' Sensitivity To Chemotherapy Is Pinpointed ~> Click here.

Rapid Identification Of Cancer Targets: New Strategy ~> Click here.

What You Eat May Fuel Cancer: Medical Experts Advise A Diet Rich In Omega-3s And Phytonutrients To Help Fight The Disease ~> Click here.

Study Indicates Heart Damage From Some Cancer Drugs Worsens Over The Years ~> Click here.

American Diabetes Association: Embryonic Stem Cell Research Offers Most Promise For Americans With Diabetes ~> Click here.

ZymoGenetics Begins Phase 1 Trial With IL-21 And Rituxan(R) In Patients With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma ~> Click here.

Genmab Initiates Ofatumumab (Humax-Cd20) Pivotal Study In NHL ~> Click here.

Grey skies....sleepiness

Yes, I'm posting late today. My niece stayed with me again last night but this time I was able to get a few hours of sleep before I picked my mother up from work today. I dropped her off at home after stopping at the local Dairy Queen and getting one of their flavored ice drinks called Arctic Rush. I had a watermelon one while I ordered a lemon-lime for Billy. I knew that we both couldn't have very much of the treats so I ordered us each a medium size. When my mom and I arrived at the drive-thru window and the lady handed us the cups, we both just looked at each other. The mediums were the same size as the larges! After I dropped Mom off at home, I drove home myself and split mine with my niece. We played on the computers a bit. Then I got her interested in a book written by a fellow author who is also a part of a writer's group with me. Once Chris was ready, we went out to eat and then dropped her off at home.

I fought all day to stay awake so that I could take my medicine on time. The past few days have been really hard on me with the weather changing a bit combined with the fact I am no longer taking anything for my arthritis right now. The doctor and I want to make sure that my legs aren't swelling for some really dangerous reason. Therefore, we're crossing things off one thing at a time. I told Chris when we got home today that I would almost take the extra few pounds of water weight and deal with it if I could have taken just one Celebrex to help me move easier. I had wanted to get a few more loads of laundry done as well as a little bit of cleaning the house this week. So far, I haven't been able to do any of it. I am glad that I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so that I can let the doctor know everything that has gone on this week. Hopefully I will be able to do something about the stiffness instead of just taking the pain medication. Plus I will also be able to type better than I am right now. It's taken me a long time to just type this entry so far.

Thanks for the comments. I do appreciate them very much. (23!!!!!!!!!) Lol, inside joke. Sorry. But answer one of the comments, I am reading the Harry Potter series. I'm currently on book 2 of the series and working my way back through them. I didn't intend to read them before book 7 has been rumored to be released. It just kinda happened that way. I did put the reading and the writing on hold to watch the two hour special of Stephen King's Nightmares and Dreamscapes that was on television tonight. Oh, how I enjoy his writings. Not everyone does and that's okay. But I have since I was a little girl. I think I will love his works until the day I die. I'm off to take another couple pain pills. Then I'm going to read until I fall asleep. I'll try and update after my doctor's appointment tomorrow. Take care of yourselves.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 7/12/06

CMS Announces 8M Beneficiaries Will Be Exempt From New Medicaid Proof-of-Citizenship Rules, Proposes Alternatives For Documentation ~> Click here.

New Study Demonstrates That Bifantis(TM) (Bifidobacterium Infantis 35624) Offers Relief For Women With Irritable Bowel Syndrome ~> Click here.

Radical Prostatectomy Results In Survival Comparable To Radiotherapy With Androgen Deprivation Of Patients With Stage T4 Prostate Cancer ~> Click here.

Alfacell Corporation Announces New Research Collaboration To Develop Next-Generation Targeted Therapies For Cancer ~> Click here.

Skin Cancer Screening Rates Improved By Education Campaign ~> Click here.

Alzheimer's Disease: Measuring Proteins In Spinal Fluid May Provide Early Clue ~> Click here.

Cardiac Arrest, Trauma Survival Improvements: UT Southwestern, BioTel System To Test Methods ~> Click here.

Hi again...

I haven't done a proper blog entry in a really long time. So I thought with some of the people stumbing upon my blog through searches that I would at least start doing the Health Headlines portion of the blog once again. I may start the Daily Inspiration portion back up soon but I don't know yet. There's been a lot of things going on here and in my mind as far as thinking about growing up and getting older. For the past year, I've been getting hit, so to speak, by these moments of thinking when I realize that I'm not really a child anymore. That line of thinking really did hit me hard on Sunday. Chris and I had our nephew over to help mow the yard. I had been thinking about my health because I had a bunch of bloodwork done on Friday to get a baseline about my health. I have made a change to take things a little more serious when it comes to being healthy and getting up and moving more to get some exercise. Monday morning rolled around and I received a call from the doctor's office. He wanted to discuss the results from the bloodwork. Good thing I already made an appointment to talk about the swelling in my legs. I do know from experience that the office wouldn't call me unless there were changes to be made in my diet or exercise. We'll see what happens though. I know from keeping a food diary the past week that I don't eat a lot of food or anything that is really bad although there are days when I do have fast food. So it's a matter of starting an exercise program that I'm able to stick to doing three times a week. Thankfully there was a program set up by Chris's insurance to have a registered nurse help us to manage our health. I talked with her a lot about the Fibro and the arthritis and how it's really easy to overdo things and get frustrated because it's not enough only to have the cycle repeat itself over and over again. The only way I'm going to stick with an exercise program is to start slow and increase. I can't just jump into a program halfway. That upsets me some because I don't want to start at such a low number of reps or walking for only five minutes a day three times a week. It seems like I'm such an idiot for not being able to do more.

Yet I'm willing to give it a try and be true to myself about these things. It's the only way that I'm really going to change things within myself as well as my body. I have been trying my hardest to stay that with those people in my life I have a hard time saying no to. It's the only way I can continue to grow and be proud of who I am. I need to take time for me to make sure that I'm able to move around the next day and feel like a regular human being. I may have waited a long time to start working on some of these changes. I'm just proud of myself that I'm doing it and wanting to stick with it.

I haven't been working on cross-stitch projects or the crocheted afghan much in the past few months. No real reason why other than it's just something I haven't been focused on much. Mostly I have been reading and doing a lot of work on my writings. I have gotten to book #32 already for this year. Working steadily toward that goal of 100 by the end of the year. Of course, I've stumbled across the Harry Potter section of my bookshelves. Lol, those books start out short and grow longer by the latest ones. It helps me to reach the goal, however. Not to mention the fact that I really like them anyways. I have my niece with me again tonight. She stayed with me Monday as well. I don't get to have her over as much as I'd like but we still have fun when we're together. Sometimes I have to stop being her friend and be the aunt. Thankfully not as much as some people have to be with their nieces or nephews. I'm off to finish a few things before we hit the sack. We've been up for awhile and with the storms, it's time for some sleep. Take care out there. Please know that I keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 7/11/2006

Enzyme Inhibitor That May Slow Cancer Growth Developed By U Of I Scientist ~> Click here.

Male Breast Cancer Growth May Be Slowed By Drug Combination ~> Click here.

Integrated BioPharma Announces Phase I Clinical Trial To Lower Side Effects Of Chemotherapy Drugs ~> Click here.

Ovarian Cancer Risk Could Be Cut By A Third By Regular Paracetamol Use ~> Click here.

Alzheimer's Disease: Researchers Move Towards Prevention ~> Click here.

Genmab Initiates Ofatumumab (Humax-Cd20) Pivotal Study In NHL ~> Click here.

Biotech Research Announces Infant Flathead Syndrome Prevention Device ~> Click here.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure: Fighting Autoimmune Diseases ~> Click here.

The last few days..

Today wasn't such a bad day as I thought it was going to be. Yesterday (7/6) I went to the doctor and talked with him about all that was going on with me. I hadn't had a physical in a while so we decided just to get a baseline for my health since I'm wanting to make changes to get healthy. He wrote out an order for a bunch of bloodwork that I had to not anything for 12 hours before having done. So I came home yesterday and did some work on my stories. I also got to chat with my good friends, E and Stacy a bit. I hope I helped make their day a better one. Chris and I then laid down for a bit because we were both in a lot of pain yesterday. Seems like his arthritis was acting up and my back was bothering me a lot more than it had the day before. I woke up before he did because my back was sending sharp, stabbing pains down the right side. That's pretty much all yesterday was ~ a day of relaxing and catching up with a few things.

Today was a little bit different but not by much. I've been to the hospital laboratory and had my blood drawn. They only took four vials of blood this time. I should get the results back in time for my next doctor's appointment on the 13th. I made the decision a few nights ago to get healthy instead of just trying to lose weight. I'm hoping that will make a difference in my mindset so that I can actually acheive the goals that I want. So we'll see where it leads, shall we? The weather was beautiful outside today. It was in the low 80's and a pleasant breeze blew to keep it feeling comfortable. I sat outside for a few moments to read while Dudley played in the yard. Now I'm trying to do some laundry. Lol, it's not going as well as I had planned but I'll get it done eventually. I have a list of things that need to be done around here and it seems to be growing more than I can cross things off of it. No matter. I will just keep plugging away at them until I get them done. I wrote for about a half hour today before my train of thought ran away from me. I don't know why that happens. Lol, I get into a groove and just write away. Some days I can write so long that I forget to do things like eat or take my medicine. Good thing that Chris checks up on me during those times. Other days I can hardly make myself write in my journal. My muse is a funny one. I plan on working a bit more on my stories before the night is over.

I've been doing a little bit of thinking here lately. I've begun to notice that I'm reaching the level of not being able to do things just as I was before I began taking the Enbrel. It sort of makes me feel like I'm going backwards, instead of getting better and doing more, I'm doing worse. That thought can wreck havoc on self-esteem if one lets it. I have been getting a few people coming to the blog from different search engines. So I will do a recap of what this blog is about. It's mostly about my life. I live with a disease called Psoriatic arthritis. I have several joints that are affected by the arthritis and also large patches of psoriasis on my scalp, knees and elbows. I have been living with this since 1995, shortly after I graduated from high school. I have been disabled for a long time now because the arthritis and broken down the joints in my hands and feet to the point where it's hard for me to do many of the everyday things most people accomplish within minutes. Yet, I know that I have this for a purpose. Maybe it's to bring more attention to those who would be able to help move the research into helping people living with this or even to let someone who's been suffering from the same things know they aren't alone. I know that my blog can get a bit boring as there isn't much excitement that comes along in my life outside the occasional visit from friends and family. But this is me and my life. The little accomplishments I have each day keep me focused on trying to get better. If any of my readers out there have questions they would like answered, I do have ways you can contact me and I'd be more than happy to explain whatever it is you need to know. Or leave me a comment. I'll make sure that I get them. In the meantime, take care of yourselves and remember to smile!

Love and blessings,
Kim

Cool breezes on warm nights...

I don' t know if you see the little baby bunny sitting underneath the mommy bunny but I hope you are able to see it. This is just one shot of the bunnies who have made our yard their home. This mommy bunny has two babies, each about three inches long. They are so adorable. I have been able to sit outside on the front porch and watch them hop around the yard or eat some of the clover. It's really a wonderful thing to watch something so little grow up.

Today has been a relaxing day for me. At least I'm trying to make it that way. After spending most of the holiday weekend celebrating with family and friends, it's good to just sit back and relax a little bit. I was able to chat with a really good friend, E, early this afternoon. I hated that I couldn't chat longer with her. She makes me think about things that I haven't really paid much attention to and I should have been. Afterwards, I started thinking about making a change in my lifestyle. No, it's not kinky or anything. I need to get healthy. I have been saying it for a long while but this year I am going to make a committment to at least get a walking routine down so I can have some activity. I'm really tired of hearing that annoying inner voice telling me my flaws over and over. If I can do things that I'm supposed to, I'm hoping that the voice won't have much to taunt me with. I was able to take advantage of a new program within Chris's insurance that will help guide me in starting some small stretching exercises that I can do without having to hurt myself. I'm hoping to be able to move a little bit more. We shall see!

Other than that, I'm working on my first novel still. I'm stuck again with it because I know which way I want it to go but the characters in the story seem to be revolting against my wishes. So I will just keep working through it to see where it takes me. Also I have gotten halfway through book #27. Yay! Just another 73 more to go before the end of the year. Lol, we'll see how I do with that when the time comes. Hope everyone has been able to enjoy the day or evening, whichever it is where you are. Please take care of yourselves and know I keep you in my thoughts.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Happy 4th of July Everyone!!!

Sorry that this post is so late in coming. The past few days have been filled with holiday gatherings and I have been so exhausted at the end of the day. Yet they have been good days. Good in the sense that I was able to get out and enjoy the weather a bit as well as spend time with family and friends. Yesterday (7/3) Chris and I went over to my mom's house for a July 4th celebration thingie. Actually Chris didn't get there until about 7pm which was okay because it didn't get dark enough for fireworks until nearly 10pm. He went over to his sister's house to help her do a bit of renovating on her sons' room. I had Chris drop me off at Mom's early so I could hang out with Billy and pester their dog a bit. It was really fun. We just chatted and watched some tv together. Of course I took my digital camera over there and took a bunch of pictures. Finally I got one where he wasn't flipping the camera off. Lol, that's his standard pose for some reason. Dad cooked some hot dogs out on the grill while Mom got the baked beans and potato salad ready. Then we munched down for a bit. For dessert we had a strawberry jell-o cake, which was really light and fluffy so it was perfect on the hot day! Once Chris had finished doing some of the work at his sister's house, he came over to Mom's and grabbed a bite to eat before it got dark. After the sun started going down, we all headed outside to sit on the porch to watch the fireworks go off. This was the first year that Billy sat outside to watch them go off. Last year he wasn't in the house but he couldn't sit outside in the heat. He had to watch the fireworks through the windows of the door. In all honesty, I have to say he's been doing a lot better since getting out of the hospital this last time. He did really well sitting outside for as long as he did while we watched the fireworks. There had to have been enough let off to fill at least an hour's worth of time.

As soon as we got home, it was time to relax a bit. Chris and Pete, one of our friends, went to Wal-mart to get a few things for today. Just some hotdogs and hamburgers with the fixings. Of course, they also bought some fireworks to let off here at the house. It's a very good thing that there is a huge backyard for them to let these off in. Otherwise, it would have been awkward letting them off. The day was muggy and really warm to start off with, almost hitting 90 degrees F again. I woke up early and began doing some laundry because I felt up to it. I was also able to wash out the utility sink a bit. I let Chris sleep in until almost 1pm. Then I had to lay down myself for a little bit. I just felt blah so I took a nap. I woke up a little before 5pm and played on the computer a little before it started to get dark outside. We did have a little celebration over here at the house with hotdogs and all. Then about 9pm or so, Chris's sister and her family came over and we lit off some fireworks. Hanging out and having a good time was on top of the list. Now I'm doing this update like a good girl before I go write in my offline journal a bit.

Speaking of writing, I finally started to work on my first novel once again. I had laid it aside a few years ago just because I couldn't find the direction the story was supposed to lead. I knew it would work itself out eventually but then a lot of life things got in the way of my being able to focus on it entirely. I have reworked the first chapter and starting to do the same throughout the rest of it, page by page. I don't want to change much of it and yet I do want it to sound plausible with today's technology. Yes, I'm still working on that reading goal. I did not meet the goal of having 50 books read by the end of June. I did, however, read 26 books entirely (I'm halfway through book #27 right now) so I'm very proud of myself. I will do my best to reach the next goal of 100 by the end of the year. With a little more time on my hands, I just might be able to do it. We shall see. For now, I'm off to do some old fashioned writing. I sincerely hope that everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Warm and Summery...

I'm trying to get myself back into the swing of things, so to speak. I don't know why but I just haven't wanted to update in a long while. I have been on the internet to check my emails and respond to a few of them but I haven't been here to do updates as I should have. I know I'm not alone in this feeling. A few of my friends who also keep blogs are feeling the same way. Could it be the summer weather making us spend time away? Or is it something more? I'm not too sure. I have been swamped as of late with the need to work on my writing. Yes, I mean need. It's not something I can put off when it reaches the need stage. There's a constant feeling of something missing until I sit down and put pen to paper. I have tried using the computer to work on some of my writings but nothing makes the feeling go away except for using good old fashioned pens and paper. I've been in a dark mode of writing. It's not been a happy-go-lucky type of writing mood either. It's been very dark and filled with hurt and pain. I guess I'm putting the physical pain I have been overwhelmed with the last few days into whatever I'm writing. Some of it even scares me that it would enter my mind. And yet, I'm glad that it's come out in a story, not played out in real life.

Today I wasn't at home very much. Chris and I were invited to a birthday for one of our good friends' little boys. He turns one and so it was a fairly big thing. It was held in a local park where we also have SCA fighter practice. Kind of a two for one thing. They had a cook-out with all the trimmings as well as cake for dessert. We had only been there for about thirty minutes or so when Chris taps me on the shoulder and points to a car going down the road. He asked me, "Isn't that Billy's car?" I looked up and sure enough, it was my brother. The brother that just got out of the hospital a week ago. I was so thrilled but also a little worried that he had just gone off and gotten in his car without letting my mom know he was doing it. Luckily, he drove around the park, heading back in my direction so I was able to flag him down. He was out driving around because he wanted to get out of the house. It made me so happy to hear those words! It's been a really long time since he's wanted to get out and do anything. He was actually trying to find my house when he came down toward the park. I hopped in the car to ride with him and show him the way to our house. It wasn't that far away. So now he knows where my house is and can work on getting strong enough to walk up the walkway and up the few stairs to come and visit. Then he dropped me back off at the park. He headed on home but I was so happy. That is a huge accomplishment for him. I'm super proud of him.

We had lots of fun as well. It was hot but there was a lot of shade to sit under to watch the SCA members practice their fighting and enjoy the company of friends. I knew a few people there although I got to meet some new ones as well. I have a hard time with large groups of people because of my weight and the arthritis thing. But I'm also trying very hard to get past those feelings that have kept me locked away in my house or even in my room for so long. I want to get out and enjoy things. I just have to take it a few steps at a time. Besides I don't have a lot of excuses when it comes to my friend, Danny. Lol, she'll have none of them unless I'm in a lot of pain. I'm glad I've got her to pull me out. Hopefully I can break through the few walls I have left and be more at peace with just going over to someone's house and enjoying my time with them. I still even feel so self-conscious with people who have known me most of my life. Old friends from school, people I used to work with. Doesn't matter. I still feel as though they are going to be disgusted with what I look like now and also draw away from me because of the arthritis. Lots of days I feel like a monster. I know it's okay to have some of those days. The friends who have driven through the walls in my mind love me no matter what. I love them very much for it.

For now, I'm off to finish a few things on the net. I might work on a few writings but more than likely, I'll just be around. Hope everyone enjoys themselves with the upcoming 4th of July holiday here in the States. Take care of yourselves and be safe!

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 7/2/06

New Genes Implicated In Rheumatoid Arthritis ~> Click here.

Diabetes Type 2 Ages You By 15 Years ~> Click here.

Cancer-causing Protein May Heal Damaged Spinal Cord And Brain Cells ~> Click here.

New Clues For Treatment Of Liver Cancer ~> Click here.

Study Examines The Use Of A Novel Suprapubic Catheter In Suprapubic Prostatectomy ~> Click here.

Attacking Cancer's Sweet Tooth Is Effective Strategy Against Tumors ~> Click here.

FDA Gives Rapid Approval For A New Treatment For A Rare Type Of Leukemia ~> Click here.

Parameters Associated With Patient Outcomes In Lymph Node Positive Prostate Cancer~ Click here.

Prostatic Irradiation Doesn't Lead To Any Appreciable Increase In Rectal Cancer Risk ~ Click here.