Scattered Showers

Dudley says welcome back to the blog!

Okay, he really didn't say that. He just barked a couple of times but it still counts, right?

The past couple of days have definitely had their ups and downs. Actually, they've had a bit more downs than I'd like them to have. After my one day of feeling much more like myself and being able to do a load and a half of laundry, I spent the past two days feelings stiff and in pain again. I had to take it easy so that meant no computer until last night when I'd finally began to feel as though I could move again without too much pain again. Pain is something that I have learned to live with over the past ten years. Not a day goes by that I don't have some sort of pain, whether it's severe or just irritating and limiting. I can remember being a child and falling down or getting hurt in some way. I'd just pick myself up, brush off the dirt, see if I was bleeding and then run to Mom if I was bleeding. If I wasn't, I'd be back playing or doing whatever it was I'd been doing before getting hurt. Nowadays if I hurt myself in some fashion, I have to sit for ten or fifteen minutes to process the pain, cry if I need to, and then try to start again on whatever it was that I was doing. I'm not going to do much today at all. I'm just not feeling well and needing to relax and take it easy. Not to mention the fact that I haven't been able to get enough sleep lately because my poor dog, Dudley, hasn't been feeling the best. He's had a tummyache and is just now getting over it. I can't sleep when I hear him whine and cry so I've stayed up with him. Lol, I'm pitiful, huh?

Things are trying to look up. Chris learned Monday night that he will probably be working full weeks from Monday onward. That's a great thing because we really need the money to pay up the doctor bills and other bills that have been falling to the wayside because we haven't had any extra money to pay them. It's sad when you have to let bills go one month to pay another and then reverse it the following month. It's not a really good thing for our credit but what can we do? I've tried to get help and there's not much since Chris is working and we do have a friend who shares the house expenses with us. If we didn't have the friend, we could have qualified for a whole lot more. Unfortunately, we'd also have run the risk of not being able to keep our house for long. It was definitely one of those situations when you were darned if you do and darned if you don't. But we'll make it through. My faith hasn't let me down since I've been serious about it for the past ten years. I know it'll help us through this time of trial. I just have to make myself stay positive.

There's a lot of ideas running through my head for stories and poems as of late. I just wish that I was able to sit and type everything that I have in my head. I know that I should get a small tape recorder so that I could sit down and just speak in it whenever I get a chance. Especially for when I'm sitting in the car or something of that nature. I may have to drop a few hints to the family for Christmas time. *winks* Other than that, I'm proud to say that I've nearly reached 50 books in my reading goal. Yes, it's far later than what I wanted to have read that number by but I'm pretty proud of myself anyway. If I had a bit more discipline, I bet I could increase that number. Lol, that or I could just find a bunch of quick reads. I'm still making myself write at least a page and a half everyday that I'm physically able. No excuses other than the one I allow myself when I'm not able to even hold a pen in my hand at all. That's the only one. I'm trying very hard to stay focused and work dilligently on getting things in gear. I reached my goal of having a novel completely written before I reached the age of 30. Now I just have to work on getting it a bit more realisitic so that I can sell it possibly. Who really knows what may happen. With all the ideas in my head, I'm sure one of them will be a good one. Just got to find it.

So, I'm off to work on reading for a bit. Then quite possibly some writing. Hope everyone is having a great day or night whichever it may be where you are. Take care.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 9/28/06

Heart Attack Risks, Pain Relief Similar For Most Osteoarthritis Drugs ~> Click here.

Trubion Announces Initiation Of Phase IIb Clinical Trial Of TRU-015 For The Treatment Of Rheumatoid Arthritis ~> Click here.

Biothera Completes Second Phase I Clinical Trial For Cancer Drug ~> Click here.

Clues To Hearing Loss Associated With Chemotherapy From St. Jude ~> Click here.

Callisto Pharmaceuticals Granted Orphan Drug Designation For Atiprimod To Treat Carcinoid Tumors ~> Click here.

Poor Staging Methods Compromises Cancer Survival ~> Click here.

National Survey Shows Women Overlook Common Warning Signs Associated With Poor Blood Sugar Management, Raising The Risk For Diabetes And Heart Disease ~> Click here.

Diabetes, Not Obesity, Increases Risk Of Developing Critical Illness And Early Death ~> Click here.

In-depth Analysis Of Human Genetic Variation Will Enable Scientists To Identify Genetic Risk Factors For Common Immune Diseases ~> Click here.

Platelet-Regulating Gene Mutation Involved In Lupus Nephritis And Novel Adhesion Molecule Implicated In Rheumatoid Arthritis, Studies Find ~> Click here.

States Improve Pain Policies, But Barriers Remain To Effective Pain Management For Cancer And Other Chronic Diseases ~> Click here.

Feeling better

Yep, I'm feeling better today. Seems the front has worked its way out of Indiana so I can actually move today. Last week was horrible in terms of pain and not being able to do anything more than just walk around the house if I felt stiff and had to move. I would have to say that this time of year is the hardest for me to get through without pain medication. Sometimes I can go without it in the spring and summer but not the fall and the first part of winter. Last year wasn't so bad because I was taking the Enbrel shots. Those shots were my miracle. It's really too bad that I can't take them anymore right now. My rheumy told me that if all else fails that I can start back on the shots but I don't want to risk it right now. I can't really afford to end up back in the hospital for another blood clot. I will say that when I do take the Salsalate I'm able to move more than if I didn't take anything at all for my arthritis. I'm glad to at least have something that will help me if things as rough as they were last week or worse.

The weather today is beautiful though. I couldn't have asked for a better day. You can still feel that winter is on its way even as the sun's still shining. There's a definite chill in the air. I bet we're going to get an early snowfall this year. Of course, Chris doesn't want to agree with me. Lol, but that's just how it goes here in Indiana. We have a short list of things to do over the next week to prepare the house for winter. With Chris's messed up schedule from work, he'll have some days off at the end of the week (unless the company changes their mind and makes the employees work the rest of the week). He's planning on trimming the bushes and getting things in the garage squared away. On the inside of the house, we've got to go over the windows and put plastic on those that will leak cold air into the house as well as checking to see if we have any leaks with the heating system. It's a boiler type of heating system that sends boiling water throughout the house to heat the rooms. I love it because it's safe to sit near the registers without fear of getting burned badly. Plus it's not much of a fire hazard. But we do have to make sure there aren't any leaks in the pipes before winter hits. Lol, just to be on the safe side.

I plan on doing a bit of laundry today if I'm able. I know it needs to be done but I'm not sure I can do more than a load or two. If I can at least do that and maybe straighten a little here and there, I'll feel as though I'm actually contributing to something around here. I just want to feel useful. I've been doing well on my writing and reading goals. I've now read 46 books so far this year. Since I wasn't able to do much over the weekend, I took the opportunity to read as much as I could. I got three and a half books read before today. Lol, the bookshelves are starting to thin out as I'm planning to get rid of the books that I don't think I'll read over again. Some are going to stay just because they are parts of collections of my favorite authors. But most of the books I would read two or three times over if I had to. I'm still working on rewriting my novel. Slowly but surely I'll get it done. I've set a goal for myself to write at least a full page (front and back) and a half each night by midnight so that I keep making progress on it. If I don't write on that particular story, then I still have to write a page and a half of another. Just as long as I'm writing something. My good friend, E, turned me onto these amazing podcasts that I've been listening to over the past few days. It's called "Writers on Writing." To me, it's the push I need to get serious about my writing. It's always been in my blood to write and create worlds with my words but I've been lazy when it comes to really getting myself in a state of discipline where I'm writing each day. I had been doing that with my journal (the one I keep offline) but after all the rukus that happened a few weeks back, I've not been as consistent. I'm trying to get back in the groove of things but I'll admit that it's difficult to say the least. I know once I keep at it that it will become second nature. It's just getting to that point! Lol, I will though because I want to do something with my writing.

Still keeping each of you, my dear friends, in my thoughts and prayers. It's been a rough year for a lot of you and I'm right there with you every step of the way. If you ever need me, I'm here. Take care of yourselves.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 9/25/06

A World First In The Treatment Of A Young Patient With A Completely Blocked Yet Vital Heart Artery ~> Click here.

Researchers Discover New Key Function Of An Enzyme In The Nervous System - Impact On Drug Development Against Alzheimer`s Disease ~> Click here.

New Psoriasis Treatments Cost More Than A House ~> Click here.

Aims And Purposes Of World Psoriasis Day, 29th October ~> Click here.

Facts About Psoriasis ~> Click here.

What Is Psoriasis? ~> Click here.

New Target For Cancer Therapy Identified ~> Click here.

No Relationship Between Head And Neck Cancer Tumor Site And Location Of Swallowing Dysfunction ~> Click here.

Test Helps Identify Patients With Breast Cancer Who Will Likely Benefit From Chemotherapy ~> Click here.

New Information Regarding Uncommon Psychiatric Adverse Events For All ADHD Drugs, Health Canada ~> Click here.

Can Information Help Beat Cancer? ~> Click here.

Glivec® Receives Additional EU Approvals For Use In Treating A Rapidly Progressive Form Of Leukemia And A Hard-to-treat Solid Cancer Tumor ~> Click here.

European Commission Approves GARDASIL®, Merck's Cervical Cancer Vaccine ~> Click here.

Exenatide Receives Positive Opinion From The European Committee For Medicinal Products For Human Use For The Treatment Of Type 2 Diabetes ~> Click here.

Galvus, A DPP-4 Inhibitor And Incretin Enhancer Tablet, May Offer New Hope Of Better Diabetes Control To Elderly Patients ~> Click here.

It's officially Autumn....

Oh, how I wish the day was as sunny and wonderful as it was when I took the picture at the left. The past two days have been cold and rainy, bordering on the "I want to sleep through these days and not wake up" feeling. I have been in a lot of pain these past two days as well. The weather front combined with the falling temperatures made me swell and get so stiff that I couldn't move without crying. I spent most of yesterday in bed except for a few moments I forced myself to check a couple of emails. I couldn't type to answer many at all. Even today, typing hurts more than I'll admit. I just am tired of sitting in the bed. I will have to say that these past two days has allowed me to get a few more books read toward my goal. I'm up to reading book #44. I know it's not anywhere close to the number I wanted to have, but I'm very proud of it nonetheless. Been working on my novel as well. Found out that editing and re-working it is taking the story completely out of the place I put it in when I first wrote it. In a way, it's a great thing because it's allowing the story to become more realistic. We'll see. ;)

I know this isn't long. I just wanted to let all my friends and family know why I haven't been online much the past couple of days. I hope to return to my usual annoying status in the next few days but we'll see how I feel. I keep you all in my thoughts. If you need me, just give me a buzz. Love you all.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 9/23/2006

Mouse Strain With Gene Stutter Will Help Leukemia Research ~> Click here.

Prenatal Vitamins May Reduce Risk Of Brain Tumors In Children ~> Click here.

Ciphergen Announces Data Supporting The Use Of Protein Biomarkers To Improve Patient Diagnosis For Ovarian Cancer ~> Click here.

Bioethics Program In Predictive Health Established At Indiana University ~> Click here.

Broad Alliance Between Walgreens And Joslin Diabetes Center To Improve Diabetes Outcomes ~> Click here.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Examines Symptoms, Screening Methods For Ovarian Cancer ~> Click here.

Looking For A Cancer Cure? Try The Spice Rack ~> Click here.

Why Does Food Taste Bad To Chemotherapy Recipients? ~> Click here.

75% Of Cancer Drugs Are Covered Under Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Plans, Study Finds ~> Click here.

Autoimmune Conditions Linked To Hodgkin Lymphoma Incidence ~> Click here.

Vaccination Increases Survival In Lymphoma Patients ~> Click here.

Hormone Sulfation Genotypes Linked To Endometrial Cancer ~> Click here.

Can Immunology Help Win The War On Cancer? ~> Click here.

Just a quick update

I know I didn't update yesterday. I haven't been well since the second cold front started to come through our state. I've been very stiff and swollen so I have been resting in bed. Luckily for me, I have plenty of reading and writing to get done. I just wanted to say that I missed my great friends and hope they know just how special they are to me. I send love and hugs your way each and everyday. I will be back tomorrow with a regular post as the weather front moves on through the state. Thanks for being there always. Take care and know you are loved.

Love and blessings,

Kim

Health Headlines 9/21/06

Alliance Between Disability Advocates, Bush Administration Officials Helped Develop Program To Encourage Home Care For Medicaid Beneficiaries ~> Click here.

Newly Discovered Behavior In Cancer Cells Signals Dangerous Metastasis ~> Click here.

Nastech Initiates Clinical Development Of Rapid Acting Insulin Nasal Spray For Diabetes ~> Click here.

Cancer Patients Show Reduced Pain And Lower Analgesic Consumption Following Treatment With QUADRAMET(R) ~> Click here.

Genome-management System Seen As A Natural Protection Against Cancer ~> Click here.

AstraZeneca, Schering AG Reach Agreement To Jointly Develop Experimental Breast Cancer Treatment Drug ~> Click here.

Increased Risk Of Diabetes And Heart Disease From Prostate Cancer Treatment ~> Click here.

Fatty Fish Consumption Reduces Kidney Cancer Risk By 44% ~> Click here.

Quality Of Life For Patients With Severe Chronic Pulmonary Hypertension Improved By Exercise ~> Click here.

Short-term Topical Corticosteroid Use May Offer Relief For Patients With Acute Form Of Psoriasis ~> Click here.

Vernalis Plc Announces FDA Acceptance For Filing Of Frova(R) For Short-Term Prevention Of Menstrual Migraine ~> Click here.

New Analysis Shows Patients Who Treat Their Migraine Pain Early With Trexima(TM) Have Higher Sustained Pain-Free Rates ~> Click here.

Avidia Initiates Clinical Trial Of Novel Inhibitor Of Interleukin-6 For Crohn's Disease ~> Click here.

Roskamp Institute Marks World Alzheimer's Day By Announcing The Launch Of Major Clinical Study On Promising New Alzheimer's Treatment ~> Click here.

Short Bursts Of Very Intense Exercise As Good As Traditional Endurance Training So "No Time To Exercise" Is No Excuse ~> Click here.

Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease Reduced By Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine ~> Click here.

BlueCross BlueShield Of Illinois Adds Coverage For Partial-Breast Radiation Therapy MammoSite ~> Click here.

HAPPY BIRTDAY JADEN!!!!!!!!!

I must begin my post by saying Happy Birthday to one of my very best friends in the whole world, Jaden. She and I are virtual sisters and I'm very, very blessed to have met her and get to know her. I can't wait to be a part of her wedding next year. Hope this day was one of smiles, love, laughter and happiness that lasts the whole year through.

I feel odd today. I wasn't able to get to sleep last night because my poor little dog, Dudley, had a tummy ache that I eventually had to give him medicine for. Unfortunately I didn't figure it out until it was nearly 9am. I finally got him settled and he fell asleep. I woke Chris to go pick my mom up from work because I knew there would be no way I could drive safely after no sleep and taking pain medication throughout the day. I crawled into bed when he got back and laid back down for a nap before work. I tried to stay awake and read until it was time to wake him up but I was just too tired that once I stopped moving, I fell asleep. I woke up a couple hours ago when Chris called from work. So I haven't done much today at all. It was gloomy, cloudy and cold so I just stayed under the covers. I'm still really tired but I have medicines I need to take and that means I have to go get something to eat first. Good thing I still have leftover lasagna or chili to choose from. :)

I got some bad news yesterday from one of my good friend's nephew. They had been awaiting news on test results for their cousin/daughter who had lumps surgically removed last week. Unfortunely the news was half good and half bad. One tumor was found to be begnin and the other was malignant. I don't have any further details at the moment but I just would like that have anyone and everyone who passes through this blog or even scans it for a moment to say a prayer for the little girl and her family. They've been through a lot in this year and need a few good things to happen.

Take care everyone. My love and spirit is with you all.
Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 9/18/06

Fight Against Childhood Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes ~> Click here.

Number Of Endocrinologists Declines Nationwide As Population With Diabetes, Obesity, Osteoporosis Increases ~> Click here.

GlaxoSmithKline Seeks U.S. Approval For Tykerb(R) (Lapatinib Ditosylate) For The Treatment Of Advanced Breast Cancer ~> Click here.

Positive Efficacy Results With Diamyd(TM) In Type 1 Diabetes ~> Click here.

Combination Of High Dose QUADRAMET(R) And Chemotherapy Shows Promise For Treatment Of High-Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia ~> Click here.

Pfizer's Lyrica(R) Approved In Europe For Difficult-to-Treat Nerve Pain ~> Click here.

Borderline Personality Disorder: Advances In Science And Treatment ~> Click here.

Restricting Calories In Non-human Primates May Prevent And Reduce Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathology ~> Click here.

Prevention By Drug Possible for Patients with High Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes ~> Click here.

Hidden Rainbows

Today the weather outside is so gray and gloomy that I'm glad I have cute pictures of my little dog, Dudley, to make me smile. See him cheesing for the camera? Lol, I think that look says "Why in the world are you taking another picture of me for?" He's definitely not camera shy. What a cutie.

As I said earlier, today's weather matches the way I feel today. It's rainy and cloudy which makes the whole day seem like it's full of doom and gloom. I know that somewhere there are beautiful rainbows hiding within those dark grey clouds. I just can't find them right now because they're too good at playing hide and seek. I hope that I'll be able to find them soon. Just like I hope that things start to like up for Chris and I once again. I thought that once he was pronounced cancer free, things would start getting better and we wouldn't have so many rough days. Lol, boy was I ever wrong on that one! Chris felt a bit better today, even with the rain and all. He went into work and found out some fairly bad news. Seems that the orders for the engine his factory makes are down so they don't need the employees to work the full week. This week he will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Next week he's scheduled for only Monday and Tuesday. With the current situation in regards to our finances, this isn't a good thing. I know the time off may help his back to heal completely but in the mean time, we could very well lose our car and be sued for non-payment on a lot of our bills. I'm so glad that many of the doctors' offices are working with us on the money we owe them. Otherwise, we'd lose just about everything. I'm still waiting for calls from different Lymphoma agencies that are set up to help those who need it. I have my fingers crossed (ok, not while typing) that something will come through soon. If not, I don't know what's going to happen. I wish that we had something saved that we could use to live on, but we've always been living paycheck to paycheck. It's times like this when I just want to give up. I'm going to go lay down for a little while. I hurt and I'm depressed. Overall, I just want to wake up and have a fresh day to start looking for other ways of getting through this tough time. My love to everyone who comes across this blog.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 9/18/06

New Diabetes Guidelines Target Foot Complications, Amputations ~> Click here.

Liraglutide, A Once-daily GLP-1 Analogue, Shows Potential To Change Course Of Diabetes ~> Click here.

New Phase III Data Showed Significant Glucose-Lowering Efficacy Of JANUVIA™ ~> Click here.

Early Study Provides Evidence That Investigational Drug Phenoxodiol Targets Prostate Cancer Protein ~> Click here.

National Institutes Of Health To Map Genomic Changes Of Lung, Brain And Ovarian Cancers ~> Click here.

New Treatments For Epilepsy May Benefit Patients At University Of Virginia ~> Click here.

Stem Cells: Chemistry Paves Way Toward Promising Therapies ~> Click here.

A TNOX-based Protocol For Early Detection Of Lung Cancer In Smokers And Nonsmokers ~> Click here.

HoxA Proteins A Problem For Acute Myeloid Leukemia ~> Click here.

Biomarkers Of Response To VEGF Pathway-targeted Therapy Discovered For Renal Cell Carcinoma ~> Click here.

Spread Of Eye Cancer To Liver Can Be Predicted By Test ~> Click here.

A Protective Mechanism Against Neuronal Death In Alzheimer's ~> Click here.

New Insights Into The Cause Of Alzheimer's Disease - Possible Starting Points For Developing Causative Therapies ~> Click here.

Mutation Plays Key Role In Hypertension ~> Click here.

Novel Biomarker For Prediction Of Survival In Colorectal Carcinomas Revealed ~> Click here.

Patients Not Receiving Effective Treatments For Panic Disorder ~> Click here.

Battling Breast Cancer ~> Click here.

Never alone....

Yesterday was a tough day for me in a lot of ways. Yet when I opened up my email, I had a lot of people write to me and that made me feel better. I knew then that I wasn't alone even though I don't have all my friends physically here with me and by my side as I go through things, they are here with me in spirit and love. That makes a difference when the days seem so cold and dark. I'm eternally grateful to those friends who seem so much closer to me than across the nation or even the ocean. I hope that I'm making my friends feel the same way even though I haven't been online much in the past week other than to do this blog and maybe catch up on a few emails at a time. It does make me feel sad that I can't give more to my friends than what I do. I really want to be there for each and everyone of them because they mean a lot to me. Let me just state for the record that no matter what reason or what may happen, I don't let go of friends easily. If I'm not online for long periods of time, it just means that there's a lot going on behind the scenes and I'm just not able to get to the computer except for small amounts of time. That is the reason I started this blog here. This way people kinda have an insight into what's going on and what's keeping me away from them without them having to spend money to call me long distance or send me things in the mail or email. :)

As I said, yesterday was hard for me for a few reasons. When I woke up, I knew it was going to be a dark day, so to speak. It was just the feeling I had when I first opened my eyes. The weather is changing from summer into fall here so my days of pain are going to increase dramatically as the barometric pressure goes up and down according to the fronts that move through the United States. My joints were achey and my feet were so tender and painful that it hurt to walk to the bathroom. But I knew we needed to get to the grocery store. Chris and I had been putting it off for about a month and were just living on the odd assortment of things we had here in the house to throw together. Lol, believe me, some of our creations aren't worth remembering or passing along recipes. We went to the Sam's Club to get some stuff in bulk that we knew we needed to last the next month or so. Then we came home to rest for about an hour before going to the other grocery store to pick up the perishable stuff like milk, eggs and other stuff. The walks through the store were horrible. I was really limping by the time I got out of the second store. But I was able to get most of what I wanted within the amount of money I had set aside for groceries. So I'd say that was a success. I got stuff to make little strawberry shortcakes tonight as well some lasagna. I'll probably have Chris help me because I don't think I can stand in there too long on my feet.

I felt really depressed yesterday as well because I was missing a lot of people that I haven't chatted with in a long time as well as thinking about people in my family that have chosen to do stupid things so that I don't have anything to do with them anymore. I know that it's my choice not to call or associate with them, but I made the choice because their actions, or lack thereof, were bringing harm and drama into my life when it didn't need to be there. Before anyone tells me that life is full of drama and harm, please know that I'm well aware of that fact given all that has gone on in my life within the past ten years. But I don't have to go over the same things that have caused hurt over and over again so that the wounds never heal either. Nor do I have to just sit back and let people get hurt at the hands of others without saying something even if it means losing contact with people I have cared for and loved for a long time. I honestly feel that I'm trapped in some situations because I took action and yet the cycle continues without a change. Today seems a bit brighter in terms of my feelings and such but I still have those lingering "what if" moments when I wonder what would have happened had I done things even a tad bit different. Nevertheless, I'm determined to make today a productive and happy one.

Chris is resting well after his first week back to work. I'm hoping that the physical therapy will continue to help him get better. It really does make me feel so horrible to see him leave for work when I know he's in so much pain. He seems to be a little bit better as he's moving around more and doing little things here and there. I'm feeling stiff and sore today. Not so much as yesterday but I know that it's going to hurt me to try and make dinner no matter how slow I do it or how well I pace myself. Would that I could cook without pain. I'd make lots of things. The only bad spot in the day was getting a phone call at 4am from my mother telling me that they had to take my brother, Billy, to the hospital because his oxygen dropped down dangerously low and he couldn't breathe. The doctors have determined that the poor guy has pnuemonia and will have to be on some strong antibiotics for a little while. But I'm glad that they caught it in time before things could have gotten out of hand as they often times do with his health. So if you could, please keep him in your thoughts/prayers. I greatly appreciate it. I'm off to check on the strawberries that I have soaking in a little bit of sugar so they make their own juices. I'll catch up with everyone later. Take care and know that you all are loved.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 9/17/06

Early Metastasis Of Breast Cancer Detected By New Technique ~> Click here.

Researchers Uncover Clues That May Lead To Better Therapies For Children With T-Cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia ~> Click here.

Avandia(R) (rosiglitazone Maleate) Reduced Risk Of Progression From Pre-Diabetes To Type 2 Diabetes By 62 Percent ~> Click here.

Researchers Find The Right Combination To Unlock Neuropathic Pain ~> Click here.

Vitamin D May Cut Pancreatic Cancer Risk By Nearly Half ~> Click here.

Raloxifene Reduces Breast Cancer Risk In Postmenopausal Women At All Risk Levels ~> Click here.

UC Davis Researchers Find Added Benefit Of Statins In Those At High Risk For Heart Disease, Diabetes ~> Click here.

Transplant Cures Rats' Type 2 Diabetes Without Need For Immune Suppression Drugs ~> Click here.

Spleen May Be Target Of Successful Therapy For Lupus ~> Click here.

Studies Provide New Evidence On Risks Associated With Cox-2 Inhibitors And NSAIDs ~> Click here.

New Diabetes Guidelines Target Foot Complications, Amputations ~> Click here.

Further PREDICTIVE™ Study Results Show Diabetes Can Be Effectively Managed Without Causing Weight Gain ~> Click here.

Liraglutide, A Once-daily GLP-1 Analogue, Shows Potential To Change Course Of Diabetes ~> Click here.

National Institutes Of Health To Map Genomic Changes Of Lung, Brain And Ovarian Cancers ~> Click here.

Smile :)

I know a lot of my friends, both online and offline, are going through some rough times. It seems that each one of us has his or her own private battle to win. Regardless, I want you all to know that I think of you, yes every single one of you, each day as I light my candles and meditate for the day. Each one of you have become precious and a part of my life that I don't want to live without. Having you in my life makes it easier to wake up and face the day whether it turns out good or bad in the end. So please be assured that I am always thinking of you all, sending good thoughts and energies your way to help you through the rough time you are having at the moment. Just remember I'm always with you in spirit.

Today the weather is absolutely gorgeous. The sun is shining but it's not so hot that you can't sit outside and be comfortable. It's one of those rare gems that we get here in Indiana before the weather changes into something less desired. There are just a few fluffy, white clouds in the sky. They kinda remind me of little creatures made of marshmellows. There's even a cool breeze blowing through. I really love these days where it's not to hot and not too cold. Of course, being in Indiana, I know that the weather will change before I get used to it. So I'm going to spend some time out on my screened porch this afternoon. Dudley has already been out and enjoying the weather for a little while. Now he's curled up next to my computer chair while I'm working on this blog post. I love my little guy. Chris has made it through this week of work. Well, he will have made it officially when he gets home from work tonight but I'm still uber proud of him either way. I know he's still hurting but he's still trying. That's the main thing. I hope he continues to get better. I really want him to stop hurting and be able to do the things he could before.

Today, I'm in a fairly good mood. Things don't seem as dark and bleak as they did a few days ago. It's just those low days that I worry over sometimes. Knowing that I am stuck in a position makes me feel as though there's no reason to even try anymore. I have been able to catch myself before it gets so low that I contemplate doing something I'll regret. But it doesn't make everything all better either. At least I can stop myself and refocus on all the good things that have been going on in my life. So today, I'm going to just read my beloved books and write when the mood strikes me. It's going to be a day of me just having fun that I want to have. It may be boring to others, but it makes me happy and that's what matters. Everyone else can just buzz off. Lol, but I am planning to try and make dinner this evening. Nothing fancy just some chili thrown together. The most I'd have to do would be to drain the hamburger. That always gives me trouble. We'll see. Hope everyone is having a good day. Take care.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 9/15/06

Help For General Practitioners With New Breast Cancer Screening Tool ~> Click here.

Better Breast Cancer Survival If You Exercise ~> Click here.

Liver Cancer In At-risk Liver Patients Prevented By Anti-inflammatory Drug ~> Click here.

Review Finds That Stubborn Ulcerative Colitis Responds To Arthritis Drug ~> Click here.

Low Dose And High Dose Ketoconazole Demonstrate Similar Outcomes In Patients With Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer ~> Click here.

Rectal Tissue In Prostate Biopsy Specimens Can Mimic Prostate Cancer ~> Click here.

Long-Term Gastrointestinal Side Effects After Radiotherapy For Prostate Cancer Are More Common Than Previously Reported ~> Click here.

ACTOS(R) (pioglitazone HCl) Demonstrates Significant Improvements In Cardiovascular Outcomes For High-Risk Patients With Type 2 Diabetes ~ Click here.

Study Shows Exenatide Improves Blood Sugar Levels As Effectively As Biphasic Insulin Aspart ~> Click here.

Can Gleevec Help Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis? ~> Click here.

A Novel Strategy For Treatment Of Rheumatoid Arthritis ~> Click here.

Reducing Side Effects Of Painkillers ~> Click here.

Prevention Of Epileptic Seizures Possible With MIT Device ~> Click here.

Sunshine peeks through the clouds....

Yep, that's what I'd like to be doing. Lol, my poor dog, Dudley, is all tuckered out after be "walked". Basically I just put him on the leash and let him ramble about the backyard until he was finished with his business and "pee" mail. Lol, that's what Chris and I have decided Dudley does on his walks when he has to stop at just about every tree or bush along the way home. It makes it a bit more fun than just walking the dog in a way. In this picture he's all snuggled up in a blanket that had fallen onto the floor beside our bed during the night. I didn't have the heart to wake him up and take the blanket away from him. So I let him lay there until he was ready to get up on his own before I picked it up. Well, of course, I just had to take this picture as well. Lol, isn't he the cutest?

Today Chris went for his first round of physical therapy to help this back pain of his. He drove to the doctor's office but I had to drive home. Before he went into the office, he was hurting and stiff from just waking up a little bit beforehand. But after the physical therapy there seemed to be a little bit of a difference in him that I could see. It wasn't that his pain was gone because I could tell that he was still in a lot of pain. It was just how he was talking about how it went and what the therapists wanted him to do. It seemed to me that he was a tad bit more positive than he was going into the therapy. I did ask him how he felt. He seems to feel as though the therapy just might do the trick and fix whatever is causing the back pain. I'm just extremely glad that the source of the pain isn't something to do with his spine or bones. He laid down for a short nap before work because he was still tired from not being able to fall asleep last night. I so hope that he has a better day at work than he had the last couple of days. It has to go up from here, right?

I'm not as stiff and hurtful as I was yesterday. For that, I'm glad. I really felt low yesterday. With the combination of family troubles, money troubles and intense pain from all over my body, I just wanted to give up. I know that there's not much that I can do to change my present position of having this type of arthritis nor can I reverse the damage it has already done to my hands and feet. But that doesn't mean I have to stop letting my mind work or giving up on the things I love the most. So I'm putting in a little extra effort today to work on some of my writings. I haven't really written a lot in the past two days although Monday was a really good day writing-wise. I checked my progress on my reading goal this morning when I entered in the information for the book I just finished. So far I have been able to read 42 books this year. Not as many as I had hoped to have read by this time but more than some have been able to get read. So I'm very pleased with my progress. I still have a few months to keep going although I know that the month of November isn't going to be a good one for book reading. I'm really excited for that month to get here. Not just because I get to eat turkey but because it's NaNoWriMo month! I get another chance to come up with another 50,000 word story within the month. My goal for this year is to have reached the 50,000 word mark two days before the end of the contest/month. I finished right at the last minute last year. I want to do better this year. I now know my limits and where I need to pace myself to achieve the goal. So we'll see what happens. I'll keep praticing though!

Well, I'm off to try and get another load of laundry done. It seems I do laundry every day of the week. That's only because I have a hard time of getting the clothes from the washer to the dryer and then folding the clothes when they are done. It takes a lot out of me. Sometimes I can do three or four loads and some days I can't even get the clothes into the washer. Today, though, I think I can get atleast some sheets washed and dried. I don't mind if they sit in the dryer and get a little wrinkly. Hope everyone is having a good day today. My dear friends, you're always in my thoughts. Take care.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 9/14/06

Physicians "Reluctant" To Disclose Medical Errors To Patients, Editorial States ~> Click here.

New Remote Monitoring Technologies Could Reduce Physician Visits For Patients With Chronic Diseases ~> Click here.

Dramatic Increase In Lower Limb Amputations In Diabetics ~> Click here.

Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) Approves Topamax® For Prevention Of Migraine ~> Click here.

Two Genetic Discoveries In Lupus Reported - Ideas With Broad Therapeutic Implications First Funded By The Lupus Research Institute ~> Click here.

FDA Requests More Data On Avastin's Use To Treat Breast Cancer; Approval Could Be Delayed One Year, Company Says ~> Click here.

"Friend Or Foe" In The Battle Against Cancer ~> Click here.

New Therapeutic Strategy Takes Advantage Of Stressed Cancer Cells ~> Click here.

Advanced Genetic Diagnostic Method For Multiple Myeloma ~> Click here.

Hanging onto faith

That's all that is keeping me going right now. So much has been literally dumped onto my lap in the past few months that the feeling I've been having here as of late is to cry. I know that there will be a way to get through all the bills that are piling up, the family issues that need time to resolve themselves as well as the pain and hurt that I'm going through. But I need a break, a vacation with only good things surrounding me for a few days so that the bad times won't seem so bad. It's horrible to be stuck in the position of not being able to work and yet feeling as though you'd swallow whatever pain, whatever damage is done just to make ends meet. This is definitely one of those days where I wish above all things that I didn't have to deal with the arthritis or the psoriasis in any way, shape or form. Don't get me wrong. This isn't a pity party type of post. But rather, I'd like to be able to not worry about things and give Chris the extra time he needs to get well so that he won't have to work through the intense pain he's been in for the past few weeks. I hate seeing him leave for work with pain filling his eyes. What else can I do? I was declared disabled for a reason. Even the rheumy has said that if I were to go back to a job where I was made to stand or use my hands for long periods of time, the damage could shorten the time I have before I need to use a wheelchair or walker. Yet, I wish I could do more than just sit here at home and try to do housework that takes me almost all day to do. It's these days that I feel completely useless and I wonder what my purpose is on this earth.

Chris is still in pain but the orthopedic doctor seems to think that maybe the hurt is being caused by the muscles in his back and not something to do with the bones. So tomorrow Chris begins physical therapy to see if that works. He'll go for that three times a week for the next couple of weeks. Then we'll see the orthopedic doctor again to see if Chris needs to continue or if we need to look in a different route for the answers. I'm so proud of him for going into work even though the pain's been really bad. I know it has because I can see it in his eyes. But he still gets up and pushes himself to go so that we won't have to worry about insurance or other things. He only worked half a shift last night because the early doctor appointments and not sleeping well started to get to him. Tonight he's working the full shift. I so extremely proud of him for making it through the full 8 hours. I pray that he will only continue to get better.

As for me, I've been in a lot of pain as of late. The weather here has decided that it will start out very cool in the morning, heat up a few hours later, and then drop back down into the cool region again. So I know that winter will be making itself known soon. This is the time of year that I have the most trouble. Couple that with the fact that I'm no longer on Enbrel and only taking an older arthritis medication, I know I'm going to have more trouble than usual. I have been writing a lot lately. Some of it has been the beginnings of stories, but I've also been working on a few of the completed novels as well. I'm trying to re-write them so they sound more realistic. Hopefully that's what I'm achieving. The only other thing I've been doing has been reading. I just feel a need to sit down with a book. In truth, I haven't watched much tv the past few days. I've turned on the satellite music station and read. I don't even remember what number I'm up to in my reading goal for the year. Lol, I'll have to check that out the next time I enter the next book's information into my computer.

There's so many people that I love and care for that are going through rough times. I feel guilty for not being able to help them or give them something more than a kind word or a shoulder to cry on. Please know that I do love you, my friends, and I wish that good things come to you all. Take care.

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 9/13/06

Cancer And Psoriasis can be aggravated by "Allergy Cells" ~> Click here.

Hormone Therapy And Breast Pain Linked With Breast Cancer ~> Click here.

Breast And Ovarian Cancers Linked By Heredity ~> Click here.

VioQuest Pharmaceuticals Doses First Patient In Phase I/IIa Clinical Trial With VQD-002 (Triciribine-Phosphate) For Treatment Of Leukemia ~> Click here.

Will Stem Cell-based Treatments Make A Difference To The Developing World? ~> Click here.

Vioxx Successor Arcoxia May Have Similar Heart Attack Risks ~> Click here.

Weight-Loss Rate Doubles In Elderly Before Dementia's First Signs Appear ~> Click here.

Migraine Treatment Also Appears Effective For Cluster Headaches ~> Click here.

Rain, rain, go away....

Today is one of those days that you would like to just crawl back under the covers and sleep the hours away. Okay, that's what I would like to be doing right about now. But housework calls. I'm going to try and get the laundry caught up today if I'm able as well as straightening. With Chris going back to work, I know it's going to take him a while to get his body used to things again and his pain level is going to increase to the point where he just needs to relax when he gets home from work. So I'm going to do my best to make that happen. I didn't post much of anything yesterday because I didn't want to. My thoughts were all on what the day symbolized and I didn't want to do anything but honor those who lost their lives on that day as well as honor the men and women who strive to protect our way of life here in the United States. Today, well, today is a different story.

The roller coaster of my life is still operating at full tilt. Seems that just when I figure there's going to be a small break so that I can breathe and relax a little bit, something else comes along to keep me going no matter what. Chris was still having trouble with his back last week even though he started back to work on the 6th. I will give him lots of credit because he did work more than half of his shift that night. I truly expected him to be home way before that. Yet he toughed it out for five and a half hours. The following day the pain in his back was more intense than before so I called the family doctor to get him into the office right away. He was kept off from work until Monday (9/11) and sent for an MRI on the 8th. Yesterday we woke up early and went into the family doctor's office to hear the results of the MRI. There seemed to be little that could be classified as out of place or wrong. It did indicate that there was a small bulge in the L4 vertebrae area but it wasn't significant enough to be causing the pain that Chris has been feeling in his back and legs. Of course, that meant we had to go to yet another doctor to see if there was something we could do to get him out of pain. This morning we went to see an orthopedic doctor. After he reviewed the MRI results, he concluded that Chris's problem in the lower back area was mostly musclular. So he set Chris up for some physical therapy 3 times a week for the next 2 weeks before we go back to see the orthopedic doctor again. I'm hoping and praying that this will be what he needs to help him get out of pain. It makes me feel so horrible that I can't let him rest and get out of the pain that way but I know that he needs the activity to help him get better.

As for me, I'm hanging in there. The past few days I've been waking up really early after only having a few hours of sleep. I'm not sure why but that's just the way it's been here. I think it's primarily the shift in the weather from summer to fall. My hands and feet are swollen and very tender/painful today. Even though I have taken the anti-inflammatory, my hands and feet still feel as though they are stretching to the point where they are going to explode. More than likely I'm going to put my feet up for a little while and maybe take a small nap. I know there are things that need to be done but I don't know that I can push myself without making things worse. And we definitely don't need to have anything else go wrong with me healthwise right now. So I'm going to take it easy, I think. Thanks to my mother-in-law, we have an extra desk in the house that has pretty much become my writing desk. It sets in the front room where many of the "girly" things are. So it seemed only natural to put all my writing supplies and such there. I am glad to have it because I have been writing up a storm as of late whenever my hands let me type or write the old fashioned way (you know, pen and paper). I have to get in a lot of practice between now and October 31st. The month of November starts the whole NaNoWriMo contest for this year. A full month to try and complete a 50,000 words novel or at least a good portion of one. I barely completed my goal of getting to the 50,000 word mark last year. This year my goal is to try and stay on whatever target number of words I set for myself for the days. That way I can take it one goal at a time. My book reading goal may suffer a bit during the month of November but I'm hoping to have some extra books read to make up for that. All in all I've got two of my greatest loves to keep me busy.

Well, my hands are aching and burning from me pushing myself to finish this post in one sitting. I'm going to go prop myself up in bed and let the pain I feel go away. I wish everyone a wonderful day/evening. Take care!

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 9/12/06

New Research Set To Restore Lost Sight For People With Diabetes ~> Click here.

American Medical Association Officials At Senate Hearing Express Concern About Effect Of Health Insurance Consolidation ~> Click here.

INEGYT Is Superior To Simvastatin In Reducing Key Risk Markers Of Atherosclerosis - Confirmed ~> Click here.

HPV DNA Testing Likely To Become Primary Cervical Cancer Screening Tool As Vaccine Use Expands, Predict International Experts ~> Click here.

Cancer And Psoriasis can be aggravated by "Allergy Cells" ~> Click here.

New Approaches To Cancer Research Using Nature's Most Primitive Anti-viral Defense System ~> Click here.

Remembering 9/11

Five years ago today life changed throughout the United States. So much has changed and yet many things stay the same. I know that I will never forget where I was and what I was doing on the morning of September 11, 2001. It's a day that will forever stick out in my mind. I loss the childlike innocence that I had about life on that day. Instead of going over where I was or what I was doing, I just want to say thank you to all the men and women who answered the call to defend our way of life in this country. I may not agree with the war itself, but I do support those who give their lives to defend me though I have never really met them. I also want to take a moment and say that I know that the loss of loved ones will never be mended in the lives of those who suffered the loss. But I pray that they be comforted that there are those of us still here that will never forget and will continue onward, honoring their memory.

Health Headlines 9/11/06

Labopharm To Present Safety Data From U.S. Phase III Trials For Once-Daily Tramadol At Clinical Meeting Of American Academy Of Pain Management ~> Click here.

A Second Dimension To Alzheimer's Disease Suggested By Study ~> Click here.

Genome Code Cracked For Breast And Colon Cancers ~> Click here.

More Cost-Saving Generic Drugs Available ~> Click here.

New Genetic Risk Factor Linked To Schizophrenia, Particularly In Females ~> Click here.

Biochemistry Prof Explores Critical Evolution Of Cells That Lead To Alzheimer's ~> Click here.

Takara Bio Offers Drug For Treatment Of Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia ~> Click here.

New Autoinjector Offers Secure And Simple Way To Administer Anemia Treatment Associated With Chemotherapy And Chronic Kidney Disease ~> Click here.

Crohn's Disease Is The Fourth Autoimmune Disease For Humira Submitted For Regulatory Approval In Both The U.S. And Europe ~> Click here.

New Insights Into The Cause Of Alzheimer's Disease - Possible Starting Points For Developing Causative Therapies ~> Click here.

Non-Invasive Treatment For Vascular Disorders And Tumors In The Brain, With Gamma Knife~> Click here.

Untangling A Pathology Of Alzheimer's ~> Click here.

Researchers Create Mouse Lacking Key Inflammation Gene ~> Click here.

Unusual Three-drug Combo Inhibits Growth Of Aggressive Tumors ~> Click here.

Heal Sunburn And Help Prevent Skin Cancer With New Sunscreeen Ingredient ~> Click here.

Migraine Treatment And Prevention In Women ~> Click here.

MRI Technology Dramatically Improves Breast Cancer Diagnosis ~> Click here.

Number Of New Cases Of Thyroid Cancer Among Women In U.S. Increase Despite Overall Decline In Cancer Mortality Rates For Women ~> Click here.

Claiming Diagnostic Tests For Diabetes Genes Is Misleading, Say Experts, UK ~> Click here.

Moving forward...

That's what I'm trying to do now. No since in rehashing past hurts and focusing only on the past. One must learn how to see what the lesson was, learn from it and move on or else everything will get stagnant. That's what I keep telling myself over the past few days. It seems to be a never-ending series of misadventures or bumps in the road, so to speak. I'm hopeful that I've managed to get through the latest set of bumps and the road crew has already repaved the rest of the way! Okay, I know that's not how life really works but you have to hold onto faith or something in this life. Otherwise, what's the whole point of it? With all that's happened over the course of the last few months, I've really begun to question some things that I had always held onto. I am still believing that things will work themselves out in the end. They always seem to no matter how hard I try to find my own way around problems or take the course I think will work faster, it all just works itself out.

So many of my friends, both online and offline, are having rough times with illnesses or someone in their families are. I keep all of them in my thoughts and prayers every day that they will have good health. If you, my dear sweet readers, could take a moment and say a prayer for them, I'm very grateful. Speaking of health, things here are a bit on the up side of things. Good news first. My brother is doing much better than he has in months past. He had to have a semi-permenant port put into his chest so that he could receive dialysis for the past month. His kidneys had shut down although the doctors aren't sure exactly why. I do know that they confirmed he has sensitive kidneys. No that doesn't mean they cry at chick flicks. It means that even if he is a little dehydrated, he runs the risk of going into kidney failure. There's a partial consensus that the years of using certain medications to help keep his Lupus under control played the major part in the kidneys shutting down. So far, I'm happy to report that the dialysis seems to have worked and his kidneys have started to filter everything they're supposed to so that his body stays free of toxins. I'm praying that it continues to stay that way. Chris is doing okay. He is still cancer free (yay) and doing well in that department. The only bad thing we're having to deal with is the fact that he's gotten no major relief for his back. There's the small bit of relief that comes with the fact he's taking medications but it's not fixing the problem. It's merely treating the symptoms. Because we had to go back to square one with the back and hands problem, Chris had to go back to work. He made it a lot longer than I thought he would his first day back. He worked more than half of his shift before the pain became too intense. He tried using a backbrace and other supports to help his back but nothing helped for a long amount of time. So I called the family doctor the next day and got him into the office. They decided to run an MRI to see if we are dealing with a herniated disk. He had the MRI this morning so we should have the results Monday morning (my family doctor leaves the office at lunch of Fridays - must be nice lol). It will determine what way we need to go for now. He may have to be off work longer to help the problem. But then again, he may not because he has the opportunity to become a coordinator (supervisor) over his particular area. That would mean less time on the line and more time doing paperwork. So I'll keep my fingers crossed - well, not when I'm typing, of course.

As for me, well, it could be better. The past two weeks, I've been fighting against pain and inflammation to just sit at the computer and answer a couple of emails at a time. See, because of the blood clot I had back in Jan/Feb of this year, I can't take many arthritis drugs due to the fact they interact with the blood thinner I now have to take (and will probably have to take the rest of my life). Since we're not sure just how long that clot had been sitting in my lung (and by we, I mean the rheumy and I), there is a possibility that Enbrel may have played a part in it being there. But with my family history and other factors, it could also have been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Lol, either way the rheumy doesn't feel safe letting me take it until he can get a clearer picture of its involvement. The other bad thing is that I can't take Celebrex any longer - not because it doesn't work for me because it really does help. But because it interacts with my blood pressure medication causing me to swell to the point I think my legs are going to explode. So I'm stuck. The rheumy did give me an older Arthritis medication called Salsalate and so far it does help but it's definitely not working on the psoriasis. I have found three new spots besides my scalp that the psoriasis is making itself known. I have several small spots on my chest and a good medium sized spot on my neck. In a way it looks like a birthmark but I know it's not. I hate this side of the Arthritis. It makes me feel like a monster most of the time and I don't want to go out in public. Even with friends that I've known for years, I am worried about what they think when they see those spots. But I guess it's just another bump in this road that I'm walking.

For I'm just concentrating on getting things done around the house and making sure Chris gets healthy. I haven't been doing much on the crafty side of things. I have kept up the writing though it seems I'm starting a lot of things instead of finishing and/or editing the things I've already written. The journey toward the reading goal is coming along fine. I'm working on book #40 now. There were a few books that had less than 200 pages that I read through within a couple of hours. So I'm marching my way toward that magic goal number! For now, I'm off to update a few other things and work on getting through some of the emails before my hands give out completely for the night. I hope everyone out there knows they are loved and to my wonderful friends who are going through some rough patches, I'm still here and keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers. Take care!

Love and blessings,
Kim

Health Headlines 9/8/06

Estrens Might Not Be The Answer For Osteoporosis ~> Click here.

Virus Pulls The Trigger For Autoimmunity ~> Click here.

Maxygen Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial For Maxy-G34 For Chemotherapy-induced Neutropenia ~> Click here.

Hope Offered To Patients With Lung And Joint Disease By Key Study ~> Click here.

How Central Nervous System Regulates Arthritis ~> Click here.

New Approach To Rheumatoid Arthritis ~> Click here.

Licensing Arrangement Reached For Antiepileptic Drug Developed At Hebrew University ~> Click here.

Peninsula Medical School Research Team's Breakthrough In Fight To Combat Diabetes ~> Click here.

Rigel Announces Initiation Of Phase II Study Evaluating R788 In Rheumatoid Arthritis ~> Click here.

Genzyme Begins Phase 3 Pivotal Study Of Clolar(R) In Adult Acute Myelogenous Leukemia ~> Click here.

Breast Density Important Predictor For Breast Cancer Risk ~> Click here.

US Cancer Death Totals Drop, Rate Of New Cancers Stable ~> Click here.

Diabetic Leg Ulcers Reduced By Pine Tree Bark ~> Click here.

Abbott Submits U.S. And E.U. Regulatory Applications Seeking Approval For HUMIRA(R) (Adalimumab) As A Treatment For Crohn's Disease ~> Click here.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals Announces Phase III Clinical Trial To Study The Safety And Efficacy Of Xyrem(R) In Patients With Fibromyalgia Syndrome ~> Click here.

SYMLIN Improved Diabetes Control In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes On Established Regimens Of Basal Insulin ~> Click here.

FDA Releases Draft Guidelines Regulating Complex Diagnostic Tests, Including Those For Breast, Ovarian Cancers ~> Click here.

Happy Labor Day!!

Just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone out there a happy and safe Labor Day. I know that most of us here in America had an extra day off this weekend and I hope that you all enjoyed yourselves safely. I also wanted to say thanks to the hardworking men and women all over the country and overseas who do their best each and every day to make sure that we have the ability to live our lives the way that we want and see fit. With the anniversary of 9/11 coming up, I've been doing a lot of thinkng just as I have every year since the tragedy happened. We wouldn't be able to live, eat, sleep, speak, read or watch anything we'd want to and when we'd want to if they didn't put their lives on the line for us. Nor would be able to do those things if the men and women who work hard on the farms, in the factories, in the offices and all over this nation didn't go into work everyday and make things for us to make life better. To each and every man and woman who help make my life possible in every way, I say thank you!

The other sad news of the day is that the Crocodile Hunter, aka Steve Irwin, passed away over the weekend after being stung by a stingray while filming his next special. I will keep his family and friends in my thoughts and prayers as they deal with the sadness of losing someone special. Yes, special even though his catchphrases annoyed me to no end, his knowledge for animals and his love for nature were extraordinary. There will be many who may try, but no one will fill his shoes in this world.

As for things here at home, I guess you could say that they're going well. I'm tired and hurting a lot today. Not quite sure if there's a pressure system coming my way or what's going on. All I do know is that I have a bad headache and feeling like I just want to crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head for a while. Which I just might do once I finish this post. Been depressed lately. I know it and I know that I have to do something to bring me out of this funk I'm in. I think it's why I've been writings so much lately to be honest. Not that I mind much. I love writing. It's my only passion. I just wish I could become more focused and not just do bits and pieces. My luck with discipling myself didn't work. I'm not good at making myself do something. Mostly I do things because I feel I have to, like writing. But for now I'm going to go back to bed. Entering September I've made it to book #36 in my reading goal. We'll see how it goes by the end of the month. Take care all. Sorry this post is kinda rambling on. I just don't feel good. Can't think well. Love to all.

Love and blessings,
Kim

I'm tired.....

Tired of everything that I carry on my shoulders, in my heart or within my soul. There has to be a point in which things lighten so that the burden isn't hard to carry. I haven't reached that limit apparently as I am still being trusted with more burdens from the gods to carry on my shoulders. I'm glad that I'm trustworthy but I wonder if I'm trusted just a bit too much. In the past month, Chris and I have had to deal with several private situations involving other family members. It has tested our patience, love and understanding to the degree that we have begun to pull away to let things settle. I won't be going into details because I don't feel it's necessary to put everything out in the open just yet. I'm not even sure that I will discuss them if the time to talk openly ever presents itself. All I will say is that my opinion and love for those involved haven't changed but I feel that their opinion of us has. If that is the case, then they will have to make that decision for themselves and live with the outcome they chose. It has been a rough month for Chris and I, with that situation and the fact that we are coming to the end of his short term disability as set by his job. We're facing a hard road and it only makes it harder when people you have come to love suddenly stop or appear to stop because of misunderstandings.

As I mentioned above, Chris's short-term disability time is drawing to an end and we're no closer in finding out what's wrong with him than we first started in April of this year. Back in April after his chemotherapy in March, we noticed his hands swelling badly and with intense burning and pain. So we went to the family doctor who gave him medications. Unfortunately the medication made things worse. Off we went back to the oncologist to find out if this was another cancer in the works or if there was something else going on that we would have to deal with. The oncologist discovered that Chris was (and still is) cancer free so whatever was causing these symptoms was not a cancer related issue. The oncologist also felt as though Chris was suffering from a rare reaction to the type of chemotherapy drug he was given in March. Therefore, we were referred to my rheumatologist to see if he would be able to help Chris in any way. The rheumy ran blood tests and started Chris on a different anti-inflammatory to see if there would be any progress. The results of the Rheumatiod and Lupus tests came back negative while the Sed rate test came back only slightly elevated. That just meant that there was something going and inflammation was present in the body. At Chris's last appointment on August 31st, the rheumatologist bascially sent us back to the family doctor. Due to the fact that there was no evidence of arthritis or related illnesses, there wasn't much that the rheumy could do for us. He let us know that he would be willing to try but he wasn't sure in which direction to go. The rheumy also gave Chris is release to go back to work so he officially was back to work as of yesterday (9/1). When we got home from seeing the rheumy, I called the family doctor and arranged for Chris to go into his office to discuss what to do next. Chris is still having the pain and tenderness in the hands and now back spasms so bad that they wake him from a deep sleep. There are a couple of theories going through my head but they're both not good. I'm afraid to even speak them aloud because I don't want them to come true. The family doctor wasn't happy that Chris wasn't able to get something to help him get better from either the oncologist or the rheumatologist. So he gave Chris some muscle relaxers to help with the back spasms and if they don't let up even a bit, Chris will have to have a MRI done to see if there's anything wrong with his back. For now, Chris has to continue on with the pain medication and the anti-inflammatory since it is seeming to work to reduce the swelling. Chris still has some problems with just taking a shower so I know work is going to be a lot harder for him than it needs to be. The only good news we've had regarding Chris's work is the fact that they are shut down for the holiday until Tuesday of next week, so his first day back to work will be Wednesday. He might even be getting a more supervisor type position than line worker position due to his seniority. We'll have to wait and see when he goes back though to be sure on that one. I'm hoping he will have it because it will mean that he won't have to do much with his back and hands the way they are.

Yet him going back to work is a good thing right now. Our finances are completely and udderly shot. Beginning with his diagnosis of cancer last year, we struggled while he was off work even though we've had the help of family and friends. When he went back to work last August and started to bring home a bit more than his disability pay, we began to get back on track. I didn't know about the programs and organizations out there to help cancer survivors and family to get through the hard times. The doctor's offices have been really nice in working with us as has the debt collection agencies when I explain our situation. It's just the credit card companies that haven't been so nice. Unfortunately I don't have the money to send them so how can I make it appear each time they call me? But with him going to work again, we'll start to get back on the right track. Even if he's only getting $50 more on the paycheck than what his disability was. It will be a help. I'm sad because we won't be able to get things for people for Christmas this year as I had hoped. I don't get expensive things anyway but I'd still like to give people something to show them I care even if it's something that I've made myself. If some of the people can't accept that, then they weren't what I thought they were in the first place.

The only rays of sunshine in the gloominess of the past few weeks has been the friends who have tried to keep me from falling into depression again. They've called or IM'd (even though I haven't been on the computer very much at all in the past two weeks, they've still tried to get ahold of me and leave me messages). I want to say thanks for looking out for me and sending me things that make me smile or just checking up on me when I needed it most. I was really glad to meet one of my long-time online friends last weekend. She asked me to be a part of her wedding in June of next year and had some free time to come over to my house from Ohio to show me some of the things that she had bought or had on order for her wedding. Jaden showed me the dress I'd be wearing and I think it's absolutely beautiful. I hope that I'll do it justice. Lol! Her wedding dress was stunning and it truly fits her personality. It's traditional and yet not which is definitely her in all ways! She and her fiancee came here on Saturday afternoon. We all sat and chatted for a long while, compared stories, made plans for the bacheloretter party and then went out to eat dinner at 11pm! Lol, we kinda lost track of time. When we got back to my house, we sat around and chatted some more while a storm rolled in. By the time they were ready to head out, it was after 3am and storming so they opted to stay the night in our guestroom. I was so happy to see her finally. :) We're almost twins except for the fact we have different mothers and are about six months apart in birth dates. Lol, but other than those facts. I love her to death and absolutely can't wait for her wedding. I can't wait for my friend, Stacy's wedding as well. They're both next year. One's in May and the other in June. It's going to be a busy couple of months for me then. May is a busy month for me anyway. There's anniversaries and birthdays galore in there and now more will be added. :) Yay for looking forward to good things.

Well, I've been working on this post for a really long time now. I haven't been doing so good myself in the health department over the last few days. The weather's changing to fall which means it's getting cooler and the days are unpredictable. That means my arthritis is going to be acting up a whole lot more than it already has. So for those to do stop by and read this blog of mine, I'm doing the best I can in getting online and writing emails or notes to you. It just takes a long time. I started typing this entry at almost 9pm and the time is now almost 1am. I've had to stop and take breaks the entire time. So please don't think I'm just blowing you guys off. If I could I would chat all the time. It's been hard not to come to the computer. There may be a few more days to pass before I can get online and chat a lot. So please hang in there with me. I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers.

Love and blessings,
Kim