Katrina Hamilton, Thespian, Flautist, and New HerbHolist.com Blogger

When I first started working at JBNI, I was skeptical. It’s a pretty natural reaction, and one the company gets often. Some of the products seem too good to be true, and warrant the question, “If it’s so great, why haven’t I heard of it before?”

Well, I decided to do a very unscientific test of my own. My parents were remodeling a room in my childhood home and I was helping them to clear out the shelves and shelves of books they’ve accumulated over the years.

The first day I was only able to do it for about two hours before I had to stop. The dust was too much for me, and my allergies had me sneezing every few seconds. I went back a week later, hoping to finish the rest of the books. This time I took a dose of Atmen beforehand. It was the same room, the same shelves of books, the same levels of dust. It was five hours into packing boxes that I sneezed for the first time. This was when I first remembered that I was supposed to take a second dose after the first four hours.

The dust was too much for me, and my allergies had me sneezing every few seconds

I had forgotten that I was taking something. I had actually forgotten that I was allergic to dust. I opted not to take anymore so as to test how quickly and severely my symptoms would return. In the remaining two hours I sneezed maybe a dozen times total, and it only barely interfered with my work. I couldn’t believe it.

A part of me actually can’t wait until spring rolls around, or the next time I dust my room, or when I make friends with someone who owns twenty cats, just so I can test it out again.

Having heard stories from other people who have taken JBNI products, I’m starting to understand the real blessing and curse of it all. You don’t actually realize you’re taking medicine, you just feel…fine. You just feel normal and healthy and medically unremarkable. I suppose this is probably because there aren’t any side effects, so unlike most stuff you’re not just trading one ailment for a lesser one. And isn’t that the real idea anyway?

__

Katrina is funny. You can follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/batgirl31413

Posted via web from HerbHolist: Health Myths You Still Believe

7 Ways To Know If You Cause Your Pup Anxiety

FCC Disclosure: JBNI produces this blog and produces 100% Powerful and All-Natural Bioprin for Your Pets When they Are Suffering.

“It was determined that the lump was a viral papilloma, a term meaning viral wart. But a little more than a month later, it came back. It was growing faster than before and was even worse looking. I sought out several opinions and I was told that some options were another surgery, cryogenics, or laser removal…Some human topical medications were also proposed but I was concerned about Divot licking the medication off and there was no way I was going to put her in an E-collar for the duration of the treatment. I called Marina and asked if she could help. She said she could. She suggested 3 products: One was a product called Bioprin” – http://www.yorkietalk.com

Do you cause your dog anxiety?

If you’re not sure or are sure that you don’t you’re prolly freaking him out already.  Let’s face it – human beings can be an anxious bunch.  We are unruly, inconsistent, and sometimes extremely unaware.  And who has to deal with it without a word of complaint?  Pets.  Now, if you have an issue free pet feel free to skip straight to posting pet photos in the comments section.  But if you have a dog who just can’t contain her excitement (read: urine) or barks all day while you’re at work then this post is for you.

Of course, your pet’s anxiety may not be your fault.  Some breeds of dog are prone to anxiety.  Some of the most common symptoms of anxiety in dogs include

1. excessive licking

2. pacing

3. frequent barking

if you have an issue free pet feel free to skip straight to posting pet photos in the comments

4. over frequent urination

5. urinating or defecating in the house. 

One of the most common forms of pet anxiety is

6. separation,

but some dogs also develop anxiety related to specific fears like

7. fireworks

Bonus: 8. Woody Allen flicks.

If it’s the latter, he may just be concerned about your taste in movies.

[Anxiety prone breeds: Great Danes, German short-haired pointers, German shepherd dogs, bull terriers, Jack Russell terriers, Dalmatians, Bouvier de Flanders, salukis, Cairn terriers, basset hounds, and soft-coated Wheaton terriers.]

via: icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com

So, what do you do if your dog has separation anxiety?  You could buy a baby bjorn and pack him around with you everywhere you go.  For some, that may be the answer (please, please, please post a pic if this is you) but for those of you who want to maintain a sane facade I’ll briefly summarize the options.

Usually the first step in any kind of anxiety treatment for a dog is to make sure she is getting lots of exercise. Then make sure that there is a daily routine which incorporates feeding, walking, and playtime.  If your dog suffers from separation anxiety specifically, you should learn about behavior modification for dogs and use some desensitization techniques to get her used to your absence.  These techniques typically start with brief periods of separation (like walking to the next room and then returning), gradually increasing the time of separation as your dog becomes more comfortable.  Also, eliminating triggers like your I’m-about-to-leave routine (you know… coat, keys, phone, wallet, door) and not fussing over your pet when you come home are good ways to avoid reinforcing your dog’s anxious behavior.  For a great overview on separation anxiety in pets, visit http://www.thepawblog.com/severe-pet-anxiety .

If your pet just isn’t responding to behavioral techniques or is reacting well to the training but still needs more help, some vets recommend medication.  According to www.vetinfo.com, there are four main categories of medications used for treating anxiety in dogs.

1) Acemaprozine:  Acemaprozine is a dog tranquilizer most commonly used during surgery to prevent vomiting but it is also used to relax excitable dogs.

2) Tricyclic antidepressants:  The main drugs used from this category are Amitriptyline (Elavil) and Clomipramine (Clomicalm).  These drugs shouldn’t be used if your dog has been on MAOIs within the previous two weeks.  Side effects include constipation, dry eyes, dizziness, dry mouth, lethargy, appetite loss, nausea, and urinary retention.

3) Flouxetine:  Prozac or Reconcile are SSRIs and suppress Seratonin.  These drugs shouldn’t be used if your dog is pregnant, nursing, or taking MAO inhibitors.  Side effects include cold-like symptoms, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, lethargy, loss of appetite, weakness, and weight loss.

4) Vistaril:  Vistaril is an allergy medication that is generally used to treat allergies but sometimes used as a sedative for dogs with anxiety.  Side effects include dizziness, lethargy, blurred vision, confusion, dry mouth, nausea, and vomiting.  http://www.vetinfo.com/dog-anxiety-medication.html

via ihasahotdog.wordpress.com

If you’re not too keen on the idea of giving your special fur person medications with so many potential side effects, you may want to investigate natural remedies.  Popular natural remedies include homeopathy, aromatherapy, flower essences, natural diets, and ancient Chinese herbal medicine.  Many pet owners have chosen alternative treatment options with great success.  Follow this link for an interesting article about Dr. Kathy King, a Kansas vet who specializes in holistic medicine: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/aug/31/natural-pet-care-acupuncture-herbs-alternative-tre .

[“[Dr. King] put together this whole regimen of homeopathic and herbal medicines and acupuncture, and my dog is just doing well,” the Topeka resident says. “It’s been a year and a half (since the diagnosis) and, as far as we know, she’s cancer-free.”]  – One of Dr. King’s veterinary clients quoted in Natural pet care: Acupuncture, herbs alternative treatments for animals, by Sarah Henning.

If your dog suffers from separation anxiety specifically, you should learn about

So, if your dog pees on your bed every day while you’re at work, he may be trying to tell you something.  If your spouse pees on your bed… well, that’s another topic altogether.  Please be aware that there is more than one approach to treatment if your dog is suffering from anxiety and be sure to investigate all of your options.  If you have experience with this topic (the dog, not the spouse) please share your wisdom by commenting on this post below.  We might just credit you and quote you in our next blog post.

In fact, even if you have no wisdom at all feel free to share stories and pics of your anxious pets, or just ask questions.  We read your comments.  We do!

Sources:
http://www.dog-health-guide.org/anxietysymptomindog.html
http://www.thepawblog.com/severe-pet-anxiety
http://www.vetinfo.com/dog-anxiety-medication.html
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/aug/31/natural-pet-care-acupuncture-herbs-alternative-tre

Posted via web from HerbHolist: Health Myths You Still Believe

Super Antioxidants Zeaxanthin VS Astaxanthin: What the heck is the difference? OR NOAGIN vs NOAGIN Children’s

FCC Disclosure: This blog is produced by JBNI Naturaceuticals who also produces NOAGIN for Children. Their most powerful total body super antioxidant formula

OK. So you may not have ever heard of either Zeaxanthin or Astaxanthin. The reason is simple. The scientific community didn’t know anything about them either. Heck, Vitamins were only discovered about 70 years ago! Doctors had no idea why sailors died from scurvy on long boat rides. Elmer V. McCollum and M. Davis discovered vitamin A from 1912–1914

By eliminating free radicals from cells through genetic means and dietary restriction, laboratories have extended the maximum age of laboratory animals – Ohio State Physics Dept

Zeaxanthin is a super antioxidant that somehow manages to work its way from your digestive system to your head and eyes. It preserves your optic nerves and your sensory nerves. It also gives your skin back the youthful health of, well, your youth. Loosing it over age is what ‘makes your brown eyes blue.’ Oddly, most antioxidants can’t get transported up there.

“The biological mechanisms governing retinal capture and accumulation of lutein and zeaxanthin, to the exclusion of other carotenoids, are still poorly understood” – Pub Med

Astaxanthin is the most powerful super antioxidant known to man but does most all of it’s cellular rejuvenation work below the neck. Astaxanthin is most remarkable in your vital organs like your liver (if you’ve ever been hung over, try Biodrux NOAGIN and ask yourself how you feel 10 minutes later). But more than just your organs like kidneys, spleen, pancreas, and lungs, if you’ve ever experienced that stressed muscle cramping kink, using NOAGIN (at least to me) releases that cramped stiffness within minutes.

super antioxidants stop aging. Yep. You read it correctly

Now, the bigger question, why are super antioxidants important? Basically, super antioxidants stop aging. Yep. You read it correctly. Eventually, scientist had to find the molecular and genetic mechanism of aging didn’t they? They did.

Let’s deal with how aging happens. In the same way that sailors in the early 1900′s didn’t know that Vitamin C was needed to prevent scurvy and death, until recent genetic science developments, people didn’t know that DNA doesn’t make a perfect copy of itself. In fact, just like copying an 8-Track to a cassette tape, there can be serious mutations in the cell splitting and reproduction department. This is cancer. Cancer is just your own cells that have mutated into a new and non-compatible life-form inside your body.

On a less severe scale, if your cells can’t reproduce perfectly from one generation to the next, even the collagen in your skin deteriorates leaving you with dry wrinkles and even hair-loss. But in all of these cases, what prevents your DNA from replicating perfectly are molecules called “free radicals.” They oxidate your DNA.

Cancer is just your own cells that have mutated into a new and noncompatible life-form inside your body

So, what this means is that if you want to prevent the molecular level cell damage of oxidation, you need super antioxidants. Simple, no?

To make things even more simple, JBNI actually produces two formulas of the most powerful super antioxidants known to man. NOAGIN contains Astaxanthin and Lutein. NOAGIN for Children contains additionally contains Zeaxanthin too. So which should you pick? Well, depends. While NOAGIN for Children contains Astaxanthin, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin, it is also diluted when compared to the Adult formula. What I do is just take 4 childrens caps for every one adult cap I would have taken. That leaves me the best of both worlds! – @journik, Health and Web Consultant.

So? Do You Have a Pet? What???

WOW. Just Wow.

I’ve been tweeting for years now. And I’ve never go to so many replies so quickly. I simply asked the above question in the title about what your pets are: http://twitter.com/journik/statuses/5807389169

You are one passionate lot!

I was going to do a blog post on the joys and challenges of owning a pet FOR KIDS

I asked the question originally because I was going to do a blog post on the joys and challenges of owning a pet FOR KIDS. I remember as a kid, I wanted a pet bird. I never fed him. I still feel guilty.

So… in the comments below… will you pass on the good word about

A) The joys of pet ownership

B) The challenges

C) Your advice to kids about the overall responsibility???

Thanks! I’ll take your answers and create a blog post about it…

PS… LINK ME TO PICTURES OF YOUR PETS WILLYA>!??! I K.N.O.W. You got em! =)

Signed,

Bob Wan-QI Kim.. aka http://twitter.com/journik

Posted via web from Mind and Body Health Myths that You Still Believe

What Happens In Aspirin, Stays In Aspirin – Katrina Hamilton

People trust aspirin. It’s exceptionally common and widely used. It’s been on the market for many years. It has been tested safe by the FDA. It works.

However, if people are anything like me (and they so often are) there’s a lot they don’t know about aspirin. So, some facts you didn’t know you didn’t know:

The basis of aspirin is a chemical called salicylic, and it is nothing new. The ancient Egyptians got it from the leaves of the myrtle bush, Native Americans took it from birch bark, and Europeans got it from the willow tree.

So how does aspirin work?
Well, we don’t know, it just does.

Well, we don’t know, it just does. What happens in Aspirin…

At least, that was the answer for the first 70 or so years. It wasn’t until 1971 that a sexy scientist by the name of John Vane figured out that aspirin inhibited the enzymes known as COX-1 and COX-2. Why does this matter? Well, these enzymes make prostaglandins, which are sort of like a hormonal Pony Express, relaying messages throughout the body (actually they don’t move around the body, so they’re more like hormonal switch board operators, but I didn’t want to use such an archaic and outdated reference).

This is where things start to get ironic. COX-1 is vital for normal stomach and kidney function, so inhibiting it with aspirin can cause big stomach problems. But, because COX-1 is being blocked, regularly taking aspirin can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Of course, the same blood thinning work aspirin does to prevent regular stokes increases your risk of hemorrhagic strokes (bleeding in the brain).

That’s right, you can actually cause one kind of stroke by preventing another.

They did. And it gave people heart attacks

This is because the body is all about balance. Just like cheesecake and children, COX-1 is only bad for you when you have the wrong amount.

With COX-2 things seem simpler. COX-2 is responsible for sending messages about pain, inflammation, and fever. So when you block COX-2 none of those messages get to your brain (remember that just like most over the counter stuff, aspirin treats the symptoms and not the disease. It doesn’t actually cure your arthritis, it just makes you forget about it for awhile).

That’s right, you can actually cause one kind of stroke by preventing another

So wait, if messing with COX-1 causes all these problems why not make a medicine that only inhibits COX-2? They did. And it gave people heart attacks.

Once again, it’s about balance. When taken straight from the willow tree, salicylic inhibits both COX-1 and COX-2, but when they are separated, all hell breaks lose. If by ‘all hell’ we mean massive and unexplainable cardiovascular problems, which sounds like hell to me.

COX blocking aside (o_O), aspirin is still completely safe. That’s because in the United States safe means less than 16,500 deaths a year, which is how many people die from the side effects of aspirin. By these standards, you really should stop worrying about sharks, bears, and being struck by lightning.

In 2003, four people died from a shark attack. 26 died from contact with hot water (o_O). 5,462 died of intentional self poisoning. (Source: Vagabondish also photo above.)

I don’t mean to say that aspirin is evil. Far from it. I’m just using it as an example. It’s easy to take something like aspirin for granted. It’s easy to distance it from its natural roots. It’s easy to assume there’s no down side. It’s easy to think it must work since it’s been around so long. It’s easy to believe we’d never take medicine that we don’t understand.

The fact is that just because something’s not evil doesn’t mean it’s good for you, and just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Just don’t forget to keep your body balanced. And seriously, stay away from the sharks.

This post is produced by http://jbni.us … Oddly, you can actually sample their extraordinarily potent “naturaceuticals” for your breathing, internal organ, and hormon/endocrine “badassification” free … See: http://jbni.us/naturaceuticals

Posted via web from Mind and Body Health Myths that You Still Believe

10 Fun Facts About Heroine – Katrina Hamilton

Who knew? You could be buying Heroine from the supermarket and Asprin could have been illegal (atleast according to Katrina =).

This Blog is produced by http://jbni.us — The perveyors of 33+ extraordinarily effective “naturaceuticals” for your mind, emotional power, physical health, and life overall!

 

1) Originally heroin was marketed as both cough medicine and as a non-addictive replacement for morphine.

 

2) Known then as diacetylmorphine, heroine was first synthesized by Felix Hoffmann two weeks after he created aspirin.

 

3) The Bayer company produced and sold Heroin for 15 years.

some claimed it made them feel “heroic,”

4) Heinrich Dreser, the man in charge of testing the efficacy and safety of new drugs for Bayer in 1898, originally rejected Aspirin saying, “The product has no value.” He believed it would detract from the publicity for heroin, their real wonder drug.

 

5) Pharmacologically, morphine and heroin are very similar. But it takes four times are much morphine to get the same effect.

 

6) Many people don’t realize that heroin is actually a brand name. When it was first tested on workers at Bayer, some claimed it made them feel “heroic,” a term used by chemists to describe any strong drug.

 

7) To support their drug habits, users in East Coast cities such as New York and Philadelphia would often collect and sell scrap metal. This gave them the name “junkies.”

 

8) Ninety-five percent of the world’s legal heroin consumption is for medical use in Britain.

 

9) In 1898 the typical drug addict in Britain was a middle-class woman in her forties. Today it is an 18-year-old male.

 

10) Some speculate that before his death Heinrich Dreser had become addicted to heroin, the drug he had originally chosen to market over aspirin. He died of a stroke, something that might have been prevented had he been taking aspirin daily. Apparently one bad decision can haunt you for the rest of your life.

 

 

Posted via web from Mind and Body Health Myths that You Still Believe

Part 2. Astrid Dowling. 17 Years Old. 100% Baddass.

6:16 PM me: HAHA!!! Do you friends bug you and tell you that youre their hero??? Do you have fanboys too???

 astrid: hahahaah

 me: Or is it just your mom? o_O

6:17 PM astrid: they say theyre happy for me, and yes i have alot of people who care about me even people i havent met before

 me: Well… how common is the surgery and how much notice did you have??

6:18 PM astrid: well ive met a few people here who have had transplants that are staying at the ronald mcdonald house like 5 of them

  i was on the list for about 4 months or 3

6:19 PM me: And how do know when your surgery is???

  like they cant just go and schedule it anytime right??

6:20 PM astrid: no

  you have to wait tilll they find a donor

6:21 PM and they randomly call you on the phone

 me: So you really have NO IDEA when you’ll get the surgery!!!

  or even “IF”

 astrid: no and that is what made me nervous every day

6:23 PM me: WOW! Well… I’m glad someone had the COURAGE and HEART to will away their lungs that fit you!!! and that YOU have the courage to share with everyone how lucky we all are… just to be able to inhale and feel a breath of fresh air!!!

 astrid: yes its amazing

 me: So…. what can I tell people about your web design and photography business if you feel up to getting new clients???

6:24 PM astrid: well i have a myspace site for it because i mostly made myspace layouts, logos, banners but ive learned how to make websites now.

6:25 PM me: Do you want people to reach you through Myspace?? or… facebook?? OR… they can even leave a comment here below… and you’ll get it… if you leave the first comment..

6:26 PM astrid: either but facebook is easier

  www.myspace.com/astridlayouts

 me: and your facebook is???

6:28 PM astrid: http://profile.to/astriddowling/

 me: Well Ms. Dowling… You’ve made a big impact on my life… as you learn to feel refreshed from each breath you take… I am learning to appreciate each one I take…

  Thank you!!!

 astrid: no thank you!

Posted via web from Mind and Body Health Myths that You Still Believe

Astrid Dowling. 17 Years Old. 100% Baddass.

On Sun, Nov 8, 2009 at 7:10 PM, astrid dowling <astriddowling@gmail.com> wrote:

5:13 PM astrid: hey

  it took me a while to figure this out

  hahahah

 me: heyyyyy

  !!!

5:14 PM astrid: hi

5:15 PM me: so!!!

  where are you???

 astrid: in the apartment

 me: In AZ???

 astrid: noo

5:16 PM in california san franccisco bay area, palo alto

me: Oh… you guys got an apt … or at the Ronald McDonald House…

 astrid: ronald mcdonald house…. >>

5:17 PM me: cool!! I reallly LOVE that organization.. are you cool if we mention that???

 astrid: wait tell me what of this is going to be in the interview so i censor wht i say haha

 me: HAHAHA!!!

  NO…

 astrid: hahaah

  yes its fine

 me: my goal is to inspire people with your story…

  and NOT to give you a big head

  People think their lives are soooooo BAD

  and SAD

  and HARD

5:18 PM astrid: hahaha okay

 me: If a 17yo girl can brave her way to health…

  then people with alcohol problems… drug problems… etc

  will have an example to kinna lean on in their imagination

 astrid: yeah

5:19 PM i know what you mean

  my mom says the same thing over and over to me

 me: OK… So… on the record??? =)

  astrid: hahaha ok

5:20 PM me: Normal people living their lives passionately…

  are CONSIDERED Heros by OTHERS

 astrid: yeah : ) were all heroes

 SO… hello Ms. Dowling!

  Welcome to the @journik Show!!!

 astrid: hey

  thank you for interviewing me

5:22 PM me: My honor!

  So…

  I understand you had a minor operation.

 astrid: yes : )

5:23 PM me: Well, can you give us a quick sneak peek about it??

  Before we talk about your journey to where you are now???

 astrid: yes

  what would you like to know?

5:24 PM me: well what was the surgery called?

 astrid: I had a double lung transplant

5:25 PM about 5 weeks ago

 me: WOW!!!

  How long does that take???

5:26 PM astrid: the actual surgery was about ten hours

  i was in the operating room from 12noon to like 8pm

5:27 PM me: Whew!!! How did you feel as you were flying to SF for the hospital???

5:28 PM astrid: umm nauseaus and nervous

5:29 PM ive always been scared about it, and post transplant i wasnt even sure i wanted the operation.

 me: WOW… and now??? are you relieved? still in pain?

5:30 PM astrid: now i know it is well worth it, and that if you set your mind and your heart to something you can make it happen. i feel so much better now, the difference in life quality i have now has improved greatly.

5:31 PM me: hows your energy level now?? how did you feel a few days after the surgery?

5:32 PM astrid: my energy level now is normal, i feel like i can do more. the few days after the surgery were the hardest, because you feel uncomfortable and moving around was difficult.

 me: like what was difficult?

you can breathe, because your brain knows how to but you just can’t feel it. so in my mind i felt out of breathe

5:33 PM astrid: breathing, sleeping, and sitting up

 me: how did the new lungs feel at first?

5:35 PM astrid: they felt like they werent there. haha. because i had no nerves connected to them yet. my brain couldnt tell that i had new lungs.

 me: whoa!!! so how do you breathe???

  how do you inhale?

5:36 PM astrid: you can breathe, because your brain knows how to but you just cant feel it. so in my mind i felt out of breathe, until i got used to it.

  i wasnt used to being able to just breathe freely

Did you ever ask, “Why Me?” Of all the people on earth, “Why Me?”

5:37 PM me: amazing to me the things we take for granted!

  Just breathing and feeling like we have been oxygenated!!!

  wow!

astrid: yeah im so thankful now : )

5:38 PM me: So, before we get into you key part of your adventure… I want to know about your day to day life!

  What did you do say, 6 months before now??? what do you like doing? School? Hobbies? Friends?

5:40 PM astrid: well im in high school, i like the usual stuff going to movies, seeing my friends..but i also like philosphy, drawing, design, and physics

 me: So you’re home then is in AZ?

5:41 PM and from what I know… you’re an accomplished photographer and web designer!???

 astrid: yes my home is in az

  yeah i like photography, and ive made a few web designs for clients

5:42 PM me: Already?!?!? You’re not even out of highschool yet… and you have had clients!

 astrid: yes i work for crust pizza, on their website.

5:43 PM me: Cool! How did you get them to trust you and get you business??

5:44 PM astrid: well me and the owner became friends through facebook, and one of his friends is a photographer my mom met on a plane back to tucson about a year ago.

  and the photographer even came to my birthday as a favor and did a photoshoot with me and my best friends.

5:45 PM me: Cool! Hotshot Commercial photographer did the photo for your BDay!

 astrid: yes there are some amazingly kind people out there

 me: You seem to have lots of random lucky things happen to you!

5:46 PM astrid: yes ive become aware of that haha : )

 me: Any idea why?? o_O

  ???????????

 astrid: im always open to all sorts of people, and i take the time to actually listen and talk to them

5:47 PM i guess i got that from my mom

 me: aha…. well… Do your parents or others think you get lucky things that fall into your lap??? How do they feel about it?

  =)

 astrid: well theyre happy for me as any parents would especially my mom. i can just see how much happier she is now than before. and im glad i was able to bring that about in her life.

5:48 PM me: Well… tell me about your family!!! where your mom is from… dad.. how they met…

5:49 PM astrid: my mom is from peru, thats where i was born to and lived till i was seven. my dad is english and hes a hydrogeologist, so he travels alot.

  my dad went to peru on a bussiness trip when he was younger to see the copper mines in peru and he met my mom in a night club.

5:50 PM i mean a resturant : )

 me: HAHAHAHAAAAA

5:51 PM astrid: ehm haha

 me: Im gunna go around the world and study water or copper or what ever it takes… then go to night.. ehem… restaurants!

 astrid: hahahaha good luck

 me: Well… is he still traveling a lot??? where is he now?? HELL… where are YOU … now…

5:53 PM astrid: no he doesnt travel that much anymore because we moved to arizona which is one of the biggest copper mining places in the world

  hes here with me, in the universe

 me: hah!

  so… for the NON philosophers…

 astrid: were in the ronald mcdonald house in palo alto, cali

5:54 PM me: Well… you’ve been there for 5 weeks now… why arent you in AZ at home??

 astrid: because after a transplant, the hospital has a 3month rule where you have to stay closer than 15minutes to the hospital

 me: WHOA! 3 months???!!!

5:55 PM astrid: and i still have to go back for infusions and blood draws and doctor check ups once a week.

 me: OK… so Im really proud of the Ronald McDonald House organization… who do they take care of??

5:56 PM astrid: they take care of basically families and children and teens who have been in the hospital, and are recovering.

5:57 PM me: Ok… so… what everyone wants to know is… how the heck did you end up … from a normal life… end up needing a DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT?

5:58 PM astrid: well when i was around six i was given a medication that caused side effects, and after getting phneumonia when i was 7 i noticed i slowly had more difficulty breathing over next few years.

  then when i was 13 they diagnosed me with COPD

5:59 PM and systic fibrosis

6:00 PM me: wow.

  Just coincidentally… I wrote an article about COPD … it rivals AIDS in terms of the number of victims –the number of women will soon outpace the men! http://herbholist.posterous.com/copd-rivals-aids-as-4th-5th-leading-cause-of

6:01 PM astrid: yes i saw that, very informative

 me: It’s very common… for everyone’s benefit… basically, it’s when your lung tissues continue to “disintegrate”

6:02 PM So… how did the COPD impose on your daily life over the years???

6:04 PM astrid: well at first i just felt out of breath when i ran , then i moved to england and the cold weather didnt help. i couldnt do too much excercise or i would feel wheezy. and so two years later we moved to tucson and i got valley fever and another reaction to a medication. till i needed to be put on oxygen at night and eventually in the day too. it was like a cycle.

6:07 PM me: WOW!.. how long ago did you need oxygen tanks?

 astrid: about 3 yrs

6:09 PM me: So can you NOW not need O2???

 astrid: yeah i don’t need it anymore

6:10 PM after the transplant i wasn’t used to not having it. i even had it on while it was off just for the comfort

 me: AWESOME!!!! LIBERATION!~!!!! And also…. after the transplant… when you inhale…. did you still feel stuffy?

6:11 PM like you arent breathing?

 astrid: yeah i felt like i wasnt able to breathe properly even if my oxygen stats were good.

  yeah like i wasnt breathing or taking in enough air

i had to learn to breathe again

  i had to learn to breathe again

  this time the normal way : )

6:12 PM me: Amazing how lucky we are if we realize we take simple things like breathing for granted!!!

And are you getting used to your new lungs now???
And What’s the most annoying question that you get??? And what’s your answer to it?!?

6:15 PM astrid: hahaha yes im used to them now

  i can do annything basically now

  the mst anoying question…

  umm ..is probably, “how are you,” because the answer is always, “good.”

6:16 PM <span

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You Pick: Swine Flu H1N1 Vaccine or a Punch in the Face. OR “Vaccine Makers Refuse to Take it Themselves?”

In Uncategorized on November 8, 2009 at 10:35 pm

This Blog is Produced By http://JBNI.us — The makers of 100% Natural and Herbal Millenium CF for Extraordinary Immune System Resilience and 32 other Naturaceuticals — FCC DISCLOSURE

Last week, over a cup of tea, my friend told me that he’d rather get punched in the face than take the H1N1 vaccine.  Now, he’s an anxiety prone guy (and a little dramatic) so it’s hard to say if his attitude is representative of public opinion, but it made me wonder how many people feel the same way. 

For many, my friend included, the idea of the vaccine is just as frightening as the flu itself.  Is it a wolf in a sheep suit, or a sheep in a wolf suit?  Is it a sheep or a wolf at all?  Some think of the vaccine more along the lines of a vulture in any kind of suit – an eerie indication that whether it’s good or bad we are all in trouble anyway. Blogs and Youtubes are even proclaiming that the makers of the swine flu vaccine are refusing to take it.

Makers of Swine Flu Vaccine Refuse to Take it

At this point the dissenting voices are fading, quickly dismissed as either panicky reactions of the uninformed public or irresponsible, fringe physicians.  At any rate, should we get to make the choice at all?  In the face of a pandemic, should we even have the right to refuse to participate in the prevention of such a large scale threat?  The answer to that question, of course, is a matter of opinion.

Faux Pax (Pronounced “Fox Packs”) Leads to Major Swine Flu Vaccine Shortage

“Studies show that young, healthy people mount a glorious immune response to seasonal flu vaccine, and their response reduces their chances of getting the flu and may lessen the severity of symptoms if they do get it. But they aren’t the people who die from seasonal flu. By contrast, the elderly, particularly those over age 70, don’t have a good immune response to vaccine—and they’re the ones who account for most flu deaths.”
  – “Does the Vaccine Matter?” Shannon Brownlee & Jeanne Lenzer, http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200911/brownlee-h1n1

Now, the article from which the above quote was taken is the subject of much criticism.  One complaint (among many) was the authors’ failure to distinguish between H1N1 and the seasonal flu.   Underlying many of the objections is the fear that people have been dangerously over-immunized.  One blogger writes:

“While it is arguably true that in many areas we are overtreated and it isn’t hard to find examples, vaccination is arguably not one of those areas. Among medical interventions, vaccines arguably have saved more lives and prevented more suffering than every other medical intervention combined. Moreover, choosing the flu vaccine as an example in the middle of a pandemic borders on–hell, is–the height of irresponsibility.”
- “Vaccination for H1N1 ‘swine’ flu: Do The Atlantic, Shannon Brownlee, and Jeanne Lenzer matter?” Orac, http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2009/10/when_methodolatry_strikes_over_h1n1_influenza.php

Shortage of Hospital Beds — A Real Possibility

If you’re interested in this topic there are many relevant blog posts out there including the two mentioned above and an excellent post by Mark Crislip analyzing Brownlee and Lenzer’s article entitled “Yes, But.  The Annotated Atlantic” http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=2495 .  Educate yourself about the benefits and risks of the H1N1 and other vaccines, and decide for yourself.  Whatever conclusion you come to on this issue, on one point there is no debate:  the healthier your body is, the better you will fare in defending against viruses or recovering from either the flu or the vaccine that prevents it.

I know several people (myself included) who likely had and recovered from H1N1, and two people who’ve been vaccinated against it.  Those of us who were sick had similar experiences:  headache, fever, and a general discomfort for a few days.  The two who were vaccinated were health care workers.  One got the injection and did not appear to have been affected by it.  The other received the vaccination in the form of a nasal mist and suffered a reaction with symptoms not unlike the common cold.  He had a red, sniffly nose and teary eyes… it kind of looked like he’d been punched in the face.

Still, even though my flu experience was so mild as to be nothing more than an inconvenience, given the choice now I’d choose the vaccination over a punch.  I didn’t mind the flu itself, but I wouldn’t want to be responsible for giving it to other people who may not have as strong of an immune system as I do.  And now I pose the questions to you, readers:  How has the H1N1 virus affected your life?  How did you react to the virus or the vaccination?  When was the last time you were punched in the face, and how did it feel? Comment. And tell others what they should do with their lives =)

This Blog is Produced By http://JBNI.us — The makers of 100% Natural and Herbal Millenium CF for Extraordinary Immune System Resilience and 32 other Naturaceuticals — FCC DISCLOSURE

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