Mark For Life T-Shirt

On The Doctors they did a segment on tips for early detection of breast cancer. They showed a t-shirt that is being marketed to assist women with self breast exams. Performing self-exams is unerving to begin with because most women don't know what they're looking for. Created and introduced in 2004 by two Atlanta women, the "Mark For Life" T-shirt was an idea they came up with to teach women how to properly conduct a breast self exam and illustrate where potentially cancerous breast tissue exists. More importantly, they wanted a product that would allow women to track the results of their monthly exams to enable them to compare against past exams for any changes.




Interesting facts from their website at markforlife.com:
97% of women survive breast cancer when it is discovered early.
90% of women who get breast cancer have no family history.
70% of women find their own breast cancer using breast self-exams.







The T-Shirt comes with an instruction card listing 9 steps for use of the kit. Utilizing the enclosed marker you follow the spirals on the form fitting shirt and mark this shirt up to take it with you to your next doctors appointment and you can discuss your findings with your doctor. So many times women do not remember where they may have felt something questionable and cannot recall the location. This T-shirt eliminates that problem. There are even monthly reminder stickers to mark your calendar as well as an email address you can submit to for reminders.

Acting F.A.S.T. Can Save Your Life

May is Stroke Awareness Month. What are the signs and symptoms of a stroke?










Did you know that acting "FAST" can save your life:

It's important to remember that not all the warning signs occur in every stroke. Don't ignore any signs of stroke, even if they go away.

Remember to check the time. When did the first warning sign or symptom start? You'll be asked this important question later. If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke. tPA is the only FDA-approved medication for the treatment of stroke within three hours of stroke symptom onset.

If you have one or more stroke symptoms that last more than a few minutes, don't delay. Immediately call 9-1-1.

If you're with someone who may be having stroke symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1 or the EMS. Expect the person to protest — denial is common. Don't take "no" for an answer. Insist on taking prompt action.

Prevention is key when you've a history of high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Along with regular medical check-ups, maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise, it's also recommended to:

Avoid excess fats: Eating a lot of fat, particularly saturated fat and cholesterol, may contribute to atherosclerosis, which is associated with stroke.

Avoid excess sodium: Excess sodium in the diet is linked to hypertension.

Limit alcohol intake: Individuals who have more than two or three alcoholic beverages a day are at an increased risk of stroke.

For more information visit the American Stroke Association's their website at strokeassociation.org

For Patrick....I love you Sweetie.

For my nephew Patrick, an amazing kid I might add, who has Cystic Fibrosis. I decided to post information about his donation page, to inform people about CF and bring attention to his cause.

In hopes to raise money to find a cure and awareness about CF, this little darling has named his team named "Cough Up the Bucks." The name comes from his "hopes that all will dig deep and cough up a few bucks to help him make a difference."

Patrick, along with all the other CF kids would like CF to someday stand for Cure Found.



To register as part of Pat's Team, or to simply made a secure donation , Please visit his page.


So what Is Cystic Fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:

. clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and
. obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.



In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis

People with CF can have a variety of symptoms, including:

very salty-tasting skin;
persistent coughing, at times with phlegm;
frequent lung infections;
wheezing or shortness of breath;
poor growth/weight gain in spite of a good appetite; and
frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty in bowel movements.

Statistics
About 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis are diagnosed each year.
More than 70% of patients are diagnosed by age two.
More than 40% of the CF patient population is age 18 or older.
The predicted median age of survival for a person with CF is more than 37 years.

Allergies

My daughter suffers from allergies which can trigger her asthma at any given time. Trying to find the right medication, whether OTC or scripted, is a challenge. There are so many different medications out there and it really is trial and error. Benadryl seems to knock her out within the hour. Other medications just have her "feeling like her head is floating" and only slightly relieves the allergy symptoms.

I took her to our family doctor who performed a blood test and diagnosed her with some common allergies which include dust and pollen of course. Nothing really surprising other than a slight allergy to milk. Which to me doesn't make sense because she can drink up the milk and leave me with none for a bowl of cereal and not once has she had an "allergic reaction." My daughter begged the doctor for a note for school so that she can have water or juices with her lunch. We haven't seen any significant changes....because she still drinks up all the milk. NOW she's upset because the school won't allow her to drink milk with her lunch. I told her that's what she gets for being a blabber mouth.



Getting back to allergy relief, this spring season has been killer on her allergies. The best allergy medication for her (this year) has been Claritin D. It's the 24 hour type of relief so she only has to take it once a day. That has been key since she's horrible at remembering to take her medication. Go figure, she's the one that suffers the watery eyes, sneezing, and just feeling miserable, yet she forgets. Apparently, hindsight is not 20/20 when you're "Super Teen."

Most importantly, as with any medication, its best to take it before your symptoms show their ugly head. Using an OTC nasal salt water rinse also cleans out deposits that may trigger allergic reactions.

Spicey tips

While reading Women's Health magazine I learned that some spices have healing powers. Did you know????

Allspice blocks glycation, which is connected to aging.


Aniseed (anise) aids in digestion and stamps out date-killing bad breath.

Chili powder curbs appetite and reduces calorie intake.

Cinnamon contains antioxidants that keep blood sugar and energy levels on an even keel.

Cumin is used to improve digestion and contains more energy-boosting iron than other spices.

Curry Powder contains antiocidants that may combat heart disease by reducing fat buildup in arteries.


Fennel Seeds have a licorice-like flavor and if you chew on a few you can freshen up your breath and help relieve bloating after a pig-out.

Ginger Powder is an anti-inflammatory compoud that can tame postexercise muscle pain.

Mustard is high in selenium, which may protect against skin cancer.

Paprika is brimming with vitamin A, which aids vision, bone growth, and immunity.

Saffron has been found to ease PMS symptoms.


and my personal "Wow Really?" is Vanillin, the active component in vanilla, has been shown to help kill cancer cells.

Incorporate some of these spices into your recipes for some yummy, healthy and healing dishes.

Deals, deals, deals

I wanted to take this opportunity to share a special deal that I found for students from Microsoft. Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 is available at a 91% discount to qualifying students. That's not a typo....91% discount ($59.95) to current students of a registered and approved and you must have a valid .edu email address.

Visit Microsoft's site to verify that you qualify and you can see all of the highlights of this special offer. You can also find other deals on this site especially for students.

Happy shopping and saving.

Safe gardening

While gardening this past weekend I discovered two things. One is just how important stretching is prior to any type of strenuous activity. I awoke muscles that have been sleeping even while I'm at the gym. Two days of extending my flower beds which including tearing out lawn, beating the lawn sections to get the dirt out of them, bagging, dragging, cultivating soil and fighting off the dog, really took a toll on my body. I didn't "feel it" until Sunday evening.

The second thing I discovered is no matter how how much the sun is covered by clouds, skin protection is important. Although I didn't get sunburned I did notice a bunch of freckles that I normally get when I'm out in the sun too long.

I did remember to keep hydrated. I drank so much water that I could hear sloshing as I was going along. So here are my tips for gardening stretches and sun protection:

Stretching:




Sun protection:
While researching minimum SPF, which I believed was 15. I discovered the new recommended minimum, by the American Academy of Dermatology, is SPF 30. Doctors are now recommending SPF 30 to their patients and the reasoning behind this is that those that do apply sunscreen are not doing it as often as they should so at SPF 15 they were really receiving only half of the recommended protection. Therefore, at SPF 30, at the minimum you're receiving SPF 15 and adequate protection.




Utilizing a hat and other gear is recommended as well while working in the sun.


I did a lot of work in the garden and the rewards are still to come. I can't wait to add more to the new beds and to watch the new perennials bloom and get stronger every year. Happy & Safe Gardening.