My upcoming Garry's Mod comic. It takes place in Team Fortress 2 and is about a Medic, hypnotized, slowly getting his intelligence sucked out into an extra terrestrial traffic cone. There are millions more of these coned feigns and they tend to use the Medic as to insert a mysterious blueprint for the BLU to develop and build. So far, all I've done are pictures of pissing cones. I should probably get started on the layout soon.
I bet you're thinking 'what the actual fuck'. I'm very popular for raising confusion.
My younger sister, Ched, had always loved to tell me how uptight I was. That if she had to use pants to illustrate how uptight I was, she said my pants would not even be high at my waist but on top of my chest, barely missing my neck.
C'mon, I can't be that bad! For example, last Tuesday, I did not attend most of my classes but instead I went out.
Um, well... if going out and eating with your family counts as being a bad ass? Oh well. So much for not being uptight.
It was about 10 am when Ched and our favorite cousin, Kuya Nap, went to my dorm. Well, I just woke up, and it was funny because he accused me of crying because my eyes were all puffy. But seriously, my eyes are really like that in the morning. So I washed up and later found myself in a local cafe where we ate for like two hours, then our parents came and told us that we were eating, again, lunch this time.
It was quite late for lunch, that me and my two sisters had to skip our classes that came at 1 pm. We were laughing about it because we were missing school but instead of friends or an outing to go to we were having lunch with our family. It was also during this time when I received a text message from Richmond telling me that he was about to go to the hospital for his thyroid ultrasound. Well, since my next class did not start in an hour, I decided to see him. But he came there first, and it was funny when he told me that the doctor arrived and that he was scared he'd eat him. I told him maybe he should have the doctor eat his thyroid gland.
When I arrived at the hospital, it turned out that it was the wrong doctor and we ended up waiting there for like two hours for an ultrasound that only lasted for barely 30 seconds, and I ended up not going to my second class too. Jesus. It was a terrible, terrible wait! I think Richmond and I were able to talk about everything and anything we had common knowledge with and by the time the doctor was coming I already had a headache. But it was not so bad. It was fun talking about the blogs we read and about the insane video blogs on YouTube. I particularly liked it when Richmond would imitate them. I think his act was hilarious and, abnormal. But it's cool.
But the most annoying part of it all was what came after his ultrasound. The paper read that his thyroid was normal. No nodules, no cysts. I mean, c'mon that's like an injustice we actually waited there for two hours and he paid P700 for it. I thought he was robbed. I mean, it might be more interesting if there was an eyeball there or maybe a goldfish that he actually swallowed when he was in kindergarten. But no, it was the most normal thyroid gland.
While Androgenetic Alopecia is the number one reason why individuals experience hair loss, it is not the only one. Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, ringworm and fungal infections can cause hair loss. Certain medications such as blood thinners, gout medication, birth control pills and too much vitamin A can cause sudden or abnormal hair loss as can following a crash diet, sudden hormonal changes, chemotherapy and radiation. If you are taking prescription medications, talk to your doctor and find out if your medication is contributing to your hair loss.
At any given time 10% of our hair is in what is called a “resting phase” and after 2-3 months resting, hair falls out and new hair grows in its place. Some people, however, experience more hair loss than is normal.
Over here are some excellent resources on how to prevent further hair loss:
Avoid mega-doses of vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can cause your hair to fall out.
Exercise, do yoga, meditate or find some other practice that will help to reduce your anxiety and stress levels. If you wear pigtails, cornrows, use a curling iron, hair dryer or hot rollers, try changing your hair style to one that puts less pressure and stress on your hair and scalp.
If hot oil treatments or chemicals such as those used in permanents are causing inflammation to the scalp, discontinue their use, or reduce the number of times you are using them.
Use gentle shampoos and conditioners to avoid any unnecessary damage to your hair.
In men, herbs such as saw palmetto and licorice root help block the formation of DHT. The same holds true for supplementation with zinc. As an added benefit, studies show that these supplements can also help prevent prostate enlargement.
Massage your scalp with rosemary oil in an olive oil base. Both rosemary oil and massaging the scalp can stimulate the circulation in the scalp and promote hair growth. Again, if you are experiencing hair loss, check with your doctor to ensure that a more serious disorder isn’t the cause.
Am ramas uimit ieri seara cand am dat peste un articol care se intitula - "In Timisoara, un medic a fost ucis de o ruda a unui pacient disperat". Am ramas mut pentru cateva secunde si ma gandeam ca poate e 1 Aprilie si mai fac astia glume istete. In orice caz, cred ca imi dau seama cu disperare unde s-a ajuns in Tara Romaneasca si ce potential inca mai este. Nu vreau sa comentez nimic despre ce s-a intamplat la TM pentru ca nu am nici informatii si nici nu cred ca ar fi corect din partea mea atata timp cat habar nu am de situatie. Anyway, cred ca e foarte trist ca in Romania vedem oameni foarte batrani (sau cel putin vedeam intr-o vreme) care se trezesc la 4 dimineata sa isi prinda si ei medicamentul pentru care au economisit o luna intreaga din pensie, si aia vai de capu ei.
Sa ma intorc la medici. Nu vreau sa dau vina pe ei, pentru ca eu sunt de parere ca sistemul e de vina in tara asta. Dar atat de prost functioneaza sistemul incat pacientii au ajuns sa omoare pentru medicamente. Si asta e trist. Si nu e vina nimanui, la urma urmei. Ce vina au medicii ca nu se dau compensate, si ce vina au pacientii ca nu isi pot cumpara medicamentele care de cele mai multe ori sunt vitale?
Ce vroiam sa mai adaug despre medici si spitale, e faptul ca sunt scarbit de ce se intampla la noi. Si ce e cel mai grav e ca nu se uita la tine daca nu le dai spaga - ceea ce se aplica si la asistente,etc. Bineinteles ca sunt si medici buni, multumesc lui Dumnezeu ca inca mai avem asa ceva, dar din pacate tendinta e ca acei medici buni sa plece in strainatate pentru ca acolo sunt respectati si platiti ca atare, iar la noi nu ramanem decat cu foarte putin.
Sper ca acest caz din Timisoara sa fie un semnal de alarma la ce se intampla in Romania - desi stiu ca au mai fost ''n'' cazuri in care pacientii au murit din neglijenta doctorilor - si poate ca in viitorul apropiat se vor lua si niste masuri care ar putea sa schimbe atitudinea si sistemul de sanatate. Speranta moare ultima !
It's been another week and I've been practicing my new found 1v1 play mechanics as often as my free time allows. Consciously, and most amazingly, I've taken to the new control groups like a duck to water and I'm absolutely loving it. Also, I've climbed into the top 1000 for the first time. I've been in and out of lvl 9 many times, but to break the top 1000 is quite an achievement. Practice, practice, practice!
Now for the bad news.
I've hit another new Wehr wall. Well, it's the same wall, but this time instead of clay, it's stone. With some granite thrown in for good measure. Absolutely hell to assail these walls. I'm referring to the Wehr medic bunker (with a HMG inside) with volks/mortar/grenadier support.
[caption id="attachment_283" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Oh how I hate destroying a medic bunker! Let me count the ways!"][/caption]
Any US player would have faced this incredibly campy style of game play. I say campy as it's a reference to everybody's favourite Pommy faction. Every game vs Wehr I meet mostly one trick ponies whose sole aim is to slowly earn enough CP points for his King Tiger (if Terror), Tiger (if Blitz) or late game arty and 88mm (if Defensive).
The sit-and-wait attitude is doubly frustrating and annoying if the Wehr player had gone with the Defensive doctrine. This gives the bunker an extra 300HP (excessive, if I might add, 150hp is more balanced), which virtually means Wehr has impenetrable forward HQ. With reinforcement and longer range of sight, Wehr has an extremely powerful weapon for only 150MP + 50muni.
[caption id="attachment_262" align="alignright" width="303" caption="Click image for Border Mail background story ..."][/caption]
Weekly update letter ...
Dear family and friends
Today, we got some good news from the specialist. The PSA reading has come down from 1000 to 300. That means we are slowly headed towards remission. When we meet again in October, the specialist expects the reading to be around 100. All going well, remission could be declared by the end of the year. Now that would be a great Christmas present, wouldn't it
This week I started some alternate medicine regimes utilising bovine cartilage, shark cartilage and lactoferrins. These supplements are aimed at boosting the immune system and preventing cancer cells from creating their own blood vessels required for the cancer cells to grow.
My new Internet friend, and fellow cancer (Leukemia) survivor, Dianne has been using these supplements during her 10 year fight against all odds. She credits them for some of the success she has had and her doctors are encouraging her to continue what she is doing.
Clinical trials of these supplements are ongoing but the powers that be cannot yet endorse them although there have been some very positive results independently documented. I am running out of time and, as they can do no harm to the 'palliative' treatment I am receiving and with my doctor's approval, I must give them a go.
2 day old calf on the way to a new home
Last week, I visited the orphaned calf. Just two hours after he was born, he fell about 4 metres into the dry creek bed on our property. With the lack of stamina I am suffering, it was one hell of a job to get him on his feet and push him about 50 metres along the creek bed until we found an exit point. He was so glad to get back with his mum and she was so glad to have him back she started licking me. Over the next two days, I visited them often and played with the calf with mums approval.
Now, a week later when I visited him in his new home, how excited do you think I was when he came running over to me to get a pat? You wouldn't think they could remember at such a young age.
Whilst the morphine medications are doing their pain management job, the side effects are very frustrating. The hot flushes brought about by the hormone therapy have increased in intensity and frequency. I simply do not get through the night without a 'cool down' break of an hour or more. During the day, I have to strip to the waist and rug up again ten minutes later. It is a bloody nuisance and keeps reminding me of my condition. Because of the broken sleep, I need a few naps during the day and that makes me feel like a slug.
The other side effect is the effect on my mnd ... I keep making stupid mistakes. I need a written note to buy three items from the general store - without one, I simply forget. Today, a friend called in and I made him a cup of instant coffee using ground coffee beans ... embarrassing! My specialist says I need to keep my mind very active and reckons this blogging thing is a great way to do that.
Next weekend, the inaugural meeting of the North East Blogging community is getting together for lunch. Sounds official, doesn't it? Well, it is actually just an excuse to eyeball each other for the first time. Whilst I have met Dave and Jim, I am looking forward to meeting Ray, Jack and Kieran. I am sure you will read something about that meeting on one or more of our Blogs.
Yeah ! Mon bras droit a enfin complètement regagné sa sensibilité !
Aujourd'hui, j'ai vu seulement une partie d'une chirurgie, mais elle fut interminable. L'opération a duré de 9:00 à 15:00. Et de 10:30 à 13:30 (donc pendant trois longues heures !) je me suis retrouvé brossé, tenant la caméra de laparoscopie et tentant de suivre les mouvements des nombreux instruments insérés dans l'abdomen du patient pour cette combinaison ambitieuse : cholécystectomie + gastrectomie partielle + Y de Roux !
Après ces trois heures, franchement, j'étais engourdi de l'épaule droite jusqu'au bout des doigts. Mes deux mains, en fait, souffraient de froid et d'engourdissement, car l'infirmière au service interne m'avait par mégarde donné des gants 7 et 1\2 au lieu d'une paire de 8. Trois heures avec des gants trop serrés, c'est long.
Par bonheur, quand l'anastomose gastro-jéjunale a foiré et s'est mise à couler dans le ventre à 13:30, le patron a décidé de convertir la scopie en laparotomie. Durant les quelques minutes de transition avant ce nouveau chapitre imprévu de l'opération, ma collègue externe (qui avait déjà dîné pendant que j'assistais) a pris la relève et j'ai enfin pu enlever ces gants infernaux et remettre mon épaule droite dans sa position naturelle. Quel soulagement !
En sortant de la laparoscopie-devenue-tomie, je suis allé me chercher un hamburger au resto fast-food qui a paradoxalement ouvert ses portes directement dans l'hôpital. J'ai dîné tranquillement au salon des résidents en jasant avec une autre externe, puis vers 14:30, par un petit relent de CDFose qui flottait dans l'air, je me suis senti obligé de retourner voir ce qui se passait en salle d'op...
Mais heureusement, alors que j'allais chercher je ne sais plus quoi dans mon casier, j'ai aperçu Pavlov qui s'en allait au salon; il m'a malicieusement et frauduleusement convaincu de ne plus remettre les pieds au bloc, et de rester au salon à jaser jusqu'à l'heure de mon cours en fin de journée. On a donc déconné comme d'habitude, calés dans de gros sofas, jusqu'à 16:00, pendant que l'engourdissement de mon bras diminuait tranquillement en picotant. De 16:00 à 17:00, j'ai eu un petit cours sur les pathologies de la prostate, puis hop ! Fini. Une journée de moins d'ici la fin de mon externat 1. Only six to go !
Like to see my new vintage glass with the reflect-o-matic sterling silver treatment...Glows....
Trying to upload photos and descriptions for a few new pieces....
Anyway, I may be blogging more in the next few days... I have been stuck in bed for the most part all week. While it sucks that baldguy lost his job and our unemployment rate here is pretty miserable, it was good timing as he is keeping after boyo and fetching me provisions.
Something is very wrong in my back and I am trying to figure it out...
I had a big bad emergency spine surgery 12 years ago and the pain is near there.... I fear another infection or that perhaps the vertebrae are finally squashing some nerve... Anyway. It really freaking hurts.
But, I can stand still and type and I feel ok, for the most part....And I'm not a wuss. I have had pain every day for 12 years. But dull, achy pain is one thing, feeling like someone is chiseling into your spine and ribs (on just one side, thankfully) is another.
So here I am...
Had an hour and 15 minute long MRI this morning but won't know anything until they decide to call me. Medicine is so lax down here it's ridiculous, so I'm not holding my breath for an answer. When I had the tumor two years ago the docs suggested we use a "wait and see" approach. I wound up doing a boat load of research and demanded the scan to see what was going on and then I found my own surgeon to schedule the surgery( in Tampa- amazing surgeon...). Wait and see. Those things don't just disappear- they are there and they cause problems until they are removed or you die from the freaking side effects (heart issues, digestive issues, liver issues...yikes!)... So I'm none too confident about my medical care here...If whatever this weird back thing is needs anything more invasive than an alcohol swab I'm heading north for a spell. If this is another bone infection, I'm worried. Last time they didn't find it until I was in ICU, on all sorts of apparatus, in a coma. No more comas for me, thank you very much. One was more than enough! I have to be here for my little guy.
Anyway. Here I am....Trying to stay as still as possible while my brain wants to run around doing a happy dance because the new issue of BUST magazine is coming out next week and woohoo! one of my pieces is in the Etsy co-op ad. Yay! So buy a copy and check out all of the shops.
Ok. Going to grab some tea and go be as still as a rock in front of the TV.
Sorry for the kvetching. I'm in a good mood really I am!
Hugs, albeit very gently frame-y ones, all around...
xo
b
So, it turns out that I didn't rush onto my computer first thing on Monday morning and write up a summary of Girlie Cape Weekend. I was too tired!! Now on Thursday, I am still too tired. Three days of too much sun and not enough sleep has caught up and taken it's toll on me. In fact, it started to take it's toll on me before the weekend even ended. On Sunday morning, my back started acting up on me, leaving me a near cripple for the remainder of the day. (I'll explain that later). I've also decided to wait until everyone posts their pictures of the weekend before I write about it...it will be much more fun that way. I know Ann is trying to get a master album together as soon as possible, so it will be coming soon. We did have a great time though. The weather was perfect, despite the iffy forecast that had me worried all week. We were really lucky. It was actually a lot less eventful than last year, no whale-watching trips to Provincetown or anything like that. Just a perfect amount of beach days, porch parties and assorted wackiness. Stay tuned for more.
So just to give some background on my back dilemma...I've had some moderate back problems, on and off for a few years now. I believe the root cause can stem back to the end of high school when I was doing community rowing with a really mediocre crew. I was in a beginner boat with a bunch of little 5'4'' girls who had barely rowed a boat before, while I had done a few beginner programs prior to joining. The head coach wanted me to move to his advanced boat but the novice coach did not want to give up her one strong rower, so she refused to let me switch. So basically, I rowed for a few months in a boat that was off kilter and pulling more than my fair share of weight. The tilt of the boat forced me into a very bad technique and eventually I had to quit because I was so sore all the time.
A few years later I had a serious incident when I stooped to pick something up, nothing heavy, and my back went into a serious spasm. I could not move for hours and my mother was contemplating calling an ambulance to get me to the doctor because I could not get there on my own steam. I eventually willed myself to move and we made it to the doctor who told me that it sounded like a muscle strain and there was not much to be done. Just ice or heat, ibuprofen and rest. She also told me that once you strain a muscle like that, you will have a weakness there and it will probably happen again. So, in the future, when I got spasms I pretty much ignored them, having been told that there was nothing to be done.
Last April, I woke up one morning feeling a little stiff but I ignored it. As I walked out the front door to go to work, my back slipped out of place. There was searing pain beyond anything I had ever experienced and I somehow managed to pivot, get myself back through my front door and collapse on a chair that was next to it. What happened next was very upsetting and scary. While one minute I was sitting in the chair in horrible pain, the next moment I realized that I had lost consciousness and while unconscious my spasming muscles had somehow forced a bowel movement. It was unbelievable and beyond scary. (Unlike my friend , who had been on a bowel movement kick on his blog, it was the first and only time in my life (after being potty trained of course) that something like that had happened to me). Luckily my mother was home to help me. Once I made it to the bed, I was stuck there for about 3 days. I could barely move and I was in horrendous pain. When asked if I wanted to see a doctor, I just said that I had been told to expect future episodes and that there was nothing to be done.
For the next several months, I never felt 100%. I wasn't in much pain, but my back muscles tired quickly and I was afraid to bend down and pick things up, etc. On October 7, 2007 I was getting ready to go apple picking with some friends and my (then) new boyfriend Bill. I had showered and was finishing up in the bathroom when all of a sudden I felt the familiar searing pain and the sensation of crumpling when my back just gives way and suddenly refuses to hold me up. I let out a yell and I sat on the edge of the toilet to recover. I remember Dan calling out to see if I was ok and I remember answering, "Yes." The next thing I know I am on the floor of the bathroom with Dan shaking me and yelling, "Kristin! Kristin! What happened? Are you ok? You're bleeding!" As I groggily realize what happened, I get up telling him that I'm okay and that I don't know why I'm bleeding. I finally look in the mirror and to my horror realize that my front tooth is gone! I flipped out. Apparently I passed out and landed face first onto the tile floor, knocking my tooth completely out. Root and all. Luckily, Dan, my mother and I all knew to put the tooth into a cup of milk. We then called around to find out which emergency rooms had an emergency dentist working on a Sunday. We drove to New England Medical Center where they were able to save my tooth. (It's a long story, but it involved shoving it back into my head with no anesthesia, wearing a makeshift spint/braces for two weeks and not eating solid food for 15 days. I also had to soon after get a root canal on the tooth. So far, it's holding in there, but it is probably not going to last my whole life. They are rarely able to replant teeth that have fallen out so there is not much data on it - let's just hope it lasts me a good, long while.) I also got two stitches in my lip where the tooth had punctured it. Luckily, if you can call it luck, with all the trauma and adrenaline of the tooth business, my back was pretty fine afterwards. I was not in bed for days like I had been in April. I was just moving a little slowly and cautiously.
However, I was beginning to think that this was not normal back spasms and perhaps I should get more medical advice. I went to the doctors and when I explained to the woman (a different woman this time) about how severe the pain was and what traumas it had led to, she took me seriously. She ordered physical therapy and an MRI. The MRI showed that I have a severe a disc in my lower back. At least I knew I wasn't crazy and passing out from simple muscle spasms. ( Oh, and in case you were wondering...the passing out is not something that the doctors are worried about. I'm just a fainter. It's called . Some people pass out at the sight of blood, I pass out when a reach a certain pain threshold). So, I began physical therapy which helps.
Since then, I haven't had any major episodes involving fainting, etc., but I do have a lot of smaller spasms. I get twinges that leave me walking like a stooped, 90 year old woman for days. On an average daily basis, I operate at about 75%. I'm hoping that with continued physical therapy, completing my exercises and routine daily, I will build up the surrounding muscles to counteract my weakness. Other than that, there is not much they can do. Surgery is an absolutely last resort option because it does not have a very high success rate. You can go through major spinal surgery and the recovery that comes with it, only to come out the other side exactly the same, or in some cases worse.
Anyways...so, I had a back twinge that sorta ruined my last day on the Cape (but not entirely) and that is the story behind it. Try to remind me to do my PT routine every day so that I can hopefully minimize future episodes.
Have a good day and continue to stay tuned for the Cape weekend stories!
— one black and the other white — have been born in Berlin, Germany.
