Thank you to everyone who’s shared their condolences, prayers and kindness to me and my family about my Uncle’s passing. Your comments, emails and posts in forums mean the world to me.
We’re leaving tomorrow for Atlants for Uncle Jerome’s funeral. We’ll be gone perhaps until Friday. Hubby said we may leave after the funeral mass and luncheon but we’ll see how it goes.
This isn’t going to be easy but no funerals are. I’m going to get a lot of rest on the drive and try to eat as healthy as possible so I can keep my symptoms to a limit. The stress these past few days has been affecting me already so I have to be careful.
If I have access to a computer (nope I don’t have a laptop) I’ll try to post but if not I’ll be back blogging on Friday or Saturday. See you when I return.
Uncle Jerome passed away Sunday. It’s still a bit of a shock to hear the words less write them. I know that he is no longer suffering and that his earthly body was barely hanging on. He was ready my cousins told me. And so now the grieving begins.
We’ll be traveling soon to attend his memorial service and funeral. So far the dates are set for November 28 - 29. I have to take Peanut out of school again for this. This is a tough year as this is the FCAT test year and attendance is really taken into consideration. But there’s nothing we can do.
This is the second death in less than three months for my family. With God’s help we’ll get through it.
Please pray for my Uncle’s wife, his children and grandchildren as well as the rest of the family.
My family is going through a tough time right now. My Uncle is critically ill and we’re praying for his recovery. He has serious cardiac issues so this stint in ICU is pretty bad.
All of the memories and emotions got me to thinking back on my diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis. There’s shock, fear and denial of course but as it all sinks in you begin to want to know about your condition and get the best medical care available. My biggest concerns were my children especially Peanut who was only 5 at the time. She hadn’t even started Kindergarten.
I remember thinking that I wanted to be her mother and how could I when I had a chronic illness? After finding a specialist in this disease and making some medical decisions about surgery and other types of treatment and after a lot of prayer, I started to settle into the life of a person with a life long disease.
I pursued information, other people, anything I could to help me to live my life the best way possible. One of the books I found that really helped me and that I still read parts of every once in a while is Living Well with Chronic Illness by Marcia Van’t Land.
The author was like me in many ways, very active with her family and church. I did the same but also worked one full time and two part time jobs! I was the “go-to” person, always volunteering for church, school or community projects. I never sat still.
Mrs. Van’t Land is a Pastor’s wife and mother of three. She was the one the church members went to with problems, concerns, complaints and prayer. Suddenly she was unable to walk normally and after going through numerous tests was diagnosed with Acute Intermittent Porphyria.
Her book teaches and guides people with chronic illness how to cope, keep their faith, understand why they are not cured by God, how to deal with their doctors and just day to day advice of living your life as best as possible.
There are many devotions and quotations throughout the book that can help anyone cope with difficulties in their lives, but in particular health issues.
This book is always in my cabinet with my other medical books. It helps me and I’ve recommended it to others with chronic medical conditions.
Alzheimer’s is a medical word that many of us have heard of, can pronounce easily and understand the basic meaning. In the US in the 1960’s and earlier not many people even knew what the word “Alzheimer’s” was. Through the work and dedication of the Alzheimer’s Association the word and the disease became something we could relate to.
AD “…is a progressive and fatal brain disease.More than 5 million Americans now have Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. Today it is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States.” (from Alzheimer’s Association)
If you’ve been diagnosed with AD it is important to begin to prepare for your future. Early diagnosis is helpful for many reasons so if you have any concerns about your memory please see your doctor right away. There are many programs, research studies and new prescriptions trials you may be eligible for.
Caregivers also can be included in education on AD, learn how to cope with the stress and emotional issues surrounding this disease and the financial, safety and legal aspects of how AD can affect a family.
Alzheimer’s Disease has no racial or financial barriers.As we age our risk for AD increases. Please visit the Alzheimer’s Association to learn more about this disease, how you can volunteer, donate, take part in fundraising events or become a Corporate sponsor.
COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. COPD encompasses two lung diseases - Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis. Frequently both of these lung diseases occur together so the term COPD began to be used.
The word “obstructive” describes this disease very well. People with COPD have difficulty breathing and it can feel like something is interfering with their oxygen flow.
COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in America, claiming the lives of 122,283 Americans in 2003.
Smoking is the primary risk factor for COPD. Approximately 80 to 90 percent of COPD deaths are caused by smoking.
Female smokers are nearly 13 times as likely to die from COPD as women who have never smoked.
Male smokers are nearly 12 times as likely to die from COPD as men who have never smoked.
Chronic bronchitis is the inflammation and eventual scarring of the lining of the bronchial tubes. When the bronchi are inflamed and/or infected, less air is able to flow to and from the lungs and a heavy mucus or phlegm is coughed up. This inflammation eventually leads to scarring of the lining of the bronchial tubes.
Once the bronchial tubes have been irritated over a long period of time, excessive mucus is produced constantly, the lining of the bronchial tubes becomes thickened, an irritating cough develops, and air flow may be hampered, the lungs become scarred.
Emphysema begins with the destruction of air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs where oxygen from the air is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the blood. Damage to the air sacs is irreversible and results in permanent “holes” in the tissues of the lower lungs.
As air sacs are destroyed, the lungs are able to transfer less and less oxygen to the bloodstream, causing shortness of breath. The lungs also lose their elasticity, which is important to keep airways open. The patient experiences great difficulty exhaling.
Although there has not been much progress in a cure for COPD it is possible to control your symptoms and live a longer life.
Most importantly is that if you smoke, stop!
Eat a healthy, well balanced diet.
Stay on your medications and keep your doctor appointments.
With you doctor’s approval, exercise.
Learn about your disease so that you know when to seek treatment and how to prevent infections.
COPD International offers a chat room and message boards, a program to help you to stop smoking, a Keep In Touch (KIT) program for people living alone to receive emails every day, a newsletter, a library of information and many more services. I was really impressed with what their unique services.
Thank you to the American Lung Association and COPD International for the information in this post. Please take the time to learn more about how to be diagnosed, the risk factors and how to stay as healthy as possible if you’ve already been diagnosed.
Diabetes Awareness Month 2007 is a very well organized event. I probably should have started with this information on my blog because there were different topics for each week. But I’ll post the info here in the hopes that someone will learn from it even if I’m late in doing so.
The American Diabetes Association has a very thorough website just for this event. They offer materials for free that can be used by individuals or groups to use to share the news about Diabetes. There’s posters, flyers, PSA announcements, and a Media Kit.
Week 1 focused on Caregivers:
- People who have a loved one newly diagnosed with Diabetes face many new issues. They also try to educate themselves in order to help their family member or friend.
- Parents whose child has been newly diagnosed are often overwhelmed.
Week 2 focused on Employees:
- Since people with Diabetes spend most of their time at work (if working full time) it is financially worthwhile for companies to be educated about Diabetes and how to prevent and/or not cause complications.
Week 3 is focusing on Diabetes Around The World:
- “Worldwide over 246 million people have diabetes. By 2020, that number is expected to rise to 380 million” (from American Diabetes Association)
- November 14th is World Diabetes Day.
Week 4 is focusing on At-Risk Populations:
Compared to the general population, African Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes. For example, one in four African American women over 55 years of age has diabetes.
Approximately 2.5 million Hispanic/Latino Americans over the age of 20 have diabetes and are at increased risk for serious complications such as kidney disease, blindness, and amputations.
With so many medical conditions, so many prescriptions and so many medicines I can’t take because they can be life-threatening, remembering all this information in an emergency is highly unlikely.
Having a medical alert bracelet is not only logical but life saving for me. Wearing one when I’m not feeling well can keep me safe at home when I’m in the checking the laundry or even taking a shower.
When I was very sick and home alone with my baby my fear was if something happened to me, something would happen to her. If I couldn’t call 911 then we’d both be in trouble.
Direct Alert is perfect for children, seniors or anyone with medical problems. Having a device in your home that allows you to press a button on your bracelet or on the control panel in case of an emergency is the answer to the safety issues of so many people. It’s not only for people who live alone but for those of us who are alone long parts of the day.
Knowing that the push of a button (even if I can’t speak) will send me medical help gives me a sense of relief. Feeling safe and secure at home relieves me of stress and anxiety. Direct Alert will also give family members of people with health issues, especially those who live long distances away, feel better about their loved ones’ safety too.
The installation of the Direct Alert System is free. The costs are not prohibitive and even some insurances may cover the fee. The equipment is made by top companies known for their quality. This is just what the doctor ordered. Can you put a price tag on safety?
November is Epilepsy Awareness Month. Epilepsy is a medical condition that causes seizures. Seizures can affect both mental and physical functioning. About 3 million people in the US have Epilepsy. The age groups most affected by this disease are the elderly and children.
The importance of awareness is two fold. First, the public needs to know what seizures are and how to react to them. Secondly, getting a proper diagnosis and treatment for anyone who has had even one seizure is invaluable to their continued well being.
There are many different types of seizures. People including First Responders having this knowledge can aid a person as well as understand that some seizure activity may cause someone to act as if intoxicated.
The Epilepsy Foundation has listed the First Aid treatments for people having a seizure. It is very comprehensive and describes some of the different types of seizures as well.
The CDC along with the the Epilepsy Foundation are focusing this month’s them as “Not Another Moment Lost To Seizures”. The month long event has some interesting information such as the effect of head trauma on Veterans and seizures, how schools can work with families so that children with Epilepsy are both safe and able to enjoy school and teaching caregivers of senior citizens about Epilepsy.
Please take the time to learn about this disease. What a wonderful thing you can do with your knowledge!
Lung cancer carries with it a stigma. Many people who learn of someone being diagnosed with this type of cancer assume that it was caused by smoking and think that the person “caused” it to occur.
Being addicted to cigarettes is the major cause of lung cancer. About 85% of people with lung cancer are or have been smokers. But there are other risks and causes. Some of these are exposure to radon, asbestos, pollution and secondhand smoke.
Early detection in lung cancer is important as it can mean saving a life. Most of the symptoms of the early stages of this disease sound like the common cold, so it is difficult for doctors to start the diagnosis process. Also some forms of this cancer are not detectable until it is in the late stages.
in order to ensure the most rapid and responsible dissemination of this potential benefit, screening for lung cancer in high risk populations, LCA recommends that the following people have a detailed discussion with their physician regarding the potential risks and benefits of undergoing a baseline CT scan:
Any smoker or former smoker over age 50 with a greater than 10 pack year history of cigarette smoking. (A pack year is equal to one pack a day for one year);
Any adult with significant exposure to cigarettes and a first degree relative (mother, father, sister, brother, son or daughter) who was diagnosed with lung cancer before age 50.
The following groups should also consider a discussion about screening with their doctors:
Veterans who had active duty on submarines, in Vietnam or the Gulf War, and had exposure to asbestos, nuclear propulsion, herbicides, battlefield emissions or other carcinogens;
Past and present employees in munitions plants (who may already be eligible for free screening under the Department of Energy’s Worker Health Protection Program);
People exposed regularly to second-hand smoke (i.e. airline personnel, hospitality industry workers), or radon, or those working with asbestos or other known carcinogens.
The most important thing anyone can do to reduce their risk of lung cancer is to stop smoking. The American Cancer Society has information on doing just that. If you fall into any of the other categories above, speak to your doctor about early screening. It may just save your life.
Some of the statistics and facts about Lung Cancer were found at Lung Cancer.org and the Lung Cancer Alliance. Please visit these sites to learn more and to find out how to make donations or volunteer.
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Please visit PanCan.com for information on how you can make donations for research, how to inform people about this type of cancer and how to get support if you are a patient or family member.
Diagnosis of this type of cancer can be difficult and often too late. There is a very low survival rate and that is why research is so important. One study states that the survival rate in the US is 3 - 6 months after diagnosis
I also learned that there is a disease category named Pancreatitis. There are many forms of this disease from Acute to Hereditary and even Autoimmune to name a few. The statistics show that only 4% of people with Pancreatitis have an increased risk for Pancreatic Cancer, except for people with Hereditary Pancreatitis. They have a 40% risk.
Please see your doctor if you have any of these symptoms:
Weight loss
Loss of Appetite
Jaundice
Generalized Pain in the stomach area
There are other generalized symptoms that you can read about here. There is no blood test for this type of cancer. Research money is going toward this and other types of early diagnosis as well as treatment options.
