High About a New Low!

Hi,

I could hardly believe it when I stepped on the scale this morning and read 317.75!! It was like a miracle and I was able to picture myself getting below the 300 mark. This program is really working. As I thought about it, I realized that when I get just under the 300 mark I will again be the weight I was at Kellies wedding. Her son is a teenager now, so that is about how long ago that was. I believe he may be about 17, so it was about 18 years ago. I still have the dress I wore then and I will be very happy to wear it again one day.

I must say that I have been contemplating making a slight change based on my experience. I am not sure it is the right thing to do. I dont want to just succumb to my own trick thinking. Here is the problem that I am trying to solve. About two or three days after the cheat meal I begin to highly crave another bit of either high sugar or carb. I am considering adding, not another cheat meal, but one cheat item/serving on day three to carry me past that episode with less stress. I could also simply make it a "floater" and do it when the craving hits but limit it to one item, one serving, one day per week sometime between day one and day six.

I have indulged that one item crave nearly every week, but since that is a deviation from the program I end up feeling guilty and creating a lot of stress for myself. Yet, the program is still working, so it seems plausible that I might be able to simply work in one cheat item on day three (or whenever), simply as a regular part of the program. If it is part of the program I wont have to feel so guilty about it. It often seems to happen on a day that I exercise, too.

I certainly dont want to jeopardize my weight loss progress with my new addition. I just want to smooth things out for myself. I shall try it this week and see how it goes. If, over time, it becomes too hard to manage and I start wanting something every day, I will know that I am being tricked by the addiction. But, if it does not slow my progress and is not too hard to handle I will continue with it. So here goes. Making the change.

Today was day seven of week four and I had my cheat meal of tomato, black bean and hamburger soup with rice on the side. I ended up eating the whole pan of rice which had been made with 1.3 cups of dry rice and 3 cups of water with salt and spices. I set the timer (because of the one-hour time limit) and started with a large bowl of the beans and rice mixed together. It was tasty but something was lacking. I am still not sure what was missing. So then I had two bowls of plain rice with butter -- on the last one I liberally sprinkled some xylitol and cinnamon to make it like a dessert. It was not exactly like rice pudding but it was OK. It is now about 5 hours later and I still feel full. I am not exactly sure what to do with all the left over soup.

I am considering either putting the large jar of soup into the freezer to use at some later time or doling it into plastic bags for smaller portions that would be more convenient to use. I could also just throw it out. If I was not currently suffering with another sinus and bronchial cold, I would give it to some friends but I dont want to share my germs with them. Ill probably just place the jar in the freezer and be done with it. 

After a meal like that one I have found that I usually put on about two pounds the next morning but, so far, it has simply dropped off the next day and then the weight loss continues. After a meal like that one, I also find myself ready to return to my nice meals of raw vegetables and protein. They simply make my body feel better.

I hope you are doing well. Feel free to comment either on the content of the blog or on your life and situation. Please dont hide if things are not going well. You can get yourself out of a hole much faster by sharing about it and then moving on to better things. For me this blog seems to keep me headed in the right direction.

God bless you,

Be back soon,

Marcia

FDA Warns LifeScan About Its Meters

On December 7, the FDA sent a warning letter to LifeScan, Inc. concerning possible incorrect measurements on its blood glucose monitors. The letter was posted on the FDAs site on December 20. You can read it here.

The letter was a culmination of correspondence between LifeScan and the FDA which began in April when the FDA sent inspectors to LifeScans California plant. Shortly after that inspection began, LifeScan posted a press release discussing possible issues with its meters:

If you use a OneTouch® Ultra®, OneTouch® FastTake®, InDuo®, EuroFlash®, or SmartScan® Meter, we want to make you aware of two possible issues regarding these products.

1. Your meter is designed to show results in two different units of measure. When setting your meters date and time, it is possible for you to accidentally change the unit of measure.
   
2. Very rarely, an event such as dropping your meter while in use can cause a brief power loss. As a result, the meter may unexpectedly change the unit of measure and/or the code number.

- LifeScan Press Release, April 14, 2005

If youd like to check your meter, visit LifeScans site for more information including correct device settings. Youll find a list of contact phone numbers and an email response form there too.

________
For the FDAs warning letter:
LifeScan, Inc. Warning Letter

For LifeScans page on how to check your meter:
URGENT: MEDICAL DEVICE CORRECTION -- OneTouch® Ultra®, OneTouch® FastTake®, InDuo®, EuroFlash® and SmartScan®

Some news summaries:
FDA Warns About Faulty Blood Sugar Monitors
FDA Warns Maker of Blood-Sugar Monitors

What Do We Know About Blast Injuries Speculating About the Boston Marathon Bombing

Remains of a low order device

The Disease Management Care Blogs thoughts and prayers go out to the Boston Marathon bombing victims and their families. Like all Americans, it hopes the death rate remains low and is confident that the survivors recovery will be a credit to the world-class skill of the physicians and nurses staffing Bostons ERs, operating rooms and ICUs.

While it was digesting the horrific details, the DMCB was struck by the likelihood that the Afghan and Iraq wars as well as multiple terrorist attacks have enhanced our ability to deal with blast injuries.

What have we learned?

As outlined in this abstract, the initial explosion results in "primary" injury, fragment or shrapnel injuries are "secondary," being bodily thrown results in "tertiary" blunt injury while the burns and other trauma are "quaternary."  Its difficult to survive a primary injury because the supersonic compressive air wave travels though the human body and "shears" any organ with an air/water interface, such the lung and intestines; thats also why ear drums rupture.

According to the CDC, primary injuries are more likely with "high order" explosives such as military grade bombs or TNT.  "Low order" gun powder (the image above is from a "pipe" bomb) or petroleum-based devices are less likely to result in supersonic shock waves. That - and reports of "white smoke" - may account for the initially low mortality rate at the Marathon. Interestingly, body armour does not protect against a primary injury and a ruptured ear drum is a poor predictor of its presence.

Unfortunately, the stress wave can also cause bone fractures and, if severe enough, "transosseous" amputation.  The DMCB was dismayed by reports of some of the victims losing their limbs, which suggests the devices were large if "low-order" bombs.  Amputations were common in the 05 London terror bombings because the victims were in close proximity to the devices and the blast waves were at ground level.  Initial reports from Boston suggest the devices were placed in trash receptacles, which, if it turns out to be true, would fit the pattern.

If victims are in shock from bleeding, the DMCBs uneducated first impulse would be to correct the low blood pressure and give lots of intravenous fluids and blood.  It turns out that combat surgeons have discovered that kind of aggressive therapy can increase the rate of death and complications. The best current approach appears to be the use of "hypotensive resuscitation" and more liberal use of blood products (plasma, platelets and pack cells or whole blood) versus fluids. 

If you live in Boston and want to donate blood, you can check this out.

Given the standard emergency triaging, the DMCB suspects the secondary, tertiary and quaternary victim counts are still being compiled.  In addition, it will be some time before we understand the incidence of traumatic brain injuries and their associated symptoms of unbalance, hampered motor function, disordered vision, decreased communication and depression. The etiology and our ability to predict it remains a topic of research.

Myths About Acne

Acne, small bumps that make the face so smooth and makes no confidence down. Especially if your child has started to grow, the red and create discomfort, even a headache because of its presence. The young are often stubborn and although you did not invite him to come.

Well, from a lot of things about acne, acne myths about jazz presence. From a stack of the myths circulating, we will discuss three of them, as reported by Genius Beauty.

1. Dirty Face Causes Acne

If you do not clean your face for weeks, will come something worse than acne. But the continuous cleansing of the day for fear of pimples coming is not good for you skin. Simply wash your face twice a day. Too often clean the skin will only make it more susceptible to infection.

2. Fatty foods and sugar Bring Acne

No studies that can really show the relationship between the appearance of acne and the food consumed by a person. People who are obese may not have acne problems than those who were thin. In other words, the fat will not be absorbed by the body to make acne on the skin.

3. Ultraviolet Eliminate Acne

The warm rays of the sun can kempeskan acne, but not UV rays. You skin will darken due to exposure to UV light, because that would seem to fade acne blemishes. But when you peel back the original color, acne blemishes on the skin will not be lost. Moreover, let the skin is exposed to UV rays will only increase the risk of skin cancer.

As a side note, if you feel that the lotion or medication not overcome the potent acne acne problem, it could be a signal that something is wrong with you digestive health. Therefore, there is no harm if you visit the internist to address acne problems would not go away.

Important Information about Asbestos and Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare aggressive cancerous disease of the mesothelium, which is a type of protective tissue that surrounds organs found in the thoracic and abdominal cavity such as the lungs, heart, liver, and abdominal organs. Most of the time, cancer does not occur with a single cause; rather it is a group of diseases with multiple causes, symptoms, treatments, and prognosis. But in the unique case of mesothelioma, there is a specific cause for this cancer which is asbestos.

Risk Factors

Several agents or factors are implicated in the development of mesothelioma. However, generally, asbestos is still the leading cause of mesothelioma.

Virus
In very rare situations, a Simian vacuolating virus (SV40) may act as a carcinogen and potentiate asbestos in causing malignant mesothelioma. The SV40 is a highly controversial virus due to the contamination of polio vaccines between the year 1955 and 1963. Millions of people in the United States were said to be exposed to the virus.
However, there is no clear evidence yet whether SV40 is responsible for certain mesotheliomas.

Erionite (Zeolite)

Exposure to erionate, a type of zeolite mineral which has similar properties with asbestos, is suggested to be one of the causes of mesothelioma in some villages in Turkey.

Radiation

Therapeutic radiation using thorium oxide (thorotrast) has been reported to increase the risk of developing pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma in certain people.

Smoking

Smoking alone is not considered to affect the development of mesothelioma, however, when smoking is combined with asbestos exposure, the risk of having mesothelioma significantly increases.

Asbestos

For several decades, asbestos remains the primary cause of the development of mesothelioma and a number of lung diseases. Inhalation of the particles is the most common route of entry, which is why most cases of mesothelioma occur in people working in the asbestos industry.

A Closer Look on Asbestos

Asbestos is the given name of a certain family of minerals that occur in fibrous form. These fibers can be processed into a variety of materials that are uniquely resistant to fire, heat, and corrosion. Asbestos can be spun and woven into textiles, matted into insulating materials, or used with other substances to make numerous products, including brake linings, clutch pads, and roofing and flooring materials. Because of these, asbestos is almost irreplaceable as no other substance provides its desirable properties.

Nevertheless, manufacturers are developing replacement materials because of the issues surrounding the production of asbestos products. Inhalation of asbestos’ very minute fibers over a period as little as one to two months has been linked to cancers of the lung, lung-cavity lining or mesothelioma, asbestosis, and severe lung impairment.

Types of Asbestos

There are two general varieties of asbestos: serpentine and amphibole.

Serpentine

Chrysotile, obtained from serpentine rocks, is the most abundant and widely used form of asbestos accounting for 90% of asbestos used for production of new materials.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are long, thin fibers that are more potent in causing lung cancer and associated diseases. Amphiboles include amosite (brown asbestos), crocidolite (blue asbestos), tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite. Among these, crocidolite is the more potent carcinogen which is due to its rod-like appearance that enables the fiber to easily penetrate the lungs and into the pleura. They may cause irritation and long-term inflammation of the mesothelium altering cellular structures leading to cancer. Asbestos can also cause the production of free radicals that damage cells that further potentiate cancer growth. It has been suggested that some of the fibers may be coughed up and swallowed into the gastrointestinal tract. In this way, asbestos can cause peritoneal (abdominal) mesothelioma.

People who are working with asbestos have the highest risk of contracting mesothelioma. But family members of these workers may also incur the disease due to particles that may be carried along with the worker’s clothing and hair. Aside from that, those who are residing in a room with products built from asbestos are likely to inhale the particles without knowing it. Houses and structure built in the late 1800s to mid 1900s are more prone to use such materials because asbestos has been widely used commercially during this period. The latency period of mesothelioma can last between 20 to 50 years following exposure to asbestos.

Diagnosis

Mesothelioma must be diagnosed using the medical history of a person and adiologic studies such as X-rays, CT scans, MRI, and PET scans. But because mesothelioma may mimic several lung conditions, there may be a need for chest tube thoracostomy, pericardiocentesis, or paracentesis depending on the location of the tumour. A biopsy will confirm the diagnosis of mesothelioma. The disease will be staged according to the TNM system: tumor (T), lymph node involvement (N), and metastasis (M).
Unfortunately, most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed when it is already at its late stage. Treatment options vary depending on the staging and extent of metastasis. Surgery in adjunct to radiation and chemotherapy are the best options available. In advanced stages, treatment would be difficult; hence, palliative (supportive) care is rendered to treat the symptoms. However the disease itself is still there.

Despite the many dangers of asbestos usage, many people are still exposed to asbestos especially in countries like India, China, and Russia. The Environmental protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that 3,000 to 12,000 cases of cancer, usually fatal, are caused annually in the United States by asbestos exposure. But controversies continue to surround the issue of asbestos as a health hazard. Thousands of asbestos-related diseases and mortalities have been documented and yet, some countries have not placed any ban on asbestos products.

unitary about Facial skin duty

�Facial skin care' is more a matter of discipline than anything else. A facial skin care character is what you need (besides you predilection to follow the facial scratch burden position with complete seriousness). So let's check what comprises an effective facial skin grievance air. Well, very simply, a facial scrape care routine can chance the following 4 steps:
* Cleansing
* Toning
* Exfoliating
* Moisturising

Cleansing is the first thing in facial skin concern routine. Cleansing helps in removing dust, pollutants, grease and extra oil from your skin, thereby preventing damage to your skin. Just spot your face and neck shadow a good cleansing lotion or perk further gently massage it notice your skin using upward raves. prosperity a soft appearance tissue or cotton wool to wipe your face in a gentle patting effect (do not rub). Cleansing should be done at least twice a day i.e. morning (as part of complete facial graze care mental state) and evening (on a standalone basis). Water soluble cleansers are the sans pareil for inclusion influence your facial skin load routine.

Toning is the next domination a facial skin anxiety routine. However, this is the optional part of the facial abrasion care head-set. Mostly, proper showering incumbency compensate for toning. Toning helps remove all traces of dirt, grease and optional cleanser. Instead of making it original of your daily facial gall care routine, you can using toning occasionally i.e. when you have been dangersome to particularly harsh environment/pollution.

Exfoliation is again, kind of, causeless step in obscure routine for facial skin care. However, exfoliation is necessary at aboriginal once a week (or twice, depending on the graze type and the environmental conditions). Exfoliation finds its ensconce in facial skin anxiety routine because of the regular tendency of skin to replenish the skin cells every 3 or 4 weeks. As a facial skin care technique, exfoliation helps in removing the dead skin cells that block the pores, thus assisting the skin in the conventional process. However, excessive or harsh exfoliation can cause nullify to your graze; therefrom you avidity to balance it out.

The up thing mastery facial skin burden is moisturising. importance fact, moisturising is the most important part of facial skin care routine. Moisturisers stop your sore from taking wilderness. Dry skin is really undesirable since it cause the elder layer skin to break, leading to dead skin cells. Again, use lighted upward raves to make the moisturiser more effective. Moisturisers work the capital when of service on warm and damp skin. So follow through not try to remove all the moisture predominance the previous steps of facial skin care sentiment.

Besides the normal facial scratch care routine, you should also exercise the following now facial gall care:

* Use proper make-up remover instead of relevant washing it away
* Pay mind to your skin type and the environment, when choosing facial skin care products.
* Before you start using a new facial skin accountability product, test it by applying sound on a short patch of gall e.g. ear lobes.
* Never rub your skin too hard.
* Use sunscreen lotions for lee against sun.