HAPPY NEW YEAR

So long 2009 hello 2010....WOW Where has the time gone.....It was just December of 2008 and now.....Goodness Gracious how the time does fly!!

I want to wish each and every one of you a most Blessed New Years that is the best you have ever had, but not as good as those yet to come!!

 

 

Brittany Murphy Had "Large Amounts" of Prescription Meds in Bedroom

Tuesday – December 22, 2009 – 8:39am

 

Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for IMG

A shocking number of strong prescription meds were found on Brittany Murphy's bedroom nightstand before her sudden Dec. 20 death, according to notes from an investigator with the Los Angeles coroner's office.

According to the notes (obtained by TMZ.com), the medications included Topamax (anti-seizure meds also to prevent migraines), Methylprednisolone (anti-inflammatory), Fluoxetine (depression med), Klonopin (anxiety med), Carbamazepine (treats Diabetic symptoms and is also a bipolar med), Ativan (anxiety med), Vicoprofen (pain reliever), Propranolol (hypertension, used to prevent heart attacks), Biaxin (antibiotic), Hydrocodone (pain med) and miscellaneous vitamins.

The notes state Murphy "had been complaining of shortness of breath and severe abdominal pain" for 7 to 10 days prior to her death.

Around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, she went into the bathroom of her Hollywood Hills home and shut the door, according to the notes.

A half hour later Murphy's mother, Sharon, went to check on her daughter, opened the bathroom door and "discovered the decedent lying on the floor unresponsive," the notes read.

According to the notes, Sharon yelled for help. Murphy's husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, who was in bed, ran to the bathroom.

The notes reveal that Sharon called 911 and Monjack "attempted to revive the decedent by placing her in the shower and running the water." But Murphy "remained unresponsive and purged her stomach contents prior to the arrival of the paramedics," according to the notes.

When the paramedics arrived, Murphy was "without signs of life." Paramedics then moved her from the bathroom to the master bedroom, where they found the prescription drugs.

"A check of the nightstands revealed large amounts of prescription medication in the decedent's name. Also noted were numerous empty prescription medication bottles in the decedent's husband's name, the decedent's mother's name and unidentified third party names," the notes read.

According to the notes, "No alcohol containers, paraphernalia or illegal drugs were discovered."

The notes state that the night before her death Murphy "had consumed some noodles, leftover Thai food, Gatorade, water and tea with lemon."

The notes also say that Murphy had a history of hypoglycemia and was hospitalized in April 2009 for low blood sugar while on location in Oregon.

Monjack, Murphy's husband, told the investigator that during the 7-10 days prior to her death, the actress complained of shortness of breath and severe abdominal pains, but he was not overly alarmed because "she often suffered from severe menstrual pains."

After assessing the situation, the investigator concluded to police that "foul play is not suspected."

Source 

Freedom from pain

A 24-year-old Christiansburg woman is regaining mobility and making plans to attend graduate school after treatment put her in remission from years of pain.

Anna L. Mallory

Sunday, December 20, 2009

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Brandy Sachs smiles more these days, even after gaining 30 pounds in one year.

For this 24-year-old, weight gain is a blessing and the least of her concerns.

In October 2008, Sachs weighed 76 pounds after she spent seven days in a ketamine-induced coma. She was the 55th patient to undergo the treatment in Germany. She emerged from the procedure with few memories and couldn't perform natural tasks, such as shivering. 

The coma was designed to reboot her nervous system, and, doctors hoped, rid her of the decade-long bouts of pain associated with reflex sympathetic dystrophy, known now as chronic regional pain syndrome. The little-known condition she was diagnosed with at age 13 caused her to cringe in pain with any touch even as slight as a flutter of her brown hair. Walking was difficult, and her right foot had turned inward and would often swell.

Today, after a year's worth of ketamine boosters, doctors say Sachs is in remission. She's been RSD-pain free for a year and won't have to return to Philadelphia for infusions of the drug for another year, unless any changes occur.

While she isn't entirely pain, or medicine, free (she is on strong painkillers as a result of a back surgery that touched nerves, but that pain is not related to the condition), Sachs said a little pain is better than her previous state.

Always cautious, she prefers to say the condition is dormant, but she's pleased with her progress.

"I have RSD, and I'm always going to have it," she said.

She walks on two crutches and has become more active. She started driving on her own, went rock-wall climbing and can make two full laps around Walmart.

Mentally, Sachs said she still feels stuck at 16. Many of her memories -- and skills -- are fuzzy. Doctors said some memories may never return.

The physical progression also has been slow, although Blacksburg therapist James O'Connell said Sachs has made great strides. She's now working on the stationary bike and the treadmill to gain strength and tone her unused legs. He's trying to get her to wear regular shoes, instead of the orthopedic shoe created for her in Germany.

Sachs goes to physical therapy twice weekly. Just last week, she took her first steps in years without bracing herself.

"I'm so proud of her," said her mother, Lisa Sachs. For years, the mother and daughter could barely hug. "It still makes you smile every time you see her stand up," she said.

Around the house, Brandy Sachs still often uses a wheelchair. That's mostly to navigate the crowds of cats, dogs and people who swarm her parents' small Christiansburg home.

"It's just easier," she said. If she bangs any part of her body too much, the RSD could flare, and the pain might return.

In August, Sachs hopes to enroll in graduate school at Virginia Tech to study sociology.

Her parents said that step will be good for their daughter, whose life was overtaken by the condition.

Sachs' story has inspired many. In July, People magazine featured part of her story.

The family said the breadth of knowledge about RSD and CRPS is growing.

"When we first started with it, they knew nothing," Lisa Sachs said.

Brandy Sachs spent seven days

in a ketamine-induced coma and

went through months of ketamine

boosters to ease chronic pain.

Her physical progression has been

slow, but she is strengthening her

legs by riding a stationary bike and

walking on a treadmill.

James O'Connell applies resistance

to Brandy Sachs' foot during a physical

therapy session as her mother,

Lisa Sachs, looks on.

Brandy Sachs, 24, takes unassisted

steps Monday for the first time in years

during a physical therapy session with

James O'Connell in Blacksburg.

Photos by JUSTIN COOK The Roanoke Times Source 

Raided doctor's patients complain they're 'left out in the cold'

By Brian Fraga

bfraga@s-t.com

December 19, 2009 12:00 AM

NEW BEDFORD — "Taylor's orphans" is how they are referred to by some in the local medical community.

When federal and state law enforcement authorities raided the Acushnet Avenue offices of Dr. Michael A. Taylor earlier this month in a drug investigation, hundreds of his patients found themselves without a primary care physician and with no way to get ahold of their medical records or to refill their prescriptions.

The patients say they have called other doctors but are either told the physicians are not accepting new patients or the earliest appointment cannot be made for two to three months. They are referred to emergency rooms or pain clinics to inquire about refilling prescriptions and are then told they will not receive any strong painkillers like OxyContin.

Some patients say they are being blackballed.

 

"I can't find a doctor. No one will take me, even for primary care," said Carolyn Lavoie, 68, of Fairhaven, who said she is diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy, a chronic neurological condition that causes severe burning pain over her body. Taylor prescribed her daily dosages of 50 milligrams of oxycodone and 15 10-milligram doses of methadone.

"It seems people consider most of (Taylor's) patients to be drug addicts, and that's just not fair," said Mike Miller, 44, of New Bedford, who has a diabetic ulcer on his foot and peripheral neuropathy in his legs. Miller said Taylor prescribed him a 30-day supply of 150 milligrams a day of oxycodone and 200 milligrams of morphine. Those prescriptions have run out.

"There are some of us who are legitimately sick," said Darlene Almeida, 44, of Acushnet, who is diagnosed with fibromyalgia and osteoporosis. She was prescribed four 50-milligram tablets a day of morphine as well as vicoprofen for break-through pain.

"I don't abuse my meds," she said. "I don't sell my medicine."

On Dec. 1, Drug Enforcement Administration agents in conjunction with state police detectives assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office executed a search warrant for records at Taylor's office at 3388 Acushnet Ave. The office has been closed since the raid.

Spokesmen for the U.S. Attorney and DEA offices in Boston declined to comment on the nature of the investigation. Meanwhile, Taylor, 58, has not been charged with a crime. His medical license has not been revoked, according to the state Board of Registration in Medicine.

Taylor did not return a phone call seeking comment.

In August, Taylor's secretary, Cathy Pereira, was arrested in a state wiretap narcotics investigation, accused of helping her husband, Paul J. Pereira, and associates obtain painkillers such as OxyContin with fraudulent prescriptions from the office.

An answering service for Taylor's office says someone is collecting patients' names, telephone numbers and addresses to eventually forward them their medical records, which were seized by authorities.

Several of Taylor's patients have gone to St. Luke's Hospital seeking help and have been instructed to call the SouthCoast Physician Referral Line, where an operator will give contact information for several doctors in the area.

When contacted, those doctors' offices say they are not seeing new patients for at least two months.

Taylor's patients have been calling the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center. Cynthia Champagne, assistant director of nursing, said the health center will accommodate the patients as much as possible.

"Anyone who calls for an appointment, we will give them an appointment," Champagne said, adding that she could not answer any questions about the patients' prescriptions.

Almeida said she last saw Taylor a month ago. She received a prescription for painkillers and was told to return Dec. 10. But she then heard from an acquaintance that Taylor's office had been closed. She was told the DEA had her medical records.

"I'm in shock," she said. "I can't believe this happened," she said.

Almeida said she called several doctors in the area but could not find a primary care physician who was able to see her. The best she could do was schedule an April 14 appointment at the downtown community health center. She was told her prescriptions will not be refilled before then.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," she said. "The pain. I end up in a ball. I can't even move... I know I'm going to end up in detox."

Lavoie's insurance company arranged for a March appointment with the community health center. She said she will run out of her pain medications on Christmas Day.

"I have a disease, and I need my meds to live," she said.

After weeks of frustrating telephone calls, Miller found a primary care physician, but his appointment will not be until February.

"Everybody thinks you're out to get narcotics," he said. "A lot of us were using the meds for what they were meant to be used for, to ease our pain."

Patricia Thompson, 65, of New Bedford is still without a new primary care doctor. She broke her sternum and tailbone several years ago and said she cannot sleep at night or walk without holding onto something. Taylor placed her on Percocets, 30 milligrams eight times a day.

Taylor "was a very good doctor. He was concerned about his patients," said Thompson, adding that she went to St. Luke's Hospital after her doctor closed his office. She said she was given 12 5-milligram Percocet tablets and told she would not be given any more.

"I'm being thrown out in the cold," she said. "It's not right. It's not like I abused my medication, but no one's giving me an answer."

Source 

This really upsets me!! My heart goes out to ALL of "Taylor's Orphans"!!  My thoughts and prayers are with you ALL on coming through this without extremely harmful repercussions!!  ~God Bless "Taylor's Orphans"

My Friends Little Sister - Cristie Noel Campbell

I have to share this video with you all.
It is my friend's little sister whose name is Cristie Noel Campbell.
She is helping to lead worship at her church at Bethesda Community Church near Ft. Worth, Texas. She has an incredible voice and everyone needs to hear her singing this song!!

Mr. Bluelight's Christmas Countdown

Hotel Blamed for Complications of Apnea

 Hotel Blamed for Complications of Apnea 

By NICK DIVITO

December 8, 2009

LAS VEGAS (CN) - A man says he went to bed with sleep apnea and woke up with a wrist disorder, because the hotel where he was staying failed to tell him about a planned power cutoff. Andrew Gold uses a breathing machine that delivers oxygen while he sleeps.

     Gold sued the Palazzo Hotel in Clark County Court. He claims hotel officials failed to warn him when he checked in that they were planning a power outage in the early morning hours of Dec. 17, 2008.

     Gold says that when the power went off at 3 a.m., the machine stopped and he woke up. He says he stumbled through the dark room to find a light switch, but tripped and hit the palm of his right hand on a nightstand, causing him to develop Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.

     Gold says had he known about the planned power outage, he would not have stayed at the hotel.

     He demands at least $50,000, and says the hotel failed to warn him of the power cutoff, and failed to provide a flashlight in his room for such emergencies.

     He is represented by Ralph Rohay.

 View actual court papers HERE

Source

The Passing of Janice Kay (Schmidt) Everson

SALEM -Janice Kay (Schmidt) Everson, 63, of Salem, died at 11:25 a.m. Monday at her home. Jan succumbed after living with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome and loosing a courageous battle with Cancer.

Jan was a devoted wife. She spoke many times about how she felt her husband was a true gift from God in her life. She and Allen W. 'Butch' Everson were married on Dec. 14, 1991.

She was an animal lover and had three pets: Aries the bird, Kasey the cat, and Blue the fish. She loved gardening and spending time outdoors on her porch or in her yard. Jan was a great decorator and was also a personal financial wizard. She possessed a great sense of humor and was able to always find a reason to laugh. This is a trait she passed on to her children and she always enjoyed family gatherings when the house was full of laughter.

She loved traveling and going on cruises in the warmer climates. Jan had many lifelong friends who were dear to her. Her favorite desert was Moose Tracks ice cream which even in her last days she had the opportunity to enjoy.

Jan was born on Oct. 4, 1946 in Wellsville, Ohio to William Edward and Elsie (Johnson) Schmidt.

Jan has been a resident of the Salem area since 1992. She had previously resided in North Benton, Beloit, Sebring, Lisbon and Wellsville.

She has worked at various places over the years. She had worked the longest at A and J Mold Machines in Akron where she was the vice president and office manager of the company. She had also worked as a Mary Kay consultant, real estate broker with Oesch Reality, hearing aid technician at Miracle Ear in Boardman, HK Paper, and Carriage Hill (Fresh Mark) Foods.

She was a former member and volunteer of the Democratic party and formerly attended the Fellowship Baptist Church in Beloit.

In addition to her husband of Salem, she is survived by three children, William C. (Amy) Hurford of Beloit, Tina L. (Terry) Goynes of Austintown, and Christina M. (Frank) Grezlik of Hudson; three step children, Troyann Hobdy of Mobile, Ala., Valerie L. (Charles) Tonkin of Atwater, and Mark Allen Everson of Akron; a brother, Charles Kent (Janice Ann) Schmidt of Arthur, Ill.; ten grandchildren and one great grand child.

There will be a private family burial in Grandview Cemetery, Sebring, Ohio. The family will be holding a Celebration of Life gathering at 2 p.m. Dec.19, 2009 at the family home in Salem.

The family has requested to have memorial donations to be made to: 

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA) 

99 Cherry Street 

Milford, CT.      06460 

( Please note on the donation: in Memory of Janice Everson.)

Arrangements were handled by the Arbaugh-Pearce-Greenisen Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Salem, Ohio.

Source 

Local teen tops national wheelchair tennis rankings

By Sandy Lippe, La Jolla Village News

Sunday, November 22, 2009

University City’s Dana Mathewson, 

a women’s wheelchair tennis champion, 

is now attending the University of Arizona.

What would you expect from a high school senior, who is a gifted tennis player, a community volunteer with 200 hours of service her senior year and a 4.1 grade point average at a prestigious private school like Bishop’s? You might answer that the sky’s the limit.

Dana Mathewson graduated from Bishop’s last June and set her academic and athletic sights on the University of Arizona, where she is adjusting to dorm life, tennis competition, academics and everything a college freshman deals with. The sky is the limit for Dana still.

Dana is ranked the No. 1 Open Player in the United States Women’s Wheelchair Tennis.

“I haven’t checked my international ranking in a few weeks, but last I checked I was ranked No. 22 in the world for Women’s Open singles as well. I’m pretty pleased with myself as of late. Hopefully, I can keep up my rankings, though, in the off-season,” Dana said.

Growing up in University City, she attended Mission Bay Montessori Academy and absolutely loved it. After graduating from sixth grade, she went to Bishop’s and had to repeat seventh grade due to numerous medical absences.

“I got ’sick’ or injured when I was entering sixth grade and it took my body and mind a long time to adjust to my new situation, I guess,” she said. “I say I got sick because the reason I’m in a wheelchair is a bit of a weird one.”

When Dana was 10, she contracted a rare neurological disease known as Transverse Myelitis (TM).

“I think I remember doctors saying only five in one million people contract it each year. Lucky me!” she said. “I was at soccer practice running sprints at the very end when I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. It almost felt like someone was stabbing me, and then my legs started to feel weaker and proceeded to get a ‘pins and needles’ feeling like when a limb falls asleep. The rest is a flash of random memories, but I do remember crying in the car on the ride home, being helped into the living room, and then lying on my living room floor. In a matter of minutes, I was completely paralyzed from my belly button down.”

Transverse Myelitis affects the spinal cord and causes the immune system to attack a certain area. It attacked a very low region of her back. In some cases, TM has been known to go as high as the neck region, which leaves victims quadriplegics. With onset very fast, Dana’s parents, both physicians, raced her to Children’s Hospital’s emergency room, where she was treated with steroids. She credits the steroid treatment as the reason she is able to feel her legs now and stand/walk very limitedly.

“Initially I was told that any sort of return was impossible, so I consider myself to be extremely lucky,” she said.

When asked if she felt questions dealing with her medical situation may have been too insensitive, Dana responded promptly and pleasantly: “Please don’t feel rude by asking me these questions. They used to bother me, but I’m at a stage now where I’d rather educate people about what happened to me instead of hiding it.”

Dana has been playing tennis for 5 ½ years; the last three years she’s played competitive basketball, too. She credits her mom for getting her into sports. Her mom drove her to various sports camps, while Dana admitted to screaming all the way, only to find herself two hours later with a huge smile on her face.

“I fell in love with wheelchair sports immediately,” she said.

At San Diego Adaptive Sports Foundation (SDASF), Dana met Marla Knox, a woman she credits for her athletic success.

“She introduced me to the SDASF basketball team, called San Diego Hammer,” Dana said. “I played the last two years in high school for that team and finished second in the nation.”

Dana’s mom took her to a Coronado tennis camp several years ago. Once again Dana balked at the idea at first, but after only five minutes, she loved the camp. While she didn’t feel as though she would be a great player, she says that something clicks inside of her when she is out on the court.

“It’s scary being out there by yourself, but it is incredibly rewarding, too,” she said.

University of Arizona is the only American university that has a reputable wheelchair tennis team. Many colleges have basketball and track teams, but in the United States, tennis is less popular, unlike other nations. Dana is part of the wheelchair tennis team as well as the women’s basketball team. She travels with each team to various tournaments locally or nationally. In regard to her academic major, she is leaning toward speech pathology.

When Dana comes home for her Thanksgiving break, she will probably visit some of her mentors, including Steve Halverson, a private tennis coach who helped fine-tune her game. She might peek in at basketball practice at Muni gym in Balboa Park on a Saturday to see some wheelchair basketball practice. No doubt she will also open some books since she is enrolled in the honors college at U of A.

Her tennis tournament season will run from February to September, although the team trains year-round. Basketball is “good cardio for tennis,” according to Dana. Her life is busy with two sports and mandatory study halls for athletes.

Dana has a keen zest for life. She has memories of trips overseas at places like Nottingham, England last summer, where she distinguished herself at World Team Cup, analogous to Davis Cup. The sky is the limit and then some for this young woman, whose enthusiasm should be bottled and sprinkled on the rest of us.

Source 

Woman says doctors' negligence left her disabled

By TONY BLAIS 

Last Updated: 22nd November 2009, 5:45am

  A Fort McMurray woman has filed a $475,000 medical malpractice lawsuit against six doctors in the northern Alberta city after alleging she was left permanently disabled when a fracture in her left foot was not identified. 

   In an Oct. 9 statement of claim, Karen Stuckless alleges she went to the Northern Lights Health Centre after she injured her left foot and ankle in an Oct. 13, 2007 fall.

  Stuckless claims she was diagnosed with a sprained left ankle following X-rays and given Tylenol 3 for her pain. 

   She alleges she was in significant pain and returned to the hospital eight days later. 

  Another X-ray was taken and she was told no fracture or displacement was seen and she was discharged with a cast boot on her ankle. 

   On Nov. 9, 2007, Stuckless says she went to her family physician and was told to get further X-rays. She says she did and a different doctor identified a projected fracture in a bone in her foot and she was told to get further therapy. 

   Four days later, Stuckless claims she returned to the hospital and the cast boot was reapplied to her ankle and she was told to keep mobile. Two weeks after that she went back for a follow-up and alleges swelling was identified in her left foot and she was told to not put weight on it. 

   She claims she returned after another two weeks and was told the fracture had healed and she should gradually increase her activities and begin physical therapy.


  On Dec. 23, 2007, Stuckless went to the hospital complaining of ongoing pain, especially with weight bearing, and alleges another X-ray was taken and she was advised there was no evidence of bone healing and a CT scan was arranged as well as a referral to an orthopedic surgeon.

  On Jan. 2, 2008, Stuckless claims she was diagnosed as suffering from reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) and alleges it was caused by the failure to identify the fracture and offer her appropriate treatment.

Source 

Former Kiss Drummer Battled Breast

Posted by Tiffany Sharples O'Callaghan
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 5:18 pm

  Peter Criss grew concerned after he noticed a small lump in his left breast. When the Catman, as he was known during his days as the make-up smeared drummer for Kiss, noticed that the lump was growing larger and more painful, he decided to see a doctor. After a series of tests, he soon learned that he had breast cancer, the Associated Press reports. Two years and two surgeries later, Criss is cancer-free—thanks to his proactive approach, doctors were able to diagnose and treat the condition early. Now the former rock star is on a mission to educate men about the disease.

  Breast cancer is still relatively rare among men, representing roughly 1% of all cases. Yet, regardless of gender, it can be a terrifying diagnosis. Of the nearly 2,000 men diagnosed with breast cancer each year, approximately 440 will ultimately die from the disease, according to figures from the National Cancer Institute. (Nearly 193,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and more than 40,000 die from the disease.) Criss has said that after his battle against breast cancer, he wants to encourage awareness in other men. As he told the AP:

"It's something we think guys don't get," Criss said. "Guys get prostate cancer, heart attacks. Men are men — women get breast cancer. Or so I thought... It has nothing to do with macho," said Criss, best known for the 1976 ballad "Beth," which remains Kiss' biggest hit to date. "There's no tougher guy than me. I was born in Brooklyn, I was in gangs, I did the whole battling thing my whole life. I think a man is a man if he steps forward and says, `There's something bad going on and I need to deal with it."

  The news about Criss's triumph over breast cancer comes just days after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued new recommendations for breast cancer screening, igniting a heated debate among breast cancer survivors and medical professionals about the best ways to screen for the disease and prevent unnecessary deaths.

Source 

Virginia Teen Athlete In Wheel Chair After H1N1 Vaccine Shot

    A teenage Virginia athlete is in a wheel chair now after suffering Guillain-Barre Syndrome within hours after receiving an H1N1 swine flu vaccine shot.Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is the name given to anyone who exhibits a particular set of neurological symptoms including muscle weakness and muscle spasms. 14-year-old Jordan McFarland developed severe headaches, muscle spasms and weakness in his legs after being injected. He will need “extensive physical therapy” to recovery, reports MSNBC. Plus, he’ll need the help of a walker for four to six weeks. NaturalNews) A teenage Virginia athlete is in a wheel chair now after suffering Guillain-Barre Syndrome within hours after receiving an H1N1 swine flu vaccine shot. 14-year-old Jordan McFarland developed severe headaches, muscle spasms and weakness in his legs after being injected. He will need “extensive physical therapy” to recovery, reports MSNBC. Plus, he’ll need the help of a walker for four to six weeks.

  Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is the name given to anyone who exhibits a particular set of neurological symptoms including muscle weakness and muscle spasms. GBS is now increasingly occurring following H1N1 vaccine injections. It was diagnosed in thousands of patients following the 1976 swine flu vaccine scare, and it appears to be recurring here in 2009 as the swine flu vaccine makes it into more widespread distribution.

  Health authorities, however, remain adamant that H1N1 vaccines are never the cause of GBS, and that such diagnoses are “pure coincidence.” This blatantly unscientific P.R. tactic is designed to dismiss any and all concerns over the neurological side effects of H1N1 vaccines by simply denying they exist. To date, the CDC has received reports of five additional people being diagnosed with GBS following swine flu vaccinations, but it dismisses them all as coincidence. “It’s much less than we’d expect,” says CDC official Dr. Claudia J. Vellozzi. (Which is sort of interesting all by itself, because it reveals that the CDC expects a lot more people to get GBS following vaccine injections…)

  At the same time, part of the reason the CDC isn’t receiving many reports on neurological disorders caused by H1N1 vaccines is because they participated in a massive media brainwashing event that prepped the population to dismiss all side effects by pre-announcing the bizarre idea that “side effects experienced after vaccine injections are not related to vaccines.” 

  This was an organized, nationwide media brainwashing campaign engineered by the CDC, FDA and drug companies. It sought to pre-program health consumers to automatically dismiss serious side effects that appeared in the hours after receiving swine flu vaccine injections.

  The campaign worked. In fact, even the GBS of this young man, Jordan McFarland, wasn’t submitted to the CDC. It only came to light when his step-mother submitted details to MSNBC.com’s reader reporting tool. In other words, this was citizen journalism at work, where a parent submitted information directly to the media.

  For this to occur is exceedingly rare. Most parents would simply wait for their doctor to submit such information to health authorities, not knowing that submitting reports of vaccine-related side effects remains voluntary in modern medicine.

  No requirement to report vaccine side effects...
You read that right: There is no requirement that doctors send reports of vaccine side effects to any health authority at all. 

  And that raises the question: So how do they really know how many people are suffering neurological side effects from the H1N1 vaccines?

Climb Until Your Dream Comes True

Often your tasks will be many,
and more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged
and the hills insurmountable, too.

Always remember, the hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem,
And with faith in your heart start upward
And climb 'till you reach your dream.

Nothing in life that is worthy
Is ever too hard to achieve,
If you have the courage to try it
And you have the faith to believe...

Faith is a force that is greater
Than knowledge or power or skill
And many defeats turn to triumph
If you trust in God's wisdom and will.

Faith is a mover of mountains,
There's nothing that God cannot do,
So start out today with faith in your heart

And Climb Until Your Dream Comes True

by Helen Steiner Rice

Couple ready to hit road in customized van

By Wayne Laepple
The Daily Item

Published October 05, 2009 11:19 pm -  



Barbara Schaffer and her husband, Paul, arranged for Harvey, their customized van, to have enough room for trips to music festivals around the country.
Liz Rohde / The Daily Item

NORTHUMBERLAND — If you happen to see a large white van parked outside Paul and Barbara Schaffer’s King Street home, you’re looking at Harvey. Harvey is actually a Sprinter van that’s been customized to accommodate Barbara’s wheelchair.

“We named it Harvey after the big white rabbit in the movie,” Barbara said with a chuckle. “Maybe we’ll paint a pink nose and whiskers on it some day.”

Actor James Stewart starred in the 1950 movie, “Harvey,” about a man who befriends an invisible six-foot tall rabbit, or pooka.

The Schaffers never thought they’d ever be interested in a recreational vehicle or a second home, but after a visit to Arches National Park in Utah a couple of years ago, they changed their minds.

“We really wanted to sleep out under the stars,” said Barbara, “but we just couldn’t do that.”

Since 2001, the couple has enjoyed attending half a dozen music festivals every year, and they wanted to be able to join friends who camp at the events and take part in the after-hours jams they’ve only heard about.

“We started thinking about it, but no one builds any that are handicapped-accessible,” Paul said. “What we wanted just didn’t exist.”

Barbara, 60, who suffers from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, a debilitating nerve condition, has been using a battery-powered wheelchair for a number of years as her condition has changed. Paul, 63, took early retirement to care for her following her 1987 injury.

They did see a few motor homes that could have been adapted, he said, but they were all very large luxury units, so large that they would have had to tow their Dodge Caravan behind to transport Barbara from the campground to an event. Besides, those units were way outside their price range. Even an Internet search for a used vehicle came up dry, since their particular needs couldn’t be met in a used vehicle without extensive modifications.

“We decided we had to start fresh,” Barbara said.

She decided they should find the right lift unit to get her and her wheelchair into the vehicle. However, they didn’t want a unit that would occupy space inside the vehicle. She finally found a company, Creative Controls, in Madison Heights, Mich., that assured them they could mount their lift beneath whatever vehicle they chose for their motor home.

Next they found a custom builder of motor homes, Sportsmobile, in Huntingdon, Ind.

“They make custom vans, not RVs,” said Paul. “These are the people who, in 1961, modified the first Volkswagen vans into campers.”

The Schaffers found a perfect ally in Sportsmobile. The company provided an online floor plan that allowed the couple to develop a floor plan using the components the needed where they needed them. For example, instead of a right-hand front seat, a power-operated tie-down for Barbara’s wheelchair was specified.

Because Barbara cannot step over the entrance to the bathroom, they changed the layout so the commode is next to the doorway. She can sit on the commode, then lift her legs and pivot into the space. To make that change work, the hot water heater had to be downsized and relocated.

Working closely with the design team at Sportsmobile, it took nearly two months to get the interior layout completed.

“There was a lot of problem-solving by phone.” Barbara said.

They had already settled on the Sprinter, a vehicle designed by Mercedes and sold by Chrysler in this country, but it took some time to locate a 24-footer, the largest one made, and then have the necessary windows installed. The vans are shipped into the U.S. with only the windshield and door windows, so other doors and windows had to be installed after they purchased it.

The truck was purchased in Michigan and delivered to Creative Controls for installation of the wheelchair lift, then taken to Indiana for the rest of the work. The Schaffers went to the Sportsmobile plant to be present as workers installed the bathroom and kitchen modules to be certain the wheelchair would fit where it was supposed to.

“They were wonderful to work with,” Barbara said. “They wanted to be sure everything was right.”

At one point, the locking mechanism to hold her wheelchair would not work correctly, and a technician from Creative Controls came to Indiana to correct the problem. They wound up having to take the vehicle back to the plant to get it right, which held up work at Sportsmobile for a day or so.

The results, the couple agree, have exceeded their expectations.

They demonstrated the lift, which folds out from beneath the vehicle. Barbara backed her wheelchair onto it, and it hoisted her up to floor level. She backed in and turned around near the folding table where they can take meals. Then she moved forward and the electronic lock snapped into place. She pulled on her seat belt and was ready to go.

In the middle of the unit, the compact kitchen, complete with stove, refrigerator, microwave and sink, faces the lavatory, which features a sink, shower and commode. Behind them are two couches that quickly convert to beds.

“We’ve also got air-conditioning and a furnace,” Paul said, as he swung the rear doors wide to reveal a fabric screen across the doorway that will let them indeed sleep outdoors. There’s also a generator for lights, and they will be able to use it to charge the batteries on Barbara’s wheelchair.

“People told us we couldn’t do this,” she said. “We were persistent, and we found the right people to help.”

The couple drove the unit back from Indiana, and Paul said the 5-cylinder, three-liter diesel engine with a five-speed automatic transmission gave them better than 20 miles per gallon.

“A piece of you asks why you’re doing this,” he said, as he contemplated the cost of Harvey. He wouldn’t say exactly how much it cost them. “This cost more than either of the homes we’ve owned, but will let us do something together that we both enjoy.”

 Source 

Medical marijuana supporters rally at Capitol

By SANDY CULLEN scullen@madison.com 608-252-6137 | Posted: Sunday, October 4, 2009 7:40 pm

Hundreds of medical marijuana supporters rallied Sunday at the State Capitol for legislation that would make Wisconsin the 14th state to legalize cannabis for treatment of debilitating illnesses.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, are co-sponsors of the newly drafted Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, which would protect Wisconsin patients from arrest and prosecution and allow them or a designated caregiver to possess and grow a small amount of cannabis for medical use, said Gary Storck, communications director for the nonprofit advocacy organization Is My Medicine Legal YET?

"It is time that we address medical marijuana as an issue of providing comprehensive health care to all people," Pocan and Erpenbach said in a memo to legislators. "The patient and their doctor should have as many options as possible available when treating a patient's medical condition."

Rickert, a 58-year-old grandmother from Mondovi who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and advanced reflex sympathetic dystrophy, founded IMMLY in 1992. In 1997, she led a 210-mile trek of patients in wheelchairs from Mondovi to Madison to advocate for legal access to marijuana.

Rickert said she began using marijuana to stimulate her appetite after dropping to 68 pounds. "I'm alive because of cannabis," said Rickert, who now calls herself "a heavyweight" at 93 pounds.

"It's got to be this bill, this time," Rickert told supporters Sunday, saying that every time someone else signs on in support of medical marijuana, "It's like saying, 'More hope.'"
Storck, who has been advocating for medical marijuana for decades, said cannabis has helped him retain his eyesight, which he began losing from glaucoma as a child. He agreed that the time for passing legislation could be now or never. "Gov. Doyle has been willing to sign it all along," he said, adding, "The legislature has never been in a position to pass it until now."

Storck said that while there is a lot of support for the legislation from people throughout the state, "We need them to step forward and let their legislators know it."

The act is based on a Michigan law passed by voters in November 2008, Storck said. It also includes provisions from a Rhode Island law that would allow patients to obtain medical marijuana from dispensaries if they cannot grow it themselves.

Source 

That's My King....Do You Know Him??

Such a great video that highlights such a great message.

From Dr. Shadrach Meshach (S.M.) Lockridge’s famous sermon:

The Bible says my King is the King of the Jews. He’s the King of Israel. He’s the King of righteousness. He’s the King of the ages. He’s the King of Heaven. He’s the King of glory. He’s the King of kings, and He’s the Lord of lords. That’s my King. I wonder…Do you know Him?

Sailing Hero Gives The Rest Of Us Food for Thought

September 3, 2009

Having fought the elements, exhaustion and the extreme limitations of her own body, 37-year-old Hilary Lister calmly sailed into Dover as well as in the record books today being the first female quadriplegic to circumnavigate Britain solo.

The Oxford-graduate biochemist, who’s afflicted by a rare, degenerative neurological disorder that has paralyzed the young woman from the neck down, has completed the final portion of a marathon journey undertaken in a string of 40 day-long sails.

With the help of advanced technology, which allowing her to control the sails by sucking and blowing through plastic tube, Lister sailed solo with help of a team only to attend to her when she got into and out of her sailboat, Me Too. She finally sailed over the finishing line to enthusiastic crowds at 6.45pm.

The young woman expressed contentment upon her return to Dover, saying that the highlight of her expedition was witnessing marine wildlife at close range.

Lister, hailing from Canterbury, Kent, has reflex sympathetic dystrophy and is only capable of moving her head, eyes and mouth. Tempted in the past as she went through the darkest of moments to end the physical ordeal she suffers everyday and the frustration which comes from being imprisoned in her own body, she now claims that sailing has saved her life.

Source

3 Ways Your Thoughts Can Help You Heal - Ways You Thoughts Can Help You Heal | Parade.com

By Robert Moss

Our thoughts can make us sick, and they can help us get well.

Here are ways to adjust your mindset to promote good health.


Take A Deep

Take A Deep Breath Hold it, exhale, then repeat for 10 minutes. Take a walk, preferably in nature. Breathe in that fresh air.


Laugh!

When you laugh, you pump more oxygen into your lungs, improve blood flow and boost your immune system.

Keep A Journal

Writing about emotionally charged events helps us deal with them mentally and physically.

So Keep On Thinking!!

Source

What's YOUR Best "Camp Name" Contest!!!!

Alright Everyone....if you listened to the show today you already know what I am about to write, but if you didn't listen....other than; tsk tsk shame on you (see link below and go listen!!)....I am about to share some wonderful info with you!!

Our guest today, Kathy Gruver is a 'Certified Medical Massage Therapist" (among other titles) and she has made an offer to my show listeners!!

Here's the offer:

Come up with a "Camp Name" and send it to me at winninglife@rsdcoach.com with the subject line of: "Camp Name", and I will send to Kathy.
Kathy will then pick the best name and the winner will win a copy of her dvd titled:
Therapeutic Massage at Home -- Learn to Rub People the Right Way™.

Like me, you will be so grateful for this dvd!!

Learn more about Kathy and her dvd at:

www.HealingCircleMassage.com You'll be glad you did!!!!


If you have not listened to the show and have no clue as to what I am talking about in this post, go listen to the show now at: www.rsdcoachlive.com and then send me your best "Camp Name"!!

Brave Hilary nearing finish of her epic journey

Hilary Lister in her boat

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Inspirational sailor Hilary Lister is getting closer to setting another world record as she enters the final leg of her trip around the British Isles, Yourswale reports.

She is currently off the coast of East Anglia sailing south towards her final destination of Dover, which she is due to reach on Tuesday.

Hilary, 36, from Selling, suffers from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, a degenerative disease which started to show itself when she was a child so controls her craft using a set of straws and her breath.

She is bidding to become the first disabled woman to sail solo around Britain.

Hilary set off in May, on her second attempt to complete the course, which includes venturing into the North and Irish seas, as well as navigating the Caledonian Canal.

The trip had to be postponed last year at Newlyn, in Cornwall, due to bad weather and technical issues.

Undeterred she returned to Newlyn this year to start again from where she left off, determined to finish it this time.

But this will be far from her first achievement, she is already in the record books as the first quadriplegic to perform a solo-sail across the English Channel.

Two years later, she was able to add another feat to the list, becoming the first female quadriplegic to sail solo around the Isle of Wight.

Hilary is sailing her boat, called Artemis 20, using a 'sip and puff' system.

This involves three straws, which are hooked up by pressure sensors, controlling a computer already programmed to react to her commands.

Hilary uses her breath to give directions, for example, one straw works the tiller, so if Hilary puffs it will go to port and if she sips it will go to starboard.

Each night she is towed into a port, with a total of 40 stops along the way.

She is expected to receive a hero’s welcome when she returns to Dover Harbour on Tuesday, after three months sailing.

On the day, KCC cabinet member for communities Mike Hill will make a special presentation to Hilary and her team to mark their enormous achievements.

Councillor Hill, also an avid sailor, said: "It has been a real honour to meet Hilary and support her latest challenge.

“I hope her tremendous efforts have inspired other people to have the determination to overcome their own obstacles and we very much look forward to welcoming her back to Kent."

Hilary also has a trust set up in her name, which raises money to help other disabled sailors and is expected to raise £20,000 when she completes her voyage.

Through her round Britain challenge, she also hopes to encourage and inspire people towards achieving their own goals.

POSTED: 26/08/2009 14:00:00

Debra Stein dies - Berkeley land use expert

Corey Paul, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Debra Stein - a land use expert and attorney who helped developers win over city governments and community malcontents - died July 30 from complications related to a rare neurological disease. She was 48.

Ms. Stein, president of the San Francisco public affairs firm GCA Strategies, represented the wealthy and the down-and-out equally, from corporate Burger King to homeless shelters. She left her mark on the San Francisco skyline, helping to win approval for a number of structures, including the South of Market high-rise at 55 Second St. and Sutro Tower, the three-pronged antenna that pokes through the fog.

She was known nationally as an expert on understanding NIMBYism or what motivates residents who oppose development beneficial to the community.

"The person who deserves credit for my career," Ms. Stein told Affordable Housing Finance magazine last year, "is a woman who spit on me at a public hearing 20 years ago. As I was wiping saliva off my arm, I said to myself, 'I am going to figure out why that happened and never let it happen again.' "

Ms. Stein, a Berkeley resident, published four books and dozens of articles about raising community support and finding political solutions for controversial land use projects. But affordable housing, especially in her last years, was her dearest cause.

Born Sept. 6, 1960, in San Jose, Ms. Stein graduated from UC Berkeley in 1981 with a degree in political management. After graduation, she worked for the San Francisco public relations firm Judith Brown and Associates. She rallied support of the Hacienda Business Park in Pleasanton, which now employs thousands.

For eight years, Ms. Stein ran a public relations firm. In 1986, she met architect Jeffrey Heller while they worked on a project together in City Hall. They married the next year.

At the time she met Heller, Ms. Stein was taking night classes at University of San Francisco School of Law. She graduated in 1987.

In 1990, Ms. Stein founded GCA Group. Four years later, with more associates, it became GCA Strategies.

In 2004, Ms. Stein wrote to friend Cindy Wilson: "I'd actually like to get out of the rat race a bit. The opposite of ambition is satisfaction - I've been on the ambition route. I'm starting to enjoy the sit-back-and-enjoy-life side of things more."

She delegated work at GCA to others so she could focus more on her passions: traveling the world with her husband and fighting for affordable housing.

By then, Ms. Stein was co-chair of the Northern California chapter of the Jane Austen Society, an avocation she pursued after reading Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and becoming drawn to the novelist's themes of ethics, morality and marginalized women.

Development and architecture organizations frequently booked Ms. Stein to speak at seminars. It was on one of these routine ventures, in San Jose, that she died, Wilson said.

Ms. Stein had reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, suffering chronic pain for about 15 years.

"She was remarkably stoic," Heller said. "She never let it get in her way."

Ms. Stein is survived by her husband, stepdaughter Rebecca Heller of Los Angeles, and brother Doug Stein and sister Sharon Moerner, both of San Jose.

A memorial service was held last Wednesday.
E-mail Corey Paul at cpaul@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page D - 8 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Lyric Contest!!

I know there are some very talented people out there, and I wish I were one of them....but, I'm not, so I am turning to you!!


If you, or someone you know, can write lyrics - you are gonna want to read this!!


I am holding a contest for someone to write lyrics for my radio show as a theme song! If you have never listened to my radio show, here is the link: www.rsdcoachlive.com go on over and listen to a few of the previous shows and you will know in what direction you will need to go when writing those lyrics. The name of my radio show is: "Winning Life Through Pain" and every show is full of helpful information for so many.


So now I bet you are wondering what kind of prizes are there for this contest, right?

Well, that's a real good question and one I would be curious of as well, so here ya go:

1st Place:
One Month Coaching -$100.00 Value

2nd Place:
Gift Card for Amazon - $50.00 Value

3rd Place:
Gift Card for Amazon - $25.00 Value


****UPDATE****

There has been a winner named as well as the 2 runner ups....Thank You ALL for sending in so many WONDERMOUS suggestions....I was right....there are LOTS of talented people out there!!!! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, etc.!!


So get your pens or pencils moving and write up some lyrics that would fit with what my radio show is all about and send it to me at: winninglife@rsdcoach.com

Contest starts July 22, 2009 until August 5, 2009.

I am so excited about the possibilities you all will be sending me....it will be so much fun for all of us!! SO put those thinking caps on, write down your thoughts and make the best darn lyrics you can!!


Looking forward to reading your lyrics....I know they will be absolutely fabulous!!