This is what 47 looks like…

Posted on 28. May, 2010 by kchristieh in health, my life

For me, 47 is…when I buy a pill box to help me remember to take my vitamins. And then forget anyway.

Picture taken on Friday. Note the pill in the Thursday slot. The problem is I’m supposed to have them with meals, not any time.

At least they’re vitamins, and nothing more serious.

“Building a Healthier Community” Fair 2/27

Posted on 22. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in health

Eat free food, listen to live music, meet local politicians and celebrities and get your H1N1 flu shot all at once. There’s even a drawing for great prizes. What could be more fun? Check out the “Building a Healthier Community” Fair this Saturday at LCPC. More details are below.

After spending Saturday being healthy, you can join State Senator Carol Liu in walking in the Chinatown Firecracker Run this Sunday, 2/28. See more information here. This is a great opportunity to get to know your State Senator. Download the pdf here and bring it on the day of the run along with a check for $22 made out to the Los Angeles Firecracker Run Committee. It’s a $5 discount off the regular price. Meet at Senator Liu’s booth at the start line on North Broadway, Los Angeles at 7am. Please RSVP to or call .

Food, Inc., TwoFoods and GoodBelly make me eat better

Posted on 25. Jan, 2010 by kchristieh in food, health, work

Ever since I watched Food, Inc., I’ve been much more picky about the food I buy and eat. I was somewhat careful before, but now my eyes have been opened to food processing practices I had never even imagined.

The movie is not for the faint of heart: it shows how various types of meat get from farm to table, and shows the dangers of inorganic farming. I’m not ready to become a vegetarian, but I’ve been much more vigilant about buying organic products when possible.

Soon after I watched Food, Inc., I discovered a website that’s changed how I choose foods: TwoFoods.com. When you enter two food choices, it shows you the nutritional information for each one, side by side. It also shows similar foods that you can click on to see information for. Here’s a screenshot for the difference between eggs and Multigrain Cheerios. Before I lost weight, I ate Multigrain Cheerios every morning. Once I started eating eggs, the weight started coming off and I found myself more satisfied throughout the morning, probably since I didn’t have so many carbs. I need to start eating eggs for breakfast more again.

I also recently discovered GoodBelly Probiotic Fruit Drinks when they asked me to create a BigCommerce store for them. They were super-nice to work with, and it was a pleasure to wrap my brain around the extensive customization requirements. I documented the customizations in Evernote, and figure they’ll come in handy in the future.

To the right is the BigCommerce template before I customized it, and below that is what it looked like in the end. I had a blast working with their little “bug” characters, creating graphics with them that expressed different pages on the site. The store complements the look and feel of the GoodBelly.com site.

I’ve had a tough time finding GoodBelly in stores; so far I’ve only found it in the Vons across from Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. I’m sure it’s also at Whole Foods. I’ve only tried the Blueberry Acai flavor, since I’m allergic to the Strawberry flavor that Vons also carries. The Blueberry Acai actually tastes like grape juice, but not as sweet. It’s really good. Here’s how the GoodBelly.com website describes their products:

Get juiced with GoodBelly, a probiotic fruit drink that contains lp299v, which is clinically proven to support digestive health and strengthen the immune system. We’re good to the core, so you can be good to yours.

Besides tasting good and making me healthy, GoodBelly makes me smile when I drink through the happy face holes. I love a company with a sense of humor.  :)

Cast away

Posted on 30. Nov, 2009 by kchristieh in health

Life is relative. When you’re about to get the 11th cast off that you’ve ever had, there’s no sweeter sound than the buzz of the orthopedist’s little round saw.

My son got his cast off today, and graduated to a brace. He’s still on crutches, but he took a big step on the Road to Normal today.

We’re all happy for him.

We pass by the Huntington Memorial Hospital ER every time we visit his orthopedist. I hope it’s a long, long time before I go back there again. But given our history, never say never.

What I learned when my son broke his leg

Posted on 06. Nov, 2009 by kchristieh in health, life lessons, my life, parenting, social networking, sports

It’s been tough to keep up with my goal of daily blog posting lately. Clients, volunteer positions, and a child applying to college have taken a higher priority. As if that wasn’t enough, this past Friday night my son fractured his tibia and dislocated his kneecap in a high school football game. He had surgery the next day, and we spent two nights in the hospital. Since then, I’ve been his personal nurse, helping him move his whole-leg cast when he gets up or down from a sitting or sleeping position, refilling his water bottle, and making him caprese sandwiches.

Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned this week:

• Every hospital patient needs an advocate. My son entered the emergency room in utter pain, and after 10 minutes of waiting we were told it would be another 20 minutes before a triage nurse would see him. It was only when I whipped out my purse supply of Tylenol and with tears in my eyes asked how much to give him that they finally talked to him. Likewise, after his surgery, the nurses who attended to him were very kind, but needed reminding that 40 minutes before they’d promised more pain medication or help with something important. I’m glad I was there for him.
• Keep your situation in perspective. I felt and feel awful for my son, but his situation could be far worse. I said lots of prayers for people in the hospital that were in worse shape than my son.
• You can’t wash your hands too much. I treated every surface in that hospital as if it was coated with the plague. Time will tell if I was successful in avoiding illness, but I’m glad I was careful.
• Hospital food can be good. The food at our hospital cafeteria was excellent and cheap. I should eat lunch there with friends. Except for my previous point about hospital germs.
• When you need to go rescue your child who’s broken a bone, if possible, take an extra two minutes and bring: magazines, water bottles, a phone charger, a jacket, and socks. You’ll be so glad you did when you’re at the hospital overnight or for hours on end. (This was my son’s 4th bone break, so I learned this awhile ago.)
• Guard your time at the hospital and afterwards. It was good that everyone didn’t visit the hospital, since each visit was both exhilarating and tiring, and at one point I told some people that instead of talking on the phone and bothering my son, that it would be better to text. I also made sure to turn both our phones off at night.
• You never know when your child will play his last game. I didn’t attend Friday night’s game; my daughter had come home sick that afternoon, so I chose to stay home with her. My husband and I actually looked at each other and said, “There’s no way he’ll get hurt, right? He’s the kicker.” Hahaha. In retrospect, it’s just as well I wasn’t there, as it would have been torture to watch him lie on the field for so long with no power to do anything. But after 12 years of organized sports, this may wind up being the last game he plays in until he plays intramurals in college.
• Aerobeds are amazing. I’m sleeping on one next to my son’s bed in case he needs to get up in the middle of the night or needs more pain medication. I’m sleeping like a log on that thing. Note: this is just true for the actual Aerobed brand. I haven’t been so happy with other air mattresses.
• I can mention this one since my son won’t read this: if your child is asleep next to you and it’s dark and you’re bored, copy cell phone numbers of their closest friends onto your cell phone. You never know when you’ll need them.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. When I posted on Facebook that I was looking for a bed tray my son could use to eat his meals and do homework, two showed up on my doorstep the next morning. Ditto for needing some concrete blocks to keep the dog in. One of my Facebook friends was going to the hardware store anyway, so she saved me a trip that would take me away from my son. And the food people have brought us has saved many nights of frozen pizza. And my son appreciates the cards and gifts people have brought.
• I live in a great community. People care, and back it up with action. I’m very, very, very fortunate to live here and have such wonderful friends.  :)

Women are the solution, not the problem

Posted on 26. Oct, 2009 by kchristieh in economy, education, feminism, health, inspirational people, international, startling statistics

Tonight I met one of my heroes: NY Times journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof. I heard him address an alumni group about his work and his new book, Half the Sky. Other than my family and our president, there’s probably no one I’ve blogged about more. I have immense respect for how eloquently he tells the stories of people who are unfairly treated, and for how deeply he cares about what happens to them.

Here’s a quiz based on what I learned this evening:

1. Which do you think there are more of in the world: males or females?
2. If the 19th century was defined by slavery, and the 20th by totalitarianism, what is likely to define the 21st century?
3. True or false: As many American women died in childbirth during World War I as men died on the battlefield.
4. A female sex slave in Cambodia can be purchased for several hundred dollars. Approximately how much in today’s dollars would a 19th century American slave be worth?
5. Which of the following concerns Kristof the least when he visits an African warlord: car accident, banditry, or dying at the hand of the warlord?
6. In some developing countries, families spend 2% of their income on education. What do they often spend 20% on?

Answers:

1. Males. Even though statistically there should be more females, so many females are aborted and such a low priority is placed on the health of women that in many parts of the world, boys outnumber girls by an outsize margin.
2. Gender inequity. It’s a huge problem in much of the world, and holds many societies back. Also, see question 1.
3. True. American maternal mortality improved when women got the right to vote, and politicians thought the electorate demanded adequate medical care.
4. $40,000. As poorly as American slaves were treated, their masters had more of a financial interest in keeping them healthy and productive. A female sex slave is worth so little that if she causes problems, she’s expendable. In some instances, her fellow slaves are made to beat her to death if she’s a troublemaker.
5. Dying at the hand of the warlord. Caveat: that holds true when he’s in the territory of the warlord. The warlord doesn’t want to be known for being responsible for killing an American journalist. I agree about the car accidents; one of my fellow writers from The Stanford Daily recently died in a car accident in Africa.  :(
6. Tobacco, alcohol, prostitution and elaborate celebrations. Kristof argued that this is why women should be empowered to make more financial decisions. He said he’s seen families whose children have died of malaria for lack of a $5 net, and yet the father spends $1.50 on alcohol 3x a week.

Kristof doesn’t want to just make people feel sorry for the people he writes about: he wants to spur them to action. Here were some areas where he said improvement would make a drastic different not only in the lives of the women they affect, but would have a ripple effect in helping the societies in which they live:

• End sexual slavery. Nearly 1 million women and girls a year are trafficked as sex slaves, and at least one reputable group estimates that there are 27 million people in bondage worldwide at this time.
• Improve female education. He said that when he’s talking to leaders of poor nations, he makes more headway on this issue by explaining that females are their country’s biggest untapped resource than by appealing to moral arguments.
• Improve maternal health. Today, a woman in Niger has a 1 in 7 lifetime chance of dying in childbirth. Women in many other countries don’t fare much better. A poor woman in a rural setting has two strikes against her, but there are techniques and practices which could be used to serve even these women better.
• Empower women financially. Micro-loans have been particularly successful in allowing women to not only provide for their family’s livelihood and education, but it’s allowed them to have more of a say in how the family money is spent.

If I were a journalist, I’d want to be like Kristof. But I’ve chosen a path where I can be around my family more, so I try to do my part by volunteering, creating websites for non-profits, and blogging.

Kristof was correct when he said that what makes us happiest is when we help others. It’s immensely satisfying to have a positive impact on the world. And Kristof definitely does.

If you’re interested in hearing Nicholas Kristof speak, he’ll be in Southern California for a bit longer. Here’s his schedule of events.

One in six adults has mental illness

Posted on 21. Oct, 2009 by kchristieh in health, startling statistics, videos

According to BringChange2Mind.org,

1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness.

It sounds high, but when I think about it, it rings true. Think of how many adults you know who take anti-depressants, and how many children you know who have ADD or autism. It’s very sad that so many people suffer from mental illness.

The goal of BringChange2Mind is to destigmatize mental illness. They’ve made a great series of ads that shows teams of people who care about each other, where one person has mental illness and the other doesn’t. Some are famous, like BringChange2Mind co-founder Glenn Close, who’s featured with her sister, who has a bipolar disorder. BringChange2Mind is also a resource for people with mental illness to find resources and support.

I hope these videos get lots of airplay. There are lots of misconceptions about and biases against people with mental illness. Everyone deserves love and respect.

When “music festival” really means “rave.” Plus, how I lost respect for the San Manuel Indian Nation.

Posted on 20. Oct, 2009 by kchristieh in health, music, parenting, startling statistics

The Sheriff’s Deputy that spoke at last Friday’s Red Ribbon Week PTSA meeting spoke fast, since he had lots of ground to cover. We learned the effects of various drugs on the body, we heard which ones are abused the most in our community, and we saw examples of how students hide drugs at school

One of the most fascinating things I learned was that “music festival” is often a euphemism for “rave.” The Deputy said that when kids say they’re going to a music festival, it usually means they’re going to a rave. He described raves as having loud music, flashing lights, casual sex and lots of drugs. (Here’s the Urban Dictionary definition of a rave.) He said they’re often held in convention centers, warehouses or the desert, and any security that’s there can either be bought off so they ignore the drugs or is just concerned about weapons, not drugs.

Here’s an example of a “music festival” this weekend: 2009 Cypress Hill Smokeout Festival. It’s being held at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, which is named for the San Manuel Indian Nation. The San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino is also a sponsor of SmokeOut, as are LA Weekly, MySpace and Jack in the Box. In case you have doubts that SmokeOut isn’t purely a music festival, here’s a screenshot of the homepage:

And don’t miss Saturday’s expert session: “For musicians, marijuana has long proved to be a source of creative inspiration. For listeners, music and marijuana is the perfect stoner cocktail. Smoke a joint, blunt or bong, and kick back and enjoy your favorite tunes.”

The Deputy also informed us that much of the marijuana consumed locally comes from legal medical dispensaries. He said that kids will go and tell a doctor (or should I put that in quotes?) that they have a headache or some other pain, and will be prescribed marijuana for it. They’ll then re-sell the marijuana at the school for a profit. If you’re not sure how this works, perhaps you can learn at the Medical Marijuana Expo at SmokeOut. Don’t worry about having difficulty finding a medical marijuana dispensary: this past Sunday’s NY Times article, “Los Angeles Prepares for Clash over Marijuana“, says that, “There are more marijuana stores here than public schools. Signs emblazoned with cannabis plants or green crosses sit next to dry cleaners, gas stations and restaurants.” For the record, I voted for legalizing marijuana for medical purposes here in California. I never imagined that it would be this unregulated, however, and that it could wind up in the hands of children.

Hopefully parents will understand what this really is before they let their kids attend. And if they do attend, hopefully they won’t drive while they’re high.

Why is Smirnoff targeting Facebook ads at 17-year-olds?

Posted on 02. Sep, 2009 by kchristieh in advertising, health, parenting, social networking, things that bug me

I was shocked yesterday when I passed by my 17-year-old daughter as she cruised Facebook and saw that she’d been targeted with the Smirnoff ad to the right. Facebook allows advertisers to target ads by age, location and many other variables, so why was it marketing liquor to someone under 21? As Facebook’s own state,

7. Inappropriate Targeting

Ads need to be targeted relevantly and appropriately. For example, a dating ad should be targeted to users over 18 who are listed as single.

The ad also showed up on my page, right below an ad to take courses at Biola. I think Smirnoff missed the boat on this one, and Facebook was asleep at the wheel. Or maybe they weren’t, and were just trying to make a buck. I complained, and hopefully they’ll be more prudent in the future. In the meantime, parents should unfortunately expect that ads such as this may show up on their kids’ pages, and should discuss with them why they’re inappropriate.

Do they actually think that a picture of a kid rudely sucking his spaghetti shows respect toward children unfortunate enough to have Type 2 diabetes? It’s hard enough to have that disease without having to deal with the stereotypes that this ad reinforces. I doubt they’ll get many clicks on this one.

Cheer someone up with a photo collage poster

Posted on 18. Aug, 2009 by kchristieh in health, shopping

Exercise is only part of the reason I try to get to Curves at 6:15 am most mornings. The other big reason is that I get to see my fellow early-rising amigas! Yesterday morning, Lisa P. gave me a few great ideas for what I could do for my sister-in-law who’s hospitalized in a far-off land. I took her up on one last night, and created a photo collage poster on Snapfish for our beloved patient. I loaded pictures of her relatives into a new Snapfish album, and kept reshuffling the images on the poster until the ones I wanted to show up larger were more prominent. Here’s the result:

I considered creating the poster on Shutterfly or Kodakgallery, but those sites had very stiff, confining layouts. I think this Snapfish poster looks much more creative and cohesive than the ones I would have created on the other sites.

Diane, if you happen to be seeing this, look for the real deal to arrive in a few days. It’s 16″ x 20″, so it should go a long way toward personalizing your hospital room and reminding you that there are lots of people who love you.

Over 60 Ways to Help a Sick Friend or Relative

Posted on 16. Aug, 2009 by kchristieh in health, religion

This weekend my husband’s youngest sister found out she has acute myeloid leukemia. She entered the hospital today, and if the doctors determine she’s up for it, she’ll start intensive chemotherapy tomorrow.

Unfortunately, she lives halfway across the country. We’re praying a lot for her, but we’d like to find more ways to help and support her. I’m not an expert in these matters, so I turned to Google and compiled the following list of ways to help a friend or relative who’s sick:

• Be supportive without expecting anything in return. In particular, don’t burden them with your problems.
• Listen more than you talk.
• Don’t judge them because of their illness. Have compassion.
• Don’t try to take over their life.
• Keep in touch, even via phone.
• Send notes and cards frequently.
• Allow the person to be scared, and to cry.
• Keep your emotions under control. You don’t want to add to their burden by making them worrry about how you’re handling their situation.
• If you talk for a long time and they’re in the right state of mind, share stories from your life, so that they can stay in touch with the outside world and have news to pass on to others.
• Take pictures or videos of family or social events they can’t attend.
• Learn more about the patient’s illness or disease so you can understand what they’re talking about.
• Offer to create and maintain a page on CaringBridge or CarePages that will help keep friends updated and will allow those friends to communicate their get well wishes on.
• Ask people who are in touch with the patient if they can think of anything you might be able to do.
• Offer to pray with the person, if that’s appropriate.
• Let the person complain about what their doctor has instructed them to do, but encourage them to follow the instructions.

If you can visit,

• Call first to see if you can come.
• Learn about the patient’s condition and about their illness before you visit.
• Wash your hands and sanitize them before you touch the patient or anything you plan to give to them.
• Don’t stay longer than 15-20 minutes.
• Avoid close contact so you don’t spread disease.
• Turn off your cellphone, or at least the ringer. Give your attention to the patient, not to your cellphone.
• Be willing to sit and listen. Even watch tv. Your mere presence will be appreciated.
• Ask to see what you can cook them for dinner. Bring it in disposable containers. Better yet, organize a calendar so that friends can make sure that food deliveries are spread out evenly.
• Offer to do specific tasks such as: minor home repairs, care for pets, mow the lawn, drive the kids, wash windows, buy groceries, help set up for the holidays, buy birthday gifts, etc.
• Ask the patient and their family “What needs to be done?” instead of “What can I do?” They might not realize the extent of your capabilities or connections to others who may help.
• Tell them when you’re available to help. If you say you’re available on Tuesday morning, for example, they might ask you to pick up a prescription that’s ready then.
• Offer to read to the patient.
• Patients interviewed on various websites mentioned that they appreciated when someone brought perfume, a coloring book and crayons (from a granddaughter), music, magazines, knitting supplies, candy, flowers, books, lotion, Chapstick, gum, socks, t-shirt, phone card, a notebook, and non-hospital food. Of course, make sure it’s ok for the patient to have something before you bring it.
• Offer to give the patient a manicure, a pedicure or a massage.
• Bring healthy snacks and non-alcoholic, caffeine-free beverages.
• If they’re not allowed outside, bring them fall leaves, winter snow or spring flowers.
• If they can go out, take them for a ride.
• Ask them if there’s anyone that you can contact for them.
• Give them frozen cookies or brownies that they can either eat when they’re feeling better or that they can offer to guests.
• Let them know they look great, all things considered.
• Let them know you admire their strength.
• Offer to write thank you notes and cards.
• Give the person a chance to discuss their spiritual concern by saying something like, “It’s difficult to be sick and not have control, isn’t it?”
• Offer a shoulder to lean on if the person needs to walk as either exercise or to visit the lavatory.
• If it’s appropriate, bring humor and a light mood to them. Laughter can be a terrific medicine.

If you visit them in the hospital,

• Speak to the nurses first to prepare yourself for the condition they’ll be in, and to see if there are any special instructions regarding what you can bring into their room.
• If the door is closed, check with the nurse before you open it.
• Don’t wake a sleeping patient before checking with a nurse first. It’s probably best if you wait until they wake up or if you leave a note and visit later.
• Give them privacy. If they’re being attended to by doctors or nurses, you should probably leave the room.
• Show respect for the doctors and nurses, no matter what your past experience has been.
• If the room is crowded, it’s probably best to come back another time.
• Sit down in a chair.
• Offer to refill the water pitcher, answer the telephone, or call a nurse if necessary.
• Ask doctors and nurses to explain things you don’t understand. Have faith in them.

Here’s a list of what NOT to do:

• Don’t ask them how they’re doing. This one puzzled me, but the explanation that Associated Content gave makes sense: “You already know how they are. They’re in the hospital and don’t need the extra frustration of having to answer a question that has an obvious answer. People naturally use the phrase “how are you” to start a conversation. Using that phrase when we know what the answer is going to be can be annoying and aggravating for someone who is ill. Also remember that the majority of people in the hospital are usually being administered pain medications. The effects of these medications alone are enough to irritate someone.”
• Don’t offer unsolicited medical advice. Of course, if they ask your opinion, give it. But be aware that they’ve already got medical professionals advising them, and what works for you or someone else you know might not work for them.
• Don’t second-guess the doctor.
• Don’t visit the patient or a hospital if you have symptoms of an illness that might be contagious.
• Don’t promise them that God will bring total healing.
• Don’t say “God wouldn’t give you something you can’t handle.” It makes it sound like the patient is being targeted with bad things by God.
• Don’t gossip or relay bad news.
• Don’t delve into their personal life.
• Don’t tell them you know how they feel. You probably don’t, and even if you do, who cares? It’s not about you, it’s about them. Just listen to them, and don’t be judgmental.
• Don’t visit if you’ll increase the patient’s stress or anxiety.
• Don’t expect the patient to entertain you. They should not be expected to keep you occupied.
• Don’t smoke, even if you step outside to do so. The lingering smell may make the person nauseous.

Remember, everyone’s different. Although the above suggestions may work for most people most of the time, remember that everyone’s personality and situation are different.

PS – If I’m ever really sick, please make sure I have a Kindle to read. Hopefully a hospital would allow it. I think that would be a great way to have books, magazines and newspapers without having to worry about the germs they might carry.

A healthy traveler is a happy traveler

Posted on 16. Jul, 2009 by kchristieh in health, travel

I don’t have fond memories of my trip to Madrid in 1985. I mostly remember doubling over in pain from a horrible stomachache that I probably got by drinking water with bacteria that my body wasn’t equipped to handle.

I’ve sworn to do all that I can to avoid that in the future, so that’s how I recently wound up at the Healthy Traveler Clinic in Pasadena, CA. Until I discovered them, I hadn’t realized that there’s actually a medical specialty of travel medicine. I was very impressed by the doctor, the staff and the office, and recommend Healthy Traveler to anyone traveling to an area where they might benefit from pre-trip vaccinations. My risk-aversion trumped my fear of shots, so I bravely submitted to three shots. The doctor also sent me home with chloroquine to prevent malaria and a prescription for an antibiotic that I should take at the first sign of another bad stomachache.

Hopefully I won’t need any of this, but at least I’m as prepared as possible. I have a sensitive stomach, lots of allergies, and am a mosquito magnet, so I figure I can’t be too careful.

If I do get sick, I wonder if a stuffed e. coli Giant Microbe would cheer me up. I don’t want to test it.

Pearls before swine flu

Posted on 01. May, 2009 by kchristieh in animals, health, my life, shopping

I’ve missed a few Etsy Fridays…so there’s no harm in pushing another retail establishment. One of my favorite birthday presents this year is a . He’s decked out with his own personal facemask, to protect him from swine flu. I was sick for most of this week (hence the absence of blog posts), so he was protecting himself. It worked! But he’ll probably keep it on until we’re no longer on emergency alert.

Pig is my favorite “Pearls Before Swine” character. His optimism and innocence remind me of myself. Here are a few recent examples:

One way to maintain that slim figure at a Mexican restaurant

Posted on 23. Apr, 2009 by kchristieh in art, food, health

What is art? I know it when I see it. And these tortilla chips at Los Gringos Locos this evening were diamonds in the rough, blank palettes awaiting their Michelangelo.

Remember: the more chips you repurpose, the less you’ll eat.

Unless you have extra guacamole.

Can you tell what these are? Of course you can!

Top 10 tips to get a good night’s sleep

Posted on 03. Apr, 2009 by kchristieh in health, shopping

I have not been sleeping enough lately. I know, I know: that’s bad. But I have so much to do, and I get so much more done after the rest of the world goes to bed. Hopefully this weekend I’ll get some good sleep.

Here are my secrets to a good night’s sleep. They’re all low-cost and drug-free. They may be silly, but they work for me.

1. Wear knit gloves if your hands get cold.
2. Always wear socks.
3. Wear pajama pants that don’t ride up your legs.
4. Put a heavy blanket on top of the bedspread.
5. Don’t let your dog or cat sleep on your bed.
6. When necessary, have a good pair of earplugs by your bedside. I’ve tested many, and by far the best are the generic CVS brand silicone earplugs.
7. Close all shades, curtains and doors to the room to block the light.
8. Make sure all alarm clocks are on their darkest setting and aren’t set to turn on. (Mostly a concern in a hotel room.)
9. Leave your cell phone and laptop in a different room, or at least on silent and upside down / closed so they won’t light up the room.
10. If you have the luxury of sleeping past sunrise, wear an eye mask.

Which brings us to this week’s Etsy Find! I have an excellent travel eye mask I purchased at Distant Lands many years ago. It has a molded bridge that goes over the nose, so no light sneaks up to the eyes.

But it sure is tempting to wear the hand made “FREAK Them Out Sleep Eye Mask FreakyOldWoman Nightmare FOW” sold by FreakyOldWoman on Etsy.

Freaky, huh? But check this out:

Eeeek! Maybe this mask could work by scaring off your snoring sleep partner.

Actually, it does look like it’s a nice size, and I like the thick elastic band that holds it on.

Can you imagine how much you’d scare your children if you wore this in front of them? They’d be scarred for life.

R.I.P. ReinChuck

Posted on 22. Mar, 2009 by kchristieh in animals, books, health, my life

My dog is still working on destroying the toys I bought from the post-Christmas clearance bin at Petco. This evening he finally made great progess on the ReinChuck. (or is it a WoodDeer?)

Isn’t it cute?

Uh-oh. Starting to see some innards on the outards…

Here’s what happens if you hold your finger over the flash. I like the night vision effect, as if I’ve found him doing this in the wild.

“Why are you holding my ReinChuck over your head?”

R.I.P. ReinChuck.  :(

“I’ll eat the brains tomorrow.”

Let’s hope he doesn’t eat the brains. I just read the chapter of that describes how eating squirrel brains can cause a form of mad cow disease.

I’m sure that if I grew up eating squirrel brains, I wouldn’t be bothered by this concept. But I didn’t, so I am. I can’t even imagine eating squirrels.

Clearly my dog can, however. I guess that’s why I haven’t seen a squirrel in our yard for a few months. They’re not stupid.

Do 2/3 of kids take Adderall to get better SAT scores?

Posted on 14. Mar, 2009 by kchristieh in education, health, startling statistics, things that bug me

A local teen who took today’s SAT took an informal survey of other kids and found that about 2/3 of them had taken Adderall or Ritalin before the test to help them focus and do better. Kids purchase the pills from their classmates who have ADD or other conditions for which it is prescribed. The pills are either consumed orally or crushed and snorted.

Someone should do a more scientific study to determine if this 2/3 figure is typical. In the meantime, parents and administrators should be aware that this is happening and inform kids and young adults about the downside of taking these drugs when they’re not prescribed and carefully monitored.

Here are some reasons NOT to take Adderall, Ritalin, or other ADD medications unless they’re prescribed for you:

• The more Adderall you take, the more likely your tolerance is to go up, so the more you’ll need each time to get the same results. (1)
• If usage continues and the dose escalates, there’s a risk of moving on to heavier drugs such as cocaine, especially if there’s a family history of substance abuse. (1)
• Adderall’s an amphetamine. Side effects may include: fast heartbeat, heat regulation, stomach pain, dizziness, sleep disorders, seizures, fainting, anxiety, paranoia, coma (1,2,3,5,8,9)
• Certain combinations of prescription drugs, especially when mixed with alcohol, can be lethal. (6)
• When you snort a pill that’s meant to be taken orally, you can get a day’s worth of medication in one second. (8)
  
• Distributing Adderall without a prescription is a violation of Federal law. (1)
• It is a felony to take and purchase prescription drugs without a valid prescription, to health-related problems. (7)
• It’s against the student code of conduct on most school campuses to possess prescription drugs without a valid prescription. (11)
• Students can form a psychological dependency upon the drug that causes them to lose faith in their own abilities. (10)
• It’s an unfair (temporary, dangerous) advantage over the kids who aren’t taking it. (my humble opinion)

I also wonder about the psychological effect. If you think that the only reason you’re doing well is because you’re taking the pills, your self-esteem may suffer and you may be inclined to keep taking them. And if you really can’t handle the university, the internship or the job without the pills, perhaps you shouldn’t be there.

What if these dangers could be mitigated by more fully-developed medications? How would taking these drugs differ from people consuming caffeine and getting more sleep? Some argue that eventually the medications might be able to be consumed by healthy people who want to enhance their performance. (4)

I’d feel sorry for the people who wouldn’t want to take drugs in order to perform. I hope we don’t come to that.

But perhaps we already have.   :(

Surprising fact of the day:

“The DEA estimates that the annual street value of diverted controlled drugs rivals that of cocaine and surpasses that of both marijuana and heroin.” (5)

Sources:

1. ADD & Abusing Adderall (Washingtonian.com)
2. The New Illicit Drugs: Kids Who Don’t Need Cognitive Enhancers Take Them Anyway (Hartford Courant)
3. Doctor: Player’s Death Could Be Drug-Related – Experts Say Max Gilpin Was Not Dehydrated (MSNBC)
4. Media Advisory: Stanford Podcast on Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs
5. Focus on: Adderall (The Colonnade)
6. Generation Rx: The new way to use and abuse (ParkRecord)
7. Amphetamine Ignorance (The Villanovan)
8. Over the counter and off the streets, Adderall use becoming more apparent with KSC students (The Keene Equinox)
9. Adderal Abuse with Students
10. Prescribed abuse As finals grow nearer, Adderall abuse among students is becoming a growing problem (The Xavier Newswire)
11. Academic steroids? Finals on Adderall (Binghampton University Pipe Dream)

Give to the octuplets…or don’t…but I guess we all are anyway

Posted on 13. Feb, 2009 by kchristieh in health, things that bug me

What’s your first reaction upon seeing that Nadya Suleman, mother of the recently-born octuplets, has set up a website soliciting donations?

Here’s my range of reactions, in the order that they occurred:

• Disgust, since a single woman with six children on public assistance should have never been encouraged to have fertility treatments, and this just looks like she’s looking for more attention and money for herself,
• Sympathy, for the sweet little babies who didn’t ask to be born to this woman,
• Curiosity, for how she got such a nice website up so quickly,
• Hope, that if she gets enough money, she’ll actually get psychological help for herself, since if she doesn’t help herself, she’ll never be able to handle these babies in her current state,
• Sadness, that besides any lasting effects from being born premature, these kids will always be known as one of the Octuplets, and that might not be a good thing.

I hope things work out well for the babies and for the mother, though it’ll be a tough uphill road. And I hope that the doctor who facilitated this is never permitted to do this again.

My much-appreciated care package

Posted on 11. Feb, 2009 by kchristieh in health, my life

My friend Tina saw on Facebook that I was sick, so she rushed over with the most marvelous care package: Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Tea, fresh Meyer lemons from her tree, and bear honey:

I think I had about 5 mugs of this today. It really helped, and I didn’t take a cough drop all day.
Thanks, Tina!

Here’s a tip that may save your life next time you have a prescription

Posted on 10. Feb, 2009 by kchristieh in health, my life

Did you know that many pharmacies include a description of the medication on the bottle and paperwork? I have a friend who found out the hard way: she couldn’t figure out why her young daughter’s medication wasn’t working the way it used to, and she finally looked at the bottle and it described a completely different pill than what her daughter had been taking. She had it checked out, and it turns out her daughter was taking a medication used to treat Parkinson’s Disease. Thankfully, she was taking it at a dose that wasn’t dangerous.

Not all pharmacies provide this service, so I switched to one that does. I’ve circled how it’s noted on a prescription I had filled yesterday:

I love the warning in the upper righthand corner: “Do not lie down for at least 30 minutes after taking this medication.” Yikes! What would happen if I did?

I wish I weren’t allergic to penicillin, or I might be able to take more standard medications that might work better. As it is, my doctor’s trying a second round of antibiotics to knock out the cough I’ve had since just after Thanksgiving.

Is it against your religion to donate your organs?

Posted on 29. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in health, inspirational people

NO! According to organdonor.gov, all organized religions not only allow, but ENCOURAGE organ donation!

I learned this because Tina, one of our local Girl Scouts, has mounted a campaign to sign up people to be organ donors for her Gold Award project. I think that’s a great idea. Here’s a quote from the email I just received from Tina:

A common misconception is that people who are brain dead can come back to life. This, in fact, has never happened before – brain death only lasts for up to 48 hours before a person is actually dead. Most people get this mixed up with comas. A coma is when a person has lost consciousness for an extended period of time, and a few people have actually awoken from them. However, brain death is when all blood flow is cut to the brain, an irreversible action. No one in a coma will ever be asked to give up their organs.

Also, this has nothing to do with scientific research. Your body will not be dissected or taken apart – all useful organs will be removed from the inside, but your outside will look exactly the same.

So, if you’re not already signed up to be an organ donor, visit Tina’s site at http://recyclemeplease.info/ and learn how to donate. It’s shocking how few people sign up to donate, but it’s amazing how many lives it could save.

If you or a loved one were in need of an organ, wouldn’t you wish more people were registered?

Would you ever or never believe a faith healer?

Posted on 18. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in disabilities, health, inspirational people, local news, my life, religion

This evening, three very dear, level-headed, grounded friends of mine arranged for a Catholic faith healer named Paul Miller to perform a service at our local community center. They had heard him before, and were so moved and so convinced that he’d change lives here that they flew him out from New Jersey to speak. They sent emails to friends they thought might be interested, and via word-of-mouth about 100 people attended.

When I received the email, I was pretty skeptical. I figured that I’d rather do just about anything than attend such a service, but I was curious about why these women whom I trusted would be so sure that this was true. Then I spoke to one of them in person the other day, and she told me about the first time she heard Paul speak. She said that when Paul laid hands upon her, she felt a “whoosh” pass through her body. That reminded me of what I sensed when my dog died. (I mean that only in a good way.) So, my curiosity was piqued enough to convince this Presbyterian gal gave up a Saturday night to hear a Franciscan faith healer.

I was impressed by Paul. He’s a very humble, sincere man. He spent about two hours telling his story, and it was clear that this was something he felt called to do, not something he had sought to do. As he related how he came to this healing ministry, he made it clear that he was just as skeptical at first as any of us listening. (Note: He NEVER asked for money, and there were no collection baskets or ways to even give money.)

After a short break, he laid hands upon people. This was way outside my comfort zone. Did you know that Presbyterians are sometimes called “the frozen chosen”? That perfectly describes me. I am not prone to emotional outbursts, speaking in tongues, waving hands, or dancing in the aisles at church. In fact, I don’t even like to clap to songs. These things embarrass me. Laying on of hands conjured up images of the old-time revival meetings run by charlatans that I’d seen in movies and tv shows. So, I was seriously hesitant about this whole thing. Even so, I was moved by what Paul had said, and didn’t want to be such a doubter that I’d never be open to a new way for God to communicate with me.

As I mentioned yesterday, I live in a town that’s small enough that I recognize lots of people. That was definitely true this evening. I probably knew half the people there, and nearly every person I knew went up front. I was amazed to see people that I think had just as many doubts as I did stiffen and fall after Paul prayed over them. When they got up, many of them were grinning ear to ear. I definitely felt something special in that room, and as a Christian I’d label it as the Holy Spirit.

It’ll be interesting to hear over the next few days, weeks and months about any healing that took place. Paul emphasized that he was there for both spiritual and physical healing, and that his true goal was to bring people closer to God.

That sounds good to me.

PS – I did go up front. It was very moving. No, I didn’t fall. (Since I know you’re curious!) But there are some things that are personal enough that I’d rather not blog about them. Thanks for understanding.

Can people smoke on the same Glendale, California restaurant patio where you’re eating?

Posted on 03. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in food, health, things that bug me

When we arrived at the BJ’s in Glendale, CA this evening, they offered our party of nine an immediate table on the patio or the option of waiting for an indoor table. We opted for the patio, since we were all hungry and there were little kids in our group that wouldn’t want to wait.

As soon as we were seated, a group of men from another table finished and stood up to smoke. One stood about 8′ from our table. I asked the server if she could kindly ask them to stand further away, and she said she’d get the manager. The manager wouldn’t ask them to move, but he did offer to put us at the first inside table big enough for us that opened up. We accepted, but a table didn’t open up until we were done with our main course. No one had mentioned that this was a smoking section before we were seated.

After these men left, another group came and started smoking. Thankfully, they stood further away, but it was still annoying. Here’s a picture:

Many thanks to Matt, who passed along this link to the Glendale municipal code concerning outdoor smoking patios at restaurants. Here are the sections which I think that BJ’s is violating:

• B.1: Must represent a separate and discrete area of the outdoor dining area;
• B.2. Must have a clearly marked boundary by using one (1) or more of the following means, including, but not limited to (long list, none of which were present);
• B.3. Must be identified by one (1) or more conspicuously posted signs;
• B.5.a.iii: At least twenty (20) feet away from an adjacent area or location— listed in Sections 8.52.040(A), 8.52.050, 8.52.060, 8.52.070, or 8.52.080 of this chapter— where smoking is prohibited;
• C. An employee, owner, manager, or person in charge or control of an outdoor dining area shall ask a patron, before seating that person, whether the patron prefers seating in a smoking or non-smoking part of the outdoor dining area.

Looks like I need to write a letter to the City of Glendale and/or BJ’s.

I’m getting over a cough, and smelling secondhand smoke doesn’t help.  :(

At any rate, we enjoyed watching the Glendale and Burbank Rose Parade floats drive by, and we all helped devour the pizookie (= pizza + cookie) that my kids ordered. I’ve been hearing about this dish for months.

Google knows when and where you’re sick

Posted on 12. Nov, 2008 by kchristieh in cool websites, health, my life, things that bug me

As much as I love the Minute Clinic at CVS, I struck out there yesterday. Besides the fact that they wouldn’t give my daughter a physical for her athletic clearance, they denied me a pneumonia shot because I’m 20 years too young. It didn’t matter that I informed them that I’ve had pneumonia twice, and that the last time I got a shot was at their store many years ago. They needed proof of my illness or of my shot, and I have neither. So, when I find the time and screw up my courage again, I’ll figure out where my doctor recently moved her office and see if she can help me. At least she takes my insurance.

If I do get sick this year, it probably won’t surprise Big Brother Google. Today’s NY Times details how Google has compared regional searches of certain terms like “flu symptoms” to Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports and found that they align nearly perfectly. Because Google knows its results instantly, and doesn’t require manpower to gather the data, this could prove to be a valuable tool in predicting the path of illnesses so that preventive measures can be taken.

Hopefully I won’t be a bad statistic this year.

The party of borrowing and spending is almost over

Posted on 20. Sep, 2008 by kchristieh in health, politics, startling statistics, things that bug me

I just got this breaking news alert from the NY Times:

Rescue Plan Seeks $700 Billion to Buy Bad Mortgages

The Bush administration is asking Congress to let the government buy $700 billion in troubled mortgages, according to a draft of the plan. The proposal would raise the statutory limit on the national debt to $11.3 trillion from $10.6 trillion.

How close are we to that statutory limit? According to the U.S. National Debt Clock, today we’re at $9.7 trillion. No wonder the Bush administration wants it raised. It’s a ticking time bomb.

Here’s a chart of the national debt on 9/20 of each year from data I obtained at TreasuryDirect.gov:

Over the past year, our national debt increased at a rate of $1.8 billion a day. At that rate, we’ll reach our current $10.6 trillion statutory limit on Feb. 8, 2010, and that doesn’t even include the $700 billion in troubled the mortgages the Bush administration wants to purchase.

What does this all mean? According to The Free Dictionary, the statutory debt limit is:

The cap that Congress imposes on the amount of public debt that may be outstanding whether temporary or permanent. When this limit is reached, the Treasury may not sell new debt issues until Congress raises the limit.

So the party’s almost over, folks. Batten down the hatches.

Why is this administration so eager to help out banks, but not help people without health insurance? Imagine what that money could do for the ailing!

Also, now I understand why the Republicans don’t consider themselves the party of taxing and spending. They’re the party of borrowing and spending.

My dog is gone

Posted on 08. Sep, 2008 by kchristieh in animals, health, my life

My dog’s health took a drastic turn for the worse this evening, and she could barely breathe. We took her to the emergency veterinary clinic, and they said that although they could try to make her more comfortable by keeping her there on an IV, they couldn’t actually make her better. Her heart was in bad shape. So, we made the difficult decision to put her down. I feel so bad about having to make that decision, but she was struggling so bad. Yesterday she was doing ok, so I got her groomed and bought 36 cans of dog food. At least she was clean and huggable today. I’ll give the dog food to my father-in-law’s dog.

I admit, I can’t stop crying. I miss her.

We got her 11.5 years ago from the Humane Society. She was somewhere between 3-5 years old then, so she lived a good, long life (at least the part after she arrived at our home). I’ve worked at home for the past 7.5 years, and she’s been at my side the whole time. I keep thinking I’ll look over at the couch and see her, but she’s not there. She was bright, loyal and complicated, and we loved her dearly. I’ve had a dog every day for the past 17.5 years, and I can’t imagine what it’ll be like to wake up tomorrow and not need to feed her.

This might sound weird, but as I held her when the vet administered the final injection, I felt her spirit leave the room. It was really strange. I don’t know. Anyway, I hope she gets to meet all her puppies who didn’t survive, and see her parents, and our old dog.

My daughter wants us to buy the DVD for “All Dogs Go To Heaven.” I will. I believe it.

When a big heart is actually a bad thing

Posted on 27. Aug, 2008 by kchristieh in animals, health, my life

When I adopted my sweet dog 11.5 years ago from the Humane Society, she was sick as a…dog. She had just given birth to a litter of puppies (none of whom survived), she had giardia and an inflamed uterus, and she was about 20% under her ideal weight. She was in really bad shape. But she captured our hearts, and we nursed her back to health. Until today, we thought she was the healthiest 15-16 year old dog in town.

We were wrong. She was having a hard time breathing today, so my daughter and I took her to the vet. The vet says that she has congestive heart failure, and an extremely large heart. She gave her an injection of Lasix, and sent us home with some pills. So far, the drugs are working, but it’s just a matter of time until they don’t.

We lost our last dog to cancer. It was a long and painful process, and since I thought I was going to make some substantial money from eToys at the time (I didn’t), I actually paid for her to have radiation. It bought her a few more months, but they weren’t very pleasant.

I’m not sure how much I should spend on this dog. I’ll cross each bridge when I come to it. I know the money could be better spent on humans in third-world countries, but I have an ethical obligation to take care of this wonderful creature who has showered us with so much love.

At least she’s not a chimpanzee actor.

Two new websites launched: Majestic Rubber Mulch & Moisture Register

Posted on 22. Aug, 2008 by kchristieh in health, my life, work

I love my kids, and have had a great time spending lots of time with them this summer, but it’ll be much easier to get work done when they go back to school. I’m busier than ever this year, and my work doesn’t slow down in the summer. I’m a little behind, but I somehow managed to launch another site today. Majestic Rubber Mulch recycles old rubber tires into playground and landscape mulch, tiles, pavers, mats and more.

I really like this site. I can’t wait until I’m given more content to fill in on the “Coming soon!” pages.

Donate blood platelets NOW!

Posted on 20. Jul, 2008 by kchristieh in health

When my son was in elementary school, one of the boys in his boy scout den was diagnosed with cancer. I rallied the troops and got lots of people to donate blood for him at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. I’ve always had a problem with needles, but I really wanted to donate, so I went too. Big mistake. I nearly fainted, and the head of the blood department came up to me and looked me in the eye and said, “I never want to see you here again.” I promised him that instead of donating, I’d get other people to donate.

It’s that time.

Chase Crawford-Quickel was recently profiled in the July 14th LA Times story, A mother blogs about cancer. Chase is an Orange County 18-year-old who thought that he’d beaten cancer several years ago, only to have it return. His mother’s blog says that yesterday’s surgery was delayed because Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) didn’t have enough platelets for Chase. Eventually they operated, even though Chase didn’t have as many platelets as the doctors wanted.

So here’s what you should do today:

1. If you live in Orange County, go to CHOC and donate platelets. There’s a 99% chance you’re not a wimp like me, and this simple act could save a life. Literally. Please designate that Chase receive the platelets, but of course, anyone would appreciate them.
2. If you don’t live in the OC, visit your nearest hospital or Red Cross facility and donate blood or platelets. Again, what could be more meaningful than saving a life?
3. If you haven’t already done so, register for the National Marrow Donor Program. It’s simple, and doesn’t even require poking. I’m registered. If I can do it, you can too.

Do it. Let me know. I’ll give you a virtual pat on the back.

Down Syndrome speaker becomes Big Man on Campus

Posted on 10. Jun, 2008 by kchristieh in disabilities, education, health

For the third year in a row, I arranged for my website clients from the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles to speak to 7th grade science classes today. DSALA’s executive director, Gail Williamson, and her son Blair, who is an actor and has Down Syndrome, told the kids what it means to have Down Syndrome, and shared clips of movies and tv shows Blair has acted in. They stayed the whole day, and spoke to five different classes.

Gail says that 95% of women in Southern California who learn they are pregnant with a Down Syndrome child choose to abort it. It’s no wonder that hardly any of the students who heard today’s presentations know anyone with Down Syndrome. Hopefully they learned that a person with Down Syndrome can lead an enjoyable and rewarding life.

Here’s a picture of Blair with some of the students. Many kids stayed after each class to get Blair’s autograph and have him sign their yearbooks. They even stopped him in the hallway and leaned off the balconies shouting his name.

I think he needs a star on the sidewalk out front.