If I Can Get Through This

If I Can Get Through This: Airport Pat Downs: 4 groups that May Want to Opt f...

2012-02-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

If I Can Get Through This: Airport Pat Downs: 4 groups that May Want to Opt f...: New rules at the airport are a concern for many of us. We have questions like: Is the dose of radiation we receive safe? Are the fig...

The Funny Side of Life: 10 Commandments for Urinal Etiquette

2012-02-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

The Funny Side of Life: 10 Commandments for Urinal Etiquette: Warning: Some may find this post offensive. I am delighted to have a guest blogger this blog. See Nicole's bio at end of post. Having ...

The Funny Side of Life: 10 Commandments for Urinal Etiquette

2012-02-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

The Funny Side of Life: 10 Commandments for Urinal Etiquette: Warning: Some may find this post offensive. I am delighted to have a guest blogger this blog. See Nicole's bio at end of post. Having ...

The Funny Side of Life: Pet Ownership

2012-02-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

The Funny Side of Life: Pet Ownership: Statistics show us that about 60 percent of American households have at least one pet. That’s the majority. That leaves 40 percent of people...

The Funny Side of Life: 10 Commandments for Urinal Etiquette

2012-02-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

The Funny Side of Life: 10 Commandments for Urinal Etiquette: Warning: Some may find this post offensive. I am delighted to have a guest blogger this blog. See Nicole's bio at end of post. Having ...

Airport Pat Downs: 4 groups that May Want to Opt for them at the Airport

2012-01-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

New rules at the airport are a concern for many of us. We have questions like: Is the dose of radiation we receive safe? Are the figures the government used to conclude that the radiation is safe, accurate? If the radiation is safe, why can’t the public see the formula and the dosage we are truly receiving? Does anyone really know how much it is? Are the radiation statistics Homeland Security is using based on 365 days instead of one dose?

We all know, things go wrong with mechanical objects and when they omit radiation, it can have disastrous consequences. No one can guarantee that any one of the machines on any given day will not omit more radiation than it did that day before. There is no measuring device on the equipment to see if the dosage is accurate or if something has gone haywire. We all know that machines at the airports are not maintained on a routine schedule and since these machines are new, airports probably don’t have quality personnel on staff to deal with issues…they will have to call in the experts and that could take weeks. What about the “frequent flyers” and the dose they endure? Is that still considered safe going through the radiation 2-3 times a week? What about the TSA personnel? Are they safe standing there for their shift?

We all want to live a long healthy life and of course that includes being safe while traveling. Are the rules for traveling worth the cost of having damaged cells that mutate and cause health problems? Will government once again, in the future, as it has in the past, deny any wrong doing when people start having issues with their eyes, head/brain, or shoulders due to the radiation dose?

You weigh in on this.

The federal government claims that the radiation doses are safe and continues to share that it is a low dose of radiation. Their findings are based on information for 365 days, not one day and one person. We have many instances in our past as a nation, when the government has claimed that something was safe, including doses of radiation and we later that the information is incorrect. Who can blame us for being suspicious?

Just to keep yourself safe, here are four groups of people that should think seriously about opting for the pat down:

1. People that have previously had cancer or are recovering from cancer.

2. If you are age 55 or older – as we age, we need all the cells we have to be healthy. We are at risk for many things and over a lifetime, we have been exposed to much more radiation than we realize especially if we have had health problems.

3. If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant. Why start a child’s life with this issue or take the chance of a birth defect that could have been prevented?

4. Frequent flyers – two words, cumulative radiation.

In an article by Alison Young for the USA Today on December 6, 2010

Not all of the TSA's new full-body scanners use X-rays to see through passengers' clothing. Of 412 full-body scanners deployed so far, 191 at 30 airports use a different technology called millimeter wave that uses electromagnetic waves instead of ionizing radiation. Read the entire article here…(http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-12-06-tsa-xray-inside_N.htm)

What does that mean? What it really means is that the government wants us to believe the electromagnetic waves are safer than the radiation from full-body scanners. The waves are on a different scale, yes, but less harmful, I hardly think so. Some machines are using ionizing radiation which is proven to cause DNA damage and cancer. Is the government trying to tell us that radiation has become safe? Many people are not buying it!

I hope you are one of them. The 1998 study claims there are only 100 cases of cancer caused from radiation a year. Will you be one of them this year?

We so rarely feel in charge of our own lives these days. Opting out of the airport scanners is your chance to be in charge of your present and future health. Take the opportunity to “opt out” and live better and longer for it.

I’m sure you have seen the videos on YouTube that have horror stories on the experiences of people with the pat down process. I have used the process many times myself at DIA and Buffalo airports. I have never had a bad experience. I guess I have been lucky. It may help that others have gone before me and endured the humiliation of a pat-down experience and that TSA has become friendlier with this process.

The Bigger Question

Here is the bigger question for all of us. Are the machines actually making travel safer? How many incidents have been “prevented” since September 2001? A conservatively estimated of 1.5 million people travel by plane each day. How many incidents are being prevented? Is the cost of our health worth traveling? Will employers put this in their health plans as being covered? I hardly think so. You will be on your own. Will these machines actually help prevent any issues for the airports or for travelers? It seems that as passengers, we have been inconvenienced to the max over something that happened 11 years ago and each year the government is making our travel life more and more inconvenient, not safer. Tickets haven’t gotten any cheaper and baggage fees are outrageous. Now, we are being forced to endure radiation or a pat down in order to get on a plane? Travel has become an episode of Fear Factor instead of part of the life we dreamed for ourselves.

How many more travel changes will we endure under the umbrella of safety?

Europe has finally taken a stand on the issue and in November 2010 banned the use of the scanners we use in U.S. airports. Good for them! Accepting blindly without any evidence that these machines are safe can be deadly to you and your loved ones.

The One Food Group That Can Eliminate Estrogen

2011-12-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

We hear a lot about the benefits of estrogen these days. For many, estrogen can be a life saver. For others that have had estrogen based cancer it is a nightmare. The cancer feeds on estrogen and we need to block the estrogen in our bodies or take a pill for five years according to the medical community.

If you are like me, I hate taking pills, even supplements. I take what my body needs because I have a missing a glutathione gene. That is the gene that your body uses to eliminate toxins. We all know how important that is. When I checked the cost of taking a daily pill at the cost of $40,000 for five years, I knew I had to find another answer. When I found out I had breast cancer I was on a mission to find natural ways to eliminate estrogen in my body.

After some extensive anatomy and digestion lessons, I found a simple way to keep my estrogen in check without the high cost of prescription medication. In fact, the cost is so small; I didn’t believe it at first. After checking with a many nutritionists as well as Naturopath doctors across the country who confirmed the statement, I just had to share the information. It was established that this unbelievably cheap food does indeed block estrogen.

What is this food?

Beans. Fiber eliminates estrogen. It doesn’t matter what type of beans. One cup daily will do the trick.

I couldn’t believe it either… but it is true.

What is the cost of beans? Less than five dollars for a month’s worth. Amazing stuff!

Eat one cup daily and you will eliminate the estrogen in your body naturally and save yourself about 35K over a five year period on the prescription pills that have a list of undesired side effects.

What other foods are high in fiber?

I’m glad you asked. It turns out that most of our spices are packed with fiber and if you use spices to flavor your food, you are doing more for your body than delighting your taste buds. Spices have the highest fiber content, pound for pound than any other food. They are also a great source of antioxidants. So, spice it up!

Another great food for fiber is flaxseeds. These can be mixed with just about anything you like. The new craze is chia seeds. They are a little different once they are put in moisture but they go down easy. I suggest you introduce them slowly until you acquire a taste for them.

Are you a pasta lover? Some people just can’t give up their pasta. Here is a great reason to continue eating pasta and some really great news. In your health food store or online you will find a brand, FiberGourmet that actually tastes great and has18 grams of fiber in a serving. Now pasta is better for you than oatmeal. What a great time to put pasta back in your diet if you have eliminated it.

Conventional Medicine May Not Be Your Answer

2011-11-14T16:40:00.002-07:00

Many cancer patients regret not doing their own research prior to the removal of a part of their body. I urge you to take the time to read, research, and talk with others that can help open your mind to other possibilities. Many cancer survivors may have opted for the non-conventional methods of dealing with the cancer prognosis. if given the information to decide.

All drugs are toxic to your body. While your body is trying to fight off a disease, do you really want to give your body more toxins to contend with? There is nothing in your body that is a drug but there is plenty of evidence that a drug is toxic to your body.

Cancer is grossly mistreated by the medical community, insurance companies and the United States government.

It is no secret that the medical community treats disease symptoms, not the disease itself. The current status quo is that when a diagnosis is given, the cancer needs to be cut out. Most people go the same route because that is what the medical community tells cancer patients. There are no options when you talk with medical doctors. Even the insurance companies only allow the same treatment for each patient. Is it any wonder that over 50% of the cancer patients suffer with depression after their diagnosis of cancer?

There are many options your doctor probably doesn’t know about. Ask other doctors, such as a naturopath for their opinions, ask forums or cancer patients, but get your answers.

Many people have bought into that notion that there are only the medical options for decades. I am not one of them. I chose life on my own terms! Thankfully, the number of people that chose non-medical alternatives is growing.

In the year 1992, 220,000 people died of cancer. Twenty five years later the government threw 39 billion dollars at cancer, for research. In 1996, 560,000 people died of cancer. Twice as many people as in 1972. Is the cancer cell getting smarter or are we wasting money on a cure that already exists?

Lots of people are still dying from the disease. Yes, we have a lot more survivors but ask them how many times they have had reoccurrences and 50% of them will say at least once within five years. Is surgery and radiation the only answer? I say, NO.

Cancer can be managed and sometimes reversed with organic foods and highly concentrated juices. If you have not heard of the Gerson Therapy, The Bruzinski Clinic, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, or any of the doctors that may be “controversial” to the medical community, you owe it to yourself to check them out. Your answers may be different from mine. Do what works for you. For me, a naturopath doctor that happened to specialize in nutrition was my choice. When diagnosed with cancer, just know that the medical community is not your only avenue. You owe it to yourself to check out a variety of avenues. The Gerson Therapy has been available since 1928 but very few cancer patients hear about it. It is a huge commitment to your own health but you owe it to yourself to check it out.

The medical community does not give patients a choice in the matter. If you are going to beat the disease, you have to take the responsibility. It is not for everyone, but it was for me. Taking responsibility is a tough pill to swallow for most patients but I have never gone for “status quo” in anything I have done and when it comes to the fight of and for my life, I will give it my all once again. I knew what I had to do and chose not to go under the knife, have radiation and pray for a cure that wasn’t coming.

For many people, it is much easier to go to a surgeon, have a breast(s) removed and go through radiation treatments then chemotherapy and pray the cancer doesn’t come back. That is certainly a choice many have chosen but what if they were given another choice? What if the first steps were nutrition and psychiatric therapies instead of an appointment with a surgeon? Would these people still have their body parts intact and still have a good life? Would they never have to worry about cancer again?

There are many that believe the body can heal itself if given the right nutrients. I am one of those. You may be also if you are reading this blog.

I will be the first person to admit that it is really tough to find alternative medicine people, but they do exist. The search is worth the time. I happen to find a naturopath doctor myself that specializes in nutrition. I also spend a tremendous amount of time reading books, researching on the web (credible websites) and I have also learned to open my mind to more than just what the medical community had to offer me as a cancer patient.

Cancer is a Money Making Industry

2011-11-12T20:21:00.001-07:00

No one likes to hear this but it is important you read and understandthis blatant fact. Cancer is atwo-hundred billion dollar industry. Yes, an industry. Do you reallythink the government or medical community wants to put an end to that kind ofmoney? Not really.

Now days, we provide excuses for the doctors…”they weren’ttrained for anything but surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.” That is all they know. I am ashamed to agree with that statement inpart. That is all they have been trainedto do with cancer BUT unless they have been living under a rock, they areexposed to the same information we are on the Internet. WHY wouldn’t we ask them about it?

When you are given the cancer news, what were your choices? Probably the same as the thousands of peoplebefore you that heard the same words…”You have cancer.” We are told that our only hope is Drugs,Surgery, Radiation or Chemotherapy or some combination of these. There is no mention of alternatives. I would have been happy and thrilled with anutritionist and/or a psychiatrist myself but the point is, there was no mentionof alternatives to surgery and radiation. Therapies that could really help you sort outyour thoughts and feelings.

The medical community wants to hurry you through your own thoughts and feelings. We have been trained to think that cancer isalmost the worst thing in the world to hear when in fact, it is a wake-up call,not a death sentence. Being in a hurryis not exactly conducive to what you may need at the moment. You already have cancer and your chances ofsurvival aren’t based on time.

If you take the time to really think about what this meansto you (not everyone else)…you are more likely to come to a conclusion you canlive with –one that is right for you. Iknow this is a scary time but rushing through the process is not going to helpyou. Slow down and take time to makedecisions about what you want to do. This is CRUCIAL!

Many cancer patients regret not doing lots of their ownresearch prior to the removal of a part of their body. Don't be one of them. I urge you to take the time to read,research, and talk with others. Open your mind to otherpossibilities.

No Matter How You Look at Cancer

2011-11-11T17:23:00.002-07:00

Cancer Sucks!

We all hate it. We all fear it. We all want it to disappear from the face of the earth. Instead, it continues to take over our lives like a brushfire takes over a dry field.

Here is one songwriter's view on the subject.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxeMpkw8FPw&feature=youtube_gdata_player