Pancratic Cancer and the Death of Sally Ride

Remembering Sally Ride

This week, America morns the death of Sally Ride.  In case you haven’t heard of sally Ride before, you should know that she was a role model and hero to many young girls and women everywhere.  Sally worked as an educator and a physicist.  But what made her life so exceptional, was because in 1983 she boarded the space shuttle Challenger, (the challenger’s launch ended in disaster in 1986) and became the first American woman to travel into space.

 

Sally Ride 1951-20012

The cause of Sally Ride’s death is contributed to pancreatic cancer.   Unfortunately, medical science has not found a way to detect pancreatic cancer while it is in the early stage.  That makes treatment practically nonexistent during the time when treatment is crucial.  Because of this fact, most people who find out that they have pancreatic cancer, unfortunately will usually  have only about 6 short months to live.

This is because when it is discovered, it has progressed to other areas on the body, making it impossible to successfully treat or cure.

Possible risk factors concerning pancreatic cancer are:

• Genetics tendency. It is believed that 5% to 10% of people with pancreatic cancer  also have an immediate family member who suffered with this disease.  This seems to hold true, although there has been no pancreatic gene discovered.
• Diabetes.  People with diabetes are not necessarily more likely to get pancreatic cancer but the two have been linked.
• Smoking. Cigarette smoking is another risk factor for pancreatic cancer.  However 10 years after a person quits smoking, the risk diminishes  to that of someone who never smoked.
• Obesity and inactivity.  In a medical study conducted with a group of nurses, Those who are obese and inactive are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. And those who were more active were also far less likely to get pancreatic cancer, when compared to those who did not exercise at all.
• Diet.  A diet high in fat and meat is another risk factor for pancreatic cancer.   A diet rich in fruits and veggies has shown to decrease the risk of pancreatic cancer.   But there are  other studies that suggest that the diet is no risk factor for pancreatic cancer at all.  Personally, I’d rather avoid any possible risk by eating a healthy diet.
• Lycopene and selenium.  According to studies, low levels of these nutrients have been detected in people who developed pancreatic cancer. Although that is not enough proof alone that low levels of these nutrients cause pancreatic cancer. A diet that rich with lean meat and red and/or yellow vegetables should provide sustaining levels of  lycopene and selenium.

As you can determine from what I’ve written as a result of my research, the chances for developing pancreatic cancer perhaps is not fully known.  But we should treat our bodies with love and respect.  Eat a  healthy diet,  maintain a healthy body weight, and exercise regularly to preserve our overall health; then we will reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer and other health problems.

Healthy trails to you.

Carolyn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forgiveness

“The first to apologies is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest.”
sri sri Ravi Shankar

Does forgiveness come easily for you? I know forgiveness is a hard subject for some people. When you’ve been defrauded, or taken advantage of in some way, forgiveness may not be in the vocabulary of words that may jump out at you initially. And this is understandingly so.

It is difficult to forgive someone who has stolen your money, told lies on you, or have literally used you as a front for something evil they were doing. I suppose in theory, a person has a right to be bitter. But forgiveness is so much easier on the heart and mind than anger and vengeance.

Those emotions could be all too consuming and distracting.
Why forgiveness is easier on the heart and mind you might ask? One reason that jumps out at me right away is because you will have a lot less stress in your life.

You can rest easier and return to your normal life faster. Anger and resentment is hard on the body. By that I mean it builds up stress. Stress presents a negative cycle of events. It leads to high blood pressure; high blood pressure can lead to a stroke or heart attack; This can all lead to a substandard quality of life or even death.

Also, prolonged anger could be harmful in your relationships with others. You may not smile as much, or you may monopolize your conversations with how you were victimized by that crook or assailant. People are generally sympathetic and supportive, but they usually don’t want to hear the same bad news every single day.

I don’t believe anyone would want to live their life with pent up anger. It’s not worth it.

If you’ve been victimized by someone, think about what happened that led to you being victimized, and learn from that experience. You don’t have to be friends with the person; in fact, this may not be a wise thing to do anyway. But let go of the anger so you can get on with your life and heal emotionally.

Forgiveness is the first step in that direction.
Healthy trails to you.
Carolyn

5 Things You Should Know When Caring for Your Aging Parent

I’ve been stressed out a little more than usual lately with the responsibilities I have in taking care of my sick mom.   So I decided to re-blog this article I wrote some time ago.  The research I did to write this article was helpful to me and I hope others will benefit from this also. 

Most people look forward to going through the middle ages and becoming a senior citizen. Usually at that time, all the hard work it took to raise their family is now behind them. Most of their children have graduated from college by now, and have landed a job befitting of supporting themselves independently. Or in some cases, some of the ‘children’ have even gotten married and have started their own families. This is a time that the near senior citizen has looked forward to; especially when they are in good health. Most are about to retire, if they haven’t already. Now would be the time to go on those vacation cruises and spend a little more money without feeling guilty because of obligations to the children. Right? Well, not necessarily. Often when people reach middle age and older, they may be surprised to learn that their responsibilities have increased dramatically.

According to a USA Today Gallup poll of baby boomers, 41% of the ones who have living parents are providing some sort of care to them. And some have moved their parents into their homes with them. Also according to USA Today, approximately 34 million Americans serve as unpaid caregivers to other adults. 89% of those surveyed referred to this as only a minor sacrifice. However, as the parents condition worsens, the sacrifice and demands becomes greater. According to the AARP, the average caregiver is a 46 year old female who is still working outside of her home. In light of these statistics, I thought I would share with you some helpful tips to consider if you need to take care of your frail

 1- Seek helpful advice. Taking care of your aging parent can take a toll on the average person., both physically and emotionally. Before you get too overwhelmed with the physical aspects of the care, you should get advice on the best way to go. Talk to your parent’s physician regarding how to go about getting help. Some physicians have staff in their office that can put you in touch with a local service that may help you get care for your aging parent. Also you can try calling the Elder Care Locator, sponsored by the federal government. It will provide you with additional referrals that are geared to help you. The number to call for the Elder Care Locator is 800-677-1116.

 2- Solicit family help- When there are siblings involved, if at all possible, have a family meeting. Discuss what your parents are in need of and decide on an action plan and divide the responsibilities. This will prevent any one person from being too over burdened. Perhaps there are three siblings; one can be responsible for buying the food and supplies for your parents household. Another can be responsible for making the medical appointments and following them through. And the third sibling can help out with the personal care and house hold chores. The personal care alone can be a big burden by itself.  If money is an issue, hopefully you will receive help from one of the community resource services for elder-care. Soliciting family help may be practical but not always workable. Many siblings are spread across the country as adults, so this plan will not be doable.  In that case you will probably need to have someone to either live in the home with your parents or have someone to go there every day to provide the needed assistance.  Siblings have been known to alternate the time flying in to spend time with their aging parents.

3- In-house facility placement– You may have to make the hard decision of placing your parents in a nursing home or in an assistant living facility. A nursing home facility offers long term care with total personal care 24 hours a day. If this is what you decide to do, hopefully you will be lucky enough to find a suitable home of your choosing close to you. But this may not always be the case. You should do a little checking on the nursing homes available (use a nursing home review service) before deciding on the one you want. Even if you have to drive a little longer for a visit, if the home lives up to your expectations, then it will all be worth it.

An assistant living facility is similar to a nursing home, but is different in the type of service provided. The patient will usually have an individual apartment unit to live in. However, there are room-mates available in most cases. An assistant living facility will provide all the basic needs, but most will require that the aging adult is able to function at a higher level than the nursing patients. Most can still bathe themselves and feed themselves independently. They are ambulatory and can participate in activities sponsored by the facility, including swimming and dancing. However, the individual finds it difficult to live independently.  This includes shopping for food and supplies at home, or running a home in general.

 4- Support groups- To help you through the difficulty of caring for your aging parents, join a support group. Joining a support group is very valuable in many ways. A support group such as ‘Children of Aging Parents’, will not only provide you with emotional support, but will even suggest more community resources that you may not be aware of. The support group is designed to help each other by sharing experiences and ideas.

5- Get respite care- If you are the one providing the soul care to your frail and aging parent, you should get respite care. In other words you need to take breaks from time to time. Taking care of your aging parent can be very demanding and emotionally distressing. It is advisable that you take as many breaks as you can. After you have taken care of your elderly parent, forget about the dishes in the dishwasher for a moment. It is time for you to take a break. Go set on the porch or patio and relax for awhile. Listen to some nice music, dive back into that great book you were reading. Your parents may even qualify for respite care service from Elder Care. Call the Elder Care Locator (800-677-1116) and ask about a respite care service in your community. There are some agencies that may be able to provide this service free of charge if you qualify. However, it would be worth it to pay someone for a couple of hours daily to provide you with this service. There may be a trusted neighbor or friend who could do this for you. During that time you should leave the house if possible, and do something for yourself.

 These are the suggestions I think will be most helpful for you if you have the responsibility of caring for your aging parent. I believe if you were to apply these suggestions, the care and responsibility of your parent will be far less stressful.

Healthy trails to you

Carolyn

i’m rich

Turn your shortcomings into accomplishments

I dream of painting, then I paint my dreams

Vicente Van Gogh

Vicente Van Gogh

So what’s a shortcoming you may have, and you’ve been dreaming about correcting, but yet to have any real success? If you are like many others I come in contact with, you have allowed your ambitions to sit on a back shelf…indefinitely. The hurdles you want to cross may seem to be unapproachable at times. I know life happens, like the time you could barely get anything accomplished because you had a sick kid home from school all week; and your spouse’s job was eliminated when the company was relocated. So how are you suppose to keep motivated when one problem after another hinders your chances for success?
Perhaps no one has the perfect answer, but my bet is that keeping one’s focus has a lot to do with it. Take a look at this video and be motivated once again.

You are never too old to see another goal or to dream another dream

C.S. Lewis

Set goals. Plan goals over a long term, but make multiple short term goals. For instance, a goal to lose 100 pounds (I know this sounds like a lot of weight but never-the-less it is a reality for a lot of people) should include a vision of what life will be like after the weight loss. However, don’t focus on the full amount of weight needed to be lost. Since many people think that such a large weight loss is almost impossible for them, a goal of 100 pounds weight loss could be discouraging. My plan would be to focus on simple small steps to achieve the long term result. “I will lose 10 pounds by the end of 30 days” is a goal that will be easier to achieve. Smaller steps will help to maintain focus and will reverse many shortcomings.

In closing, I want to share with you one verse of a poem I wrote a few years ago entitled:
‘Show Up‘.
I know you want good health and prosperity;
Or perhaps just to lose a little more weight.
But if you keep showing up with a positive attitude
Your quest for change will eventually be your new fate.

Healthy trails to you
Carolyn

Tips for Diabetics to Live By

Photo from rishikajain.com

Since I am a diabetic (under good control), just thought I would share with you a few things most diabetics should do to keep healthy and active. Make your day ia good one.

1.Eat only the type of foods that are suggested by your physician and /or your nutritionist. Your meals should typically contain foods with low fat, low carbs, and no added sugars. Instead, try to maintain a healthy high fiber diet.
2.Be sure to consume all meals on time, and stick to the amount of calories aloud. Include healthy snacks for consumption during the day.
3. Test your blood sugar at the recommended times- (usually before the am, and pm meals)
4.Make sure medications are stored correctly, is not outdated, and is in an adequate supply.
5.If you take insulin injections, don’t throw uncapped needles into the garbage. It can lead to someone getting stuck by the needle accidentally.
6.Stay well hydrated. Remember: No sugary drinks, or over consumption of fruit juices. Drink more water and green tea.
7.Exercise regularly. This will help keep the blood sugar level in good control
8.Maintain your medical appointments as scheduled.

I hope this list is helpful to all diabetics. There is no reason for a diabetic not to live a long and productive life. Comply with the above suggestions, and anything else the physician suggest, and there should be very minimal consequences to your health.
Healthy trails to you.
Carolyn

Fruits

From rishikajain.com

Health Benefits of eating fruits like Pineapples, Cherries, Grapes, Bananas, Oranges, apples, lemon & watermelons

Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy, Live Happy

Happy Monday every body
Today’s post was recopied from rishikajain.com.
Enjoy your fruits today…nature’s natural desert.
Healthy trails to you.
Carolyn

Avoid the Germ Attack and Use Sanitary Wipes

Wash Our Hands

Since we are often in places where there are crowds of people, we need to be prepared for the germs that tend to surface. Germs can enter our systems unsuspectingly and cause havoc. When we find ourselves hanging out where many other people go…and this could be every single day, You can bet the farm that germs will be there too. Contact with bad bacteria can be avoided in most cases simply by using sanitary wipes.
For your convince, in the list below are places where you are subject to get germs upon contact that you may not otherwise suspect.

1.Restaurants: Research states that the dishrags used to clean the tables between customer use are loaded with e-coli and is used multiple times before it is disinfected again. It spreads a small film of e-coli onto the tables making the germs a potential for cross contamination.
Avoid the germ attack: Wipe the table with sanitary wipes before your meal arrives. Remember to include the booster chair or the high chair with the sanitary wipes cleansing as well. Also, wash your hands before and after your meal.

2.Public bathrooms: In a public bathroom, you may be surprised to know that most of the germs are not found on the toilet seat. According to the experts, the majority of the germs are found around the water faucet and the soap dispenser. People using the toilet transfer the germs when they go to wash their hands. These areas are moist, and help the bacteria to live and grow.
Avoid the germ attack: Use a paper towel when turning on and off the water faucet. Wash hands well with the soap and water for at least 20 seconds before drying. Since evidence suggest that the door knobs may also contain e-coli and other germs, use a paper towel to cover the door knob or handle for opening the door.

3. Grocery store shopping cart handles. Leakey meats will very often spill onto the shopping cart handles. The beef juices will contain e-coli, and the juices from poultry will contain salmonella. Studies show that 70 to 80 percent of the shopping carts around the country are infected with these germs. Germs are also transferred by people who sneeze, cough, and wipe their nose, then touch the shopping cart without washing their hands
Avoid the germ attack: Clean the shopping cart handle with a sanitary wipe before using it.

4. Shopping malls. Despite the sagging economy, the evidence shows that we still love shopping in the malls. One of the easiest ways to get germs from the mall is by using the escalators. When people use the escalators, they are prone to place their hands on the rail. Once again their hands then become dirty with bacteria from other people. People use their hands to block their coughs, to blow their nose and God only knows what else. So be safe from those germs and try not to touch the dirty escalator handles.
Avoid the germ attack: Just in case you have used the side rails of the escalator, once you get off the escalator, wipe your hands with a sanitary wipe, or use a handy sanitary spray to clean with. The same principle apples here: Many people with dirty hands are touching the escalator and transferring germs from their hands.

5. Park playgrounds: Traces of e-coli are left on the playing equipment by the diaper wearing toddler. If any of the bacteria is transferred to the mouth, the toddler is prone to get sick with nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and gastric pain.
Avoid the germ attack: Wash the toddler’s hands with sanitary wipes immediately after leaving the equipment. Wash your hands with the sanitary wipes as well to prevent cross contamination.

6. Hotels: Studies suggest that the TV remote is one of the dirties things in a hotel room and is loaded with bad bacteria. The remote is touched by many people without ever being disinfected. Imagine the accumulation of germs that it harbors. So what’s a person to do?

Avoid the germ attack: Clean the remote thoroughly with sanitary wipes. Once you are finished cleaning the remote, wash and cleanse your hands well.

I’m sure that there are many other ‘hot buttons’ for germ growth that I did not list. For example library books, elevator buttons, and anything you can think of that is associated with the public use. The same principle stands. It is a good idea to use this same principle in your home as appropriate. The goal is to protect yourself against cross contamination with careful hand sanitation when coming into contact with dirty surfaces.
Healthy trails to you.
Carolyn

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