Hedley Concert!

The Hedley concert at Wild Bills last weekend was AWESOME! Maybe even better than the Barenaked Ladies. It was the Coors Light party that night so that explains why the Hedley dude is dressed as a Coors Light Girl. I was impressed, he wore fishnet tights, booty shorts and boots for the entire concert. Sue had her picture taken with him.

My new obsession....

The Matcha Latte. Never heard of it? Well I hadn't either until this past weekend. Beamers Cafe in Canmore introduced me to Matcha Lattes. Basically it's a green tea latte but it's special because it's made with matcha green tea powder. Here's a link to a website all about it:

http://www.teacentre.ca/matcha.htm

This is why I like it the most, it's healthy. Check out the nutritional value:

• Vitamins A,B6, B-complex, C, E, K, niacin, folate, riboflavin, thiamin
• Trace minerals calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, sodium
• Rich source of L-theanine & amino acids which improve calmness, mental alertness
• Strong blood detoxifer and alkalyzer due to high chlorophyll content
• 70 times the antioxidants of orange juice,
• nine times the beta carotene of spinach and 4 times the beta carotene of carrots
• Extremely rich in polyphenols (antioxidants) and catechins, especially epigallocatechin gallate ( EGCG )
• Boosts metabolic rate by 35-40% in regular drinkers, thus assisting in weight loss

You have to try it!

You've got to be kidding me!

Ok, remember how I said, snow is ok as long as it's not here for Easter Weekend?
Well, it's freakin' snowing! Unbelievable! It's not sticking to the ground at least but it's still snowing!

If your favorite NHL team was a movie, what would it be??

I thought this was kind of fun especially now that the regular season is coming to an end and playoffs are going to be starting soon. Go Flames Go! #1 in the Western conference. I'm not really a flames fan but you have to cheer for the "local" team and Jerome who used to be a Blazer! So I picked a few teams who I know are some favorites for the people who read my blog.

Vancouver
Movie: Failure To Launch
Summary: A big-ticket, big-name team panders to its ego and meanders through the second half of the year, more than likely resulting in the Canucks missing the playoffs.
Real Review: "How, exactly, did an idea with this much star power...manage to misfire?" -- Peter Howell, TORONTO STAR

Toronto
Movie: Sliding Down
Summary: A documentary whose subjects begin the film on an icy peak, only to see things go downhill from there.
Real Review: "I have a sneaking suspicion that [this] is a huge put-on, the latest jape from Christopher Guest and his merry band of mockumentary tricksters." -- MaryAnn Johanson, FLICK FILOSOPHER

Ottawa
Movie: Take The Lead
Summary: A suave and debonair teacher (er, Bryan Murray) shows a group of youngsters how to set the stage on fire with slick moves and various combinations of "jazz hands".
Real Review: "An unabashed crowd pleaser that gets the job done." -- Steve Schneider, ORLANDO WEEKLY

Colorado
Movie: Rocky Road
Summary: The Avs' season was cruising along swimmingly until GM Pierre Lacroix rolled the dice in a big way, acquiring highly paid underachiever Jose Theodore from Montreal. Now there's no assurance the team will even make the playoffs.
Real Review: "May have been created out of good intentions, but then again, there's that old adage about a certain road being paved with such intentions." -- Ted Murphy, BASELINE.HOLLYWOOD.COM

Calgary
Movie: Blood Work
Summary: Flames coach-GM Darryl Sutter demands two things from his players, both of which can be found in the title of the movie.
Real Review: "Populated by hard-edged characters who brighten up a somewhat mechanical plot." -- Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

I don't know what happened to Colorado this year. Disappointing. Alex Tanguay, let me down :0( All the years I supported him as an unsung hero....
And Vancouver! So much talent gone to waste. My two favorite teams....
At least Ottawa is doing well but then you can always count on Ottawa to do well.

SNOW??!!

I always sleep with my bedroom window open a little and I woke up this morning thinking "it's freaking freezing in here!" So I open my blind to close the window and everything was white! I thought it was spring! It's been warm and sunny for the last week and then all of a sudden we get winter again! I guess that's what happens when you live in the mountians. I'd forgotten that winter can come and go until June. The snow was gone by the end of the day and it had warmed up but is still kind of raining on and off. It's supposed to warm up by the weekend again. As long as we don't have snow for Easter Weekend!

My Coffee

Look at how cool my coffee looked this morning! Coffee...amazing in so many ways!

I'm off to Calgary today to do a little essential shopping and then I'm working at the hospital for 4hrs this afternoon. I figured since I had to go to Calgary anyways I might as well work a few hours and make some money! I'm planning a trip to Ireland and Italy this fall and this time I'm really going to do it so everything extra I make at the hospital is going into a separate account designated for my trip! I'm super excited.

Yummy Yogurt Pops!

These have been a favorite of mine since my mom used to make them for me as a kid. They're soooo goood.

You need:

1 box of Jello powder
1 cup boiling water
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

Add the water to the Jello and stir to dissolve then add the yogurt and mix thoroughly. Pour into popsicle mold and freeze. Run popscicle under hot water to remove from mold.

Enjoy!

Thimerosal and the Influenza Vaccination

Questions & Answers: Thimerosal-Containing Influenza Vaccine

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/thimerosal.htm

What is thimerosal?
Thimerosal is a very effective preservative that has been used since the 1930s to prevent contamination in some multi-dose vials of vaccines (preservatives are not required for vaccines in single dose vials). Thimerosal contains approximately 49% ethylmercury. There is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site. However, in July 1999 the Public Health Service (PHS) agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure.
Today, all routinely recommended licensed pediatric vaccines that are currently being manufactured for the U.S. market, with the exception of influenza vaccine, contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts. Thimerosal preservative-free influenza vaccines are available, but in limited quantities. The total amount of inactivated influenza vaccine available without thimerosal as a preservative will continue to increase as manufacturing capabilities are expanded.

Does the influenza vaccine contain thimerosal?
Yes, the majority of influenza vaccines distributed in the United States currently contain thimerosal as a preservative. However, some contain only trace amounts of thimerosal and are considered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be preservative-free. Manufacturers of preservative-free flu vaccine use thimerosal early in the manufacturing process. The thimerosal gets diluted as the vaccine goes through the steps in processing. By the end of the manufacturing process there is not enough thimerosal left in the vaccine to act as a preservative and the vaccine is labeled ‘preservative-free'.

Is influenza vaccine that does not contain thimerosal as a preservative available this flu season (2005-2006)?
For the 2005-06 flu season, a limited amount of influenza vaccine that does not contain thimerosal as a preservative is available. Sanofi pasteur estimates that they will produce 6-8 million doses of thimerosal-free vaccine this year. GlaxoSmithKline projects that they will produce 8 million doses of preservative-free vaccine for use in people 18 years of age and over. A minimal number of preservative-free vaccine may be available from Chiron late in the influenza season. Also, the nasal-spray influenza vaccine (sold commercially as FluMist®) does not contain any thimerosal and can be given to healthy people 5 to 49 years of age who are not pregnant.

Is it safe for children to receive an influenza vaccine that contains thimerosal?
Yes. There is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the small amount of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor effects like swelling and redness at the injection site due to sensitivity to thimerosal. Most importantly, since 1999, newly formulated thimerosal preservative-free childhood vaccines (Hepatitis B, Hib, and DTaP) have been licensed. With the newly formulated childhood vaccines, the maximum total exposure during the first six months of life will now be less than three micrograms of mercury. Based on guidelines established by the FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), no child will receive excessive mercury from childhood vaccines regardless of whether or not their flu shot contains thimerosal as a preservative.

Recent research suggests that healthy children under the age of 2 are more likely than older children and as likely as people over the age of 65 to be hospitalized with flu complications. Therefore, vaccination with reduced or standard thimerosal-content flu vaccine is encouraged when feasible in children, including those that are 6-23 months of age.

Is it safe for pregnant women to receive an influenza vaccine that contains thimerosal?
Yes. A study of influenza vaccination examining over 2,000 pregnant women demonstrated no adverse fetal effects associated with influenza vaccine. Case reports and limited studies indicate that pregnancy can increase the risk for serious medical complications of influenza. One study found that out of every 10,000 women in their third trimester of pregnancy during an average flu season, 25 will be hospitalized for flu related complications.

Additionally, influenza-associated excess deaths among pregnant women have been documented during influenza pandemics. Because pregnant women are at increased risk for influenza-related complications and because a substantial safety margin has been incorporated into the health guidance values for organic mercury exposure, the benefits of influenza vaccine with reduced or standard thimerosal content outweighs the theoretical risk, if any, of thimerosal.

References

Ball LK, Ball R, Pratt RD. An assessment of thimerosal use in childhood vaccines. Pediatrics 2001;107(5):1147-54.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevention and control of influenza; recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR 2002; 51(RR03):1-31.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations regarding the use of vaccines that contain thimerosal as a preservative. MMWR 1999;48(43):996-8.

Heinonen OP, Shapiro S, Monson RR, Hartz SC, Rosenberg L, Slone D. Immunization during pregnancy against poliomyelitis and influenza in relation to childhood malignancy. Int J Epidemiol 1973;2:229–35.

Izurieta HS, Thompson WW, Kramarz P, et al. Influenza and the rates of hospitalization for respiratory disease among infants and young children. New Engl J Med 2000;342:232–9.

Kirshon B, Faro S, Zurawin RK, Samo TC, Carpenter RJ. Favorable outcome after treatment with amantadine and ribavirin in a pregnancy complicated by influenza pneumonia: a case report. J Reprod Med 1988;33:399–401.

Neuzil KM, Wright PF, Mitchel EF, Griffin MR. Burden of influenza illness in children with asthma and other chronic medical conditions. J Pediatr 2000;137:856–64.

Neuzil KM, Reed GW, Mitchel EF, Simonsen L, Griffin MR. Impact of influenza on acute cardiopulmonary hospitalizations in pregnant women. Am J of Epidemiol 1998;148(11):1094-102.

Shahab SZ, Glezen WP. Influenza virus. In: Gonik B, ed. Viral diseases in pregnancy. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag, 1994:215–23.

More flu shot info...

Influenza is a very contagious disease caused only by the influenza virus. Other illnesses often have the same symptoms and are often mistaken for influenza. But, only an illness caused by the influenza virus is truly influenza. This is taken from the Canadian Communicable Disease Report on the 2004-2005 flu season. "Between 22 August, 2004 and 12 March, 2005, a total of 68,849 laboratory tests for influenza were reported, of which 10,319 (14.9%) were positive." Only 14.9% of people who suspected they had the flu were actually infected with the influenza virus. I get people in the clinic everyday telling me "I got a flu shot this year and I'm still sick?!" You're likely not infected with the influenza virus, you likely have a different virus or you have a different strain of the influenza virus that the immunization does not protect you from.

Influenza can lead to other illness such as pneumonia which is especially deadly in the elderly population or people with compromised immune systems, heart or breathing problems. Does that mean that if you're not living with elderly people or anyone who is immunocompromised, that you don't need the flu shot?? The decision is always yours to make but think about the people who you come into contact with everyday. Your elderly neighbor, maybe your co-worker who hasn't confided in you that he has a congenital heart defect, the 8 year old child across the street who was born prematurly and now has asthma... How do you know that you're not giving the virus to people who are at risk?

These are the recommendations that the Canadian Communicable Disease Centre made for the 2005-2006 Influenza Vaccine based on the previous years' statistics:

"The antigenic characteristics of current and emerging influenza virus strains provide the basis for selecting the strains included in each year's vaccine. NACI (National Advisory Committee on Immunization) recommends that the trivalent vaccine for the 2005-2006 season in Canada contain A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1)-like, an A/California/7/2004 (H3N2)-like, and a B/Shanghai/361/2002-like virus strains. Vaccine producers may use antigenically equivalent strains because of their growth properties. The A/New York/55/2004 is antigenically equivalent to the A/California/7/2004 (H3N2) virus strain; B/Jiangsu/10/2003 is antigenically equivalent to Influenza B/Shanghai/361/2002 virus strain. The vaccines to be marketed in Canada for the 2005-2006 flu season contains A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1), A/New York/55/2004 (H3N2), and B/Jiangsu/10/2003 virus antigens. Continual antigenic drift of the influenza virus means that a new vaccine, updated yearly with the most current circulating strains, is needed to protect against new infections."

We find out how correct the CCDC was in estimating the components of the influenza vaccination when the 2005-2006 report is released next fall. It is not just a "guess" as to which strains to include in the vaccine. The vaccination is created based on statistics from past flu seasons. The strains that were prevalent not just last year but years before that as well. Some strains that may have been dormant in the past, come back to haunt us again, and this time they've mutated and become more virulent. That's the problem, strains mutate and change and become more deadly each year. It's impossible to keep up with all the different mutations, it's even more impossible to vaccinate against each one. The best we can do is choose the most prevalent strains, the most deadly, the ones who are the most antigenically equivalent to other strains and protect ourselves against them. We are long overdue for another influenza pandemic and it will come but that is another topic entirely. All I'll say about that is that each year there are more and more protocols and procedures in place to guide health care professionals in identifying and coping with a global influenza outbreak. It is going to make the SARS outbreak look minor.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yumm! I stole this recipe from one of the links on Elizabeth's blog but it's sooo good that it would be a shame not to share it with more people!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 eggs
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. oil
1 1/2 c. pumpkin
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. walnuts, optional

Beat eggs; add sugar, oil and pumpkin. Beat well. Sift together and add dry ingredients, chocolate chips and nuts. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 mins. Yields 16 to 18 muffins. Freezes well.

OC Update

So, for those of you who don't know, I LOVE the OC! This week's episode was sooo good that I have to tell you all about it. If you've never seen the show, first of all, your completely crazy, second of all start watching! This week Julie Cooper and Dr. Roberts (Summer dad) announced that they are engaged! Crazy! Now Summer and Marissa are going to be sisters but it's not all happy days for the Cooper-Roberts. Summer and Marissa aren't speaking because Marissa is together with Volchuk who is BAD NEWS! But she's lonely and understandably so because her and Ryan seem to have finally called it quits and now Ryan is together with Sadie. I'm not sure how much I like her yet. So everyone is concerned about Marissa hanging out with Volchuk because of her drinking problem (from last season). Ryan goes to meet Volchuk under the pier to tell him that he's not looking out for Marissa anymore and he tells Volchuk about Marissa's drinking problem and that she's drinking at school again and that if he really likes Marissa then he'll treat her right. I don't think that Volchuck has ever done anything honerable in his life though so Ryan's pleas are pretty much on deaf ears. Kirsten trapped Seth into going to an AA meeting with her where she got an award and credited her sobriety to her son, Seth. It was all very touching. At the end of the episode Marissa and Volchuk are on the beach and Volchuk offers Marissa cocaine! See I told you he was bad news. Marissa says no and storms off, only to run into Ryan at the lifeguard station who's brooding cause Sadie left town without saying goodbye. So Marissa goes off to find Sadie at the bus station and tell her that she needs to stay because she makes Ryan happy. Marissa is heart broken and upset and finds herself back at the beach with Volchuk and his friends and this time she takes the cocaine from him. Oh Marissa, you've got issues! Her parents divorced in the first season and her dad was almost thrown in jail for stealing money from his clients and this drove her to drink. Then she overdosed in Tiajuana and almost died. Then she got tangled up with Oliver and that drove her to drink more...now Volchuk and cocaine! She's a mess. Seth Cohen is still my favorite.

The harsh winter air

Winter is an especially hard time of year for our skin and we need to take extra special care to protect it from the elements. Our skin is our natural barrier from the environment. It protects our bodies from invading organisms and we need to keep it healthy. Anywhere that the integrity of your skin is compromised you are increasing your risk of infection and possibly allowing life threatening organisms to enter your body. I'm sure we've all heard stories about people dying from paper cuts, or spliters. It can happen. Although it is not the paper cut or splinter that is responsible, it is the organism that was allowed to invade the body and the paper cut or spliter simply provided a point of entry for the organism. Infection can also occur from skin rashes (dermatitis). There doesn't necessarily need to be a specific injury, such as a paper cut, to introduce an infection. Eczema is a common, winter skin problem. Here is some information on what it is and how to treat it.

Eczema

Eczema is a form of dermatitis, a skin irritation characterized by red, flaky skin, sometimes with cracks or tiny blisters. It is extremely itchy, but scratching damages the fragile skin and exacerbates the problem so it is important for people with eczema to try to leave the area alone.

There are several different types of eczema divided into two separate categories: allergenic and non-allergenic. The most common types of eczema are related to allergies. Atopic eczema is the most prevalent and it is caused by a general systemic allergic reaction as opposed to direct contact with an allergen or irritant. Allergic contact dermatitis is the result of direct contact with a contact allergen. One of the most common causes of this form are buttons and rivets in jeans, which contain the metal salt, nickel. Allergic contact dermatitis is considered a delayed-response immune reaction, because elicitation of an allergic reaction typically takes 48 to 72 hours to occur. Irritant contact dermatitis is similar, but is caused by a reaction to some chemical substance, often unrinsed detergents left on clothing or various household chemicals being handled. Often, the inflammation occurs mainly on the hands and feet.

Several other forms appear unrelated to the main allergic causes.
Infantile seborrhoeic eczema, also known as Cradle Cap, forms on the head and quickly spreads. It looks like normal dermatitis, but apparently doesn't itch and eventually goes away on its own. Adult seborrhoeic dermatitis typically affects those between 20 and 40 years old. It affects the scalp, face, and upper body. Varicose eczema occurs later in life, the result of poor circulation in the legs. Finally discoid eczema suddenly appears as small disk shaped spots of severe dermatitis, but disappear on their own. Stress and anxiety can make otherwise minor outbreaks spread in some people. The winter air because of it's low humidity is also thought to exacerbate dermatitis.

Treatments for eczema vary depending on the cause of the inflammation. Moisturization is very important as dermatitis severely dries out the skin. With irritant contact dermatitis sometimes it's as easy as changing your laundry soap or wearing gloves when using household cleaners. Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (also known as Benadryl) can help to reduce the itchiness associated with eczema. In some cases your doctor will prescribe a corticosteroid cream such as Hydrocortisone or a topical immunodilator such as Elidel to treat eczema.

For more information on Eczema and treatments available go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eczema#Types

But remember only your doctor can properly diagnose eczema and it is important to seek a professional medical opinion.

Now I'm Sick!

I think I jinxed myself by posting all that info about the flu and colds because now I'm sick. I havn't had a cold this bad it a really long time. I even had to take 2 days off work this week and no amount of decongestant seems to help. I think I'm through the worst of it though. I'm able to breathe again and now I'm only awake half the night coughing rather than all night. I have the weekend off work too so I'm determined to be healthy again by Monday. So, since I've been housebound the last few days I'm once again thorougly addicted to 24. I went out and rented the first disc of season 4 yesterday and today I'm going back to get the rest. Jack Bauer is once again saving the world from international terrorists. It's such a good show! Even if all the seasons generally have the same plot...save the world from terrorists. The suspense is intolerable! You never know what Jack is going to do next! For anyone who hasn't seen it, go and rent it but be aware that you will become addicted, it's inevitable, so you need to have a full day available to dedicate yourself entirely to watching 24 :0)