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)

I'm sick but what is it??

Influenza vs. the Common Cold

Both influenza and the common cold are viral respiratory infections (they affect the nose, throat, and lungs). Viruses are spread from person to person through airborne droplets that are sneezed out or coughed up by an infected person. In some cases, the viruses can be spread when a person touches an infected surface (e.g., doorknobs, countertops, telephones) and then touches his or her nose, mouth, or eyes. As such, these illnesses are most easily spread in crowded conditions such as schools.

Influenza is commonly referred to as "the flu." Between October and March each year, between 10% and 40% of people are stricken with influenza. Although most people recover fully, the flu causes approximately 7,000 deaths annually in Canada, mostly among high-risk populations (people with other medical conditions or weakened immune systems, the elderly, or very young children). There are three types of influenza viruses: A, B, and C. Type A influenza causes the most serious problems in humans.

There are over 200 different known cold viruses, but most colds (30-40%) are caused by rhinoviruses. In Canada, the peak times for colds are at the start of school in the fall, in mid-winter, and again in early spring. Children catch approximately eight colds per year, adults catch roughly four per year, and seniors about two per year. Many people confuse the flu with a bad cold. The following table highlights the differences between influenza and the common cold:

Flu

Fever - between 38-41C and can last 3-4 days

Headache - very common

Aches and pains - very common and can be severe

Fatigue and weakness - can last 14-21 days

Extreme exhaustion - sometimes at the start

Stuffy nose - sometimes happens

Sneezing - sometimes happens

Sore throat - sometimes happens

Chest discomfort - common

Cough - common

Cold

Fever - uncommon

Headache - uncommon

Aches and pains - slight

Fatigue and weakness - mild

Extreme exhaustion - never

Stuffy nose - common

Sneezing - common

Sore throat - common

Chest discomfort - common

Cough - common, sometimes hacking or productive

People infected with an influenza or cold virus become contagious 24 hours after the virus enters the body (often before symptoms appear). Adults remain infectious (can spread the virus to others) for about 6 days, and children remain infectious for up to 10 days.

Health Tips

Since working in the clinic I have spent a lot of time educating people on various aspects of their health. I have come across a lot of common misconceptions regarding the flu, common cold, muscle strains and pains....lots of different things. So I am going to use my blog as a forum to educate you on these common misconceptions and then you can pass them on to your friends and family and hopefully we can start educating the masses! So when I come across something interesting I'll post it here but please, if you want information on anything let me know and I can address your individual concerns as well. You can also ask me via email if you don't want it to be public information.

Facts on "The Flu"

I have had soooo many people come into the clinic with the flu and I have had to educate them on the common misconceptions surrounding the flu. This article talks about the flu vaccination and how important it is to be vaccinated each year. Nurses are "highly encouraged" to get flu shots every year and I admit, at first I was skeptical and I protested but someone educated me on the importance of getting vaccinated and now I am a 'flu shot advocate' So now I'm passing on my knowledge to you and hopefully you will become a flu shot believer as well.

*The one thing that this article doesn't mention is that antibiotics will NOT cure the flu. It is a viral infection and antibiotics DO NOT cure viruses, they act only on bacterial infections. Getting antibiotics unnecessarily is only going to contribute to the formation of new 'antibiotic resistant' infections. More info on that to come because it is another huge topic of discussion.

Flu: You're Not Immune
by Marin Gazzaniga

Parents are having “chicken pox parties” to expose their toddlers to the virus; researchers are reporting that children exposed to colds and germs (e.g., in early daycare) build better immunities. Can the same be said for adults who contract influenza? Does getting the flu improve your immunity?

“The natural immunity you build is usually more durable than the immunity you acquire from an injection,” acknowledges Dr. Raymond Strikas, associate director for an immunization program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “However, why run the, albeit small, risk of a serious illness when it is much safer to get the vaccine?”

“Getting the flu is not a good idea,” says Dr. Ardis Hoven, an infectious disease specialist and trustee of the American Medical Association. “The primary reason is that the influenza virus undergoes anagenic variation, so on a yearly basis the strain undergoes change.” Meaning: Getting this year’s flu doesn’t necessarily prevent you from getting next year’s flu.
The CDC estimates that every year, approximately 5 percent to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu. The figures are hard to estimate because not everyone who gets the flu goes to the doctor. What they do know is that more than 200,000 are hospitalized for flu-related complications and 36,000 will die. Ninety percent of deaths are among the elderly.

So what’s a person to do to avoid the flu?Doctors agree that the best way to prevent the flu, or any illness, is to wash your hands regularly. But becoming a Purell fanatic isn’t sufficient protection for those at risk of serious complications from the flu.

The CDC and AMA urge high-risk groups—and those around them—to get an annual flu shot to prevent serious illness, complications and even death. To assure there are enough vaccines to cover those at risk, inoculations are limited to “Tier 1” members until Oct. 24: the elderly (over 65), nursing home residents, anyone with immune-compromised systems, children age 6-23 months, pregnant women, health care workers and caregivers of babies under six months old. After Oct. 24, anyone who wants a flu shot can get one—provided there’s ample supply.

*Note: Those who are allergic to eggs should not get a flu shot. Also, if you’ve had a bad reaction to a flu vaccine in the past, talk to your doctor before getting one again. If you’re ill that day, your doctor will likely have you wait till you are well to have the vaccine.

What if you’d rather get the flu than get a shot?Say you’re not in any of the high-risk groups and you hate shots. What’s wrong with just taking your chances? It’s not just about you. If you get the flu, chances are, you’re going to transmit it to others—and then those people will pass it on, and so on. So by not taking care of yourself, you run the risk of infecting those who may be at risk for serious illness. In fact, one of the reasons immunization is recommended is to limit the spread of a virus. The flu isn’t just about health, either; a flu epidemic has a financial impact as well. “The flu affects about 5 percent to 10 percent of the work force on an annual basis,” says infectious disease specialist Hoven. “This impacts workforce productivity—loss of income, loss of revenue, health care costs to individuals (going to the doctor, buying medicines). So getting the flu can have a significant community effect.”

For the truly needle phobic, this marks the third year that a new nasal spray vaccine will be available for those who are healthy, not pregnant and between ages 5 and 49 years. There are 3 million doses available. The price ($18-23 a dose) is higher than the shot, which costs between $10 and $14 a dose. Side effects can include be a runny nose and congestion.

Can’t you still get the flu from a flu shot?“As with any medicine you can have an adverse or side effect—e.g., sore arm from injection or weak and feverish,” explains Strikas of the CDC. There are other uncommon side effects—diarrhea, vomiting, rare allergic reactions—but the virus is inactivated in the vaccine. You cannot get the flu from the flu shot itself.

You can, however, still get the flu, even if you’ve had the vaccine. Some people respond with antibodies better than others, and the older you get, the less able you are to make antibodies to respond to a vaccine. “You are still better off with the shot than without, because you are much less likely to be hospitalized or die than if you didn’t have the vaccine,” says Strikas.

For those who aren’t high-risk and who are relatively healthy, the main reason to get a shot and avoid the flu is: It’s a bummer. Don’t confuse your annual bad cold with the flu. As Dr. Thomas Kovachevich, a family practitioner in New York City says: “Anyone who’s had the flu prays to God for relief—even atheists.”

Love my new Crock Pot!!

I love my new crock pot! Last Sunday I made awesome beef stew and had it for lunch at work all week. I'd post the recipe but I can't seem to find it :( Too bad cause it was so good! Today I'm making Lemon Chicken and so far, it smells really good! Here's the recipe:

LEMON CHICKEN

1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chicken buillion cubes
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1. In a bowl, mix together the oregano, salt and pepper. Rub into chicken. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken breasts in butter for 3-5 mins on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker.

2. In the same skillet, mix the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.

3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker 15 to 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

It's going to be great with brown rice and veggies !

This is fun

Thanks for this Jen! I'm not too sure how they manage to come up with the results though??
Weird. Fried chicken??

Melanie -- [adjective]: Tastes like fried chicken 'How" will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

It's hard being me...

Imagine how hard it would be to put drops in your eyes with a metal plate in your neck....it's not easy! I can't tilt my head back enough to actually get the drops in my eyes, instead they run down my face. Last night I had to actually lie down to be able to get them in but today I rigged up a position that, while I look ridiculous doing it cause I'm half sideways and upside down, works much better. It's tough being disabled sometimes ;0)

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis sucks. I woke up this morning and my eyes were itchy and watery and it only got worse during the day so when they were finally so bloodshot and painful that I could barely keep them open, I saw one of the docs this afternoon. Nurses really do make the worst patients. We're so reluctant to see a doc and more convinced that we can heal ourselves...actually maybe that's just a woman trait. I was going to put it off until tomorrow morning but by then my eyes would have probably be glued shut with mucky gunk. Lovely. Even now, with the antibiotic drops, they're still super bloodshot and itchy. The pharmacist said it was probably going to become an occupational hazard working at the clinic and catching everyones germs. Jane (one of the docs) had really bad laryngitis last week and completely lost her voice for a few days so hopefully I don't catch her sickness. She did have a mucky eye though...hmmm.

We did sigmoidoscopies at work today. I got to see what the inside of the small bowel looks like. It's pink ;0) I have to assist the doctor and clean the instruments but he likes to teach me things so he let me look through the scope today at a polyp. I didn't really know what I was looking at other than pink tissue but it was pretty cool.

Time for bed. Goodnight all!

Book Review

If anyone is looking for a lighthearted, humorous book to read give Somthing Borrowed by Emily Giffin a try. I just finished it and loved it. It's about a girl who is the maid of honor in her bestfriend's wedding but happens to fall in love with the groom! Oops! Ah, it was funny! I've never read one of her books before but now I'm going to go and get the rest. I've been into the lighthearted, romantic, comedy books lately. Some other good ones are The Nanny and The Waitress by Melissa Nathan and When in Rome... by Gemma Townley. If anyone has any book suggestions for me, pass them on!

Pictures from the Barenaked Ladies!

So AWESOME!!

Look how close we were!!

Barenaked Ladies!!

OMG! Best concert ever last night! I was able to score free tickets to the Barenaked Ladies concert at the Banff Springs last night. The Texas Roadhouse company was in Banff this week doing some sort of promotion stuff and our clinic helped out the Texas doc so he gave us all free tickets. It was the best concert I've ever been to. We were right up front, one person away from the stage, all night. We could have reached out and touched them we were so close! They played all the good songs...If I Had a Million Dollars, My Apartment, Shoebox and then finished off with my fav Brian Wilson. The outside had a huge ice sculpture entrace and bon fire. There was a guy playing the piano at the coatcheck! Only at the Springs! There was an open bar, made of ice! I was designated as driver so I only had one fancy martini. There were a few of us there from work and we all had to work this morning. Sue and I were the first ones to go home at midnight so you can imagine how effective we all were at work this morning and everyone else was taking full advantage of the open bar! It was awesome. It definatly tops my list of Best Nights Ever!

Yippee for me!

Everyone take a moment to congratulate me on my coffee cutdown successes......thank you, thank you...I know...it's been a tough week but I did it! Well sort of...lets continue to focus on the successful days and forget about the 2 days this week that I caved in and had a latte in the afternoon. Forget about those 2 days. I mean it's only 2 days, out of 7, so lets focus on the 5 successful days. Yea me! The 2 afternoons that I caved, everyone in the office agreed that I'd be far more functional and useful to them if I had a coffee. Go figure. I needed it. We went out to the pub 2 nights this week and even though I was home by midnight, I guess I wasn't functioning to my full potential. It was actually pretty funny on Friday morning. Lisa, our receptionist, said it looked like I was walking around in a daze all morning and begged me to have a coffee to wake me up cause she couldn't stop laughing. Ah, good times.

Today I finally finished unpacking the house and getting things organized. I moved all our boxes and storage things into our storage locker, vacuumed, cleaned Monsieur Poisson's tank, cleaned my room, painted my bedside table, did tons of laundry, washed my car...a very productive day. Now I'm watching the Academy Awards. I havn't seen many of the nominated movies this year but I like to see what everyone is wearing more than anything.

Oh, so I had to buy Monsieur Poisson some different food this week. He kept spitting the flake food back out, I guess he didn't like it...? Anyways, so I got some dried ocean plankton on the advice of the dude in the pet store. He also told me that Monsieur Poisson could grow to be the size of a small trout. Well then. I guess I'm going to have to get a new tank. Apparently, Oscars are also very agressive fish. Sue wanted to get a shark but apparently my fish would eat it. Who'd have thought? What am I going to do with a fish the size of a trout?? I guess these are all things that I should have asked before I got him. Oh well, he's a very pretty fish and I'll just have to get a bigger tank I guess.