So my rash cleared up thanks to a shot and 14 days of antibiotic. Within a few days it was back and stronger yet.
Luckily I had a scheduled follow up visit with the doctor any ways so I dragged my body in there yesterday.
Trust me, I would have rather have stayed in bed. Every joint in my body aches. The change in weather has not helped.
Our visit was quite interesting as she sat and listened and saw the rash again, noticed that I still had difficulty breathing.
We discussed the blood test that had been drawn for my pre allergy test. I found it odd that it suddenly showed that I was
now allergic to beef, pork and milk…on a severe level. As she put it guess what they are fed…corn…so she felt that it was
not odd at all.
I am now in the process of being tested for a problem called Alpha Gal.
According to http://alpha-gal.org/ :
Lone Star Tick
Galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, or Alpha-Gal for short, is a delayed allergy to mammal meat affecting a growing number of the population. This allergy is initially caused by a tick bite. Since the reaction to eating mammal meat is delayed by several hours, the proper diagnosis is often missed or misdiagnosed. People who are afflicted with the Alpha-Gal allergy have to be constantly vigilant about the ingredients they consume, because an allergic reaction can be severe and life-threatening.
By getting the attention of the food service industry, particularly in schools, colleges and universities, and restaurants, sufferers will get relief. Adding beef broth to soup and calling it vegetable soup or adding bacon drippings to gravy can be life-threatening to people with the Alpha-Gal allergy. By including Alpha-Gal allergy information on menus or even more specifically, having ingredient lists available upon request, the constant worry will be eliminated from eating out.
Empower.
AGAA will strive to empower those with this allergy. Living with the Alpha-Gal allergy can be quite stressful, because many activities are planned around food, and it is often almost impossible to know the ingredients in many dishes. This problem can render a simple meal into an anxiety-provoking situation for people with the allergy, because they are very aware of the possibility they could be unknowingly ingesting food that contains an undisclosed allergen. By getting attention for this allergy, it is AGAA’s hope that those affected will be better able to cope with this allergy, due to others’ increased awareness and subsequent conscientiousness regarding food preparation.
Mission Statement
Enlighten. Empower. Eradicate.
The mission of Alpha-Gal Allergy Awareness team is to promote health and ultimately, save the lives of those afflicted with the Alpha-Gal allergy through increased allergy awareness.
Awareness Disclaimer
The materials and information on this page, along with any articles or other links, are for informational and educational purposes, intended to promote awareness and are not, nor intended to constitute or replace, medical or other health science advice or treatment. Alpha-Gal Allergy wareness strives for the information on the page to be accurate, but much of the information is opinion of others, including information contained in articles, so AGAA disclaims any warranty of any kind, whether express or implied, as to any matter whatsoever relating to this site. In no event shall AGAA be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, general or consequential damages arising out of any use of or reliance on any content of this website. This is strictly an awareness site and no connection to the medical field is present.
I am now on an antibiotic for the next fourteen days and I had to get another shot. Now I have to go for a series of blood tests and see an allergist.
Perhaps after this I will begin to feel a little better and my body will begin to stop aching. Guess I will never be able to enjoy red meat or pork or dairy again.
There goes my bacon cheeseburgers. Needless to say I have a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup cooking. My biggest fear is what did they feed the chicken.
We have been busy through the Easter Holiday Season and Happy Holidays to all of our friends. If you are celebrating Shabbat I realize that you might not be reading this yet but hope that your Holiday is blessed.
Our blood work did not come back and actually had to be retaken. They had not ran the actual test for the various types of cancer.
Ultimately, that meant another week of waiting. Just as we were able to get the results back we were back to the surgeon the same day after a call from our doctor that morning to confirm that there was no Prostate, Pancreatic, liver or kidney either. What puzzled both doctors what that if he had been diagnosed with stage 3 that it should have not been dormant and should have shown also in one of those tests.
The big day arrived and we went off to Vanderbilt to see the specialist there. What a great place.
Talk about fast. We were in to see the doctor before his son could park and catch up to us.
I had left instructions that his son would be joining us so that when he came in they sent him right in with us.
This doctor was thorough and checked the entire site. She even marked him for surgery.
She listened to his concerns and questions and answered them as well as mine and his sons.
She announced that it was stage 1 and was just in the first layer of skin.
Squamous cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma, although more aggressive than basal cell carcinoma, is highly treatable. It accounts for about 20 percent of all skin cancers. Squamous cell carcinoma may appear as nodules or red, scaly patches of skin, and may be found on sun-exposed areas such as the face, ears, lips, and mouth. However, if left untreated, squamous cell carcinoma can spread to other parts of the body. This type of skin cancer is usually found in fair-skinned people.
It was not what we had dreaded and we will be going on April 30th to have it removed.
Some other great findings along the way:
Am I At Risk for Soft Tissue Sarcoma?
Being exposed to radiation, such as having it as part of treatment for breast or cervical cancer, can increase your risk for soft tissue sarcoma.
There is really no way to know for sure if you’re going to get soft tissue sarcoma. Most people who get this type of cancer have no risk factors. Remember, just because you have one or more risk factors doesn’t necessarily mean you will get soft tissue sarcoma. In fact, most people do not. You can have all the risk factors and still not get soft tissue sarcoma, or you can have no known risk factors and still get it.
While the majority of people who get soft tissue sarcomas have no known risk factors, certain things can make one person more likely to get a soft tissue sarcoma than another person. These are the known risk factors for soft tissue sarcoma.
People who have had high-dose radiation to treat other cancers, such as breast or cervical cancer, have a slightly higher risk of developing a soft tissue sarcoma. In general, routine X-rays and diagnostic tests do not put people at a higher risk of soft tissue sarcoma.
Chronic lymphedema (where fluid collects in the tissue and causes swelling) after radiation to lymph nodes, or surgical removal of lymph nodes is also a risk factor.
People who have worked with or have been around certain chemicals may be at greater risk of developing soft tissue sarcoma. It is not known for certain, but it is thought that high exposure to herbicides, as well as the chemical dioxin and chlorophenols, may increase the risk.
If someone in your family has certain diseases, you may be more at risk for developing a soft tissue sarcoma. If you have many family members who have had sarcoma or other cancers at a young age, ask your health care provider about genetic testing to see if you are at greater risk for developing a sarcoma. You may have inherited a gene that is defective if anyone in your family had one of these diseases:
Neurofibromatosis. This disease runs in families. In this disease, noncancerous tumors form in the nerves under the skin and in other parts of the body. About 5% of people with these tumors get malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (cancer in nerve coverings).
Li-Fraumeni syndrome. This disease runs in families. It increases a person’s chance of getting breast cancer, brain tumors, leukemias, and sarcomas.
Retinoblastoma. This eye cancer, found in children, may run in families. Children who have been cured of this form of eye cancer may be at a slightly greater risk of developing soft tissue sarcomas later in life.
In the past, people believed that injuries to muscles or other tissues made a person more likely to get soft tissue sarcoma. This is not true. Injury is not a risk factor for soft tissue sarcoma.
Melanomas vary greatly in appearance. Some melanomas may show all of the ABCD characteristics, while others may show few or none. Always consult your doctor for a diagnosis.
Skin cancer is more common in fair-skinned people, especially those with blond or red hair, who have light-colored eyes. Skin cancer is rare in children. However, no one is safe from skin cancer. Other risk factors include:
Family history of melanoma
Personal history of skin cancer
Sun exposure. The amount of time spent unprotected in the sun directly affects your risk of skin cancer.
Early childhood sunburns. Research has shown that sunburns early in life increase a person’s risk for skin cancer later in life.
Many freckles
Large or many ordinary moles
Dysplastic nevi
Male gender
An immunosuppressive disorder or weakened immune system (such as in people who have had organ transplants)
Exposure to certain chemicals, like arsenic
Radiation exposure
Smoking
HPV (human papillomavirus)
Certain rare inherited conditions, such as basal cell nevus syndrome (Gorlin syndrome), or xeroderma pigmentosum (XP)
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends the following steps to help reduce your risk of skin cancer:
Wear protective clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, when possible.
Seek the shade when appropriate, especially when the sun’s rays are the strongest, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Regularly use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or higher on all exposed skin, even on cloudy days. Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours and after swimming or sweating.
Protect children from the sun by using shade, protective clothing, and applying sunscreen.
Use extra caution near water, snow, and sand, which can reflect the sun’s rays and increase the chances of sunburn.
Avoid tanning beds. The UV (ultraviolet) light from tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkling.
Check your birthday suit on your birthday. Look at your skin carefully and if you see anything changing, growing, or bleeding on your skin, see your doctor.
Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet (which may include vitamin supplements.) Don’t seek out the sun.
The American Academy of Pediatrics approves of the use of sunscreen on infants younger than 6 months old only if adequate clothing and shade are not available. Parents should still try to avoid sun exposure and dress the infant in lightweight clothing that covers most surface areas of skin. However, parents also may apply a minimal amount of sunscreen to the infant’s face and back of the hands.
Remember, sand and pavement reflect UV rays even under an umbrella. Snow is a particularly good reflector of UV rays.
Finding suspicious moles or skin cancer early is the key to treating skin cancer successfully. A skin self-exam is usually the first step in detecting skin cancer. The following suggested method of self-examination comes from the AAD:
(You will need a full-length mirror, a hand mirror, and a brightly lit room.)
Examine your body front and back in mirror, then the right and left sides, with your arms raised. Women should look under their breasts.
Bend your elbows, look carefully at your forearms, the back of your upper arms, and the palms of your hands. Check between your fingers and look at your nail beds.
Look at backs of your legs and feet, spaces between your toes, your toenail beds, and the soles of your feet.
Examine the back of your neck and scalp with a hand mirror.
Check your back, buttocks, and genital area with a hand mirror.
Become familiar with your skin and the pattern of your moles, freckles, and other marks.
Be alert to changes in the number, size, shape, and color of pigmented areas.
Follow the ABCD Chart when examining moles of other pigmented areas and consult your doctor promptly if you notice any changes.
Specific treatment for skin cancer will be determined by your doctor based on:
Your age, overall health, and medical history
Type of skin cancer
Extent and location of the disease
Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
Expectations for the course of the disease
Your opinion or preference
There are several kinds of treatments for skin cancer, including the following:
Surgery. Surgery is a common treatment for skin cancer. It is used in most treated cases. Some types of skin cancer growths can be removed very easily and require only very minor surgery, while others may require a more extensive surgical procedure. Surgery may include the following procedures:
Cryosurgery. Using liquid nitrogen, cryosurgery uses an instrument that sprays the liquid onto the skin, freezing and destroying the tissue.
Curettage and electrodesiccation. This common type of surgery involves scraping away skin tissue with a curette (a sharp surgical instrument), followed by cauterizing the wound with an electrosurgical unit.
Excision. A scalpel (sharp surgical instrument) may be used to excise (cut away) and remove the growth. The wound is usually stitched or held closed with skin clips.
Mohs’ microscopically controlled surgery. This type of surgery involves excising a lesion, layer by layer. Each piece of removed tissue is examined under a microscope. Tissue is progressively removed until no tumor cells are seen. The goal of this type of surgery is to remove all of the malignant cells and as little normal tissue as possible. It is often used with recurring tumors (those that come back after treatment).
Laser therapy. Laser surgery uses a narrow beam of light to destroy cancer cells, and is sometimes used with tumors located on the outer layer of skin.
Radiation therapy. X-rays are used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Photodynamic therapy. Photodynamic therapy uses a certain type of light and a special chemical to kill cancer cells.
Other types of treatment include the following:
Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
Topical chemotherapy. Chemotherapy given as a cream or lotion placed on the skin to kill cancer cells.
Systemic chemotherapy. Chemotherapy administered orally or intravenously (IV) for more advanced cancers.
Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy involves various approaches to boost the body’s own immune system, helping it to attack the cancer. Some types of treatment can be applied on tumors or injected directly into them. Other types are used for more advanced cancers and are given as an injection into the vein (IV).
Targeted therapy. Some medicines used to treat advanced skin cancers work by targeting specific parts of the cancer cells. These medicines can often be taken as a pill.
My neighbor is very supportive of his son. I have had many posts on my blogs about the family previously if you search through my two years of blogging and you come across anything to do with MikeFest. They are the founders of that program.
Their son is in a group that is called Eye Tooth. This band plays not only locally but across the state of Tennessee. They have been in a competition recently and have required people to vote for them.
Right now their standings are looking rather good.
I have watched this young man grow up and be a part of not only this band but also this community. He is a good role model for our youth and should be supported.
To participate, tag your post with DPchallenge and include a link to this post, to generate a pingback and help others find the challenges. Please make sure your post has been specifically written in response to this challenge. We’ll highlight some of our favorites on Freshly Pressed on Friday, and in our monthly newsletter.
For this week’s writing challenge, channel your inner Abigail Von Buren. Experiment with the question and answer format. Taking inspiration from a question you’ve been asked recently, whether in conversation with a friend or sent in from a reader, don your best counselor hat and share your expertise.
Not up for kickstarting your career as an advice columnist? We’ve got a few more ways to help get you involved with this week’s focus on advice.
What’s the best, or worst, piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
You’re the most important writer in the world, and everyone will be tuning in to your blog to listen to the one bit of knowledge you most want to share. What is it?
Do you live by the advice you give? Sure, it’s easy to dish out opinions, but are you a pillar of your own beliefs?
I give lessons on Cooking, Crocheting, Sewing and Knitting on a regular basis. I do not feel this is classified as advice. It is simply someone who has worked the problem successfully at a prior time who is able to lend a helping hand to someone who has never walked that mile yet.
Helping a friend who is a new mother and is nursing her first baby my advice is very simple. The baby will let you know when things are not quite right. If things are flowing in a set pattern and routine then life is good. The plumber never puts in new pipes if there is not a problem.
If a problem is not going to make a difference a year from now, perhaps it does not need to be a top priority on the list. A lot of problems have a way of working themselves out on their own without doing anything but praying for the correct way for God’s will to be done. I always to suggest to pray for three days on the same subject before making a decision. This gives a person time to think with a clearer head and thought patterns.
Just thinking before you speak as to how it will have an effect on others will sometimes change the wording that would have otherwise been blurted out.
Remembering others and that they have feelings that can get hurt. To never speak when angry and to bite the tongue if it is going to be a cruel comment will save on an embarasing moment later on.
What questions as my reader would you like to see answered here?
Submit your questions and I will be glad to honestly answer them for you. (Or find a great source for your answer)
TammyeHoney’s Advice column is now open to her readers.
Our Prayers go out to the families in Central NY who are battling with the flooding conditions as we speak.
With heavy downpours still in the forecast there is no relief in site.
Thanks to friends back in New York via Facebook, here are current pictures to show what is happening.
Businesses
6/28/2013
Return to index… Clinton Early Learning Ctr.
Closed
Mohawk Limited-Chadwicks
All employees report at 10am
REDCO Foods- Little Falls
Closed: 1st, 2nd Shift Do Not Report
General Cancellations
6/28/2013
Return to index… City of Little Falls
NYS Rte 5 from Gun Club to City Line
Commercial Drive
Closed from Henderson to Rte 69
NYS Route 28
Bridge in Middleville Closed
Slocum Dickson Medical Group
ILION Location Closed
Working Solutions Career Center
Herkimer Office Closed
The list is starting to grow of the closings in the area….
Remember that there is a boil water alert for the entire area.
Keep fridge and freezers closed. Turn off any large appliances that are not in use while power is off …
You will have a power surge when power comes back on.
With our forecast of rain here in Tennessee it is a sign of more rain heading their way in next few days.
Prayers to all …stay safe and please contact loved ones…
You’re going on a cross-country trip.
Airplane, train, bus, or car?
(Or something else entirely — bike? Hot air balloon?)
Photographers, artists, poets: show us TRAVEL.
I think that today my roadtrip has been on a broom…after watching the interview by Matt Lauer with Paula Deen today I posted a copy of it on my Facebook account.
So Hillary Clinton made jokes about Upstate NY people, and Martha Stewart went to jail…this woman had a gun held to her head and is persecuted for saying a word one time…what about the rappers of the world are they next?
What ever happened to not being biased when reporting or interviewing?
First of all she was at gun point back in 1986 when this happened and it was from a statement to the police.
My question was to the respondents in Facebook are the rappers next? Why did Food Network take so long?
On a brighter note we have heard from Su Ho Woo who is traveling from Washinton DC to California by bicycle to encourage people to be aware of the need for peace in South Korea.
If you would like to send him a word of encouragement https://www.facebook.com/suho.woo.5 to cheer him on his journey.
He was in Flagstaff Arizona on June 21st.
I am going to have to do a road trip to use my gift certificate for http://www.joann.com unless I use the entire $100.00 online as the closest store is over 100 miles away from my home. Not happy about that one.
Well now I am off to a road trip to get this finger looked at an hopefully be told the splint can finally come off. It has been a long two weeks.
Perhaps I will stop smacking my hand so much and can get back to sewing, crocheting and housework.
So for now my only road trip is two visits this week to the doctors. Today is my hand and Friday is another mammogram.
Here are what other Daily Prompt Writers had to say:
The short list rounds up an elite list of famous names in business, politics and science. It includes Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani activist who was shot in the head by the Taliban for her crusade for better girls’ education; U.S. president Barack Obama; Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi; and Bill and Hillary Clinton for their global humanitarian and political activism. Two prominent business leaders also made the cut: Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, and Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, along with the Higgs Boson — the particle of the year — and the three scientists who discovered it.
Following last year’s group choice of “The Protester,” the only group to appear on this year’s list is “Undocumented Americans” — a pick that highlights the demographic growth and increasing political power of Latino Americans and the ongoing struggle over U.S. immigration policy.
All eight candidates appeared on TIME’s online reader poll, but none took first place. TIME’s online voters have already revealed their choice for this year’s top newsmaker: Kim Jong Un. More than 5.6 million people voted for the supreme leader of North Korea, although his results and those of other high scorers got a boost from members of Internet forums like 4Chan. While TIME’s editors have the final say and don’t make their selection based on the poll results, “it’s always interesting to see where some of our preferred candidates end up,” says TIME executive editor Radhika Jones.
Each year since 1927, TIME has named a newsmaker of the year: the person that most influenced our world this year – for good or for ill. Last year’s choice, The Protester, came out on top of runners-up including the newly minted Duchess of Cambridge and Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei. The choice is always kept under tight wraps until the minute the magazine cover is unveiled.
I think that I am missing something here with reading this as there seems to be a contradiction in their statements to the final outcome for last year.
Who would you pick for this year? Would love to hear…
I am leaning toward Yoda myself
May the force be with you Time in finding your 2013 choice…
Here are what other Daily Prompt Writers had to say:
CALGARY — The principal of a Calgary school where one student broke up a fight that could’ve turned into a stabbing has made a statement to parents.
On May 28, Briar MacLean, 13, a Grade 7 student at Sir John A. Macdonald school, opted for action instead of running in search of a teacher when a student pulled a knife during a fight.
After tackling the student, MacLean was sent to the school office, then home.
His mom, Leah O’Donnell, took exception to her boy being made to feel like he was in trouble, and QMI Agency readers shared that sentiment.
The school and Calgary Board of Education didn’t comment until Friday, in a letter to parents on the school’s website.
“The student who reportedly intervened was asked to remain in the office to explain what happened but was in no way disciplined,” school principal Michael Bester wrote.
“Two students were suspended as a result of their behaviour in this incident.
“It is not recommended that students intervene in incidents such as this to ensure their own safety. There was a teacher nearby who could have been asked to assist before the third student became involved.”
O’Donnell maintained MacLean was sternly lectured for “playing the hero.”
O’Donnell is still proud of her boy’s decision to step in. Weapon or no weapon, assault is assault, she said.
“If someone were punching me in the face, I’d want somebody to stop them,” she said.
I toss this out to my readers to see what your opinion of this situation is. Do you feel that this was handled correctly?
Did the student step over his bounds?
Should he have been suspended for his actions due to the circumstances of his reactions?
Would love to hear your reactions so leave me a comment.
My Daily Prompt Blog 