Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
How To Resolve or Prevent Back and Joint Pain
The best stretches I’ve ever used are the maintenance exercises in the book, Pain Free by Tony Egoscue. I used to have a significant amount of pain (hip, back, neck and shoulder). I did the targeted exercises in the book for over a year until I was pain free. Then I moved on to the maintenance exercises and have kept them up for several years now.
Based on yoga exercises, these exercises realign all of your joints enabling good posture and free movement. I highly recommend the book, even if you just want to prevent pain by doing the maintenance exercises.
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Brrrrrrrrrrrr… and Some of My Summer Flowers to Cheer a Cold Winter Day
Aaaaaachoooo!! There you go Rebecca… THAT’s my weather picture. We have wonderfully mild winters here in Birmingham, Alabama… but last night was the coldest night this winter season and will probably be the lowest all winter. My thermometer registered 19 degrees. It was below freezing the night before and yesterday’s high at my house was 31. We’ve been in this house for four years and have never had a problem with freezing pipes. However, I guess with no thawing yesterday (which is VERY unusual here), we’re in trouble. We woke up to find no hot water throughout the house and the cold is frozen in the kitchen. So, I ran around opening the cabinets under all the facets and turning on all the faucets to drip. Better late than never? I hope.
I used to remember to prepare for nights like these. I think that was back when I actually listened to the weatherman on our nightly news. Now I check weather.com, get my local news via RSS, and national via NPR pod-casts. They don’t get excited like the local weather forecaster. Maybe I’d better re-think my media choices. 
Changing gears… I take pictures of my flowers, but am remiss in posting them. Last summer we had a terrible drought, so the pictures are few, but here are a few to warm your winter day.
And, why not… here is my sweet hubby looking through the vacuum-cleaner bag for my earring. He’s the best. (I’m allergic to dust, if you’re wondering.)
Comforting the Sick by Visiting With Your Dog
I just listened to this short podcast and want to share it with you. I have found dogs especially comforting to people who are sick, aging or dying. I recall years ago when I was single and had a minor surgery, one of my girlfriends drove me from the hospital to her home to spend the night. Her dog immediately and quietly came and sat beside me; she would not leave my side. She was so sweet. I believe dogs sense illness and pain. My theory is that it has to do with their heightened sense of smell. But, as this author says, perhaps we should leave that a mystery.
What a great way to volunteer in a nursing home! Read or listen to the whole thing by clicking the Slate link just below.
heavy petting: Pets and people.A Patient’s Best FriendMy dog’s amazing gift with hospice patients.
Posted Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008, at 8:03 AM ET
I don’t really know why Izzy brings peace and pleasure to people in their final days and hours. There is little research about this kind of interaction, and I prefer to keep it a mystery. Maybe the people are remembering the dogs they loved as children. Perhaps the gentle touch is what matters, what gets through.
Whatever the reason, I see the same thing over and over. People startle, then smile, and the tension drains. They grow more peaceful, feel safer. There are some things experts and studies can’t explain, even in our sound-bite-obsessed culture.
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An Aging Parent
I’ve been meaning to write a few words on this subject for some time now. But, as you all know, I’d much rather read than write. Inspired by Lifehacker’s post How Do You Cope with an Aging Parent?, I thought I’d jot down a few thoughts for some of you who haven’t reached this stage.
My Sweet Mom
Outside of her nursing home holding a stuffed animal which she has since given away
A Few Words For the Pre-Caregiver
Look for signs of forgetfulness before you really believe your parents are dangerously forgetful. My mother did a great job of covering for her forgetfulness for quite a while. Looking back, I can see that she was a danger to herself and others (on the roadways) long before we seriously thought there was a problem. Some early signs of being dangerously forgetful can be problems refilling and dosing (correctly) medications and confusion in the kitchen. Feeding yourself can become complicated because of the number of dependent steps involved. Consider the steps involved in shopping, assembling recipes and working various kitchen appliances. The kitchen can also be a dangerous place prone to fires and burns. Losing physical and/or mental capabilities can make the kitchen challenging.
Independent Living, Living With Children, Decline Continues
My mother moved to an independent living facility when she was 73 after being widowed twice. She loved it because of all the social interaction. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and continued to decline. She was having so much difficulty the last year in independent living; we should have moved her to a nursing home sooner. It took us a while to realize that she was often sleeping in her clothes and forgetting how to do personal hygiene. We paid home health to administer her meds and my sister lived nearby to pop in and supervise from time to time. At that stage, if we had recognized it, she would have done well to move into one of our homes. Up until that time, she thoroughly enjoyed the independent living situation.
Moving to a Nursing Home
We moved her to a nursing home when she was 79. By the time we recognized what was happening and thoroughly assessed her situation with the help of medical professionals, we decided to try a nursing home. After a period of adjustment, she is now very happy living there. At this stage, she needs structure and a very regulated environment, which not only keeps her safe, but also makes her feel safe. She is unable to do much for herself, but the routines and attentiveness of the staff keep her clean, safe and content.
She can no longer carry on a conversation, but smiles and laughs often. She enjoys the entertainment and activities the nursing home provides. She likes to “play” bingo with the other residents, but needs assistance to play; she doesn’t recognize the numbers anymore. She enjoys winning the prizes. Her favorites are stuffed animals, which she enjoys giving to another resident within the hour. Assistance is provided for activities, so that she is able to participate to the best of her ability. At this point, I believe she would be bored to live in my home. I can’t entertain her all day and the television does not interest her anymore. There is a time in life that the right nursing home can be a blessing.
Don’t automatically think that an Alzheimer’s unit is better than placing your loved one in the general population. That was my assumption when I began researching where Mom’s next placement would be. Most Alzheimer’s units are for very severe cases in which the resident is a danger to themselves or others or is able to “escape” from the facility. Mom is very happy and safe among the general population, so we see no need to restrict her further.
Attitude is Key
I encourage caregivers and future caregivers to be proactive in watching for signs of declining memory. Be open to change and don’t think all facilities are alike or bad. Don’t make decisions based on misguided guilt. Do the research and try new things. I encourage all people as they age, to be like my sweet Mom and make the best of your situation. Enjoy people. Don’t let things like your car, your home and your possessions take priority over meaningful interaction with people.
How to Sneeze
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Kidney Stones – My Story – Plus Remedies and Prevention, Part 3
Implement any tips at your own risk. Please read the disclaimer in the sidebar of this blog. I am not a health professional. In addition, I do not receive remuneration for any of the products or services that I recommend in this post. ___picture (c) Jean Ryder
My clients have VERY good results with Magnesium Citrate 200mg 2-3 times daily and the lemon juice. Decrease dose if loose stools occur. The lemons may provide citric acid and potassium similar to citrate from magnesium. Once my clients start this program they have never, that I know of, formed another stone.
So, I continue drinking:
Tart Lemon Water
Use a gallon bottle (I use a milk container) adding:
1 cup of reconstituted lemon juice
fill to top with water
Shake each time before you pour it into a glass, because the lemon juice settles to the bottom. This is an acidic drink to have on your teeth on a daily basis, so I use a straw or a squeeze bottle.
UPDATE: My dentist advised me that this much lemon juice on a daily basis was hurting my tooth enamel. So, I did a little research and found that I can take potassium citrate instead. I take one 99 mg. potassium citrate tablet each morning with my first dose of magnesium and calcium citrate.
In addition, I take magnesium citrate and I changed my form of calcium to calcium citrate. Right now, daily, I am taking up to 500 mg of magnesium citrate plus 1000 mg of calcium citrate… always with food. UPDATE: I find that I need to vary the magnesium/calcium citrate according to my urinary symptoms. I take as little as 100 mg. and as much as 400 mg. of magnesium citrate (with double the amount of calcium citrate). I keep the potassium constant at 99 mg. I’ve been doing this for a month with excellent results. ALWAYS TAKE THESE MINERALS WITH FOOD. I understand that they may actually contribute to kidney stone formation if taken alone.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. If you decide to start this regimen, start slowly. Start out with a small dose and then increase it every few days. Your body will over-react if you start with a high dose of magnesium. If you take too much, you get diarrhea and that depletes the magnesium from your body, so it is like taking two steps backward. Even when you reach what seems to be the amount you need to take routinely, other factors can occasionally throw your body chemistry off balance. So, don’t hesitate to skip doses if you feel you are getting too much. And, remember to always take with food and be regularly drinking lemon juice water.
I take 100 to 200 mg of magnesium citrate along with 200 to 400 mg of calcium citrate and 99 mg of potassium citrate with breakfast.
Then, about four to six hours later, I take 100 to 200 mg of magnesium citrate along with 200 to 400 mg of calcium citrate with food. Sometimes I skip this second dose.
I don’t take any magnesium after about 1 pm because it interferes with my sleep. It makes me feel as if I’ve had too much caffeine. Additional benefits that I have received from taking magnesium citrate, are that my blood sugar levels are more even, my digestion in general is better, and my chronic constipation is gone.
I found that the citrate forms are hard to find locally. I purchase them at Puritan’s Pride, where I purchase the rest of my vitamins.
I have also read that vitamin b6 is good for kidney stone prevention. So, I’m taking 150 mg of vitamin b6.
From PCC Natural Markets:
Vitamin B6 is usually safe, at intakes up to 200 mg per day in adults. However, neurological side effects can sometimes occur at that level. Levels higher than 200 mg are more likely to cause such problems.
In addition to preventing oxalate kidney stones, magnesium citrate can even reduce the size of existing kidney stones. Reference:Urology Channel I have actually reduced the size of small kidney stones and passed them without pain using these minerals.
Additionally, I found these links to be helpful:
Oxalate Diet at Litholink Check out their whole site. They have an abundance of good kidney stone information and address all forms of stones and treatments.
LowOxalateDiet.pdf from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center This has some additional foods listed.
Earth Clinic One of my readers suggested this site and it has a lot of useful information by way of forum discussion.
Water: How much should you drink every day? A Mayo Clinic article.
A Kidney Stone entry at Wikipedia
I’ve been taking the magnesium for several months now and it is quite a success for me. The end of the summer and the beginning of fall is when I am at highest risk to develop the worst stones. Since I’ve added this magnesium citrate remedy to my lemon water and oxalate diet, I’ve not had a bad stone. I still form tiny crystals, but I pass them before most people would know they have a stone. I just know the nausea and other symptoms so well, that I can tell I still have a slight malfunction. But, I can live with this! : )
UPDATE: 11/09/2009
I ran across an interesting site that has an abundance of information on the various organs. I have not studied their kidney stone section because I’m doing well now and tired of studying. But, you might want to check it out. They also have forums available. The site is Ask Shelley .
From Ask Shelley:
Signs of Healthy Kidneys
- Strong, solid urine flow/stream rather than a “spray”
- clear yellow urine
- relatively infrequent trips to the bathroom – at least a couple hours or so between visits
- no nocturnal urination unless it’s just once, rarely, and usually after 5am
- steady energy overall, no flank or back pain, no sciatica type pain
Because I form kidney stones chronically, if my urine stream deviates from what she describes here, I know that I am in danger of forming stones. I want my urine stream to flow like water flowing from a hose that is on, but not under pressure. The urine just falls out freely and does not feel unusually warm. When I implemented everything on this page, it took about two weeks for my urine stream to become healthy.
UPDATE December 17, 2009: I am closing this post to additional comments. I have answered questions to the best of my knowledge on this subject. If you have a question, read Post 2 and Post 3 carefully and then all of the comments on both posts. You will probably find that your question has already been asked and answered to the best of my ability. Also, Post 3 mentions a forum on a larger site where you can find some interaction.
Related Posts:
Kidney Stones – My Story – Plus Remedies and Prevention, Part 2
links for 2007-09-19
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If you have chronic sinus infections, this will help keep them away. A doctor showed me this about 15 years ago, and it works well for me. It is best as a preventative or before you get too stuffed up. It’s all natural… much better than taking meds! And, it’s painless.
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This is great resource from the Mayo Clinic.
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…more on imprecation. See yesterday’s post.
links for 2007-09-11
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Choose from several options… a verse of the day, read the Bible in a year, etc.
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How To run multiple versions of the same program on your PC. Simple instructions… very helpful.
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Did you know you shouldn’t recline your seat while riding in the car? FROM THE PAGE: As it turned out, I had internal bleeding from a lacerated spleen and three cracked ribs.
links for 2007-09-09
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How and why to power nap.
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FROM THE PAGE: …the nap time that seems to give the greatest benefits is right there in the 5 to 20 minutes range.
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Interesting… drink a cup of coffee and then take a 15 minute nap.
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FROM THE PAGE: If you are at all interested in Reformed theology, the debate over the New Perspectives on Paul and related issues, then you must buy this book!
Related Posts:
links for 2007-09-05
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Trustworthy Mayo Clinic lists some natural supplements that might help lower cholesterol.
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Tim Challies is having a drawing for some volumes of the Reformed Expository Commentary series. Please use my referral ID which is 10665
links for 2007-08-28
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FROM THE PAGE: Facebook’s fastest-growing demographic consists of people 35 or older: they’re refugees from the uncouth wider Web…. it has also hung on doggedly to its core insight: that the most important function of a social network is connecting people and that its second most important function is keeping them apart.
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FROM THE PAGE: A landmark study by University of Western Sydney researchers has found people over 50 who take calcium supplements suffer fewer fractures and enjoy a better quality of life.
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FROM THE PAGE: OpenDNS is a safer, faster, smarter and more reliable way to navigate the Internet. Our service is free and requires nothing to download.
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A letter from a father to his daughter explaining “what biblical evidence changed my mind from holding a “believers’ baptism” position to the conviction that both those who are converted as adults and the infants and children of believers should be baptized.”
links for 2007-08-23
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Until recently physicians have had to rely on time-consuming and uncertain behavioural examinations to diagnose the onset of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s. This is really good news for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
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Good articles and a blog focused on logic for Christians.
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Wow! Don’t miss this recollection of Ruth Bell Graham’s grandson talking with her as she lay nearly helpless in her bed.
