[My] Life in Wisconsin

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Dynasty: Influenza Virus in 1918 and Today


http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2009/dynasty_flu.htm
The influenza virus that wreaked worldwide havoc in 1918-1919 founded a viral dynasty that persists to this day, according to scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

In an article published online on June 29 by the New England Journal of Medicine, authors Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Jeffery K. Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D., and David M. Morens, M.D., argue that we have lived in an influenza pandemic era since 1918, and they describe how the novel 2009 H1N1 virus now circling the globe is yet another manifestation of this enduring viral family.

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PHOTO credit and caption: Red arrows indicate human influenza virus lineages, black arrows swine influenza virus lineages, and gray arrows exportation of one or more genes from the avian influenza A virus gene pool. Horizontal bars shown inside the virus represent each of the eight virus genes, abbreviated PB2, PB1, PA, HA, NP, NA, M and NS. Credit: NIAID

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“The 1918-1919 influenza pandemic was a defining event in the history of public health,” says NIAID Director Dr. Fauci. “The legacy of that pandemic lives on in many ways, including the fact that the descendents of the 1918 virus have continued to circulate for nine decades.”

Influenza viruses have eight genes, two of which code for virus surface proteins—hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N)—that allow the virus to enter a host cell and spread from cell to cell. There are 16 H subtypes and 9 N subtypes, and, therefore, 144 possible HN combinations. However, only three (H1N1, H2N2 and H3N2) have ever been found in influenza viruses that are fully adapted to infect humans. Other combinations, such as avian influenza H5N1, occasionally infect people, but they are bird viruses, not human viruses.

“The eight influenza genes can be thought of as players on a team: Certain combinations of players may arise through chance and endow the virus with new abilities, such as the ability to infect a new type of host,” says Dr. Morens, Senior Advisor to the NIAID Director. That is likely what happened to spark the 1918 pandemic, he adds. Scientists have shown that the founding virus was an avian-like virus. The virus had a novel set of eight genes and—through still-unknown mechanisms—gained the ability to infect people and spread readily from person to person.

Not only did the 1918 H1N1 virus set off an explosive pandemic in which tens of millions died, during the pandemic the virus was transmitted from humans to pigs, where—as it does in people—it continues to evolve to this day. “Ever since 1918, this tenacious virus has drawn on a bag of evolutionary tricks to survive in one form or another…and to spawn a host of novel progeny viruses with novel gene constellations, through the periodic importation or exportation of viral genes,” write the NIAID authors.

“All human-adapted influenza A viruses of today—both seasonal variations and those that caused more dramatic pandemics—are descendents, direct or indirect, of that founding virus,” notes Dr. Taubenberger, Senior Investigator in NIAID’s Laboratory of Infectious Diseases. “Thus we can be said to be living in a pandemic era that began in 1918.”

How exactly do new influenza gene teams make the leap from aquatic birds to a new host, such as people or other mammals? What factors determine whether infection in a new host yields a dead-end infection or sustained, human-to-human transmission, as happened in 1918? Research on such topics is intense, but at this time definitive answers remain elusive, notes Dr. Morens.

It is known that the human immune system mounts a defense against the influenza virus’s H and N proteins, primarily in the form of antibodies. But as population-wide immunity to any new variant of flu arises, the virus reacts by changing in large and small ways that make it more difficult for antibodies to recognize it. For nearly a century, then, the immune system has been engaged in a complicated pas de deux with the 1918 influenza virus and its progeny, say the NIAID authors. The partners in this dance are linked in an endless effort to take the lead from the other.

While the dynasty founded by the virus of 1918 shows little evidence of being overthrown, the NIAID authors note that there may be some cause for optimism. When viewed through a long lens of many decades, it does appear that successive pandemics and outbreaks caused by later generations of the 1918 influenza dynasty are decreasing in severity, notes Dr. Morens. This is due in part to advances in medicine and public health measures, he says, but this trend also may reflect viral evolutionary pathways that favor increases in the virus’s ability to spread from host to host, combined with decreases in its tendency to kill those hosts.

“Although we must be prepared to deal with the possibility of a new and clinically severe influenza pandemic caused by an entirely new virus, we must also understand in greater depth, and continue to explore, the determinants and dynamics of the pandemic era in which we live,” conclude the authors.

(See a diagram above right of the genetic relationships among human and swine influenza viruses.)

For more information on influenza visit PandemicFlu.gov for one-stop access to U.S. Government information on avian and pandemic flu. Also, see NIAID's flu portal and the CDC's Seasonal Flu page.

NIAID conducts and supports research—at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide—to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)—The Nation's Medical Research Agency—includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.


NIAID conducts and supports research—at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide—to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)—The Nation's Medical Research Agency—includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.


Reference:
DM Morens et al. The persistent legacy of the 1918 influenza virus.
New England Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp0904819 (2009).

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How neat this is!

XOXO
Me

PS
Not the flu, but as I type, Casey is awaiting more test results from her doctor here, (who is awaiting a phone call back from Dr. Sutherland). Casey has been sick, and now has a temp over 101.
One test won't be back until Friday, and that's a very long wait for us.

Single~Parents; Anna's Family... (Can of worms)

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Good Morning... 

As promised, here is that proverbial can of worms...

I am hoping that you have an opinion for (and OF) me when you finish reading this all.

In advance I need to apologize for being in such a foul mood. (But to counter that, I only need to think of my children and grandchildren; and the "family" that I have)...

Yes, this is wordy, but where my children have the propensity of being hurt, there are never enough words...


There is such a negative connotation that "parent~alone" cannot possibly raise decent, God~Loving, respectful, and responsible children...
(Falling back on the love I received from my own parents, I would still move heaven and earth to dispel that notion).

This is my family....

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(Right from my living room wall)!

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Some of you have asked plenty of questions of myself; others have not.
(Know that a few who don't bother to ask have been terribly wrong within their assumptions).

Please know that I would rather answer a question honestly, than to have anyone 'think' they might 'know' me; forego their questions, and be wrong enough to cause pain.

Now, (you know who you are)... Written in response to your ignorant rantings within my friends comments...

Forgive me ma'am, for knowing that you have only lashed out because of the ignorance of your own assumptions.
I shall try to correct that for you.
Strangely it occurs to me that I am also "assuming"... But where you could not have been further from the truth, I am thinking what I have to say might be a bit more accurate.

Oddly enough, I have my own questions too.

I have been fighting the inane and assinine attitudes toward single parenting since my eldest was 3 years old, and my then husband decided to leave for Germany with his betrothed to escape his child support responsibilities. I only state this to give you a bit of background; surely now it would fail to be important for any other reason.

Me now... more backgound...

I am, PROUDLY, a single mother.
My children have given me that pride; for I would not have it if not for their own love.

Both of my parents are deceased.

Having been adopted young, both of my "birthparents" are still alive and kicking; though not together.
(Hey, they were, er, 'together' for the most important day of my life; and that is all that matters). hehehe

I am thinking that there are plenty of single mothers out there who will care to share with me... their own experiences, their own thoughts and perhaps their own questions and answers.

Or perhaps you know a single parent family...

Or maybe you have a bit of both compassion and comprehension to offer.

I believe it was G.K. Chesterton that said one of the worst things you can do is misunderstand what someone has written. (along those lines anyway).


I hope you do not misread this; or not understand it as I mean it to be written.

**********

And now the 'inspiration' for my post here...

*I tried to stick up for a friend of mine who needs her sleep. That backfired when another person had responded, not knowing the 1st thing about me, and completely misunderstanding what I had said.
I had simply explained that when people are sick, to send everyone to bed with a Ziploc bag to put under their pillows so nobody has to be cleaning up vomit in the middle of the night. (Yes, I have done this nasty task more times than I care to remember, and have even tossed bedsheets because I had no more energy to deal with it all)...
I did not have to be there to watch my children barf...
Really I didn't; not after they had reached a certain age anyway.

This does NOT make me a bad mother. (Crap, did I forget to mention that my bedroom was attached directly to the bathroom)?

And yes, I have "been there," repeatedly, for my grown children as they have been taken seriously ill.


This blog began because my friends daughter (17 years old), had woken up in the middle of the night with a 24 hr. flu~bug of sorts.
Not having a land line in her bedroom, this gal had used her cell phone to call her mother, (asleep with her husband in the other bedroom), to tell her she was going to be sick.
I ('assumed' the family was well~off enough to have indoor plumbing.
That established, I further) stated I would lay good money betting on the fact that if this girl had time to make the phone call, and then wait for the connection, then wait even longer for her mother to answer, and then through a conversation, (no matter how short), that she had MORE than enough time to get her backside to the toilet. (It was just a guess).

Instead, she woke her mother, asking her bring a wastebasket to her room. (It just seemed a little selfish, silly and disrespectful to me).
I was told that the hubby would probably agree with me 100%, but that my friend did not.

**********

I have to share a few 'Q & A' of my own...

How hard is it to be a single mother?
(This is usually the greatest question of all)..

  • It is neither hard nor easy.

You do what you have to do; your family lives through it with plenty of prayer, humor, hormones and life.
Because I have known no other way to raise children, I would have nothing to compare it to. -With the exception of how I was raised by two parents.

I tried to incorporate what my parents taught me. ie: how I was raised.
My parents, the while they lived, helped me all they could; and so did my wonderful babysitter "Little Lisa" who practically lived with me to help me out at times.

My parents were born in 1912 and 1916...
To say I was raised "old school" would be very accurate.


Was I ever beaten/abused by my parents?
Absolutely not.
Hindsight (and maturity) have brought a bit of wisdom; I did deserve every punishment I ever got from them. Whether I was backhanded, spanked, cussed out, grounded, slapped or kicked in the butt, I received only what was coming to me.
(More, to this day, I have YET to hear better sermons)!

And so I was, and remain, motivated to keep trying to be a decent human being.

We were completely cherished and loved, but we were NOT ever molly~coddled.

When we fell down, we were told simply to "get up".
Picking ourselves up, no matter how bloody our knees or elbows or faces were, taught us to stand on our own two feet.

When were were sick, we either saw a doctor for an RX, or we got better on our own.
Honestly, I cannot recall even once expecting my mother or father to watch me throw up. (Nor did they ever offer to)!hehehe

My children got spanked when they were little. (Some a few times more than others).

Yet they have grown into self~sufficient, and capable adults.

Does that mean that they do not "need" me now?
Absolutely not. (I would like to think that sharing my own experiences with them on an adult level would account for much).

I believe that my parents taught me a deep and abiding respect for them. And yes, maybe I didn't always respect them as I should have; but you can bet your bottom dollar that I knew the consequences of my actions.
(And I firmly believe to this day this is the only place where the elements of "respect" and "responsibility" are learned).

Much like science, every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
This applies to parenting as well.

"Good" parenting anyway. (And no, I did not "beat" my children).  Truth be told, 99.99% of the time, a simple "LOOK" from me worked just fine. hehehe

I have been known to make a mountain out of a molehill.
That is just the way I am...
(Perhaps this is one of those times,
but my heart tells me otherwise).

Having had my daughters each go on their 1st dates/proms/dinners, I could imagine every possible scenario of any bad/good situation.
I raised them to KNOW how to deal with those same scenarios too.

Was I tough? I was.
I had to be; simply because I was the Mom and the Dad too.
They never heard 'just wait til your father gets home' because after the divorce, he chose not to be involved in their lives.
I never had the luxury of passing the buck on to someone else. (I would not have done so anyway).

I was their confidante, and I was their "heavy" too.
I never backed down from a challenge, whether that challenge came from my children or their friends, or the neighbors kids, or the neighbors themselves. 

We had one telephone line, and one toilet. They learned patience, practicality and perseverance early on. (Hopefully, they still "knock" too).

We are a team.
We are 'family.'

They all 'worked' too.

  • They knew how to vacuum, and to sort and DO laundry.
  • They knew how to start the weedwacker and the lawnmowers.
  • They knew how to shovel snow (and sometimes even had fun doing it).
  • They were responsible enough to care for the dog and the cat.
  • They knew what were weeds and what was a keeper in our gardens.
  • When they were younger, they were each given an alarm clock for the Christmas or birthday before they went to kindergarten.
  • They all knew how to read by the time they got to kindergarten, and yes, they all knew how to use their alarm clocks to make the very best use of their time in the bathroom.
  • They each ate a hot breakfast before they got on the bus.
  • They all knew how to cook that same breakfast by the time they were 7 or 8. (My oldest knew how to cook that breakfast before she was old enough to even go to school).

Did they know how to take care of themselves?
You bet they did; (and they still DO)!


As they grew, I always had my old medical reference books nearby, and any questions were then discussed, if/when they had any.
From a very young age, they ALL read these books many times over. A little knowledge goes a long way.

As a single parent, I was always aware of how short life can be cut for some; and it was with that fear, that I raised my kids. (Losing my step~daughter has only reinforced what I already knew about life being short, and leaving small children behind).

What would have happened to my children had I died?
Would they have been intelligent enough, kind enough, capable enough, and smart enough to carry on? I wanted to make sure that they were. (Know please, I am not "dissing" those of you with a spouse; I am only relating MY life).

As a single parent with no other parent around, these are the questions that I needed to know the answers to should that have ever happened...

So was I strict?
Probably more~so than most other parents; single or otherwise.

With respect to my childrens hard work, successes, kindnesses and intelligence, we have raised each other "right" ...(Thank you kids)!

Having been both mother and father; yes, I still cherish every single one of those Fathers Day cards that I have received over the years too!  hehehe


  • Have I made mistakes?  Of course I have!

I am only human.
But as we grow, we realize that the mistakes we make are our own learning experiences as well.


  • Have my children screwed up? Of course they have!
    Do I love them any less for that? Of course not! (And yes, a note to the faithful, I know my own progeny hold no animosity toward my own screw~ups either).

In closing. I would like to point out that I received these words from an uninvolved 3rd party in response to how I handled my own barfy children...
(And I quote):

"I’m a Mom and I believe Mom’s are there to care for (your) kids.

That is the problem with the world today…

I think some just shove off the kids letting them be little adults.

Care for themselves… nope.
So then we have a bunch of detached non-caring, no emotions types walking around."

********** end quote

I cannot begin to tell you what an UGLY statement that is to me, and how very deeply it has affected me these past couple of days. *** Should my four daughters read these words, they will be hurt; and highly offended as well...

I just don't think that "detached" or "non~caring" and "no emotion" are adjectives that could possibly be used to describe my children...

I am wondering what everyone else thinks; and would welcome your input on this all.

Could this woman/mother possibly be right in her thinking about how to care for children?

I know I am not the very best mother around.
I know that there are many that are much better. (Sadly we all know of worse ones too). But I didn't think I was all that bad.

  • There is a proper time for pampering, and a proper time for allowing the child to care for themselves.


Without learning to care for themselves, what a rude awakening we would leave our children with as they go off to college, to live elsewhere etc etc etc ...
What will they fall back on if their parents die?

Yes. I am their mother/father.
I love each of my children "something awful"
(But no, I am still not gonna watch them puke). Methinks there are much greater, and more important, ways to be needed anyway.

But that's just me.

Please let me know what YOU think just so I can put this one away.

Have a great weekend. (I am going to try to go back to bed for a while)...

XOXO
Anne

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PS
* If there are young men around, please know that your mother is not doing you any favors by coddling you if you have already reached puberty.
I also know for a fact that there are at least 4 young ladies in this world that will have nothing to do with a Little Mama's Boy who cannot even make his own bed, clean his own laundry, or cook his own sensible dinner.

  • At best, that is an archaic way of thinking.
  • At worst? Hmm... (nope, NOT going there)...


***************

Some of you may remember reading this at an earlier date.
It is a repost, but having read a comment elsewhere that gave NO respect to the work that a single parent is responsible for, I thought to repost it.
As you can see by the counter, almost 1400 people have read it already.
Sorry too that my most precious comments TO this blog did not transfer from my 360

XOXO
Me


Sirloin Beef Recalled- ... E. coli

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_034_2009_ReleaSe/index.asp
Colorado Firm Recalls Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination
Recall Release .

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CLASS I RECALL
FSIS-RC-034-2009 HEALTH RISK: HIGH.

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These beef products were produced on April 21 and 22, 2009, and were shipped to distributors and retail establishments in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.
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The problem was discovered through FSIS microbiological sampling and an investigation into the distribution of other products.

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Last Modified:
June 24, 2009
































USDA
Recall Classifications

Class I
This
is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability
that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences
or death.


Class II
This
is a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of
adverse health consequences from the use of the product.

Class III
This
is a situation where the use of the product will not cause adverse
health consequences.








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*******************.

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Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Peggy Riek.

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WASHINGTON, June 24, 2009 - JBS Swift Beef Company, a Greeley, Colo., establishment is recalling approximately 41,280 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.


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The products subject to recall include:

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* Boxes of "USDA CHOICE OR HIGHER, Bnls Beef Bottom Sirloin, Butt Ball Tip 2/DN S/T." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection, identifying package dates of "042109" or "042209" and a case code of "21852."

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* Boxes of "USDA CHOICE OR HIGHER, Bnls Beef Bottom Sirloin, Butt Ball Tip 2/UP S/T." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection, identifying package dates of "042109" or "042209" and a case code of "21853."
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* Boxes of "Swift, Bnls Beef Bottom Sirloin, Butt Ball Tip 2/DN S/T." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection, identifying package dates of "042109" or "042209" and a case code of "31852."
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* Boxes of "Bnls Beef Bottom Sirloin, Butt Ball Tip 2/UP S/T." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection, identifying package dates of "042109" or "042209" and a case code of "31853."
.

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* Boxes of "Swift, USDA SELECT, Bnls Beef Bottom Sirloin, Butt Ball Tip 2/DN S/T." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection, identifying package dates of "042109" or "042209" and a case code of "33852."
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* Boxes of "USDA SELECT, Bnls Beef Bottom Sirloin, Butt Ball Tip 2/UP S/T." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection, identifying package dates of "042109" or "042209" and a case code of "33853."
.

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* Boxes of "BLACK ANGUS, Swift Premium, BEEF, USDA CHOICE OR HIGHER, Bnls Beef Bottom Sirloin, Butt Ball Tip 2/UP S/T." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection, identifying package dates of "042109" or "042209" and a case code of "41853."
.

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* Boxes of "BLACK ANGUS, Swift Premium, BEEF, USDA CHOICE OR HIGHER, Bnls Beef Bottom Sirloin, Butt Ball Tip 2/UP S/T." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection, identifying package dates of "042109" or "042209" and a case code of "41853."

.

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* Boxes of "Bnls Beef Bottom Sirloin, Butt Ball Tip 2/DN S/T." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection, an identifying package date of "042109" and a case code of "79852."
.

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* Boxes of "Bnls Beef Bottom Sirloin, Butt Ball Tip 2/UP S/T." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection, an identifying package date of "042109" and a case code of "79853."

.

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* Boxes of "USDA CHOICE OR HIGHER, Bnls Beef Bottom Sirloin, Butt Ball Tip 2/UP S/T." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection, identifying package dates of "042109" or "042209" and a case code of "90853."

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These beef products were produced on April 21 and 22, 2009, and were shipped to distributors and retail establishments in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.
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The problem was discovered through FSIS microbiological sampling and an investigation into the distribution of other products.
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E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
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Media with questions about the recall should contact company Spokesperson Chandler Keys at (202) 907-4253. Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the company's Consumer Hotline at (800) 555-7675.
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Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
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***************
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Hmm...
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Does anyone else wonder why this seems to happen right around holidays?.

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At any rate, ask your butcher where their beef has come from before you buy..

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XOXO,.

Me

Calling for Venicide...

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Overgrown path to my backyard
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Good Morning All.
Been one hell of a nasty week for me.
... Am hanging in there just to p*ss a few people off! hehehe

Received an email telling me I was overdrawn on Wednesday... I got terribly concerned about that one because I watch my dollars quite carefully. Going to my bank site only upset me further. No mistake, save for my own.
I'd neglected to change the full payment on a credit card last month.
How freakin' st0opid is that? (Still mad)...

Nothing to do about that, so went out and enjoyed the water- Still so hot and humid out that the only way to cool off is to seek out water at it's highest level.

Casey came out also- Forgetting her swimsuit. No problem, she just went out to the shed and grabbed one from the rummage sale. She is 22 now, and the suit she grabbed was her own, One from 7th grade.
It fit.
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Cnv0402
I would guess that the top might fit a bit... differently though!
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Jenne got back home after bringing Isaiah to visit with his dad.
She balances on her butt in the pool.
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Cnv0405
I tried to do this too,
only to find myself as major entertainment...


Know too that my back does NOT hurt at all in the pool! How cool is that?
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What happened to the toes in the reflection?

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Cnv0407
Where have they gone? hehehe
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I've been using the strips that tell the hardness of the water- what it needs or not. Everything had checked out, save for chlorine content. (I have well water so it would surprise me if it had showed any in it).
I decided to add the pool shock the next morning.

The skies darkened-
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Cnv0410
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Time to put the cover on...
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Cnv0409

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Thursday morning, going out with Punk, and it was already almost a sticky hot type of day. (Thank God for that pool)! hehehe

Time to check the water one more time before the shock...

I walked around the corner of the house, only to see this.

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Cnv0408
Talk about freakin' "shock" !!!!
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Save for not thinking if my suit would fit, I thought I had thought of everything.

Everything else, that is...

EXCEPT...
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Cnv0412

  for the damned deer!


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Hindsight. 20/20.. Should have put the chlorine in right away- I don't think it would have been so attractive to them then.

Sad. Mad. Really Bad. ;-)

We will start over- Soon. Expecting a few storms this afternoon (if we're lucky). Even though I hate storms, we need the rains very badly. All the other threats of rain have missed us.

No pool?
Too bad. Back to the basics then.

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Cnv0414
Casey on her bike!
(Needs tubes, but those held for a while anyway)...

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And me walking with the camera.

I found this in the crack of the concrete by the garage. And it looks like and African Violet?

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Cnv0416
Maybe you know what it is?
Because up here, African Violets are only houseplants....
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Not too much other news. I fell yesterday morning because of my back. I didn't move for a while either. Punk came to the entrance and lay right down beside me. I'd seen her coming and thought "oh no" because I thought she would try to play or something...
She laid her head down next to mine and peeked at me over her eyebrows. I did get back to my cell phone and 'called' Jenne upstairs.

All is back to normal for now,
except for the reappearance of the beast himself. jackass

.This too shall pass...


Have a grand weekend!

Love to all

XOXO
Me

Posted to Y 360, Saturday June 27, 2009 - 09:07am (CDT)

Pregnancy. Toxoplasmosis. Raw Meat. Gardening Without Gloves. (And Cats.).

Rating:★★★
Category:Other
You do NOT have to get rid of your cat!

Now that I have your attention:
Pregnancy when you have a cat presents some challenges, but don't worry, none of them are even remotely insurmountable. You just need a little planning and know-how. Cats and babies have coexisted peacefully for thousands of years. This article deals with preparing for a new baby; the second part of this series discusses what to do once baby arrives.



The Facts About Pregnancy and Cat Litter

Because toxoplasmosis can cause birth defects in children, pregnant women sometimes assume that they must get rid of their cat. This is entirely unnecessary, as a few simple measures will thoroughly safeguard against catching the disease, especially from your cat. Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a parasite that can infect your cat if she eats prey already harboring the parasite or comes into contact with contaminated soil. Toxoplasmosis is rare among indoor-only cats.

Note that cats who contract toxoplasmosis do not always show symptoms. To prevent getting infected with the disease, whenever you scoop or clean the litter box, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands immediately afterward. Even better, get a friend or adult member of the family to take over litter box maintenance while Mom is pregnant.

Eating raw or undercooked meat is the most common way that humans contract toxoplasmosis. If you eat meat, wash off all surfaces and utensils that touched raw meat, and don't prepare meat and raw foods like salads on the same cutting board. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat.

If you garden, wear gloves when working in the soil. The toxoplasmosis parasite lives in the dirt, so also wash your hands well after gardening.

Many people naturally acquire an immunity to toxoplasmosis, and will not pass it on to their unborn child. In fact, the chances are that you have already been exposed to toxoplasmosis by handling raw meat or gardening without gloves. According to the CDC, "More that 60 million men, women, and children in the U.S. carry the Toxoplasma parasite, but very few have symptoms because the immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness."
Your doctor can test to see if you are in this group. [That is, IF you have access to health care]



First, some common questions and myths. No, cats do not suck the air out of a baby; that is an old wives tale. Yes, it is theoretically possible for a cat to inadvertently suffocate a baby, although there are no reliable reports of that ever occurring, and it's easy enough to block kitty's access to the crib (more details below).

Let's look now at how we can get your cat to accept your new baby with open paws. From your cat's point of view, a baby who shows up with no advance warning is a loud, threatening, and attention-stealing invader. It doesn't have to be this way. Babies and cats can be buddies. The key to getting a cat to accept a major jolt to her routine is soften the blow and introduce the change gradually. In the case of a new baby, you want your cat to be as used to baby stuff as she can possibly be beforehand, so that when your baby comes home, kitty is not totally shocked by this very interesting human life form.

* Get kitty used to baby sounds and smells. Long before the big day, wear the baby lotions and powders that you will be using. Let kitty sniff you, and help her develop positive assocations with the new scents by praising her and giving her a treat.

* Get a recording of a baby crying - possibly from a neighbor or relative who has a baby. You can also tape babies crying in a pediatrician's waiting room. Play the tape for kitty, starting with low volume and short length, and working up to full volume and duration. Again use positive attention and treat rewards.

* If at all possible, invite a friend or family member with a baby to come over, with their baby, for a short visit, followed by a longer visit. Or two or three. During the visits, let kitty walk around, but it's best to have baby sitting on a lap.

* A baby seat or playpen might work well, also. Play with your cat as long as you don't bother or scare the baby.

* If you're building or preparing a nursery, give kitty a chance to become used to the new setup one step at a time. Let her get her curiosity throughly out of the way. Remember to keep up your daily interactive play sessions. Make kitty feel like she's a part of all this, not an outsider.

* Set up the crib long in advance of baby's homecoming. Make the crib uninviting (to a cat). Fill several soda cans with pennies and tape the openings of each can. Fill the crib with these soda cans. If this doesn't deter kitty, you can buy netting that fits over the crib.

* You can also block access to baby's room by installing an interior screen door - this is actually quite effective.

* Give kitty plenty of exposure to toys, mobiles, and other baby accoutrements. You want all these things to have lost their novelty for her weeks before baby comes home.



Avoid Too Many Changes

Keep your cat's routine the same as much as possible. This won't always be easy between the hubub of visitors and houseguests and preparing for a new baby, but the effort is well worth it. A predictable routine reduces cats' stress and prevents a host of problems. Ask others to help make sure that your cat gets fed, brushed, and played with in the usual manner.

Don't go overboard and give your cat extra, compensating attention prior to the baby's arrival because it will be impossible to keep that up once you have a baby at home to take care of. But do enlist family members to help kitty feel like a valued member of the family. Let all the adults and kids in your household know how they can help keep both kitty and baby safe, happy, and on peaceful terms.

From here: http://cats.about.com/cs/catmanagement101/a/humanpregnancy.htm

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I am not posting this to tell anyone to take chances- Only for your information...

XOXO
Me

Why We [ALL] Need a Public Health-Care Plan -

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124580516633344953.html
Hi All;
There is no need to read the article - As I know many of you are apolitical, so a brief synopsis here is necessary.

The best to learn from this article:
"Critics say the public option is really a Trojan horse for a government takeover of all of health insurance.
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. It's an option. No one has to choose it.
Individuals and families will merely be invited to compare costs and outcomes. Presumably they will choose the public plan only if it offers them and their families the best deal -- more and better health care for less."

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By ROBERT B. REICH, WSJ.com

Why has health-care reform stalled in Congress? Democrats, after all, control both Houses, and President Obama, whose popularity remains high, has made universal health care his No. 1 priority. What's more, an overwhelming majority of the public wants it. In the most recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, 76% of respondents said it was important that Americans have a choice between a public and private health-insurance plan. In last week's New York Times/CBSNews poll, 85% said they wanted major health-care reforms.

So why the stall? Mainly because Congress can't decide how to pay for it. The hardest blow came last week when the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the trial-balloon bill emerging from the Senate Health Committee would cost a whopping $1 trillion over 10 years and would cover only a fraction of Americans currently without health care. According to the CBO, another tentative bill, this one coming out of the Senate Finance Committee, would cost even more -- $1.6 trillion.

That spells political trouble. Republicans who never batted an eye over George W. Bush's wild spending habits have become born-again fiscal hawks. Blue Dog Democrats are nervous about mounting deficits. Even the president admits that the flow of red ink in future budgets keeps him up at night.


No one wants to raise taxes or even be accused of thinking about the subject. But honest politicians have to admit that universal health care will require additional revenues. The likeliest sources are limits on certain tax deductions and a cap on tax-free employer-provided health care.
Would the public go along? The most intriguing finding in last week's New York Times/CBS poll was that most respondents said they would be willing to pay higher taxes to ensure everyone had health insurance.

But before we even get to this point, it's important to recognize that those terrifying CBO cost projections significantly overstate the costs. They did not include potential cost savings from the lynchpin of health-care cost containment: a so-called public option that would give people who don't get health care from their employer the choice of a public insurance plan. Why? For the simple reason that the Senate committees hadn't yet agreed on a public option. Yet without a public option, the other parties that comprise America's non-system of health care -- private insurers, doctors, hospitals, drug companies, and medical suppliers -- have little or no incentive to supply high-quality care at a lower cost than they do now.

Which is precisely why the public option has become such a lightening rod. The American Medical Association is dead-set against it, Big Pharma rejects it out of hand, and the biggest insurance companies won't consider it. No other issue in the current health-care debate is as fiercely opposed by the medical establishment and their lobbies now swarming over Capitol Hill. Of course, they don't want it. A public option would squeeze their profits and force them to undertake major reforms. That's the whole point.

Critics say the public option is really a Trojan horse for a government takeover of all of health insurance. But nothing could be further from the truth. It's an option. No one has to choose it. Individuals and families will merely be invited to compare costs and outcomes. Presumably they will choose the public plan only if it offers them and their families the best deal -- more and better health care for less.

Private insurers say a public option would have an unfair advantage in achieving this goal. Being the one public plan, it will have large economies of scale that will enable it to negotiate more favorable terms with pharmaceutical companies and other providers. But why, exactly, is this unfair? Isn't the whole point of cost containment to provide the public with health care on more favorable terms? If the public plan negotiates better terms -- thereby demonstrating that drug companies and other providers can meet them -- private plans could seek similar deals.

But, say the critics, the public plan starts off with an unfair advantage because it's likely to have lower administrative costs.
That may be true -- Medicare's administrative costs per enrollee are a small fraction of typical private insurance costs -- but here again, why exactly is this unfair? Isn't one of the goals of health-care cost containment to lower administrative costs?
If the public option pushes private plans to trim their bureaucracies and become more efficient, that's fine.

Critics complain that a public plan has an inherent advantage over private plans because the public won't have to show profits. But plenty of private plans are already not-for-profit. And if nonprofit plans can offer high-quality health care more cheaply than for-profit plans, why should for-profit plans be coddled? The public plan would merely force profit-making private plans to take whatever steps were necessary to become more competitive.
Once again, that's a plus.

Critics charge that the public plan will be subsidized by the government. Here they have their facts wrong. Under every plan that's being discussed on Capitol Hill, subsidies go to individuals and families who need them in order to afford health care, not to a public plan. Individuals and families use the subsidies to shop for the best care they can find. They're free to choose the public plan, but that's only one option. They could take their subsidy and buy a private plan just as easily. Legislation should also make crystal clear that the public plan, for its part, may not dip into general revenues to cover its costs. It must pay for itself. And any government entity that oversees the health-insurance pool or acts as referee in setting ground rules for all plans must not favor the public plan.

Finally, critics say that because of its breadth and national reach, the public plan will be able to collect and analyze patient information on a large scale to discover the best ways to improve care. The public plan might even allow clinicians who form accountable-care organizations to keep a portion of the savings they generate. Those opposed to a public option ask how private plans can ever compete with all this. The answer is they can and should. It's the only way we have a prayer of taming health-care costs. But here's some good news for the private plans. The information gleaned by the public plan about best practices will be made available to the private plans as they try to achieve the same or better outputs.

As a practical matter, the choice people make between private plans and a public one is likely to function as a check on both. Such competition will encourage private plans to do better -- offering more value at less cost. At the same time, it will encourage the public plan to be as flexible as possible. In this way, private and public plans will offer one another benchmarks of what's possible and desirable.

Mr. Obama says he wants a public plan. But the strength of the opposition to it, along with his own commitment to making the emerging bill "bipartisan," is leading toward some oddball compromises. One would substitute nonprofit health insurance cooperatives for a public plan. But such cooperatives would lack the scale and authority to negotiate lower rates with drug companies and other providers, collect wide data on outcomes, or effect major change in the system.

Another emerging compromise is to hold off on a public option altogether unless or until private insurers fail to meet some targets for expanding coverage and lowering health-care costs years from now. But without a public option from the start, private insurers won't have the incentives or system-wide model they need to reach these targets. And in politics, years from now usually means never.

To get health care moving again in Congress, the president will have to be clear about how to deal with its costs and whether and how a public plan is to be included as an option.
The two are intimately related.
Enough talk. He should come out swinging for the public option.

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Dear Mr. President;
Please come out swinging.

46 MILLION do not have access to any insurances.
How many have simply chose "to quit going to the doctor" as I read on another blog? (Truly, there is nothing 'simple' about that).

That makes 46 million reasons to be on board with Mr. President.

XOXO
Me

Save your comments, they will be open in the blog(s) that follow...

Record Temps, Green Bay


http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090624/GPG0101/90624044/1207/GPG01/Record-temperatures-could-be-set-today-in-Green-Bay

We are SO not used to this...

XOXO
Me

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Record temperatures could be set today in Green Bay

June 24, 2009
Green Bay saw temperatures reach a record high Tuesday and might see a repeat today.

The thermometer hit 95 degrees at 5 p.m. Tuesday, passing the record of 94 degrees set in 1934.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service at Austin Straubel International Airport in Ashwaubenon say today’s temperature is likely to top out somewhere between 91 and 96 degrees.
The record is 95 degrees is 1937.

The National Weather Service is advising residents in the central and northeastern parts of the state to take precautions to avoid heat stroke, including wearing loose fitting, light colored clothing and drinking plenty of fluids.

Forecasters said they expect a cold front to move into the region today and sag to the south. Thunderstorms are expected to come with that front and a few stronger storms may produce small hail, gusty winds and heavy rainfall.

Storms are expected to return to the region late Friday night through Saturday night.

A spokesman at Wisconsin Public Service Corp. said energy use to run air conditioners today isn’t expected to set any records.

--Tony Walter/Press-Gazette

POOL!



Cnv0370
Isaiah on the ladder-
We ended up turning the hose on again anyway-
After that, his legs weren't long enough to climb in/out.
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Good Morning All...
Hot enough for you? Nasty yesterday- and 83% humidity.
(But it was 100% humid in the pool, and no one minded)! hehehe

I had forgotten one very important thing as I covered all aspects of this pool thing.
And that was my swim suit...
I have been faithfully bringing it along to these various hotels that Casey and I had stayed in; (just in case). But truth be known, I haven't even unpacked it in years.
Nor have I had it on...

Jenne and Isaiah were already out playing by the time I'd finished my own playing on my blog yesterday.


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Punk, having no pool of her own, was stuck on the inside.
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How pitiful is that?!?
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And it was time for me to face my swimsuit...
I took the little plastic bag out from the closet in the bathroom, and removed the suit. (It looked much smaller than what I'd remembered)...
But then it dawned on me that no one, save for my loved ones, would even see me in it. And I quickly disrobed. (Yargh)!

Grabbing this mere suit I cautiously put one leg in... Then another.
Then came time to yank it up...
...Much to my amazement, the darn thing fit perfectly!
There are no pictures. (You'll just have to take my word for it).

But there are plenty more pictures...

Jenne had to re~inflate the tube doughnut.
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Casey arrived...
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She got suited up quickly, and showed off her beach towel...
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Punk was allowed to come out...
And it was discovered that if you have a pull toy in the pool this dog puts it to very good use!
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Casey tried to drown Punk...
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Cnv0379
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Punk tried to drown herself...
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Cnv0380
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Oh this water is SO lovely!

But the sun was very harsh.
I even made the dog get out of the pool for a while to put her in the shade.

She was NOT a happy camper...
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Isaiah needed a drink of water, so we turned the hose on...
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And what fun to be had while the pool filled a bit more!
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He played so long in that little pool...
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And it was time for this little prunes nap...
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Cnv0372
hehehe
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I hope you are all staying safe and cool somehow.
I have already turned the furnace on- NOT the heat, just the fan. If you have forced air heat, you can do the very same- With my house, it brings the cool air from the basement and other vents and redistributes it around the whole house. (Yes, I still have the window A/C on).

Love to all.

XOXO
Me


posted to my Y! 360, Wednesday June 24, 2009 - 08:11am (CDT)

Tips for beating the heat... ########### Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. ~~It is also a good idea to wear hats or to use an umbrella. ########### Drink water, even if you're not thirsty. ~~Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate the body. ########### Eat small meals more frequently. ~~Avoid high-protein foods, which increase metabolic heat. ########### Slow down. ~~Avoid strenuous activity or do it during the coolest part of the day. ########### Stay indoors when possible. ~~If air conditioning is not available, stay on the lowest floor out of the sunshine. (Remember that electric fans do not cool, they simply circulate the air). ########### Be a good neighbor. ~~During heat waves, check on elderly residents and those who do not have air conditioning. ########### Learn Red Cross first aid and CPR so you know what to do in an emergency situation. — ~~American Red Cross

National HIV Testing Day 6/27/09


http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jun2009/niaid-23.htm
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Contact: Laura Sivitz 301-402-1663

Statement of Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health on National HIV Testing Day, June 27, 2009

The importance of National HIV Testing Day becomes clear when one recognizes that an estimated one-fifth of all Americans infected with HIV do not know they are infected.[1] Among Americans who have been tested for the virus, more than one-third of those who learned they are infected became aware of their status less than a year before being diagnosed with AIDS — long after the optimal time to begin antiretroviral therapy.[2]

Not knowing one�s HIV status endangers one�s health and the health of one�s sexual partners. By getting tested for the virus and learning one�s HIV status soon after infection, treatment can begin early, substantially delaying the development of HIV-related illness and prolonging life.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, urges everyone ages 13 to 64 to get tested for HIV as part of their routine health care, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. People at high risk for HIV infection — such as injection drug users, gay and bisexual men, female partners of bisexual men, and people with multiple sexual partners — should get tested at least once a year.

Widespread, voluntary HIV testing and treatment for infected individuals could benefit both people with HIV and their communities. Studies have shown that most people who learn they are infected with HIV adjust their behavior to avoid transmitting the virus to others.[3] In addition, when HIV-infected people start antiretroviral therapy and take it consistently, the treatment reduces the amount of virus in their blood and other bodily fluids to very low levels. Not only does this protect their health, but it may also make them less infectious to others; a NIAID clinical trials network is in the process of testing this hypothesis.

This community-level benefit of HIV testing and treatment could assume greater importance in the future as scientists examine a compelling new model for HIV prevention. This mathematical model, developed by scientists at the World Health Organization, predicts that within 10 years of implementation, a program of universal, voluntary, annual HIV testing and immediate treatment for those who test positive could reduce new cases of HIV by as much as 95 percent.[4]The model further predicts that this strategy, called test and treat, could end the HIV pandemic within 50 years. However, the test and treat model contains many assumptions that need to be validated and raises issues that require broad public debate. NIAID has begun conducting research to validate some of these assumptions and address some of these issues.

Meanwhile, CDC has launched an important initiative, Act Against AIDS, designed to dramatically increase the number of Americans who get tested for HIV and who take action to protect their health and the health of their sexual partners. To learn more, go to http://www.cdc.gov/nineandahalfminutes/.

On this year�s National HIV Testing Day, let us remove any stigma and fear that surround HIV testing and recognize its lifesaving value. By doing so, we are taking a critical step in containing the terrible scourge of HIV, protecting our own health as well as the health of our communities. To find an HIV testing site near you, go to www.hivtest.org. For more information about HIV testing, go to http://www.aids.gov/testing/index.html.

Dr. Fauci is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
Media inquiries can be directed to the NIAID Office of Communications at 301-402-1663, niaidnews@niaid.nih.gov.

NIAID conducts and supports research — at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide — to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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Photo from here, http://www.cdc.gov/nineandahalfminutes/
along with the following info:

The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the United States Is REAL—Get the Facts!

Before we can stop any epidemic, we first have to recognize the magnitude of the disease. HIV is still a threat across the United States. And even though there are treatments to help people with HIV live longer than ever before, AIDS is still a significant health issue. Surprised? Get the facts:

* Every 9½ minutes (on average), someone in the United States is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
* In 2006, an estimated 56,300 people became infected with HIV.
* More than 1 million people in the United States are living with HIV.
* Of those 1 million people living with HIV, 1 out of 5 do not know they are infected. (People who have HIV but don't know it can unknowingly pass the virus to their partners.)
* Despite new therapies, people with HIV still develop AIDS.
* Over 1 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with AIDS.
* More than 14,000 people with AIDS still die each year in the United States.

Take control of your health. http://www.hivtest.org/ to find where to go.
You can also call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1800-232-4636) for assistance in locating a testing site.



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Now go back and read that 1st paragraph. Scary, isn't it?
Have you ever gotten tested? Why? Why not?

I did. Many years ago because a man I had been with was less than honorable. My results came back negative, but I got an earful on how to conduct myself; even if I "thought" I was in a monogamous relationship.
That one little chat makes me think twice to this day.

XOXO
Me


Migraines with Aura in Middle Age Associated with Late-Life Brain Lesions


http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jun2009/nia-23.htm
Embargoed for Release Tuesday, June 23, 2009 4:00 p.m. EDT
Contact: Barbara Cire 301-496-1752

Migraines with Aura in Middle Age Associated with Late-Life Brain Lesions

Women who suffer from migraine headaches in middle age accompanied by neurological aura (visual disturbances, dizziness or numbness that can precede migraines) are more likely to have damage to brain tissue in the cerebellum later in life, according to a study by researchers at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and the Icelandic Heart Association in Reykjavik. Researchers noted that many people have these types of "silent" brain lesions, but their effect on physical and cognitive function in older people is not well studied.

The study appears in the June 24, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers found that women are more susceptible than men to localized brain tissue damage identified on magnetic resonance images (MRI) and that women who reported having migraines with aura were almost twice as likely to have such damage in the cerebellum as women who reported not having headaches.

Researchers noted that while the study shows an association in women between migraine and cerebellar tissue damage later in life, the functional significance of such brain changes remains an open question. The cerebellum is located in the lower back side of the brain and is involved in functions such as motor activity, balance and cognition.

"This long-term population-based study increases interest in determining whether migraine could be a risk factor for brain lesions with clinical consequences over time," said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. "Further research should help us better understand what these changes may mean for individuals and for brain function with age."

Migraine headaches affect approximately 11 percent of adults and 5 percent of children worldwide and are more common in women than in men. Migraines are often accompanied by extreme sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting. Some individuals with migraine also experience neurological aura symptoms, including temporary visual disturbances that can appear as flashing lights, zig-zag lines or loss of vision.

This study examined migraine headaches in a community-dwelling cohort of older people. Between 1972 and 1986, when participants were middle-aged (average age 50.9), they were asked about type and frequency of headaches. MRI scans of the cortex and cerebellum brain regions were conducted on 4,600 study participants between 2002 and 2006, when participants� average age was 76.2.

Participants were divided into four groups: migraine headache with aura once or more per month, migraine headache without aura, nonmigraine headache and no headache. The researchers found that overall, 17 percent of the women were classified as having migraine headaches, including 10.3 percent with migraine with aura. Only 5.7 percent of men were classified as having migraine.

Overall, MRI scans revealed the presence of any brain lesion in 39.3 percent of the men and 24.6 percent of the women. Prevalence of cerebellar lesions in women with migraine with aura was 23.0 percent vs. 14.5 percent for women not reporting headaches. There was no statistically significant difference in prevalence of these lesions in men (19.3 vs. 21.3 percent).

"After adjusting for risk factors for cardiovascular disease, transient ischemic attack or stroke in middle age or late life, we found that women who suffered from migraines with aura in middle age had an almost twofold increased risk of brain lesions in the cerebellum later in life," said Lenore Launer, Ph.D., senior author and chief of the neuroepidemiology section of the Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry in the NIA�s Intramural Research Program. "We are currently investigating the clinical implications of these brain lesions in this group of individuals. We are also interested in whether this association represents a cause and effect relationship or whether some other factors are responsible for the apparent association. The findings from this study are consistent with those from a previous study conducted in younger people using a similar protocol."

Participants were part of the Reykjavik Study and the Age Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study (AGES-RS). Originally established to study heart disease in Iceland, the Reykjavik Study includes a random sample of men and women born between 1907 and 1935 and living in Reykjavik at the beginning of the study in 1967. In 2002, AGES-RS continued the Reykjavik Study to examine risk factors, genetic susceptibility and gene-environment interactions in relation to disease and disability in later life.

This study was funded by the National Institute on Aging, the Icelandic Heart Association and the Icelandic Parliament. Components of the study were also supported by the National Eye Institute, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and the Migraine Research Foundation.

The NIA leads the federal effort supporting and conducting research on aging and the medical, social and behavioral issues of older people. For more information on research and aging, go to www.nia.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.Citation:
Scher, Ann I., et al., Migraine Headache in Middle Age and Late-Life Brain Infarcts. Journal of the American Medical Association, June 24, 2009�Vol. 301, No. 24, 2563�2570.

Author Affiliations:
National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, MD (Lenore J. Launer); Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD (Ann I. Scher and Anna Ghambaryan); University of Iceland, Reykjavik, (Larus S. Gudmundsson); The Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, (Sigurdur Sigurdsson, Thor Aspelund, Vilmundur Gudnason, and Gudny Eiriksdottir); and Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands (Mark A. van Buchem).

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I knew there is an increased risk of stroke since my migraines are (generally) preceded with the aura...
Now I have to worry about being goofy too...

XOXO
Me