[My] Life in Wisconsin

Lumpy Me. (An Obvious Lesson in Humility)...

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Only in Wisconsin does one see this on a city boulevard.
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Good Morning All;
I am still catching up, and have come to the conclusion that that will never work. hehehe
Not caught up on here, and certainly not within my own home.
I have not given up though.

We had rain for 3 days this week, receiving 2/3rds of our May rainfall in two days!
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528 Rainfall
Suamico did very good with respect to those of us that still have our own wells.
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Even with the rainy days we have been quite busy.

First to take Punk to see Dr. Spires...
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527 Punks Temp
Since she had been running a fever on Tuesday
so he took her temp.
It was fine Wednesday. . .
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She was due for her shots etc in June anyway, we decided to get everything over and done with at this visit.
She still must remember that stick in her eye- (CLICK if you don't know the story). She does fine getting weighed in, but when it is time to go into the exam room she would rather just leave...
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They drew blood to check for anything weird.
(Like Casey's, Punks veins 'roll' too).

And had to check her lungs, respiration and heart rate...
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527 Dr. Spires listens
All was well. . .
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I wanted to have him recheck her anal glands while we were there.

She is not too big on this, (but she sure as heck tolerates it much better than I would).

She keeps a very close eye on him afterward...
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527 Punk Mad
Methinks Punks face and tail tell the whole story...

"boof"?!?
Which we translate to mean "I been VIOLATED!"
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Casey and I had not eaten lunch yet.
(Yes, I am aware I have gone from anal glands to food in one fell swoop). hehehe

Those of you that have been around the longest, know three things about me.
  • due to my anxiety attacks that I do not do well with spontaneity.
  • I was on a dart league for many many years, but that I haven't shot since my right hand lost its usefulness.
  • since I no longer shoot darts or tend bar, that I have no reason to enter a tavern.

I rectified all of that on Wednesday, to a small, (brave), degree anyway...

We brought Miss Punk home from the vets. Then drove down the road to Wouters Front. It is a tavern and a restaurant. (Used to be a little store there too).

Not wanting to press my luck, or Casey's, we ordered our food "to go".

I dug out my old darts while we waited for our food to be ready.
When I shot league darts I was quite good if I do say so myself. As was the rest of my team.
(
Us four gals won the title championship for 14 or 15 years straight)! "YAY" us!

Casey put a few quarters in the machine getting the 301 Game set up while I checked the flights and such on my darts.
She didn't care to use mine, opting for the lighter 'bar darts' instead. (That's fine by me, I never did 'share' my darts too well).

She threw an impressive round of about 80- She hasn't shot a dart for a long time either; (for me it's been about 6 years).
Please remember that in these 6 years my right hand has failed something awful. (I used to write letters all the time; and as for typing my favorite key is "backspace").


  • I threw my first dart.
It shot straight to the floor. !

OK, so I haven't shot for 6 years, and now that I know how it "feels" once more, the next two darts will be perfect.


  • I threw my 2nd dart.
It joined the first dart on the floor. ! ?

WTH? I've got many witnesses to the fact that years ago when I used to drink I never threw 2 darts in a row that far off target...

I might have heard a bit of a snicker from my youngest child at that point too. Followed very closely with, "What happened, Mom?"
I looked at my inept hand, and said, "it doesn't work"

BUT I still had one dart left!


  • I threw the 3rd dart.
It joined its partners right on the floor. ?!?

I was immediately (and quite firmly) convinced that Gary Wouters must have installed some kind of force~ field that instantly drew all of my precious darts onto the floor.

I further believe that even with my 'beginners luck' at 22 years of age that I have never left 301 on the board after the 1st round!
That is exactly what I did on Wednesday.
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527 Darts at Wouters Casey
Casey, with her near~perfect form!

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527 Darts Wouters Front
Lumpy me. No form. No grace.
I decided to throw underhand after the 2nd round.

(Heya Gritter, Jill has NO competition from me doing this either)
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Yes, the "Itty Bitty Kid" kicked my butt. (It still hurts).


I think Miss Punks butt still hurts too.
Because for some reason, she need to soak it for a while yesterday.
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528 Punk Mud Bath 2
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So how has YOUR week been?
I've decided to crawl back under my rock.

Love to all.

XOXO
Me



Posted to my Y! 360 Friday May 29, 2009 - 11:42am (CDT)

Medical Marijuana *Edited 6/29/2009

Rating:★★★★★
Category:Other
Good Morning Everyone;
First of all I am not sold on legalizing marijauna for recreational purposes; though I am not necessarily against it either.

Second, I am not posting this for Caseys benefit- She could not use this if she wanted due to her predisposition to blebs and collapse; and her (already) three surgeries to repair pneumothorax.

I have had two sisters, and known too many others, who have been through harsh chemotherapies, and wonder if this could have helped them?

Those of you who know someone who lives with cancer, MS, chronic pain, or no appetite (only to name a few) may want to read further.

My own thoughts are so simple. "If alcohol is legal, then why not pot?" (Perhaps it would be that more people would be willing to grow their own, compared to those of us that have the ability to create our highly taxed wine, spirits, and beer).

For the teenager or teacher that only wants to get high... Not a chance.

But for medicinal purposes, I do not understand why this drug is not being prescribed and used more often.

XOXO
Me

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

FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE SHOULDN'T BE A CRIME
Author: Montel Williams Talk Show Host

Talk-Show Host Montel Williams Tried Many Different Medications to Dull the
Pain From MS, but the Only Thing That Has Worked for Him Has Been
Marijuana. That Makes Him a Criminal in Illinois.

You may know me as a television talk-show host, but I am also a criminal.
My crime? Using the medicine that has allowed me to live a normal life
despite having multiple sclerosis.

Being diagnosed with MS in February 1999 felt like a death sentence. I
wondered what the future held for my family and me. Would I cease to be
self-sufficient and independent?

I always took excellent care of my body. I worked out, followed a healthy
diet and looked the picture of health. What I was hiding was the
mind-numbing pain that seared through my legs as if I was being stabbed
with hot pokers. I doubted my ability to function as a husband, father,
son, brother, friend, talk-show host and producer. I honestly couldn't see
a future.

My doctors wrote me prescriptions for some of the strongest painkillers
available. I took Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin on a regular basis, two
at a time, every three or four hours. I was knowingly risking overdose just
trying to make the pain bearable. In my desperation, I even tried morphine.

These powerful, expensive drugs brought me no relief. Instead, they made me
nearly incoherent. I couldn't take them when I had to work because they
turned me into a zombie.

Yet, even with all the drugs, I couldn't sleep. I was agitated, my legs
kicked involuntarily in bed, and I found myself crying in the middle of the
night.

Worse, these drugs are all highly addictive. I did not want to become a
junkie, wasted and out of control. I spiraled deeper into a black hole of
depression.

In "Climbing Higher," my book on living with MS, I write in detail about
how I became suicidal and twice attempted to end my life. I was in severe
mental and physical pain, getting little sleep and feeling completely
spent. Someone suggested that I try smoking a little marijuana before going
to bed, saying it might help me fall asleep.

Skeptical but desperate, I tried it. It was like a miracle. Three puffs and
within minutes the excruciating pain in my legs subsided.

I had my first restful sleep in months. When I awoke, the sheet and
blankets weren't on the floor and my legs had taken a break from their
nightly kicking.

Marijuana is classified by the federal government as a Schedule I drug,
meaning that--like PCP, LSD and heroin--it is considered unsafe to use
under any conditions, including medical supervision. Physicians are not
allowed to prescribe it. But 99 percent of marijuana arrests are made by
local police under state law, and states can choose not to arrest medical
marijuana patients.

Last year, Montana and Vermont joined the list of states that protect
medical marijuana patients from arrest under state law, bringing the total
up to 10--one-fifth of the U.S.

But in Illinois, I'm still a criminal.

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of
Sciences, released a two-year study of marijuana that showed it was
effective in combating the muscle spasms associated with MS. Canada, Great
Britain, Israel and Netherlands also have conducted studies on marijuana
and found that it can help people suffering from certain forms of cancer,
AIDS, MS and Tourette's syndrome by relieving symptoms such as pain,
nausea, loss of appetite, muscle spasms and tics. Patients struggling for
life and dignity against illnesses like MS, cancer or AIDS should not be
treated as criminals.

It is time to take politics out of the debate. It is time for
government-sanctioned research into the medicinal effects of marijuana and
time to heed the research already available. It is time to change
marijuana's classification so that physicians can prescribe it.

And while we await that rescheduling--which must be done at the federal
level--states can and should act now to protect patients under state law.
Just such a bill, House Bill 0407, is under consideration by the Illinois
House.

In the eyes of the law, I am a criminal. But because of medical marijuana,
I am still alive and living a far more productive, fruitful life than
before. And that shouldn't be a crime.

----------

TV Talk show host Montel Williams is the author of "Climbing Higher."

Referenced: Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/marimed/
Referenced: The Illinois Medical Cannabis Act (HB 407)
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=HB&DocNum=407&GAID=8&SessionID=50&LegID=14741
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Montel+Williams

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~
cannabislicence
~
Circa on this photo is mid 1915's to 1920's

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The Following was written by Dr. Jay Cavanaugh, PHD, whom the medical marijuana community lost to his illness on April 24th 2005

Pancreatitis & Medical Marijuana- Jay R. Cavanaugh, Ph.D.
Many thousands of American suffer from either acute and/or chronic Pancreatitis each year. This is a serious disease that often results in death. Pancreatitis can occur independent of Pancreatic carcinoma. Pancreatic cancer is particularly nasty being inevitably fatal and extremely painful until the last days when nerve endings are largely destroyed by tumor and inflammation. Chronic Pancreatitis can also be lethal particularly when pseudocysts or infection are present.

The Pancreas is a vital organ that loops around the GI tract from below the naval to underneath the solar plexus. It provides both an endocrine function (insulin) necessary to the maintenance of normal blood sugar and an exocrine function (digestive enzymes) necessary to absorb the nutrients from food. Pancreatitis can interfere in the production of these key enzymes and hormones.

The Pancreas can become inflamed from overuse of alcohol, sludge or stones in the gall bladder, autoimmune attack, or congenital defect. Once inflamed the Pancreas can become blocked, develop pseudocysts, and even become infected. The pain associated with pancreatic inflammation is intense. Dehydration, shock, and hyperglycemia may occur. Inflammation caused by excessive pancreatic enzymes can also occur in joints, the lining of the heart (endocarditis) and other vulnerable areas.

Prompt and proper diagnosis is necessary as a wide range of disorders generates abdominal pain. Usually, a battery of blood tests is conducted to look at pancreatic enzymes. A CAT scan can reveal the degree of inflammation and give important clues as to the status of pancreatic tissue including the presence or absence of pseudocysts, ascites, or tumor. An ECT can reveal information about the pancreatic ductwork, identifying abnormalities and blockages.

In severe cases treatment may include intravenous feeding, surgical drainage, surgical resection, removal of the gall bladder, transplantation, and medicines to replace key enzymes and hormones including lipase, amylase, and insulin. Relief from pain usually requires major narcotics including morphine, MSContin, OxyContin, Fentyl, and methadone. Pancreatic attacks can be a one-time affair, intermittent, or frequent. Episodes can last days to months or even years.

Cannabis is not a primary treatment for the underlying causes of Pancreatitis except as it relates to alcoholism (the primary cause of Pancreatitis) and inflammation (Cannabis is a decent anti-inflammatory).

There are two major areas where cannabis can be very helpful in treating the symptoms of Pancreatitis. The first is to help alleviate the loss of appetite (anorexia) and weight loss (cachexia) that can be life threatening. Cannabis food products are NOT recommended for this relief as the GI tract is overtaxed in Pancreatitis and usually requires rest. The best routes of administration are inhalation (vaporizer), tincture, and smoking. Increased appetite and significant weight gain have been reported with Cannabis use. Since weight loss from Pancreatitis can exceed 30% of total body weight, any nontoxic medicine that improves nutrition is vital. Some of the anorexia in Pancreatitis is caused by the simple fact that it hurts to eat.

The second major area where cannabis can be helpful is in pain relief. Many patients find that adjunctive therapy with medical cannabis replaces narcotics while others find they can significantly lower the dose and frequency of prescribed painkillers. Since Pancreatitis can last weeks to months, narcotic tolerance and addiction are a real concern. In many cases surgery(s) may have to be delayed until Pancreatic inflammation recedes. This means patients may be on powerful narcotics while awaiting surgery making the narcotics less effective in dealing with post-surgical pain.

Since surgery is often an option with Pancreatitis it is important to honestly discuss all drug use (including alcohol) with the physicians, surgeons, and anesthesiologists involved in treatment and procedures. Most anesthesiologists recommend that patients have as few medicines as possible on board just prior to surgery. After surgery pain management may become an important part of treatment along with diet modifications, glucose monitoring, etc...

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Updated Daily!
Everything That A Patient Needs To Know & Learn About Medical Marijuana
One of the largest and up to date collections of all the medical marijuana- cannabis, research reports, medical reports medical case studies, clinical research study's online. All the reports & case study's about marijuana, pot, cannabis all in 1 spot
http://www.onlinepot.org/medicalreports.htm

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****** ADDED 6/29/2009

http://www.onlinepot.org/medical/pancreatitis.htm

Many thousands of American suffer from either acute and/or chronic Pancreatitis
each year. This is a serious disease that often results in death. Pancreatitis can
occur independent of Pancreatic carcinoma. Pancreatic cancer is particularly
nasty being inevitably fatal and extremely painful until the last days when nerve
endings are largely destroyed by tumor and inflammation. Chronic Pancreatitis
can also be lethal particularly when pseudocysts or infection are present.


The Pancreas is a vital organ that loops around the GI tract from below the naval to underneath the solar plexus. It provides both an endocrine function (insulin) necessary to the maintenance of normal blood sugar and an exocrine function (digestive enzymes) necessary to absorb the nutrients from food. Pancreatitis can interfere in the production of these key enzymes and hormones.

The Pancreas can become inflamed from overuse of alcohol, “sludge” or stones in the gall bladder, autoimmune attack, or congenital defect. Once inflamed the Pancreas can become blocked, develop pseudocysts, and even become infected. The pain associated with pancreatic inflammation is intense. Dehydration, shock, and hyperglycemia may occur. Inflammation caused by excessive pancreatic enzymes can also occur in joints, the lining of the heart (endocarditis) and other vulnerable areas.

Prompt and proper diagnosis is necessary as a wide range of disorders generates abdominal pain. Usually, a battery of blood tests is conducted to look at pancreatic enzymes. A CAT scan can reveal the degree of inflammation and give important clues as to the status of pancreatic tissue including the presence or absence of pseudocysts, ascites, or tumor. An ECT can reveal information about the pancreatic ductwork, identifying abnormalities and blockages.

In severe cases treatment may include intravenous feeding, surgical drainage, surgical resection, removal of the gall bladder, transplantation, and medicines to replace key enzymes and hormones including lipase, amylase, and insulin. Relief from pain usually requires major narcotics including morphine, MSContin, OxyContin, Fentyl, and methadone. Pancreatic “attacks” can be a one-time affair, intermittent, or frequent. Episodes can last days to months or even years.

Cannabis is not a primary treatment for the underlying causes of Pancreatitis except as it relates to alcoholism (the primary cause of Pancreatitis) and inflammation (Cannabis is a decent anti-inflammatory).

There are two major areas where cannabis can be very helpful in treating the symptoms of Pancreatitis. The first is to help alleviate the loss of appetite (anorexia) and weight loss (cachexia) that can be life threatening. Cannabis food products are NOT recommended for this relief as the GI tract is overtaxed in Pancreatitis and usually requires rest. The best routes of administration are inhalation (vaporizer), tincture, and smoking. Increased appetite and significant weight gain have been reported with Cannabis use. Since weight loss from Pancreatitis can exceed 30% of total body weight, any nontoxic medicine that improves nutrition is vital. Some of the anorexia in Pancreatitis is caused by the simple fact that it hurts to eat.

The second major area where cannabis can be helpful is in pain relief. Many patients find that adjunctive therapy with medical cannabis replaces narcotics while others find they can significantly lower the dose and frequency of prescribed painkillers. Since Pancreatitis can last weeks to months, narcotic tolerance and addiction are a real concern. In many cases surgery(s) may have to be delayed until Pancreatic inflammation recedes. This means patients may be on powerful narcotics while awaiting surgery making the narcotics less effective in dealing with post-surgical pain.

Since surgery is often an option with Pancreatitis it is important to honestly discuss all drug use (including alcohol) with the physicians, surgeons, and anesthesiologists involved in treatment and procedures. Most anesthesiologists recommend that patients have as few medicines as possible “on board” just prior to surgery. After surgery pain management may become an important part of treatment along with diet modifications, glucose monitoring,

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

There is a ton of info on this at the above included links. Take from it what you will.