Lift Your Spirits and Your Self Esteem!

11 Tevet 5768

One of the people who praised my book on the back cover is a world-famous psychiatrist. He's an addiction specialist and a HAPPINESS SPECIALIST.

Please listen to this broadcast and find out how to lift your mood, spirits and outlook on life whether or not you believe in GOD:

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twerski: Low Self-esteem Shatters Happiness

Live your life to the fullest.

Be kind to yourself and to others.

Buy Happiness and the Human Spirit, What Spirituality is Really All About.

And buy It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need to: A Life Book that that Helps You to Try Your Tears and Cope with a Medical Challenge.

Both books can vastly improve your mood.

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What’s the Problem You Need to Solve?

Yesterday’s post struck a chord with people all over the world. Health Writer and blogger Star Lawrence in Arizona, USA loved it. Now she’s referring her readers to my part of the blogosphere.

A few men stopped me on the street to remark that their wives were amused by that pasta fork back-scratcher idea. We agreed that none of us knew where to buy back-scratchers, so this was an affordable, easy solution.

What sort of medical problem do you need to solve? Let me know so I can check out my human resources department (medical professionals I’ve known on collegial terms for several years). I just might let you know what I learn about your coping with a medical crisis concern in future posts.

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I’ve received positive feedback about the bright white text I’ve been using. So I’ll keep it going for you.

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Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.

The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are in high gear! Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com:443/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

The votes are in and still arriving: Almost 400 votes of praise for my book in about three weeks! On December 2, 2007 the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research declared It’s MY Crisis to be “Recommended Reading,” then added it to other recommended titles on the Musella website. Readers can vote there once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To you can vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm (I hope you choose a 9 or a 10).

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life

Have a Good Health Care Idea?

10 Tevet 5768

My Israeli blog visitors might be interested to know that the Health Ministry invites Israel's citizens to submit requests for new Health Basket benefits.

Suggestions by local citizenry will be prioritized along with those submitted by medical professionals, then added to the recommendations being prepared for the Finance Ministry (it subsidizes national health services). At least that’s what was reported on Page 7 of the Jerusalem Post this past Friday.

Send your politely phrased ideas to public.sal @ moh.gov.il (remove the spaces on either side of the @ symbol after you copy & paste the info into your E-mail system).

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While we’re on the topic of health care ideas, here are some ways you can avoid trips to the doctor or pharmacy. All you need is a nearby garden or a peek into your kitchen cupboards:

Want to boost your immune system without a big expense? Buy organic Curcumin/Tumeric and cook it in soups, rice, vegetable and meat stews. I even lightly powder salads with it. Adjust the al dente amount according to your preferences.

Here's a bit of exciting information about Curcumin/Tumeric from The Brain Tumor Society (a fan of my blog named Cindi alerted me to it): http://www.tbts.org/assets/files/Fact%20Sheets/Nutrition_and_Brain_Tumors.pdf

I recommend using canned Crisco (a small container reserved for the changing table) on baby's behind. It will now remain rash and odor-free because ammonia won’t develop on the tender skin. Wash baby’s bottom with pure soaps and water and use cloth diapers as often as possible to minimize diaper-area problems.

Cradle Cap comes off after you've smeared vegetable oil on it. Let it sit a few minutes. A gentle rubdown with baby soap, a simple terry cloth washrag or towel wipes it off. Baby will probably coo as you work. Kiss as often as you wish.

Honey on boo-boos (even for youngsters and adults) is painless and curative. DO NOT use honey on infants under one year of age. It’s life-threatening if they eat it, and babies tend to lick their wounds, let alone sweet stuff.

Aloe juice also cures boo-boos and it dries upon skin like a protective bandage. If you don’t have an aloe plant in the garden or potted in the house, buy one.

Mint toothpaste on itchy bug bites ends the misery. And you'll never have cavities on your ankles or knuckles ;^ )

Liquid soap also ends bug bite itch.

Want to keep bugs off you without using chemical preparations from the store? Crush a clove of garlic, put the liquid in an empty, clean spray bottle and add a bit of water. Spray the liquid lightly onto your sox. You can spray crushed garlic juice and water mixtures onto plants infested with bugs and they will leave the area.

Cooled teabags end under-eye puffiness when you rest them on your lids (my neurosurgeon mentioned this as I giggled upon hearing an old, reliable truth!)

A bar of soap (any type) between the bottom sheet and your mattress cover ends middle-of-the-night leg cramps, though I don’t know why. You get used to the bump (sort of) and if you’re really talented, you can scoot the bar of soap into juuuust the right spot using your ankles. Yeah, there, under that cramped calf muscle… ahhhh….relief! After a week or so, you won’t suffer leg cramps at night. Just keep that soap bar on the mattress pad for long-lasting comfort.

Men, this is for you: you don’t have to scratch your itchy backs on the corner of a doorway any longer. Just grab a plastic pasta fork with smoothly curved prongs and rub it over your shirt above the itchy area (no, not directly on your skin! Yuk!). I refuse to name the guy who taught me that maneuver because he wants to trademark it. I bet he and his wife can still hear me laughing over transatlantic waters… Listen, it saves wear and tear on your skin, let alone the sweater you might be wearing… Give it a try.


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Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.

The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are in high gear! Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis! https://secure.booklocker.com:443/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

The votes are in and still arriving: 377 votes of praise for my book in almost three weeks! On December 2, 2007 the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research declared It’s MY Crisis to be “Recommended Reading,” then added it to other recommended titles on the Musella website. Readers can vote there once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To you can vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm (I hope you choose a 9 or a 10).

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Perhaps You Want to Reconsider Tonight's Menu

9 Tevet 5768

Poultry Workers and E. Coli

This news might make you sick, so brace yourself for it.

According to a December 2007 edition of Environmental Health Perspectives, poultry workers in the United States are 32 times more likely to carry E. coli bacteria resistant to the commonly used antibiotic, gentamicin, than others outside the poultry industry, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

In the study, researchers conducted in-depth analyses of 49 study participants, 16 working within the poultry industry and 33 community residents… for resistance to the antimicrobials ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriazone, gentamicin and tetracycline. Findings showed that poultry workers had 32 times greater odds of being colonized with gentamicin resistant E. coli than other members of the community.

TO REPEAT: Findings showed that poultry workers had 32 times greater odds of being colonized with gentamicin resistant E. coli than other members of the community.

"One of the major implications of this study is to underscore the importance of the non-hospital environment in the origin of drug resistant infections," said Ellen K. Silbergeld, PhD, senior author of the study.

That leaves the average person wondering about the safety of the food supply. Once you read the next paragraph, you might consider learning how to prepare vegetarian casseroles or organically raised fowl. Both are filling, nutritious, and safe. Well, they’re safe unless you add lots of drugs to them and let drug-resistant workers handle the birds the way the American poultry industry does to chicken and other poultry products. Makes you wonder what's going on in poultry processing plants in other parts of the world. Here’s the warning bell from the article referenced above:

"The use of antimicrobials in industrial food production has been going on for over 50 years in the United States," said the study's lead author, Lance B. Price, Ph.D., who serves on the research faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, and is a scientific advisor to the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. "Some estimates indicate that well over half of the antimicrobial drugs produced in the United States are used in food animal production. In the U.S. alone, over 9 billion food animals are produced annually."

Ask yourself in all honesty, "Do I want to continue eating debatably safe foods handled by people who are at risk for becoming quite ill and at risk for making me ill by endangering my food supply?" Look at this peaceful duck and think: "If I eat animals raised on grains and clean water only, my health and well-being might be better off."

Finding the above concerns hard to swallow? Here’s my information source:

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Office of Communications and Public Affairs
December 17, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

POULTRY WORKERS AT INCREASED RISK OF CARRYING ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT E. COLI

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I'm trying to accomodate some vision-impaired fans of this blog. Please let me know if making my text white helps you to read it more easily.

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Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.

The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are in high gear! Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

***
The votes are in and still arriving! On December 2, 2007 the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research decided that It’s MY Crisis is “Recommended Reading.” It was added to other recommended titles on the Musella website. Readers can vote once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To you can vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm (I hope you choose a 9 or a 10).

To your good health,

Yocheved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Hear Me Speak on Internet Radio

7 Tevet 5768

Readers of my blog and other people are filling my answering machine and E-mailbox will "attagirl!" messages of praise and approval because they enjoyed my English-language radio interview at http://www.ouradio.org/index.php/ouradio/channel/C299/

Here's a handy glossary of a few words you might need to translate:

HaShem is a Hebrew word for G'D
Emunah is Hebrew for Belief in/Trust in G'D
Simcha is a synonym for "joyous occasion"
Refua is Hebrew for "cure" or "recovery"
Tehillim are psalms. "Pesukim of tehillim" means "verses of psalms"


Robert Goldman alerted me to the live link and gosh the show is making me smile, too! Thanks much for the tip, Robert!

Long-time blog visitor Francisco Hernnandez-Marcos liked the interview so much he posted it to his blog, http://francisco.hernandezmarcos.net/en/

UPDATE: Er, a somewhat frequent bit of skepticism ripples through the crowds listening to me in live and pre-recorded forums. Some people strongly doubt the validity of my concerns about food processing and food packaging methods that damage human health. Or, the doubters want proof of my claims about harmful practices. OK, you asked. I'm responding. See Peril in plastic?

Listen to me on OU Radio, invite to speak in your community, and I can share with you more of my "You can do it; you have choices," thoughts.

I hope that my message fills you and your loved ones with hope. As I tell listeners throughout my dialogue, upbeat thoughts are the best medicine. Light your way to improved health and peace of mind.




Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.

The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are in high gear! Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

The votes are in and still arriving! On December 2, 2007 the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research decided that It’s MY Crisis is “Recommended Reading.” It was added to other recommended titles on the Musella website. Readers can vote once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To you can vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm (I hope you choose a 9 or a 10).

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Keratoconus Contact Lens

4 Tevet 5768

Keratoconus is the problem of a bulging cornea. It disturbs vision and it's difficult to treat. Dry Eye and some other visual problems can be resolved to some extent with a rather newish invention that also improves vision for people with Keratoconus.

The Boston Foundation for Sight created the Boston Scleral Lens Prosthetic Device. It’s a contact lens for people with unusual eye health problems. A nifty solution for people who have not found anything else that helps them to see better, the Scleral Lens can be a great help. See http://www.bostonsight.org/ for more information.

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness in many helpful ways.


The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are in high gear! Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

Read some reviews of It's MY Crisis at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Its-Crisis-Ill-Cry-Need/dp/1601452780/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197564383&sr=1-1

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Moms’ Sick: Here’s How to Cope

3 Tevet 5768

Men, I intend to give you equal time. But first up, I'm sharing some online videos about women who are sick for extended periods of time.

Two of the themes running through both videos are 1. cruelly dismissive remarks that medical "professionals" made to women experiencing genuine illness and 2. lack of interest in exploring an intelligent, articulate adult's medical concerns and symptoms. "You're having hormone problems," "You need psychotherapy," "You're just busy and tired from raising kids," and so on were just some of the responses made to the people in these shows.

If you're a woman, you're probably familiar with the problems mentioned above. I sure am, and WOW am I disappointed in the medical world's regard for women.

Here's my suggestion for repairing the problem. Suggest watching the "Moms with Long-term Illnesses" and "Post-Partum Depression/Empty-nesters" videos to your medical team, plus to your family and friends. It's a painless and valuable education effort on their part.

Here's the link to the videos (at the same blog): http://www.douglas.co.us/networkdc/dcmom/index.html#topVideo

If and when you respond to the E-address at the video blog above, please “CC” me. Or simply send your reaction to the dialogues to giveretgolani@gmail.com.

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn more about how to cope with the stresses of sickness in the family.

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CHANUKA ends later today !!!!! Spread healing cheer and keep the warmth of the holiday going far into the future when you buy someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

The good feelings you'll foster can be as warm and appealing as these Chanuka latkes.












Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers, save on large quantities of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

To your good health,

Yocheved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Bedsores and Xmas Trees that Make You Sneeze

2 Tevet 5768

Today's topics are completely unrelated, but timely. Winter weather brings out the holidays. People facing medical challenges tend to become stuck indoors, even in bed, for long periods of time during wintery weather. Life does not always feel as happy as commercials say it will feel, especially for someone who is ill. So, let's look at two relevant issues of the day...

BEDSORES

When a person is in bed too long for their skin to bear it, bed sores appear. This is a sign of breakdown in “skin integrity.” It is painful and dangerous. Germs can easily enter the bloodstream through the oozing wounds. The singular medical term for these unwanted holes in the skin is “Decubitus Ulcer.” It’s pronounced Deh-kyoo-biht-us. Decubiti is the plural term. It’s pronounced Deh-kyoo-biht-eye (as in eye ball).

Bedsores are graded into one of four categories that indicate if the sore is simply a reddish pressure mark on the skin or an open and painful sore (medical professionals tend to use the terms “skin break down” or “skin deterioration” when discussing the problem) or worse. Without careful supervision, bedsores can become life-threatening.

Worsening bed sores can become oozing areas that expose the muscle below the skin (a very serious medical problem). The worst situation is an infected wound that might reach down to the bone. It's as ugly as it is serious. Be sure to discuss the situation with a health care professional until you understand the problem 100%.

Bedsores result from too much pressure. A person in bed for long periods of time (weeks, months) is experiencing lots of unusual pressure on the body parts touching the bottom sheet: ankles, elbows, hips, shoulders, buttocks and the area above the buttocks (what is commonly called a “tail bone”).

Here are some easy, quick cures and prevention techniques for bedsores. Check with your medical professionals before using any of them. You need to understand that potential dangers might exist and how to handle them. Those dangers must be handled correctly for patient health and healing:

Use prescribed medicine as directed.

Have the affected person eat fish, turkey (NOT beef) meat and/or peanut butter daily for the rich protein content. Any kind of nut butter can help. Nuts are full of protein. Puree the food if necessary. Chewing can be difficult for the very ill person. And bed sores are likely to make them cranky.

Place an egg crate or air mattresses atop the bed mattress. Cover that with a fitted sheet and let the person sleep in increased comfort that lets their skin heal.

Gently massage around, and direct sunlight upon the affected body parts that bear weight when in bed. Try to situate the affected person near a window filled with sunshine and expose the damaged body areas to that light for several minutes, one at a time, daily.

Gentle bathing. DO NOT immerse a person with bed sores into a tub without medical supervision. Bed sores require that a person be bathed gently and with what Americans call "sponge bath technique." The person lies snuggled in warm towels or blankets in bed as one part of their body is cleaned at a time. The bathed area should be immediately dried in a gentle manner. Again, check with your medical advisors about how to do this correctly. Perhaps a home health aide can do it best for all concerned.

Learn from medical professionals about how to safely turn the person in bed a few times daily. This lets affected body parts rest from pressure it usually suffers.

All of this promotes blood circulation and/or good skin integrity. These techniques prevent and cure bed sores.

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with many medical ups and downs so you can better enjoy the holiday season.

XMAS TREE MOLD ALLERGIES

This seems to be a pretty Grinchy idea to pose at this time of year, but the evidence is in. It's true even if some folks deny it (watch your nose, Pinocchios). Some folks are allergic to the molds from Xmas trees. See Allergy Free Holiday Christmas Tree Allergy Dallas Plano Fort ...

Consider safer alternatives. And be sure to keep children, pets, decorative lighbulbs and electrical cords out of harm's way.

Okay, let's hear it for papier mache and posters!

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CHANUKA’S HERE !!!!! Spread more cheer when you buy someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers, save on large quantities of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.