Happy Holidays!

Christmas Gift Toy & MySpace Layouts at pYzam.com




Now I need to get the tree up in my house.

Very Scary Report ~ Toxic Schools ~ What Is Really Making Us Sick?

We all started feeling much better on Monday, it took the entire weekend for all of us to get over our colds. Now for the toxic schools...

Earlier this week on the “Today” show, they had a report that caught my eye. It was about toxic air in schools. Here is a link to the USA Today story. After watching this, I went online to see what if anything was toxic in our area (you can find out your levels here). I was shocked to say the least at what I found! Two of the schools not to far from our home were nationally ranked in the 4th and 17th percentile. The school ranked 4th was due to manganese and manganese compounds (96% of overall toxicity), sulfuric acid (1%), chromium and chromium compounds (1%), lead and lead compounds (1%), arsenic and arsenic compounds (0%). The 17th ranked school report is as follows; manganese and manganese compounds (90% of overall toxicity), sulfuric acid (3%), chromium and chromium compounds (1%), isocyanides (1%). The rest of our district’s schools ranked from 4th all the way down to around 61st. Not a pretty picture, and frankly it was a WTF moment. After reading Crimes Against Nature by, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I always wondered what the pollution rate was in Dallas and its surrounding areas. Houston and small town Midlothian were two of the worst polluted cities or towns mentioned in the book. What I found out about the 9 schools in Midlothian (25 miles southwest of Dallas) was really shocking! Two of the schools ranked 1st, three ranked 3rd and then one each of 6th, 14th, 21st and 32nd. Here are some of the pollutant levels in Midlothian. Sulfuric acid (85%) manganese (19%) chromium (2%). In JRK Jr.’s book mentioned above Midlothian has one of the highest Down Syndrome birth rates in the state due to the huge concrete factory there.

Back to the 96% of overall toxicity of manganese close to us. I am fairly sure you are thinking to yourself, what the heck is manganese? I did too. So, I looked it up and I was shocked to find out what the results of high exposure to manganese was…Parkinson’s disease. As my regular readers know, I have two close relatives who have had Parkinson’s (my grandfather and an uncle). Parkinson’s is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system, caused by the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. There is no cure and it is virtually a death sentence. My grandfather suffered a excruciating battle for close to 25 years (for someone to live this long with Parkinson’s is quite rare). It is also more rare for someone under 40 to be diagnosed, actor Michael J. Fox is one.

Yesterday, I had an appointment with my hematologist (all of my blood work came back good except for my white count (almost always high), my EBV titer test (higher than it has been) and low potassium levels. Before I left, I told him about the USA Today story and what I had found out about the manganese levels close to our house. He almost as shocked about this as I was so, he ordered a manganese level. I am anxious to find out what my level is. As soon as I find out I will keep you all posted. If you look up what is toxic in your area please, let me know.

Flu And Cold Season Is Here…Now Odie Is Working Over Time

For days my allergies have been driving me crazy. My nose has been all stopped up, itchy and watery eyes. Then, Tuesday night my youngest came down with a sore throat. He woke up in the middle of the night with it really hurting so, I gave him a Tylenol. When I got him up to get ready for school he was really feeling bad so, he stayed home from school. Then it was time for my husband to get up and ready for work. Yep, he was sick too. So he stayed home from work and just worked from home. Apparently, about six other people at the office worked from home too. I hope that it is not the flu but, I have a feeling that it is. My daughter called me several days ago and she has the flu. Then, it was my turn. So far, it is just a really sore throat, tummy ache and overall feeling bad. I was planning on getting a pneumonia shot next week when I went to the doctor. But, who knows if I will be able to or not? So, since everyone has been sick poor Odie has been having to take care of all of us. Poor thing is so worried. He doesn’t really know what to do when it is someone other than me being sick. (New readers, Odie is my miniature American Eskimo. He thinks that he is my nurse and loyally takes care of me no matter what)

All was not lost last night though. My husbands all time favorite holiday movie came on. “A Christmas Story” we have watched it every holiday season for the past 15 years. I like it too, just not as much as he and my youngest do. Anyway, I found the clip of my favorite part of the movie. It is after the family goes to get a Christmas tree, after they have a flat, after Ralphie drops the “F” bomb and after his mother puts soap in his mouth. Ralphie has a dream that he is a blind beggar and goes to his parents house. They ask him what has happened to him and his reply is, “it was…soap, poisoning.” The soap poisoning is my favorite part. I never have understood why anyone would put soap in their child’s mouth?

UPDATE

We went to the doctor and I have a sinus infection. I guess that I need to get my nettie pot and goldenseal out to clear my nose. It is not one of my favorite things to do but, it does clear your sinuses. My son has some kind of viral infection so he is still feeling bad too. =( Hubby is back at work and seems to be feeling better.

Cryoablation ~ One Week Out

So far, no regrets on getting the croablation done. Still having a few cramps but, nothing like last week. Hopefully this will help my cycles, and with the anemia too? If not, I just go the hysterectomy route.

If you have ever been to Texas, you know how crazy the weather can be. We have had a few cold fronts come through lately and it is reeking havoc on my allergies and my skin. My nose is getting raw from all of the drainage and chapped from all of the blowing. I found some “Zicam - Allergy Relief - Gel Swabs” and they are helping a bit. With my thyroid problems, I can’t take most of the OTC allergy medications they will mess with your thyroid levels. And so far, I have not found a Rx that works all that great either. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my mother-in-law asked me if I had heard about putting Vicks Vapor Rub on your feet. At the time, I had not heard about it. Basically, people have been using it to stop their coughs. I figured maybe it will work on clearing my nose too? The only thing that I noticed was that my feet were freezing. Then there is my skin, it had been doing really great since the doctor put my on my second prescription vitamin D. Now it is dry, flaky and chapped. I keep buying lotions trying to find one that dose not burn when I use it. No luck in that department so far…