If you have a moment or two to spare, a candle or incense to light, I would greatly appreciate any good thoughts and prayers for my friend, whose 11 year old son, recently diagnosed with and treated for stage 4 Hodgekins Lymphoma, has been rediagnosed with it again after being given the all-clear about 2 weeks ago.
Thank you.
Oro.
A close friend's 10 year old son has just been diagnosed with lymphoma - we'll know specifics later today - and i need advice on how to support her, because honestly, I have no idea what the fuck to say. He lives with his dad and step-mom in another state, but close enough for my friend to see him on a weekly basis.
Um, help?
Oro
This blogger hasn't posted since January 23, but I came across her blog just a few minutes ago, and thought that if she ever returns to it, it might be...'nice' to see more comments than mine.
Be warned, it's heartbreaking. If you're at any stage of pregnancy, trust me, don't read it. (because it'll terrify you, as it did me)
Oro out.
My BFF tested HIV-.
But.
He has to get retested in 5 weeks. And as he told me tonight, he'd rather be positive than have some of the other things he's considering...like leukemia or Hodgkins. Symptoms are many and varied, but what's lasted longest has been the diarrhea, extreme fatigue, either lack of or ravenous appetite, an unbelievable craving for sugar, and night sweats. He's also continues to lose weight - 50lbs in 5 weeks. Now, when his ex (who still lives in the house), ah, 'left' him (because he wasn't in shape - how weak is that??), my BFF was so pissed off he started working out and attributed the weight loss to that. And yet, the weight loss continues...possibly due to his lack of appetite? He's always loved sugar, but like me, was a low carber for years, so it's not like he can't give it up for long periods of time...it's all very unnatural. Maybe it's thyroid related?? Diabetes?
Monday he's going to go for a full blood workup. Personally I really hope it's not HIV, but if it isn't, what next?
Oro out.
Definition of a bad month:
~*~
Dr Phil was...good. Apparently tv people are learning that it's not good to piss off the infertiles. We'll hurl our used needles at you, take out subscriptions to Mothering and Baby and Parent & Child and freakin' Granola Monthly. Now what I'd like to see is a show focusing on male factor infertility instead of the Crazee Women Who Want Baybees (And The Crazee Things They Do To Get Them! next on FOX). On another note, I don't know about anyone else, but am I the only one who listens to the people appearing on these shows and start making recommendations as to treatments and protocols and what they're doing wrong? I mean, I guess I never expected to actually use my Doctorate in Assisted Reproduction from Google University...
~*~
Movies Rock notes:
Jennifer Hudson, please pick gowns that offer support. And kudos for getting that song without making it sound bad - Mary J Blige, Chris Whatever, John Legend, take note.
Nicole Scherzinger, Carrie Underwood - I love you. (Psst, Carrie, I didn't know you had it in you!)
Usher - great job.
Mark Anthony - not only are you a fabulous actor (internets, have you seen El Cantante?), you can clearly sing anything you put your voice to)
Fergie - you are not Axl Rose.
Dear Queen Latifah - please, no, no with the high waisted pants. Sweetie, you've got a great figure, but the fake Bella Band thing? Not so lovely.
~*~
HEALTH:
From Junkfood Science (because it's easier to put them all under one heading, that's why):
Cancer and diet - maybe you don't need that colon blow bran cereal after all.
This Is What We're Doing To Our Children - "The article in The Australian News opens with a portrayal of Lily, an active and healthy six year old who wouldn’t go swimming for fear everyone would laugh at her and say she was fat."
Caring for Young Diabetics - holy crap. Talk about dying to be thin...
Healthy Children - The biggest danger of all...
ZOMG Fat Pregnant Women Dying Because They're Fat!! - Poverty, spousal abuse, drug abuse, poor pre-natal care, and clear medical malfeasance have nothing to do with it whatsoever, no:
In fact, the report presented case after case of women with BMIs>40 who had received substandard care, such as one discharged with poorly sutured tears and extremely low hemoglobin levels and collapsed at home; one whose pre-eclampsia wasn’t diagnosed until too late because of the lack of appropriately-sized blood pressure cuffs; and others whose symptoms, such as severe leg pain and breathlessness were attributed to their obesity and their embolisms went untreated.
Huh. Yup, glad I left Britain.
You're Going To Die - fat or thin, rich or poor, young or old, ya can't escape it. Followup to The Fantasy of Being Thin. Both posts, and all the comments, are well worth the read.
Dr David Southall Struck Off - about bleedin' time!! Bastard. My favorite part? How he became an 'expert' because of a single study wherein he watched parents abuse their children on the wards of various hospitals. One. Single. Study. And here's what one of his victims had to say (btw, it's illegal in Britain to keep medical records privately)
Abortion as an Office Procedure - I dunno, what do you think? Having to see 2 doctors seems extreme, but an office procedure? Maybe for early terminations...
Murder someone? No baby for you! - I'm split on this one. Eye for an eye somehow seems justified...and yet...I dunno, I guess it would depend on the case.
Denied health insurance? - Here's some info on states with programs that can help. Maybe.
Remember - sad and profound post about the note the blogger wrote to herself shortly before she decided to stop dieting (she has eating disorder issues).
NEWS/POLITICS:
Call me crazy, but I think it's ridiculous this man should have to pay child support just because he didn't go through official channels.
Infertility Made Me Do It - c'mon, you so know the lawyers are going to go there.
New lows in Beauty Pagents - As if Miss Landmine Angola wasn't enough...look, in principle I don't disagree with the idea, but there's something in this that makes me uneasy, and I can't quite put my finger on what.
I love the smell of racism in the morning -"Somehow this sounds an awful lot like “widespread support for the feminist movement has evaporated, so gender bias must be disappearing.” Um, yeah."
Making Women's Studies colorful- wow, this is one hell of an article about women of color as they appear in the Feminist movement, particularly in the classroom. Certainly made me think, for though I've never taken a class in WS (because I suspect it would drive me insane, although I am a feminist -note the little f), I can honestly say that I've never come across any non-white feminist writers beyond bell hooks and one or two others. What's worse, it's never occurred to me that that's wrong. Certainly puts things in perspective and a great read.
Disabled? Feminist? - Again, another post that made me think about things that hadn't occurred to me before. I love the Internet.
Masculinism 101 - the power of peer pressure and more on what men can do to stop violence against women.
Helicopter Parents - or, how to drive regular people/store clerks effing crazy. The comments are enlightening, too.
RELIGION:
Jewish Women Wear Burqas - another eye opener. I mean, I know modesty is high on the kosher-ist of kosher Jews, but burqas? Wow.
Sherri Shepherd believes there was nothing before Jesus - kids, this is why I always recommend actually reading the Bible as opposed to simply learning about it from someone else. Martin Luther be praised.
ZOMG there are Muslims in America! EVERYBODY PANIC - first, go read this article about a 'journalist' who decided to wear the ultimate icon of Islam, the full burqa, highlighted below, :
The sight of fully veiled women has become disturbingly familiar* in shopping malls, airport lounges and Muslim neighbourhoods across North America.
*headdesk* Now go read these comments
Religious Outsiders and the race for POTUS - Christians only need apply.
Smudge that sage, or, the danger of Wannabes - internets, I dare you to read the following without either a) crying with laughter, b) crying with horror, or c) spitting whatever you're drinking across the keyboards. The opening sentence should be your first clue.
The War On...Channukah - Manhattan? Seriously? don't forget the comments...one might say they were delicious.
COOL STUFF:
Let's go to Gangadcham, the world's first Hindu Theme Park!
WTFF?:
While the ad is a spoof, the product is actually available. What I want to know is who the hell is going to hang this on their tree?
It seemed like a good idea at the time - things not to do with your computer.
When recovering from plastic surgery, perhaps it's best to stay closer to home, especially when one is A Name in television. Also, I don't remember you being quite so thin?
Oro, the tired and starving, out
*my emphasis.
My mother was watching the Today show this morning, and suddenly Giada (cook on Food network) came on and is talking about her pregnancy, showing U/S pictures and the like. The reporter who's interviewing her is also pregnant and they were chatting abut having girls and all that, so perky and gah, it really turned my stomach. I said, "I hope she doesn't have a miscarriage or stillbirth or something like that, I don't know why people feel the need to share all the details on national tv before the baby is actually born.'
My mother, of course, jumped down my neck. "But most people aren't like you, Oro, they don't know what can go wrong!"
And she is, of course, right. I just no longer believe that's a good enough excuse. Because I was catching up on Bloglines, and came across Ann's terrible, horrible news. She could really use some support right now.
I was going to write about baby showers, but I just can't. It's disrepectful to Ann after reading her post, and quite frankly, reminds me of how much can still go wrong.
Oro out.
Ms. C received not so great news from her OB today.
Oro
...Lioness has had...just a fucked up week.
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