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Heart To Heart
Newsletter of the Cape Cod-Hyannis Chapter #315 - Mended Hearts, Inc.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE"
Newsletter Mission: To Offer Current Ideas, Suggestions, Observations and Information on Heart Disease and to Inform members of Chapter #315 activities
Volume 8, Issue 1 www.capecodmendedhearts.com Jan. - Feb. 2008
VISITOR’S REPORT
November/December Visits
Cape Cod Hospital…...... 15
Cath. Lab (care-givers)....5
Telephone……........……….........0
Home.….………………....................0
Email..…………………....................0
Cardiac Rehab............... ...0
Men. Hrts. Affair......... ...3
Total Visits 23Visits listed were on hospitalized patients and phone calls with any type of heart disease. Phone calls were also included.
VISITORS: Tim Crane, Don Moberg, Bob Silverberg, Bobby Brown. Maryse & Ken Ethier, Bill Lipsky, Mike & Ellie Brennan, Pat Boris, Ray Levesque
ACCREDITED VISITORS
Tim Crane – Visiting Coordinator 896-2560
Katherine Beach Brewster 896-9436
Brewster 896-9436Pat Boris Brewster 896-5941
Brewster 896-5941Ellie BrennenE. Dennis 385-7472
E. Dennis 385-7472Mike Brennen E. Dennis 385-7472
E. Dennis 385-7472Bobby BrownW. Yarmouth 775-2638
W. Yarmouth 775-2638Ann Bruni Bourne 743-9444
Bourne 743-9444Ken Ethier Hyannis 775-8675
Hyannis 775-8675Maryse Ethier Hyannis 775-8675
Hyannis 775-8675Charlie Fosgate Pocosset 563-6334
Pocosset 563-6334Betsy Gerhardt W. Yarmouth 790-8758
W. Yarmouth 790-8758Ron Levesque Dennis 385-6922
Dennis 385-6922Bill Lipsky Dennis 385-5654
Dennis 385-5654Don Moberg E. Sandwich 888-1117
E. Sandwich 888-1117Bob Silverberg Centerville 778-4578
Centerville 778-4578These members take regular turns visiting in the hospital. They are willing, if necessary, to converse via the telephone and home visits. Visits in the hospital will take place on Fridays. The time? To be determined by the volunteers.
CONSIDERING A CONTRIBUTION?
What better way to honor the memory of a loved one? Or pay respects for an anniversary or special event? Or support Mended Hearts?
Acknowledgement will be made in the newsletter
The donation is tax deductible.
Please make checks payable to: Mended Hearts Chapter #315
Mail to:
Katherine Beach, Treasurer
67 Leland Rd.
Brewster, MA 02631
508-896-9436
kbeach0313@aol.com
THANK YOU
Take Note
DONATING TO THE AHA IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO TO GIVE TO A CHARITY. IT SHOULD BE MADE CLEAR, HOWEVER, THAT NONE OF THE MONIES DONATED TO THE AHA ARE RECEIVED BY THE LOCAL CHAPTERS OF THE MENDED HEARTS.
IF YOU PLAN TO MAKE A DONATION, PLEASE CONSIDER YOUR LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE MENDED HEARTS.
MONIES ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED AND YOUR BENEVOLENCE WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
None during Novemeber/December
BIRTHDAYS: January - February 2008
JANUARY
Susan Crosby
Dorthy Fleischer
Beverly Moberg
Karen Murphy
Heather Roberts
Kenneth Traugot
February
Richard Crosby
Maryse Ethier
Betsy Gerhardt
Edward Harris
Happy Birthday and Many More
If you elected not to, or neglected to put your birth date on the membership application your birthday will not appear in the newsletter. This can be corrected by contacting the editor.
This newsletter contains health related topics
It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your physician.
Always check with your medical professional about any symptoms or concerns you may be experiencing.
Donations Received During September/October -- Thank You
Marilyn Branzetti
aPrintery - Kathy St. George
THANK YOU
Meeting Schedule for 2007
All meetings will be held the third Thursday of each month.
No meetings, July & August.
Meetings will be held in the Martin's Conference Room in CCH unless otherwise specified.
Meetings start at 4:00 p.m.
- 4:00 p.m. - Business meeting
- 4:30 p.m. - Interaction
- 5:00 p.m. - Speaker
- 6:00 p.m. - Adjourn
WHEN YOU FINISH READING THIS NEWSLETTER...
...please don’t throw it away. Pass it along to a friend, a relative, a neighbor, or drop it off in your doctor’s waiting room. This way more people will get the Mended Hearts’ message.
“It’s great to be alive - and to help others!”
ASSISTANCE FOR HOSPITAL VISITORS
Our member Dayna Jacobson a Physician’s Assistant who’s specialty is cardiology and a resource to be called upon to answer most questions pertaining to heart disease is available and offers her services, (free of charge) should any of our members or hospital visitors be unable to supply a Complete answer to a question. Please use her expertise...if needed. She can be contacted at 781-335-1461 and at medicalpa1411@comcast.net
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A MENDED HEARTS VISITING VOLUNTEER?
Would you like to share your experiences and be an encouragement to other heart patients and their families? We would like to have you join us in such an endeavor.
What is required?
- That you and/or your spouse has had a diagnosis of heart disease and/or a heart procedure, e.g. angioplasty, stent, valve repair, by-pass surgery, etc.
- A Mended Hearts Membership.
- Attendance at a Mended Hearts training session.
- Attendance at a Cape Cod Hospital training session.
Mended Hearts, Inc. has provided our chapter with an easy-to-follow, step-by-step training program.
New volunteers start out with experienced volunteers to gain familiarity with procedures and to build self-confidence.
For further information or to answer your questions, please contact:
Tim Cranetcrane7632@comcast.net508. 896.2560RECOGNIZING A STROKE - REMEMBER S-T-R
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE. T * Ask the person to TALK or SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e... It is sunny out today).R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. *NOTE: Another sign of a stroke is this: Ask the person to stick out their tongue,If the tongue is crooked, if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks call 911 immediately!! and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
PLEASE CONSIDER
aPrintery
for your printing
and copying needs.
Kathy St. George very graciously donates
printing HEART TO HEART.
Without this help we would be unable to print this
newsletter.
When you stop in please be sure you mention MHI
aPrintery is located opposite Captain Parker’s
Restaurant on Rte 28 – W. Yarmouth
Objectives of Mended Hearts
The purpose of Mended Hearts, Inc. is to offer help, support, and encouragement to heart disease patients and their families and to achieve this objective in the following mannner:
- to visit, with physician's approval, and to offer encourahement and support to heart disease patients and their families.
- to distribute information of specific educational value to members of the Mended Hearts, Inc. and to heart disease patients and their families.
- to establish and maintain a program of assistance to physicians, nurses, medical professionals, and health care organizations in their work with heart disease patients and their families; to cooperate with other organizations in education and research activities to heart disease.
- to assist heart disease rehabilitation programs for members and their families.
- to plan and conduct suitable programs of social and educational interest for members and for heart disease patients and their families.
DO YOU NEED A RIDE?
The following members are willing to drive folks to the monthly meetings and to other programs that may arise.
If necessary please take advantage of their generosity:
Ken Traugot Barnstable 362-6618
Katherine Beach Brewster 896-9436
Bill Lipsky Yarmouthport 362-8171
Marilyn Branzetti Harwich 432-0105
As of this date 9/20/07, the above members are willing to help other members attend meetings and functions.
The members of our chapter are unaware of any illnesses or hospitalizations if you don’t tell the
Sunshine Chair, Dot Fleischer
Her phone number is 508-385-5749
Home address: 80 Sturbridge Way Brewster, MA 02631
Web Links
To print this newsletter from your browser perfrom the following two steps:
- Click File ----->Page Setup----->Landscape
- Click File----->Print
VesCell™
Adult Stem Cell Therapy For Heart Disease
VesCell™ adult stem cell therapy is used by cardiologists and vascular surgeons to treat heart disease for men and women suffering from Coronary Artery Disease (Coronary Heart Disease), Cardiomyopathy, and Congestive Heart Failure.
The adult stem cells are derived from the patients own blood, so there is no possibility of the body rejecting its own stem cells. This makes the procedure very safe and non-controversial. We do NOT use embryonic stem cells.
Our adult stem cell therapy can relieve debilitating symptoms such as severe angina pectoris (chest pain), lack of energy and shortness of breath – and thereby reduce dependence on nitro tablets. Patients who have exhausted many of their treatment options such as a cardiac artery bypass graft (CABG) or balloon angioplasties (PTCAs) are candidates.
VesCell™ adult stem cell therapy for heart disease creates new blood vessels that improve blood flow to the heart as well as generate new tissue in the heart muscle itself. The adult stem cell therapy leads to an increased ability to do everyday tasks, a noticeable increase in energy and hence an enhanced quality of life for the majority of women and men who have received our stem cell treatment.
If you are suffering from heart disease (men and women) with little or no hope of getting better, there is no cardiologist in the world who can give you a better chance to get back to a more normal, more energetic, and longer life than our world-class doctors can, unless that cardiologist is treating you with adult stem cells.
All hospitals offering VesCell adult stem cell therapy are modern facilities with specially trained physicians and staff.
The facilities and medical care provided in Thailand and Singapore by hospitals affiliated with TheraVitae rival those found anywhere in the world.
- Bangkok Heart Hospital, Bangkok
- Chaophya Hospital, Bangkok
- Phyathai Hospital, Bangkok
- Praram 9 Hospital, Bangkok
- Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore
- Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore
(ed. Note; VesCell™ is autologous adult stem cell therapy. This means we use stem cells taken from your own blood so your body will not reject them. Adult stem cells are cells found in your body that can help repair dying cells and regenerate damaged organs and tissues. VesCell™ uses a special process that differentiates your cells so that they can build additional blood flow to and through your heart by creating new blood vessels and new heart muscle).
_______________________________________________________________________________________________PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
by Bart Kazin
Here we are in another new year. Phyllis and I want to wish each of you a healthy, happy, and peaceful 2008. We also hope each of you have had a glorious Christmas and a Chanukah season.
I do hope this new year will bring Chapter #315 new members so that we may be able to help others. As you’ve heard me say many times, “the more members we have the more patients with heart disease we can help.”
As our motto indicates
“IT’S GREAT TO BE ALIVE
AND TO HELP OTHERS”
Now, you may notice, the type is a little larger and darker. This has been done for a reason. Right! The reason is, to capture your attention and thus help the editor.
It gets more difficult with each issue to fill this newsletter with material that would be of interest to patients with heart disease.
I want to ask anyone receiving this periodical to submit articles, ideas, and any other information that would help the poor editor fill the pages.
Please take an interest in this award winning newsletter. It can only get better if more folks get involved. It can be fun to see your name in print...not only in a “Submitted by” but also in a byline under an original article.
Just remember young adults and older adults read this publication, so please use words that won’t take their breaths away.
I ask you to please help....
_______________________________________________________________________________________No act of kindness,
No matter how small,
Is ever wasted.
AESOP
The Lion & the mouse
_______________________________________________________________________________________Secretary’s Report – November 15, 2007
written by Acting Secretary Phyllis Kazin
Because of a parking problem President Bart Kazin opened the meeting at 4:15 PM.
He welcomed the visitors and gave a short history of the Mended Hearts, Inc.
Treasurer, Katherine Beach gave the Treasurer’s Report.
Visiting Chairman, Tim Crane, explained the upcoming visitor training class and invited those interested in becoming visitors to attend the meeting...date and time to be announced.
Bart reminded the members of the Christmas Party to be held on December 13, 2007 at the Yarmouth House.
Dot Fleischer, Sunshine Chair, gave an update on the ill members and those members getting better.
Bart reminded those in attendance there are members willing to drive other members to and from the meetings. The names and phone numbers are
else where in the newsletter.
After a disertation, it was decided to discuss fund raisers in the spring.
After the reminder there would be no regular monthly meetings in Januarys, and the 50/50 drawing, Bart closed the meeting at 5:50 PM.
Bart then introduced Lawrence McAuliffe, M.D. noted cardiologist, and his topic, “Cardiac CTA: a New and Non-invasive Way to Assess Cardiac and Coronary Function.”
Dr. McAuliffe started his presentation by explaining that CT coronary angiography is an incredible new procedure that provides detailed visualization of the heart‘s arteries.
The doctor then went on to explain that this procedure can be performed more quickly and affordably than standard coronary angiography. The images are very similar to those provided by invasive heart catherization, without catheters and without the need to insert equipment into the body. Only an IV line and a small amount of contrast are required, so there is minimal risk. This new procedure takes advantage of the huge advances made in CT scanning and software-processing technology and allows cardiologists to create 3-dimensional images of the heart.
Dr. McAuliffe then illustrated what can be visualized by cardiac CT
- Cardiac and coronary calcification
- Coronary anomaly / aneurysm / fistula
- Coronary stenosis
- Coronary bypass grafts and stents
- Congenital heart defects
- Intracardiac mass
- Pulmonary and coronary veins
- Cardiac valves (limited)
- Myocardial infarction & ischemia (potential)
The Cape Cod Hospital is working closely with the Shields Cardiac Imaging in bring this procedure to cardiac patients.
Dr. McAuliffe quoted a paragraph of Stephen Sweriduk, M.D., Medical Director, Shields MRI.
“The big benefit of a 64-slice scanner is for the heart, for cardiac CTA. With the increased number of slices and the increased speed of the rotation of the gantry, we can basically “Freeze-frame” the motion of the heart. For the first time we can take a look at things like the inside of the arteries and the thickness of the walls of the heart. Now we can even look at function, like left ventricular function, and calculate the injection fraction.”
CTA can now be another tool in a physician’s repertoire. This test can be used to be able to determine, identify, or – more importantly – rule out coronary artery disease in a noninvasive way.
Dr. McAuliffe says we are very close to state 99% sure of no negative false results.
In closing the doctor did mention the limitations of CT scans:
- Involves radiation exposure – a particular concern for children.
- Those who are overweight or have stents or extensive calcium deposits won’t generate useful images.
- Fat can distort X-rays and the beams can’t penetrate metal or calcium.
After a number of questions, Bart thanked the doctor and pointed out to the members the doctor was very instrumental in working to help the Mended Hearts get a chapter here on Cape Cod.
We will always have a special place in our hears for Lawrence McAuliffe, M.D.
_______________________________________________________________________________________HEART SMART RECIPE CORNER
(from the American Heart Assn.)
Category: Entrée
Ground Beef Ragout (serves 6)
1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 large onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
8-ounce can no-salt added-tomato sauce
3/4 cup dry red wine, non-alcoholic red wine, or water
1/2 cup water
1 red chili pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)*
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried,
crumbled
3 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
15-ounce can low-sodium kidney beans, drained
15-ounce can Great Northern, black, or lima beans, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Heat a 3-quart sauté or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and sauté, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink. Pour beef into a strainer or colander. Rinse under hot water.
Return beef to the pan, add onion, and saute from 4-5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
Stir in remaining ingredients except beans. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add beans and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until beans are thoroughly
Heated. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
* Hot chili peppers contain oils that can burn your skin, lips, and eyes. Wear rubber gloves or wash your hands thoroughly with warm, soapy water immediatly after handling peppers.
COOK’S TIP...sometimes a small change makes a big difference. Substitute one cup of pearl onions (about 4 ounces) for the chopped onion in this recipe and see what we mean. Add the pearl onions with the wine, water, and other ingredients just after rinsing the cooked beef.
Nutrients per serving:
- Calories: 339
- Total fat: 7 grams
- Saturated fat: 2 grams
- Monounsaturated fat: 3 grams
- Polyunsaturated fat: 1 gram
- Carbohydrates: 33 grams
- Sugar: grams
- Fiber: 7 grams
- Cholesterol: 68 mg
- Protein: 36 grams
- Sodium: 84 mgs
- Potassium: 0 mgs
_______________________________________________________________________________________MASSACHUSETTS TRIVIA QUIZ
Subject: Entertainment
(Answers on page 6)
1. How are Sturbridge Village Lawns kept trimmed?
2. What is the Massachusetts state beverage?
3. Where was Milton Berle first publicly called “Uncle Milty?
4. In Boston and Sulfolk County, what holiday other than St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17?
5. Paper patterns were first manufactured in 1863 in Sterling for what company?
6. What children‘s TV show was hosted by Miss Jean and her magic mirror?
7. On what currency is Benjamin Franklin‘s portrait shown?
8. What kind of greeting card did Louis Prang of Boston print for the first time in America?
9. What is the married name of Jacquelyn Kennedy Onassis‘ mother?
10. At what stadium was Michael Jackson refused a permit to perform?
_______________________________________________________________________________________NOVEMBER 2007 WAS NATIONAL CARE GIVERS MONTH
Caregiver Rights
Although a little late, it’s important to recognize care givers and to identify their rights
Where Would Patients be Without Them?
I have the right to:
- Take care of myself. This is not an act of selfishness. It will enable me to take better care of my loved one.
- Seek help from others even though my loved one may object. I recognize the limits of my own endurance and strength.
- Maintain facets of my own life that do not include the person I care for, just as I would if he or she were healthy. I know that I do everything that I reasonably can for this person, and I have the right to do some things for myself.
- Get angry, be depressed and express other difficult emotions occasionally.
- Reject any attempt by my loved one (either consciously or unconsciously) to manipulate me through guilt, anger or depression.
- Receive consideration, affection, forgiveness and acceptance from my loved one for as long as I offer these qualities in return.
- Take pride in what I am accomplishing and to applaud the courage it sometimes takes to meet the needs of my loved one.
- Protect my individuality and my right to make a life for myself that will sustain me when my loved one no longer needs my full-time help.
- Expect and demand that as new strides are made in finding resources to aid physically and mentally impaired persons in our country, similar strides will be made toward aiding and supporting caregivers.
_______________________________________________________________________________________Answers to THE MASSACHUSETTS TRIVIA QUIZ
...on page 5
1. With sheep
2. Cranberry juice
3. On Boston’s Boylston St.
4. Evacuation Day
5. E. Butterick
6. “Romper Room”
7. $100 bill
8. Christmas Card
9. Auchincloss
10. The Old Sullivan Stadium
_______________________________________________________________________________________LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
You can submit a "letter to the editor" and have your voice read by not only the members of our chapter but across the Northeast, the rest of the country...and the world!
Hearts to hearts is sent to newsletter editors of the various Northeast Chapters as well as across the country and around the world via our web site www.capecodmendedhearts.com
Send letters to ccmhi@comcast.net
_______________________________________________________________________________________DEFINITIONS NOT FOUND IN THE DICTIONARY
ADULT:
A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle.
BEAUTY PARLOR:
A place where women curl up and dye.
CANNIBAL:
Someone who is fed up with people.
CHICKENS:
The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.
COMMITTEE:
A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.
DUST:
Mud with the juice squeezed out.
EGOTIST:
Someone who is me-deep in conversation.
HANDKERCHIEF:
Cold Storage
INFLATION:
Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.
MOSQUITO:
A insect that makes you like flies better.
RAISIN:
Grape with a sunburn.
SECRET:
Something to tell one person at a time.
WRINKLES:
Something other people have. I have character lines.
_______________________________________________________________________________________SHORT & SWEET – from Marilyn Branzetti)
Aspire to inspire before you expire.
My wife and I had words, but I didn’t get to use mine.
Every morning is the dawn of a new error.
________________________________________________________________________________________BLOOD THINNING MEDICINES
(from the Heart Healthy Beat News – Chapter #92)
Commonly Used Brand Names in the United States:
- Coumadin (warfarin)
- Dicumarol (dicumarol),
- Miradon (anisinidione)
Why do I need to take a blood thinner?
- These medicines reduce your risk for heart attack, stroke, and blockages in your arteries and veins by preventing clumps of blood (blood clots) from forming or growing. However blood thinners cannot break up blood clots that have already formed.
- Your doctor may prescribe a blood thinner if you have had a heart valve replaced or you have atrial fibrillation, phlebitis, congestive heart failure, or in some cases, if you are obese.
How do blood thinners work?
- Blood thinners are part of a class of medicines called anticoagulants. Although they are called blood thinners, these medicines do not really thin your blood. Instead, they decrease the blood’s ability to clot. Decreased clotting keeps fewer harmful blood clots from forming and from blocking blood vessels.
- Oral anticoagulants come in a pill form that you swallow. Note: other powerful blood thinners, such as heparin, need to be injected by a needle into your blood stream. These kinds of blood thinners will be given to you in the hospital, where you can be loosely watched for complications. A new form of heparin ( called low molecular weight heparin) may be prescribed for you to take home, under your doctor’s supervision.
How much do I take?
- There are different kinds of blood thinners. The amount of medicine you need to take may vary. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for more information about how and when to take this medicine.
What if I am taking other medicines?
- Other medicines that you may be taking can increase or decrease the effect of blood thinners. These effects are called an interaction.
Be sure to tell your doctor about every medicine and vitamin or herbal supplement that you are taking, so that he or she can tell you about any interactions.
The following are categories of medicines that can increase or decrease the effect of blood thinners. Because there are so many kinds medicines within each category, not every type of medicine is listed by name. Tell your doctor about every medicine that you are taking, even if it is not listed below.
- Aspirin
- Acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol, Excedrin)
- Ibuprofen (e.g. Motrin, advil, Nuprin)
- Ketoprofen (e.g. Orudis, Orudis KT)
- Naproxen ( e.g. Aleve)
- Medicines to treat irregular heartbeat (antiarrhythmics)
- Antacids
- Corticosteroids or cortisone-like medicines
- Antidepressants
- Antihistamines
- Calcium and Vitamin K supplements
- Sleeping pills
- Certain antibiotics
- Certain medicines used to treat convultions
- Medicines to treat an overactive thyroid
- Certain antifungal medicines
While taking blood thinners, you should also avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. Also, watch your diet. Large doses of vitamin K (found in fish, liver, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and other green leafy vegetables) can decrease the effects of the medicine. This does not mean you should stop eating these foods, just be careful not to eat too much of them. You should have your blood tested regularly so doctors can monitor how your blood is clotting.
What else should I tell my doctor?
Talk to your doctor about your medical history before you start taking a blood thinner. The risks of taking the medicine need to be weighed against it’s benefits.
Here are some things to consider if you and your doctor are deciding whether you should take this medicine.
- You have allergies to food or dyes
- You are thinking of becoming pregnant, you are pregnant, or you are breast feeding your baby.
- You are over 60. Younger people tend to have fewer problems while taking anticoagulants.
- You have an aneurysm.
- You have recently had surgery, or you are going to have surgery in the next two months (including dental surgery).
- You have had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA or “mini stroke.” OR YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF BLEEDING IN THE BRAIN.
- You have a stomach ulcer or other stomach problems.
- You have high blood pressure.
- You have kidney or liver disease.
- You have thyroid disease.
- You have cancer.
- You have diabetes.
- You have high cholesterol.
- You have hemophilia or other bleeding problems.
- You have recently fallen or hit your head.
- You have cuts or open wounds.
- Your menstrual periods are heavy or last a long time.
- You participate in sports or other activities that put you at risk for bleeding or bruising.
What are the side effects?
Sometimes a medicine causes unwanted effects. These are called side effects. Not all of these side effects for blood thinners are listed here. If you feel these or any other effects, you should check with your doctor.
Common side effects:
- Bloating or gas
- Diarrhea
- Upset stomach or throwing up
- Feeling less hungry
- Less common side effects:
- Coughing up or throwing up blood
- Dark stools
- A skin rash, hives, or itching
- Sore throat
- Hair loss
- Bruising more often
- Back pain
- Fever, chills, or weakness
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
- Rare side effects:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Mouth sores or bleeding gums
- Purple coloring to your fingers or toes
Again, tell your doctor right away if you have any of these side effects. Do not stop taking your medicine unless your doctor tells you to. If you stop taking your medicine without checking with your doctor, it can make your condition worse.
_______________________________________________________________________________________SHORT & SWEET
(Submitted by Marilyn Branzetti)
I dialed a number and got the following recording:
“I am not available right now, but
Thank you for caring enough to call.
I am making some changes in my life.
Please leave a message after the beep.
If I do not return your call,
You are one of my changes.”
Blessed are those who can give without remembering
And take without forgetting.
Frustration is trying to find your glasses without
your glasses
_______________________________________________________________________________________7 Ways to De-Stress Your Diet
(from WebMD)
Which comes first: Do our high-stress lives lead us to eat badly, or do our bad eating habits make us more likely to feel stressed out?
The way Larry Christensen, PhD sees it, the chicken and the egg both come first, depending on the situation. Stress can lead some people to crave (and overeat) junk food. In other cases, a diet rich in sugar, unhealthy fats, caffeine, etc., can help set up some people to feel more physically stressed.
The main stress/food hormone is cortisol. When you're stressed, your body releases more cortisol into your bloodstream. Cortisol sends appetite-stimulating neurotransmitters into overdrive, while lowering your levels of serotonin. This combination programs your brain to crave carbohydrate-rich foods. And when you eat the carb-rich foods, it boosts serotonin levels, which makes you feel calm again.
Food, Hormones, and Stress
One key to the link between food and mood is serotonin, which I have fondly nicknamed "the happy hormone." Serotonin is made in the brain from the amino acid tryptophan, with the help of certain B vitamins.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, so you might think that foods high in protein would increase levels of tryptophan, but the opposite is true. Tryptophan has to fight with other amino acids to cross the blood-brain barrier and get into the brain. Since tryptophan is the weaker of the amino acids, generally only a small amount makes it into the brain when other amino acids are present.
But here's the catch. When you eat a meal that's almost all carbs, this triggers insulin to clear the other amino acids from your bloodstream. That leaves tryptophan with a smooth passage into the brain. This, in turn, boosts the serotonin level in the brain. High serotonin levels help boost your mood and help you feel calm.
How to De-Stress Your Diet
But before you rush out for that carb fix, here are six tips to help you give yourself the nutritional edge against stress:
1. Keep It Balanced
A balanced, nutrient-rich eating plan is your single best dietary defense against stress. There is more and more scientific evidence suggesting that what we eat contributes to mood, stress level, brain function, and energy level.
2. Keep Healthy Carbs Handy
Giving your body the carbs it craves during stress doesn't have to mean filling up with empty calories from sugar and white-flour products. Complex or "whole" carbohydrate foods (like whole grains, fruits, and veggies) give you carbs along with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals galore.
A study in 1995 (before the current low-carb hysteria) looked at obese women who said they overate carbohydrates when stressed. Researchers assigned the women to either a carb-rich diet or protein-rich diet -- both with 1,350 daily calories -- for seven weeks. Interestingly, more women lost weight on the carbohydrate-rich diet. But perhaps more important, those on the higher-carb diet reported having fewer carbohydrate cravings and more energy.
3. Omega-3s to the Rescue
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish as well as some plant foods, like canola oil and ground flaxseed. Although their uplifting effect on mood hasn't been proven, several studies have suggested a connection. This makes scientific sense because:
In areas of the world where more omega-3s are consumed, depression is less common.
Depression rates are high among alcoholics and women who have recently given birth. Both groups tend to be deficient in omega-3s.
People with depression have been found to have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their red blood cells compared with others.
4. Cut the Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant. It stimulates the bowels and bladder, and it seems to increase your energy level for the short term. But what goes up must come down, and in people sensitive to caffeine, it can come crashing down.
Larry Christensen, PhD, a researcher with the University of South Alabama, found in recent studies that when people who are sensitive to caffeine eliminated it from their diets, their moods and energy levels improved significantly.
Don't know if you are one of the caffeine-sensitive people? Try avoiding caffeine for a few weeks and see if there's a difference in the way you feel. It can be hard to go cold turkey, so taper off your intake a cup at a time until you're down to none.
5. Don't Be a Breakfast-Skipper
When people eat breakfast, they tend to have more consistent moods and are less likely to suffer food cravings later in the day.
6. Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals
This will provide your body with a consistent supply of energy throughout the day and help you avoid feeling tired or overly hungry.
7. Don't Expect Alcohol to Help
Alcohol is not a healthy or effective way to relax or relieve stress. Though many people believe the opposite is true, alcohol is actually a depressant. And overdrinking only adds to the stress in your life.
_______________________________________________________________________________________PERSPECTIVES BY ANDY ROONEY
- I’ve learned when you’re in love, it shows.
- I’ve learned that being kind is more important than being right.
- I’ve learned that you should never say no to a gift from a child.
- I’ve learned money doesn’t by class.
- I’ve learned that love, not time, heals all wounds.
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