Will you pray for Abby?

I wanted you to know about Abby.

She was adopted from Guatemala. At three years old, she was diagnosed with a high-risk, aggressive form of Leukemia. Certain genetic complications have put her chance of surviving the treatment at about 20%.

I am praying for her and her family. Would you pray for them too?

You can find more about Abby here, on her family blog: http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com/2009/01/about-abby.html


2008 - God's Blessings, A Tribute Video for Abby

Staying young...and healthy :
http://longe-vity.blogspot.com/

Food Poisoning...

Food Poisoning: Catch of the Day

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are about 75 million cases of foodborne illness every year, including hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths. And seafood is the number one cause of food poisoning in the United States.58 Symptoms of seafood poisoning include mild to extreme discomfort, nervous system damage, and even death.59

“[T]he seafood industry has a very poor record of compliance and there is no government testing to monitor pathogens often associated with seafood poisoning. FDA’s seafood-safety system is an industry honor system unworthy of public support.” —Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest62

Seafood poisoning is caused by eating foods contaminated with viruses or bacteria including salmonella, listeria, and E. coli. When Consumer Reports looked at bacteria levels in fresh fish bought at supermarkets around the country, they found that between 3 and 8 percent of the samples tested had “unacceptable” levels of E. coli, a bacterium that comes from human or animal feces, that pollutes some waterways.60

“Seafood is a major cause of food poisoning, sickening more than 100,000 and causing dozens of preventable deaths each year.”63 —Caroline Smith DeWaal, Center for Science in the Public Interest food safety director.

Many people may have had food poisoning without even knowing it, mistakenly attributing it to a case of “stomach flu.” Like the flu, people infected with bacteria from tainted marine animals often suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. If left untreated, this food poisoning can lead to death.61 Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with impaired immune systems are particularly vulnerable. Since fish flesh is a major cause of food poisoning, those who consume fish flesh risk unnecessary illness with every bite they take.The academic journal Environmental Microbiology published an alarming report in July 2006 about the human-health threat caused by the massive amounts of antibiotics that are fed to fish on fish farms. These drugs are used to keep the animals alive in filthy, crowded conditions that would otherwise kill them. But scientists are very concerned that the overuse of these drugs will cause antibiotic-resistant bacteria to multiply in the fish and that people who eat the infected fish flesh will contract dangerous illnesses that cannot be cured by drugs. “If we don't curb the heavy use of prophylactic antibiotics in aquaculture, then we will ultimately see more and more antibiotic-resistant pathogens emerging, causing increased disease to fish, animals, and humans alike,” said Dr. Felipe Cabello, the author of the study.64

Read about the FDA »

From:
Health Concerns

If You Wouldn't Do This to a Dog, Why Do It to a Fish?
Artickle

Silent Killer - Radon

Photo: Silent Killer

CANCER AND RADON

Studies on the carcinogenicity of radon
Radon's primary hazard arises from inhalation of the gas and its highly radioactive heavy metallic decay products (Polonium, Lead, and Bismuth) which tend to collect on dust in the air. The problem arises when these elements stick to the delicate cells lining the passageways leading into the lungs.

An IARC Working Group reported that there is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of radon and its decay products in humans. Increased incidences of lung cancer have been reported from numerous epidemiological studies of groups of underground hard rock miners occupationally exposed to high doses of radon. These groups include miners of uranium, iron-ore and other metals, and one group of fluorspar miners. Strong evidence for exposure response relationships has been obtained from several studies, in spite of uncertainties that affect estimates of the exposure of the study populations to radon decay products. Several small case-control studies of lung cancer have suggested a higher risk among individuals living in houses known or presumed to have higher levels of radon and its decay products than among individuals with lower presumed exposure in houses. Regarding lung cancer, the evidence on the interaction of radon and its decay products with cigarette smoking does not lead to a simple conclusion. The data from the largest study are consistent with a multiplicative or submultiplicative model of synergisms and reject an additive model. In many studies of miners, and in one of presumed domestic exposure, small cell cancers accounted for a greater than expected proportion of the lung cancer cases. In one population of uranium miners, this proportion has been declining with the passage of time. Because of the limited scale of epidemiologic studies of nonoccupational exposure to radon decay products available at the time reviews were made, quantification of risk has been based only on data of miners' experience. An IARC Working Group considered that the epidemiologic evidence does not lead to a firm conclusion concerning the interaction between exposure to radon decay products and tobacco smoking. Most of the epidemiologic studies involve small numbers of cases, and the analytical approaches for assessing interaction have been variable and sometimes inadequate.

Read more:
http://www.radon.com/

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Radon
Radon jest bezbarwnym i bezzapachowym gazem powstającym w wyniku rozpadu radioaktywnego radu, który z kolei jest produktem rozpadu uranu znajdującego się w skorupie ziemskiej. Produkty rozpadu promieniotwórczego jonizują materiał genetyczny, co wywołuje mutacje, które czasami mogą doprowadzić do powstania nowotworu. Ekspozycja na radon jest po paleniu tytoniu drugim głównym czynnikiem sprawczym raka płuc.

Stężenia radonu wahają się miejscowo w zależności od składu miejscowej gleby i skał. Przykładowo na obszarach takich jak Kornwalia w Wielkiej Brytanii (gdzie pod warstwą gleby występuje granit), radon jest poważnym problemem i budynki muszą być dobrze wentylowane, aby obniżyć stężenie radonu. Amerykańska Agencja Ochrony Środowiska (EPA) podaje, że jeden na 15 domów w USA ma podniesiony poziom radonu powyżej normy wyznaczonej na 4 pikokiury na litr (pCi/l). Stan Iowa ma najwyższe średnie stężenia radonu w Stanach Zjednoczonych. Wykonane tam badania wykazały o 50% większe ryzyko wystąpienia raka płuca przy dłuższej ekspozycji na aktywność promienotwórczą ponad wyznaczone przez EPA 4 pCi/l.

Radon

New Leukemia Drugs - Video (click)

http://www.drkoop.com/video/93/2507.html

http://www.drkoop.com/video/93/2593.html

http://www.drkoop.com/video/93/2258.html

and more...

Leukemia (click)

Definition

Leukemia is a group of bone marrow diseases involving an uncontrolled increase in white blood cells (leukocytes).
For information about a specific type of leukemia, see the following:
Hairy cell leukemia
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
See also leukemia resources.


http://www.drkoop.com/ency/93/001299.html

With God, I am able to move mountains!

Dayily meditation - Faith

With God, I am able to move mountains!
If I am experiencing anxiety about a diagnosis, unease about my finances, or concern for a loved one, these situations may appear as mountains before me. By using my will alone, I may think these mountains are unmovable. However, I am not alone; God is with me.
God is my companion, my foundation, my guide, and my strength. Through faith in the loving power and presence of God, I overcome any fear and concern and look to my Creator—rather than any outward appearance—for understanding and direction. As I allow the inner guidance to direct my steps, I am at peace knowing that with God, I am moving mountains!

“Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.”—Mark 11:23

source:
Dayli Word

The youngest doctor

Years ago, footage emerged from a remote village in India. The video shows a young girl receiving surgery to separate her fingers, which were badly burned and fused together. Why did this operation make headlines around the world? The surgery was performed by a 7-year-old boy named Akrit Jaswal.

Now 13 years old, Akrit has an IQ of 146 and is considered the smartest person his age in India—a country of more than a billion people. Before Akrit could even speak, his parents say they knew he was special.

"He learned very fast," says Raksha, Akrit's mother. "After learning the alphabet, we started to teach him joining of words, and he started writing as well. He was two."

At an age when most children are learning their ABCs, Akrit was reading Shakespeare and assembling a library of medical textbooks. When he was 5 years old, he enrolled in school. One year later, Akrit was teaching English and math classes.

Akrit developed a passion for science and anatomy at an early age. Doctors at local hospitals took notice and started allowing him to observe surgeries when he was 6 years old. Inspired by what he saw, Akrit read everything he could on the topic. When an impoverished family heard about his amazing abilities, they asked if he would operate on their daughter for free. Her surgery was a success.

After the surgery, Akrit was hailed as a medical genius in India. Neighbors and strangers flocked to him for advice and treatment. At age 11, Akrit was admitted to Punjab University. He's the youngest student ever to attend an Indian university. That same year, he was also invited to London's famed Imperial College to exchange ideas with scientists on the cutting edge of medical research.

Akrit says he has millions of medical ideas, but he's currently focused on developing a cure for cancer. "I've developed a concept called oral gene therapy on the basis of my research and my theories," he says. "I'm quite dedicated towards working on this mechanism."

Growing up, Akrit says he used to see cancer patients lying on the side of the road because they couldn't afford treatment or hospitals had no space for them. Now, he wants to use his intellect to ease their suffering. "[I've been] going to hospitals since the age of 6, so I have seen firsthand people suffering from pain," he says. "I get very sad, and so that's the main motive of my passion about medicine, my passion about cancer."

Currently, Akrit is working toward a bachelor's degrees in zoology, botany and chemistry. Someday, he hopes to continue his studies at Harvard University.

Sourse:
Oprah Winfrey Show

Gulfnews: Poetic moments

Gulfnews: Poetic moments




"After my father's death I wanted to raise awareness about cancer. I wanted to help people...," says Al Adawi.


I feel my poems are affirmative and centre on hope … I don't believe in giving up. For me, poetry is like a song that is constantly humming in my mind.

I was born on the small island of Pemba near Zanzibar in Tanzania. I am of mixed parentage with my father [who lived in Zanzibar] hailing from nearby Comoros island while my mother's family is Omani, from the northern town of Rustaq, although she was born and raised in Zanzibar.

I moved to Ras al Khaimah when I was 4 then shifted base to Dubai nine years later. I still regard the UAE as my home for it is where I attended school and grew up. I have been living in Oman for a decade and am presently working as a coordinator at the Spanish Language Centre in Muscat.

As a child, I had various dreams …

Read more:
Gulfnews

and here:
http://writtenpetals.blogspot.com/

and here is Nasra's new book:
Amazon

COLOR PURPLE

Do you love purple? I love very much!

Purple Matsumoto aster, purple stock, and purple freesia welcome just a touch of pink and lavender in this sweet basket. Great to send for any occasion.
Fresh from the grower
Chromotherapy, sometimes called color therapy or colorology, is an alternative medicine method. It is claimed that a therapist trained in chromotherapy can use color and light to balance energy wherever our bodies are lacking, be it physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental.
More:
Wikipedia

Color Purple:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple


Enjoy your weekend time with beautiful, healing purple color!

DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEUKEMIA

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/103165.php

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)

Acute lymphocytic leukemia, also called acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute lymphoid leukemia, is a common leukemia. About 4,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. Most cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) occur in children under age 10, but it can appear in all age groups. ALL is an acute leukemia, which means it is a disease that worsens quickly.
ALL is not inherited. It is caused by a change in the cells in the bone marrow. In most cases the cause is unknown but a few environmental factors are linked with ALL such as high doses of radiation and exposure to toxins before birth or in early childhood.

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), also known as chronic myeloid or chronic myelocytic leukemia, is a relatively uncommon leukemia, with about 5,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. Most cases of CML occur in adults, but about 2 percent of all CML cases occur in children. Although, CML is not an inherited, it has a genetic component.
It is caused by a change in a chromosome called the Philadelphia chromosome in bone marrow cells that leads to overproduction of white blood cells. As the "chronic" in its name implies, CML usually develops slowly, although it can progress to a fast-growing "accelerated phase." Although chemotherapy can induce long periods of remission (periods when white blood cell counts and symptoms are reduced), stem cell transplantation is currently the only known cure for CML.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common form of adult leukemia, accounting for approximately 7,000 new cases a year in the United States. Men are twice as likely to develop CLL as women. The key risk factor is age: over 75 percent of CLL cases are diagnosed after age sixty.
CLL is a progressive disease for which no cure is available. The cancer produces abnormal white blood cells that are very long-lived. Instead of the rapid accumulation of white blood cells that characterizes acute forms of the disease, CLL cells are thought to slowly accumulate because of a longer life span. Eventually, the leukemic cells crowd out healthy white blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells.
Because the cancer progresses at such a slow rate, and given the lack of a cure, treatment is usually delayed until symptoms develop. Watchful waiting, or the careful monitoring of progression and symptoms, is often recommended.

Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL)

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is an uncommon cancer of the blood. It can be one of the causes of low numbers of normal blood cells. The disease is caused by the abnormal growth of B cells that can look "hairy" under the microscope because they have fine projections coming from their surface.
The cause of this disease is unknown. It affects men 5 times more often than women, and the average age of onset is 55. Hairy cell leukemia is rare and only accounts for about 2% of the leukemias diagnosed each year.

Leukemia Cancer Information:
http://www.leukemia-web.org/different-leukemia-types.htm



Amazing-Spiritual
Photo: http://halusi.blogspot.com/

WHAT IS CHEMOTHERAPY ?

Chemotherapy, broadly speaking, is any regimen of therapy that makes use of chemicals to try to fight a disease. More specifically, it usually refers to a specific set of practices in which chemicals are used to help fight cancer. Since the widespread adoption of chemotherapy to fight cancer, the more general use of the term is rarely used outside of medical circles.In the 1940s, a chemical used during wartime, nitrogen mustard, was found to be somewhat effective in treating lymphoma. Ultimately, the effects turned out to be very temporary, but it nonetheless demonstrated to the medical establishment that chemicals could be used to suppress, and perhaps even to eliminate, cancer. Throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, further research was conducted on a wide array of cancers, utilizing different chemical strategies.By the late 1950s, a treatment first used in the 1940s on children with leukemia was found to be effective in completely destroying a type of tumor called choriocarcinoma. This was the first great victory for chemotherapy in curing cancerous elements, and it helped push along the building enthusiasm for chemical cures for cancer. The 1950s also heralded what was perhaps the peak of the West’s idealization of chemicals of all stripes, and this general enthusiasm for modernity was a driving force behind funding and widespread support for chemotherapy.
In the mid-1960s, after a number of subsequent breakthroughs in various individual areas of cancer research, a new technique was developed that would prove to be one of the most important ever for the field of cancer research. This was combinational chemotherapy, by which a number of different chemicals were administered to attack different trouble regions and to bolster one another in the event that the cancer cells mutated to resist a single chemical. By the late 1960s, this technique had proven effective in curing a significant portion of lymphoma patients to whom it was administered.Chemotherapy works by impairing the reproduction of the fastest-splitting cells, a property common in cancerous cells. Unfortunately, a number of other cells also have a high rate of mitosis, and are therefore targeted by many chemotherapy treatments as well. Hair cells are perhaps the most visible of these, as many subjects of chemotherapy lose their hair as their drug regimens attack the cells responsible for hair growth along with cancerous cells.Chemotherapy has a number of negative side effects, including severe nausea, bowel problems, a wide range of toxic effects, hemorrhaging, and a sometimes fatal suppression of the immune system. Chemotherapy, although relatively successful, is certainly not a silver bullet for fighting cancer, and many people consider the risks and potential damage not worth the chance of cure. For all its ills, however, chemotherapy offers the best hope for many victims of cancer, and as a field it is constantly innovating and progressing.

FROM:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-chemotherapy.htm
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Amazing-Spiritual
Photo: http://halusi.blogspot.com/
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LEUKEMIA

People can get leukemia at any age.
In 2007, about and 40,440 adults and 3,800 children are expected to develop leukemia. It is most common in people over age 60. The most common types in adults are AML and CLL. ALL is the most common form of leukemia in children.
For most types of leukemia, the risk factors and possible causes are not known. Most people who have any of the specific risk factors that have been identified do not get leukemia - and most people with leukemia do not have these risk factors.
Leukemia is the general name for four different types of blood cancers. The ways that individuals with leukemia are affected and treated and the rate at which the disease progresses, are different with each type of leukemia.

Leukemia is the general term used to describe four different disease-types called:

Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

The terms lymphocytic or lymphoblastic indicate that the cancerous change takes place in a type of marrow cell that forms lymphocytes. The terms myelogenous or myeloid indicate that the cell change takes place in a type of marrow cell that normally goes on to form red cells, some types of white cells, and platelets.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myelogenous leukemia are each composed of blast cells, known as lymphoblasts or myeloblasts. Acute leukemias progress rapidly without treatment.
Chronic leukemias have few or no blast cells. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia usually progress slowly compared to acute leukemias.

From:
The Leukemia&Lymphoma Society
Fighting Blood Cancer
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Did you know that:

-Every five minutes, someone in this country is diagnosed with blood cancer
-Every ten minutes, someone loses the fight.
-Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children.
-Lymphomas are the most common blood cancers.
-The myeloma survival rate is only 32 percent.
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Amazing-Spiritual
Photo: http://halusi.blogspot.com/
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