"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." ~George Bernard Shaw
I have been thinking a lot about my career choice lately. What is it that I do? Is it what I want to do? Do I enjoy it? and What am I doing it for?
Well I went to school to get my Masters in Museology (yes it's a real degree). I really enjoy arts administration, but those jobs are few and far between. In the meantime I work in development at a museum. And I do enjoy it, even though it isn't exactly what I want to be doing. Mostly, I do it because I know the end product of my work could change lives. Museums changed my life way back when I was in 5th grade.
Not every organization is perfect, and the museum I work for is no different. But it is an amazing organization with mostly amazing people working there. The potential I see in it is immense. I have been there for 8 years and I have seen it change a lot, some stuff good some not so good. But I still feel very positive in the progress that we can make, and in the difference we can make in people's lives.
Progress can only be achieved if:
1. People let go of their preconceived ideas of what/who we are and what we do. In this day and economic climate we cannot be museum purists.
2. People realize that change is inevitable, and although you may be uncomfortable with it you have to do what's best for the museum.
3. People stop whining and complaining that they don't have enough of whatever resource they need. Figure it out, people have done more with less, we can too!
So even in the face of adversity, in a time of waning state support, we can make a difference. Progress is attainable, and I will continue to have hope!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Red Heads Rock!
I had an interesting discussion today while on an errand with some co-workers. Would you want your kid to be a red head, aka. a "Ginger?"
A little scientific information:
Red hair is made up of a combination of high levels of the reddish pigment pheomelanin and relatively low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin.
Being that I have red hair I think it is always assumed that if I had a kid it will without a doubt be a red head.
However, red heads are actually a genetic mutation in the MC1R protein (let the jokes commence) of a recessive gene on chromosone 16. Only 1 to 2% of the worlds population is red headed. And that percentage increases in certain parts of the world, with Scotland having the highest at 16%.
To have red hair both Steve and I would have to provide this recessive red head gene to our kid. SO it is very likely I will not have a red head. If my MC1R gene is rr and Steve's is RR, no red head kids. If Steve is Rr, then we have a higher chance of having a red head.A great example of this, and how it can skip generations. (from http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=245)
Now since we are so rare, remember only 1-2% of the world's population, it causes me to get very angry at famous red heads when they change their hair color to blonde or brown or whatever. There are few red headed role models. As kids we growing up we get ridiculed for being different, called names some not to savory. If all of the famous people out there change their hair color, they perpetuate the myth that having red hair is ugly. Even if they just wanted a change from their regular "look."
Examples of pretty red heads:
Julianne Moore
Amy Adams
Lindsey Lohan (she really is a beautiful girl, tragic though)
Rose McGowan
Geri Haliwell (Ginger Spice)
Nicole Kidman
Alyson Hannigan
You get the idea.
Calling All Famous Red Heads! Don't change your hair color and be a representative of the Ginger Kids! (I'm sure that is copyrighted by South Park creators). Whatevs.
Oh and to answer my original question "Would you want your kid to be a red head, aka. a 'Ginger?'"
Yes and no. I would love to have little mini-mes with blue eyes and red hair, but I do not wish on my children the ridicule that I grew up with. Maybe times have changed and being made of for having red hair isn't as bad, but I doubt it. Hopefully, they will appreciate their hair color as much as I do. (Although I do lighten mine to Strawberry Blonde like ti was when I was real little.)
A little scientific information:
Red hair is made up of a combination of high levels of the reddish pigment pheomelanin and relatively low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin.
Being that I have red hair I think it is always assumed that if I had a kid it will without a doubt be a red head.
However, red heads are actually a genetic mutation in the MC1R protein (let the jokes commence) of a recessive gene on chromosone 16. Only 1 to 2% of the worlds population is red headed. And that percentage increases in certain parts of the world, with Scotland having the highest at 16%.
To have red hair both Steve and I would have to provide this recessive red head gene to our kid. SO it is very likely I will not have a red head. If my MC1R gene is rr and Steve's is RR, no red head kids. If Steve is Rr, then we have a higher chance of having a red head.A great example of this, and how it can skip generations. (from http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=245)
Now since we are so rare, remember only 1-2% of the world's population, it causes me to get very angry at famous red heads when they change their hair color to blonde or brown or whatever. There are few red headed role models. As kids we growing up we get ridiculed for being different, called names some not to savory. If all of the famous people out there change their hair color, they perpetuate the myth that having red hair is ugly. Even if they just wanted a change from their regular "look."
Examples of pretty red heads:
Julianne Moore
Amy Adams
Lindsey Lohan (she really is a beautiful girl, tragic though)
Rose McGowan
Geri Haliwell (Ginger Spice)
Nicole Kidman
Alyson Hannigan
You get the idea.
Calling All Famous Red Heads! Don't change your hair color and be a representative of the Ginger Kids! (I'm sure that is copyrighted by South Park creators). Whatevs.
Oh and to answer my original question "Would you want your kid to be a red head, aka. a 'Ginger?'"
Yes and no. I would love to have little mini-mes with blue eyes and red hair, but I do not wish on my children the ridicule that I grew up with. Maybe times have changed and being made of for having red hair isn't as bad, but I doubt it. Hopefully, they will appreciate their hair color as much as I do. (Although I do lighten mine to Strawberry Blonde like ti was when I was real little.)
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Migraines: My Adventure
So I wouldn't necessarily call my life with migraines an adventure, more like a trek, uphill both ways, in the snow, with no shoes, on a rocky road. It's been a lifetime of learning about how the body works, what medications can do , and how to find better ways to manage the pain without the aid of medications.
I write this as a guide to friends who may be starting their trek. If I can provide some direction, some insight, some guidance, and some support, it will be worth it. It is long, so bear with me. It is chock full of information and links to great articles on migraine treatment.
One of the first things any doctor should tell you is that migraines are not spontaneous things without a cause. Any good doctor should tell you that treating the symptoms, without exploring potential causes will only make you reliant on medications, and in the end continue the suffering that you are seeking to get away from.
So what should you do? Not every person is the same, women get migraines for different reasons than men do, and every individual has their own triggers. You need to start to find out what those triggers are.
Keep a migraine journal.
Write down the date, what you ate or drank prior to the migraine. How were you feeling? Did you have eye pain, back pain, neck pain, sinus pressure? Was there a storm that day or low pressure front? For women where were you in your menstrual cycle? All these will provide clues as to the causes of your migraines.
Then track what medications you took to relieve that migraine. Typically I would start with 2 excedrine (and a side note: Excedrine and Excedrine Migraine are exactly the same. Excedrine was allowed to add "Migraine" to their packaging after studies showed this was one of the best medications to treat a migraine.) Then if in 45 minutes to an hour I still had one I would take one or maybe 2 more. Tracking your attempts at relief will also provide isight to your doctor on what works and what doesn't.
Armed with this will help you have a productive conversation with your doctor and hopefully find relief quickly and easily.
My History: the early years
I started getting migraines when I was 13 years old. About the time I started getting my menstrual cycle. I spent 5 years with only over-the-counter medications, massages, and lots of hiding in a dark room trying to not vomit from the pain.
When I was nineteen I started working for a doctors office and one of the doctors was open to exploring the causes of my migraines. I had a bad cheerleading accident in 1993 that I had no idea in later years would cause me so much grief. I hurt my back and I was constantly in pain. The first thing she had me do was see a chiropractor. At that stage in my life I thought it was a bunch of BS. My mom had gone for years and never had relief. But I agreed and found a chiropractor that was amazing. Having my back adjusted released pressure that was causing me to have neck pain causing headaches that would become migraines. That alone made me realize I could take care of this. There was hope.
I did a migraine journal, and found that I really didn't have food triggers. But I did notice that during my period (sorry guys) I would get really bad migraines. This was a clue to my doctor. She decided to try putting me on birth control pills (not that I shouldn't have been on it anyways) to see what would happen. The first one was a triphasil. Holy cow did I hate that. We then went to a monophasil and that made a world of difference. It cut out a ton of migraines during the month. But when I took the placebos and had my period they were still really bad.
During this time I was on a myriad of medications.
Midrin: drunk like side effects and I developed a resistance to it within 6 months.
Ibuprofen: didn't do anything.
Pain killers: lets take a nap.
Phenergan: for the nausea and vomiting.
Excedrine: Only if I caught it in time.
Propanolol: preventative med, with nightmares as a side effect, no thanks!
My History: Recent Years
Several years ago my current doctor gave me a prescription for Imitrex. I call this the wonder drug. For the first time I could take a medication, and within 45 minutes I was migraine free AND functional. The nausea subsided over the years while I was on it, it actually seemed to make the migraines less potent. Then the big bad insurance company limited the Imitrex and had the nerve to say to me that I needed to find the cause of my migraines and work on that instead. Excuse me? Have you dealt with migraines for what seems like eons, and do you have any idea what I've been through to find out what the issues are? I was so angry, and I was back to getting pain killers and phenergan. Yay!
Out of frustration I tried to find another preventative medication. Studies were coming out that an epilepsy rug could also prevent migraines. Sign me up! Even my cursory research did not uncover the extent of the side effects of that med, and I would later learn that this is something you just don't want. I'll cover more of that later.
There a came a point in my life where I needed to come off all medications. And I started to panic that I was going to regress into miserable migraines that caused me to miss out on so many important things in my life. I did not want to go through that again.
So I started looking into holistic remedies. I started acupuncture and although I didn't hold out much hope, it has changed my life. I'm off all meds, and I'm virtually migraine free. I get them very rarely now and I can live life to the fullest without worrying if I will get a migraine.
My Thoughts on Current Treatments:
Food and Drink
So many people have food triggers. Wine is a BIG one. It has tannins in it that cause migraines and headaches.
An interesting article on tannins and migraines: http://www.wineintro.com/glossary/t/tannins.html
And one on food triggers: http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/features/avoiding-food-related-headaches
Medications
Topamax: The evilest of them all.
Like I said before this medication is approved for epilepsy, but can also be used for migraine treatment. This med keeps the chemicals in your nervous system and brain calm thus preventing migraines. In epileptic patients it does the same thing to prevent seizures. BUT! and it is a big but,
the side effects are long lasting and disturbing.
It causes: short term memory loss, word recall issues, speech impediments. All of which I have experienced. I was on the medication for 2 years, and I have been off it for over a year and I still have the side effects. They have not lessened one bit.
Yes it worked for preventing migraines, but it didn't solve the issue and caused long term issues.
How Topamax works: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4676086_topamax-work.html
Article on the side effects: http://www.relieve-migraine-headache.com/topamax-side-effects.html
Imitrex and Treximet:
Narrows the blood vessels and stops the pain signals from being sent to the brain.
More information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000102
The only real side effect I have ever had is a slight stinging in my fingers and toes when i put them in hot water.
Birth Control Pills:
This is take it or leave it thing. Some women take them and GET migraines. Others find relief by taking them. Earlier I mentioned I was first on a triphasil. This is where the dose starts out low, then in week 2 it goes to a higher dose, in week 3 it goes back down, then week 4 is placebo. Each change in hormone level was brutal and agonizing. Many women get migraines, because they have hormonal fluctuations. These fluctuations can trigger migraines. I switched to a monophasil and it evened out those hormonal fluctuations. This may not work for all, testing various BCP's and figuring out if any cause more or less migraines is the best course of action.
Other medications:
An article from the Mayo Clinic breaking down all the types of migraine medication treatments.
Acupuncture
This is a treatment I discovered when I had no other alternatives. I had to come off all medications, no ifs ands or buts about it.
Within 2 months of treatment the number of migraines are virtually nil. I may get 1 a month, they aren't very severe, and I can usually take excedrine and knock it out right away. I will admit that I was a skeptic, but I was at a breaking point. I am now a believer!
Article on acupuncture for migraines: http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/headachemigraine/a/AcupunctureMigr.htm
So, I will leave it at this for now...I wish all my migraine sufferers luck in their treks!
I write this as a guide to friends who may be starting their trek. If I can provide some direction, some insight, some guidance, and some support, it will be worth it. It is long, so bear with me. It is chock full of information and links to great articles on migraine treatment.
One of the first things any doctor should tell you is that migraines are not spontaneous things without a cause. Any good doctor should tell you that treating the symptoms, without exploring potential causes will only make you reliant on medications, and in the end continue the suffering that you are seeking to get away from.
So what should you do? Not every person is the same, women get migraines for different reasons than men do, and every individual has their own triggers. You need to start to find out what those triggers are.
Keep a migraine journal.
Write down the date, what you ate or drank prior to the migraine. How were you feeling? Did you have eye pain, back pain, neck pain, sinus pressure? Was there a storm that day or low pressure front? For women where were you in your menstrual cycle? All these will provide clues as to the causes of your migraines.
Then track what medications you took to relieve that migraine. Typically I would start with 2 excedrine (and a side note: Excedrine and Excedrine Migraine are exactly the same. Excedrine was allowed to add "Migraine" to their packaging after studies showed this was one of the best medications to treat a migraine.) Then if in 45 minutes to an hour I still had one I would take one or maybe 2 more. Tracking your attempts at relief will also provide isight to your doctor on what works and what doesn't.
Armed with this will help you have a productive conversation with your doctor and hopefully find relief quickly and easily.
My History: the early years
I started getting migraines when I was 13 years old. About the time I started getting my menstrual cycle. I spent 5 years with only over-the-counter medications, massages, and lots of hiding in a dark room trying to not vomit from the pain.
When I was nineteen I started working for a doctors office and one of the doctors was open to exploring the causes of my migraines. I had a bad cheerleading accident in 1993 that I had no idea in later years would cause me so much grief. I hurt my back and I was constantly in pain. The first thing she had me do was see a chiropractor. At that stage in my life I thought it was a bunch of BS. My mom had gone for years and never had relief. But I agreed and found a chiropractor that was amazing. Having my back adjusted released pressure that was causing me to have neck pain causing headaches that would become migraines. That alone made me realize I could take care of this. There was hope.
I did a migraine journal, and found that I really didn't have food triggers. But I did notice that during my period (sorry guys) I would get really bad migraines. This was a clue to my doctor. She decided to try putting me on birth control pills (not that I shouldn't have been on it anyways) to see what would happen. The first one was a triphasil. Holy cow did I hate that. We then went to a monophasil and that made a world of difference. It cut out a ton of migraines during the month. But when I took the placebos and had my period they were still really bad.
During this time I was on a myriad of medications.
Midrin: drunk like side effects and I developed a resistance to it within 6 months.
Ibuprofen: didn't do anything.
Pain killers: lets take a nap.
Phenergan: for the nausea and vomiting.
Excedrine: Only if I caught it in time.
Propanolol: preventative med, with nightmares as a side effect, no thanks!
My History: Recent Years
Several years ago my current doctor gave me a prescription for Imitrex. I call this the wonder drug. For the first time I could take a medication, and within 45 minutes I was migraine free AND functional. The nausea subsided over the years while I was on it, it actually seemed to make the migraines less potent. Then the big bad insurance company limited the Imitrex and had the nerve to say to me that I needed to find the cause of my migraines and work on that instead. Excuse me? Have you dealt with migraines for what seems like eons, and do you have any idea what I've been through to find out what the issues are? I was so angry, and I was back to getting pain killers and phenergan. Yay!
Out of frustration I tried to find another preventative medication. Studies were coming out that an epilepsy rug could also prevent migraines. Sign me up! Even my cursory research did not uncover the extent of the side effects of that med, and I would later learn that this is something you just don't want. I'll cover more of that later.
There a came a point in my life where I needed to come off all medications. And I started to panic that I was going to regress into miserable migraines that caused me to miss out on so many important things in my life. I did not want to go through that again.
So I started looking into holistic remedies. I started acupuncture and although I didn't hold out much hope, it has changed my life. I'm off all meds, and I'm virtually migraine free. I get them very rarely now and I can live life to the fullest without worrying if I will get a migraine.
My Thoughts on Current Treatments:
Food and Drink
So many people have food triggers. Wine is a BIG one. It has tannins in it that cause migraines and headaches.
An interesting article on tannins and migraines: http://www.wineintro.com/glossary/t/tannins.html
And one on food triggers: http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/features/avoiding-food-related-headaches
Medications
Topamax: The evilest of them all.
Like I said before this medication is approved for epilepsy, but can also be used for migraine treatment. This med keeps the chemicals in your nervous system and brain calm thus preventing migraines. In epileptic patients it does the same thing to prevent seizures. BUT! and it is a big but,
the side effects are long lasting and disturbing.
It causes: short term memory loss, word recall issues, speech impediments. All of which I have experienced. I was on the medication for 2 years, and I have been off it for over a year and I still have the side effects. They have not lessened one bit.
Yes it worked for preventing migraines, but it didn't solve the issue and caused long term issues.
How Topamax works: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4676086_topamax-work.html
Article on the side effects: http://www.relieve-migraine-headache.com/topamax-side-effects.html
Imitrex and Treximet:
Narrows the blood vessels and stops the pain signals from being sent to the brain.
More information: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000102
The only real side effect I have ever had is a slight stinging in my fingers and toes when i put them in hot water.
Birth Control Pills:
This is take it or leave it thing. Some women take them and GET migraines. Others find relief by taking them. Earlier I mentioned I was first on a triphasil. This is where the dose starts out low, then in week 2 it goes to a higher dose, in week 3 it goes back down, then week 4 is placebo. Each change in hormone level was brutal and agonizing. Many women get migraines, because they have hormonal fluctuations. These fluctuations can trigger migraines. I switched to a monophasil and it evened out those hormonal fluctuations. This may not work for all, testing various BCP's and figuring out if any cause more or less migraines is the best course of action.
Other medications:
An article from the Mayo Clinic breaking down all the types of migraine medication treatments.
Acupuncture
This is a treatment I discovered when I had no other alternatives. I had to come off all medications, no ifs ands or buts about it.
Within 2 months of treatment the number of migraines are virtually nil. I may get 1 a month, they aren't very severe, and I can usually take excedrine and knock it out right away. I will admit that I was a skeptic, but I was at a breaking point. I am now a believer!
Article on acupuncture for migraines: http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/headachemigraine/a/AcupunctureMigr.htm
So, I will leave it at this for now...I wish all my migraine sufferers luck in their treks!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Doggie Dreams
On occasion while lying in bed waiting to fall asleep, I will hear this little noise coming from somewhere in the room. Brisco, our 5 year old mix breed, is the culprit of the noise. He makes these funny sounds while he is sleeping and dreaming. He doesn't do a full out bark, but he does his little bouf, bouf, wimper wimper. I wonder what he is dreaming about. Is he chasing a squirrel? Maybe a cat? Is he being chased? His life is somewhat boring, so I can't begin to understand what he might dream about at night. But it makes me giggle every time, and I try to be quiet so I don't wake him from his dreams.
Sweet dreams puppy!
Sweet dreams puppy!
 |
| From Pets: Dogs and Cats |
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Dreams
For the last few days I have been having crazy dreams that make absolutely no sense. The strange thing is how much detail I am remembering about them. Amazing detail. I used to have this dream book. It would tell you what different elements meant in the dream. I bet there is a website like that now....let me check....yep! Tons as a matter of fact.
Hmmm, maybe I will try to decipher them now. It probably means nothing, but it's kind of fun.
Hmmm, maybe I will try to decipher them now. It probably means nothing, but it's kind of fun.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Major Geek Out
My trip to Rhode Island was fun and it was great to spend time with Janice and Jason. We saw some cool museums (Culinary Arts and Lizzie Borden), went to see a fire show on the river, ate good food and took 2 trips to the Apple store.
The trips to Apple are just a symptom of a great addiction. (I have many random addictions I think). Steve could not be happy about the ideas that were planted in my head via the geek out of 2010 that Jason and I had.
Janice and Jason should have stock in Apple, and maybe me too, soon anyways. They have the following:
1. Mac Mini: to watch tv shows and movies on
2. Mac Airport Express: that is the wireless internet, that allows printer hookup and they can also hook it up to a stereo with an aux output that then gets music from their iTunes transmitted through it. (AWESOME!)
3. iPhones: have 3G's but ordered iPhone 4's while I was there. Jealous!
4. MacBooks: Pro and Air.
Ok so what do I want? In order of importance:
1. Airport Extreme (I want to also be able to hook up a hard drive to it as a server).
2. iPhone 4: but I want to wait for the 2nd generation of the 4th generation phone.
3. Mac Mini: I so want to store movies on it, I never watch my DVD's, too much work. Having it on the mac mini would be soooooo convenient.
4. A new MackBook, Pro!
Considering my laptop (MacBook) is finally filled up with tons of photos, I need the Airport Extreme so I can have the server. I do believe that will be sooner than later. Then I can check it off the list and move right along.
The trips to Apple are just a symptom of a great addiction. (I have many random addictions I think). Steve could not be happy about the ideas that were planted in my head via the geek out of 2010 that Jason and I had.
Janice and Jason should have stock in Apple, and maybe me too, soon anyways. They have the following:
1. Mac Mini: to watch tv shows and movies on
2. Mac Airport Express: that is the wireless internet, that allows printer hookup and they can also hook it up to a stereo with an aux output that then gets music from their iTunes transmitted through it. (AWESOME!)
3. iPhones: have 3G's but ordered iPhone 4's while I was there. Jealous!
4. MacBooks: Pro and Air.
Ok so what do I want? In order of importance:
1. Airport Extreme (I want to also be able to hook up a hard drive to it as a server).
2. iPhone 4: but I want to wait for the 2nd generation of the 4th generation phone.
3. Mac Mini: I so want to store movies on it, I never watch my DVD's, too much work. Having it on the mac mini would be soooooo convenient.
4. A new MackBook, Pro!
Considering my laptop (MacBook) is finally filled up with tons of photos, I need the Airport Extreme so I can have the server. I do believe that will be sooner than later. Then I can check it off the list and move right along.
All photos (c) Apple.com
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Bad tattoos should be outlawed
I have officially arrived in Rhode Island. My trip was exceptionally uneventful. The usual wait in line here, check your bag, boarding pass, wait in another even longer line for security, then wait at the gate. All went smoothly, yet long at Orlando International. The only real intriguing thing was the insipid girls who were waiting for my same flight. Maybe intriguing is the wrong word, train wrecks might be more appropriate. One was loud, obnoxious, high pitched giggly, the other was just somewhat sad. (I know I doth judge too much, but the reasoning will soon become clear as to why on this occasion it was ok, or was it?)
both were returning home from what appeared to be a Florida vacation. The sad one was slightly sunburned, messy hair, and a very unfortunate dress. The other also in a quite unfortunate dress herself, was constantly announcing random celebrity facts in her very loud voice.
So why should bad tattoos be outlawed you ask? Well loud obnoxious girl had a fresh tattoo on her foot that read "Mischief Managed." And the sad girl had "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" huge across her upper back. I now know that both of those are Harry Potter quotes, ok, so you tried to have some meaning to your tattoos, maybe a C for effort. But they were terrible! Hideous, poor artwork, just plain ol' bad. And both were large!! Someday they will either have them removed or they will have to get a more experienced artist to fix them.
Hope you had a great vacation, here's your ugly tattoo! Thank you and have a nice flight.
both were returning home from what appeared to be a Florida vacation. The sad one was slightly sunburned, messy hair, and a very unfortunate dress. The other also in a quite unfortunate dress herself, was constantly announcing random celebrity facts in her very loud voice.
So why should bad tattoos be outlawed you ask? Well loud obnoxious girl had a fresh tattoo on her foot that read "Mischief Managed." And the sad girl had "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" huge across her upper back. I now know that both of those are Harry Potter quotes, ok, so you tried to have some meaning to your tattoos, maybe a C for effort. But they were terrible! Hideous, poor artwork, just plain ol' bad. And both were large!! Someday they will either have them removed or they will have to get a more experienced artist to fix them.
Hope you had a great vacation, here's your ugly tattoo! Thank you and have a nice flight.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)