Witness a TRUE Miracle and BELIEVE!

Art work courtesy of http://www.artmagick.com/

As I was sorting through the mail today, I saw that I had received a handwritten letter -- don't get many of those nowadays -- from a dear friend whose father I knew was dying from an advanced stage of pancreatic cancer. Recovery chances for late stage pancreatic cancer are usually not very good, statistically speaking. But people aren't statistics in my book, and so I wrote my friend a letter giving her, her father and their family my very best. I told her that I would be praying -- storming heaven for her -- for her father and for the whole family during this difficult time. Then, I called my family and told them to start praying too.

I must have received my friend's initial letter, with the bad news, over 6 months ago and I have not heard anything back since that time. I had her address, but no current phone and no working email. I had given her my phone and email, but she has not called. I knew that she was busy; I figured that she would write when she had time and news that she wanted to share. So I just kept praying.

When I saw my friend's letter tonight, I was worried that it contained bad news. I opened it very slowly ... cautiously. Then, I began to read. As I read the opening paragraph of her letter, a feeling of sheer joy overcame me and I began to sob uncontrollably. But these were tears of joy! Miraculously, her father who initially was diagnosed with a tumor (size?) of 225, now had a tumor that was a 38 ... and 37, my friend informed me was NORMAL! NORMAL?! This is truly a blessing ... beyond a shadow of a doubt a miraculous occarance ... a MIRACLE. Proof again -- not that I need it -- that there is a God, a higher power, and that there is POWER in prayer.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU FROM THE VERY BOTTOM, RIGHT UP TO THE VERY TOP, OF MY HEART FOR ALL WHO PRAYED WITH ME! OUR PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED! HALLELUJAH! PRAISE GOD!

I continued to sob, tears of joy, as I explained the reason for my tears to my husband and my eldest daughter who were staring at me with concern. When I told them why I was crying, they shook their heads at one another and looked at me like I was crazy, but I don't care ... this is closest that I've come to the sheer ecstasy of JOY in many, many months.

I am so happy for you, Cassie, for your father and your entire wonderful family. I will continue to keep you all in my prayers, and pray especially for the continued healing and health of your beloved father. Please give your father a HUGE hug from me when you see him again and call me when you have time to talk once again.

God Bless one and all!  May those who happen to pass this way BELIEVE!

M

P.S.  'HALLELUJAH!' is typically not a part of my vocabulary.  But I needed a powerful word to express the emotion that I was feeling and this word seemed to fit beautifully.  I am NOT a religious zealot.  Quite the contrary,  I believe that organized religions are a necessary evil ... a tool to help those that can't even begin to fathom a direct relationship with a God ... Creator ... Higher Power.  I, personally, have a strong relationship with God, the Creator.  I talk to Him daily ... often throughout the course of my day ... and I try my best to listen to His side of the conversation, even with all of the distractions in my life.  I don't feel that I need organized religion, but now that I have children:  I want to give them a strong foundation for having a relationship with a God, so we do the 'church thing'.  My hope in doing the church thing is that when my children are older, they will be able to make their own choices concering a God and the relationship that they wish to have with Him because they have some firsthand experience -- aside from my input -- to draw upon.  While I, personally, do not feel that I need an organized religion and that a lot of wrong has been done in the name of organized religion:  I think overall, the net effect of organized religion has -- and currently is -- contributed to the greater good of our world.  Given the wonderful diversity of the people inhabitating this planet, it would only stand to reason that there would be many different ways of choosing to worship a God ... Creator ... Higher Power.  I respect all people, their faiths and their beliefs, and I pray daily that the distrust and misunderstanding among various religions comes to an end.  I also pray that the people who have been turned away from God because of various organized religions find their way back to a relationship with God again ... even if they choose not to do the the church thing.


They say, "Never talk religion or politics."  But, I've never put much stock in what 'they' say anyway ... they tend to take the fun out life in my opinion.  Well, I've said my piece ... now I will be quiet.  Joyful day to you! 


M

Giving up my one (?) vice ...

Day 4.5 without coffee. My stomach (internal digestion) has, once again, dictated that I give up one of my greatest pleasures in life: coffee. The headaches -- probably from withdrawal -- are starting to subside, and this time my cravings aren't too bad. Ken has been sweet about not brewing a fresh pot of coffee when I'm around. In place of my coffee, I am now consuming nearly a box of green tea day. Oh well; it could be worse.

Here's an added bonus: my mid-section is visibly trimmer after just a few days without coffee. And I haven't stepped up, or modified, my workout either. Heard this was true. So all of you, trying to stay in shape for swimsuit season, here's a quick fix: GIVE UP THE COFFEE! It really helps!

Here's to your health. Cheers! I'm off to get another cup of green tea.

Drug Company Merck has Announced Suspension of its Lobbying Efforts

The drug company Merck has suspended its lobbying efforts to have state legislatures require that school age females be vaccinated with their drug, "Gardasil", in order to attend public schools.

This news story from Fox News:

"TRENTON, N.J. — Merck & Co. is immediately suspending its lobbying campaign to persuade state legislatures to mandate that adolescent girls get the company's new vaccine against cervical cancer as a requirement for school attendance, the company said late Tuesday.

The drugmaker had been criticized by parents and doctors' groups for quietly funding the campaign via a third party to require 11- and 12-year-old girls get the three-dose vaccine in order to attend school.

Some had objected because the vaccine protects against a sexually transmitted disease, human papilloma virus, which causes cervical cancer. Vaccines mandated for school attendance usually are for diseases easily spread through casual contact.

"Our goal is about cervical cancer prevention and we want to reach as many females as possible with Gardasil," Dr. Richard M. Haupt, Merck's medical director for vaccines, told The Associated Press.

"We're concerned that our role in supporting school requirements is a distraction from that goal, and as such have suspended our lobbying efforts," Haupt said, adding the company will continue providing information about the vaccine if requested by government officials." "


See the entire story firsthand at the following link:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,253162,00.html


Good news. We do in fact have a voice.

Have to check and see what is going on in the State of Texas, with respect to that state's governor mandating this vaccine via executive order. I believe that a special committee, or a health and human services committee, is due to release a report on their findings this upcoming Monday.

Okay: Here's what's up in the State of Texas:

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Feb16/0,4670,CervicalCancer,00.html

Reflux Update

Well, I'm at near 2 weeks without any over the counter acid-reflux medications. With some diet modifications and the addition of probiotic supplements (2-3+ a day from the "Garden of Life" company, product: "Primal Defense"). I am drug-free and doing good. My sinuses are also no longer swollen and able to drain without decongestants. I wonder if a side effect of the acid-reflux medication is sinus congestion?

I still need to address damage to my body from antibiotics and get more fiber in my diet, but I have hope. I want to try this treatment for at least a month before I share any specific details. I don't want to send anyone down the wrong path needlessly. But I will say this:

1) eliminate processed foods from your diet whenever possible (i.e., big name brand starchy cereals, chips and other pre-packaged snack foods: if it has long list of unrecognizable ingredients avoid it!).

2) Try to eat only 100% whole grain products -- do not eat white bread/starchy foods. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables and eat organic if cost and availability allow. My husband is making our family's bread from scratch.

3) My family eats no red meat whatsoever. We do eat chicken and turkey, but unless we can locate a free-range supply we may stop that as well. We eat lots of beans and fish/seafood.

4) We also do not drink milk, but use organic soy milk (yes, I've heard the dings against soy, but thus far have had no problems and feel that risks from soy are far less than milk filled with hormones and antibiotics) instead. The kids do, however, get an occasional ice cream.

Here's to your health!
God Bless and Have a Great Day!

P.S. I drink a lot of tea and green tea in particular. I noticed when I run out of green tea and can't get to the store for a few days to buy more that I start to feel worse (i.e., more tired and more stomach aches). So I am going to try an ad-hoc experiment: take some of my husbands baking yeast and put equal amounts of yeast in a) 1/4 cup pure water and b) 1/4 green tea (made from one bag). Then I'll see how the yeast growth in the green compares to the yeast growth in the control group of water. I know that candida yeast (kind that results in human body after antibiotic use) is a different yeast than baking yeast, but surely they share some similar properties. Maybe I'm onto something?

HPV Vaccine Mandatory for School Age Children in Texas

It would seem the state of Texas' children have now become the new guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical company Merck. In a gross overstepping of his power, by way of Executive Order, the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, has mandated that all female children attending public schools --ages 9 and up-- will now have to be vaccinated with a highly controversial (fast-tracked through FDA, long list of possible adverse side effects, and questionable effectiveness), starting at age 9, in order to attend public schools.  This mandate is scheduled to go into effect beginning in 2008, unless the Texas legislature can find a way to stop it.

[Update:  JUST HEARD THAT THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE WILL VOTE THIS UPCOMING, MONDAY, FEB. 19, ON A BILL TO BLOCK GOVERNOR PERRY'S EXECUTIVE ORDER. IF YOU LIVE IN TEXAS: CONTACT YOUR TEXAS LEGISLATURE REP. AND SENATOR AND LET THEM KNOW HOW YOU FEEL! Here is the link to find your legislatures: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/]

Seriously, since when is a young girl's reproductive health a cause for alarm as a public health risk? And how does a parent's choice to say "no" to this vaccine put the general public at risk?


Also FYI: the company Merck even admits in its own add --by way of a speedy footnote at the close of its advertisement-- that not all women who contract HPV will end up with cervical cancer and more importantly, that their vaccine does not prevent all forms of HPV. To me, the latter alone is grounds enough to give parents the right to choose whether or not to have their daughters vaccinated with a relatively new/unknown drug and at such a very young age.  Now, I'm not knocking this vaccine's future/possible potential, but I am adamantly opposed to the idea of a parent's right to choose being revoked at this early stage in the manufacturing release of a new and here-to-fore untested (i.e., lacking years of reliable research data).

Will your state be next?

Interestingly enough, Merck just happens to be the company responsible for the drug Viox, which has killed a number of people and made thousands of others seriously ill.  Could it be that Merck now finds itself facing a potential bankruptcy unless it is able to find, releases and successful market another product with the potential to pull it back from the brink of insolvency?

Please feel free to leave your own personal opinion, below in a comment.  I sam incerely interested in hearing other parent's opinions and concerns.

Donating FREE Mamograms for Those Who Can't Afford It: You Can Help!

I just received this important message from a friend:

Please tell ten friends to tell ten today:

The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to "click" on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman.

It takes less than a minute to go to their site and "click" on "donating a mammogram" for free (pink window in the middle).This doesn't cost you a thing! Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammograms in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know. http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/ AGAIN, PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS TO TELL 10 TODAY.

Thank You! Thank You!