What I learned the most in the class - I must admit that it was much more challenging than I had anticipated. I have always enjoyed writing, and certainly having a pen in my hand - the key board is a close second. I also have entertained the idea of writing more extensively, but not for a living (professionally) - if it happens, it will be by accident - I have a lot of really fun short story ideas. I never want to lose my passion for writing, and certainly don't want to force or "cheapen" my writing efforts for money - it is for my pleasure, relaxation and a gift (as in letter writing - the old fashion way, an envelope and a stamp) that I bless my friends and family with.
So, I obviously digress, what did I learn? A great deal! I learned that freshman classes can be equally as challenging as the upper level courses in college. I learned how to create a blog, and manage my "Delicious" account - as well as utilizing it to support my writing efforts.
I learned about a tremendous number of very effective research tools (engines, online), and how important my Delicious account was to keep all the information straight, so I could use and cite it properly.
I learned a lot about citations - MLA Style - and APA (still coming yet).
When I submitted my paper to the Smarthinking people online, they really helped get me started on greater organizational efforts - my paragraphs were a little "all over the place" - I had a lot of great ideas and information, but had not really incorporated them together very well. (She said to treat each paragraph like a mini-thesis - that kept me on one topic per paragraph - rather than several). They only reviewed half of my paper when they sent it back with suggestions. They suggested I modify it and re-send it for the review of the second half - which I will do, but my drafts took me too long to re-send it for the second review before it was due (life just gets too busy with demands - it was my sister's Birthday and we had a big family thing, which cost me an entire day!) I will send my paper back for the second review, just to learn from what they find - I'm sure you will give me feedback as well, I hope!
The lady at the Writing Center, helped me beyond the Smarthinking folks, by suggesting that I look at each paragraph and write one or two words to summarize the topic of each paragraph (actually writing the word in the margin) - that really helped my efforts in cleaning up my paragraphs and create a greater "flow" in the paper. It also sent me back to my Outline, originally designed for this paper, and I got that "cleaned up" so it was more logical, and I could see where I was going with my information....it really set me on track for the organization. Rosalie also helped me with minor grammatical questions and citation questions.
The greatest stumbling blocks for me - first, organizational. Sometimes it's really tough to get going on an idea and the direction I want to go with it. Then, with all the new research methods (online), my head was just swimming - trying to keep up with the electronic efforts, and keeping the assignments posted to my blog. In fact, trying to keep the electronic information straight in my head, I forgot to keep working on my paper!! I was so busy trying to document information, that I started to feel confused. Then, I had that surgery, which set me back a week in class (but I felt like I was behind about three weeks!) So, once I really buckled down, and really started writing - my outline, thesis, and the miscellaneous stuff from my research - it started to fall into place. Then the Smarthinking and Writing Center finally got me on track, so I was more productive (probably too productive, my paper turned out really long!)
What did I learn from my paper - it was really just an "affirmation" for me, as well as clarifying things I had heard about, but never really researched. I know what I need to do to stay healthy and strong, and I also know that there is no good cure-all for tough stuff in life - like getting older, and seeing my youth fading! I also learned more about the atrocities of what is going on with horses for the hormone replacement drugs - it is horrible!! I could have written an entire paper about that too!
I think, through all of this, I realize that some of my most creative and productive years are still ahead of me! I am more focused, more disciplined, and wiser than I was just 10, 20, 25 years ago!! Anything I attempt to do (professionally, or otherwise) at this point in my life will be great - because I know how to be more effective, I have more resources, more character, and a great deal more insight!
Monday, April 26, 2010
RJA#14b - Application Project Refrences
References:
1. Body for Life Book by Bill Phillips (I will complete this later)
2. Movie, Something's Got to Give - Scene
3. Aging, Femininity, and the Body: What Appearance Changes Mean to Women with Age
4. Red Hat Society
5. North American Menopause Society
1. Body for Life Book by Bill Phillips (I will complete this later)
2. Movie, Something's Got to Give - Scene
3. Aging, Femininity, and the Body: What Appearance Changes Mean to Women with Age
4. Red Hat Society
5. North American Menopause Society
RAJ#14a - Application Project Progress Report
1. My project is going to be one of a "journal entry" reflecting on my perception of how I see the aging process from where I am at (and how it has looked over the past few years); also based on what I have learned from my research; and possibly use some of the humor (in our own humanity) from a movie (scene from Something's Got to Give). UPDATE (10 MAY 2010) - I HAVE MOST OF THE PAPER DRAFTED, AND HAVE WRITTEN IT AS A "REFLECTION" BASED ON MY LIFE AND LOOKING THROUGH A BOX OF OLD PHOTOS, AND MY DAUGHTER COMING IN AND OUT OF THE ROOM WHERE I AM SITTING.
2. I do not have much accomplished - the actual writing it down will occur this weekend (for the most part). I am still formulating my ideas, and how I want to see this paper take shape. (10 MAY 2010) - MOST OF THE PAPER IS DRAFTED, IT'S JUST NOT "FLOWING" VERY WELL, SO I AM TRYING TO FIX THAT. AND, I STILL HAVE THE 300 WORD APA CITATION PORTION TO DRAFT.
3. I am working on "outlining" the paper now. After that, the actual drafting of the paper. Once I have a rough draft, I usually plug in my resources, and begin revising it.
2. I do not have much accomplished - the actual writing it down will occur this weekend (for the most part). I am still formulating my ideas, and how I want to see this paper take shape. (10 MAY 2010) - MOST OF THE PAPER IS DRAFTED, IT'S JUST NOT "FLOWING" VERY WELL, SO I AM TRYING TO FIX THAT. AND, I STILL HAVE THE 300 WORD APA CITATION PORTION TO DRAFT.
3. I am working on "outlining" the paper now. After that, the actual drafting of the paper. Once I have a rough draft, I usually plug in my resources, and begin revising it.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
RJA#13c Application Project Example
I would really like to use the "scene" from the movie, Something's Got to Give, but (after speaking with you), I will be writing in a more "journal entry" style, and utilzing the book, Body for Life, primarily.
Honestly, I would like to really look at the "lighter" side of aging. Some of the more fun aspects of being more settled in life, more accomplished, more "secure" - financially, emotionally, professionally. I would like to make this more fun and entertaining.
I am still developing this - so, my link(s) is yet to come.
Honestly, I would like to really look at the "lighter" side of aging. Some of the more fun aspects of being more settled in life, more accomplished, more "secure" - financially, emotionally, professionally. I would like to make this more fun and entertaining.
I am still developing this - so, my link(s) is yet to come.
RJA#13b-Application Project Plan
Journal entry, scene from a play (movie - Somethings Got to Give).
Since my paper was on the effects of aging on a woman, I would like to focus on some of the more fun things about being a "woman of age" - not a young woman. I realize that my paper focused on the natural remedies vs. un-natural remedies, but I would like to look at the actual stage in life, itself.
There is a scene in the Movie, Somethings Got to Give with Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson, where Diane Keaton's character's sister speaks on the irony of being a woman of age, accomplished and still very attractive - yet, society and men (like Jack Nicholson's character) only see great value in younger women.
My MLA paper briefly discussed the issues that women face based on society's perception (or, treatment) of women of age. I would like to look at that, and develop it through my personal perceptions, using a scene from the movie (above), and tying in some of the physiological aspects that were definitely highlighted in my MLA, The New Old Body Paper. I will also use the book, Body for Life, which is one of my resources for the MLA paper - and, I probably used it more than any other source in that paper. That's my plan!
Since my paper was on the effects of aging on a woman, I would like to focus on some of the more fun things about being a "woman of age" - not a young woman. I realize that my paper focused on the natural remedies vs. un-natural remedies, but I would like to look at the actual stage in life, itself.
There is a scene in the Movie, Somethings Got to Give with Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson, where Diane Keaton's character's sister speaks on the irony of being a woman of age, accomplished and still very attractive - yet, society and men (like Jack Nicholson's character) only see great value in younger women.
My MLA paper briefly discussed the issues that women face based on society's perception (or, treatment) of women of age. I would like to look at that, and develop it through my personal perceptions, using a scene from the movie (above), and tying in some of the physiological aspects that were definitely highlighted in my MLA, The New Old Body Paper. I will also use the book, Body for Life, which is one of my resources for the MLA paper - and, I probably used it more than any other source in that paper. That's my plan!
RJA#13 - Word Cloud
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1935496/The_New_Old_Body (this was just the draft)
This is my final draft Wordle:
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1952256/TheNewOldBody
This is my final draft Wordle:
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1952256/TheNewOldBody
RJA#12b
Field Research Report - I had put a survey together to distribute to women 40 years old and older, but only received a limited response - not enough to feel that it would make a significant contribution to my paper. So, I discussed some of the issues in my paper (interviewed)with a female physician assistant that works in a doctor's office with women specifically. She and I discussed the uses of the vitamins and minerals to supplement a diet for their nutritional value, and in support of the female hormones.
The second interview was with a woman that is a "representative" for Shaklee Products - 100% natural vitamins and minerals. She has given me a very good insight to the actual vitamin product and how important it is that it is from a very reliable source to ensure natural ingredients in the making of the product.
I did not collect "data", but more information to support my argument.
The second interview was with a woman that is a "representative" for Shaklee Products - 100% natural vitamins and minerals. She has given me a very good insight to the actual vitamin product and how important it is that it is from a very reliable source to ensure natural ingredients in the making of the product.
I did not collect "data", but more information to support my argument.
RJA#12a - Annotated Bibliography
“Aging”, Dictionary.com. Web. 29 Mar. 2010.
The aging of the human body is an interesting and a very natural process that is often not considered, recognized or appreciated while one is living younger, more active years of life. As defined by Dictionary.com, Aging: “…one of the periods or stages of human life: a person of middle age.” In respect to the aging female body, the highly complex and intricate manner in which the female body is designed, often lends to more complex methods of how one manages the changes.
“Aging & What You Can Do About It”, Be Fit over Fifty, Inc. Web. 15 Apr. 2010
As noted by an organization called, Be Fit over Fifty, “studies indicate that between the ages of 30 & 70 many of the symptoms & conditions that were traditionally associated with normal aging are in fact the result of sedentary lifestyles.”
The North American Menopause Society. The Changing Body. Web. 18 Feb. 2010.
Hormonal changes often bring new and perplexing swings in emotion levels and responses. The North American Menopause Society reports that the effects of hormonal changes are different and unique to each individual woman. It goes on to state that as the changes vary from woman to woman, and that “[m]any factors contribute to the amount of distress caused by these changes, including the life stresses and physiological effects of aging and disease, if any. As a rule, most changes end soon after menopause and don’t require treatment.”
National Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporosis What is it? NOF.ORG. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.
Additionally, modern medicine has documented the change in a woman’s muscle and bone composition and density – sometimes growing weak and frail, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, “…women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease…”
Winterich, Julie A. Aging, Femininity, and the Body: What Appearance Changes Mean to Women with Age. Gender Issues. Springer New York, 2007. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.
One of the first sign/symptoms of aging is obvious: it is what one sees with the eye – a woman’s appearance. As state by Julie Winterich in her article, Aging, Femininity, and the Body: What Appearance Changes Mean to Women with Age, “A commonsense assumption in U.S. culture is that as women age, they should retain a youthful appearance.” Appearance reveals the loss of the soft, smooth skin on the face, hands and body as elasticity is lost and wrinkles begin to form.
The aging of the human body is an interesting and a very natural process that is often not considered, recognized or appreciated while one is living younger, more active years of life. As defined by Dictionary.com, Aging: “…one of the periods or stages of human life: a person of middle age.” In respect to the aging female body, the highly complex and intricate manner in which the female body is designed, often lends to more complex methods of how one manages the changes.
“Aging & What You Can Do About It”, Be Fit over Fifty, Inc. Web. 15 Apr. 2010
As noted by an organization called, Be Fit over Fifty, “studies indicate that between the ages of 30 & 70 many of the symptoms & conditions that were traditionally associated with normal aging are in fact the result of sedentary lifestyles.”
The North American Menopause Society. The Changing Body. Web. 18 Feb. 2010.
Hormonal changes often bring new and perplexing swings in emotion levels and responses. The North American Menopause Society reports that the effects of hormonal changes are different and unique to each individual woman. It goes on to state that as the changes vary from woman to woman, and that “[m]any factors contribute to the amount of distress caused by these changes, including the life stresses and physiological effects of aging and disease, if any. As a rule, most changes end soon after menopause and don’t require treatment.”
National Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporosis What is it? NOF.ORG. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.
Additionally, modern medicine has documented the change in a woman’s muscle and bone composition and density – sometimes growing weak and frail, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, “…women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease…”
Winterich, Julie A. Aging, Femininity, and the Body: What Appearance Changes Mean to Women with Age. Gender Issues. Springer New York, 2007. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.
One of the first sign/symptoms of aging is obvious: it is what one sees with the eye – a woman’s appearance. As state by Julie Winterich in her article, Aging, Femininity, and the Body: What Appearance Changes Mean to Women with Age, “A commonsense assumption in U.S. culture is that as women age, they should retain a youthful appearance.” Appearance reveals the loss of the soft, smooth skin on the face, hands and body as elasticity is lost and wrinkles begin to form.
Friday, April 16, 2010
RJA#11 Annotated Bibliography - Part 2
THIS NEEDS TO BE UPDATED WITH SENTENCES FROM MY PAPER - THEY ARE IN PROGRESS AND SHOULD BE POSTED BY SUNDAY, APR 18. ALSO, I tried to italicize the "authors" or organizations that published the articles, but the strange characters were jumping into my text, so eliminated the characters and did not italicize the organizations.
1. "Breast Cancer and You: What you need to know". Web. 15 Apr. 2010. www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast, http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/pdf/BreastCancerFS.pdf
2. "Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy and Cancer Risk". American Cancer Society. Web. 15 Apr. 2010. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_6x_menopausal_hormone_replacement_therapy_and_cancer_risk.asp
3. "Osteoporosis: A debilitating disease that can be prevented and treated". National Osteoporosis Foundation. Web. 12 Apr. 2010. http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/index.htm
4. "WHI Study Data Confirm Short-Term Heart Disease Risks of Combination Hormone Therapy for Postmenopausal Women". National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Web. 9 Mar. 2010. http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2010/nhlbi-15.htm
5. "Strength Training Among Adults Aged >65 Years --- United States, 2001". US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Women's Health. Web. 9 Mar. 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5302a1.htm
1. "Breast Cancer and You: What you need to know". Web. 15 Apr. 2010. www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast, http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/pdf/BreastCancerFS.pdf
2. "Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy and Cancer Risk". American Cancer Society. Web. 15 Apr. 2010. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_6x_menopausal_hormone_replacement_therapy_and_cancer_risk.asp
3. "Osteoporosis: A debilitating disease that can be prevented and treated". National Osteoporosis Foundation. Web. 12 Apr. 2010. http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/index.htm
4. "WHI Study Data Confirm Short-Term Heart Disease Risks of Combination Hormone Therapy for Postmenopausal Women". National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Web. 9 Mar. 2010. http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2010/nhlbi-15.htm
5. "Strength Training Among Adults Aged >65 Years --- United States, 2001". US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Women's Health. Web. 9 Mar. 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5302a1.htm
Thursday, April 15, 2010
RJA#10c
Blackboard is down. But, if I remember correctly, this was a "journal entry", or a scene from a play, a story or something of that sort.
My entry will be more of a journal entry. Part of my journey that raised my attention to write on the subject of "The New Old Body"
Honestly, it is a bit of an embarrassing topic, because I am about the age of many of my fellow student's parent's age! So, I know what they are/must be thinking when I present my topic. There is nothing I can do about that - it is as naturally part of their youth and ignorance on the topic, as the aging process is a natural part of life. So, I imagine others rolling their eyes, and thinking, "whatever!" But, their day will come, and then they will understand - maybe.
So, with that said, my interest in this topic really peaked when I started to struggle with my weight! Not that it was reeling too far out of control, but I noticed that my old ways of dealing with a weight gain were not producing the loss - the results I was looking for! And, I noticed the numbers on the scale climbing, continually! And, they still climbed! And, I started to feel a little panicky about that, and began looking into different weight loss programs. I would lose the weight and go back to my "twenty-year old eating habits", and put the weight back on even quicker than I had taken it off - and, even sometimes with a few extra pounds! Okay, I found that to be truly alarming, and very distressing!!
The search for weight loss plans began - far and wide. And, with the weight loss plans, a few of the good ones spoke on nutrition, moderation, and exercise. The discovery of how and what foods work best with a healthy body, then in conjunction with a work-out plan (which is what I was doing all along - working my tail-end off at the gym, eating like I was twenty, and not losing weight). I learned that the combination of healthy and smart menu planning and eating habits were about 70% of how my body was looking, and the working-out part is a mere 30% - roughly. So, the old idea of: Eat whatever you want as long as you are working out - is EXTREMELY FALSE!!! Don't buy it! No matter what people tell you!
The bottom line, as far as weight goes, is (and, it's not rocket science) you MUST take in fewer calories that you burn each day! It's a simple as that! So, find whatever program works for you, and figure it out based on the calories you are burning each day - and, that's not too difficult to do. If one is not the type to work out in a gym and burn lots of calories at once - then, buy a pedometer (cheaper than a gym membership - or approximately the same as the cost of one month's gym membership) and start walking! First, figure out how much your normally walk in a day, then figure out how to increase that in order to burn a few more calories. Walk around your neighborhood - you will be surprised at the things you miss when you drive by them at 30 mph, and the people you meet and talk to!! Walk around parks, through malls, and maybe on a mountain trail - walking is probably one of the very best things one can do to start exercising.
So, after the weight issues (which will never end), and I was doing really good about getting that under control, I was sent to Iraq - service member. After I served my duty in a combat zone, I came home to find my thyroid all out of whack, and hot flashes hitting me like it was nobody's business!! Hot flashes will motivate about any woman to start a fast and furious research just to simply find relief!! I have no idea what happened while I was deployed, but coming home left me feeling like my body chemistry was completely out of balance. I had a annual physical and talked to the physician assistant - she recommended a few vitamins and minerals or the option of a hormone replacement Rx drug. I declined on the Rx drug, and took her vitamin and mineral suggestions to the health food store and started to talk to the folks that work there, and they were very helpful! I purchased a few things (Black Cohosh and Primrose Oil, among a few other things) - the Black Cohosh is supposed to help with hot flashes and with moodiness and it didn't do a thing for me - grouchier than ever, especially when flashing! Ha! The Primrose Oil, however, worked like a charm!! After a while I thought I could "wean" myself off the Primrose Oil, and low and behold, the hot flashes returned in full force!! You bet your bottom dollar I was back in the health food store buying another bottle of Primrose Oil FAST!! When I was back at the store, another clerk helped me out, and suggested that I purchase the Borage Oil, it has the same effective GLA ingredient as the Primrose Oil, but has a higher dosage - thus, making it more economic! (More bang for your buck, as they say.) So, I bought that, and it works like a charm!! I take about half a dose/day, and I am doing good.
BUT (and, it's a big one), I had a few injuries! My knee was injured in Iraq, and I needed medical care for that, by the time the U.S. Navy got around to helping me get that treated, I had an incident, and my knee gave out on some stairs and down I came in a big tumble. Result: Tearing the superspinatus (sp?) muscle and the cartilage completely off the rotator cuff - after four months of just dealing with the pain and physical therapy, I convinced the medical folks something was terrible wrong, and they relented and ordered me an MRI, surgery followed in less than one week. Three months later, the shoulder is barely strong enough to handle crutches, but it's between semesters and I need as much healing time as possible, so we move forward with the knee surgery. All goes well, but I get a blood clot, prescribed blood thinners, causing the surgical site hemorrhage, creating a hematoma that is crushing the nerves in my knee, and I land in the hospital for three days. I am on blood thinners for seven months - risking blood disorders and all kinds of crazy stuff, and my hot flashes are hitting me harder than ever!! During physical therapy on the knee - I herniate a disc in my back, and the rest is history! Back on blood thinners (because I am high risk for a blood clot) and hot flashin' like crazy - currently!!
My philosophy, drugs are not good things for permanent treatment, or when one can remedy something naturally - it is worth doing the research. Drugs certainly have their purpose, but they can really throw the natural balance of a person's body chemistry off, and it is best to minimize drugs if it is at all possible.
There are so many foods that are naturally created on this earth to keep a body strong and healthy. My research has been to learn as much as possible about nutrition for myself and my family to keep us naturally healthy - and, it has paid off!! I have discovered so many good and wonderful things, that we rarely need medical care for many of the common issues most people dash to the doctor's office for. For instance, a flu or cold - we hit the echinacea, a bag of oranges, and lots and lots of water and fluids to flush the system out! Not orange juice (because that has an extremely high level of sugar in it, AND it rarely helps - plus, the body was not designed to digest so much sugar, and putting a foreign substance, such as sugar - unnatural sugar - causes the body to work harder to digest this foreign substance, and lowers the resistance of the body, eliminating, or lowering, the immune system and any positive effects the little bit of vitamin C had in the juice in the first place), but real whole oranges are the BEST. We try to eat as much of that white membrane inside the peel when we eat that good orange, because that white membrane has more vitamin C than the entire orange has in it!!
This is just a bit of what led me to start researching natural health, and how to get this new old body to respond to my efforts to keep it strong and healthy.
My entry will be more of a journal entry. Part of my journey that raised my attention to write on the subject of "The New Old Body"
Honestly, it is a bit of an embarrassing topic, because I am about the age of many of my fellow student's parent's age! So, I know what they are/must be thinking when I present my topic. There is nothing I can do about that - it is as naturally part of their youth and ignorance on the topic, as the aging process is a natural part of life. So, I imagine others rolling their eyes, and thinking, "whatever!" But, their day will come, and then they will understand - maybe.
So, with that said, my interest in this topic really peaked when I started to struggle with my weight! Not that it was reeling too far out of control, but I noticed that my old ways of dealing with a weight gain were not producing the loss - the results I was looking for! And, I noticed the numbers on the scale climbing, continually! And, they still climbed! And, I started to feel a little panicky about that, and began looking into different weight loss programs. I would lose the weight and go back to my "twenty-year old eating habits", and put the weight back on even quicker than I had taken it off - and, even sometimes with a few extra pounds! Okay, I found that to be truly alarming, and very distressing!!
The search for weight loss plans began - far and wide. And, with the weight loss plans, a few of the good ones spoke on nutrition, moderation, and exercise. The discovery of how and what foods work best with a healthy body, then in conjunction with a work-out plan (which is what I was doing all along - working my tail-end off at the gym, eating like I was twenty, and not losing weight). I learned that the combination of healthy and smart menu planning and eating habits were about 70% of how my body was looking, and the working-out part is a mere 30% - roughly. So, the old idea of: Eat whatever you want as long as you are working out - is EXTREMELY FALSE!!! Don't buy it! No matter what people tell you!
The bottom line, as far as weight goes, is (and, it's not rocket science) you MUST take in fewer calories that you burn each day! It's a simple as that! So, find whatever program works for you, and figure it out based on the calories you are burning each day - and, that's not too difficult to do. If one is not the type to work out in a gym and burn lots of calories at once - then, buy a pedometer (cheaper than a gym membership - or approximately the same as the cost of one month's gym membership) and start walking! First, figure out how much your normally walk in a day, then figure out how to increase that in order to burn a few more calories. Walk around your neighborhood - you will be surprised at the things you miss when you drive by them at 30 mph, and the people you meet and talk to!! Walk around parks, through malls, and maybe on a mountain trail - walking is probably one of the very best things one can do to start exercising.
So, after the weight issues (which will never end), and I was doing really good about getting that under control, I was sent to Iraq - service member. After I served my duty in a combat zone, I came home to find my thyroid all out of whack, and hot flashes hitting me like it was nobody's business!! Hot flashes will motivate about any woman to start a fast and furious research just to simply find relief!! I have no idea what happened while I was deployed, but coming home left me feeling like my body chemistry was completely out of balance. I had a annual physical and talked to the physician assistant - she recommended a few vitamins and minerals or the option of a hormone replacement Rx drug. I declined on the Rx drug, and took her vitamin and mineral suggestions to the health food store and started to talk to the folks that work there, and they were very helpful! I purchased a few things (Black Cohosh and Primrose Oil, among a few other things) - the Black Cohosh is supposed to help with hot flashes and with moodiness and it didn't do a thing for me - grouchier than ever, especially when flashing! Ha! The Primrose Oil, however, worked like a charm!! After a while I thought I could "wean" myself off the Primrose Oil, and low and behold, the hot flashes returned in full force!! You bet your bottom dollar I was back in the health food store buying another bottle of Primrose Oil FAST!! When I was back at the store, another clerk helped me out, and suggested that I purchase the Borage Oil, it has the same effective GLA ingredient as the Primrose Oil, but has a higher dosage - thus, making it more economic! (More bang for your buck, as they say.) So, I bought that, and it works like a charm!! I take about half a dose/day, and I am doing good.
BUT (and, it's a big one), I had a few injuries! My knee was injured in Iraq, and I needed medical care for that, by the time the U.S. Navy got around to helping me get that treated, I had an incident, and my knee gave out on some stairs and down I came in a big tumble. Result: Tearing the superspinatus (sp?) muscle and the cartilage completely off the rotator cuff - after four months of just dealing with the pain and physical therapy, I convinced the medical folks something was terrible wrong, and they relented and ordered me an MRI, surgery followed in less than one week. Three months later, the shoulder is barely strong enough to handle crutches, but it's between semesters and I need as much healing time as possible, so we move forward with the knee surgery. All goes well, but I get a blood clot, prescribed blood thinners, causing the surgical site hemorrhage, creating a hematoma that is crushing the nerves in my knee, and I land in the hospital for three days. I am on blood thinners for seven months - risking blood disorders and all kinds of crazy stuff, and my hot flashes are hitting me harder than ever!! During physical therapy on the knee - I herniate a disc in my back, and the rest is history! Back on blood thinners (because I am high risk for a blood clot) and hot flashin' like crazy - currently!!
My philosophy, drugs are not good things for permanent treatment, or when one can remedy something naturally - it is worth doing the research. Drugs certainly have their purpose, but they can really throw the natural balance of a person's body chemistry off, and it is best to minimize drugs if it is at all possible.
There are so many foods that are naturally created on this earth to keep a body strong and healthy. My research has been to learn as much as possible about nutrition for myself and my family to keep us naturally healthy - and, it has paid off!! I have discovered so many good and wonderful things, that we rarely need medical care for many of the common issues most people dash to the doctor's office for. For instance, a flu or cold - we hit the echinacea, a bag of oranges, and lots and lots of water and fluids to flush the system out! Not orange juice (because that has an extremely high level of sugar in it, AND it rarely helps - plus, the body was not designed to digest so much sugar, and putting a foreign substance, such as sugar - unnatural sugar - causes the body to work harder to digest this foreign substance, and lowers the resistance of the body, eliminating, or lowering, the immune system and any positive effects the little bit of vitamin C had in the juice in the first place), but real whole oranges are the BEST. We try to eat as much of that white membrane inside the peel when we eat that good orange, because that white membrane has more vitamin C than the entire orange has in it!!
This is just a bit of what led me to start researching natural health, and how to get this new old body to respond to my efforts to keep it strong and healthy.
RJA#10b
The main portion of my paper has been typed up - and it is very rough! This is where I am at (to date), and what I hope to accomplish today:
- I am getting my resources posted in it, and don't feel that I am ready to have it read by my peers, but will post it at the end of today no matter what shape it is in by dinner.
- Sifting through the resources and plugging them in, is what I am currently doing.
- Grammatical review needs to be done as well - preferably before I post it for peer reviews.
- I am getting my resources posted in it, and don't feel that I am ready to have it read by my peers, but will post it at the end of today no matter what shape it is in by dinner.
- Sifting through the resources and plugging them in, is what I am currently doing.
- Grammatical review needs to be done as well - preferably before I post it for peer reviews.
RJA#10a
I do not have access to the blackboard, but if I remember correctly, I need to list my sources that I have researched to date. Once Blackboard is back up again, I will confirm this information and correct it - if necessary.
Sources:
Books and published articles:
Ammer, Christine. The Encyclopedia of Women’s Health. 5th ed. New York: Facts on File, Inc, 2005. Print.
Carper, Jean. Stop Aging Now! New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1995. Print
Charlington, Laura A. Exercise and Women’s Health. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2008. Print.
Timiras, Paola S. Physiological Basis of Aging and Geriatrics. 3rd ed. Boca Raton, 2003. Print.
Sources:
Books and published articles:
Ammer, Christine. The Encyclopedia of Women’s Health. 5th ed. New York: Facts on File, Inc, 2005. Print.
Carper, Jean. Stop Aging Now! New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1995. Print
Charlington, Laura A. Exercise and Women’s Health. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2008. Print.
Timiras, Paola S. Physiological Basis of Aging and Geriatrics. 3rd ed. Boca Raton, 2003. Print.
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