November 16, 2008
Times are tough this season, there’s not doubt about it. You know every year around this time, my wife and I have a conversation where we say “We’re just not doing Christmas this year like we did last year.” We always have way too much stuff. To be honest, sometimes when it’s over, I look around at the house with toys strewn around, giant black trash bags full of wrapping paper. My wife trying to collect re-usable bows and ribbons. The kids playing with the least expensive stocking stuffer and the most expensive gift overlooked.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. Starting at about Thanksgiving and going through to the end of the year we have more fun,family and food than I’ve had for the entire year so far. The house is full of life and love and family. It’s really great. But dagummit there’s just so much stuff. Too much stuff. Having all that junk cluttering up our houses and our lives, makes it darn near impossible to enjoy the truly meaningful and thoughtful gifts.
Things have been pretty tough for my family and I this past couple years. We were in the real estate market and doing well for a while. Then of course the bubble burst and we were left holding the bag on a number of empty houses. Last year we didn’t have much money to spend on Christmas so we really had to dig deep and think of ways we could have a meaningful Christmas without breaking the bank. I spent a couple days digging through my computer and found about 12 pictures of my family. I edited them, printed them on my computer, cut them out and put them in a $10 collage picture frame we bought at Target. When I gave it to my mom, she knew how much that gift was going to mean to her before she even opened it. Once she did open it she couldn’t help but cry, even though I knew she didn’t really want to.
My point is that you don’t have to spend money to have a Christmas you and your family will remember forever. The meaning of your gifts and the thought you put into them is far more important than how much you spent. Gifts that you can’t return are almost guaranteed to be the ones that no one would ever want to.
Another really great idea is to make a rag quilt. You can do it with stuff you have laying around the house. One great idea I had was to make one out of the old baby clothes our kids had grown out of and give that to our parents. You know how much grandparents love their grandkids! Can you imagine giving your parents a handmade rag quilt made of the sweet old baby clothes their precious grandkids have out grown? I think my mother would have to be hospitalized!
If you’re thinking you don’t know how to make a rag quilt, you’re wrong. As it turns out anyone can do it. Here is a link to an eBook that will show you exactly how to cut and sew the rag quilt.
- You can make your rag quilt in ONE weekend
- You already have what you need laying around the house. The key to making your rag quilt a huge success is to keep it personal. The more personal the more meaningful.
- This eBook is jam packed and GUARANTEED to be just what you need to make your project a success, or your money back. No questions asked. And besides, for only $17.00 just think of how many lives you can touch making personal gifts
- Who knows, maybe after you make one or two of these, it could turn into a real business for you. I bet that after one or two people see what you’ve created, they’ll want one for themselves too.
Posted in home made christmas presents, home made gifts, homemade christmas present, homemade gifts, Uncategorized 
No Comments »
November 8, 2008
Hello,
I’ve built and launched several internet businesses. Some of them have worked well, some of them, not so much.
I’ve decided to put together a video series that will show you, exactly, step by step, how to build and launch a real internet business. It’s totally free, and it’s totally legitimate. There’s no bait and switch, no trick or gimmick, no nothing. It’s just me, and my screen recording utility showing you exactly how to start a rea, legitimate on-line business.
I got pretty sick and tired of seeing all these schemes that are basically just ways to take advantage of people who are desperate for money. What I’m giving you is the blueprint for a legitimate on-line business. It’s free and it couldn’t possibly be any easier.
The main reason I’m putting this together is because I want to show you that there are legitimate on-line business models out there. This isn’t a “lazy millionaire” program. It’s a real business with real customers and real products.
Please check it out and leave some comments for me. I know I’m not the most dynamic speaker you’ve come across in a while, but give it a whirl and put the information to work for you. I think you’ll be glad you did.
Chris
Posted in Uncategorized No Comments »
November 8, 2008
Posted in Actual Strategy, Adsense Arbitrage, Affiliate - Marketing, Earnings, google, hosting, job offer, Jobs, Media, People, People, random, Tech, Tools Enter your password to view comments.
October 6, 2008
I come from a family of entrepreneurs and so does my wife. It’s only natural that my kids would have the gene for that too. Recently it’s really started to show with my 7 year old. He’s always doing the usual stuff like wanting to have a lemonade stand. A couple weeks ago, he used the video camera to “make a movie” with some of the other kids in the neighborhood. Then they went and sold tickets to the movie.
Now he wants to start a “pressure washing business.” Which I happen to think is a really great idea, and would be an excellent introduction into building and running a business. It’s pretty simple in terms of the business concept. People have dirty houses and driveways and decks. We have a pressure washer. They pay us to clean their stuff. Simple.
But there are a lot of great concepts at work here. We’ll have capital expenses (more on this later please), marketing costs. Plus we have partners (me, my 7 year old son, and I can’t leave out my 5 year old), so we have to talk about ownership and how we split the money we earn. Plus we have simple operating costs like the gas it costs to run the pressure washer, soap, and any repairs we’ll need. Overall, I think it’s a really great little business for teaching entrepreneur concepts to kids.
So it got me to thinking. How cool would it be to have a non-profit organization or school or something that would teach kids how to start and operate businesses? It could teach kids at a young age how to do things like market research, find a need, fill a need. Learn about expenses and profits operatinng modesl, etc. WE could have courses on lawn cutting business, pressure washing business. Maybe even things like tutoring businesses. Kids are smart, motivated, and eager to learn. This would be a great opportunity to teach them stuff they can’t (or don’t) learn in school.
Now. Here’s where I ask for something. I really want to get this business off the ground, so I’m asking for donations. We need to buy our first pressure washer to get started. My son and I did a lot of research at epinions.com, homedepot.com, walmart.com, lowes.com and other places on the internet, trying to find the most economical pressure washer that got high marks in reviews from others, and this is the pressure washer we came up with:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200347873_200347873
So. If you’re an entrepreneur or a kind hearted person would would like to help us get this business started, let me know and I’ll tell you how you can donate!
Chris
Posted in Uncategorized 2 Comments »
May 10, 2008
If you have a child who is about to have a Tonsillectomy, Adenoidectomy, Myringotomy or any combination of the above procedures, and you’re looking for some information on what to exepct, this article might be for you.
This is NOT medical advice, and we’re not making any claims about what may or may not happen with you, and you should NOT base any medical decision on what you read here. I’m not a doctor. I just wanted to share our experience with you.
Oh, also, if you read this whole thing, and youfound it interesting, please take a moment to post a comment and let me know. Or even better, if you’re about to go through the same thing, post, and let us know, and then be sure to follow up and post the results. Ok, lets get to the article.
Before the procedure we did a lot of research on the topic and found lots of information about the actual procedure, what are tonsils, what do tonsils do, why do we have tonsils, where are the adenoids, etc. But there wasn’t a lot of information that described personal experiences with the actual procedure and recovery. That’s what this is about.Our son had three procedures done; a Tonsillectomy, an Adenoidectomy, and a bi-lateral myringotomy (incision in the ear drums but without tubes).I’m not going to talk at all about any of the events that led up to the decision to have these procedures, and I’m not going to have any discussion about whether it’s right for you or your children or whatever. The purpose of this blog entry is simply to share our experience with others, so that you can have a personal experience to relate to. Maybe it’ll make you feel better (or worse) to read what the experience was like for us.So here we go:
1. Before the procedure – Our son’s surgery was scheduled for about 12:00 noon on a Wednesday. The procedure took place at a childrens outpatient surgery center. I think the name of it was “Childrens’ Outpatient Surgery Center” and it is located in Gwinnett county off Satellite Blvd. The instructions we got from the facility told us that he was not allowed to eat or drink anything starting from like midnight until after the surgery. I think they told us he could drink something in the morning like some water or gatoraid. He was ok with that. We would have preferred to have the procedure earlier in the day so that he didn’t have to be hungry (and ornery) for so long, but he did fine.
We also struggled as to whether or not to tell him what was happening. Some people said that it would be better to not really tell him what was going to happen. I don’t know if it was right or not, but I thought it was better to tell him was was going to happen. I jumped the gun a little and told him they were going to give him a shot that would make him take a rest and that when he woke up, his throat would be sore. Then we read the information, and learned that they don’t give shots for kids younger than like 12 or something, They use some sort of gas that makes him go to sleep. So I altered my story for him and told him they would put a mask on his face and ask him to take a few deep breaths and then he would go to sleep. He seemed fine with is mostly. He’s a tough little fellow. Every once in a while he would seem to be nervous or scared, which of course is understandable. But 99% of the time if asked about it or asked if he was scared or nervous, he would say “Nope!” It’s obviously a personal decision, but I thought it was better to prepare him and give him time to mentally digest the deal.
I believe children are much more capable of handling stuff that adults give them credit for. Just like when they were much younger and we would leave them with grandparents or something. At about 2 years old or so, we learned that there would be much less crying if we would tell them ahead of time that we were going to drop them off and leave them. If we would try and distract them and sneak out, the would be a lot more tears than if we told them was was going to happen. I thought it was best to take the same approach here. And for us, I think it was the right decision.
2. In the waiting room (Wednesday) – We got there, and it was obvious that our son was nervous and a little scared. He even said that he was nervous or scared and was generally kinda quiet and shy. Which of course was totally understandable and not unexpected. The nurses brought in two sets of “scrubs” or gowns or whatever it is you wear in the operating room. We had been told that the patient and one parent can be present in the OR when the anesthesia is administered. My wife and I talked about it, and we decided it would be better for me to go with him rather than her beause I was more likely to be able to keep it all together than my wife. She would probably be an emotional wreck and that wouldn’t be a good thing for our son to see as he’s drifting off.There was a video playing in this waiting room that shows what was going to happen, and it was fine, nothing interesting or scary about it. So the nurse told us to put the gown on our son (striped down to just underwear) and I put the gown on over my clothes. Oh, they also administered an oral dose of pain medicine to our son while we were in the waiting room.
Also, a couple nurses came in and aked us a couple “quiz” type questions, I imagine for safty sake. She asked us if we knew what procedures our son was having. I think it was some kind of saftey precaution.Then the anestheisologist came in and asked a bunch of questions about what he had for dinner, what time that was, whether he had anything for breakfast, or what he’s eaten. Then he explained how it would work in the OR with the gas mask and all that, which we had already read about in the papers they set home with us.
3. In the Operating Room – The nurse came in and said it was time to go. My wife gave the little man a big hug and kiss, and I picked him up and carried him to down the hall walking behind the nurse. He was hanging on pretty tightly with his arms around my neck, his legs wrapped around my waist, and his head on my shoulder. I was pretty nervous for him, and I was nervous that he would cling on and not let go.
When we walked through the doors into the “theater” as they called it .. it was overwhelming for me. I’ve never been in an operating room, but the amount and size of the equipment in there was intimidating. I think it affected me more than our son, cause he didn’t say or do anything.We got to the table / gurney where the procedure was to take place and I told him it was time to lay down, and I leaned him over the bed and he let go without any incident laying down. I would say there were about three people in total at the bed in the OR. The anestheologist was standing behind a machine, a nurse was sitting at the head of the table, and maybe one or two other nurses standing to the side.
So he laid down with no trouble, and I told him this was the part with the mask that would make him go to sleep, and he just nervously said “Ok.” The nurse put the mask on him and asked him to take a couple deep breaths, which he did.
He looked around in a really nervous and uncomfortable way, and then his little eyes rolled back into his head and he was out. I saw the nurse brush his eyelashes, I supose as some kind of test that the anestesia was working.
Of all the things that I’ve experienced, that was by far the most uncomfortable and difficult part of the whole procedure and post experience. It was just so un-natural or something. I don’t normally get wierded out by that kind of thing, but that totally freaked me out, and when I got back to the waiting room, I could just barely keep it together. I had to wait a good while before I could tell my wife about it. I’m not a cryer, and I imagine that in 10 years of marriage, my wife has never seen me cry (probably because I haven’t cried). I knew that if I cried, she would turn into a blubbering blob of crying mess. Anyway, I would just say that you should try to be prepared for that to freak you out. Although, there’s nothing you can do really to prepare.4. Waiting in “Stage 2 Recovery Room.” – It was explained to us that there are two recovery rooms; Stage 1 and Stage 2. I guess Stage 1 is in the back somewhere, and that’s where he is when they first wake him up, and then after they do that, they wheel him in his bed to “Stage 2″ where we had been waiting.
I would say that it took about 45 minutes, and then the Dr. came in and explained that everything went well, and there were no complications or anything, and that he would be out in a few minutes.5. When he first came out – When they first rolled him into the room where we were, he did not look good at all. He really looked like he had been run over by a bus. I was not prepared for how badly he looked. It was obvious that he had been crying, and he was clearly a little confused and disoriented. I’m pretty sure that at that time he didn’t really understand what was going on and he was pretty confused.He also still had his IV (which I guess they put on after the gas), and I wasn’t sure what to do with him .. like whether we should leave him there and try to comfort him while he was in bed, or if we could pick him up or what. Finally the nurses suggested that mom pick him up and cuddle with him a little. They helped us get him situated in mom’s lap with the IV and all that. They said that a lot of times, they like staring into space and watching a little TV.6. Staying with him in the recovery room - We stayed with him in the recovery room for about 1 hour. Maybe just a little more maybe a little less. The nurses were pretty quick to start offering him fluids and stuff, and pretty much right away, he was wanting to have a “slushy” which they prepared for him. I think it was a cherry popsicle they crushed up into a cup. We spoon fed that to him over the course of about 40 minutes, and he ate it up nicely.
7. Going home (Wednesday). – Gave him his gift. I had read somewhere where another family that had gone through this, purchased and wrapped a small gift and showed their child the gift and told them that after they wake up they can open it. I thought that was a fabulous idea and we did it too. It wasn’t until about an hour after he came into the waiting room that he was aware / alert / strong enough to even think about opening his present. But after about an hour in the waiting room, he was ready, and we gave him his gift. He opened it and was very excited. We got him a cartridge for his Leapster video game thing which he absolutely LOVES. He was very excited about it, and really wanted to play it in the car on the way home.
So we got him all set up with his pillow and blanket (which we brought from home) in his car seat, and reclined him a little bit and he played his video game. I would say that about an hour and a half after he got out of surgery, and he was sitting back there in his seat playing his game, he was starting to resemble the little guy that I know. He was starting to look like himself, which was sure nice. Even though he was looking more like himself, he was very politely and calmly suggesting that he thought he needed his medicine, because his throat hurt. Unfortunately it was going to be about another 1.5 hours until he was able to take the second dose.
8. The first day (Wednesday). – When we got home, we distracted him with TV and popsicles. Every once in a while he would ask if he could have his medicine, but he wasn’t like in terrible pain or anything, he just knew he wanted / needed it. So at the right time, we gave him his first dose of the medicine.
About an hour after that first dose, he was dancing and doing cartwheels. That medicine definitely sent him into outerspace for a while. Over all his experience the first day, was not bad at all. We were pretty nervous about the first night, thinking that he would be uncomfortable and wouldn’t sleep well. Other than the fact that we set the alarm and gave him his medicine every 4 hours (even through the night) everything was just fine that first day and night.
The doctors said that he might not want to eat for at least a couple days. That was not the case with our son. He was having popsicles and ice cream and pudding pretty much right away.
He would say that his throat felt “funny” but that it didn’t really hurt. So that was good.
9. The second day (Thursday) – All things considered this day was pretty easy too. Although, it was apparent that the surgery had really worn him out. It was on this day that we really realized that this little 4 year old had undergone a real surgery and it had taken it’s toll on him.
It was probably about 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning, and my wife was looking around for the little guy, but didn’t see him anywhere. Finally she found him in his bed. He took it upon himself to walk upstairs and crawl into his bed and rest. This is when we knew that he was just worn out.
I also think the medicine was really making him feel strange and maybe even a little uncomfortable. I think at first the medicine made it difficult for him to sleep. Sometimes I would go into his room and he would just be lying there quietly staring at the ceiling. But he wasn’t in any pain, so that’s good.
He was still just eating soft things like soggy cereal, pudding, popcicles, and other stuff like that. He had a nice bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner!
Oh yeah .. Thursday night was kind of tough on the house in general. The Sunday before the surgery my little guy had some kind of stomach bug and had thrown up that Sunday night. On this night (Thursday night) that bug hit my wife and older son and they were both in the bathroom throwing up that night. Somehow I managed to avoid getting it, and so I was taking care of all the sickies in the house. Fortunately it wasn’t a severe bug, and basically 12 hours later everyone was fine.
10. The third day (Friday) – On Friday, it was mostly just more of the same. I think taking the medicine every 4 hours was really starting to take a toll on him. Both because he’s tired of floating around in outerspace and because he’s never able to get more than 4 hours of restful sleep at a time. His disposition was good in general. I think that when it was getting close to the 4 hour mark from having taken his medicine, he would get a little groggy and uncomfortable. It’s really important to make sure you give them that medicine EVERY 4 HOURS withou fail, or they will get uncomfortable.
11. The fourth day (Saturday) – Things are really looking pretty good, and we’re beginning to think that he’s a little superman, and that this whole surgery thing was no big deal for him. He still complains from time to time that his throat feels funny and he’s not too interested in eating things that are too spicy or crunchy or whatever. But all in all, he seems to be doing great. We went for a nice long walk through the woods looking for bugs and snakes and whatever. He really seems to be doing well.
At about this stage of the game he started deciding that he didn’t want to take his medicine. Although until now, we had been pretty adamant that he take it, even if he didn’t want it. But I was starting to think that we should consider starting to ween him off the strong stuff, and maybe start alternating the prescription medicine with some OTC tylenol or something.
So far he’s been doing so well, that we were thinking we might send him back to school tomorrow.
So at bed time, we didn’t force him to take his strong stuff, and we gave him a dose of regular childrens Tylenol.12. The fifth day (Sunday) – At about 2:00 in the morning he woke up, pretty much screaming in pain. It was quite clear that not giving him the strong stuff was a big mistake. It was easily the most uncomfortable that I’ve ever seen him. He was crying and sobbing so much that we couldn’t get him calmed down enough to take his strong medicine. He was also still resistant to taking the medicine. Finally, after about 45 minutes of crying and sobbing, we eventually got him to take the strong stuff, and I would say that within 10 minutes, he was calmed down and starting to get ready to go back to sleep. In a sweet little voice he said “I guess that medicine will help me go to sleep.”
13. The 6th day (Monday) – He woke up from that terrible night feeling pretty good. He remembered that he woke up and was in so much pain, but I guess in the morning light, it didn’t seem like a real big deal to him. He was pretty perky and generally feeling pretty well. Obviously today we were pretty adamant about making sure that he took his medicine every 4 hours, and he wasn’t very resistant to it anymore. All we had to do was remind him how much it hurt when he didn’t take it, and he would decide that maybe it’s not so bad to take it.
14. The 7th day (Tuesday) - Again, he’s doing very well. All in all, with the exception of the episode on Sunday night, everything has been pretty good. He has been alert, generally happy, and normal. His breath is pretty terrible. The Dr told us that would happen. I guess it has something to do with the scarring / scabs that develop at the site of the procedure. But all in all, he’s doing great. I think we’ll send him to school tomorrow.
We start stretching out how long we wait until we give him the prescription medicine. Basically at this point we’ve decided the right approach will be to give him a dose first thing in the morning, and then wait and see how long it takes before he decides that he needs some medicine. Up until this point it wasn’t uncommon for him to wake up in the morning or wake up from his nap or something and say “I think I need my medicine.” So we figured we would wait to see how long it takes for him to say he needs it.
The 8th day (Wednesday) – So it’s been 1 week since the procedure and everything is looking good for him to go to school today. The poor fellow loves school and it’s been torture for him to see his older brother get up and go to school every day while he has to stay home and be bored. So today we sent him to school and he was just fine. We gave him is strong medicine at about 7:30 in the morning, and my wife picked him up from school at 1:15 or so (his normal time to get out), and he was pretty ready for his medicine when he got out of school.
The 9th day – Thursday – Well, he’s pretty much turned the corner, and I think he’s good to go. At this point, it’s just a matter of waiting until the healing is done.Over all, the whole deal was not difficult and we didn’t have any complications other than the episode on Sunday night, which was clearly my fault, and if we had given him his medicine like we were supposed to, there would have been nothing to talk about.
At this point, it was really just a matter of stretching out the time between doses of medicine. By day 8 or 9 we were getting pretty close to the point where we could dose him in the morning, and then not does him again until bed time.
The last dose of big medicine we gave him was the morning of Friday (about the morning of day 10, if the day of the surgery is day 1). We sporradically give him a dose of childrens tylenol if he says he needs, it, but pretty much he’s done.
So overall, it was very easy and the results are excellent. He doesn’t snore anymore and his hearing is GREATLY improved. His favorite phrase used to be “What you said?” and now his favorite phrase is “What’s that sound?” The improvement in his hearing was almost instantenous, and I think he’s hearing things now that he’s not used to hearing. Little things like the fan on the refridgerator, or certain birds chirping, or the house creaking. We have absolutely no regrets, and I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to do it again. I was clearly the right thing for us.
Well, hopefully that’s helpful for you!
Chris Hackett
Posted in Adenoidectomy, Myringotomy, T & A Procedure, Tonsillectomy 107 Comments »
February 18, 2008
Hi All,
I thought I would give a quick update on my article on Mesothelioma. It seems like it’s been a very big hit.
My original goal was to have an informational article on Mesothelioma and then monetize it with Adsense ads. I did some research with a tool called Keyword Elite (which is a way cool tool for keyword research), and I discovered that Mesothelioma was one of those keywords that if my site were monetized with adsense, and I got a click on “Mesothelioma” the payout on that keyword is pretty significant.
So far, the natural search results are netting me anywhere from zero visitors to 5 or 10 visitors per day on the phrase “Mesothelioma.” Unfortunately I don’t think any of them are clicking on any of the adsense ads.
I’m not sure what’s up with that, but I’ll keep you posted on the progress and let you know how things go.
Thanks!
Chris Hackett
Posted in Actual Strategy, Adsense Arbitrage, Affiliate - Marketing, Earnings, google 1 Comment »
February 10, 2008
This is a test post. I’ve created this video for Realtors giving a detailed instructions on exactly how to set up and activate a Google Adwords campaign.
I am testing out a video sharing service called Revver.com. I’ve uploaded my video there, and I’m sharing it here. Lets see how it goes.
If by some chance, you’re interested, I’m holding a live webinar / workshop on Saturday, the 16th of February. In in, I’ll go through all the detailed steps that I don’t cover in this free video.
It only cost $49.00, and I’ll take your questions and give personal attention. I really think it’ll be worth your while. Seating is limited, and it usually fills up quick, so if you’re interested, go ahead and sign up.
www.chackett.com/adwords is the link!
Chris Hackett
Posted in Actual Strategy, Adsense Arbitrage, Affiliate - Marketing, Earnings, google, Software, Stats, Tech No Comments »
February 2, 2008
Howdy All.
It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything here. For those who are keeping score (Bob), this blog is getting something like 0 – 7 unique visits per day.
I recently added two websites to my stash of sites:
www.Acne-Domain.com
and
www.Easy-Pet-Insurance.com
I really just stumbled upon these. I subscribe to an email newsletter called “Early to Rise.” Generally it’s pretty good. It’s a little too long for me most of the time, even though the content is good. The other day they had an article titled something like “The fastest way to start earning money on-line.” Which of course caught my attention.
The crux of the article was to buy a website, and suggested that ebay was a good place to check for good deals. So I went hunting.
I found a bunch of crap sites for sale, lots of adult stores, lots of folks that have obviously written scripts and are selling the same “template” to lots of people. But eventually I did find a couple sellers that were selling stuff I thought was worth checking out.
I paid $7.50 for one of those sites, and I paid $45.00 for the other. So I would say that’s a bargan. Both sites come with pre-loaded content, and both are monetized with Google AdSense, Amazon Associate, ClickBank, and/or Ebay affiliate programs. One of them also came with a nice, easy to use, administration interface for managing the content, links, affiliate programs, and advertising space.
So go check them out:
www.Easy-Pet-Insurance.com
and
www.Acne-Domain.com
Stay tuned and I’ll let you know how things are progressing. If you feel compelled to help, please feel free to send some traffic my way by adding a back-link. I’ll try and find a way to return the favor.
Thanks All!
Chris
Posted in Uncategorized No Comments »
September 29, 2007
Mesothelioma
What is Mesothelioma? It’s a rare cancer that’s caused from
exposure to asbestos. Each year about 3,000 people are
diagnosed with Mesothelioma. Many people mistakenly believe
that Mesothelioma is a lung cancer, but in fact it is really a cancer
that affects the lining around the lungs, heart, or abdomen.
Mesothelioma is a very aggressive cancer and can often be difficult to
treat. One of the characteristics that makes Mesothelioma so
difficult to deal with is the fact that often the cancer will not
appear until between 15 to 40 or more years after a person has been
exposed to asbestos!
So what is asbestos? Did you know that asbestos is a
naturally occuring substance? It’s mined from rocks, and is
made of of lots of tiny fibrous materials. It’s particularly
dangerous because the fibers are released into the air where people
breathe them in or swallow them without even knowing it.
Asbestos fibres are not able to be seen without
magnification, and they have no taste or smell, so most of the time,
people don’t even know they have been exposed.
There are basically three different kinds of Mesothelioma; Pleural
Mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs, Pericardial
Mesothelioma which affects the lining of the heart, and peritoneal
mesothelioma which affects the lining of the abdomen.
This lining of the heart, chest, and abdomen is made up of cells called
mesothelial cells. The most common form for Mesothelioma is
Pleural Mesothelioma, then Peritoneal Mesothelioma, and the least
common is Pericardial Mesothelioma.
So what are the symptoms of malignant Mesothelioma? Symptoms
of Malignant Mesothelioma may include:
- Shortness of breath
- Pain in the chest or back
- Difficulty swallowing
- Caugh, Fever, sweating
- Caughing up blood
- sensory loss
- swelling of the chest, neck or face
Where can I get more information about Mesothelioma?
American Cancer Society
University
of Penn OncoLink
The
Mayo Clinic
American
Institute for Cancer Research
Posted in Actual Strategy, Mesothelioma, Uncategorized 4 Comments »
September 29, 2007
Sleep Apnea Information
by: Chris Hackett
What is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is usually caused when an obstruction, usually the soft tissue of the rear of the throat, collapses and closes during sleep. Central Apnea, is when the airway is not blocked, but the brain fails to send the signal for muscles to breath. Mixed Apnea, as the name implies, is a condition which is a mix of Central Apnea and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Sleep apnea is a serious condition which often causes a drop in Oxygen levels in the blood. The most common type of sleep apnea is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. With this type of Apnea, enough air can not flow into the lungs despite the breathing attempt. This can result in a drop in oxygen levels in the blood. Normal breathing generally begins again with a loud snort or choking sound.
Left untreated, sleep apnea can increase the chances of having high blood pressure, and even a heart attack or stroke. Untreated apnea can also increase the risk of diabetes and the risk from accidents related to drowsiness.
What causes sleep Apnea? At the most basic level, obstructive sleep apnea happens as a result in the temporary collapse of the throat. The throat and tongue muscles relax more than usual, if you have large tonsils and/or adenoids, if you are overweight, or have a smaller boney structure in the nose and throat area, are all factors which can influence the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea.
What are my Treatment Options for Apnea?
Changes in Activities or Habits. Avoid alcohol, smoking or medicines that make you sleepy, as they can make it more difficult to keep the throat muscles open during sleep. Also, try and loose weight if you are overweight. The extra soft tissue in the throat can make it difficult to keep the throat open during sleep. Even a little weight loss may help apnea. And finally, you can try sleeping on your side as opposed to on your back. This can make it easier for the muscles in your throat to remain open.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). This is one of the most common treatments for sleep apnea. This treatment basically involves wearing a mask over your nose which blows a stream of air into your throat at a pressure that’s right for you. The increased pressure helps keep the throat and passageways open.
Mouthpiece (oral appliance). This may be helpful for individuals with mild apnea. This may also be recommended by your doctor if you snore loudly, but do not have apnea. This piece is generally custom fitted by a dentist or orthodontist, and helps to position the lower jaw and tongue so as to maintain an open pathway to the throat.
Surgery. Surgery may help some people with apnea. The type of surgery that is appropriate will depend on the type of apnea. For children with apnea, a surgery to remove the tonsils and or adenoids may be helpful. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (U-vu-lo-PAL-a-to-fa-RIN-go-plas-te) (UPPP) is a surgery that removes the tonsils, uvula (the tissue that hangs from the middle of the back of the roof of the mouth), and part of your soft palate (the roof of your mouth in the back of your throat). This surgery is only effective for some people with sleep apnea. Laser assisted UPPP can stop snoring but may not necessarily treat the undeylying apnea. Because of this, it’s very important to have a sleep study first.
There are currently no medicines for the treatment of sleep apnea.
Living with Sleep Apnea
Getting treatment for sleep apnea can help you and your family members.
- Getting treatment can greatly help your sleep and can improve symptoms of snoring.
- Treating apnea can help you feel more rested and alert during the day
- Healthy lifestyle changes which can be helpful for treating apnea are good general health and lifestyle choices such as stopping smoking and loosing weight.
- Some sufferers of apnea will need to wear a mask (CPAP).
- Few people will require surgery
- Get help from your family in the form of moral and emotional support, and encouragement to follow your doctors program, including use of the CPAP device if necessary.
Click here for information on current research and clinical trials for sleep apnea.
Posted in Uncategorized No Comments »
