It has been noticed that I haven't stopped to post lately. :) That would be due to a whirlwind weekend that many of you already know about, so I won't get into details here. I need to save that energy for writing Thank You notes. :)
However, upon my return, the nesting bug started biting again. This time, it got me in the barn! My does are due to kid before me, so it seems right that I get their nest feathered first. David has to build me another kidding pen, since our chickens are in the current kidding pen. Lowe's gets far too much of our money, but I digress... So yesterday, I went out to do my normal thing, and thought that I'd just pull off the top layer of waste hay (that my mom put on the ground everywhere, because apparently my directions weren't as clear as I had thought.) Well... I got a tad carried away. I pulled up bedding that was about 4 inches deep over a 16 x 18 foot area, and my feed room got a thorough cleaning as well. I'm thankful for pitchforks, garden carts, rakes, and rest! We also have a well fertilized garden area as a result, and I look forward to planting! ...just as soon as my back and shoulder stop hurting!
While I was working outside, the kiddos "helped," played, and generally enjoyed the nice weather. Samuel has a plethora of new bows made out of baling twine and twigs. He wants to make some arrows, but I'm not very good help at that. There is also a twine, twig and rock (sinker) fishing pole that is all the rage in our back yard. :) Almost as exciting as the critter they saw while over at the pond to test it out... a snake! The pond is now off limits unless they are accompanied by an adult. I'm thankful that they were wise enough to leave the snake alone and leave the area, rather than raising a rucous and getting bit!
This morning, I had my 3rd trimester ultrasound. They specifically wanted to check the placement of the placenta and baby's kidneys. Previously, they noticed that the placenta was a little low, but as everything has grown, it has moved up sufficiently for a normal birth. That's good news. In my previous ultrasound, they said that baby's kidneys were smaller than they should have been and they wanted to do another ultrasound to be sure they were developing properly. This time, they said they were larger than they should be. I asked what that could mean. They said that there could be a blockage which may or may not resolve itself after the birth. It could also be that part of the kidney that sometimes develops inside the kidney (what they call "normal") can also develop outside the kidney (and this is also "normal" but not what they base their measurements upon) can cause this sort of size discrepancy. There is nothing certain they can tell at this point, but after the birth, they'll watch to make sure baby urinates and may do an ultrasound of the kidneys as well. It all sounds to me like much ado about nothing. For all I know, every one of my children may have had this. I'm refusing to worry. It is part of my frustration with modern medicine but that's neither here nor there.
Speaking of modern medicine, I read an article while in the doctor's office today about cholesterol that I found amusing. It was discussing a newer cholesterol medication (starts with a Z) that lowers LDL cholesterol but has not been effective at reducing the risk for heart attacks or strokes. They compared this medication to Crestor, which not only lowers LDL cholesterol, but also decreases arterial inflammation. Crestor does reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Now, one would deduce from this, that it isn't necessarily the cholesterol that is the problem, but rather the arterial inflammation, right? Well, this ginormous group of cardiologists don't see it that way. Sounds a bit fishy to me. (Any idea how much is spent each year on cholesterol-lowering medications?!?!?)
Given the fact that diabetics are at a higher risk for heart disease, and that sugar is inflammatory, it just makes me think that our grandparents displayed a great deal more nutritional sense. They ate eggs, bacon, and lard, but steered clear of sugar. Methinks we should follow their example. (And all the those old ladies that live to be 100+ years old have had cholesterol levels over 300! Perhaps rather than reducing our levels, we should be taking supplements of the stuff!) Another not-so-funny thing I read recently is that with the overuse of cholesterol lowering medications, there has been a rise in brain and nervous tissue problems (because cholesterol feeds these parts--and is the reason why pregnant and nursing women shouldn't take these medicines--babies need cholesterol!)
Anyhow.... I've gone on a rant, it seems. Best get to those Thank You notes and then a much needed nap!
3 comments:
...just remembered when Samuel was a baby, some of his first diapers had little black speks in them when he had only gone #1. I found out that that can happen sometimes and is only a concern if it doesn't go away. It went away. Maybe it was a tiny blockage getting pushed out? Maybe this is what is going on with Shiloh? Who knows...
Darn...my post didn't work and now I have to write it over again!
Anyhow...have you ever read about or seen Dr. Mercola? He has some really good articles on his website about cholesterol. He talks about how the statin meds (most commonly prescribed cholesterol meds) drastically deplete coQ10, which is needed for proper heart functioning. He thinks that much of the heart issues from cholesterol stem from the meds, not the cholesterol! He sees cholesterol as a sign of inflammation (can be arterial, joint, brain, any type of inflammation). Heck...Caleb has high cholesterol! It's crazy how doctors see meds as the answer, when all they do is create a whole host of other problems!
Yeah, I already told my doctor that if he deemed medication necessary for my cholesterol that I wouldn't take it. He looked at me funny, and I said, "Honestly, I'd rather die of a heart attack than cancer." He accepted that! I've also told him I won't get mammograms. I'll do ultrasounds, but I'm not shooting radiation through any body part on a routine basis, and certainly not as an attempt to prevent cancer. He has me pegged as the crazy lady from California, so that works in my favor. :)
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