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| | Riding for Renal: How it all began- Diagnosis | | | Saturday, October 3, 2009 (2:28 PM)
(I'm feeling contemplative) | | I hope you will all visit my Riding for Renal training blog on LiveStrong.com. Yesterday I posted what is the most difficult entry I've ever posted, and may ever post. It is the entry for the anniversary of my renal disease diagnosis. In it, I tell my story, my diagnosis, what I faced, and my unlikely recovery. The memories aren't pleasant, but I felt the posting to be necessary in my effort to raise awareness.
Http://www.livestrong.com/profile/CircaRigel | | | 12 Views | 0  Thumbs Up | 0 Comments |  |
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| | Riding for Renal: Cycling to make a difference with Kidney disease Awareness | | | Saturday, September 12, 2009 (8:47 PM)
(I'm feeling content) | | I recently embarked on a journey to compete in a bicycle race, the Triple Bypass, from Evergreen ,Colorado to Vail, Colorado. This race is 120 miles long, crossing Squaw, Loveland, and Vail passes through the Rocky Mountains, with over 10,000 feet vertical gain. It is known as one of the most grueling bicycle races in the United States.
I decided that while I'm at it, I should ride for a cause. I decided that I should promote awareness for Renal (Kidney) disease, as I am a survivor of severe kidney disease, against all odds.
Please follow my training blog on Lance Armstrong's health related website, where I discuss the rebuilding of my vintage racing bicycle, my training, and awareness issues about kidney diseases and how it can be prevented.
Visit http://www.livestrong.com/profile/CircaRigel
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| | Comments on Health Reform: IMPORTANT MESSAGE | | | Saturday, August 29, 2009 (8:27 AM)
(I'm feeling tired) | |
Politics shouldn't be about discord between democrats and republicans. Choices shouldn't be made based on whether someone likes the other guy or not. They should be based on the facts, and what a person truly believes is the right thing based on those facts. This isn't about Obama or Palin or any politician. This is about the American people, and our needs.
I am a med student. I am a teacher. I am a patient with pre-existing conditions. I am neither Democrat nor Republican.
For me, the availability of affordable health care is absolutely paramount. Less than a month before my dependent health insurance would end when I would turn 25, I developed multiple, life-threatening illnesses.
I've been fortunate. Between Cobra and work, I've managed not to let my insurance lapse. However, it's been very close at times, and if that happens, I'll be up a creek without a paddle. I'm healthy now, but I'm the standard deviation of a very bad statistic, and I want to stay that way. It would be very difficult to maintain my recovery without health coverage.
I've had to work throughout my medical schooling, just to make sure I remain insured. It hasn't been easy. Even now, all of my debt outside of school loans is healthcare related, due to high deductibles and uncovered diagnostics.
Every person deserves affordable health care as a right, not a privilege for those who can pay. Sixty percent of bankruptcies are due to health costs. That's unacceptable. People should not be going bankrupt from health care costs. Healthy people are more productive members of society, able to pursue more education, able to work more. We need both preventative and catastrophic coverage. We need prescription coverage. We need dental coverage. We need vision coverage.
When I was ill, I was on several medications that without insurance coverage would have cost me several hundred dollars PER DOSE. The IVIG I received every 2 months would have cost me $10000 per dose. I spent 4 months of one year in hospitals... but I recovered. A big part of that recovery is because I was insured, and my insurance covered almost everything.
Making sure an individual is covered doesn't just help the individual. As I already said, people who are healthier are more productive in their lives, and ultimately incur LESS cost from society. My own case is a good example. Had I not been covered by insurance, my diagnosis and treatment might have been delayed. I would not have been able to afford the treatments I needed. Today, I’d either be dead, or I’d be sucking money from taxpayers, on disability and Medicaid, going in for dialysis 3 days a week with little hope of any reasonable quality of life or recovery. for all I know, the ER might have been my primary care for a while... where ultimately the costs are MOST expensive. Insurance kept that from happening.... Instead, I’m a productive member of society, feeding the economy through gainful employment, extending my education so that I can help others through my own career in medicine.
In my recovery, I've gone on to work in research, to work as a teacher, and to go to medical school. In my 5th week in medical school (in Samoa), I saved the life of a man. This man volunteers for the Japanese International Cooperation agency. He is now a grandfather. He went back to continue helping the people of Samoa, and has since gone on to bring aid to people in Argentina. None of this would be taking place if I had died, or if I hadn't managed my unlikely recovery. Whether we like it or not, we are all interconnected, and by helping our brethren, we help ourselves.
Don't let the public health option be dropped. It is needed as much as other reform is needed. The United States is #37 in the world in health care. The majority of countries above us have a public health option. We have some of the best hospitals in the world... but because people can't afford their health care, we're only #37 in ranking.
As someone in the medical field and as a patient, I have had a chance to see both sides of the issue, and I am eager to work on how to help this succeed... for everyone's well being.
Belinda
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| | Vitas... an amazing countertenor | | | Monday, May 25, 2009 (6:55 PM)
(I'm feeling busy) | | This is the full playlist. Vitas has the most amazing countertenor voice I've ever heard! He even sings an Aria written for a female Sopranist! Just click the arrows to advance to the next video.
Latvian/Russian sensation Vitas He has the most AMAZING countertenor voice I've ever heard!
Russian pop singer, composer, actor, and fashion designer. He is most commonly known by his shortened first name, Vitas, or ????? in Russian. Much of his music is straightforward pop influenced by techno, and occasionally classical opera.
Official Site:
http://vitas.com.ru/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitas
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| | Swine Flu: Get the Facts, not Hype. Swine Flu Q&A | | | Monday, May 4, 2009 (3:33 PM)
(I'm feeling busy) | |
Swine flu. H1N1. Many people have questions.
What is swine flu?
How does this differ from regular flu?
Why won’t the flu vaccine I got work on this?
Is there a vaccine? When will it be available?
Why is this a bigger problem than regular flu?
What are the symptoms?
Why is this a big deal? It’s just the flu, right?
Swine is pork. Can I get it from eating pork products?
How is swine flu spread?
How can I protect my family and myself?
What do the WHO Flu pandemic levels mean?
Is it safe for me to travel right now?
I heard there was swine flu in 1976, and more people died from the vaccine than from the flu. Should I worry about the vaccine to this one when it’s available?
If I get sick, what should I do?
Do you think people and the media are overreacting?
The flu. Nearly everyone gets it at some time in his or her life. In most cases, infected people are miserable for a week or so and quickly recover. So why is this flu any different? Well, you need a brief virology lesson to understand this. I’ll try to make it simple.
The Hsw1N1 influenza outbreak may not be all that different. The reality is that it’s too soon to know how this infection will behave in the long term. There are many factors that can effect the situation.
Every year, there is a new vaccine for influenza. In most cases, the vaccine can prevent the flu or reduce severity of the disease. Sometimes the vaccine doesn’t work. There are several reasons for this.
The influenza virus is constantly changing. The genetic material it contains is RNA, and when mutations occur in RNA, there is no mechanism for repairing them like DNA has. This means that such viruses can mutate faster than viruses with DNA. These mutations are completely random. In some cases, these mutations will slightly alter the surface proteins our body’s immune system uses to recognize an infection. If the body has never seen those proteins before, it can take some time for it to produce antibodies to help its cells recognize and destroy the infection, giving the infection time to replicate and spread in the body.
While we see this sort of ANTIGENIC DRIFT in all RNA viruses, influenza is the master of change. Influenza contains eight different segments of RNA that encode its surface proteins. If a life form susceptible to the flu is infected by two or more strains at once, these genetic pieces can mix. When the new viruses are repackaged and released, we can have a mixture of genes from BOTH viral strains, a genetic change called ANTIGENIC SHIFT. This changes the surface antigens the immune system uses to recognize infection. A new strain of influenza is born that can initially avoid the immune system’s most efficient means of elimination. As a result, more people in the population are at risk of getting sick from this flu. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that illness will be more severe. It just means more people can get sick.
There are many different kinds of animals that get influenza. However, only a few are susceptible to strains capable of infecting humans. Pigs are one such animal, and as they are susceptible to both human and avian strains in addition to the swine strain, this makes them a good host for antigenic shift to form a new virus.
In most cases, swine influenza is not readily spread between humans. Farmers in close contact with pigs may occasionally be infected, but disease is usually mild and not all that contagious. In the current situation, however, the virus appears to have picked up enough human influenza genes to permit transmission from human to human. Just how contagious this flu is and how severe the disease it causes is on average is currently unknown. However, current indications are that the disease virulence, or severity, isn’t any worse than that of seasonal flu.
Vaccines work by giving the body a dose of the infection’s antigens ahead of time, which primes the system to make antibodies against them. As a result, antibodies are already there to recognize an infection and stimulate the immune system to respond at a rapid rate to eliminate the infection.
In the case of influenza, scientists can only guess at what these antigens will be in any given year. In most cases, the guess is accurate and based on the drift that led to the most recent strain at the end of the previous season. Sometimes a mutation takes place to change the antigens of the virus and reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine. When we have an antigenic shift, like what appears to have happened with this H1N1 strain, the change is so great that the current vaccine is useless. Unfortunately, manufacture of a new vaccine takes at least three months, as the vaccine must be grown in chicken eggs. Realistically, the soonest a new vaccine can be made available would be in 4-6 months, meaning we can’t expect to have one until next autumn. Even if the virus mutates before a vaccine is available, the vaccine should still provide partial protection.
The current outbreak is potentially a big problem, but not necessarily for the reasons all the hype is about. As I already said, symptom severity doesn’t currently appear to be any worse than that of normal, seasonal, flu. In fact, severity may well be less. The biggest issue right now is the fact that there is no immunity to this strain in the population. This means more people can potentially get sick, which in turn leads to a greater burden on public health systems. After all, if 5% more people are getting sick, that also reflects an increased death and complication rate among those most at risk. Health officials also need to bear in mind that this strain is only just emerging. There is risk of further mutations that could increase virulence of the disease. If a person is infected by the seasonal strain AND the H1N1 strain at the same time, we could see another shift which could increase the virus’s viability in the human population and even severity of symptoms.
Thus far, the death rate for this strain has been quite low. It has come to light in Mexico that many more people have been infected than was previously ascertained. Their cases were not reported because their illnesses were quite mild, and not thought to be flu. I expect there is still a large population of people who have had this virus who have not been identified, which will lower the death percentage even more. For comparison, take in mind that since January, there have been more than 13000 deaths from SEASONAL flu in the United States alone.
Please don’t let the deaths frighten you. Seasonal flu kills tens of thousands of patients every year. The vast majority of the deaths are people over the age of 65, infants, and people with pre-existing conditions. It is for this reason why the health care system has always recommended that these individuals be vaccinated. Unfortunately, there is currently no vaccine to protect these people from this new strain.
THAT could potentially be a problem in that population. Due to the panic the media has created, there will be more people visiting doctor’s offices and hospitals with flu symptoms, potentially exposing the people most at risk of developing complications. Much of the risk COULD be prevented, however, by setting up flu clinics, which would serve several purposes. Flu clinics would create a place for potentially infected individuals to go for rapid diagnosis and treatment. While it would take more time to identify the actual flu strain a person is infected with, there ARE rapid tests to make a more general influenza diagnosis. In addition, clinics would keep infected patients away from the people most at risk and reduce the general burden on the health care system. Finally, these clinics wouldn’t need to shut down once the situation stabilizes. They could continue to be used for general, seasonal, flu and flu-like illnesses.
The current WHO pandemic rating is level 5. This means that there is continued spread of the disease within two countries in one region. ALL the WHO pandemic levels refer to is disease spread, NOT its severity. A level 6 rating would ONLY mean that the flu has spread beyond the Americas. Nothing more. It doesn’t mean that the disease is any more deadly than seasonal flu.
This strain of flu appears to have arisen out of pigs. That DOES NOT mean that you need to worry about getting it from pork products. There is NO EVIDENCE whatsoever that the flu can be spread through our foods. Preservation and cooking processes destroy any virus that may be present. In some places, they’ve begun to slaughter pigs. This is an overreaction. Slaughtering pigs is not going to stop the spread of the virus.
At present, all you should worry about is following standard precautions. Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sneezing, sore throat, aches, fatigue, and in some cases nausea and vomiting. It is an airborne virus, spread through droplets and contaminated surfaces such as hands. Frequent hand washing can reduce much transmission of the virus. If a person is experiencing symptoms, they should consider wearing a mask to limit the spread of droplets, and should avoid congregating with others in public places or in public transportation. Bed rest is recommended, with limited exposure to other individuals. If you develop symptoms, contact your doctor for advice on diagnosis and treatment. This strain of flu DOES respond to several antiviral treatments on the market, and if treatment is begun within 48 hours of initial symptoms, the severity and length of illness can be dramatically reduced. I have family members planning a vacation, and have not recommended that they avoid air travel. Just don’t get on a plane if you’re sick. This is true in any situation. Close quarters among groups of people increases the chance of spread.
A lot of people have been asking me about the 1976 swine flu scare. The circumstances of deaths resulting from the vaccine for that flu were blown out of proportion by the media.
In 1976, there was a limited outbreak of swine flu that created concern that there could be a pandemic. Scientists rapidly mobilized to create a vaccine against this new flu strain. Fortunately, the virus’s spread was limited and there was not a pandemic, which led to more focus on the vaccine. About 300 people who received the vaccine developed what’s known as Guillain-Barre syndrome. This is a syndrome in which the body’s immune syndrome attacks its nerves, causing paralysis. In some cases, the paralysis can even affect the muscles that control breathing. This syndrome is usually quite rare, but can occasionally be triggered by various respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. In 1976 there was a rise in this syndrome associated with the swine flu vaccine. 300 people developed the syndrome, 25 died, and the vaccination program was stopped.
You should not let this worry you about the vaccine for this H1N1 strain when it becomes available. This is a new vaccine, and the processes used to create it have successfully been used for many years to prevent seasonal flu. Prevention is ALWAYS the best way to go.
In closing, I’ll just say, don’t panic. This doesn’t appear to be a bad flu. Just exercise some common sense! The media has overreacted without knowing all the facts. | | | | 155 Views | 2 Thumbs Up | 1 Comment | |
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| | Can a Dog Sniff Out Cancer? Finding Galen, Part II | | | Tuesday, April 14, 2009 (9:22 PM)
(I'm feeling contemplative) | | You bet they can.
As you may have read in my previous blog post, it is my hope to adopt a Shiloh Shepherd to be my pal, and to train as a therapy dog and possibly even Search and Rescue. My reasons for choosing this breed are many, including the fact that temperament is part of the breed standard, the double coat, agility, and intelligence. My hopes for "Galen," have now expanded one step further, and everything about the Shiloh breed is also a match for this plan. I know a thing or two about dog physiology, and dogs with long muzzles tend to have better olfactory senses than short muzzled breeds. Shiloh Shepherds have quite long muzzles... perfect for this.
It is my hope to train 'Galen' to sniff out cancer.
He wouldn't be the first dog to be successfully trained to do this. Years ago, I saw a documentary about a dog who did exactly this, sniffing out melanoma. At times, that dog was more accurate than traditional diagnostic techniques (biopsy). In one case, the cancer was only found when the pathologist went through the biopsy cell by cell, missing it when using standard screening techniques. The dog didn't miss it. Other dogs have been successfully trained in cancer diagnostics as well, mostly in the UK, so this endeavor is not as far fetched as it might sound.
If I could succeed in this, I might be able to get a grant to start a program. Such dogs could be fostered to medical residents during their training period, with the option to adopt when the residents leave for their own practices. This way, costs could be kept down, and the dogs would be fed directly to the places where they can be of greatest service... along with the doctors who have been trained with them.
Here are some links about other dogs trained in cancer detection.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0112_060112_dog_cancer.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/06/60minutes/main665263.shtml
http://www.bluecross.org.uk/web/site/News/2009/casper_cancerdog.asp
Here's a repost of the video of a Shiloh. this one's brother, Gandalf, is actually rather famous for his search and rescue talents.
(Click "HD")
Here's an article about her Search & Rescue brother, Gandalf:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/20/missing.scout/index.html
With regard tothe cancer training, Finding training samples whouldn't be too difficult. I know a number of oncologists. Plus, my research background has given me a lot of skills in tissue culture. It's just a matter of contacting some of the others who have done it and mapping out a training plan.
My main hurdle is getting the dog... Shiloh shepherds, while absolutely perfect for this purpose, are a rare breed. As such, they're rather expensive. Even pet quality ones can be over $1000. At the moment, I don't have that kind of money at my disposal. Medical school is an expensive endeavor, and I'm not done with it yet. It will be worth it, though. My calling in life is to help others, and my interests and skills make medicine the logical way for me to pursue that.
I really lucked out in my adoption of Rigel in a rescue situation years ago (who was likely a Shiloh). Finding one of these dogs in a rescue situation is almost unheard of. Breeders are exceptionally careful in preserving the breed, usually requesting that the dogs be returned to them if for any reason their family can't keep them. In doing this, they keep the breed out of puppy mills and preserve the most important qualities of the breed (i.e. temperament, physical soundness, etc). | | | | 72 Views | 2 Thumbs Up | 1 Comment | |
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| | Finding Galen: In search of a best friend | | | | Saturday, March 14, 2009 (11:30 AM) | |
Finding Galen
(Galen is a greek name meaning "healer")
As many of you know, my 18 year old dog, Rigel, passed away last July. The loss was devastating to me. Rigel had been my best friend for nearly half my life. He saved my life twice in what would have been mountaineering accidents (hiking and climbing), was with me through some of my best and worst times, including when I faced potentially (and at the time, likely) terminal illness, picked up my groceries from the store when I was too ill to go out, and helped keep me going during that time by having the most excellent temperament, which permitted him to be allowed to visit me when I was hospitalized. I could tell you so many stories about Rigel... Humorous ones and tear jerkers. However, that is not what this post is about. This post is about my search for a new friend, and the reasoning behind my choices.
Rigel was a rescue, and with him gone, I can't go through genetic testing to determine his breed. Even if I did, the breed I believe he was would not likely be included in the tests, and it would have come back as shepherd and Malamute, the two breeds used in the 1960's to create the Shiloh shepherd breed.
My adoption of Rigel through a shelter was actually a very unlikely event. Shiloh shepherds are a rare breed, and almost never found in shelter situations. Moreover, while there are Shilohs in Colorado, there is not a single registered breeder here. Rigel was the dog nobody wanted. Abused and starved, and blind in one eye (due to injury from the abuse), Rigel was in the shelter for more than 2 months before I came in and adopted him. At that time, I found a dog 20 lbs underweight with matted fur and a dead, infected left eye. Rather than listening to common sense, I followed my instincts, and I wasn't disappointed... Rigel was a diamond in the rough.
It's pretty obvious why I loved Rigel so much, and you might wonder why that leads me to think another Shiloh will also be right for me (although no dog can ever replace my beloved Rigel). It is not my experience with Rigel that led me to my choice. Rather, it is that experience that led me to research the breed, and discover that the breed itself is better suited to my needs and wants than any other.
It is my hope to train my next dog as a therapy dog. This way, my dog will be able to help out in some of my work when I become a physician. Of all the working breeds, Shiloh shepherds rank highest on the temperament scale. In fact, temperament is part of the breed standard. Any Shiloh that is timid or aggressive is automatically disqualified according to the breed standard. When it comes to working, Shilohs are highly recommended as therapy dogs and Search & Rescue dogs (and I may want to train my dog in SAR as well). In fact, there are currently more than 72 Shilohs registered as therapy dogs... a very high number, given how rare the breed is. Shilohs are gentle, intelligent, courageous, and eager to learn. Rigel was this way too. He learned many things without any formal training in them whatsoever. He was also an unregistered therapy dog, accompanying a room mate I had to the nursing home she worked at.
I also want to train my dog in skijoring and carting, and I want a dog that can handle hikes up Colorado's 14'ers (mountains over 14,000 feet high). Skijor and cart training are virtually identical, so training in one should cross over into the other area. While skijoring would involve pulling me on skis, the dog carting would not involve pulling anyone for my purposes. It is my thought that hospitalized children might be delighted if a dog came to them, pulling a cart of toys. In order to accomplish all of this, it means I need a large dog. Shiloh shepherds range from 80-140 lbs, yet have a relatively long life span for a giant breed. I'd also want one with a plush coat, to better enable my dog to deal with snow conditions.
Next, I need a dog that will be gentle with my cats. In general, Shilohs are incredibly compatible with other kinds of pets, without aggression toward them. They are well known for their friendships with cats.
This takes me to everything beyond just practicality. My pets are members of my family. When I had Rigel, we did everything together. Rigel accompanied me to both coasts, and came with me whenver I went on vacation, visiting family, hiking, camping, swimming, etc. I even took him to work with me sometimes when I did an internship in California, and he has always been welcome wherever I've gone. Rigel was never lacking in anything he needed to keep him happy, healthy and comfortable. I made his bed by hand out of memory foam, just so it would be large enough for him to really stretch out, and to protect his joints as he aged. I used to make home made jerky for him, mixing dog vitamins into the recipe. Rigel had boots to protect his paws from snow, ice, salt, and wear when hiking. When Rigel got old, I made sure he had a coat that would insulate him and protect him from rain and snow. I put him in dog daycare whenever I could afford it, just so he wouldn't have to sit alone and bored while I was at work. I expect to do all of this with my next canine family member.
However, I am at a loss. I foster puppies for a local puppy rescue, but it is unlikely I will find a shiloh there. Moreover, there is the risk of health and behavior issues. While it acquires puppies only, this is a shelter of last resort. Puppies are sent to it from Colorado and neighboring states when they are unadoptable there. Certainly, many of them are very friendly, but again and again I encounter physical and temperament issues that are unsuitable for my needs, and more suited to people who want their puppy as a pet and nothing more. An overly dominant, aggressive, or overly timid dog just won't do. Dominant dogs require an alpha for training, and can be very difficult, even though most are quite friendly. Aggressiveness and timidity are obvious exclusions.
It seems odd me saying all of this, but it's true. Certainly, all of my past dogs have been rescues, and wonderful companions, to me, and I loved them all dearly and continue to miss them. Not all were suitable as therapy dogs, though (Kaiymun was very shy of strangers, Mikey and Ike had ADHD, Heidi was aggressive toward people in uniforms, and Tye was very destructive when left alone). I need to find a dog that I know will be physically sound, intelligent, gentle, and eager to learn. I've been researching many breeds (Airedales, Malamutes, German shepherds, golden retrievers, Canadian Eskimo dogs, Akitas, etc...), and the Shiloh stands above the rest in all areas. Moreover, I've met some Shilohs, and every single one has met the high standard I'm looking for.
I really miss having a dog around, and I find myself wanting one more and more. Rhumbah and Pilgrim are ready for a new dog as well. They've been thoroughly enjoying all of the foster puppies that have been rotating through my care. Unfortunately, I can't afford to pay a large amount on a pure bred dog, and that makes Shilohs inaccessible to me right now... that and the fact that most breeders are on the East Coast, California, and Canada, and none are in Colorado. It's not the care of the dog that would be the financial burden, as my vet is very accommodating to people who are financially strapped, and I also keep a credit card for medical, dental and veterinary use only. It's just the going cost of the dog that is the burden... even pet quality ones cost hundreds of dollars. I don't plan to show, so I'm not concerned with floppy ears or other minor things that would disqualify a Shiloh. I've only found one rescue available, but unfortunately he's too old for what I want. I want a young dog (under a year) in order to ensure the best training for my needs and the longest possible friendship.
Who can help me find 'Galen?' Would a kind breeder be willing to lower the price for me, so that one wonderful puppy can help so many as a therapy dog?
(I like the name, and its meaning, healer, couldn't be more appropriate for a therapy dog)
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| | Honoring Rigel | | | Thursday, September 3, 2009 (8:13 PM)
(I'm feeling melancholy) | | If any of you would like to honor Rigel, please make a tax deductible donation in his name to W.O.L.F. (Wolves Offered Life and Friendship) sanctuary, where we used to volunteer. W.O.L.F. is a non-profit wolf rescue that takes in wolves and wolf hybrids from all over the country (many have been abused as a result of their wolf instincts) and offers them a safe home where they are free of abuse, and allowed to live as wolves in large enclosures in the forest of Colorado, and they are always in need of funds to cover veterinary bills, fence repairs, the building of new enclosures, etc. This is NOT a breeding program. All animals are spayed and neutered to prevent that. Every animal there is treated with the utmost kindness and respect, and top notch care (they even have a chiropractor helping with the arthritic issues of older wolves). Click the link below to visit their site.
W.O.L.F. (Wolves Offered Life and Friendship)
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| | Rigel | | | Thursday, September 3, 2009 (8:15 PM)
(I'm feeling sad) | |
July 21, 2008
If you would like to honor Rigel, please make a tax deductible donation to the following charity in his name (charity name is linked):
W.O.L.F. (Wolves Offered Life and Friendship) Sanctuary.
W.O.L.F. is a wolf rescue that I used to volunteer at. Rigel even accompanied me there. I have donated Rigel's remaining food, vitamins and treats to W.O.L.F. However, W.O.L.F. is non-profit and in constant need of funds in order to offer the best care for the wolves there. This includes veterinary care, fence repair, funds for building new enclosures, etc. Please help, if you're able. I know Rigel would approve. Of all the dogs I've ever known, he was the most compassionate, brilliant dog, and always eager to help others.
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July 18, 2008
Update: Rigel has said it's time today. He had one last chase last night... the foxes came to visit. Today he has not been up at all. He can barely lift his head. I was up with him most of the night. At 5PM made our last trip to the vet and said goodbye. I'm going to miss my dear friend more than anything in the whole world. I can't stop crying.
He has been my truest friend, and my hero.
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June 22, 2008
Rigel hasn't been doing well lately. He hasn't been outright ill, but his age is finally catching up with him. If I had to guess, he has only a month or two left. For an 85 lbs dog, it's a miracle he made it this long. He turned 18 in February.
Rigel was a pound pup. My friend David (who is currently fighting brain cancer) sent me a check for my birthday many years ago, telling me to adopt a dog. My previous dog had been struck by a car and killed 2 months earlier, and I had been devastated. At the pound, Rigel was a bedraggled dog with no toenails (he had been there for more than 2 months), severely underweight, and his left eye was dead and infected- a remnant of abuses by his previous owner. Rigel was a diamond in the rough.
Rigel has been a steadfast friend, and a true hero in the sense of the word. 13 years ago, he saved my life for the first time. I had been free climbing in a chimney crevice when the winds picked up and numbed my hands. The other climbers had already left, without telling me. I was very close to the top, but could not feel for the tiny hand holds available to me. I called out... no one answered. Then, Rigel appeared above me, and his leash dropped into the crevice I was wedged in. He was peeking at me from behind a boulder. I had only adopted him a couple of months before, so I was unsure if he ould understand, but I told him to lie down and stay... and he did. Thus, he was anchored, and I was able to use his leash (made of climbing rope) to pull myself out.
A couple of years later, he came to the rescue again. My cousin and I were hiking in the mountains and got caught in a freak snow storm. The snow quickly hid the trail we were on, and we became thoroughly lost. I decided we should follow Rigel, figuring he might have a better chance of finding the way than us... especially once he got hungry. He took us straight down.
I've had a lot of dogs in my life, but Rigel is the one who has been exceptional. I've never known a dog with his intelligence, and his personality. Even strange cats aren't afraid of him... they seem to inherantly know he won't hurt them. Rigel had many tricks. He would hug, shake, wave, give 5, high ten, wait to cross streets, bow, and much more. He was brilliant.
Nine years ago, I was very ill... potentially terminal. Rigel was permitted to visit me in the hospital, and those visits gave me strength. When I was home, there were times I was too ill to go out and purchase groceries, but Rigel had accompanied me to the store down the street when I'd been healthy. So, I called the store, and they had someone wait outside for him. I'd send him down with the money and list in his backpack. The person who met him would pick up my groceries and load them into Rigel's pack, then sent him home. Thus, Rigel was also my service dog... my helper.
As you can see, Rigel has been very special to me... in more ways than I can fully explain. It saddens me that his life is so much more finite than mine, and that the time is approaching where I will need to say good-bye. I will miss him sorely, for a very long time.
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| | PLEASE HELP!!! | | | Saturday, May 17, 2008 (12:42 PM)
(I'm feeling distressed) | | I hope you'll bear with this the whole way through, or at least pay attention to the Relay for Life info... This is something that is extremely important to me. It involves the life of one of the best friends I've ever had... and saving many others. I don't know if your help can come in time for him, but there are many others who need that same help as well.
Today, a young friend of Coleman's lost his battle with cancer. John Eric was 2 years old, and until a month ago, was full of life. At the Preakness this weekend, the blanket to be draped over the winning horse is John Eric's. Please offer a moment of silence to honor this little angel.... An angel who's fight leads into something that touches even closer to me than Coleman's story and how John Eric touched him...
The dearest friends are like family. My friend David is like that to me. We met 14 years ago, and through everything, he's been a steadfast friend. I've watched his kids grow up, I watched him get married. I supported him in his worry when his son joined the military and was sent to Kuwait (he's back in the US now). We had good times together, and helped each other out when times were hard. 13 years ago, he gave me another gift and another friend... Rigel. Rigel was 5 then. He's now 18, and nearing his own close. That close, however, should not be coinciding with the possible close of David's life... but that may well happen.
Last Autumn, David began having seizures. Kaiser told him he didn't have epilepsy. A month later, they were telling him he was stressed and just needed to take time off work- he is a tenured satellite engineer at one of the nation's leading aerospace companies. Two weeks after that, outside specialists came up with a different diagnosis. David has brain cancer.
The tumors were in two areas I could consider the worst possible areas to have dysfunction of the brain... Broca's area and Wernicke's area. Let me back up a second, though. Basically, David's seizures were affecting his ability to speak and communicate (this includes writing). Broca's area is the brain's center for expressive communication- such as speech and writing. Wernicke's area is responsible for communication comprehension... understanding speech, espressions and reading. Thus far, the largest tumor is compromising Broca's area, meaning that David can understand communication, but verbalizing his own thoughts either though speech or writing becomes increasingly difficult. David is also a musician. Oddly enough, in the Wernicke's area of function, David has found that irregular rhythms of music tend to reduce his seizures, while regular rhythms increase them (since the seizures involve Broca's area, some of this control appears to be via communication between those two adjacent sections).
I guess I've probably confused the hell out of you by now, and I apologise. I tend to be highly analytical myself and am a medical student, and one way I control my emotions is by analyzing things to death (probably a poor choice of words here, though)... and tonight's circumstances are very emotional for me. I've shed a lot of tears.
Tonight I got an email from David. His chemotherapy isn't working. His primary tumor is growing at an alarming rate. What was originally staged at grade 2 is probably grade 3 or 4. For grade 4, median survival is around 6 months... that's the middle. It could be less, it could be more. Regardless, it's not good news.
David's not giving up. He's a fighter, and his spirits are high. If anyone could beat this on attitude alone, he'd have it in the bag. Unfortunately, in cases like this, we have to rely on medicine as well, and a lot of luck. Prayers won't hurt either, whether they be to God, Buddah, the force, etc... (I'm a Unitarian Universalist).
Ok, I already quoted statistics, but if there's one thing I hate, it's putting a statistic to a person's life. Statistics are for a population. In the individual, anything's possible. I'm living proof of that. I'm the standard deviation of a 100% statistic... and I'm healthy, while just about everyone else diagnosed when I was with the same diagnosis I had hit end stage by four years ago.
Right now, though, I don't know what else to say. I'm tearing up again, because I love my dear friend, and I want him well. I wish he didn't have to suffer. He's in for a rough road I wouldn't wish on anyone, much less a loved one. No one should have to go through this.
I'm angry too. It makes no sense that wealthy people can spend thousands of dollars on something as frivolous as a purse, when people are dying who might be saved with more funding for research. And Why the FUCK is our country squandering billions on a war that is based on LIES, when such money could SAVE lives if it funded research???
You can put a drop in the bucket, though. This weeend is the Relay for Life. Please support it and participate
Please help support this awesome pursuit for the Cure - How many people do you know with cancer that may not be here next year. My friend David is one. I was last able to visit at Christmas, and hope it wont' be the last... but there's a possibility it could be.
PLEASE, We must find a Cure today!
You have heard it before - All it takes is money & time - Time some don't have.
So PLEASE HELP TODAY
Please go to the Cure team page of "Cure Across The World" on the Relay for Life Web site and make your donation today.
The Relay Starts Saturday May 17 at 10AM and continues thru Sunday May 18th at 10AM
PLEASE CLICK ON THEIR BANNER BELOW AND HELP!
AFTER HELPING OUT ON THIER PAGE, PLEASE GO TO THE OFFICIAL MYSPACE FOR THE CURE AND COMMENT THEM. PLEASE ADD THEM AS A FRIEND ON MYSPACE IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO ALREADY AND PLEASE URGE YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN THEIR MYPSACE PAGE.
I have personaly seen so many die from this Disease - They are getting closer every day in finding the Cure. YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE....
PLEASE HELP TODAY
DON'T PUT IT OFF TILL TOMORROW - YOUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW!
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