Archive for the 'Health & Medicine' Category

Maybe Captain Underpants was just ahead of the curve…

Posted in Health & Medicine, Science on June 11th, 2010

Men's Underwear AdvertisementThis morning I caught sight of an article entitled, “U.S. scientists design underpants that could save lives“. Actually, the article I saw pointed to this article and said something like “Military pays for Hi-Tech underpants”. It was the title that caught me but it’s the article that got me thinking.

Here’s a the information that got me:

Printed on the waistband and in constant contact with the skin is an electronic biosensor, designed to measure blood pressure, heart rate and other vital signs.

The technology, developed by nano-engineering professor Joseph Wang of University of California San Diego and his team, breaks new ground in the field of intelligent textiles and is part of shift in focus in healthcare from hospital-based treatment to home-based management.

Well, since the military is paying for this experimental underwear, I’m sure it will get a workout in the field. But the scientist seem to be on my wavelength. Many elderly want to live at home but most have health problems. My grandmother, for a while, had the service where she could call for help if something happened to her. She canceled it because they were always bothering her to find out if she was okay. I’m sure lots of people don’t like their routines upset — because we all know those phones calls only come after you’ve sat down with a good book and a cuppa, or settled in and are just dozing off for a well-earned nap.

But if you just get dressed in the morning and the waistband of your underwear sends biological information back to a central area that monitors — if something happens you’ll get the help you need even if you’re unconscious and can’t get to a cell phone or landline. More people could stay independent and in their homes. Sort of a person security system instead of a home security system.

Now if they also get these briefs to deliver medication or administer the required medications as a stroke or heat attack occurs — where minutes can mean the difference between paralysis and a quick (or relatively quick recovery) that would be even better. (And yes I’m way, way overgeneralizing.)

So, something that at first looked/sounded silly has on second thought and more reading turned into one of those things you wonder why no one thought of it before. Of course, before now the technology just wasn’t available to do the job.

Imagine smart underpants may be in all our futures as we live our lives in the forward direction that usually means growing older, wiser, and most likely a bit frailer.

Back on the Wii again…

Posted in Health & Medicine, Hearth and Home on May 17th, 2010

Cover of Wii Fit PlusI’ve been thinking of getting back into the habit of using the Wii Fit again.  We updated to the Wii Fit Plus at the beginning of the year.  I hoped that the Wii Fit Plus would have a bit less attitude — but no such luck.

To use the Wii Fit you have to have a Wii. Then the Fit part is a platform you put on the floor and use when you do the exercises. You have a choice of a male or female trainer. The trainers just tell you how to do the exercise. The Wii Fit guy is a small icon of the floor platform that talks to you when you start up the program. It gets a bit snarky. You wouldn’t think an inanimate object would have an attitude.

Maybe it’s my conscience and it’s not being snarky, but the way it says things like, “Glad you could finally find the time to exercise.” that just puts my back up.

Anyway, today I loaded the thing up and decided to do at least 10 minutes. It’s been a while since I’ve felt up to it. 67 days since I last used the thing. I know because it told me in that snarky manner it has. But then surprise, surprise, I managed to lose the first goal weight ahead of schedule without even doing the Wii (it keeps track of your goals and every time you get on it — it reminds you of the goals).

So, I set another goal and I promised myself I’d actually do the exercises — at least 10 minutes a day. I figure I can do 10 minutes a day. The Wii Fit Plus has more games and adds to the fun. Actually the Wii Fit for me is a good way to exercise. I can do it when I want. It keeps track of your progress and compares you to you, not to some mythical superhuman exercise goddess. And each exercise is short and you can pick and chose what you do for an exercise or only play the games which also get you to move and burn calories.

It may be snarky but I know the little guy is just trying to help me stay healthy.

Working on the zines

Posted in Convention, Health & Medicine, Hearth and Home, Malice Domestic, THE Zines on April 30th, 2010

It’s that time of month, and this time things are really, really, tight. Hyperion and I will be covering Malice Domestic, a wonderful mystery convention held in Arlington, VA this weekend. We’ll also be at Maryland Sheep and Wool on Sunday — the biggest sheep and wool event on the east coast.

And, we’ll also be trying to get SFRevu and Gumshoe Review up and live with the May issues on the 1st.

Stay tuned to see if we actually managed to do all that and remain moderately sane at the same time. [Hyperion: I predict a 7.23% probability]

Meanwhile, the cat (Emnot) finally went to the vet this past week. We’d thought Emnot was a she but the vet, after careful and intense looking, found that she was really a he. He’d also already been neutered so that was a relief. But, he had round worms and ear mites — as well as fleas (good thing he’s an outdoor cat). So, now it’s medication and ear drops for him and he’s not a happy cat just now. However, we came back from a doctor’s appointment this afternoon and found a dead lizard and the remains of a mouse. Wonder if he’s trying to warn us off about the medications….

Just a thought…

Posted in Health & Medicine, Hearth and Home on April 20th, 2010

I’ve been feeling so crappy the last few days– can barely get out of my own way let alone think about anything coherently. It’s been a real challenge.

Tonight I think I figured it out. The oncologist said I could stop taking the medication I was on after I finished the last dose. That was three nights ago now. Guess my body is trying to adjust to not taking it anymore. I’ve been on it for nearly 5 years so I guess maybe the crappy-ness will go away once it gets flushed from my system.

This must be one of those darned if you do, darned if you don’t things. But, I’m thinking this theory of crappy-ness is probably the right one and in a week or so I’ll feel a lot better. Please, let me live with the fantasy for a while.

Moles and Trolls, Moles and Trolls, work, work, work, work, work…

Posted in Health & Medicine, Hearth and Home on April 8th, 2010

The subject line has been our short cut for saying that the day was one where you just seem to work and never really get anything done that shows.  It’s a line from Real Genius, a film that’s funny in a geeky way before so many studios began to make movies for the geek crowd and really trying too hard.

Anyway, it’s been a madhouse here.  We’re still trying to get the gardening area cleared.  I’m trying to make a dent in the piles in my office (dining room but honest no one could eat in here anymore).  It seems like the books just pile up as we run up to the issues going live.  Then I have to pull the older books in order to get shelf space for the new ones as I  wait for the reviewers to send in requests.

Meanwhile, the potted plant we got for the deck is just beautiful.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll manage to remember to get a photo before it’s too dark.  It’s been beautiful the last few days — in the 90’s.  In our part of the world there’s also a bit of a breeze so going outside to rake and clear isn’t too bad.  I’ve been only doing about a 1/2 hour per day so that I don’t have a full-blown fibro flare.  So far, it’s working.

Today though I had to wash the kitchen floor.  Of course that was after sweeping the entire living room, dining room, kitchen, hall and bathroom.  I hate brooms and mops.  I’d really like to find a way to do these activities without having to spend an hour or two with ice packs on and off afterwards.

Had a bit more energy today until I did the floors.  Then I felt like a wrung out dishrag — limp and flat.  Couldn’t seem to get my head in gear the rest of the day so read some and cleared off old email and things that just don’t take rocket science to do.

Well tomorrow is another day and I’m hoping to be more “awake” and caffeinated then.  Hope springing eternal and all that.

Playing catch-up

Posted in Health & Medicine, Hearth and Home, THE Zines on April 5th, 2010

Today was one of those days where you go as fast as you can all day but never get anywhere. I sent out the notices on the reviews on SFRevu and Gumshoe Review. Moved books forward for another month for the reviewers. Entered some news items. All while doing the wash, folding clothes, and other household tasks.

Of course some of the slow down is due to the fact that from Friday evening (the WSFA Meeting) through to Sunday night. I was out straight doing one thing or another. We ran all our errands on Saturday. Raked another big section of the yard. And on Easter Sunday went over to a friends for Lunch and a walk along the Potomac — followed by dessert and some good talk and camaraderie.

It was all great but the fibro kicked in today and I feel like I’m walking through molasses — not, you understand, that I’ve ever spilled enough molasses to walk through so that I could compare the experiences. Nevertheless, today it just seems that if there is a speed between dead stop and slow I’ve found it or maybe even the setting between that one and stop.

But, I did make a dent in the small chores that have to be done before gearing up for the next issue. But now I think I’ll call it an early night and see if more sleep makes any difference.

Random thoughts…

Posted in Health & Medicine, Hearth and Home, Knitting, Spinning on March 28th, 2010

Had to rip out nearly an entire sock yesterday. I’ve managed to finish the toe so far but have a bit of a way to go until I get to the leg area where I dropped a stitch and didn’t notice until it was way to late.

Is there anything other than knitting that teaches a person humility and the advantages of do-overs?

Worked on the garden again today. I’m doing things in 1/2 hour units. So far one per day (unless it rains). Between me raking and Hyperion hauling the leaves away we’ve got half of the side yard raked, 3/4 of the herb garden cleared, and the central area in front of the house.

Next up is to finish the side yard. Dismantle the existing square foot gardens. Replace those existing and rotting wooden sides with the new fake wood sided ones. This will allow us to have a garden area that won’t need to be replaced every three years as the moisture, weather, rain, whatever takes its toll on the wood.

We’ve cleared the strawberry area and now I need to weed it out and then plant the new everbearing plants we bought. I hoped to get this done during the past week but the temps plummeted down into the 30’s over night. So, meanwhile more yard work gets done.

Cut back all the raspberry plants so now their ready to go for this summer.

I’m hating being so limited by the fibro. I get a few good days and even when I really, really, try hard not to over do on my good days — I end up with a down-swing that lasts a few days. If it’s not the pain it’s the stultifying brain fog. — No wonder I keep having trouble with time management. It seems to slip away in the fog of fibromyalgia.

Got Gumshoe Review just about ready to go on April 1st. Lots left to do on SFRevu. One of the other associate editors managed to get an interview for SFRevu for April. Unfortunately, I’ve left Gumshoe’s interview until quite late — I never have figured out how to ask interview question until after I read the book. I’ll pull some questions together tomorrow and hope that once again a kindly author can manage to have time to answer a few quick questions.

Another month goes by without an artist interview on SFRevu. I feel really bad about that because there are so many that deserve to be spotlighted but it’s that time management issue combined with the lack of other personnel who feel comfortable talking/asking about art with someone who does such excellent work.

Got to find a way to get more spinning into my life. I’ve got my spinning wheel sitting in the living room and a basket of lovely green roving waiting to be turned into yarn. I’ve even got a pattern I want to knit from this stuff. It’s another time management issue.

Meanwhile, we’ve had so many days of grey skies combined with scattered showers that I’m pining for the color blue.

Forsythia in bloon

The one joy, or should I say one of the joys of life lately, is looking out my office window that faces the side of the house and the forsythia bushes which are cheerfully waving their bright yellow blooms — declaring that Spring is here and it’s time to dance in joy.

It makes me smile. It doesn’t matter what is going on in my life — those bright yellow flowers on their delicate stems bobbing up and down — dancing in the breezes — make me smile.

Life should be filled with things that make us smile. Sometimes it is the little things of life that are really the ones that count.

It snowed today… again…

Posted in Fiber, Health & Medicine, Hearth and Home, Socks on January 30th, 2010

We woke up to a thin blanket of snow covering everything.  Yesterday the ground was bare of snow — today a couple of inches so far.  It’s also cold.  Bone chilling cold.  I’ve stayed in all day.  But one thing snow means is that all the little birds in the area flock to your deck to peck at the window to let us know it’s time to fill the feeder.  I didn’t know birds were so clever.

Yesterday we had an incident with the kerosene heater.  It smoked.  Turned out you need to occasionally jiggle it to make the chimney seat right.  Who knew?  We’d had the same model for years and never jiggled it.  We’d used this heater for the last three months and never jiggled it until yesterday.  When it smoked I turned the heat back and it stopped and thought that was it.  Then I checked on it a few minutes later and it was smoking a bit.  I shut it off.  Then I spent the rest of the day rewashing the clothes that were in the basket waiting to go upstairs as they were covered with soot.  And washing off just about every surface in the living room where the heater is.  When Hyperion got home and got down to check it out (I’ve got arthritis in my knees so I don’t get down that low unless I absolutely positively have to), he found that it had a label with tiny print that said to open the tiny door and jiggle the thingy if it smoked.  He did and its been working since.

Today we cleaned the living room floor and most of the flat surfaces.  I’ve still got to wash windows, walls, floor, and dust all the books and things throughout the upstairs and the level with the heater.  This is due to the fact that we occasionally touch things and find our fingers sooty.  Less this evening than this morning since we’ve been picking at this problem all day.

I really don’t need these types of crises at the end of the month since we’re working on getting the zines up and live on February 1st.  So, far I’m semi-keeping up.   All I’ve got left to do right now is finish and polish my own reviews and do my editorial overviews of the issues. I can see the home stretch just down that long, long, tunnel — the one with the light at the end.  At least I think it’s a light, but it could be a train.  Is that a whistle I hear?…

The good news of today is that my first package for the Rockin’ Sock Club came from Blue Moon Fibers.  I’d looked at the blog and on the Ravelry forum and so many people were reporting that they’d received their yarn and patterns.  But, when I picked up the mail — nothing, nada, zip, zero — no fibery goodness at all.

Today, it was delivered.  So, it’s sitting out so I can admire the yarn.  It comes with two patterns and I’m going to dither for a while on which one to make because they’re both so wonderful looking.  Hyperion says that if necessary we can buy a second skein so I can make them both — Isn’t he the best?  Yeah, of course he is.

Anyway, now I have something to look forward to putting on the needles.  Each year I’ve read about the Rockin’ Sock Club and wanted to join but just didn’t seem to get my act together enough to make the sign-up period willing to spend the money.  Yeah, the world’s going to crap in the economy/financial area but the past year has been very stressful for me with my health and there’s some very inescapable commitments coming up that are inherently stress squared.  So, after talking with Hyperion and going over the budget we decided that I could join this year. [Hyperion here:  There’s money and then there’s life, and I know which is more important.  Gayle really loves knitting and fiber.  So if the Rockin’ Sock Club can bring her some much needed joy, I say it’s worth it at twice the price … or an extra skein of yarn so she can make the second pattern.]

Knitting after all, as every knitter knows, is way cheaper than paying a psychologist by the hour to listen to a litany of stressors that can’t be fixed and can’t be changed because they’re a part of your life that is going to be there until…well, forever.  It’s nice that some people can change their lives, but when a good part of the stress is pain because you have a body that doesn’t function like it should — well, knitting is a way of keeping yourself centered so you can just keep on keeping on.

Once club members are allowed to post photos of their socks publicly, I’ll be sure to post the one I chose to do so you can be as excited as I am about it.  Meanwhile, I’ll touch the fiber and dream of really nice socks until finish this month’s commitments and can cast on.

It’s still cold.  It’s still snowy out there.  But I’m smiling.