More Fun with Iron Deficiency Anemia

Last year when I was diagnosed with lymphoma I was severely anemic, and that continued throughout my chemo, but my oncologist told me to stop taking iron supplements because my body couldn’t use the iron during treatment, and I might build up a toxicity. Anyway, I never resumed supplementing my iron intake after finishing chemo. Read more

Exhaustion and Eisenhower

I started going back into the office to work last week, and well I guess I’d never really thought much about exhaustion before, but I think I’m encountering it. I am so tired my head keeps falling over, but I have stuff I want to get done. The sad thing is I only went to work two days last week and one, so far, this week. Part of my problem is that I have been encountering some terrible insomnia lately; it seems I’m super tired until my head hits my pillow, then I’m wide awake. Read more

Plea For Help

Let’s see, I’m 35 and was diagnosed with breast cancer while teaching in Salalah, Oman in the Middle East. Instead of coming home right away, which I told myself I would do, I was convinced by my Mother to stay in Oman. That I would die waiting to get on insurance if I came home to America. She told me that at least in Oman, she could take care of me. Since my insurance didn’t kick in, nor would it have covered cancer when it had kicked in, I had to pay for all my surgeries out of pocket. The total amount is over $10,000. I paid over $6,000 of what I had made while I was there and my Mom helped with the rest. My Mom is a breast cancer survivor herself. She had me convinced that I would be back to work in no time and make triple the amount that I had lost. I listened to my Mom. I should’ve listened to my gut. Read more

Quackery

I’m finding myself really annoyed lately by some of the articles and basically infomercials that are sent to me by other cancer patients I’ve connected with since my diagnosis. I’m all for a holistic approach to treating disease of all types, and I think intuitively people know the things they need to be doing in order to be healthy, even if they don’t want to do those things. Read more

Something’s Rotten At the Springwood Coles

My husband does our shopping and the nearest major grocery store is the Coles at Arndale Mall in Springwood. Frustratingly, at least once a month, and lately as often as once a week something we’ve purchased is rotten or rancid. At first I put it up to bad luck, my husband had bought some Lilydale organic chicken breasts, and the next day when I went to cook them for his lunch meals, I found they were well and truly rotten. I checked the use by date, and it was three days into the future, but the stench coming off the chicken was sickening. I was ticked off, but he didn’t want to bother with a return, and I wasn’t up to it, so I let it go and chalked it up to bad luck.

Next time around it was a bottle of Jingli olive oil; the day we bought it, I opened it up and it was noticeably rancid. Read more

Voting Abroad

Even though I live in Australia, I’m still an American citizen, and I never plan to renounce my citizenship, and I will continue voting in every election via absentee ballot. I guess anyone who knows me also knows I’m pretty much a rabid Democrat. I have to say though I’m pretty down over the loss of Hillary Clinton as a Presidential candidate. I’m not a Barack Obama supporter because I don’t agree with the policies he’s set out for dealing with America’s future, and I’m not a McCain supporter because I disagree with nearly everything he stands for. Read more

Bill Henson: Art, Porn or Exploitation

Has anyone seen Bill Henson’s photographs? It’s an eclectic collection of landscapes, portraits (both clothed and nude), and still life. He is a world acclaimed Australian artist whose works have been prominently displayed in Australia and around the world for over 30 years. His style of photography is well known and viewed by thousands (if not millions) in countless galleries, art shows and walls of private homes.

To call him a pornographer is brash, harsh and pure trash tabloid media sensationalism designed to instigate a negative reaction from the public. Those following suit in calling him such are sheep. Read more

Kyoto Protocol Disappointment

Our Labor government signed the Kyoto Protocol last year in Bali. Part of that agreement is an aim to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and promote development of renewable energy and or eco-friendly and efficient fuel.

Why then has this Labor government: Read more