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Entry bubble Women and Heart Disease

By: Ginger | November 06, 2009 | Category: Health

Electrocardiogram readoutMy husband and I were visiting my 80-year-old mother-in-law, Eileen, in the hospital the other day after her open-heart surgery. She showed me the incision running down her chest and looked at me ruefully. She said, “I guess I need to throw out all of those bikini tops I have.” I said, “No way! We can sew some padding in to the cups. When we go visit my family this Christmas, we can tie them around our heads and wear them as ear muffs to keep our ears warm. If anyone gives us odd looks, we will just tell them all of the top models on the runways of Milan are wearing them this year!” Eileen said, “Well, I have always been a bit of a fashion trend setter amongst my friends!” The image of all of us wearing bikini tops on our heads in the middle of a Midwest winter made us laugh, but only a few days earlier, we were really anxious and scared for her.

Last week, Eileen came to our house and told us that her throat was tingling. She thought she was having an allergic reaction to something she ate. My husband took her to an urgent care clinic. At the clinic, the tingly feeling was moving down into her chest, so the doctor performed an EKG. The electrocardiogram looked a little abnormal and her blood pressure was really high, so the clinic staff gave her some aspirin, nitroglycerin, and called an ambulance to take her to the hospital.

At the hospital the tingling sensation went away, but she kept having episodes of very high blood pressure. Over several days, the doctors ordered a cardiac MRI, stress test, cardiac catheterization, and some other tests. Eileen had previously undergone a stent procedure to open up a blockage, but the doctors determined that she would need a quadruple bypass and an aortic heart valve repair/replacement.

Last Friday she went into surgery. Eileen isn't just my mother-in-law, she is my very dear friend, so when the doctor came to tell us it was over and that she had done well, I was so relieved that I wanted to cry. Eileen still has a long road to a full recovery, but I have confidence that she is a strong lady and will do well.

If you or a loved one are suffering from heart disease, you may find these additional resources helpful:

P.S. I'd like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of the Northeast Methodist Hospital in San Antonio for taking good care of Eileen. Also, a big shout out to Eileen's posse, the Wild Bunch. Y'all are the funniest, rowdiest bunch of gals I've ever met, and you have all been wonderful friends to Eileen. Thank-you for your support during this time. Beading party at my house when Eileen is feeling up to it!

| Post a Comment | View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cardiac_bypass   ginger   heart_disease  

 

Entry bubble Saving Money on Home Heating

By: Jess | November 05, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

FurnaceWe've already changed the clocks and soon that winter chill is going to start creeping into the air (unless maybe you live in Florida, in which case, I'm a little jealous).

Winter usually means a spike in the cost of your energy bills from having to run the heat. But if you're looking to keep costs low this year, and really who isn't, the Federal Trade Commission's Weathering the High Cost of Heating Your Home offers several tips that will help you save money this winter.

Check out some of the suggestions:

  • Check drafty areas of the house (like the attic and basement) to be sure they are properly insulated to not let heat escape.
  • Look into installing a programmable thermostat that can keep your home at a cooler temperature when you're not there, and turn it up an hour before you get home.
  • Vaccum air vents, heaters and radiators regularly to prevent blocked airflow.
  • Seal any flues in your fireplace if you don't use it.
  • Close the doors to rooms that don't get used frequently.

What are your best tips for saving money on heating costs in the winter? Share them in the comments.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: heating   jess   money   savings  

 

Entry bubble National Christmas Tree Lighting Lottery

By: Colleen | November 04, 2009 | Category: Fun

I was in the drugstore two days before Halloween and I was greeted by the melodies of Christmas carols and the shelves were jam packed with holiday merchandise.tree

Once again, Thanksgiving gets the shaft.

Since everyone else is jumping the gun and springing right to the holidays, we here at GovGab are going to follow suit.

The 2009 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Thursday, Decemer 3rd. The ceremony includes not only the lighting of the National Christmas Tree, but music from the U.S. Marine Corps Band and 56 (one for each state, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia) other smaller trees arranged in a "pathway to peace."

To attend you must enter a ticket lottery- but hurry! You can only apply from November 4th through November 6th!

In preparation for the holidays, remember to be safe.  Check out some tips HERE.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: christmas   holidays   national_christmas_tree   safety  

 

Entry bubble Election Day 2009

By: Joanne | November 03, 2009 | Category: General

voteHey – Election Day is here again. Did you vote yet? Since you’re a GovGab reader I know that you are highly intelligent, and I bet you’re planning to get out to the polls today. I’m going to vote during my lunch break today. I always look forward to voting; I don’t want to leave these important decisions up to everyone else.

Even though we’re not electing a president this year, there are still many important elected offices up for grabs this year. Depending on where you live, there may be judges, representatives, and all sorts of local officials on the ballot. These people will make a difference in your everyday life and community, so don’t miss the opportunity to cast your vote. If you’re not sure what offices are on the ballot in your community, your state election office will have that information.

So get out to your polling place today and vote!

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: elected   election   official   polling   vote  

 

Entry bubble Comment on Polar Bear Habitat Proposal

By: Jake | November 02, 2009 | Category: General

A Mother Polar Bear and her cubsHave you ever seen the Planet Earth series? It was a recent BBC documentary that explored various ecosystems and animals around the world. One of the scenes that sticks out in my mind is one where a starving polar bear tries unsuccessfully to eat a walrus.

I'd been thinking about that scene last week when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced a proposal to designate a critical habitat for the polar bear. The total area proposed for designation would cover approximately 200,541 square miles entirely within the lands and waters of the United States. 

This is the largest critical habitat area ever proposed by the FWS under the Endangered Species Act, though approximately 93 percent of the area is sea ice. It's mostly ice because the polar bear, which has been protected under the Endangered Species Act since May 2008, lives year-round on sea ice. 

There is concern about the critical habitat's impact on oil and gas development. This is why the FWS has set up a 60-day public comment period to get feedback from the public. You can read all the legislation and comment on the proposal.

What do you think of the FWS's  proposal for a polar bear critical habitat?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: habitat   polar_bear   proposed  

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