Thoughtfully Blended Hearts: 01/01/2010

Saturday, January 30, 2010

A Winter Wonderland…and Snow People Too…

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Birthday Week for Mary @ Dear Little Red House

This is Mary’s birthday week, please visit her at Dear Little Red House and leave some love!!!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Getting A Good Night’s Sleep…part two…

I blogged about sleep apnea yesterday (please read the first post before this one) and today I’m continuing with more information about it. I covered the symptoms and some causes of sleep apnea so now I’ll write about the treatment.

I knew that I had sleep apnea because I often would wake up struggling to breathe. Some people don’t awaken when they quit breathing and the body automatically sends a message to the brain that it needs to breathe…NOW…

Every blog post needs flowers…

According to the Mayo Clinic…

Sleep apnea is considered a serious medical condition. Complications may include:

Cardiovascular problems. Sudden drops in blood oxygen levels that occur during sleep apnea increase blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, your risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) can be up to two to three times greater than if you don't. The more severe your sleep apnea, the greater the risk of high blood pressure. If there's underlying heart disease, these multiple episodes of low blood oxygen (hypoxia or hypoxemia) can lead to sudden death from a cardiac event.

In contrast, central sleep apnea usually is the result, rather than the cause, of heart disease.

Obstructive sleep apnea also increases the risk of stroke, regardless of whether you have high blood pressure.

To get the help you need --if you think you have sleep apnea--talk to your doctor or dentist. They should be able to refer you to a sleep clinic or a doctor who specializes in sleep problems. Educate yourself!!! Ten years ago when I started seeking help for my sleep problem I went to at least five different kinds of doctors to get my diagnosis and treatment. Each one of the doctors agreed that I had apnea but had no way of referring me to a sleep clinic. In one case I couldn’t get the sleep clinic to return my call to schedule a sleep study. This past summer I had my second sleep study and my nurse practitioner scheduled everything without any problems. Things have certainly gotten a lot easier in a decade. Be your own advocate if you think you have apnea in order to get the help you need.

Sleep-deprived partners. Loud snoring can keep those around you from getting good rest and eventually disrupt your relationships. It's not uncommon for a partner to go to another room, or even on another floor of the house, to be able to sleep. Many bed partners of people who snore are sleep deprived as well. (Mayo Clinic)

The CPAP…Mayo Clinic…

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). If you have moderate to severe sleep apnea, you may benefit from a machine that delivers air pressure through a mask placed over your nose while you sleep. With CPAP (SEE-pap), the air pressure is somewhat greater than that of the surrounding air, and is just enough to keep your upper airway passages open, preventing apnea and snoring.

Although CPAP is a preferred method of treating sleep apnea, some people find it cumbersome or uncomfortable. With some practice, most people learn to adjust the tension of the straps to obtain a comfortable and secure fit. You may need to try more than one type of mask to find one that's comfortable. Some people benefit from also using a humidifier along with their CPAP system.

Don't just stop using the CPAP machine if you experience problems. Check with your doctor to see what modifications can be made to make you more comfortable. Additionally, contact your doctor if you are still snoring despite treatment or begin snoring again. If your weight changes, the pressure settings may need to be adjusted.

The CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) is very quiet…mine has a water reservoir that humidifies the air that I breathe…

This is the mask…

The hoses swivel …while the mask stays in place …

The inside of my facial mask…it just fits around my nose…

Thursday, January 21, 2010

2010

I’ve tried to not post about politics but this video is so good, I feel that I have to post it…I saw it on a blog …

Pedaling Fast and Trying to Keep Up… She has a lovely blog!!!

Get a Good Night’s Sleep…

When reading blogs you often get a glimpse into the lives of people that you’ve never met and recently I was alarmed when I saw comments by a blogger that strongly suggested that she probably had sleep apnea. The reason I was alarmed is because I know the dangers of being sleep deprived as a result of sleep apnea. The stereotype of a sleep-apnea affected person is that of an overweight older man…stereotypes lie…

CAUTION…PHOTOS DO NOT ALWAYS REPRESENT WRITING :-) They’re just for some eye candy…

Anyone can have sleep apnea, even your child, childhood sleep apnea is a growing concern for parents and I’m sure that I had apnea as a very young child. Snoring is an obvious sympton. The sympton that I have vivid recollections of is nightmares. Nightmares plagued my childhood and they were vivid and frightening. I remember awakening and screaming quite often .

Sleep Apnea is probably the real reason all of photos of me are a bit ~~very~~ goofy!!!

The bad news is…I still have nightmares…not as frequent or as vivid…but I do have them. They are especially prevalent when I’m having sinus problems and can’t use my c-pap machine. The c-pap machine is considered the gold standard of treating sleep apnea. There are various surgeries that are available and often necessary for some individuals. I prefer to avoid any surgery unless I absolutely have no other alternative. Using a c-pap successfully is all about wanting to be successful.

Here is a simple list of symptoms of sleep apnea…

Loud and frequent snoring
Periods of not breathing during sleep
Snorting, gasping or choking during sleep
Need to urinate during the night
High blood pressure
Morning headaches
Awakening tired in the morning
Daytime or evening lethargy
GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease)
Drowsy driving, limited attention, memory loss and poor judgment
Personality changes
Weight gain, severe leg swelling, body mass index of 25 or more
Hyperactive behavior, especially in children
Decreased size of airways and large neck.

I’m going to concentrate on sleep apnea in women, since most of our readers are women. The things that affect your chances of having sleep apnea often cannot be controlled, such as your heredity.

The following information is taken from WebM.D.

Factors that you cannot change and that may make it more likely you will have sleep apnea include:

Aging. Sleep apnea is most common in people age 30 and older.
Male gender. Sleep apnea is more common in men. Some studies have indicated that about 2 to 3 times more men than women have sleep apnea, and sleep laboratories report that 5 or 6 times more men than women have the disease.
Family history. If other members of your family have sleep apnea, you are more likely to get the disease than someone who does not have a family history of the disease.
Ethnicity. Blacks, Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders have a greater risk of sleep apnea than white people. Blacks get sleep apnea at a younger age than whites.
Deformities of the spine. Deformities of the spine, such as scoliosis, may interfere with breathing and contribute to sleep apnea.
Conditions that may cause head and face (craniofacial) abnormalities. Conditions such as Marfan's syndrome and Down syndrome may result in craniofacial abnormalities and increase the risk for sleep apnea.
Menopause. Recent studies indicate that sleep apnea occurs more often in women who have been through menopause than in women who have not. After menopause, women get sleep apnea at a rate similar to men. Experts do not know why or how menopause increases the risk of sleep apnea.

There are also conditions that we, as women, can change…

Obesity. About 70% of people who have sleep apnea are obese. Obesity is the factor most likely to lead to sleep apnea.
Neck circumference. People who are overweight may have extra tissue around their neck, adding to their risk for sleep apnea. The risk increases for a man whose neck measures more than 17 inches around and for a woman whose neck measures more than 16 inches around.
Enlarged tissues of the nose, mouth, or throat. Enlarged tissues in the nose, mouth, or throat can cause narrowing or blockage of the airway while you sleep, making sleep apnea more likely. Surgery can sometimes correct the blockage and improve sleep apnea.
Bone deformities. Bone deformities of the nose, mouth, or throat can interfere with breathing, causing sleep apnea. Some people who have sleep apnea have a small, receding jaw. Surgery can sometimes correct these deformities and improve sleep apnea.
Use of alcohol or medicine. Drinking alcohol or taking certain medicines before going to sleep can increase the risk for sleep apnea. These include sleeping pills and sedatives.
Sleeping on your back and using pillows. Sleeping on your back and using one or more pillows may make sleep apnea symptoms worse.
Smoking. Smoking can increase your risk for sleep apnea, because the nicotine that is in tobacco relaxes the muscles that keep the airways open.
Poor sleep habits. Going to bed in different places or waking up at different times may increase your risk for sleep apnea.
Disorders of the hormone (endocrine) system. Disorders of the endocrine system (such as hypothyroidism and acromegaly) may increase your risk for sleep apnea.

I’ll continue this tomorrow…

Monday, January 18, 2010

A Little Architecture and some glassware…

A door in DC…

A street light…

A bit different type of architecture…stunning…

My favorite color is cobalt blue…it’s stunning on this building!!!

I also like blue in any shape, form or fashion…

….well glass is sorta “architectural”, isn’t it????

….okay, I’m just going through photos and not sticking to any theme…just enjoy!!!

Please visit Tam at Gypsy’s Corner today!!!

My True Confession…

I have nothing to blog about…

dull as tree bark…

…as boring as blue skies…

…as empty as a corn cob that the squirrels devoured already…

as grey as January skies…

…as forlorn as a fuzzy puppy with nothing good to chase…

….as disappointing as our “big” snow of the season…(look real closely on the evergreen")…

Believing that “It will all be back soon”…

Happy Days to Everyone…

Mary at Little Red House has lots of bloggers who have “something” to post!!!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

My Surprise Birthday Party…

Beautiful and yummy cupcakes with pink sprinkles!!! Be still my heart…

This is me and my beautiful cousin, Donna, who I hadn’t seen in about eight years…what a surprise!!!

Engaged in some “deep” conversation…

Donna and Bill live in Mississippi…

This is Jackie and Lou and some photos of their home…they were at the party…

My daughter planned and hosted the surprise party at her home and nobody told me anything about it!!! How’s that for a bunch of “secret keepers”…it was a wonderful surprise and I enjoyed every moment !!! Thank you Lindsey, Michael, Justin, Donna, Bill, Jackie and Lou!!!

Please visit Mary at Dear Little Red House for more Monday Mosaics!!!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Finding Beauty…

Claudia at Dipityroad has a new meme…Friday—Finding Beauty…visit to see her beautiful blog and the participants beauty!!!

Beauty, we all see it differently, these are a few of my images of beauty…

A beautiful Military family who are devoting their lives to protecting all of us…

Praying for our Military and our country by Michael and others at a Troop Rally…

The animals that surround me…

My family and friends…

Thursday, January 7, 2010

I ♥ Faces

The blog I heart faces is having it’s first birthday…they’re celebrating by hosting a contest.

“I am submitting these photos into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.” Thoughtfully Blended Hearts ©

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

A good chance…

This post is here in its entirety!!!

Support Scott Brown for Senate,

Even if You Don't Live in Massachusetts.

Scott Brown's race for Teddy Kennedy's Senate seat is our best hope of defeating the Obamacare takeover of the economy, without resorting to state nullification and/or a court battle regarding constitutionality. Electing him takes away the 60 vote supermajority enjoyed by the Democrats. They will only have 59 votes.
You don't live in Massachusetts? No problem. You can still contribute to his campaign. You can make phone calls for him. You can talk about him on Twitter (@ScottBrownMA) and on your blog.

THIS IS THE BATTLE WE NEED TO FIGHT TODAY. ALL OF YOU'ALL WHO TALK ABOUT FIGHTING, HERE IS YOUR CHANCE. SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT! The special election in January 19th. Today is January 6th. That gives us exactly 12 campaigning days to push this man to victory. Help, help, help!

You can do your part right now. Brown’s campaign site is here. His donation page is here. There’s a grass-roots “moneybomb” fundraiser for Brown on January 11.

Fight the SEIU and Demcare corruption. Help do the job the national GOP fund-raising organizations won’t do. With two weeks until the special election date in Massachusetts, there isn’t a moment to waste.