Showing posts with label challenge. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Hidden Brain Injury a Challenge for Military Doctors MedlinePlus

Hidden Brain Injury a Challenge for Military Doctors: MedlinePlus

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Hidden Brain Injury a Challenge for Military Doctors

Potentially fatal damage from blasts doesnt always show on scans, study says

By Robert Preidt

Friday, June 10, 2016

FRIDAY, June 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Soldiers who survive explosive blasts may suffer from a distinctive pattern of "hidden" brain injury, a small study finds.

"Blast-related brain injuries are the signature injury of modern military conflicts," said study senior author Dr. Daniel Perl, of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, in Bethesda, Md.

"Although routine imaging for blast-related traumatic brain injury often shows no brain abnormalities, soldiers frequently report debilitating neuropsychiatric symptoms such as headaches, sleep disturbance, memory problems, erratic behavior and depression, suggesting structural damage to the brain," he explained.

"Because the underlying pathophysiology is unknown, we have difficulty diagnosing and treating these invisible wounds, " Perl said.

For the study, researchers analyzed the brain tissue of eight U.S. military personnel who survived blasts but died four to nine days later from their injuries or other causes.

The pattern of damage in their brains was different from that seen in civilians with head injuries caused by contact sports, traffic crashes or prescription painkiller abuse, the researchers said.

However, the study authors noted that they lacked information about the soldiers medical history. They said further research is needed to learn more about how high-explosive blasts from weapons such as grenades, mortars and improvised explosive devices affect the brain.

The study results were published June 9 in The Lancet Neurology.

More than 300,000 U.S. military personnel in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts have suffered traumatic brain injury from explosive blasts. The long-term effects of hidden brain injuries in these patients is a growing concern, according to the researchers.

"As exposure to blast shockwaves increases among soldiers and civilians in war zones, we need to further study these patterns, and compare them with soldiers medical history in order to build a better understanding of the neuropathology of traumatic brain injury," Perl said in a journal news release.

Further work is needed to confirm the results, but the study draws attention to the need for increased research into blast-associated brain injury, agreed Dr. William Stewart, of the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and Dr. Douglas Smith, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Both brain injury experts authored an editorial accompanying the study.

SOURCE: The Lancet Neurology, news release, June 9, 2016

HealthDay

News stories are provided by HealthDay and do not reflect the views of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or federal policy.

More Health News on:: Traumatic Brain Injury; Veterans and Military Health

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Pet Blogger Challenge today

1. When did you begin your blog? I began my blog on April 1, 2010 - the date I seriously began my search for the puppy who will hopefully become my next service dog.

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog? to journal my experiences with getting, raising and training my next puppy (service dog candidate) to the point of public access

3. Is your current purpose the same? no, not completely

If not, what’s different? I am still using this as a journal of our experiences but understand that it can also help others who are considering getting a puppy in hopes of training him/her as a service dog. Ive also considered that there might be some articles here or possibly the beginnings of a book and/or training DVD.

4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you? I blog when I have something to talk about - so as the spirit moves me

If the former, how often — and what techniques do you use to stick to it?

If the latter, do you worry about… well, whatever you might worry about (e.g. losing traffic, losing momentum)?no, Im not worried about losing traffic or momentum or anything else.

5. Are you generating income from your blog? no

If so, how (e.g. sponsor ads, affiliate relationships, spokesperson opportunities)?

If not currently, do you hope to in the future — and how? no, I havent considered that possibility.

6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)? I like taking the time to review what is going on with Laurel, my service dog and Hardy, my now 9 month old service dog in training and then taking the time to reflect on things, describe where we are and where Im hoping were headed. I love having my blog, complete with photos, to look back at the past 7 months with my brown boy - our summer in Canada, our trips, his relationship with Laurel etc.

7. What do you like least? I dont like the gaps that have occurred during the holidays or when things were busy or not going well and I didnt have or take the time to write.

8. How do you see your blog changing/growing in 2011? I anticipate that Hardy will achieve public access status during 2011 and plan to change the blog or create a new one to cover From Public Access to Full Service (Dog)

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March Recap and April Challenge Oops Im Late

Not the pregnant kind of late. I realized last week that I never did a March recap and I also havent posted my April challenge. Bad blogger!

In March, I tried to focus on healthier eating and specifically, cooking at home. We definitely did a LOT better, but still not anywhere near acceptable. I havent quite worked out the kinks of stocking a fridge and eating it all.

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Even with a meal plan, Im stumped. Ive switched from stocking the fridge up all the way to just going week by week... maybe two weeks with one grocery trip. But more often than not we wont have a plan for dinner and instead of making do well opt to grab town food.

This does not help my quest for health, my waistline OR the pocketbook. You know what Im saying?

I do feel that we are transitioning. A few nights Bryan and I didnt have a plan for dinner and he quickly defrosted some of the frozen hamburger patties or taco meat that I had previously made. With the leftovers from that, plus cooking fresh meals, we ate at home a lot more often. However, until the scale has tipped to eating at home every night and eating town food rarely, I wont consider it a win. Habits still need to be adjusted and formed.

Which brings us to April. All this month I will be working on my stress levels and how to relax, how to cope and how to survive my anxiety and work through it. Ive been really stressed out because we have a lot coming up. There is just so much on my plate and Ive freaked out a few times on Bryan because it seems impossible to do everything. I need to channel my stress and focus on the tasks at hand. Not just bombard my brain with all the lists of things that need to be accomplished.

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This is going to be hard. Most people have no idea because Im pretty good at living with stress. Living with stress and COPING with stress are two different things. Most of the time I just stuff everything stressful way down deep in my soul and it explodes into a huge debilitating migraine. Im tired of feeling bounded by stress. Im ready to break through it.

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How am I going to do it? So far I have been breathing deeply throughout the day. Ive been stretching on my breaks and taking quick walks outside when I need to clear my head. Shepherd has learned how to "dance" so Ive been dancing with him which is probably the best thing in the world. Ive been going to bed on time and waking up earlier.

Ive downloaded the Couch to 5k app, because I really want to start running. I feel like by training myself to run I will be able to clear my mind, have a sense of freedom and give my body the activity it crazy in one fell swoop.

Of course, I have no desire to run in any kind of marathon, but the concept of getting off the couch and running is what I need. Attending the conference and planning Shepherds birthday has really messed up my workout schedule, so Ill be hitting it hard the next two weeks. I have a lot of make up for in the losing weight front but since Im entering a very busy stage of life its a better time than any to start!

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February Challenge Howd I do

Februarys challenge was to start on the road of health and fitness! February was a short, fast month and while I could have done more, I am so happy with what I have done. I find that for everyone who begins to veer towards a healthy lifestyle, they kind of drag their feet at first. There may be some internal whining. A whole lot of being too tired to go to the gym... rewarding themselves with something high fat (like a milkshake?) after a long day.

Or maybe that is just me.

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Slowly, I start to make changes. It helps me to ease one healthy thing at a time instead of just suddenly changing my entire life. My anxiety doesnt allow for that. Here are a few things I did to start being healthier.

-Moved sodas to weekends only and being more selective about getting a soda when we eat out for dinner.

-Drinking more water. A LOT more water. I forget all the time, so my co-workers yell at me to drink water. I love them.

-Replacing "normal" meals with a veggie-loaded salad with healthy dressing. I had moments where I literally hates salads, but I start eating them and Im like this is soooooo yummy!!! Im weird.

-Eating salads with every meal and eating the salad first.

-Switching my coffees to non-fat; working on having less coffees. Ive switched back to the 200 calorie Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccinos, which I keep in my fridge.

-Remembering to move around at work. I make sure I take time to go for short walks around campus to move my body.

-Being more active at home. This means either cleaning when I get home, going for a walk, roughhousing with Shepherd, cooking. Basically, having less sit and relax couch time.

-Getting to the gym or outdoors more. Ive gone to the gym more, have played basketball in our cul-de-sac with my family and just by myself. Catching my own rebounds is hard work, yall!

-Smaller plates, smaller meals. Often times at home, Ill just use a salad plate to put my food on. Its smaller so the portions seem huge but theyre really not. Also, when we go out. Ill separate what I want to eat and what I want to save for the next days lunch - and I ONLY order things I can break up into two meals. My portions get smaller and smaller as my stomach shrinks.

You all know that I am not into crash diets and weight loss, just like weight gain, is a journey. I want to take care of my body, treat it right so that I live right. Bryan and I were talking about all the hikes and trails we want to do during our upcoming vacation in Hawaii and I couldnt help but think what if I cant do them? The negative self talk came in. "Im big and out of shape. Maybe I shouldnt try to do those kinds of hikes."

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It made me so sad to think that the extra weight I am carrying is really limiting me and the things I want to do in life. No way. I dont care what stage Im at in Hawaii, Im doing those hikes. My extra fat is not going to define my activities. I do what I want.

In all, Im happy with my progress and even more happy with my mindset. Cheekbones, Im coming for ya!

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Commenting Challenge Day 2

Thank you for all of the sweet comments and new followers that have came over from the commenting challenge at Jennas Journey! I have also loved finding some of your blogs too :)

Today the topic is ..Tell us about your blog. What do you blog about? Why do you blog? How did you start blogging? What kinds of things do you/are you willing to share with the world? Where do you find your topic inspiration?

I started blogging when I was pregnant with my 1st Son, Brody Luke. I wanted to blog about my pregnancy so I would remember things and I used it to document. I then kept it like a baby book to be able to look back about Brody and things he would do, and what he was like at certain ages. I really only blogged for myself and then for my family! I still blog mostly about my little family and alot about my boys! I do love to blog but with two boys I dont get to as much as I would like. I still like doing it now with my2nd child to be able to look back like a baby book for him as well. I have already referred back to when Brody was Hudsons age and been able to do some quick comparsions. I m willing to share alot with the world but not too much. I find my inspiration from my sweet boys, I love blogging about them!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!!

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FXB Week 10 Challenge Complete

Well. I did it.

10 weeks.

13 T25 workouts.

27 kickboxing classes.

13 upper body workouts.

13 lower body workouts.

93% attendance to FXB classes (blasted travel).

Exercised 97% of days (missed 2 Sundays).

And what did all of that get me?

Lost pounds. Lost inches.

Arms that look scary strong and draw comments every. single. day.

Abs you can see from outside my body.

The ability to run around the block - multiple times - and not die.

Oh but its so much more than that.

I can inspire.
I am strong - mentally and physically.
I have confidence like Ive never had before.

I can push myself to previously unimaginable limits.

I experienced total mind & body transformation.

The last 10 weeks have been life changing for me. Wait. The last two years have been life changing for me and these last 10 weeks have just sent me to a place beyond anything I ever dreamed of in terms of how healthy I was capable of looking and feeling.

Carrie Beckort, thank you for blogging your Journey to FIT in such a compelling way that I felt I had no other option but to give it a try myself. Any other answer was just an excuse.

I never knew exercise could be so fun and rewarding. Its these people. My classmates, our coaches (Milo and Kevin called out in the pic), the instructors. Its just so. freaking. awesome.

Its this gal. Erika. Shes got her eye on me. Her workout depends on my workout and I dont want to let her down. Love her.

Even the rest of our gym family noticed that Erika and I always work out together. We even won an award because of it - the Dynamic Duo!

Now to cut through some of that cheese and actually share the bottom line which I know youre dying to see.

Unbelievable the pounds and inches that came off. My official total is now 100 pounds lost (95 pounds on Weight Watcher + 5 pounds on FXB) and 75 inches lost (63 on Weight Watchers and 12.25 on FXB). ONE HUNDRED POUNDS. SEVENTY-FIVE INCHES. Wow.

Crazy to way more than double my push ups.

Doubled my sit ups. Gawd, I hate sit ups. Clearly. Its my tailbone!! I have the biggest, most protrusive tailbone in the history of human existence. Sit ups HURT ME people, and not in the good hurt kind of way that exercise is supposed to be! I will say, however, that at the beginning of FXB, I couldnt do one single rowboat. Not one. The instructor would call out rowboats and I would try - so hard - but I just couldnt do it. It hurt too bad and I just wasnt strong enough to "pull myself out" of tailbone. Now, I can do them. They still hurt like hell, but I have strengthened my core enough to do them at about quarter speed to what the instructor is yelling - but Ill take that over zero any day.

Anybody else think this looks like an advertisement for Reebok? Just sayin.

The stat I am most impressed with on the whole sheet?

Hands down, my mile time. I cried at orientation when I finished in 11:30 because I had never completed a mile so fast in my life. I set a goal to finish in under 10 minutes at week 10. I completed the mile in 9 minutes and 21 seconds. Mind. Blown. It wasnt pretty, I was gasping at breath for most of it and I almost puked twice - but thats neither here nor there.

And last, but certainly not least, the before/after pictures. (Oh-my-gawd-take-a-deep-breath-and-hit-publish-before-I-lose-my-nerve.)

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The Third Annual Commenting Challenge About Me

Today I am linking up with Jennas Journey this week for her 3rd annual commenting challenge, so much fun! Each day she is going to have a new topic for you to talk about, go check it out! Todays topic is: All About Me.

Hey Yall! My Name is Lea and I am 24 years old and live in KY. I have been married for 4 1/2 years to my wonderful Husband, Timmy. We have two precious little boys Brody Luke ( 3) and Hudson Trent (4 months) whom are my world!I am blessed to be able to stay at home with my boys and I love every minute of it. While busy at home with my two boys I am also finishing up my degree (online) in Business Administration Management and I will be so glad to have that accomplishment. I have also recently becamse a 31 consultant and I love it! I love all things pink and monogrammed! I have th emost wonderful parents and family anyone could ask for. I am so thankful and truly blessed for all the blessings I have been blessed with!! I count my blessings each and every day!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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I have the cutest kids on the face of the planet I dare you to challenge me on this fact

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Random Morning Blurbs August Challenge!

Im trying this new thing where I get up early. Its nice and quiet in the house and I have a few moments to think and just...be still.

I woke up early on Monday and went for a walk. I felt great all day! Then, on Monday night we walked to our local drugstore because Bryan wanted cookies. I also had my first online class for my program so it was a really long day.

Yesterday, I couldnt get out of bed. I just didnt have it in me to go for a walk, so I just got up early and started to curl my hair. Because... Why not? I figure, even if I dont get up to work out early, just getting up early extends my day and burns more calories. Winning.

School is gearing up again and I have a lot of last minute work to do. I cant believe how fast the summer passed. Probably because I was gone most of June.

Speaking of June... Did I ever post my Hawaii pictures? I honestly dont have any idea. I think I did. Maybe I didnt. Ill have to research that. I know I dont have very many. Maybe I should ask Bryan to do a guest post with all of his pictures from his computer. That would save me from having to actually rehash the trip and load images. Diabolical.

HEY! Speaking of things on the blog, I havent done my August challenge. Lets just pretend that I had June and July challenges and that I did beautifully. Thank you.

August challenge is waking up early! Ya know...since Im doing it anyway. Its not cheating its winning strategically.

Yes. The challenge it so wake up early. There are no set parameters on what to do with said time. Just do something. Read a book, watch a show, workout, write on my blog or write in my journal. Just have a few moments in the day that are just mine before the baby wakes up or Bryan rolls out of bed.

The quiet is nice. Right now the only sounds I hear are my fingers tapping on the laptop and the whirring of the fan in the computer. Even the dogs who are prowling around in the backyard are silent.

There is beauty in the stillness before a day starts. The only thing that could make it better is if I could hear birds chirping and I had a cup of coffee in my hand.

Coffee makes everything better.

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March Challenge Food Matters

Since my focus has shifted back to getting healthy and losing weight (and lets not forget, looking sexy for Hawaii!) I decided that during March I need to work on the food I consume and where it comes from.

I believe that above all else when it comes to health, food is the most important thing. It took me a long time to actually realize that just like a car, my body needs fuel. While Im not a mechanic and I have never seen a noticeable difference between choosing fuel from a mom-and-pop gas station and Chevron, I hear that the more expensive stuff is easier on your engine and lasts longer. Ive even heard that some off-brand fuel places have watered down gas.

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I cannot speak to the truth of that so dont hold me to it. You can hold me to this though: eating junk and fast food all the time is giving your body watered-down fuel. Plain and simple. Your body needs a balance of carbs, proteins, dairy, veggies, water, etc to run efficiently.

The one thing I noticed when I was losing weight in 2012 was that my body felt and behaved differently. I had more energy. I slept better. I was happier. I had less depression and less anxiety. My body creaked less. My skin looked more radiant. My body was thriving on the better fuel it was receiving.

Every time Im about to eat I look at my plate and I quickly identify what is nutritional before I eat it. It doesnt matter if Im eating at McDonalds or at home, I take a moment to really see what Im putting into my body. If I dont see much on my plate that is of nutritional value, I know that the next meal must be different. Even when choosing a meal from a menu Im looking for ingredients that are healthy and that will properly fuel my body.

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Chances are I wont pick a pasta or a high calorie/fat food because I know its not what my body needs. Sure, there are times where I splurge. Whats life without a little pasta? Last week we had take out from an Italian joint who makes the best Scarface on the planet. I grabbed a small plate, portioned a little out and had a salad with it. It was a balanced meal even though it was a bit naughty because of the alfredo sauce.

This morning I had a fancy coffee which meets my caffeine allowance for the day and one of my dairy equivalents but then I had half of a muffin. Its a almond poppy-seed muffin so there is a small amount of nutritional value. That was not a great meal. My body is probably not super happy with it. However, I havent had a muffin in a while, so its a small splurge for me and means Ill have to have a really healthy lunch and dinner. Its all about balance. I may not eat perfect meals all the time but I eat them most of the time, which makes a huge difference!

A huge stumbling block in my quest for health and cheekbones is that I dont cook enough. Bryan and I like to go out and often times we will go out to eat as a way of getting out of the house. Which is fine when its once or twice a week.Last week we cooked at home once. ONCE. This is just so wrong on so many levels and I knew we needed a big change.

On Friday night while Bryan was at his gig, I planned our meals based around sales and got my list all ready. Saturday morning I hit two grocery stores ready to stock up on veggies and meat. I tried really hard to stay out of the middle of the store. Ground beef and drumsticks were on sale so I stocked up. When I got home, I made two and a half lasagnas, six regular hamburger patties and five stuffed hamburger patties (with onions, monterey jack cheese and blue cheese crumbles, divine!). I froze all of that except for the half pan of lasagna.

On Sunday we had the lasagna and the leftovers were eaten on Monday with a salad.

Tuesday I wasnt feeling well and we got a late start so Bryan grabbed us Carls Jr. (I ate less than half of my burger and only two criss-cut fries and I was stuffed.) I made three and a half pounds of taco meat, froze two portions, made five salads with three packed in mason jars (with some taco meat) for my lunch for the rest of the week and made a corn salsa to drive home the southwest salad vibe.

Wednesday Bryan took a pan of lasagna and a loaded salad to a friend who just had a baby and we had tacos for dinner. I grilled twelve drumsticks and froze eight of them for future meals. Yesterday we had the drumsticks for dinner along with (you guessed it!) a salad!

In the freezer we have one pan of lasagna, two bags of taco meat, eight drumsticks, one bag of taco soup and one of chicken soup, shredded/sliced chicken for fajitas/salads/sandwiches and a few other things I cant think of at the moment.

In future weeks, Ill incorporate one or two frozen meals into our rotation (depending on if there is enough leftovers with that particular frozen item) and keep adding new foods to freeze.

This will not only save us a ton of money, but we will be eating healthier foods. It takes twenty-eight days to change a habit. March is the perfect month to start getting my cook on at home!

Looking for meal inspiration? Try these recipes:

Embrace the Crazys recipes:

Crock Pot Taco Soup

My Moms Co-workers Taco Soup (stove version)

Pinterest Recipes:

Mini Meatloaf (oven)
Make a huge batch, cook then freeze for easy meals later!

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mini german pancakes (oven)

These arent quite healthy for you but they are SO DELICIOUS and reheat well in a toaster oven. Not sure they would be good frozen cause Ive never tried it.

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Southwest Chicken Packets (grill)

We love doing foil packets with chicken or fish with lemon, garlic and butter. These is a great way to spice it up a bit! I bet this chicken would be delicious on a southwest salad! Im gonna have to try it.

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Lemon Garlic (whole) Chicken (crockpot)

Ive done this. Its amazing. I cut slices from the breast and used the thighs/legs as meals, then I pick all the extra chicken off and use for salads. So yummy!

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Tuesday, November 29, 2016