Tuesday and Wednesday we climbed at the Motherlode again – I am drawn to return to this phenomenal formation, despite the fact that I’m not very good at the steep, continuous climbing there. The weather has warmed up to near-perfect fall conditions, and I’m excited by the prospect of traveling for five more weeks.

The walnut tree lurking above our home in Miguel’s Tarpland threatens to crack someone’s skull soon. Walnuts, encased in their tough, fruity packaging, plummet down at random times with breathtaking force to pound into the tarps and tents. It seems almost inevitable that someone’s head will get clocked by one of the near-baseball sized packages at some point, but it hasn’t happened yet.

October 4-8

The crowds started to roll in on Thursday and continued to pour in over the course of the day on Friday. This past weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving, and Miguel’s overflowed with the tents of our Northern neighbors. We climbed Sunday and Monday, enjoying the company of the remaining weekenders who turned their four-day holiday into a longer vacation.

Monday evening, I chatted at the crowded campfire first with a psychologist from Philadelphia who bore an eerie resemblance to Sigmund Freud. Ironically his climbing partner was by far the most bizarre fellow at the campfire – a fidgety, loud and somewhat crazed-looking guy who drove everyone who sat down next to him to move within five minutes. After the psychologist went to sleep, my newly made Swiss friends, Mark and Ben, sat down for a talk, only to be interrupted by the psychologist’s partner, who began to loudly and excitedly reminisce with another person about G.I. Joe cartoons, complete with an off-key theme-song rendition.

“Are you going to go back to Switzerland and tell all of your friends about the sophisticated conversations around American campfires?” I quietly asked Ben, as the guy across from us continued to assail people with vivid descriptions of various G.I. Joe action figures.

“Ja, ja,” Ben choked out before he burst into a long fit of laughter. “This is true.”

Annie, a climber here from Quebec, told us that the French speakers refer to us in such instances with scorn as “Les ’Ricans.” At times like this, I can’t really blame the Euros for finding us a tad – or maybe more than a tad – “unrefined,” as a woman climber from Germany put it to me once.

October 9

Today is the final rest day here in Kentucky – we plan to climb for the next three days and then to drive to the New River Gorge in West Virginia to set up camp at Roger’s, the Miguel’s of the New. Hopefully the weather will hold…

October 10, 2001

Tonight I was embarrassed to witness yet another “stupid American” incident. My friend Brian from Canada, whose parents are from India, fielded a series of inane questions at the fire, starting with, “What are you, anyway?”

“Canadian,” he said.

After finally establishing his Indian heritage, the original asker of this line of questioning persisted to ask, “So are you a Canadian Indian or an Indian Canadian?” and “Is Bangkok in India?”

Thank God that Brian has a really good sense of humor and could laugh about it later. Nonetheless I was again put out by yet another example of American ignorance. It brings home even harder the reasons why other nations dislike or even despise this country – as a whole, we lack knowledge, awareness and sensitivity to others’ cultural and religious differences.

to be continued…

A teenaged boy recently told me, “Thoughts about suicide are never far away from people my age. They see it as a solution.” I was startled. We look at young people with age and health on their side and wonder how they can be depressed to the point of atempting suicide.

Suicide can be the extreme outcome of a person feeling useless and helpless against the onslaught of life. Not all depressed teens attempt suicide, but many of them consider it. How can we build optimism and coping skills into our teenagers?

Be in touch with your teen’s ups and downs. Know the signs of depression:Hope for Teens(Really excellent site!)Depression is often anger that has gone underground. Help your child to manage anger appropriately:Quench The Embers of AngerYou may not be an expert on all teenagers, but you have known your child from birth. You observe his temperament, his moods, his responses. You have the first opportunity to recognize warning signs and help him cope with problems.

I am not a mental health expert. But as a minister’s wife, I have an opportunity to observe the inner workings of many families. My husband and I counsel families about everything from marital problems to child-rearing and job seeking. As an alert observer, I can report trends.

Sometimes, teen hormone swings are affecting kids. They need to recognize that moodiness will pass, and brighter days are ahead. More serious and longer lasting depression can be a result of chemical inbalance. Only a physician can help you rule out physical causes. If you suspect that your teen is clinically depressed, consult a medical health expert. But parents should also examine their home climate.

Depressed parents create depressed kids. Your children naturally adopt your outlook on life. They listen to your interpretation of circumstances. Everyone experiences stress and loss. Some people thrive in spite of severe setbacks, while others become bogged in every minor irritation. Often, the difference relates to the personal belief system of parents.

We can’t stop bad things from happening to our children. Illnes, death and divorce are often beyond our control. Events happen in life that rightly cause us sadness and grief. We can give our kids coping skills as we learn to wield these tools ourselves.

Faith makes a difference! Dig into Scripture. Attend church. Nourish your spiritual self. It’s frightening to feel alone in a nonsensical universe. As a believer in Christ, I’ve found the answer that makes sense. As parents we have a chance to demonstrate that God is involved in every situation. Instead of getting angry or sulky, we can pray. One of my favorite Psalms is, “Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” I would like to paraphrase, “Some trust in counseling, medication, and even their minister; we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” No program for mental health can truly work if dependent upon people and ingenuity alone. I have seen folks get well when they trust the Being who has more resources than they have. God makes a difference! No one takes more care for your mental health and your teenager’s mental health than God. He created you, and you belong to Him. Get to know Him. Then trust Him!

Expand your network. Did your family desert you? Create a new family. I see adults lonely and broken-hearted because of events that happened in their childhoods. They pass this pain on to their children. The world is full of lonely people. Find someone who needs you! Teach your children to need and love others. Are you embedding bad coping techniques in your kids? Do you unwittingly communicate that bitterness and unforgiveness are strengths, that getting even is better than getting angry? This will harm your child. Loving connections are healthy.

Other experiences that can depress young people include the performance pressure they put on themselves. They might be working, playing sports,and trying to earn good grades above and beyond their time and ability. Teens also expect instant gratification. They need to learn to set long-range goals. Small achievements should be cause for celebration.
Also, teens expect a lot from relationships. Crushes can get them down. What adults consider “puppy love” are the end-all and be-all of the teenage life. Parents need to be careful not to trivialize their teen’s feelings, because “the love is real to the puppy.” But we can help our kids to form healthy relationships, to grow and allow others to grow.

Sometimes, investing in the lives of others is a great anti-depressant. Adopt a ministry. Work in a library or soup kitchen. Go to a Crisis Pregnancy Center. Read to Seniors at a nursing home, or to children at a children’s center. Take your teenagers with you. Help them to realize that they are needed. A needed person with a calling has no time to be depressed. Some of the most vibrant individuals I know are senior widow ladies who refuse to be alone just because their mates have passed away and their children have grown up. They mentor others, volunteer in hospitals, and spread love and optimism to everyone they encounter. I have found that teens involved in ministry grow far beyond their personal abilities. They learn to focus on the problems of other folks, and their own concerns sometimes seem to evaporate. See Volunteering with Teens

Say nice things to yourself. God loves you–love yourself! Love your spouse and your children. Saying words of tenderness and affirmation make their day. Try praying scripture. Visualize victory! Psalm 20:4 and 5 say, “May He grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfill all you counsel! We will sing for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.” Have a “banner celebration” to mark progress. Make joy and praise a way of life.

Climbing in the cave at Sinks Canyon today, another climber, Dan, suddenly exclaimed, “Look – an airplane!”

We all stopped and watched the jet soar above us, its sound ripping through the quiet canyon after it was already out of sight.

Brilliant sunlight kept us climbing until dark, when we headed back to Ally’s for the real celebration of my birthday – a raucous gathering of about 15 friends. After playing the craziest game of Scrabble in my life – climbing terms only – we had an all-out jam session in Ally’s living room to the tunes of Eek-A-Mouse and Sublime. Beating on drums, bottles, cans and even barbells, we played late into the night.

“It’s nice to see this room this way,” shouted Dave to me at one point, working to be heard over the cacophony. He was thinking back to Tuesday, when we’d watched the destruction of the WTC in the same place. “It’ll help me to remember it in a better way than how I’ve thought of it since earlier this week.”

Iowa

September 19

Exhausted from our 15-hour drive from Wyoming to Matt’s parents’ place in Iowa, I picked up my email – and read a harrowing first-person account from a friend in high school who was on the scene at the WTC attack. Her former sense of safety and security was yanked away without warning, probably for the rest of her life. Reading her vivid account, I felt almost as if I was with her as she wandered around the streets in a bloodstained lab coat after aiding victims, early in the morning after the attack, unable to get home as the ferries were full of dead bodies.

September 20

Today’s scenery brought with it a startling contrast Wyoming’s windswept, natural landscape, as we drove through cornfields and past silos, bumping down dirt roads until we reached Iowa’s premiere climbing area – Wild Iowa, where Matt learned to climb about four years ago. Short, pocketed limestone cliffs about 30 feet in height with wet finishes and lush vegetation proved entertaining for a couple hours of climbing.

Since we’ve been on the road so much, we’ve missed out on much of the constant media coverage of the WTC attack. After a real dinner – with grilled meats and a ton of fresh salad – we watched television with Matt’s parents. Scenes of daily living in Afghanistan splashed across the scene, and a former aid worker described how mothers feed their children with moldy crusts of bread mushed up with dried, crushed locusts. Sitting there with my full belly, topped off with a shared pint of rich ice cream, I realized that I could never even begin to comprehend what it’s like to live in such a country, under such a regime and in such abject poverty. I hope and pray that whatever the United States decides to do in response to the WTC attack that we won’t respond to evil with greater evil.

Kentucky

September 21

Driving today to the Red River Gorge through the heartland of America, I noticed the abundance of American flags flying – all at half-mast, of course. Here and there, a car drove by with an American flag flapping from its window. At a truck stop, I caught a glimpse of a newspaper headline – “We will meet violence with patient justice.” But will we? What is “patient justice,” anyway?

September 22

Home for the next two weeks or so is Miguel’s Pizza, alongside Kentucky Route 11, which snakes its way through numerous small, southern towns. This roadside restaurant, with ample flat space around it for tents, has become the climber’s campground for the Red River Gorge. Since we arrived on a weekend, the parking lot was packed with cars from all over the place, from Colorado to Ontario.

For our first day in the Red, we decided to check out Torrent Falls, one of the place’s many destination crags. Awesome, steep and pocketed routes soon sent our muscles into severely pumped mode. It will take a few days to get accustomed to the different style of climbing here, not to mention the different climate – hot and humid. I feel soaked, or at least damp, all of the time.

Driving to and from the cliff today, we passed a number of small local stores – one with a Confederate flag hanging outside with the slogan “The South Will Rise Again” printed in its center. In my liberal nai”vete’, I often forget the wide rifts in opinions and beliefs within our own nation, not to mention the rest of the world. There are so very many churches here, too – all Christian, of course – at least two to a block in many of the towns. I think about “patient justice” again, about what this can possibly mean when justice and the right course of action in one person’s eyes so often represents the utmost of evils in another’s.

September 24-26

On Monday, it poured nonstop, so we visited Stanton for the first time, the closest “big” town to the Red River Gorge. Thankfully, we found a library with Internet access, although the connection there is so very slow that it makes checking email seem like a meditative activity. The remnants of the rain remained all day yesterday, despite our desire to rock climb. Never one to enjoy the cold, I spent most of my day shivering instead of climbing.

Today, however, the sun’s rays finally soaked up the last of the clouds, leaving us with brilliantly crisp fall weather that is slowly causing a color change in the jungle-like tangle of deciduous trees that chokes all of the cliffs here. We went to Roadside, a sun-blasted cliff with a number of 5.10’s and 5.12’s.

Late in the day I hopped onto one of the area’s classic routes, despite feeling tired and sore. Digging two fingers into the small, eroded pockets and pulling on those for several moves proved taxing to me. Thankfully they gave way to bigger pockets – easier on the hands and easier to hang on to as well. After another committing section with smaller holds, I clambered up the final few feet of the route to clip the anchors.

After today, I need a couple days off from climbing. My skin hurts, scraped raw from the Red’s rough sandstone, and my tired muscles could use a break as well.

September 27-28

Two days of much-needed rest. In an effort to avoid further dampness in the event of more rain, we shifted our tents to “Tarp-land,” a series of permanently fixed tarps created originally by Christopher, a heavyset, twenty-something climber from Detroit who arrived Thursday. Christopher, along with his buddy Mike, a.k.a. Tunaboy (called thus due to his predilection to eating tuna straight from the can), spend many, many months at Miguel’s every year, in between stints of earning money. A former Jehovah’s Witness, Christopher (not Chris, unless you ask his permission to call him that), set up camp near us in Tarp-land, welcomed us to his food, and pulled up his chair to converse with us about everything from fundamentalist religions to the latest news from the electronica music scene in Detroit.

Yesterday I sniffed out a local newspaper to find out the latest information, but found instead that reading it gave me a bizarre feeling of the role reversal this whole affair has brought – it no longer feels like I live in one of the safest places in the world. Though out here in the middle of Kentucky I feel an odd sense of detachment at times, the assortment of climbers passing through tend not to shy away from discussing world issues with one another. It’s inescapable; it’s on everyone’s minds. Nonetheless in so many ways the disaster and its aftermath take on an aura of unreality – what, if anything, has changed in our daily lives, besides something inside of us or our concept of our nation’s place in the world? Thursday night I dream about World War III.

Today, the 28th, I find a place to plug my laptop in – in the Monastery, a small cedar-sided one-room shack behind Miguel’s Pizza. It’s cold and dark, but private. The showers and toilet share the same back wall as the shack, and I can hear the constant running of the toilet as I write. Paws, the six-toed campground cat, pokes her head around the door, looking in to see if I have any food for her. Things are quiet around camp right now, but only temporarily, I know – soon the place will be transformed by the weekend crowd into a colorful village of tents as another transient group of climbers from everywhere moves through.

September 29

Destination: the Motherlode, perhaps the Red River Gorge’s most famous wall. This dramatically overhanging sandstone amphitheatre almost defies imagination. With routes ranging from ultra-overhanging to moderately overhanging, the pocket-riddled cliff rises some 100 feet up from the tangle of trees around it. Such steepness and continuously overhanging rock lends itself to routes no easier than 5.12, with few exceptions. Hanging on is the key to succeeding on these routes. It’s a continuous struggle to fight the pump, and I finished or fell off of every route with aching arms.

After only six routes, I was completely worked and ready to call it a day; Matt was, too. Climbing in the Lode fatigued me tremendously – I just spent so much time hanging on to the rock. At one point, despite the cool weather, I could feel waves of heat emanating from my body as I tried to discern which holds to grab next. Tonight I was good for little but eating and crawling into a warm sleeping bag.

September 1-3

Matt’s been on the road since the spring of 1999, when he left Iowa to find some real climbing. He and a buddy visited Ten Sleep, inspired by pictures they’d seen in a climbing magazine. His buddy went home to Iowa, but Matt stayed in Ten Sleep. He bought a drill and became a part of the area’s bolting crew, driven by a passion for finding new, unclimbed lines and creating some of Ten Sleep’s classic sport routes like The Insect (5.12c) and The Neutral Spirit (5.12c).

I met Matt last April at Enchanted Tower in New Mexico. He had just returned from a winter spent climbing in Mexico, and I was just getting back into climbing on a rope after a winter spent bouldering. Recognizing a shared passion for climbing and exploring new areas, it wasn’t hard for us to decide that a two-month road trip together would be tremendous fun. I think that my enthusiasm for Ten Sleep when I visited it earlier this year sealed the deal.

Located in the northern part of Wyoming, Ten Sleep seems worlds away from the state’s more popular and well-known crags of Sinks Canyon and Wild Iris. With its ten miles of mostly undeveloped limestone, Ten Sleep Canyon holds the promise of hundreds of new sport climbing routes in addition to the lines that have already been developed. Untouched boulders litter the canyon floor, and tall pine trees line its sides. Ten Sleep Creek runs through the bottom of the canyon, with a number of cool pools perfect for bathing in after a hard day of climbing.

But what sets Ten Sleep apart from other climbing areas in my mind most of all is the eclectic group of people who have been seduced by the canyon’s magic, a magic that brings them back again and again. While our days are spent in typical climber-fashion, pulling hard on tiny limestone pockets, yelling out in both joy and frustration, it’s the nights at Ten Sleep that make the place into something unique and almost spiritual.

Every night this past weekend, Charlie pulled out his guitar, as he always does when the dozen or more of us who have fallen in love with Ten Sleep congregate. As usual, everyone ended up with some sort of instrument in hand, be it a drum or a tambourine, or even simply a bottle and a stick. Drawing from artists ranging from Dylan to Cake to Snoop Dogg, we created our own brand of music, dancing and shouting when the moment seized us. It was almost like watching someone get inspired by the holy spirit to speak in tongues when Aaron or Billy or Meg or Kerry got up and spontaneously started to sing and dance in the middle of the circle.

Come Monday, when most everyone left to go to home, Matt and Aaron and I took a reconnaissance hike out to a wall that has yet to be climbed. When we reached the brilliant white talus at the base of the cliff, I felt as though we’d entered an alternate plane. This otherworldly sensation was only enhanced when we realized that many of the rocks we were tromping across were covered in glittering white, blue and gray crystals. As we hiked back after several hours of exploration, we stumbled upon a teepee frame, the sticks weathered and covered in moss, set in a small clearing alongside a stream. Perhaps the true magic of Ten Sleep comes from the lingering echo of the others who were drawn by its beauty long before the rock climbers came.

Lander, Wyoming

September 6

It’s funny how little time it takes to adjust to the rhythm of life on the road – waking up with the sun and going to sleep soon after dark, lulled by the sound of the river. I realized today that I’m finally learning to live without a clock for the first time in my adult life.

Matt’s friends from Iowa, Dave and Daphne, showed up unexpectedly yesterday afternoon. They had no idea Matt was here, and he had no idea they were coming. Young and in love, they’re on an extended road trip, living in their truck with their Malamute, Siva, until the money runs out. We killed several hours this morning with them, chatting about climbing since we’re resting from actually doing it today.

Yesterday we climbed with Shelly, a Lander local, and Paul, a road-tripping climber from Austin, Texas, up in the Killer Cave. Paul completed his project, Cartoon Graveyard (13a) with seemingly little effort, though apparently he’d taken a spectacular fall on it earlier this week. So driven was he to finish the climb without falling that he’d skipped the last clip-in protection point – his arms were too tired to stop and pull the rope up to clip it in. Unfortunately they were too tired for him to do the last couple moves on the route as well, so he’d fallen near the anchors – not a dangerous fall, but a nonetheless dramatic plummet some 30 or so feet into the air.

September 8

Last night as we cooked dinner, we watched a low cloudbank creep slowly up the canyon with frosty white fingertips that eventually morphed into a swirling snowstorm. As we huddled in the front of the truck eating, the snow picked up its pace, driving us to seek out the relative warmth of our sleeping bags.

We woke up to find Sinks Canyon coated in a cloak of white, an icy sky of gray clouds dancing between the canyon rims. Matt, Dave, Daphne and I spent the morning drinking coffee and tea while we waited for the sun to make the early winter a distant memory. When we finally did go climbing, we were surprised to discover that about 15 other climbers had also made the trek up to the cliffs, despite the cold. Stiff fingers and a chill wind made for a somewhat short day – it was just too cold to pull hard on small holds, at least for me.

September 9

Clear blue skies coaxed us out of bed this morning to drive up to Fossil Hill, a lesser-known crag in the back of Sinks Canyon. Mostly vertical, Fossil Hill’s crimpy and pocketed limestone walls bake in the sun all day long. While it tends to see little traffic, this crag today drew out a crowd of locals, probably both due to its oven-like temperatures and to the unusually large amount of climbers down at the main climbing area.

Though Fossil Hill is visible from the main walls at Sinks, once we reached the base of the cliff, I felt like I was in an entirely different area. Deer hunters parked in the same pullout as the climbers, jumping from their beaten up pickup trucks in full camouflage to trot off into the brush. Snow still streaked the hillsides, blown into regular patterns by Wyoming’s omnipresent winds. Forested hillsides and a backdrop of treeless peaks were painted against a flawlessly clear sky. The sun warmed us all day, melting the snow into oblivion while we climbed.

I think this next week in Lander will bring with it terrific climbing temperatures – the isolated snowstorm cooled things off just enough to make it feel like autumn. Perfect timing, as we have one more week of climbing here until we make the daylong drive to humid Kentucky and the famous cliffs of the Red River Gorge.

September 11

Last night we – Matt, me, Daphne and Dave – decided to stay in town – in Lander, at our friend Ally’s place. When Ally called us from work and told us to turn on the news this morning, the image of the second plane cutting into the World Trade Center bombarded us, horrifying us as it has horrified the world.

We spent the morning as much of America must have spent it, huddled in front of the television half-dressed, mechanically eating breakfast as we waited for more information. As the day dragged on, we telephoned loved ones and came to realize that answers would not come fast. Late in the day, not really knowing what else to do, we drove out to Sinks Canyon to climb, numbed by the day’s events.
After climbing for a few hours we went back to our campsite, a lovely small clearing alongside the Popo Agie River. The four of us cooked dinner and then ate together standing in a group and staring up at night sky. For the first time on my trip, the Milky Way glistened visibly, a translucent veil stretched across the center of the star-spattered night sky. Several shooting stars caught our attention before one of us observed the eerie lack of airplanes. Tonight was the first time in my adult life that I’ve watched a night sky without seeing the familiar lights of a plane winking along to a distant destination.

September 14

The day of my 27th birthday dawned sunny but quickly clouded over. I woke up late, again at Ally’s house in town, and snuck out before Matt woke up to listen to the news, hoping again for some sort of clarity.

Last night, Matt and I cooked Ally dinner to thank her for her hospitality, and we talked, of course, about what will happen as a result of the recent events. Undoubtedly, things are going to change, though I’m not sure how. Perhaps it’s the not knowing that’s scariest of all. I can’t help but feel just an immense sense of disappointment in humankind – it seems that despite all of our advancements in technology and health and other areas, human nature never changes. Will there always be people in the world who perpetrate horror? I feel so disenchanted with humanity, and yet humanity is our only hope.

Living day to day is somehow harder now, knowing that people in Washington DC are spending nearly every hour of their lives trying to figure out the right course of action for our nation. Meanwhile, I spent my day – my birthday – sitting by a river in a beautiful canyon, hiking up through a misty, golden-hued autumn scene to a waterfall, and then eating nachos and ice cream at the Gannet Grill in Lander before falling asleep on Ally’s couch watching Good Morning, Vietnam.

Most children by the age of two will have developed RSV and recovered with no hospitalization. But preemies, because of their underdeveloped lungs and immature immune system are at a higher risk of contracting RSV; and the effects are more serious to infants born prematurely versus full-term healthy babies. The virus is especially dangerous to premature infants under the age of six-months.

How It’s Spread

Touching, kissing, sneezing and coughing transmit RSV. It’s also spread through contaminated objects. An adult or older child can spread the bacteria by handling a bottle or toy, thus infecting the baby when he touches the object. This stubborn virus can live up to five hours on countertops and other surfaces.

Symptoms of RSV

Most infections occur between September and April, the height of RSV season, with the majority of cases being diagnosed in January and February. (Incidentally, my son was diagnosed and hospitalized in both October and February.)

The virus begins with cold like symptoms including a runny nose, fever, congestion, wheezing, coughing, increased respirations, occasional ear infections, and an overall difficulty with breathing. These symptoms will appear 4-6 days after exposure to the virus.

Many parents assume their infant has a cold and will ignore the symptoms until they suddenly worsen. If your premature infant shows any of these symptoms call your pediatrician. It’s better to have your child checked out by a doctor and find out it’s “nothing” versus letting it develop into full-blown RSV.

Protecting Your Preemie From RSV

Depending on the gestational age of your baby at birth, he or she may have been given, or is receiving the medication Synagis. This injection is given monthly during RSV season.

Besides Synagis, safeguarding your preemie against RSV is important but not always easy. The first time my son (a 32 weeker) was hospitalized with RSV happened when he was 13-days-old. After bringing him home from the hospital I was adamant about enforcing the no visitors policy. Imagine my surprise when he caught this horrible virus. The only place he had been aside from the hospital was the pediatrician’s office for checkups.

Tips to help you prevent your infant from catching RSV:

1. After bringing your newborn home from the hospital insist and enforce a no visitors’ policy. This is difficult because friendsand relatives want to see the baby. Although I didn’t't allow visitors inside the house they were welcome to stand on the porch and I held my son up to the window. This approach worked well and pacified everyone. If you are unable to enforce this policy, limit the visitors, their contact with the infant, and make sure everyone including yourself thoroughly wash your hands with antibacterial soap before handling the baby.

2. If you have a cold or fever avoid contact with your baby. This is much easier said than done. New parents want to hold and cuddle their infant, and it’s especially difficult for breast-feeding moms. If you must have contact with your child wear a mask.

3. Do not allow anyone to smoke around your baby. For obvious reasons this is necessary for the health of your baby, but tobacco smoke increases the risk of RSV.

What To Expect If Your Child Gets RSV

Often the fear of not knowing what to expect causes parents just as much anxiety as the diagnosis. If your infant tests positive and is hospitalized he may be put in isolation, or in an oxygen tent to help him breathe and in the most severe cases mechanical ventilation may be necessary. According to the Centers for Disease Control children generally recover from RSV within 8 to 15 days.

In 2003 after the birth of my preemie son I knew nothing about RSV and unfortunately when I did learn about it, I did so the hard way, not once but twice. Education is a great defense in fighting and preventing RSV. I urge all preemie parents to arm themselves with the facts.

Prednisone is a funny drug. It is a cortico-type steroid that does so much, both good and bad. It is prescribed for many things. The list could go on almost endlessly.

Some of the good news with prednisone is that you can take a few non-narcotic pills dailyand constant pain can be reduced drastically. Breathing will be much easier. Of course, thisis why prednisone is prescribed for conditions such as asthma and arthritis. Naturally Iwouldn’t recommend doing this without supervision from your doctor due to the side effects of prednisone.

Prednisone has been used with organ transplant patients as well. After a patient has the organ transplant surgery, prednisone is given in high doses and slowly tapered to a lowerdosage. Prednisone is like cortisol which is naturally produced in the body. When prednisone is taken, the patient’s body produces less cortisol which helps the body deal with stress such as infection and rejection. Prednisone doses are lowered slowly to allow the body adjust and produce more cortisol.

Prednisone is also prescribed for rare diseases as well as very painful conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. In my case it used for Sarcoidosis. It helps reduce inflammation that can cause pain or breathing difficulty.

Many positive uses have been found for prednisone. Under a doctor’s supervision it can be a fantastic treatment for many things.

Researchers from Osaka University Medical School in Japan studied 60 overweight men with high blood pressure. The first group consumed a low-calorie diet for 24 weeks. Meanwhile, the second group participated in aerobic exercise for one hour everyday. The last group dieted and exercised. Researchers measured the participants’ body mass index (BMI), fat percentage and blood pressure every two weeks for two months.

After 12 weeks, BMI fell 17 percent in the diet-plus-exercise group, 14 percent in the exercise alone group and 12 percent in the diet alone group. Fat percentage dropped 25 percent in the diet-and-exercise group, 27 percent in the exercise only group and 9 percent in the diet only group. Blood pressure in the combination group dropped the most, followed by the exercise group.

After 24 weeks, BMI decreased an extra 4 percent in the exercise only group. It fell 2 percent in both the diet alone and combination groups. Lead researcher Kazuko Masuo, M.D., Ph.D., from Osaka University Medical School, says exercise burns fat and reduces insulin levels, which lowers blood pressure. A low-calorie diet also reduces insulin levels. Dr. Masuo hopes the findings, presented this week at the 55th Annual Fall Conference of the American Heart Association Council for High Blood Pressure, will convince doctors to inform patients diet-plus exercise is the most effective method to lower blood pressure.

Heart Disease and Inflammation – Is There a Connection?

Tip of the Week: Because inflammation has been linked to a number of chronic diseases (including allergies, arthritis, heart disease, and cancer– to name a few) include foods with anti-inflammatory properties in your diet.

How to incorporate this tip into your lifestyle: One of nature’s greatest anti-inflammatory foods is ginger. Its versatility makes it a natural for spicing up a variety of foods ranging from soups to desserts. Whether you prefer the pungency of grated fresh ginger root or opt for the convenience of the powdered form, ginger is truly an example of the “food as medicine” phenomenon. For those with a sweet tooth, ginger is also available in a sweet, crystallized form. Because of its zesty heat–regardless of its form–a little ginger goes a long way!

Breakfast is the perfect meal to start your “ginger day”. If you are a cereal lover, try adding fresh, frozen, or canned peaches mixed with a touch of ginger, brown sugar, and pecans to your breakfast bowl. If whole grain toast is your breakfast choice, peach jam topped with a pinch of ginger is a real breakfast treat! And don’t forget—ginger tea is a great alternative to coffee.

For those who love to cook, many oriental recipes will include ginger in their ingredient lists, but you can come up with some favorites of your own. Salad greens, for example, can be elevated to company status simply by adding mandarin orange slices and crystallized ginger.

Besides having anti-inflammatory properties, ginger is also touted as an anti-nausea agent. Pharmacies sell ginger capsules for this purpose. If you prefer, however, you can use the powder or fresh forms. (Cautionary note: As ginger affects blood viscosity, check with your health care provider before adding significant quantities of ginger to your daily regime. This is especially true for those on blood thinning medications.)

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The field of anti-aging encompasses many disciplines—perhaps that’s why I find it so fascinating. From the way we eat, to the way we think, to the way we breathe—each one influences the length of our journey through life. It is empowering to know that through our choices we can play a prominent role in our own longevity!

In many respects our food choices represent a major influence in the war against aging and disease. Whether it’s phytonutrients, fiber, or a host of others, components in food have been shown to help combat a number of disease states, including heart disease.

Recently, inflammation–as a causative factor in heart disease as well as numerous other chronic disease states–has received much attention. Thus, anti-inflammatory foods may provide an effective weapon in the fight against heart disease. Because it (heart disease) is the number one killer of both men and women in America, eradicating it is a priority.

Several studies published of The New England Journal of Medicine reported about the role of inflammation as a predictive factor for determining the likelihood of suffering a heart attack. These studies as well as others reinforce the recommendation by experts such as Peter Libby, chief of cardiovascular medicine at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, that inflammation be kept to a minimum and that this be a primary goal in heart attack prevention.

For those who are at high risk for heart disease, you might want to ask your physician if you are a candidate for a C-reactive protein test. C-reactive protein is a marker of inflammatory activity. High levels have been shown to correlate with an increased risk for heart attack or stroke. While some physicians may not endorse this test, many others are using it in conjunction with lipid panels for assessment purposes.

Consider Treatment Options
Your treatment options range from nicotine replacement therapies, to counseling and support groups, to hypnosis or acupuncture, and a combination of treatments. The American Lung Association reports that the use of replacement therapies, counseling, and alternative health greatly increases a person’s chances of smoking abatement success.

Nicotine replacement therapy products such as Nicorette chewing gum and Nicoderm skin patches are designed to placate the physical withdrawal symptoms by gradually reducing the amount of nicotine in the bloodstream. They work to break the habit of smoking and double your chances of quitting for good. Inhalers and nasal sprays are also available by prescription.

If you think your problem is more a psychological one, consider the various smoking-abatement clubs such as twelve-step groups, local church groups, and Internet communities. The twelve-step group, Nicotine Anonymous , is based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous and is supported by contribution requiring no dues or fees. The Anonymous programs are spiritually based and consist of a group of people who get together once or twice a week to share their experiences, offering each other hope and encouragement. These programs are usually listed in the local community newspapers.

The Internet also offers smoking cessation support. There are a number of courses that you can join for a fee and gain access to group discussion boards, chats, and advice columns twenty-fours hours a day. Personal stories from those who have already quit or those who face similar challenges provide insight that science cannot. Such group settings have proven invaluable to those wishing to maximize their chances of success.

Acupuncture and hypnosis are also excellent ways to deal with both the physical and psychological sides of the addiction.

Acupuncture helps to cut the cravings and alleviates the withdrawal symptoms. It is known for its ability to stimulate the nervous system which can release natural chemicals into the bloodstream that help the body to heal itself naturally.

Hypnosis deals more with the mind’s ability to refocus its energy away from the desire to smoke and towards other activities. The hypnotist creates a light trance in the mind of the smoker and offers mental reinforcement that replaces the urge to smoke. This exercise is especially valuable for those who may lack the willpower to quit.

Reward Yourself
Once you start to achieve your short-term goals, it is very important to reward yourself. One’s success is often reliant upon making the difficult part of achieving one’s goal a positive and pleasurable experience. If you find smoking rewarding in itself, find an alternative activity that can serve as a reward. For example, if you like to smoke after dinner, treat yourself with something else. Perhaps you can hop on your bike and go for a quick ride to take in the beauty of the trees or to notice a group of birds chirping atop a telephone pole. Stretch. Call a friend. Eat a piece of dark chocolate. Do anything you like, but don’t smoke.

Make a list of things or situations that make you happy or that you find relaxing and pleasurable.

Anything. If you enjoy doing crossword puzzles put it on your list and later buy yourself a new book of crosswords. With the money you will save by no longer buying cigarettes, you will be able to buy yourself better things. Make some of your rewards short-term so that you can reward yourself early on in your quitting process. Also, set up a few long-term rewards so that once you finally quit smoking, you can reward yourself for every week, month, and year you no longer smoke.

Create a Concrete Plan of Action
When will you attend your meetings and why? How often will you access your smoking-cessation web site? How much are you saving? When exactly do you expect to reward yourself? What will you do when you crave cigarettes? By having a specific plan and by knowing exactly how much you are spending and when you think you should no longer rely on nicotine replacement therapy and such, you will feel more grounded in your progress.

It’s most important to have a system in place to deal with moments of weakness. When you feel your will to quit smoking losing its force remember your list of rewards and honor yourself by steering away from the cigarette.

Certainly, it’s very likely that you will gain a bit of weight if you go for the cheesecake instead of the cigarette. This is normal — do not fret. A little bit of weight gain is harmless in comparison to the risks associated with smoking. Just make sure you do not overdo it and continually reward yourself with physical or mental activity rather than just food. Do not use food for the same emotional reasons as you have used smoking.

If you find that you cannot stop eating dinner because you do not feel satisfied without a cigarette afterwards, try a new “meal-is-over” cue such as a cup of decaffeinated coffee or tea, a glass of cold water with lemon, a tooth brushing, or a short brisk walk.

Smoking is No Longer an Option
You have taken a new step into a life as a non-smoker. You must get rid of all cigarettes and paraphernalia and live as if you never smoked. Realize and celebrate your new life without cigarettes. Congratulations!

I noticed a drastic difference in my health and how I felt about myself. When I later lived with a smoker, I realized how much a smoker alters his or her surroundings. I am glad that I quit. Now I feel better about my health, my surroundings, my life, and myself.

I originally believed that smoking was merely an innocent personal vice over which I had complete control. Certainly, we all have the personal power to make a choice over whether or not to smoke a cigarette, yet this is not always so easy, no thanks to withdrawal symptoms and the like; and whether smoking is just an innocent personal vice is a judgment call.

Some people have died due to their smoking habit and others have lived through their nineties with a smoking habit. Some have suffered with throat cancer after having never smoked a cigarette; others have raced in the Tour de France after smoking a cigarette at the starting line. Certainly, I played soccer and jogged three miles twice a week while a smoker. Yet, whenever I cut back on my smoking, I always noticed a drastic difference in my performance and enjoyment of my sport. This is what inspired me to make my own judgment call. I decided that I could live a healthier, cleaner, and more satisfying life if I quit smoking.

Here are some steps to help you kick the smoking habit:

First Establish an Official Quit Date
It’s an excellent idea to give yourself a deadline that is at least a few weeks from your decision- to-quit day. This way you can anticipate your first “cold-turkey” day after having tapered your smoking down to a minimum and perhaps after having enlisted your friends and family as supporters for your great lifestyle change.

Quitting any addictive habit consumes an enormous amount of mental and physical energy. If you know you are going to experience any major life changes or stresses such as moving, taking an exam, starting a new project at work, getting married, etc., you may want to put your official quit day off until you are on vacation or until you know things will become more settled. If you feel you have the will to quit at any time, then go for it!

Mentally Fuel
After having set a date, you must fuel your mind so that you can make it through the first few weeks without turning back from your decision. The first week is the most difficult. You will most likely experience serious withdrawal symptoms that will cause you to doubt your decision. Before this happens, it’s imperative that you make an official list of personal reasons to quit smoking.

Here are some reasons you might want to quit:

* Smoking increases your risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
* Smoking decreases lung capacity.
* Smoking causes emphysema.
* Your children have problems with asthma, ear infections, pneumonia, and bronchitis caused by second-hand smoke.
* You know that once you quit, you will add an average of five healthy years to your life.
* You want to avoid prematurely aged and wrinkled skin.
* You are a woman planning to have a baby.
* Smoking is no longer considered cool.
* You are going to spend thousands of dollars on new wallpaper and wish to keep it clean.
* You wish to increase your lung capacity in order to run faster.
* And You intend to become a happier, healthier, and fitter person.

After listing your reasons for quitting, put them somewhere you know you will see them regularly. The list will serve as a daily reminder of your commitment to a cigarette-free life along with your reasons for quitting.

Gather Social Support
Tell your friends and family about your plans to quit and tell them that you need their support. Some friends and family members might give you a hard time and others may wholeheartedly support you. Simply ignore the nay-sayers or politely tell them that you would really appreciate their support on this matter, they will get the picture.

At first, ask your friends not to smoke in your presence nor offer you any cigarettes. Once you make it past the initial stages of quitting, the temptation to smoke will wane and it will become easier for you to stick with your plan.

Determine Whether Your Habit is More Physical or Psychological
Once you know understand the source of your addiction, you can better assess your various treatment options. You know you are physically addicted when you experience physical withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, sleep disturbances, dry mouth, increased appetite, and headaches. You are psychologically addicted if you feel the compulsive desire to smoke when dealing with emotional stress, negative feelings, or situations. Anxiety, boredom, loneliness, social discomfort, and work stress are all psychological reasons for smoking. Often, the reasons for smoking are a combination of both weighing heavier to one side or another.