"New Advances in Macular Degeneration..." "Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

"Guest-blogger Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst N.Y. and has worked in the

 ophthalmology field of medicine for over 30 years...

Today she talks  about  her specialty, eye care, I know, I care... Enjoy! ;D)

New Advances in Macular Degeneration Treatment

AMD or Macular Degeneration is an insidious eye disease that mainly affects the senior population although there are early signs of the disease if you are pre disposed to it.  

Macular Degeneration  can be hereditary in some cases or just the unfortunate condition that many people can get if they live long enough  as  many develop.   It may start out with findings in the retina called Drusen or ageing spots thatare found in the retina during a dilated eye exam.  That may be the start of the eye disease or they may just stay as ageing spots for the long run but must be watched carefully.  

Living a healthy lifestyle of limited sun and UV exposure and eating a healthy diet of green  leafy vegetables are ways to help insure that AMD may not affect you.  Also taking anti oxidant vitamins such as I caps or ocuvite that are rich inzinc and leutin  are also helpful  but we cannot always beat our heredity.If you are unfortunate to get AMD, there are two types;  wet and dry.  Macular Degeneration affects the center of ones’ vision  called the Macula which is responsible for the fine reading and fine tasks one needs to perform.  The peripheral vision stays in tact so you will always have your “walking around”vision and never go completely blind.  

The center of the macula called the fovea is the most delicate part of the retina and sometimes treatment  in  itself can cause vision loss.   The Dry type can only be treated with antioxidant vitamins but the wet type which has  the leaking and swelling areas in the retina can now be treated with injections into the eye. This is an in office procedure done in a very sterile environment that takes a minimal amount of time and is made to be painless with topical numbing solutions.

Several years ago an injection called Lucentis and Avastin came on the market and were used to try and hault the progression of the disease and treat the areas that were swollen in the macula.  Injection therapy requires many injections spread apart over time  and are not a short term commitment.

Today we are lucky enough to have two new injectables  to treat the condition called Eyelea and Jetrea.

They are the latest medicines on the market for treatment for AMD; some insurance companies are covering these treatments and are worth pursuing if you have the Wet Type.

For anyone with AMD,  depending on the severity of the disease, there are many lifestyle changes. Driving becomes more difficult if impossible and reading a great challenge.  There are devices on the
market that can help with managing your lifestyle along with services from the Low Vision clinics that are very often covered by insurance.  Our local low vision clinic in Buffalo even makes house calls if needed.
Living with AMD can be very challenging; there are new advances being worked on every day.  Just remember that you will never go completely blind with AMD .  The best way to combat acquiring the disease is having regular eye exams and leading a healthy lifestyle.  If caught early, you have the best chance for treatment.


P.S. Check out Flight Cars Facebook page, This is a great story as seen on ABC's 20/20.These 3 teenagers start a business in San Francisco where you park your car for free and they rent it for you, and upon your return you do not pay for parking and have a clean car and a small percent of the rental fee if your car  happens to be rented, genius!
Would you let your teenager, bound for a top college, give it all up to start a business?

https://www.facebook.com/FlightCar?directed_target_id=0

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...

" How I Learned to Handle Anxiety..." 'Harmony Bentosino'

 Welcome back Dakinetalk's good friend 'Harmony'  for another adventure or should i say crisis in her life..' Harmony is currently working on her Masters degree in counseling. She is  studying drug abuse counseling. Harmony  resides in Kapolei, Hawaii on the island of Oahu...
Harmony is a true free spirit as seen here swimming with dolphins on the island of Oahu...Harmony blogs about her recent fate...

How I Learned to Handle Anxiety
                                                             
Have you ever had a panic attack that you believe to be a cardiac arrest because your heart is pounding hard enough to jump out of your chest?  You also find yourself shaking and panting.  Luckily, I have never had that experience, but I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder which means I get anxious about anything that has any degree of uncertainty.  Although anxiety feels awful, I used to think that it didn’t show and would never stop me from doing anything.  But as some of my friends know, I was recently fired from the practicum where I was working, and part of the reason was due to anxiety.  

Some background info for those of you who don’t know me that well:  I’ve been attending Chaminade University getting my masters degree in counseling.  Last fall I began my practicum.  I was working with sex offenders, but ironically, none of my anxiety was related to the clients.  Some of them were making tremendous strides learning how to feel empathy for their victims. No, all of my anxiety was due to the staff- particularly the director who was not the same director who had originally hired me.  Whenever this director had a complaint, she would tell my supervisor who would inform me.  One day she told him she didn’t like that I was wearing striped socks and brightly colored sweatshirts.  I went shopping and bought a new wardrobe in dull colors. Next, she complained that I was asking too many questions in staff meetings.  So, the next staff meeting, I shut up and didn’t say a word.

Finally, she demanded I sign a piece of paper saying that if I didn’t shape up, I could be terminated!  At this point, I knew my placement at this agency was in jeopardy, but I naively believed I could overcome all the obstacles until something happened that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.  I discovered to my horror, I had missed a training given by this director simply because I got the time mixed up.  I discovered this about an hour after the training was over.  I knew it was curtains.  There was a meeting with the director, my supervisor, and my teacher from Chaminade.  I was fired, and there was nothing I could say or do to change that outcome.  And as I said, part of the reason was because of my anxiety.  Although, I wondered was I really fired because I was anxious?  Or maybe I was anxious because I knew I was going to be fired.  It’s like asking which came first- the chicken or the egg?  But regardless of which came first, I knew I had to deal with my anxiety particularly because Chaminade told me I could come back next fall and repeat the practicum under the condition that I sought professional help for my anxiety.

I had been seeing the same therapist for many years, but I only saw him once a year, and then, we would just talk about fun stuff.  Now, we began to meet more often and do serious work.  He taught me a technique for anxiety that is the best I have ever seen, and believe me I have tried them all.  I had taken a course in health and stress management and learned all these techniques for anxiety.  Although they seemed to help, none of them ended the problem.  

This technique is based on an acronym for the word AWARE.   The A stands for Acceptance.  This is the most important step, and it was the step I had been unable to take because I thought there was something wrong with me if I was anxious.  But if you are anxious over the fact that you are anxious, then you are twice as anxious as you need to be.  It’s the equivalent to becoming so frustrated you have a headache that you begin banging your head against the wall.  It is obviously not going to help and will probably make things worse.

There are a couple of reasons why it is a smart idea to accept your anxiety.  Although, it’s not pleasant, feeling anxious does not hurt your health.  Even if you’re having a heart pounding, panic attack, it does not jeopardize your health, and it does not mean you’re going crazy.  The other reason it is smart to accept your anxiety is because it will end on its own regardless of what you do or don’t do!

The W stands for Watch and Wait.  This is so you don’t take any rash actions you might regret.  It’s like counting to ten before you blow up at somebody.

The A is for the Actions you take, but this is a very important distinction.  These are not actions you are taking to end the anxiety (because it will end on its own), but rather actions to make yourself feel better while it is happening.  It is the distinction I failed to make when I tried all those techniques I didn’t think were working.  Actually, they were working.  I just didn’t know how to work them.

There are many actions you can take to make yourself feel better when you’re feeling anxious.  You’ve heard of breathing techniques.  You can also use your cognitive skills to convince yourself there is no reason to be anxious in the first place.   But you need to understand that knowing there is no reason to be anxious may or may not end your anxiety at that moment, but at the very least, it will help you to feel better while it is happening, (and then it will end on its own regardless of what you do or don’t do about it.)

The R is for Repeat.  You repeat the first three steps over and over until your anxiety ends.
The E is for End.  Your anxiety ends.  Hooray!

To summarize these steps, remember it is never your job to end the anxiety.  Rather it is merely your job to make yourself feel better while it is happening, and then, the anxiety will end on its own regardless of what you do or don’t do.

If you would like more information on this technique, I refer you to the website  www.anxietycoach.com/overcoming-panic-attacks.html 

As for myself, I know I will be starting my practicum again in the fall.  I would be lying if I didn’t admit I’m a bit anxious about that.  But that’s OK because now I know how to handle my anxiety.  I am also elated to tell you I will be at a different agency with a different director!    

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...

P.S. Aloha, check out my opinion article in today's (06-28-13) edition of the Kaua'i Garden Island News.

"Genetic modification saved the papaya."

http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/mailbag/letters-for-friday-june/article_3dac75e4-dfbb-11e2-bc51-001a4bcf887a.html

Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

Obama Da Dog  still uses  an outdated photo from 4 years ago, those
bloggers and columnists sure are  vain.

My next bike, I plan on flying over the island of Kaua'i on my new bicycle along with Obama da dog!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TtylFugOT_4

Why do Columnists and Politicians use outdated photos


Why is it that so many periodicals including Midweek Hawai'i run outdated photos with most of their columnists?
http://www.midweek.com/valedictorian-is-harvard-bound/

 Dan Boylan, Larry Price, Jade Moon and Mufi Hanneman are some examples of photo's accompanying their columns that must  be at least 10, 15 and even 20 years old.( If you do not live in Hawai'i Just substitute your own local columnists names..)

Is it because these publications cannot afford to hire a professional photographer and get a good current head-shot, or is it  these columnists are in denial of time and aging?

Politicians are also guilty of using photos to promote themselves that are years old. I once met a politician only after seeing her campaign posters and was blown away because I thought I was talking to her mother.

There's nothing wrong with an aging columnist or politician, in fact I trust older people more, with age comes wisdom,understanding and knowledge.

The only columnist in Midweek with a current photo seems to be Publisher Ron Nagasawa, his column is my favorite, it's the funniest, has the most wit and wisdom and that only comes with age.

I will now write Ann Landers to see what she thinks about the usage of outdated photos. (Note Ann Landers is dead and still publishing a syndicated column.)

Shortened version for all periodicals

Why is it that so many periodicals run outdated photos with most of their columnists?

 Many photo's accompanying  columnists must  be at least 10, 15 and even 20 years old.
Is it because these publications cannot afford to hire a photographer,or is it  these columnists are in denial of time and aging?

Politicians are also guilty of using photos to promote themselves that are years old. I once met a politician only after seeing her campaign posters,I thought I was talking to her mother.

There's nothing wrong with an aging columnist or politician, in fact I trust older people more, with age comes wisdom, understanding and knowledge.


I will now write Ann Landers to see what she thinks about the usage of outdated photos. (Note Ann Landers is dead and still publishing a syndicated column.)

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...

" THE WISDOM OF LAOTSE..." 'Bettejo Dux' (Classic Wednesday)

Bettejo  has lived on Kaua'i over 30 years and is a people lover,

animal lover, lover of life and strikes a dashing yoga pose...

Today Bettejo blogs about  wisdom... Enjoy!

Enjoy...

www.bettejodux.com

THE WISDOM OF LAOTSE

Okay, I cheated. I went to Island Breath and found this: “When man interferes with the Tao, the sky becomes depleted, the equilibrium crumbles creatures become extinct.” Lao Tzu. A voice from the past but so appropriate today. I posted it and received a response from a very scholarly fellow in the discussion group and was on my way.

I hadn’t opened the book for years, not since 1985, the year my husband died, but I went directly to the site.  I don’t think the book had been dusted or moved since 1985. Talk about dusting a book off with a shovel. It’s a mess. Books need lots of tender loving care to survive a tropical climate and my books are not treated nearly as well as my animals. Anyway, I opened it and the center fell out. I picked it up and reinserted it. Further, and please don’t tell anyone, discovered it was a library book I’d ‘forgotten’ to return. The last date was June 10, 1985.

The very first words that came to mind was-excuse me while I sniff and wipe away a tear…

“The little toy dog was covered with dust but sturdy and staunch he stands

“The little toy soldier is covered with rust with his musket still in his hand.”

That’s a big stretch but you can see how my mind works and I don’t read a book, I fight with it. If this book had been a dog, it would have bitten me. If it had been a soldier he’d have shot me down.  I wrote in the margins. I turned down the pages. I underlined.  I argued.  I raged.  I throw the damn thing across the room when it wouldn’t talk back and sulked. When I’d cooled off and  picked it up again I’d lost the page. That was twenty-six years ago. Today I take it to bed with me. Is that an up or or is that a down?

The introduction  was written by Lin Yutang, another guy I hadn’t thought about in years. The first notes in the margin was on page 15  in response to, and I quote , “The thought has been constantly on my mind to find a religion that is acceptable to a scientist.” I underlined this. In the margin I drew a * and wrote  THE FORCE in caps. Remember I was twenty-six years younger, Star Wars was fresh in my imagination and my juvenile mind was still very impressionable.

I had a fight with Lin on page 17 when he said “intuitive knowledge and mathematical knowledge never meet.” I drew an arrow and noted in the margin, black ink, “Yeah? Well Einstein relied on intuition.” Lin ignored my sass.

On page 18 we made up. He said, “Only one who can imagine the formless in the formed can arrive at the truth.” I made a sweeping gesture of agreement and replied, “I find this reasonable.”

I finished the introduction and threw Lin, baby, out of bed and cuddled up with Lao.  It’s raining today. I’m going back to bed with Lao and sending you home. Come back tomorrow and see how this guy fares. Course you can leave a note on the table. I don’t know whether I’m moving ahead, backward or sideways. I wonder what Lao would think if he were here.

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...

"No Further Questions..." 'Obama Da Dog' (Source)

Obama Da Dog currently resides in Paradise (Kaua'i island) with her  best friend
James "Kimo" Rosen. Obama shares a fun story about the courtroom... Enjoy!

No Further Questions

In a trial, a small town prosecuting attorney called his first witness to the stand. The witness was an elderly woman.He approached her and asked, " Mrs.Jones, do you know me?"

She responded, "Why, yes I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a young boy and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."

The Lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Jones. Do you know the defense attorney?"

She again replied, "Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster too. He's lazy, bigoted and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women, one of them was your wife. Yes, I know him."

The defense attorney almost died.

The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench, and in a very quiet voice, said, "If either of you asks her if she knows me, I'll throw you in jail for contempt."

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...

"Men, shopping, and negotiations..." 'Deborah Morel'

Guest-blogger Deborah Morel  is a Human and Judicial rights advocate. One of her favorite quotes close
to heart is, "The dead cannot cry out for justice; it is a duty of the living to do this for them."
Lois McMaster Bujold
Today Deborah talks about the difference between men and woman 
when it comes  to shopping... Enjoy!

Men, shopping, and negotiations

For a good part of my life, I continued to gain employment in the retail industry, and all the while employed in law enforcement, as well. I found working in the retail industry helped to balance out my professional life--a life in which reporting to duty each day as a lawmaker, at times, brought challenges, losses, and in the worst cases, tragedies. Having for years been offered runway work, and instructing at a finish school and modeling agency, being employed in retail fashion provided an avenue to be creative.

I have made years of observations of "men and shopping." Having worked retail in the men's department of several stores, and over these years, I came to the conclusion that shopping for many men is like hunting. Men--more often than not--enter the store, they scan the "field" (store), find their target, aim, and before you know it, this male customer is at the register ready to check--out, with a shirt, shorts, or slacks to purchase--slung over their shoulder....well, like the "kill."  Next? Pay for the item. The "trophy" is dressed (wrapped in tissue and placed in a bag). Leave the store. Done.

For some women, though, shopping often has a different meaning. It can be a "social outing," where there are numbers of females together shopping. This shopping adventure can be an all day event. There seems to often be a great deal of thought--and advice seeking--put into these excursions.

A man, who is willing to accompany his wife or girlfriend, while she shops, I have said is a keeper. This type of man shows patience, understanding, will carry the shopping bags, and give an opinion when asked. On a busy day, in most women's department stores, chairs are lined-up with men patiently sitting and waiting. I refer to this area as the "maternity ward." As the day becomes the afternoon, I have noticed that many men waiting...and waiting, begin to get what I call the "thousand mile stare."

Shopping for me is not an outing; it is a time to be creative--to put thought into my purchase, considering fashion, quality, and economics. With this, I need time to concentrate, and consider--to mix, match, combine, choose fabrics, colors, and textures. Most of the females in my family, and friends, enjoy endurance shopping. At times, this means shopping until the stores close at 11:00 pm in Waikiki.

On one such evening, just about 9:30 pm, I would find myself sitting in the line-up with 5 men who had accompanied their wife or girlfriend in these ladies' shopping trip to a 3 story, high end, lingerie store. And, there we all sat...with the thousand mile stare, holding shopping bags, waiting patiently. I looked at these men, and announced (no need to hold back), "This store doesn't need one more sports bra; what this store needs is a sport bar."

P.S.
There was a specialty shop I managed in historic Beale Street, Memphis, TN, for about 1.5 years, and until I moved to Delaware for grad studies. The name of the shop was originally Beale Street Nostalgia. The developer, and marketing director, of  Beale Street were looking for a  new name for the shop. I suggested "Strange Cargo," and the store became known as Strange Cargo in 1998, and this name has remained since.

Beale Street is the heart of Blue's music in Memphis. I was young, single, and loved this job. We worked until 2:00 am most nights. There was often live music organized, and performing in the streets; traffic would be blocked from traveling the 3 blocks. Lots of home cooking, some barbecuing on the roof tops of some buildings. There were always special music  affairs and holiday events. People from around the world came to Beale Street...it was a place musicians like BB King and Elvis Presley would be found. We had a good time. Aloha, Deborah Morel

Check out the link to the store Deborah named,Strange Cargo. Pretty cool!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/strange-cargo-memphis

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...

"A Good Mentor Can Change Everything..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspiration Sunday)

"Guest-blogger Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst N.Y. and has worked in the

 ophthalmology field of medicine for over 30 years...

Today she talks about having good role models and mentors, it
can change your life... Enjoy! ;D)

A Good Mentor Can Change Everything

Many years ago I completed my degree in medical assisting and one of the first positions I took was with a most uninspiring and miserable boss.

After enduring that position for a year, I decided there had to be something better and decided to peruse the want ads for a more inspiring position. I had a few jobs in between that worked out well; one thing led to another and we decided to start a family and open a Stride Rite shoe store. We worked the store for a few years and when it came time to close it, I began to search for a position in ophthalmology once again.

This time I was very particular. I needed to work with someone who would appreciate my skills and increase my knowledge in the field. I found such a person who would become my mentor for the next several years, someone who would share his knowledge with me and let me grow into the technician I am today.

A mentor can come in many forms; he or she can be a teacher, a leader or employer, among many things. It is very hard to find people who will share their day and knowledge with you while boosting your ego all at the same time. His inspiration made me want to be the best I could be. I pursued certification in this field and returned to college to obtain my degree in gerontology, all because I had the confidence to obtain those goals, all because I had a mentor who believed in me.

It is so important these days to spend your life doing something you love and doing it for someone who appreciates you and the gifts you have to offer. Now that I am nearing the end of my 50s, I appreciate more than ever what that one boss did for me so many years ago. I have awakened skills that I never knew I could have and have tried to pay it forward over the years.

Many people work in dead end jobs for many years of their short lives just going along and suddenly realizing that they are approaching the fall of their lives. We are working much longer than ever before because of the economic conditions in our country, and we had better wake up and find something we enjoy doing to fill our days.

I was lucky. My mentor showed me the way, gave me the inspiration to pursue my goals and continued to inspire me for many years.

My message is simple: Don’t stay in a job that doesn’t inspire you to grow. Look for something that makes you feel worthwhile, something that gives you a sense of accomplishment each day. Maybe you can become someone’s mentor. Let the career you choose make you happy every day and if you are not happy, don’t put off looking for something else.

This blog recently appeared in the Buffalo News at;
http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130615/LIFE/130619427

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...