Greetings, Earthlings! Call me Zontar.

Of first priority, I would most humbly like to thank Ms. Monkey for allowing me this exalted venue to make a very important announcement.

Zontar the Magnificent (this is where my blog is), your ever faithful scribe has in the past been merely an observer of the machinations and follies of the events on your fair planet Earth. Zontar, however, feels he must now take bold action. Upon observing the very negative campaigning occurring in the "United" States for the current election, Zontar wishes to declare his intention to run for president!

I know all of my faithful minions from my own blog will be delighted to hear this news and will vote for me with no questions asked. It is incumbent upon me, in order to achieve victory, to give you Zontar's campaign platform in this very fine blog of Ms. Monkey.

For those who don't know me, I hail from Xenon which is a galaxy 12,000,000,000,000,002 light years from Earth. Zontar is eligible constitutionally to be president as Xenon was mad a protectorate of the "United" States during the incumbency of Gerald Ford.

Don't write me any letters! I know what you are thinking. "Zontar", I hear you say, "This is absurd! You are an alien! How can you understand the problems of a (mostly) human country?"

Fear not, future faithful minion. I can assure you there is ample precedent. Simply look at history.

That is correct, oh ye of little faith. Abraham Lincoln, arguably the greatest president was actually a cyborg hailing from Uranus. During the 19th century, this tidbit was swept under the rug. But all Xenonians are very knowledgeable about this. The fable of his assassination at the hands of the mad actor Booth is a complete fabrication. What happened was his unstable wife through a glass of Big Red at him after a particularly heated argument. This caused him to short circuit. There was no cabal involved at all. It was just a marital spat.

Even in our own time there is proof that Aliens have been deeply involved in politics. It is well known that the neocon aliens endorsed George W. Bush:

Perhaps the most astonishing revelation of all is the fact that the current vice-president, Mr Richard Cheney, is an interloper from beyond the Milky Way.

This is certainly not hard to believe given the evil which he hath wrought upon the world. He was born on the Planet Fellatio and it is well known who malevolent and bad-tempered Fellatians are. Thank Allah he will soon be on the street in January.

But Zontar is not about finger pointing about others wrong doings. Nay! Zontar is benevolent and wise and is all about Change! Change we can believe in!

But what are Zontar's stands on the issues? Why should I vote for him, I hear you thinking.

The reasons are sundry and overwhelming.

The most important reason is that Zontar is a good family man who has old fashioned family values. As an example I give you a picture of the most recent child which was given birth by his beloved daughter wife Placenta.

Don't ya think Krok is adorable?

Among Zontar's other accomplishments, are that he was co-chairman of the PTA (Parent Teacher Alien) association in Xenonia and later mayor of that fair city. While mayor Zontar made many fine executive decisions such as which books to ban and how much of a bounty to place of wolves legs.

The greatest reason to vote for Zontar is of his sacrifice for his planet of Xenon. During the Third interplanetary war between Xenon and Fellatio, Zontar was taken prisoner. He was tortured twice daily upon the electric chair

and inhumane toilet practices

Zontar would not give in to his captors. He would not divulge any military secrets until the second day of captivity.

Zontar is an intergalactic hero. Zontar is a maverick.

To make sure you can trust this ticket, Zontar is nominating himself as vice-president.  Xenonians have a unique self cloning feature which comes in very handy.

So on election day, I want ya to ask yourself this question. Do you want four more years of Bush as represented by Mr. McCain?

Or do you really want a president who is a tax and spend liberal who will enslave you to his communist belief system and send you to a gulag prison camp if you disagree with him?

I think you know the answer my friends. On November 4th, as you enter the voting booth, make your choice for Change, Truth and the American Way!

Vote Zontar 08!

Hail enlightened electorate!!

Hail Zontar!!! (who has approved this message.)

I was in a ton of pain last night and figured that I must have been shedding the rest of what was left.  The ER Doctor said that it was going to be painful, but I never expected pain like that...  I was doubled over in pain, because it hurt so bad.

So, I'm on the phone this morning with my little Sister.  She's checking in on me to see how I'm doing.  We were on the phone for about 30 minutes and that is when I felt something coming...  I quickly got off the phone with her and ran to the bathroom.  I was totally shocked at what I saw.  :(  It was HUGE, so I knew it wasn't a clot.  It was hard on one side and fibrous looking.  I'm guessing that it must have been the placenta?  I just don't understand why it didn't come out with everything else on Friday night.  Or maybe I didn't actually pass everything Friday night, but did so Sunday night with the horrible pain.

Either way, that was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen.  Ewwww!

WellPostpartum Weblog is proud to highlight practitioners who seek to address underlying causes for perinatal mood issues.  Many of the care providers in the Provider Profile Series practice complementary care.  They will refer mothers for medical treatment when necessary, but they tend to try other approaches first.  If testing shows neurotransmitter imbalance or nutritional depletion, those needs may be addressed first, for example.  Some specialize in helping women to wean off medications using alternative approaches.

Information about how they provide care is outlined here, starting with an interview of Dr. Dean Raffelock.

Dr. Dean Raffelock is a doctor of chiropractic who has earned board certifications in clinical nutrition, acupuncture, and applied kinesiology. He and his wife, Stephanie, have a special interest in helping mothers to recover their lost nutritional reserves after giving birth, thus preventing and resolving many postpartum mood disorders.  Because most commercially-available prenatal vitamins do not have adequate amounts of calcium or magnesium, Dr. Raffelock has developed prenatal and postnatal vitamin supplements which help mothers maintain vitality during their journey to motherhood.
He is the lead author of A Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health (Avery-2003).  www.pregnancyrecovery.com

1. How long have you been in practice?  32 years And how did you become interested in perinatal mood disorders?  Both my wife Stephanie and myself have mothers that suffered very serious postpartum mood disorders and never fully recovered while we were children. These postpartum difficulties adversely affected our mothers plus all other family members and we have been devoted to serve this community to try to prevent this kind of prolonged suffering in other families.  Do you provide telephone support?   We offer 30 and 60 minute phone consultations.
 
2. Please describe your clinical approach to women's perinatal mood issues.  I am convinced, based on so many years of clinical experience, that a very significant percentage of women with perinatal mood disorders have bodies that become nutritionally depleted when donating all the nutrients to form their baby's body, placenta, breastfeed, and provide the energy to take care of a new baby.  This concept has been validated by so many years of testing postpartum blood levels of key nutrients like 34 different fatty acids (ie. DHA and EPA omega 3 oils), amino acids, organic acids, intracellular minerals, antioxidants, etc.

A key factor of our approach is to test urine levels of the major neurotransmitters including serotonin, GABA, dopamine, adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and a 24 hour urine hormone test measuring the free levels of progesterone, pregnenolone, estrone, estradiol, estriol, DHEA, adrosterone, testosterone, etiocholanolone, cortisol and cortisone. Blood thyroid hormone testing (TSH, free T3 and freeT4) is also very important.  It is very important to understand that neurotransmitters and hormones profoundly affect each other's functioning.  For instance, there needs to be enough available free progesterone to allow the brain's receptors for GABA help prevent/relieve anxiety and insomnia.  There needs to be enough estrogen for the serotonin receptors to function properly to prevent/relieve depression, insomnia, anxiety, limit carbohydrate cravings; etc.  It takes neurotransmitters and neuropeptides (proteins that affect nerve function) to simulate the pituitary gland to tell the body to make to make progesterone and estrogens and the other hormones just mentioned.  These systems are "synced" and need to be looked at as interlinking and interdependent.  Treating one system without the other often does not yield the desired results.
My book on this subject, A Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health (Avery-2003), goes into this topic in great detail including showing all the nutritional precursors that the body needs to make its own neurotransmitters and energy.  Our nutrient company, Sound Formulas LLC, is a woman's company specializing in making premier quality, comprehensive prenatal and postnatal vitamin 3 bottle "systems" that provide all the key nutrients to provide babies and mothers what their bodies truly need.  Our postnatal vitamin system is called After Baby Boost and contains #1 a top tier multi-vitamin/mineral formula (including alpha lipoic acid and CoQ10), #2 essential fatty acids (fish oils), and a nighttime calcium/magnesium formula to enhance sleep and relaxation.

After Baby Boost  was put through a clinical trial using a leading prenatal vitamin as placebo and was much more successful in preventing and treating mood disorders, sleep disorders, joint pain, skin disorders and a host of other complaints than an ordinary prenatal vitamin taken postpartum.  Our website Soundfomulas.com gives a great deal of information on why these products were formulated the way they were along with lots of information that many pregnant and postpartum women find very helpful to know.
3. What types of mood issues do you see most often in new mothers?  Depression, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, chronic fatigue, and fears of hurting their babies.
 
4. Please say a little about your assessment and testing procedures.  See above
 
5. Which treatments do you tend to favor for mild reactions?   Nutrient replenishment, bio-identical hormone replacement and neurotransmitter amino acid precursor therapy. And severe reactions?  Add a referral for evaluation for anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, and/or sleep medication to treatment for mild to moderate reactions. mIt is important to note that these pharmaceuticals contain no nutrients and that replenishing all the nutrients donated to form baby's body is very necessary for treatment and to prevent recurrence.  What is a typical course of treatment for each type of mood issue?  This predominantly depends upon individual test results, however, nutrient replenishment, evaluating and treating hormone and neurotransmitter imbalances are the core of what we do because these are the most powerful mood modulating chemicals in the human body.  Referrals for psychological counseling and medications are done as needed.
 
6. What have been some of your most remarkable successes with mothers?  Most of the women who come to us are able to overcome their difficulties, enjoy their families, and have other children if desired.

Thank you to Stephanie and Dean Raffelock for their passion in helping new mothers achieve balance in the postpartum period!

Why would someone like Denise Richards or Megan Fox pay hundreds of dollars to have human placenta rubbed all over their faces? To stay young of course... ummm gross...

These placenta facials are apparently good for you if you have acne-prone skin. It is supposed to improve your skin complexion and it's also a plus if your skin is sun-damaged.

Where does this placenta come from? From Russian maternity wards where it is treated to prevent biological contamination and disease transmission.

Source

HCG levels in pregnancy include the following roles:

• maintain progesterone production by the corpus luteum;
• maintain the endometrium for the first trimester;
• stimulate fetal gonad development and androgen synthesis by the fetal testes;
• stimulate the secretion of estrogen and development of the placenta

Some women need HCG levels to inclrease in order to ovualte or even carry the fetus to term.

For one thing, I drive around with a coccyx on my dashboard.

Dear M,

I have your tailbone, I know you have been wondering where it was.  It fell out of the pelvis when I let little man E play with it in the car and he kept asking me, "Yes, but what KIND of ANIMAL is is from?"  Try as I might, he didn't really get it that humans are animals.  I guess this is not surprising, since most adults don't get it either.  Anyway, sorry I forgot to give it to you when I returned the knitted placenta, amniotic sac, baby doll and pelvis.  By the way, the ladies at the health fair thought the "unbiblical" cord was really cool.

-j

This same M, who, thankfully, is nearly as addled as I am, was witness to my third child's first steps.  In the psychiatrist's waiting room.  It's quite appropriate that this is where it should happen, as everything else about this child is normal and easy.  In fact, this often causes me to wonder if he might be, um, like - "slow" in some way, because how else would any child of mine smile so much?  I'm not exactly All Happy, All the Time. Anyway, M met me at my Psych office so I could plead my case for the kind of sleeping pill that doesn't make you continue to sleep the entire next day, while still counteracting the antidepressants that make you stay up the entire next night.  While we sat there waiting forty minutes for my fifteen minute appointment, baby B decided he would take a couple of steps towards me.

Dear Baby B,

I always tell my friends that they will most assuredly mess up their children.  The trick is to give them interesting stories to tell their therapists when they are older.  I'm sorry your first steps were in my shrink's waiting room, but think of the delicious irony when you share that with yours!

-Your Mama, number one fan of your gorgeous smile

Right now, I am visiting my own mother, who gave me plenty of good stories to tell,  and who is providing fodder as I write this. I can hardly wait to share.

To be continued...

Post-mitotic neurons are one of the major cell types that express Cdh1, suggesting that APC–Cdh1 may have functions in the nervous system. Analysis of the expression pattern of Cdh1 in the adult Cdh1+/gt mouse brain showed that it is expressed in almost all neurons. No gross morphological changes in the hippocampus or other regions of the brain of Cdh1+/gt mice were apparent, and western blot analysis showed a reduction in the expression of Cdh1 by about 50% in Cdh1+/gt brain when compared with wild-type mice.

............

Given the correlation between synaptic plasticity and learning and memory, we subjected Cdh1+/+ and Cdh1+/gt mice to behavioural tests to determine whether Cdh1+/gt mice would show deficiencies in learning and memory. Cdh1+/gt mice performed poorly in contextual fear-conditioning, a hippocampus-dependent process. However, no difference was observed in cued (auditory) fear conditioning, which is less dependent on hippocampus. These results indicate that Cdh1 haploinsufficiency causes hippocampus-dependent memory impairment and that APC–Cdh1-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of protein substrates has an important role in learning and memory.

I don't understand why there would be a region-specific behavior effect. Do amygdala neurons not require APC-Cdh1 for plasticity?

What synaptic proteins stick to Cdh1? Well, Cdh1 has a thing for a motif called the D-Box and a few other Boxes. My favorite is the CRY Box... sounds like someone's sad apartment. Kim and Bonni illustrate some possibilities for Cdh1 in the nervous system here.

The general trend is that less Cdh1/APC equals more glutamate receptors. One interesting substrate is Liprin-alpha, a synaptic scaffolding protein that interacts with AMPAR trafficking proteins and CaMKII (reported by Spangler and Hoogenraad).

Eccola

Eccola.

There are many benefits to eating placenta and although it is not well documented in Western society it is has been used as a medicine in China for many years.  In fact, the placenta is quite sort after, being included in pharmacological preparations to treat infertility, chronic fatigue syndrome and a variety of other diseases.  Placenta is bought from young, healthy women then tested and treated accordingly.  Why let this valuable organ go to waste?

- Melissa Baker, an acupuncturist and  mother of three beautiful children.

  Misunderstanding leads to loss of placenta

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These symptoms can also be seen from Apgar score ranges from zero to 10. The five criteria (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration). The Apgar score was devised in 1952 by Dr. Virginia Apgar as a simple and repeatable method to quickly and summarily assess the health of newborn children immediately after childbirth.

Apgar Score

Although CP is a non-progressive disorder (it doesn't worsen), its effect may result in even greater difficulties in terms of balance and coordination (including focus). There is no cure for CP, medical treatments are applied simply to minimize the effects on those who suffer from this disorder. This CP often occurs as the effect of premature birth or a late one. Ariq's case has been the effect of his late delivery, back then, we were just a couple of foolish parents, who did nothing but agreeing to wait for the never-delivering baby. We knew it's late but why did we agree to wait for another week? A useless week I regretted most, a week of waiting impatiently, we consulted nobody but that old witch gynecologist...Had I known..I would have...as I said before, it was a useless week because Ratna will have a sectio anyway so why wait any longer?

A week prior, her womb was already 9 months old (timetable said that the delivery should be around September 26th) but up until October 1st, there wasn't any signs of the baby coming out so the gynecologist advised us to run a USG, the result was frightening (now and should've been that day), the membrane liquid was drying and also the placenta is quite old (indicating that the baby should be out instantly). Here's why, as the fetus grows, it feeds on the membrane liquid and relies on it for breathing. This membrane liquid grows plenty along with the growth of the fetus. When it reaches the age of 9 months, the fetus, now in the shape of a baby, should be delivered soon because the liquid cannot supply appropriate foods for the baby any longer. After this point, the quality of this liquid shall deteriorate while the baby will need constant supply, that's why it leads to brain-related disorders.

Guess what happened, the gynecologist told us to give another week just in case by October 7th, there would be signs (what sort of signs you expected, old witch?) and bloody hell, we agreed. It was all because of lack of information, we should've been more critical in terms of the consequences that might occur because of the delay (we should've consulted any medical websites for guidance, but unfortunately we didn't do it, we were too optimistic that everything suggested by the doctor should have been good for the baby).

It was a clear afternoon of October 8, 2002, Ratna will be operated in the evening, I couldn't sleep since the previous night, I kept on wondering what would happen the next day, questions such whether or not there would be problems haunted me around the clock, my eyes didn’t even twitch a bit. Finally, Ratna was brought into the operating room, I wasn’t allowed to come since nobody was supposed to be in but the doctors and team. There were my mom, sister and husband, my two younger brothers and several aunties from my Dad. (Dad passed away on March 3, after being hospitalized and a 3 week-coma at RSCM, I am glad I have told him that Ratna was pregnant before he went comatose).

It was after Maghrib, when one of the nurses fetched me to follow her into the nursery, the baby was born. Off I went inside only to find that my son's left leg, precisely by the knee, was dislocated (sobbing now), she told me that he was delivered in lack of oxygen but she assured me that this condition wasn't the result of medical misconduct, everything that happened was merely resulted from internal flaw, that this wasn't human error or malpractice (yea, right). I gathered all my strength not to cry no matter how heart-broken I was that evening. I kissed his forehead and started reciting adzan to his right ear.

All I remember afterwards was my eyes couldn't hold the tears any longer, I grabbed my sister's hand and told her what happened, trust me, she couldn't get much more stressful than that evening so she carefully took my mom out from the crowd and told her what happened. Here, I gave my mom all the 4 thumbs I had for she didn't panic at all. She told me to keep what happened at the nursery from Ratna. We all agreed that she would be shocked to find out about all these.

The upsetting facts added up, that night the light went off so she had to bear the heat despite the agonizing feeling of the worn off sedation, the pain was gradually coming, after being operated, ideally it would be best if she could lie on a cozy bed but too bad the mattress was uncomfortable, it was too thin, away from being proper, not to mention cozy. Every time she moved, we could hear the creaking sound of the springbed. She had to sleep in pain, heat and also darkness. (I love you, honey)

The following morning, I told Ratna that Ariq had difficulties in breathing because of the phlegm in his throat and chest, I told her that we (mom and I) needed to take him to Fatmawati hospital to vaporize the phlegm so that he could breathe easily. I lied, it was because we planned to have his left leg plastered. We agreed to keep everything from her, remember?

We went there by ambulance, a nurse was coming with us, she's supposed to hand over the letter from the hospital for X-Ray. As soon as we got to the hospital, there were so many people at the orthopedics so we had to wait. As we were waiting, I couldn't take my eyes off of the fine-looking baby, my son. At first, I smiled remembering our predictions about how the baby would look like, then suddenly I cried, not knowing how such things happened to this baby.

Afterwards, we went inside, it was Dr. Arnold, an orthopedist for the hospital, he checked and confirmed that the dislocated knee should be plastered for about a week or so, he assured us that young bones fixed quickly and there were good signs also, Ariq moved his left foot as the doctor tickled it. The nerve system was a OK. During the process of plastering, I cried again, the scene was much too agonizing to watch.

Back at the hospital, Ratna asked how it was doing so I said it went well, I was glad that she didn't fuss about it further. The next day, she asked me to fetch Ariq, it's breastfeeding time. She tried hard to move against the pillow on her back, I had pity for her; therefore, I was glad that she didn't know about the dislocated knee. Finally, Ariq was in the room, she tried to have him in her arm, I could see her grinned in pain but all washed away when I saw her happy face. I remember she said that our son is fine-looking. Her next question was like a slap to my face, she wondered why Ariq was so heavy (that time I was either gonna laugh or cry in confession, he was heavy because of the plastered knee, honey). Ariq was wrapped in a blanket so that no way she could see the banded knee, but then again, luckily she forgot that already and I was glad. After ten days, we took Ariq to see another orthopedist, the late Professor Soelarto from Setia Mitra hospital, he observed that the result was okay and the dislocated knee was attached already. He assured us that hopefully there wouldn't be trouble in the future.

One traumatic event seemed to trigger another, as day went by, we gradually found out that Ariq was actually much worse than it seemed. First of all, his knee was dislocated, then he was born without proper oxygen, then this lack of oxygen thing (the tolerance is ranging from 5 minutes to 12 hours most not a week, dumb ass!) lead to his poor motoric abilities, senses of balance and coordination and many more. This poor motoric skill lead to his difficulties in breast suckling. As result, Ariq spent most of the time crying because of his hunger.This has resulted in even more stressful wife, this lead to her inability to breastfeed. Breastfeeding should be in a state of comfort and safe, when a mother is distressed, she will not be able to do so.

We found out about this from Dr.Pudjo, a pediatric, a senior one from my childhood. She was my pediatric, at least that's what my mom said. Being a senior Pediatric, she knew what to do, she advised us to mix the formula with starch (the liquid you get from cooking rice). This really helped Ariq fulfilled his hunger, in addition, she also advised us to buy bigger pacifiers to help him drink his food.

One of my aunties happened to be a nurse, nutritionist and also a head master in one of the schools for special needs. This Aunt Gitta Van Engelen, gave us frequent visits to observe what really happened to our son, she wanted to know why it was so difficult for Ariq to suckle from the nipples or pacifiers. Then she came to the conclusion that the lack of oxygen had weakened the muscles around his mouth, making it hard to suckle. Another consequence of the late delivery emerged to surface.

My mom then took us to see another Orthopedist, Dr. Penny Kusumastuti, her husband, Dr.Zainal A Isma, was my dad's classmate in FKUI. She specializes in child orthopedy. Based on her observation, she found out that Ariq's palms, specifically around the thumbs, could not open so that grabbing or holding would be troublesome. Then she created a special molding to place his palms in such a way that the thumbs were forced opened. That way, the muscles would be flexible.

Cerebral Palsy patients later on may experience disturbances of sensation, cognition, communication, perception. In Ariq's case, these symptoms emerged early, that's why we were advised to join physiotherapy for him asap. Based on the therapist observation, he concluded that Ariq suffered from Athetoid or dyskinetic People with athetoid CP have trouble holding themselves in an upright, steady position for sitting or walking, and often show involuntary motions. For some people with athetoid CP, it takes a lot of work and concentration to get their hand to a certain spot (like scratching their nose or reaching for a cup). Because of their mixed tone and trouble keeping a position, they may not be able to hold onto objects (such as a toothbrush or pencil).

We took Ariq for a regular therapy at Fatmawati Hospital but somehow we didn't see any meaningful progress from every exercise he did, every hope we had, every teardrop he shed and so on. These exercises are designed to accomodate, develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability as the patient grows old. In order to achieve maximum results, often times, these patients are advised to use supporting tools that vary according to the desired effects and area of the body infected.

After undergoing endless therapies at fatmawati Hospital, we registered Ariq at Kitty Center, Bona Indah. It's a school for children with special needs. Here, we saw other children, most are far worse than Ariq, unlike our son who looks and appears normal, his problem lies on his legs, hips joints and balance/coordination, these children could barely lift their heads or arms. Here, we thank God again for his blessing, we're grateful that our son is not that bad. But this isn't the best and ultimate part..

The jaw-dropping facts would be fascinating, Ariq had done two years of Physiotherapy under a false method, he was diagnosed wrong (let me introduce Mr.Sakib, who appears like a CP patient himself, his moves are attaxic, this dumbass was the one who made wrong diagnoses) So Ariq had spent a useless exercise, these exercises should be the ones with the aim of strengthening because Ariq's muscles are weak. Sakib had diagnosed Ariq as athethoid, with stiff muscles, so every exercise toned him down. Such an irony, right? (Astaghfirullah, forgive me ya Allah).

Here at Kitty, everything is well-organized, it's a team work, every student is sometimes assisted by 2 or more therapist according to the need. I'm glad that finally Ariq is in the right hands, every therapy is done with the involvement of the parents, they have lesson plans, they have regular meetings, regular orthopedics consultations and seminars. They involve us in every program because relying on school time only would not be sufficient. The therapies are divided into:

1. Physiotherapy: Muscle strengthening.
2. Occupational Therapies: Motoric-based therapies, senses-sharpening.
3. Sensory Therapies: Covers a session of playing with dough, beans and nuts, flavors exposure (sweet, salty, bitter, sour) and also a session of brushing therapies using special brush and techniques (applied to hands, feet and back). Facial massage is often given to stimulate the facial muscles.
4. Speech Therapies: Oral drill, pronunciation, strengthening muscles around the mouth which in the end helping the patient to stimulate the use of those muscles for speaking, suckling and so on (Ariq still has trouble drinking using a straw)
5. Educational Therapies: Class-based programs, concentration drill that resemblance kindergarten environment.
6. Behavior Therapies: Mood disorders and over anxiety therapies.

These therapies are given on a weekly basis, everything is well-programmed just like I mentioned previously. Every child is given a target that must be achieved in a certain period of time. Alhamdulillah, Ariq is now improving a lot, he learns a lot from his new school. We express high gratitude to all the teachers and therapists who have spent quality time with Ariq, patiently, through all his ups and downs.

Here are some therapeutics instruments Ariq is using:

STANDING FRAME - The body is securely fastened in an upright position to maintain the legs muscles and make them stronger to walk.

Keep smiling, keep shining, he never complains

AFO (Ankle_Foot_Orthoses) SHOES - A specially designed pair of shoes for those with weak ankles.

Ankle Foot Orthoses

SPLINTS - A pair of rigid device to prevent motion of a joint or of the ends of a fractured bone.

WALKER - A crutch like with wheels to help with the walking therapies.

Fun therapies, he seldom cries no matter how hard he endures each session.

Ariq is still undergoing his therapeutic sessions until today, besides physiotherapies, swimming and horse riding are also advised for those with such illness. Both horses and dolphins are reported to have emotional bonds with those suffering from CPs or anybody considered with special needs. I'm glad that ever since he was a baby, he never had trouble with water, he has always enjoyed water splashes, especially swimming, both indoor or outdoor.

Fun at the garage

Water splashes

Definitely not scared

Ariq's way of back stroke

Now with Baraka and Dad:

Thank you Kitty, thank you for the patience in treating and training Ariq. Hopefully he walks soon.

]]> http://theringofhair.wordpress.com/?p=55 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:28:21 +0000 theringofhair http://theringofhair.es.wordpress.com/2008/09/04/hoskins-and-schwarzenegger/ Despite clearly coming from the same column of excreta, the two fists of stool which just left me had some profound distinction, like twins with their own placenta. Each sibling held an amphibious quality, demonstrated by their athletic and silent entry into the water, and the total exigence for toilet paper.

Jika diteruskan dengan 10 kali penyuntikan, kulit lebih cerah asal diiringi cream pemutih. "Efek sampingnya tidak ada, karena tathion ini membuat lever dan ginjal kuat. Sedangkan vitamin C baik untuk metabolisme tubuh. Kalau metabolisme dan organ tubuh baik dengan sendirinya kulit juga bagus," terangnya. Suntik vitamin C plus tathion berefek lebih bagus pada kulit apalagi dikpmbinasikan dengan oxydermal. Tathion juga biasa diberikan dalam bentuk tablet yang diminum setiap hari selama mengikuti program pemutihan kulit. Konsumsi tablet tersebut untuk pemeliharaan dari efek suntikan agar tetap bertahan.

Tathion

Tationil adalah antioksidan sejenis molekul protein (amino acid) yang berguna sebagai antioksidan bagi tubuh, memperkuat system imun dan detox. yang dapat memberikan efek kulit menjadi lembut dan halus, secara tidak langsung juga memberikan pencerahan. Salah satu antioksidan utama yang paling banyak terdapat pada organ hati

Keuntungan :

1) Dapat mengeliminasi campuran beracun dalam hati (seperti paracetamol)

membentuk dan merekonstruksi kembali vitamin C dan E yang sedang dioksidasikan dalam tubuh

2) Memerangi kanker, penyakit jantung, premature aging (kerutan), dan penyakit kronis

3) Jika di kombinasikan dengan injeksi vit C dapat membantu tingkatkan kualitas system imun, mengurangi kelelahan, meremajakan dan menyehatkan kulit

Vitamin C

Vitamin C berjasa bagi kulit lewat dua cara utama, bertindak sebagai antioksidan, yang memulihkan kerusakan kulit akibat radikal bebas, dan membantu pembentukan kolagen.

Sebagai antioksidan, vitamin C membentuk dan memperbaiki jaringan yang dirusak oksidan, zat beracun penyerang sel organ tubuh kita. Oksidan ini didapat dari sisa pengolahan tubuh terhadap makanan, zat pencemar dari udara, air, dan stres. Ia sebenarnya molekul oksigen dengan atom di orbit terluar yang punya elektron tak berpasangan.

Merujuk pengalaman dr. Rosa dari Klinik Prorevital, Jakarta, pasiennya, yang kebanyakan wanita 20 - 40 tahun, merasa perlu suntik vitamin C karena bermasalah dengan maag (tukak lambung) bila mereka mengonsumsi vitamin langsung dan mulut. Kelompok lainnya ingin lebih bugar secara instan dalam persiapan pernikahan, persiapan perjalanan ke luar negeri atau pergi haji, atau sedang menyelesaikan proyek besar.

Kecukupan vitamin C membantu pembentukan kolagen, sebentuk protein, senyawa berisi asam amino mirip lem pengikat sel. "Zat perekat" ini menjadi bagian susunan utama jaringan penghubung seperti kulit, tulang, dan ikatan sendi tulang. Kolagen menjaga kekenyalan dan kelenturan kulit dengan bantuan vitamin C untuk hydroxylation, proses yang memungkinkan molekul mencapai bentuk terbaik. Vitamin C juga mencegah kolagen lemah dan rentan rusak.

Keuntungan :

1) Bertujuan memproduksi collagen yang mana jaringan ikat dari kulit, tulang ikatan sendi, otot dan organ organ tubuh.

2) Menindas formasi “Melanin” yang diproduksi pada area yang terkena UVA/UVB

3) Mengurangi kerutan sebab dari produksi collagen yang mana penting bagi kulit dalam membuat kulit menjadi kenyal dan sehat.

4) Mengurangi jerawat dan mengecilkan pori pori, melembutkan texture kulit.

Placenta

Kandungan nutrisinya yang tinggi membuat plasenta menjadi suatu bahan primadona. Plasenta dalam bentuk ekstraksnya berfungsi untuk membantu meningkatkan kemampuan kulit menyerap oksigen, menstimulir metabolisme sel dan meningkatkan reproduksi sel. Bahkan dalam suatu literature , dikatakan plasenta memiliki sifat immunostimulator. Masih terjadi perdebatan terhadap klaim produk yang mengandung plasenta, bahwa belum ada bukti jika plasenta ekstrak mampu mencegah kerusakan yang diakibatkan oleh sinar UV, melindungi polusi, melawan infeksi. Karenanya tanpa dokumentasi yang valid, FDA mengarahkan untuk menghentikan klaim bahwa plasenta mengandung sejumlah hormon penting termasuk estrogen dan progesterone serta memiliki sifat anti aging.

Oxydermal

oxydermal, digunakan sebagai oksigenisasi terhadap jaringan tubuh yang salah satunya kulit, sehingga peningkatan oksigen ini memberikan nutrisi dan pembentukan kembali sel2 yang rusak. pada kulit ini juga dapat memberikan efek kulit menjadi lebih putih. efek putih oxydermal lebih baik dari pada vit c dan tationil.

CARA PEMESANAN

LIHAT KATALOG PRODUK DAN HARGA

Fetele vor sa afle mai multe lucruri despre cordonul ombilical al lui bebe: cum apare, de unde se leaga, pe cinea leaga, J, cum e cordonul ombilical in cazul gemenilor etc.

Ca sa intelegem foarte clar cum e cu cordonul ombilical trebuie de asemenea sa intelegem cum stau lucrurile si cu placenta. Cele doua “entitati” sunt strans legate una de alta, inca din primele zile de dupa conceptie.

Ce este placenta?

Placenta este un organ tranzitoriu, care apare in cursul sarcinii si este eliminata la nastere. Placenta se diferentiaza precoce in cursul embriogenezei si asigura schimbul materno-fetal. Cu alte cuvinte, prin placenta bebe se hraneste, ajungand la el substantele nutrivite (dar si nocive) din organismul mamei. Formarea placentei este un proces complex care consta in dezvoltarea si organizarea trofoblastului primar si incepe odata cu implantarea blastocitului (ziua a 6-a) in uter.

Dar ce este blastocistul?

Pai ce sa fie… blastocistul este bebe, in primele lui zile de viata. Dupa fecundare, ovulul, adica oul fecundat, denumit zigot, trecere de la ovar prin trompa uterina spre uter. O data cu diviziunea celulara, zigotul se transforma in morula, apoi in blastocist. Adica evolueaza J La acest stadiu el se implanteaza in uter si devine embrion. Tot atunci se dezvolta si placenta. In acest moment al “implantarii” embrionului apare si cordonul ombilical care leaga bebe de placenta. Cordonul pleaca deci de la bebe spre placenta.

Cum arata placenta?

Placenta este un organ carnos de forma circular-ovoida, avand un diametru cuprins intre 18-23 cm, o grosime de 3-6 cm, grosimea scazand de la centru spre periferie. Greutatea ei variaza in functie de patrimoniul genetic, marimea fatului, sexul si paritatea. In general greutatea placentei reprezinta in medie 1/6 din greutatea fatului. La un fat de 2.800-3.000 g, placenta are in medie 450-500 g. Dezvoltarea ei pana la 1.000 g evidentiaza insa un aspect normal al dezvoltarii. O greutate a placentei sub 300 g este rezultatul unor tulburari de dezvoltare.

Stadiile de maturare ale placentei

Exista 4 stadii de maturare ale placentei, numerotate de la 0 la 3. Stadiul al 3-lea este cel mai avansat, anuntand apropierea nasterii. La ecografie (3D sau 4D), doctorul iti va spune si care este gradul de maturare al placentei. Ulterior, ginecologul iti va spune daca ai sau nu motive de ingrijorare.

Cordonul ombilical

Placenta prezinta o fata materna si una fetala. Cea fetala este neteda, lucioasa, translucida, acoperita de amnios si de partea mai profunda a placii coriale, sub care se afla vasele ombilicale. Central, pe fata fetala, se afla si insertia cordonului ombilical. Deci placenta nu e legata de mama prin cordonul ombilical. Acesta leaga bebelusul de placenta.

Cordonul ombilical are 40-70 cm lungime, 1-2 cm grosime, este de consistenta elastica si are o coloratie roz-albastruie. In structura lui intra doua artere dispuse spiralat in jurul unei vene si inconjurate de gelatina Warthon.

Cordonul ombilical face deci legatura intre fat si mama, dar prin intermediul placentei. Cordonul ombilical contine vase de sange (doua artere si o vena) prin care se asigura aportul de materiale nutritive necesare dezvoltarii fatului si eliminarea produsilor toxici de metabolism.

In cazul gemenilor, exista 2 cordoane ombilicale, fiecare bebelus cu cordonul lui, chiar daca se afla in aceeasi placenta si in acelasi sac amniotic.

Sursa: www.nou-nascuti.ro, www.e-referate.ro

So let's go over what the ultrasound tech saw and expressed, and what we saw while we were there.  We'll try to not include any of the info that Dr. Google gave me because, as stated above, it's just too damn scary to mention!

We'll start with the good things:  Charlotte's estimated weight is 5 pounds! YAY!  And she is also head down (something that earlier in the pregnancy I could tell, but recently haven't been able to...so I was wondering.)  Vaginal birth--HERE WE COME!!!

Now, on to the not so great results:  Charlie is measuring behind now.  This has been a concern for quite sometime and this is one of the reasons why we have frequent ultrasounds.  This may sound confusing, but bear with me...

Due date calculated from last period:  October 5th

Due date calculated at Nuchal Translucency Test:  September 24th  (I think that's right)

Due date calculated by this ultrasound:  October 14th

On paper this LOOKS like Charlie's overall growth is about 3 weeks behind (From first ultrasound to this one).  However, I know when I ovulated, I know that October 5th is the correct due date.  So, technically she is only 9 days behind.  Still behind, but not as much as they want to think I am....

I hope that the doctor recognizes this because if they think Charlie is 3 weeks behind, then I'm just about positive that they will induce to get her out of there before it gets worse.  We'll have to wait til Wednesday for my doctor's appointment to see what she has to say about all of this.  The ultrasound tech was pretty worried and all up in arms about it.  Frankly, it freaked her out--which did nothing for my mental health today.

Also--I noticed that there were some large whitish spots in the placenta.  I knew what it was immediately, but I asked the tech to verify what I was seeing.  There is some definite calcification in the placenta.  I don't know how bad it is, but if it's bad enough that means that the placenta is aging too fast and failing prematurely.  However, some level of calcification can be normal at this point in pregnancy too.  So, we'll have to wait for the radiologist to determine what "grade" the calcification is.

And the ugliest news of all (and I didn't really realize that this was ugly news til Dr. Google told me it was):  Charlie's head measured significantly behind her abdomen.  I didn't take much stock during the ultrasound--figured it was just "normal".  Well, apparently, at no time is a smaller head deemed "normal" and will be taken heavily into consideration as it could have a heavy impact on Charlie's health.  Fuck.  Fuck.  FUCK FUCK FUCK.

I was not undone initially by the results.  It wasn't til we got home.  Paul and I talked about things.  Paul reminded me how Charlie's growth looks on paper (being 3 weeks behind), then that got me thinking about everything else that was said and seen....and then I went on my journey through google....and it only got worse from there.  So, I'm worried for sure.  My worry about delivering a preterm baby is high.  My worry about delivering a baby that might have health problems is moderate.  My worry that there is something MAJOR wrong is pretty low (which surprises even me!).

So, a few days and we'll see the doc and get to take a look at the official report from the radiologist.  I'm scared.  I won't lie.  I think ultrasounds are pretty unreliable for weight measurements and I don't trust that she's big enough to be on the outside just yet.  It's too early....way too early.

In May of 2007, Alice visited with Dr. Gonzalez and received stem cells. Since then she has gotten progressively better and stronger.  Her lungs have improved.  When she entered Dr. Gonzalez’ clinic she could not expectorate mucous and bacteria especially from the right lung.  Alice no longer takes any medicine for this condition.  She feels so much better, stronger and looks good.  She has gained weight, her face is fuller and her color has come back, her circulation has improved greatly.  Before receiving the stem cells, placenta Implants she was too weak to exercise but can now exercise as part of her daily routine and is able to make crafts which helps support her. She hasn’t been to the hospital once since her stem cell, placenta implant treatment.

Alice’s brother Clarence also suffers with Limb Girdle MD.  He was 7 years old when he started to have symptoms.  At 14 years of age the weakness became much more severe and around 18 years old he started loosing muscle mass.  He became so thin he was literally skin over bone.  After taking only one stem cell, placenta treatment he has gained 8 pounds, his arms are gaining mass, his face is fuller, he is experiencing more energy, he feels stronger and his sense of balance has improved.  His appetite has improved and his digestion is much better.  Clarence can climb the stairs in his home with some help.  His goal is to get stronger and stronger and get back to running again.  He and Alice will be taking a second round of stem cell, placenta implant treatment in the fall.

Alice and Clarence’s mother also received stem cells placenta implant therapy from Dr. Gonzalez.  She is 71 and was starting to slow down.  She had pain in her shoulders, bad circulation and her foot was always cold.  She now has no pain in the shoulders, her circulation has improved and her energy is really good.

About Us:

Dr. Omar Gonzalez believes in a multi-disciplinary approach to medicine. He practices state-of-the-art anti-aging techniques and combines the best of European, North American, traditional and Chinese medicine. Amazing recoveries are observed for patients with Allergies, Anti-Aging, Stroke, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Dermatomyositis, Diabetes, Gangrene, Kidney - Nephrotic Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Pain, Psoriasis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Shingles and Spina Bifida.

Please click here to get more information.

During my unwelcome break from blogging, I enjoyed my library of podcast digests, including the Savage Lovecast with Dan Savage, a sex and relationship advice columnist.  On last week's podcast, Dan had Dr. Barak Gaster, MD on the show to answer medical questions.  Dr. Gaster is a callow mild-mannered professional, too meek to hurt people's feelings, but generally responsible enough to correct their misconceptions.  I was more impressed with Dan Savage, who by the virtue of his own radar for common sense, seemed to be a de facto skeptic.  Several times Dan was egging on Dr. Gaster to crush the alternative medicine claims of his callers, but the good doctor's responses were way too kind.

One girl called asking about the safety of eating menstrual blood.  Gag!  She cited that placenta blood has been used for oral or facial enhancements and nutritional value.  But, what she should have referenced was a scientific study on placenta cosmetics.  I couldn't find even one, which means that the practice of putting placenta in cosmetics is complete nonsense.  I found one girl extolling the virtues of placenta cosmetics, but this was after years of her using botox.  I wonder which one really worked!  Any benefit of placenta cosmetics comes purely from the other ingredients in the lotion.  Placentas aren't magic elixers, and any nourishment they provide to wrinkly babies does not translate to skin care.

Going further on this topic, I want to talk about the gag-inducing cannibalistic habit of Eating the placenta, a phenomenon called placentophagia.  Naturalist point to the animal kingdom, where many species eat their own placenta, as a reason to do the same.  Humans, luckily, have grocery stores and vitamin supplements to provide nourishment.  I've heard of dogs that eat their own poop, but you don't see too many naturalists promoting that for humans.  Is it any surprise that Tom Cruise was in the news because of rumors swirling that he would eat Suri's placenta? 

Planting the placenta is common in Hawaii, New Zealand, and now Hollywood thanks to Matthew McConaughey.  I think it's fine for hippies to plant placentas as a symbolic gesture, but McConaughey thinks that there is some magical force that makes placenta trees grow verdant and prolific.  Well, beyond the immediate benefits of placenta as an organic fertilizer, I don't think you will see it grow super trees. 

Among the other things mentioned by Dan Savage's callers was a young man who gets thirsty after he orgasms.  He said he asked an Eastern-Homeopathic doctor about it, who said that the "the energy system for the gonads (is) shared with your respiratory system".  He must have meant the conception vessel meridian, an arbitrary line from the crotch to the throat that has no basis in reality.  This homeopathic doctor was clearly talking out his ass.  Dan picked up on it right away and said, "Far be it from me to contradict a homeopathic doctor, but are the ball bones some how connected to the lung bones?"  Exactly.  A much more logical answer would be the one Dr. Gaster gives - that the kid is suffering from psychological cotton mouth.

To cap it all off, a girl calls in to suggest that girls who are suffering from a urinary tract infection should do acupressure on their ankles.  The doctor bends over backwards to be kind to patients of acupuncture, while quoting the placebo effect several times.  Dr. Gaster loses several points by making the exxagerated claim that there are "all kinds" of randomized studies that show acupuncture cures "whatever ails you".  He must be auditioning for Oprah as a replacement for Dr. Oz because there are many acupuncture studies that show no effect, and very few that show an occasional benefit (certainly not for "whatever ails you".)

Thanks for allowing me the indulgence of a long post.  I've been holding that one in for a few days now.   

After visiting Australia, McConaughey says he was inspired to do something special with the placenta after witnessing a unique Aboriginal ritual, reports The Associated Press.

"When I was in Australia, they had a placenta tree that was on the river ... and all the placentas of all that tribe, all that clan, whatever Aboriginal tribe that was, all the placentas went under that one tree and it was this huge behemoth of just health and strength," he said in an interview for CNN's program House Call.

"This tree was just growing taller and stronger above the rest of Mother Nature around it. It was gorgeous." (news)

"McConaughey to plant son's placenta in orchard"

Now, I'm not sure what I'll ever use this information for aside from this post, but now I have the indelible image of Matthew McConaughey holding a placenta in a field, etched on my brain, for no other reason than someone at the associated press chose it was worthy of reporting.

If I had any talent with photoshop I would use this photo of McConaughey...

And incorporate it with this photo of a placenta:

...so that you might have at least an idea of the picture that reading that simple headline burned on my brain, although I suppose you're all creative enough to do that on your own.

Hey, does anyone know what Brad Pitt did with Angelina's water when it broke? Is it in their fish tank? Did they bottle it as Angelina's Baby Nectar and sell it to people magazine for charity? I hope a report surfaces soon on the topic because I'm dying to know.

Matthew McConaughey to plant son's placenta in orchard.

As a man close to my heart once said, it's funny 'cause it's true.