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Payton’s Purring Problems

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Payton is 16 yrs old and was diagnosed as hyperthyroid six years ago. She is on Methimazole (3/4 tab am & pm). Ever since she started on the meds I have noticed that she has a stuffy nose. But always thought it was because of food allergies. This year, we learned that the generic Methimazole wasn’t working, so we switched her to Tapazole and now the symptoms seem worse. Payton snorts and sneezes frequently. But the scariest thing is when she goes to purr … if you watch the video you can see what she goes through. This morning she was purring and then went into a coughing fit. She coughed at least 10-14 times. It scared the heck out of me and my family. If anybody knows what is going on, I’d love to know. My vet has no idea and wants to slightly sedate and then scope Payton’s throat. I fear that she is too old for such a procedure. I’m not sure what to do, but I hate to see her suffer like this. Thank you for listening and feel free to share your thoughts with me.


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Furry Feline Friends

I just love our furry little friends … I shot this video when I visited Thief River Falls, MN about 10 years ago.  I can’t believe I waited so long to produce a little video memory … but, here it is: 


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“My Neighborhood” by Just Vision Media

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I really want to see this film and the only place it is showing is in New York City (April 18-29, 2012) or Doha, Qatar (April 19-22, 2012). Why won’t theaters in the US show this film? What exactly are people afraid of? Why not show that some Israelis want peace with their neighbors? You sure as hell won’t see peaceful efforts being made on the news in the US. Why?

Please, watch the trailer and then ask your local theater to show this film. As a democracy we have failed to show that we are willing to see both sides of the story. It is time for that to change! What is it Gandhi said? “Be the change you wish to see.”


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The Three Graces by Carole Kent-Kirckof

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The Three Graces - Décor (Beauty), Lapor (Charm) and Partum (Creativity)

The Three Graces - Décor (Beauty), Lapor (Charm) and Partum (Creativity)

My friend, jewelry-designer, and lapidary shop owner, Carole Kent-Kirckof, has launched a Three Graces jewelry line to support a local charity, the Women’s Shelter of Rochester, MN. Here is a link to a lovely article in “Mid-America Jewelry Lines” about her cause, the title is: “Full of grace: Charitable jewelry celebrates the unity of women”.

I plan to purchase a piece from the Three Graces line, I hope you do, too! Here is a link to Carole’s website: “Shelter’s Three Graces”

Carole's First Women's Expo - Fall 2011

Carole's First Women's Expo - Fall 2011


Remember, like Carole says on her website, “One in three women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. The purchase of this piece will help make a difference. A percentage of all sales will go directly to the Women’s Shelter.” We must support one another. If you want to know more, go to Carole’s website and read their mission. It’s delightful. And, another favorite component for me – Carole is using silver and gold from recycled products! I feel good about that, too!

Way to go, Carole! I’m so proud of you and your cause.


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Help Find Anthony Perruccio – Abducted 9/29/11

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Anthony Perruccio - Abducted 9/29/11

Anthony Perruccio - Abducted 9/29/11

My dear friend, Dr. Liz Perruccio, has asked me to please share this request – please help us get the word out by forwarding it to your circle of friends:

“I am sorry to trouble you with this request but I need your urgent help. My sister-in-law Evelyn Perruccio (maiden name Delloro) has abducted her son from his father (my brother, Domenick Perruccio). The authorities have not yet issued an AMBER alert because this is a parental abduction. My precious nephew Anthony was abducted and has been missing since noon yesterday (29 Sept 2011). His mother who has recently demonstrated unstable behavior has taken him. I have attached a picture of Anthony and his mother Evelyn….please circulate this if you can. Anthony is 10 months old and is half Filipino, half Italian.

Evelyn Perruccio and Anthony Perruccio

Evelyn Perruccio and Anthony Perruccio


If anyone knows of any missing children’s organization that can help families or if you know anyone that has either gone through this or might be able to help, even remotely, I would appreciate knowing.

Mother and son were was last seen in Cortlandt Manor, NY, 10567 which is their home town. They may have traveled to Chicago, LA or Philippines.


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Thank you Sultan Qaboos!!!

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Alex Fattal (Josh Fattal’s brother), Sarah Shourd, Me, Cindy Hickey (mother of Shane Bauer), and Laura Fattal (mother of Josh Fattal).

Thank you Sultan Qaboos and Oman for your help in freeing Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer!!


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Been to the Best – But, Still No Diagnosis

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Kay's Claw Hand

Kay’s Claw Hand

My name is Kay … I’m Glenda’s Mom. I had a car accident back in October 2010, and now have a five-inch plate in my arm that replaced a shattered ulna bone. After surgery, I had a cast put on and after it was removed the fingers on my left-hand had stiffened into a claw position. My surgeon in Fletcher, NC told me he had never seen anything like this in 14 years of practice. He diagnosed it as contractures.

My doctor referred me to a bone specialist in Hendersonville who, in turn, sent me to a hand specialist in Asheville who diagnosed my condition as RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Syndrome). He had me do extensive therapy and splints for several months. In March 2011, he performed a surgical procedure called Passive Manipulation. Unfortunately, I did not get into hand therapy for several days because his hand therapy department was overbooked and had had several emergencies come in. Progress was slow and I later learned that I should have started therapy immediately following the manipulation.

My surgeon and hand specialist also referred me to two neurologists to determine whether I had nerve damage. According to both doctors, no nerve damage was indicated.

Stiffness in all fingers ...

Stiffness in all fingers …

I continued the hand therapy sessions and vigorously did my home exercises. Sadly, both of my occupational therapists (OTs) moved out-of-state and I needed to continue therapy. Medicare will only cover unlimited occupational therapy if in a hospital facility and the only hand OTs available were in a private practice and I had used my Medicare cap. My daughter, Glenda, who lives in the Metro DC Area suggested contacting Johns Hopkins. So, I did. I sent all of my records to their Hand Division and was told by a senior professor that surgery was not indicated, but that I should continue therapy.

On the third OT/CHT visit at Hopkins, my therapist wanted me to be seen by the doctor for a definitive diagnosis and more treatment ideas. After taking four days to look at my medical records for the second time, the doctor said he still feels the same and refused to see me. Meanwhile, we learned that Hopkins is working on a hand transplant. Apparently, that is taking up all of their valuable time, resources, and energy. This is quite disappointing. It appears as though some of these big institutions are more concerned about research that will provide press releases and bring notoriety, thus keeping them in the number one medical institution slot! It’s clearly more about marketing and obtaining research funds than it is about practical healthcare.

These will not straighten out right now ... but, hopefully someday soon!

These will not straighten out right now … but, hopefully someday soon!

After more and more discussions with OTs, we have come to learn that the stiffness after wearing a tight cast isn’t so UNcommon. Also, from these conversations, we learned that the Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore is actually top-rated. So, we went to the best hand specialist facility in the nation and met with a doctor who said it was RSD. He encouraged me to have a nerve block and surgery to repair the tendons in each finger joint. Later, when looking at the doctor’s notes, I noticed that he had backtracked on the RSD diagnosis and said: “although without the pain and skin changes this is a less-likely probability”. So, what the heck does that mean? So here I am, ten months later and NO DIAGNOSIS in a country that supposedly has the best healthcare in the world. I am seriously beginning to doubt how great our healthcare system is in this country.

I went home and researched online both the nerve block and the surgery suggestion from Curtis Hand Clinic and am convinced that neither of them would be very successful. According to patient forums, the people who’ve had these procedures experienced more pain or very-little relief. What’s the point? I am more and more convinced that OT is the way to go, even if the journey is long.

If you are reading this and know of anybody with this problem or have a better suggestion…I am wide open and would love to hear from you.


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Fox News: BREAKING NEWS

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Guaranteed to put a smile on your face … these are the most precious little creatures – fox cubs. Tell me, what do you see? Four or five!? The verdict is still out!


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Why is Al Jazeera canceling Riz Khan’s Show?

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Al Jazeera English is cancelling Riz Khan’s wonderful show … this is one of the best shows I have seen and I’m terribly disappointed in AJE for canceling it. Please check out the show above and stand up for Riz … we need people like Riz Khan who are willing to listen and respect different perspectives in this world!

We need Riz Khan’s show and many more like it … please, do not take away this show!


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We miss you Jayna …

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November 3, 2008 - Election Night @ SAIS

November 3, 2008 - Election Night @ SAIS

The past week has been a roller coaster of emotions. First, the way I heard about ‘a murder in Bethesda’ was rather coincidental. I was on my way to pick up a friend, we planned to have lunch in Bethesda. I had one stop to make at the tennis center before I picked her up. While driving down I-270, a radio announcer on WTOP gave a tease about the murder in Bethesda. I hoped to catch the story before I arrived at my destination. Just as I was pulling into the Cabin John Tennis Center parking lot, I heard the announcer say, the victim was 30-yr old Jayna Murray. I couldn’t believe my ears.

In a daze, I drove into an empty spot and put the car in park. My brain was trying to reconcile what I’d heard. My mind was already crowded with thoughts and images of the disaster in Japan. And now it began to swirl with thoughts like “Maybe there is more than one Jayna Murray in the US – could there be two in this area?” I needed more details to confirm this reality and they came all too quickly as the announcer mentioned Lululemon. Then, I knew … it was our Jayna.

That’s my friend Jayna … the one I saw at Lululemon on January 30, 2011 full of life, bubbly as always. My friend Angelica and I stopped by the store while strolling around Bethesda after lunch back on that day in late January. It was great to see Jayna, I had not seen her in a while. We both squealed and hugged each other … I introduced Jayna to Angelica. I had met both of them in grad school at Johns Hopkins University. We were all Communications majors.

On that day back in January, Jayna told me she was procrastinating on Thesis … she couldn’t explain why, she just wasn’t pushed to get it done. She was contemplating a move to Seattle though and she was so, so, so happy! She loved working at Lululemon and her fellow employees seemed to enjoy her company as they joined in our conversation, as well. It was a very fun exchange. I found out that Jayna and I both frequented the same yoga studio Village Yoga in Potomac! Yet, we had never run into each other there. What a small world. We talked about meeting up for a yoga class. That was the last time I saw Jayna.

I sat in my car stunned as the announcer kept reading other news items…I didn’t hear him, I was fumbling with my phone to call my friend Cecy. Jayna, Cecy and I took the same class at Johns Hopkins Univ back in Fall semester 2008. A few weekends before, Cecy and I had High Tea in Ellicott City. I remember having a nice conversation about Jayna that day. Cecy answered and I unfortunately had to be the one to tell her of Jayna’s death.

Cecy was in shock, we couldn’t believe it. Jayna and Cecy had worked on lots of class projects together. In fact, Jayna was Cecy’s first friend when Cecy arrived in DC for grad school. I felt compelled to verify the facts, so looked up the WTOP story on my iPhone. And there it was, in writing … Jayna was dead. Cecy and I promised to call each other to make sure we were doing OK. This was an awful shock. I called the friend I was supposed to meet for lunch and cancelled.

It was deeply unsettling, as the details of the murder started to unfold. At first, we heard that a co-worker was sexually assaulted and found in the store tied up near Jayna. That was creepy. Why would the two assailants leave one alive? Maybe they thought the co-worker was also dead. Apparently, one of the workers called the other to get back in the store after they had closed the shop and left for the night. That didn’t make sense. Since Jayna was the manager of Lululemon, I assumed the co-worker called her. That sounded like a set up. The facts of the case were strange and disturbing.

Then, by Wednesday, we learned that Jayna had also been sexually assaulted. That just added to the pain. I hated hearing that and cried for what must have been excruciating pain inflicted on my friend before her life tragically ended. But, I wanted to know more. And details were not forthcoming. Until Friday afternoon when the police announced that they had arrested the co-worker for the murder of Jayna. What? The co-worker killed her? Unbelievable. But, the crime scene was terribly bloody – ‘horrific’ is what the news reports said. Apparently, the police were shocked at the ‘catastrophic’ injuries Jayna had sustained. Again, very hard words to hear. A press conference would be held at 7 pm. I already had plans to attend a candlelight vigil for Jayna at 8 pm in Bethesda.

A friend of mine came with me to Bethesda for dinner prior to the vigil. Because of the new potential danger of hanging out in Bethesda, we drove together. As we cruised through the beautiful streets of Bethesda, we discussed the fact that the female co-worker did this to Jayna. We came up with motives. And our heads spun as we thought of how a woman could be so cruel to another. There had to be an accomplice.

We began to learn the story from the press conference as we waited for the vigil to start. We attended the candlelight vigil for Jayna and everybody was in disbelief having just heard the news about the arrest of the co-worker. How awful. Thankfully, I can’t understand that kind of rage. Although, I somehow feel safer in my community – am I really? I want to know more, but will we ever know what really happened since half of the equation was buried over the weekend? So, so sad. It just doesn’t add up.

I miss my friend and I feel pity for the killer – not only did she allegedly kill my friend, but she basically killed herself…her life is over, she will always have a record hanging over her head. It’s senseless in so many ways. If she really committed this crime, it’s a relief to know she’s behind bars. The investigation is still active, so hopefully, the police will come up with more information to put my mind at ease. I’d like to know the motive. Sadly, part of the equation will never be able to give us answers (Jayna) and the remaining element is incapable of telling the truth. Ugh! My mom, Kay Nelson, said it best: “Sharp police, detective work. Still a sad ending, two lives forever lost in very different ways.”


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