A Tribute to Nicholas Branca, 2001-2009

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post, as my 7yo "red angel" (as those who loved him called him) Nicholas has lost his battle with Neuroblastoma. Diagnosed at age 3 with this devastating childhood cancer, Nicholas went through a series of experimental and traditional treatments in hopes of eradicating the disease with many periods of remission throughout his journey. Nicholas brought joy and happiness to those surrounding him with each passing day of his short life, in a way that none of us could have ever imagined possible - nor can we ever forget. His undeniable bravery and undying spirit provided all of us with a model of hope, perseverance, and courage that some take entire lifetimes to learn, and his spirit will continue to teach the same lessons for years to come. Nicholas died on October 29th surrounded by his family members in the comfort of his own home - free from the confines of a hospital bed, as he wished.

The following video is a tribute to the life of Nicholas Branca, who never stopped holding on for a cure.
(video has sound so be sure to turn off playlist at bottom of page)

To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.
~Thomas Campbell

Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a rare childhood cancer which usually originates as a tumor (lump or mass) in the sympathetic nervous system. The most common place for the original tumor is on the adrenal glands which sit on the kidney. 97% of all sympathetic nervous system cancers are NB. New diagnosis of all childhood cancers occur in about 13,000 children per year, with only about 650-700 being Neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma generally develops in young children, as half of all cancers diagnosed in infants are Neuroblastomas. The average age at diagnosis is 2 years old, and the risk goes down as age goes up.

Although the cause of NB is unknown, most researchers believe it is an accidental cell growth that occurs during normal development of the sympathetic nervous system. Since NB is rare, most pediatricians have never seen a single case, and often the diagnosis is finally made only after a long trying period. Children may have a variety of symptoms such as irritability and low-grade fever that mimic common illnesses and viruses, or diseases such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis that cause joint pain. Symptoms depend on where the tumor originates and if it has spread.

Currently there is no cure for Neuroblastoma, and it's overall survival rate is 30%. This means that 70% of all diagnosed cases will have relapses even after remission, and relapses are not curable in most cases.

We can all work together to raise awareness of this devastating cancer by providing education on the symptoms and warning signs of neuroblastoma to parents and to healthcare providers, and by doing what we can to support research towards finding an eventual cure.

For the current research on NB, click here.

What can you do to help? The Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation has set up this website as a resource for those who would like to learn more, for parents of children fighting this disease, and for those who wish to help through research or donations. They have established a program called "Lunch for Lives" which asks donors to contribute one-day's worth of lunch money to help find a cure for NB through education, research funding, and awareness. Find out more here:
Lunch for Lives

For donations more specific to Neuroblastoma research, or in memory of Nicholas Branca, please consider donating here per the family's request.

Communication Breakdown

On a daily basis I see kids with developmental disabilities, speech and language special needs, and processing problems of various degrees. Most of the parents of these children experience some level of frustration with communicating with them - anything from not feeling they are being "heard" to not knowing how to express themselves or their expectations in an appropriate way for the child. Contrary to the Led Zeppelin lyrics, communication breakdown between parents and children is not "always the same".
However, as time goes on I've learned that even parents of children without developmental delays or speech and language special needs can benefit from learning some basic techniques in communicating effectively with their children. This blog will be multi-part, as this is a multi-faceted topic. This post will focus on what parents can do to begin assessing and appropriately remedying their own communication techniques, before jumping to the more tedious task of assessing and improving the communication skills and needs of their children.

The main question I want parents to continuously ask themselves is, "Are you saying what you want to be saying?" Before jumping to answers, I point out all the ways in which this question can be helpful. Here are some examples of what I mean:

Had the Flu? It Was Probably Swine Flu

Had the Flu? It Was Probably Swine Flu: "Despite fears, many have had the new flu strain -- and recovered."

Swine Flu Update - Dr. Mercola's View

Dr. Mercola's response to recent Swine Flu Media Coverage

Cl on the DL

Chlorine is a common household chemical with which we are all familiar. Our grand-mothers taught us to fill bathtubs with it for hours to get them sparklingly clean, and our mothers bleached our whites every week. Unfortunately Chlorine has been linked to multiple harmful effects on our bodies through recent research. We are so used to Chlorine being a household name that most of us probably don't even think twice about the quantity of the chemical that surrounds us daily. Chlorine by itself can cause respiratory problems such as wheezing, allergy exacerbation, eye irritation, sore throats, and lung pain. When Chlorine combines with carbon Organochlorines are formed. These chemicals have the potential to disrupt our hormone regulation - especially estrogen - which has been linked to increased risk of many types of cancers.
Organochlorines often are produced as byproducts of industrial processes involving chlorine, organic matter and heat – such as bleached paper-making, burning of hazardous & medical waste, and general chemical production. They are also found in pesticides, pharmaceuticals, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and more. What many Organochlorines do is interfere with neurotransmitters and hormones -- chemicals that carry messages between the nervous system, the immune system, and the endocrine system. These messengers are, in effect, the intersections in the body's information highway. A surprising number of Organochlorines jam those intersections either by blocking cell receptors so messages can't get through, or by acting like hormones and sending false messages. Some of the most virulent Organochlorines, such as the dioxins, mimic or block the hormones estrogen or testosterone, the central controllers of reproduction. Even small amounts of these substances can interfere with the production of eggs or sperm, with conception, or with the development of embryos. Perhaps their worst trait is that they do not easily breakdown in the environment and tend to accumulate to high concentrations in the fat of humans and animals. Therefore, your best bet is to avoid them as much as possible to keep your (and the earth's) accumulation to a minimum.
Here are some tips to limiting your exposure to Chlorine and its harmful counterparts:

Striking a Nerve

Today's NYT article which highlights various sources of peripheral nerve damage, including a reference to a flu vaccine injury. HEALTH | October 20, 2009 Personal Health: The Many Ills of Peripheral Nerve Damage By JANE E. BRODY With such a wide array of symptoms and causes of peripheral neuropathy, getting a correct diagnosis is often a challenge. Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy

Swine Time

With all of the recent Swine Flu (excuse me, H1N1 to avoid offending the pigs and factory farmers who likely provided the gateway to the progression of this type of flu) media hype, I've been asked countless times by friends, family, and colleagues over the past few weeks whether or not they should become vaccinated, and the dangers of the vaccine vs. not receiving the vaccine. Although I in no way consider myself a swine flu expert, I can shed some light on the subject based on what I know and have learned, and can hopefully provide readers with enough tools to make an informed decision.
Some background:

The Family that Gives Together...

One of the most common pieces of advice I give to families who are looking for ways to spend more quality time together is to seek out volunteer opportunities in which the family members can engage together. Not only can volunteering provide most people with a sense of purpose and pride, but it can teach our children valuable lessons which can sometimes otherwise get lost in the shuffle of every day life.
Here are some things I believe volunteering can provide for you and your families or friends:
1. A better sense of community. Many times we as individuals and family units become so wrapped up in activities and responsibilities that we forget that there are those surrounding us in each of our communities who are in need of services or goods that we otherwise may take for granted. We can often become so involved in our own tasks that we forget the community surrounding us, or don't have the time necessary to envelop ourselves in the community as active and contributory members. You'd probably be surprised to see the looks on your kids faces when they realize they can make real tangible differences in the well-being of their community and its members through simple volunteer work. So what have you done for your community lately? Ask not what your community can do for you... okay, you get the point!
2. It can strengthen your family in many ways. Families who volunteer together usually report a feeling of cohesion and accomplishment as a unit -- something we could all use reminders of now and then. Even families who initially feel they dont have the time for volunteer work can usually rearrange something in their schedule or reframe some of their free-time activities to accomodate even small acts of giving back. Think small at first -- maybe make baskets for needy families around the holidays, "adopt" a family who is in need of donations, play with animals who are awaiting adoption, or spend one night in a soup kitchen serving others dinner instead of yourselves. Small efforts are easier to manage and may provide a gateway for more time-consuming committments in the future, depending on your experiences.
3. A sense of responsibility for your kids. It is never too early to start teaching your children a good work ethic. If they sign on for a volunteer opportunity they will need to be on time and be responsible for functions of a team effort that requires their best effort and commitment. They may also get the feeling that just one person can make a difference, which can pervade through the rest of their lives' endeavors.
4. Teach tolerance and compassion. Families often choose to volunteer in areas outside their own community which can promote interaction with people of all backgrounds, abilities, ethnicities, ages, and education levels. Kids may find common ground despite these differences, paving the way for more diverse future interactions and interests.
5. Filling free time more purposefully. Kids may learn by sacrificing their former "free" time to volunteer their time and skills that sacrifice is often necessary for the common good, and that life exists beyond their immediate wants and needs. It likely won't be as difficult as some might imagine to get your older teens involved -- trust me, if given the choice, they'd rather be out helping their communities than being seen in the mall with you! Let them bring a friend if that helps. You'll still be spending the time together, and the friend will be an added bonus to the project.

I recently discovered a great website which provides volunteer opportunities for individuals, families, and groups based on geographical regions and interests. You can access the website here if you are interested in learning more.

We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.
~Winston Churchhill

Dr. Oz Does it Again

Dr. Mehmet Oz, one of my personal favorites as well as one of the (an arguably "the") top Cardiologists in the country, addresses the issue of inflammation related to brain development as related to autism:

Get High Now

I absolutely love this website. Its title refers to a series of tips and tricks designed to stimulate and alter your mind without the use of drugs or alcohol. My favorites are the "visual highs" this far, but I'm still exploring.

Enjoy!

Click here to "Get High Now"

Please Sneeze on My Child

Strange title for a post, I know. With today's post I want to address the commonly perceived notion that children who are in day care are destined to suffer the fate of constantly being sick -- a notion that can leave parents who need or want to use daycare with an unnecessary feeling of guilt, when in actuality the truth of the matter isn't so bad after all.
Here are some important points to consider regarding day-care and contracted illness in childhood:
1. Young children with older siblings and those who attend day care are at increased risk for infections to which they haven't been previously exposed or developed immunity to. However, this phenomenon has been shown to protect against the development of allergic diseases later in life.
2. Exposure of young children to older children at home or to other children (such as at day care) protects against the development of asthma and frequent wheezing later in childhood. The New England Journal of Medicine specifically states, “The incidence of asthma among children who had two or more older siblings or who attended day care during the first six months of life was significantly lower than that among children who had one sibling or no siblings and who did not attend day care.”
3. One of the most important triggers for infant immune system maturation and development is exposure to microbes (i.e. bugs, like viruses and bacteria). Studies have shown that too much protection from these microbes in infants may actually increases the risk of eventual asthma and atopic (meaning allergic, such as asthma or allergic skin reactions) disease. Basically, we need to be exposed to things before our body can figure out how to defend itself against them.
4. A 2002 study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that Children in large day care centers appear to develop immunity to many of the viruses responsible for the common cold, a study reported in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine has found. The study of 991 children found that those in day care had almost twice as many colds at age 2 as those cared for at home. But from ages 6 to 11, children who had attended large day care centers as toddlers had about one-third as many colds as those who had stayed home. So basically the kids may have more colds and minor illnesses under age 2, but in the long run they will be better off than those who did not attend daycare centers when they were younger.

One of the most common mistakes parents make is insisting on antibiotics when their child is suffering from a viral infection, often despite their own pediatrician's recommendations. This has been linked to serious complications and immune dysregulation in children in the future, and most definitely will cause more harm than good in the long run. More to come on this in future posts...

For now take a load off, ditch the useless guilt, and consider that day-care doesn't always deserve the bad, germy, rap that it gets. You may be building super-immune kids in the process, and its what you do with your children while they are with you that they'll remember in the long run -- not how many colds they had.

torture for butter?

This is a disturbing video, as I'll warn you, but unfortunately is a real-time depiction of some of the cruelty that goes on on many of America's (and other countries') dairy farms. Land-o-lakes is one of our most popular dairy brands. If you consider yourself an animal lover, who also eats these products, or if you plan to continue to consume them, you may want to consider watching this before finalizing your decision. My apologies for the disturbing dose of reality.


Cows Left to Suffer
for Land O' Lakes..