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June Is Home Safety Month: How Safe is Your Home? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

June Is Home Safety Month, and a great opportunity to a take look at how safe our homes are. How safe is your home? The Home Safety Council has a very informative website, and you can use their Safety Guide to make sure you haven’t been overlooking an important safety issue in your home.

Make sure you check out their Resource Center, it has everything you could ever want to know about home safety.

This year’s Home Safety Month campaign theme – Hands on Home Safety – asks the public to take some simple hands-on steps to create a safer home environment from the five leading causes of home injury – falls, poisonings, fires and burns, choking/suffocation and drowning. We’re offering turnkey resources to help families nationwide learn how to be “hands-on” with proper home safety practices.

It’s summer, so don’t forget to check out the safety tips for grilling and swimming safety.

Here are a few other women blogging about home safety this month.

From Bay Area Mommy…

Are you ready for a disaster? Hands on Home Safety – asks the public to take some simple hands-on steps to create a safer home environment from the five leading causes of home injury – falls, poisonings, fires and burns, choking/suffocation and drowning. The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year.

Sandy from the Chronic Health Blog has links to all of June’s health awareness campaigns…

Another month has gone by and the year is almost half over! Here’s my monthly list of the national health awareness campaigns you can research and become involved in if you are interested. I will be posting about some of these throughout the month.

Michelle from Healthy Habits for Life…

In recent years, ergonomists have attempted to define postures which minimize unnecessary static work and reduce the forces acting on the body. All of us could significantly reduce our risk of injury if we could adhere to the following ergonomic principles:

• All work activities should permit the worker to adopt several different, but equally healthy and safe postures
• Where muscular force has to be exerted it should be done by the largest appropriate muscle groups available.
• Work activities should be performed with the joints at about mid-point of their range of movement. This applies particularly to the head, trunk, and upper limbs.

Is there a home safety issue that you tend to overlook or avoid? Is there something you’ve been meaning to get to, but you keep putting it off? How safe is you home?

Also See:

Caroline at Parent Club

As Busy As I Want To Bee

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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Surfing Blogs By Women With Migraines — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Do you get migraines?

I had my first migraine when I was pregnant with my daughter, and since then I have had them off and on. I can go weeks (sometimes months) without having one, but when I do get a migraine, it feels like I will never get rid of it. When I take medicine for a migraine, it sometimes helps, but never gets rid of the migraine completely. And, it seems like once I get a migraine, I go through a period of time where I finally get rid of it, but a day or two later I get another. This cycle can go on for weeks, before finally stopping.

I’ve recently been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, and told that there may be a connection between Fibromyalgia and migraines. My doctor suggested that a begin to take a medication to prevent the onset of a migraine. I was surprised to find out that the medication he recommended was an anti-convulsive (used for seizure disorders). These medications have many troubling (possible) side-effects, so I’m not sure if I’m actually going to try it.

To help me in my decision, I thought I would check out some blogs by other women, who suffer with migraines.

Somebody Heal Me

On anti-convulsive medication to treat migraines…

A review of controlled studies published in the June 2008 edition of the journal Cephalalagia supports the notion that anti-convulsants Depakote and Topamax are much more effective than placebo in preventing migraine attacks. The study also indicates that other anti-convulsants sometimes used for migraine prevention are no more effective than placebo.

Topamax and others get FDA warning.

The FDA is preparing to put warning labels on epilepsy drugs, including Topiramate (marketed as Topamax), Valproate (marketed as Depakote, Depakote ER, Depakene, Depacon), Pregabalin (marketed as Lyrica), and Zonisamide (marketed as Zonegran) that will notify users about the increased risk for suicidal behavior. Sales of the affected drugs, widely used for nonepilepsy problems such as migraines, topped $8 billion last year.

From the migraine girl — a great post addressing Migraines and Vacations (a blog carnival)…

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t enjoy taking vacations, but in our Migraine & headache community, it’s easy to come across many folks who see the health threats that accompany any trip out of town. Luckily for all of you reading this, we have a really helpful batch of blogs to sift through, all of which will increase your chance of having a happy, healthy vacation despite your headache disease. Some people have a very personal take on the situation, describing specific issues they’ve had preparing for and embarking upon vacations. Others give us generalized lists of things to pack and/or what to be aware of as you travel to maintain a pain-free brain. Whether or not you have a trip coming up, I believe these writers’ tips and insights will benefit you.

I found this video on migraines at My Life With Migraine…

Deborah at Weathering Migraine Storms

I have Migraine Disease - It has ripped years from my life, life with my husband and me together, from my kids lives. It’s been very disabling for me. But that’s not ALL there is to me. I am a Mom, and a wacky, fun kind of Mom. I like to play with my kids, have fun with them - sometimes at their expense. What good Mother doesn’t. I’m trying hard to live with a horrid, painful disease; and have fun while doing so. And I’m learning, probably too much about it. But along the way, I’m meeting very interesting friends. I hope you do, too. I wish you pain-free days! And happy ones as well.Debbie at Down the Rabbit HoleI have had chronic daily migraines for the past 7 years. They are a part of my life, but I don’t want a migraine to define me. That’s why my blog is about more than migraines. My hobbies are gardening, rubberstamping, scrapbooking and knitting, not necessarily in that order.

Also See:

Migraine Mom

The Left Handed Rabbit — Migraine Town

Migraine Chick

rhymes with migraines — grieving my past life

Andreas Buzzing About - Horrid Day for a Migraine

I’m still not sure what I’m going to do about taking the medication used to prevent a migraine. Any advise would be welcome.

Do you suffer with migraines? Have you considered taking medication to prevent the onset of a migraine? Have you heard of a connection between Fibromyalgia and migraines?

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Are you having problems with Technorati? Just when I think something is fixed, something else is wrong. I have several blogs that are all experiencing some sort of trouble, and I have been unable to even claim my personal blog (catherine-morgan.com). The only explanation seems to be in a message that pops-up now and then and says this…

We’re currently experiencing unusually high load and are working to resolve issues with the service as quickly as possible.

What does that even mean? How many weeks will it take to fix this problem? What happened? I’m very frustrated.

This is interesting. I wonder if it has something to do with the problems I and others are having…

http://technorati.com/weblog/2008/04/424.html

Are you having problems with Technorati?

Also See:

The Constant Observer

Brad The Blog Boy

The Doree Chronicles

WordPress Forum

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What Is Your Favorite Sunscreen? - by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

It’s summer, and that means it’s time to stock up on sunscreen. What’s important to you when it comes to sunscreen? Is it the SPF? Natural ingredients? Smell? Price? Are you hoping to prevent skin cancer or premature aging? Are you worried the chemicals in sunscreen could be just as bad for you as the sun? What sunscreen is your favorite? I’ll tell you mine, if you tell me yours.

Okay, me first. Here is the evolution of my use of sunscreen (formally known as suntan lotion)…

When I was younger, SPF didn’t mean anything to me, and my favorite sunscreen was Copportone, because I loved how it smelled. I actually would have preferred the scent of Hawaiian Tropic or BAIN de SOLEIL, but they were a little out of my price range back then. As far as SPF goes…2 was plenty, anything higher than 4 and I thought I would never tan. I eventually wised up, and moved up to an SPF of 8, and even though I still loved the way Copportone smelled, I started using Banana Boat and No-Ad products because they were cheaper. Once I had my kids, I spent the extra money to get them Copportone Water Babies with a high SPF, but I stuck with just getting whatever was cheap for myself. Now that my kids are older, we use the same sunscreen, so I always buy an SPF of 15 or greater. But, I’m not buying the Copportone or the cheap stuff anymore. For me, it’s back to being all about how it smells…And I love, love, love, the way Australian Gold smells, I started buying it a few years ago, and now it is all I buy. It’s not the cheapest sunscreen, but it certainly isn’t the most expensive either.

Not everyone is as concerned with the smell of their sunscreen as I am. Take Michelle at Chic Armoire for example, she says…

For the past 2 summers, I’ve used the Neutrogena Dry-Touch in an SPF range of 15 to 30. The formula goes on dry without an sunscreen smell (I hate the smell of Coppertone and similar sunscreens). It’s paba free, waterproof, and sweat proof. Note that the FDA is considering that the word waterproof not be used in the future. Water resistant maybe the replacement term. It also has Helioplex which is a broad spectrum for UVA and UVB.

Savvy Skin suggests…

There are probably 100 different sunscreens available at drugstores, but of those 100, there’s only a few I would bother buying. I firmly believe Zinc Oxide is the best sunscreen ingredient, and there are almost no drugstore sunscreens that contain decent levels of Zinc Oxide.

Blue Lizard is the only drugstore brand I currently buy. They have a few different products, and the Zinc Oxide ranges from 6%-10%, which isn’t spectacular, but it’s the highest concentration of Zinc Oxide I’ve seen in a drugstore brand.

In searching for posts on sunscreen, I kept coming across this video. I know I’ve seen it before, I just don’t know where. It’s more about inspiration and advice than sunscreen, but I thought I would include it anyway.

So, what is your favorite sunscreen? Why?

Is it because of the smell? The SPF? The price?

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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Dooce on Nightline - Posted by Catherine Morgan

In a much better interview than had been done by Kathie Lee on the Today Show last week, tonight’s Nightline interview with Dooce was witty, clever, and informative. Here is a video clip of the full segment on Nightline…

Are you a woman blogging about politics? Join us at The Political Voices of Women.

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Mother Knows Best - by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

In honor of Mother’s Day, this is my contribution to BlogHer’s Mother Knows Best series.

It seems most of us start off our life blindly believing that our mothers know best. Then sometime during adolescence we are suddenly convinced that our mother knows nothing, and of course, we know it all. But, as we get older, we slowly come back to realizing that our mothers (in many cases) did know best. Why is that? Is it some kind of genetic programing? What ever the case, we almost all experience this phenomena in one way or another.

Mother’s Day is that one time of year we are inclined to take a closer look at how our mothers have influenced us for the better. Since I am a contributing editor for health and wellness, I’m taking a look at how my mother influenced my views on wellness.

I think one of the most important aspects of wellness, is knowing when we need to slow down, and treat ourselves with kindness. And I learned how to do that from my mother. From a very early age, my mother taught me that wellness was more than just a physical thing. She understood the importance of taking care of the mind and spirit, as well as the body. She taught these lessons more from example than anything else, and because of that, there was never any need to disagree. So what were some of these lessons? They were little things; like tea time, bubble bath time, reading time, sitting in the sun time. Basically, they were wellness rituals, for quieting the mind and body.

The older I get, the more valuable these lessons become. Often times we have little control over our physical conditions, so having the capacity to find peace within can be a lifesaver. And as a mother, I realize the importance of caring for myself, in order to best care for my children. I like to think that I am teaching these same lessons (by example) to my own children.

When it comes to issues of health…My mother told me to eat plenty of vegetables, drink plenty of water, and not to eat too much sugar because it would give me a headache (and it does). She also told me not to eat a lot of watermelon when pregnant, especially if you enjoy salt on it (I don’t). Her best sore throat treatment…two baby aspirin dissolved in a teaspoon of warm water. Best cold treatment…Vicks Vapor Rub, and chicken soup. Best sore neck treatment…BenGay and a towel wrapped around your neck. Best treatment for constipation…prunes (but I hate prunes).

My mother recently wrote on her blog (Frances Ellen Speaks) about how her mother often knew best…

I remember her facing off with our family doctor. Often, when I was sick with some childhood illness, the doctor would recommend a penicillin shot. At the time, penicillin was considered a miracle drug, but my mother insisted a person might build up an immunity to it. The doctor strongly disagreed, but grudgingly honored her wishes. One day, on the way home after one of these visits, she sympathized with me saying that she knew I felt very, very sick, but on the off chance I might need penicillin to save my life someday, she preferred to nurse me back to health without it. I was young, could hardly understand what she was telling me, but I felt her anxiety. Now I realize how hard it must have been to stick to her guns when all she had in her arsenal to defend herself was sheer conjecture. All I know is, while my friends almost always got a needle at the doctor’s office, I received very few. My mother took a stand at a time when doctors and scientists denied the possibility of resistance. Now we know that–

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in some way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals, or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections. The bacteria survive and continue to multiply causing more harm.

What advice did you get from your mother on health and wellness issues? Did she know best? Do prunes taste better if you hold your nose?

Happy Mother’s Day.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and I was honored to be asked to participate in an ACORN Mother’s Day Special. I was asked to write a post on how my mother has influenced me politically. In my family, my daughter has become the fourth generation of strong, politically savvy women…that began with my grandmother.

Because I blog about politics every single day, my 14 year-old daughter is exposed to every aspect of politics, and could probably hold her own debating the issues with someone twice her age. When her grandfather (half) jokingly told her that Hillary could never be president because she is a woman, my daughter snapped back at him, “Are you kidding me?” Then she wanted to know if he thought she could never be president, because after all, she’s a woman too? Showing his true chauvinistic side, he responded to her by saying that she could maybe be president someday, but she would have to live in a little pink house next to the While House. Needless to say, my daughter was unamused.

Since I grew-up before the onset of 24 hour cable news, my mother’s political influence on me was a bit more subtle. I remember the first political discussion I ever had with my mother. We had been in a waiting room with many magazines, and I was too young to read any of them, but I did notice covers with horribly graphic photos of men at war. It happened to be towards the end of the Vietnam War, and I asked my mother, “Why is there war?” She told me that people don’t want to be at war, the leaders of the countries make the wars. That was when I realized women were not in positions of political power. Then I said, “We should make women the leaders of all the countries in the world, and then there would never be any wars.” My mother told me that sounded like a good idea, but it probably would never happen. My response was, “Then those men leaders who want a war, should fight it themselves.” I didn’t understand then, and I still don’t understand today, how war solves any problems, neither does my mother.

Anyway, my mother always had an interest in politics, and she voted regularly. Women’s issues were always very important to her, and they still are. She also never voted with a specific party; she always voted for the person she believed was best for the job. So, the way my mother most influenced my views on politics, was by raising me to be an independent thinker, and to believe that any one of us could affect change. I’d like to think that is the way I’m raising my daughter also.

And, my mother was influenced by her mother, who was also a strong, independent woman. I came across a post that my mother recently wrote about her relationship with my grandmother. Here is an excerpt…

I didn’t know it then, but I see it clearly now in retrospect, she was a feminist before that word even existed. Back in the early 50s, she decided she wanted to learn how to drive a car. There weren’t many women drivers on the road back then. Husbands usually did all the driving, or there was public transportation. That wasn’t good enough for my mother. She hired a driving instructor, passed her driver’s test and acquired a license long before her four sisters. As a matter of fact, she became their main mode of transportation, and even though she urged them to get their own licenses, it was several years before the first one found the courage to do it. — read her full post at Frances Ellen Speaks

So, that’s my special Mother’s Day post. How did your mother influence your political views? How do you think you have influenced your daughter?

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Lisa Stone of BlogHer is asking…

How many women’s lives can we save with donations from the BlogHer community, between now and Mother’s Day, May 11, 2008? — CLICK HERE TO DONATE

If you will download this widget today and encourage your readers to donate, we can find out. Won’t you join us?

Here’s what we’re up to: As part of our BlogHers Act commitment to make a difference on the issue of maternal health, BlogHer has joined forces with Global Giving to help save women’s lives and we need your help.

* Every year, 529,000 women die from pregnancy-related causes.
* Children who have lost their mothers are up to 10 more times more likely to die prematurely than those who haven’t.
* More than 80 per cent of maternal deaths worldwide are due to five direct causes: haemorrhage, sepsis, unsafe abortion, obstructed labour and hypertensive disease of pregnancy.
* Most maternal deaths (61 per cent) take place during labour, delivery or in the immediate post-partum period. Some 3.4 million newborns die within the first week of life.
UNFPA

By harnessing the power of women online, our contributions will improve maternal health and save women’s lives. Your donation to one or more of these projects can save women’s lives by supplying health care, birthing kits, education, trained birthing attendants, meals, and much, much more.

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Blogging? Take This Quick Survey For Bloggers.

If you are a blogger or reader of blogs, please take a minute to fill out this BlogHer survey. In appreciation you will be entered into a drawing where you could win a FREE PASS to any BlogHer event you like.

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BlogHer Health & Wellness Blog Roundup — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Tonight I am surfing the BlogHer Health and Wellness Blogroll. So many great blogs, I wish I could tell you about every one…But you could always do a little surfing yourself.

So, in no particular order, here are eleven blogs that are new to me.

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87%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

I have been spending a good part of today surfing the 300+ women bloggers on my list…I’ve been nominating many of them to Women’s Voices Making History at WVWV. But I had to stop for just a minute, when I came across a post at The Truffle (who is 67% addicted to blogging), and I found the above widget and a link to How Addicted to Blogging Are You? Of course, I had to take a little break, and find out how addicted I was. So, I took the quick little quiz, and guess what? I’m only 87% addicted. That’s not so bad. No need for intervention or a recovery program just yet.

Well, no more time for this. I have to get back to nominating as many women as I can for .

How addicted are you?

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In Health News: Autism Debate, Drive-Thru Mastectomies, and the HPV Vaccine (Gardasil) - by Catherine Morgan (cross posted at BlogHer)

When I heard this story, about a family with a child who appeared to developed Autism after her childhood immunizations, I wondered how this might affect other families dealing with this devastating disease. Also in the blogs, is a petition that women can sign, supporting an end to drive-thru mastectomies. And end they should, this practice is a disgrace, as well as a travesty against women. And, my pet-peeve issue (Gardasil) is also in the news.

Autism…

From Revolution Health - The Autism Debate Continues

This week news spread of results of a Georgia court case in November, which states that the parents of 9-year old Hannah Poling will receive compensation because multiple vaccines contributed to her symptoms of autism. Not all the details are known, as the court case has been “sealed,” but it appears that Hannah has an underlying mitochondrial disorder. After she received five shots in July 2000, at the age of 19 months, she developed a high fever and inconsolable crying within 48 hours. Within three months after receiving the vaccine, she went from being a normal, verbal toddler to one who showed signs of autism and, for a while, lost her ability to speak. She now requires one-on-one care at all times.

Also See:

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Clinton & Obama: Unite Democrats, Insist All Votes Be Counted — Posted by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at The Care2 Election Blog)

I know I am in the minority when I say this…But, I do not think that under any circumstances, either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, should concede the Democratic nomination. At least not until every state has held it’s primary. This election is just much too important for that. Sadly, most would prefer Hillary Clinton bow out gracefully if she doesn’t have a landslide victory on Tuesday.

From The New York Times…

Top supporters of Senator Barack Obama, joined by at least one prominent Democrat yet to endorse a candidate, put pressure on Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday to bow out of the presidential race unless she scores clear victories in the crucial big-state primary contests on Tuesday.

From Erin Kotecki Vest at The Huffington Post and BlogHer…

Dear Senator Clinton, Please Step Down

Like I said, “I don’t agree.” This isn’t just any election, this is an historic election. One where Democrats will be nominating either the first woman or the first African American to be our next president. And I think it is only fair that all Democrats (except of course Florida*), have an opportunity to vote in this primary.

If the candidates (and the DNC) truly care about uniting the party, then they should agree that regardless of the outcome, Clinton and Obama will run as a team. And then, from this moment, and until every state has had an opportunity to vote, Hillary and Barack should campaign on the issues only, and drop all the rhetoric and mudslinging.

I know this is a radical idea, and one that will probably not be adopted. However, by uniting the candidates, the party becomes united. And by allowing every state to hold a primary that “counts”, the DNC will continue to unite the voters in preparation for the general election. Let’s face it…How well has this primary system (of deciding the nominee before all states have had a chance to vote), served us in the past? Not so well.

It seems clear that voters want all votes to be counted, so why not just do it? I think it’s about time to recognize that the old system is not working. And the primaries are going to be held in every state either way, so why not let them all count?

Guess what? It’s not to late to do right by the American people.

Well, that’s what I think. What do you think?

*By the way…Governor Charlie Crist has announced that he would support another Primary in Florida.

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Healthy Living: Motivation, Dieting, Yoga, and (hopefully) Success - by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer Health and Wellness)
Successful Healthy Living - How I’ve change my life through motivation, dieting, and yoga.

Well, not really. It sounds like a good plan though. The truth is…I have no motivation, I haven’t been able to stick to a diet in years, and yoga is just another four letter word to me. When if comes to healthy living…I’m slowly but surly becoming the poster child (middle-aged woman) for unhealthy living.

So, I started this post thinking I might find some motivation to stop eating so much ice-cream and cookies. And then I came across this…

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Living and Blogging with Chronic Illness — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

I was surfing the BlogHer Health and Wellness Blogroll, looking for something to write about tonight, and I came across a new blog on living with autoimmune disease. As you might already know, I live with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and other chronic health problems…So, I decided to do tonight’s post, on living with chronic illness.

The new blog I discovered on the BlogHer Blogroll is - Life in the Autoimmune Lane

My name is Michelle and I decided to start a blog about my illness and my life. I became sick about 2 years ago and at that time I didn’t know what was happening to me. 2 doctors, 3 neurologists, and 1 rheumatologist later I now know that I have a couple of autoimmune diseases; still working on a definite diagnosis… So far I have Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, Dermatomyositis, and most recently what they think is the early stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

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