This is fucking scary! And I've been in Lake Havasue so many times!! Just glad its been a while!!
6 Die From Brain-Eating Amoeba in Lakes
By CHRIS KAHN, Associated Press Writer
Friday, September 28, 2007
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(09-28) 21:59 PDT PHOENIX, (AP) --
It sounds like science fiction but it's true: A killer amoeba living in lakes enters the body through the nose and attacks the brain where it feeds until you die.
Even though encounters with the microscopic bug are extraordinarily rare, it's killed six boys and young men this year. The spike in cases has health officials concerned, and they are predicting more cases in the future.
"This is definitely something we need to track," said Michael Beach, a specialist in recreational waterborne illnesses for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"This is a heat-loving amoeba. As water temperatures go up, it does better," Beach said. "In future decades, as temperatures rise, we'd expect to see more cases."
According to the CDC, the amoeba called Naegleria fowleri (nuh-GLEER-ee-uh FOWL'-erh-eye) killed 23 people in the United States, from 1995 to 2004. This year health officials noticed a spike with six cases — three in Florida, two in Texas and one in Arizona. The CDC knows of only several hundred cases worldwide since its discovery in Australia in the 1960s.
In Arizona, David Evans said nobody knew his son, Aaron, was infected with the amoeba until after the 14-year-old died on Sept. 17. At first, the teen seemed to be suffering from nothing more than a headache.
"We didn't know," Evans said. "And here I am: I come home and I'm burying him."
After doing more tests, doctors said Aaron probably picked up the amoeba a week before while swimming in the balmy shallows of Lake Havasu, a popular man-made lake on the Colorado River between Arizona and California.
Though infections tend to be found in southern states, Naegleria lives almost everywhere in lakes, hot springs, even dirty swimming pools, grazing off algae and bacteria in the sediment.
Beach said people become infected when they wade through shallow water and stir up the bottom. If someone allows water to shoot up the nose — say, by doing a somersault in chest-deep water — the amoeba can latch onto the olfactory nerve.
The amoeba destroys tissue as it makes its way up into the brain, where it continues the damage, "basically feeding on the brain cells," Beach said.
People who are infected tend to complain of a stiff neck, headaches and fevers. In the later stages, they'll show signs of brain damage such as hallucinations and behavioral changes, he said.
Once infected, most people have little chance of survival. Some drugs have stopped the amoeba in lab experiments, but people who have been attacked rarely survive, Beach said.
"Usually, from initial exposure it's fatal within two weeks," he said.
Researchers still have much to learn about Naegleria. They don't know why, for example, children are more likely to be infected, and boys are more often victims than girls.
"Boys tend to have more boisterous activities (in water), but we're not clear," Beach said.
In central Florida, authorities started an amoeba phone hot line advising people to avoid warm, standing water and areas with algae blooms. Texas health officials also have issued warnings.
People "seem to think that everything can be made safe, including any river, any creek, but that's just not the case," said Doug McBride, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Officials in the town of Lake Havasu City are discussing whether to take action. "Some folks think we should be putting up signs. Some people think we should close the lake," city spokesman Charlie Cassens said.
Beach cautioned that people shouldn't panic about the dangers of the brain-eating bug. Cases are still extremely rare considering the number of people swimming in lakes. The easiest way to prevent infection, Beach said, is to use nose clips when swimming or diving in fresh water.
"You'd have to have water going way up in your nose to begin with" to be infected, he said.
David Evans has tried to learn as much as possible about the amoeba over the past month. But it still doesn't make much sense to him. His family had gone to Lake Havasu countless times. Have people always been in danger? Did city officials know about the amoeba? Can they do anything to kill them off?
Evans lives within eyesight of the lake. Temperatures hover in the triple digits all summer, and like almost everyone else in this desert region, the Evanses look to the lake to cool off.
It was on David Evans' birthday Sept. 8 that he brought Aaron, his other two children, and his parents to Lake Havasu. They ate sandwiches and spent a few hours splashing around.
"For a week, everything was fine," Evans said.
Then Aaron got the headache that wouldn't go away. At the hospital, doctors first suspected meningitis. Aaron was rushed to another hospital in Las Vegas.
"He asked me at one time, 'Can I die from this?'" David Evans said. "We said, 'No, no.'"
On Sept. 17, Aaron stopped breathing as his father held him in his arms.
"He was brain dead," Evans said. Only later did doctors and the CDC determine that the boy had been infected with Naegleria.
"My kids won't ever swim on Lake Havasu again," he said.
___
On the Net:
More on the N. fowleri amoeba:
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/naegleria/factsht_naegleria.htm#what
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
My new do!
So it was finally time to dye my hair red again! I'm trying a new brand, Garnier Fructise. Looks like it'll be brilliant enough. I can't for the life of me remember the coloring brand I used previously that just did not come out as bright red as it said it would on the box, so I had to do it over again with a semi-permanent red dye just to keep me happy temporarily. This weekend is my cousin Kitty's wedding so it's going to be a lot of fun with meeting lots of new people and lots of partying. Boy will I be tired!
I'm leaving the Bay Area Friday morning at 10am, so that I get up there relatively early, can unpack the car, get kitty settled in our room and take a nap and rest. Cocktails and appetizers are from 5:30-8pm at Jake's on the Lake - a restaurant/bar in Tahoe City. Then Sat at 3pm is the wedding with cocktails and the ceremony by the lake, then dinner at the club, Chamber's Landing, which I've never been to either. It's my moms' and my job to make the women's bathroom look nicer than it is - because the bathrooms available during the ceremony and cocktail hour before dinner will be the pool bathrooms, which are pretty dinky according to my mom who has already checked them out. So we're going to spruce them up a bit as much as possible. No need to on the guy's bathroom - I don't think men really care about things like that much.
Then Sunday is a very fancy (whatever that means) brunch that Noah (the groom), his parents are hosting at their place that they have rented in Tahoe Shores which is right next to Tahoe Tavern, where our cabin is. I know a lot of people then have to go home after that but I'm really excited for tommorrow because my brother is coming up as well and can stay until Tuesday, which is when I'm heading home anyway :) So yay! I didn't get to see him on his birthday because it was way too hot in San Marcos for me at the time so I'll get 4 whole days with him. Should be fun! Then we are hosting a Sunday evening BBQ at our cabin in Tahoe Tavern for anyone who is still there - we know for sure my aunt and uncle, Graham and Jill, maybe Kitty and Noah, but not sure of their plans, if they are going to leave right away on their honeymoon or wait.
So lots of fun things. There is also a big Bark Fest art show over at Squaw Village Sat and Sun so I'm going to try to go over on Sunday between brunch and dinner to check that out - supposed to be tons of artists that do all types of art with animals - mostly cats and dogs the brochure says but there may be other focal animals as well. Someday I want to do custom drawings of animals/pets for people and I also want to customize model horses - paint someone's horse onto a model horse. I've actually already done one so perfectly, my ex-friend JUanita, who recently disowned me as her ex-best friend - I had known her since the 1st grade and suddenly she went all psychotic on me and accused me of doing all kinds of things that I would never even do and distorted the facts and invented all of these lies about me and 'claimed' that she was going to tell everyone in the Bay Area horse world. Whatever. Go ahead and keep fabricating your little bullshit lies. You're only doing damage to yourself, obviously you've never been the real best friend that I really needed and you've been pretty flaky in the past as well and as I think back on it, I can definetly see some warning signs, which I had not ignored but instead just tucked into the back of my brain for safe keeping and future reference. So it was upsetting at first but then I was pretty strong and able to move past it pretty quickly and obviously she didn't get far if she at all went around telling people bullshit lies about me, because I've never heard about it again. But I had painted her horse onto a model and it was perfect. Then I gave it to her before taking a picture of it and asked her to take a pic and send it to me. That should have been one of my warning signs, when I kept asking her nicely to do it and she kept saying that she would and I never got a picture sent. And it wasn't like she didn't have any time to do that for me either.
So I have to start over and I need to scour the internet and find people who would be willing to give me their Breyer model horse lots for free or pretty cheap. Okay, time to go wash my hair out. Should be pretty cool this time and last pretty long. Because there's a lot of read in my hair anyway, when I color it, the color stays in pretty long, even after 3 months or so! I did do a bit too many things today, and pushed myself a bit too hard, but I hope that by getting plenty of sleep and rest and now that I'm on a regular routine of taking supplements morning and nighttime, that I can prevent a flare, since I just came off of one Wednesday which was for about a week.
I'm leaving the Bay Area Friday morning at 10am, so that I get up there relatively early, can unpack the car, get kitty settled in our room and take a nap and rest. Cocktails and appetizers are from 5:30-8pm at Jake's on the Lake - a restaurant/bar in Tahoe City. Then Sat at 3pm is the wedding with cocktails and the ceremony by the lake, then dinner at the club, Chamber's Landing, which I've never been to either. It's my moms' and my job to make the women's bathroom look nicer than it is - because the bathrooms available during the ceremony and cocktail hour before dinner will be the pool bathrooms, which are pretty dinky according to my mom who has already checked them out. So we're going to spruce them up a bit as much as possible. No need to on the guy's bathroom - I don't think men really care about things like that much.
Then Sunday is a very fancy (whatever that means) brunch that Noah (the groom), his parents are hosting at their place that they have rented in Tahoe Shores which is right next to Tahoe Tavern, where our cabin is. I know a lot of people then have to go home after that but I'm really excited for tommorrow because my brother is coming up as well and can stay until Tuesday, which is when I'm heading home anyway :) So yay! I didn't get to see him on his birthday because it was way too hot in San Marcos for me at the time so I'll get 4 whole days with him. Should be fun! Then we are hosting a Sunday evening BBQ at our cabin in Tahoe Tavern for anyone who is still there - we know for sure my aunt and uncle, Graham and Jill, maybe Kitty and Noah, but not sure of their plans, if they are going to leave right away on their honeymoon or wait.
So lots of fun things. There is also a big Bark Fest art show over at Squaw Village Sat and Sun so I'm going to try to go over on Sunday between brunch and dinner to check that out - supposed to be tons of artists that do all types of art with animals - mostly cats and dogs the brochure says but there may be other focal animals as well. Someday I want to do custom drawings of animals/pets for people and I also want to customize model horses - paint someone's horse onto a model horse. I've actually already done one so perfectly, my ex-friend JUanita, who recently disowned me as her ex-best friend - I had known her since the 1st grade and suddenly she went all psychotic on me and accused me of doing all kinds of things that I would never even do and distorted the facts and invented all of these lies about me and 'claimed' that she was going to tell everyone in the Bay Area horse world. Whatever. Go ahead and keep fabricating your little bullshit lies. You're only doing damage to yourself, obviously you've never been the real best friend that I really needed and you've been pretty flaky in the past as well and as I think back on it, I can definetly see some warning signs, which I had not ignored but instead just tucked into the back of my brain for safe keeping and future reference. So it was upsetting at first but then I was pretty strong and able to move past it pretty quickly and obviously she didn't get far if she at all went around telling people bullshit lies about me, because I've never heard about it again. But I had painted her horse onto a model and it was perfect. Then I gave it to her before taking a picture of it and asked her to take a pic and send it to me. That should have been one of my warning signs, when I kept asking her nicely to do it and she kept saying that she would and I never got a picture sent. And it wasn't like she didn't have any time to do that for me either.
So I have to start over and I need to scour the internet and find people who would be willing to give me their Breyer model horse lots for free or pretty cheap. Okay, time to go wash my hair out. Should be pretty cool this time and last pretty long. Because there's a lot of read in my hair anyway, when I color it, the color stays in pretty long, even after 3 months or so! I did do a bit too many things today, and pushed myself a bit too hard, but I hope that by getting plenty of sleep and rest and now that I'm on a regular routine of taking supplements morning and nighttime, that I can prevent a flare, since I just came off of one Wednesday which was for about a week.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Beware in 2008 of GE Sugar! Crap!
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SUGAR TO HIT STORES IN 2008
American Crystal, a large Wyoming-based sugar company, who ironically have launched an "organic" line of their sugar,and several other leading U.S. sugar providers have announced they will be sourcing their sugar from genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets beginning this year and arriving in stores in 2008. Like GE corn and GE soy, products containing GE sugar will not be labeled as such. Since half of the granulated sugar in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, a move towards biotech beets marks a dramatic alteration of the U.S. food supply. These sugars, along with GE corn and soy, are found in many conventional food products, so consumers will be exposed to genetically engineered ingredients in just about every non-organic multiple-ingredient product they purchase.
The GE sugar beet is designed to withstand strong doses of Monsanto's controversial broad spectrum Roundup herbicide. Studies indicate farmers planting "Roundup Ready" corn and soy spray large amounts of the herbicide, contaminating both soil and water. Farmers planting GE sugar beets are told they may be able to apply the herbicide up to five times per year. Sugar beets are grown on 1.4 million acres by 12,000 farmers in the U.S. from Oregon to Minnesota.
Meanwhile candy companies like Hershey's are urging farmers not to plant GE sugar beets, noting that consumer surveys suggest resistance to the product. In addition the European Union has not approved GE sugar beets for human consumption.
Take action now to stop Genetically Engineered Sugar:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_7031.cfm
I for one am a bit freaked out about this, but I'll know to read labels or just stick to the sugar I already buy, like Trader Joe's organic sugar. Why switch labels from something safe to something potentially scary and unhealthy? So be careful out there!!
American Crystal, a large Wyoming-based sugar company, who ironically have launched an "organic" line of their sugar,and several other leading U.S. sugar providers have announced they will be sourcing their sugar from genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets beginning this year and arriving in stores in 2008. Like GE corn and GE soy, products containing GE sugar will not be labeled as such. Since half of the granulated sugar in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, a move towards biotech beets marks a dramatic alteration of the U.S. food supply. These sugars, along with GE corn and soy, are found in many conventional food products, so consumers will be exposed to genetically engineered ingredients in just about every non-organic multiple-ingredient product they purchase.
The GE sugar beet is designed to withstand strong doses of Monsanto's controversial broad spectrum Roundup herbicide. Studies indicate farmers planting "Roundup Ready" corn and soy spray large amounts of the herbicide, contaminating both soil and water. Farmers planting GE sugar beets are told they may be able to apply the herbicide up to five times per year. Sugar beets are grown on 1.4 million acres by 12,000 farmers in the U.S. from Oregon to Minnesota.
Meanwhile candy companies like Hershey's are urging farmers not to plant GE sugar beets, noting that consumer surveys suggest resistance to the product. In addition the European Union has not approved GE sugar beets for human consumption.
Take action now to stop Genetically Engineered Sugar:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_7031.cfm
I for one am a bit freaked out about this, but I'll know to read labels or just stick to the sugar I already buy, like Trader Joe's organic sugar. Why switch labels from something safe to something potentially scary and unhealthy? So be careful out there!!
Cool lava tubes accessable in and around Mt. St. Helens :)
CRAIG HILL; The News Tribune
Published: August 30th, 2007 06:52 AM
Enlarge image
RUSS CARMACK/The News Tribune
A father-son outing takes John Leischner of Selah and 9-year-old Ryan to Boulder Cave.
Enlarge image
Devils Creek waterfall flows at the cave’s entrance.
Enlarge image
Observation decks dot Boulder Cave’s.
Kids love caves. Bats, bears, Batman. No telling what you’ll find in a cave.
That’s precisely why every year Teresa Vickel of Yakima and her friends take their kids to Boulder Cave near Chinook Pass.
“The kids love the idea of exploring a cave,” Vickel said as she entered the cave. “And the parents think it’s pretty cool, too.”
Doug Jenkins of the Naches Ranger District has hiked through the 200-foot tunnel dozens of times.
“The kids are always saying, ‘Maybe I’ll see a bat,’” Jenkins said. “And when they get in the middle of the cave where it is really dark, they try to scare each other.
“Plus, I think people just think it’s a unique experience to walk in one end of a cave and out the other.”
Boulder Cave is one of just a handful of easily accessed caves in the Cascades and one of only four you can actually explore.
And, fortunately for children, all the caves are family friendly.
Each trip requires a $5 Northwest Forest Pass per vehicle. The passes are available at ranger stations and online at nwpubliclands.org. Don’t forget your flashlight.
Brave the caves: Five to explore
APE CAVE
This 2 1/4-mile lava tube is the king of Washington caves. Formed by an eruption 2,000 years ago, Ape Cave is the only one of the more than 50 lava tubes around Mount St. Helens that can be visited without special permission.
The cave can provide an adventure for your kids, regardless of their age and durability. The lower cave is an easy walk and can be accessed by a staircase near the parking lot. If you are looking for a hardier challenge, you can walk the length of the cave, scrambling over large rock piles as you go.
Forest rangers recommend 21/2 hours to explore the entire cave. If you go, rangers suggest taking three light sources and spare batteries. Sturdy shoes, warm clothes and a helmet are also recommended.
Hiking distance: Up to four miles.
Directions: Follow Highway 503 through Cougar and continue on Forest Service Road 90. Seven miles past Cougar, turn left on FS Road 83. After two more miles, turn left on FS Road 8303 and continue to the trailhead.
Info: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, 1-360-247-3900.
BIG FOUR ICE CAVES
These caves are a popular family destination most of the time, but if your children aren’t nimble you might want to store it away for next summer. Last winter’s flooding washed out the bridge over the Stillaguamish River, leaving just a log for visitors to scurry across.
“It’s OK for older kids, teenagers,” said Diane Boyd of Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. “I’ve seen young kids up there, but we are not recommending it right now.”
Boyd says the bridge likely won’t be fixed until next year.
The caves are carved under the snow banks of Big Four Mountain by wind and water each summer.
But there’s one big catch to enjoying these caves. You can’t go inside.
“It’s not safe,” Boyd said. “They are natural, and they naturally collapse every year. People have been killed in the ice cave.
“You can enjoy the caves without going in.”
Hiking distance: Two miles.
Directions: From Granite Falls, turn left on Mountain Loop Highway and continue through Verlot. Find the trailhead about 14 miles past Verlot.
Info: Darrington Ranger District, 360-691-7791.
BOULDER CAVE
Not only does Boulder Cave draw hiking families, but also it’s popular with bats.
Don’t expect to see any bats on your trip. The crush of people exploring the 200-foot-long cave each summer keeps the bats in hiding. But in the winter the bats – about 65 – return. The cave is closed Nov. 1 to April 1 to protect them.
Jenkins of the Naches Ranger District says visitors should stay on the trail in the cave and not explore its chambers. He also recommends good shoes, especially if you are going to explore Devils Creek, which runs through the cave all the way to the parking area.
There is a flat, natural waterslide in the creek below the caves and a small waterfall above the cave.
“It’s a perfect little playground for kids,” Teresa Vickel of Yakima said.
But be careful, Jenkins said. Some visitors have thrown glass bottles in the creek from the cliffs overlooking the gorge. “I definitely wouldn’t go in the creek with bare feet,” Jenkins said. He also urges parents to keep their children from climbing on the rocks in the caves and from getting too close to the edge of the cliff along the trail approaching the cave.
Hiking distance: 1.5 miles.
Directions: Follow Highway 410 over Chinook Pass. Turn south at the Boulder Cave sign between Mileposts 95 and 96 and continue to the trailhead at Boulder Cave Campground.
Info: Naches Ranger District, 1-509-653-1400.
ICE CAVE
This is a lava tube formed by an ancient eruption of Mount Adams. Ice forms in the cave each year, leaving huge frozen stalactites and stalagmites and a chilly place for children to play.
A staircase accesses the cave.
“It’s a neat place for kids as long as you don’t let them climb down into the second part of the lava tube,” said Gerry Harding, a Gifford Pinchot National Forest ranger. “You should have a hard hat and a flashlight to go in there.”
Another nearby cave experience is the Natural Bridges. There isn’t a cave here anymore, but this ancient lava tube has collapsed, leaving two natural bridges.
“Kids like walking across the bridges,” Harding said. “Most people visit the caves and the bridges on the same trip.”
Hiking distance: 1/4 mile for each.
Directions: Follow Highway 141 through Trout Lake as the road turns to Forest Service Road 24. Six miles past Trout Lake turn left on Road 301 and continue to the trailhead.
Info: Mount Adams Ranger District, 1-509-395-3400.
LAYSER CAVE
This small cave was discovered 25 years ago by ranger Tim Layser while he was working in Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Randle. But this cave is not new.
Scientists found stone tools and animal bones in the cave. They believe the cave was used as a shelter and to store meat for more than 7,000 years.
The cave is only 32 feet deep and easy enough to explore without a flashlight.
The short trail and the cave entrance have interpretive signs that supply more history on the cave.
Hiking distance: 450 yards.
Directions: From U.S. 12 in Randle, turn south on Highway 131. After a mile, turn left at the sign for the Cispus Center. After seven miles turn left at the Layser Cave sign and continue up the short, steep dirt road to the trailhead.
Info: Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, 1-360-497-1100.
Published: August 30th, 2007 06:52 AM
Enlarge image
RUSS CARMACK/The News Tribune
A father-son outing takes John Leischner of Selah and 9-year-old Ryan to Boulder Cave.
Enlarge image
Devils Creek waterfall flows at the cave’s entrance.
Enlarge image
Observation decks dot Boulder Cave’s.
Kids love caves. Bats, bears, Batman. No telling what you’ll find in a cave.
That’s precisely why every year Teresa Vickel of Yakima and her friends take their kids to Boulder Cave near Chinook Pass.
“The kids love the idea of exploring a cave,” Vickel said as she entered the cave. “And the parents think it’s pretty cool, too.”
Doug Jenkins of the Naches Ranger District has hiked through the 200-foot tunnel dozens of times.
“The kids are always saying, ‘Maybe I’ll see a bat,’” Jenkins said. “And when they get in the middle of the cave where it is really dark, they try to scare each other.
“Plus, I think people just think it’s a unique experience to walk in one end of a cave and out the other.”
Boulder Cave is one of just a handful of easily accessed caves in the Cascades and one of only four you can actually explore.
And, fortunately for children, all the caves are family friendly.
Each trip requires a $5 Northwest Forest Pass per vehicle. The passes are available at ranger stations and online at nwpubliclands.org. Don’t forget your flashlight.
Brave the caves: Five to explore
APE CAVE
This 2 1/4-mile lava tube is the king of Washington caves. Formed by an eruption 2,000 years ago, Ape Cave is the only one of the more than 50 lava tubes around Mount St. Helens that can be visited without special permission.
The cave can provide an adventure for your kids, regardless of their age and durability. The lower cave is an easy walk and can be accessed by a staircase near the parking lot. If you are looking for a hardier challenge, you can walk the length of the cave, scrambling over large rock piles as you go.
Forest rangers recommend 21/2 hours to explore the entire cave. If you go, rangers suggest taking three light sources and spare batteries. Sturdy shoes, warm clothes and a helmet are also recommended.
Hiking distance: Up to four miles.
Directions: Follow Highway 503 through Cougar and continue on Forest Service Road 90. Seven miles past Cougar, turn left on FS Road 83. After two more miles, turn left on FS Road 8303 and continue to the trailhead.
Info: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, 1-360-247-3900.
BIG FOUR ICE CAVES
These caves are a popular family destination most of the time, but if your children aren’t nimble you might want to store it away for next summer. Last winter’s flooding washed out the bridge over the Stillaguamish River, leaving just a log for visitors to scurry across.
“It’s OK for older kids, teenagers,” said Diane Boyd of Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. “I’ve seen young kids up there, but we are not recommending it right now.”
Boyd says the bridge likely won’t be fixed until next year.
The caves are carved under the snow banks of Big Four Mountain by wind and water each summer.
But there’s one big catch to enjoying these caves. You can’t go inside.
“It’s not safe,” Boyd said. “They are natural, and they naturally collapse every year. People have been killed in the ice cave.
“You can enjoy the caves without going in.”
Hiking distance: Two miles.
Directions: From Granite Falls, turn left on Mountain Loop Highway and continue through Verlot. Find the trailhead about 14 miles past Verlot.
Info: Darrington Ranger District, 360-691-7791.
BOULDER CAVE
Not only does Boulder Cave draw hiking families, but also it’s popular with bats.
Don’t expect to see any bats on your trip. The crush of people exploring the 200-foot-long cave each summer keeps the bats in hiding. But in the winter the bats – about 65 – return. The cave is closed Nov. 1 to April 1 to protect them.
Jenkins of the Naches Ranger District says visitors should stay on the trail in the cave and not explore its chambers. He also recommends good shoes, especially if you are going to explore Devils Creek, which runs through the cave all the way to the parking area.
There is a flat, natural waterslide in the creek below the caves and a small waterfall above the cave.
“It’s a perfect little playground for kids,” Teresa Vickel of Yakima said.
But be careful, Jenkins said. Some visitors have thrown glass bottles in the creek from the cliffs overlooking the gorge. “I definitely wouldn’t go in the creek with bare feet,” Jenkins said. He also urges parents to keep their children from climbing on the rocks in the caves and from getting too close to the edge of the cliff along the trail approaching the cave.
Hiking distance: 1.5 miles.
Directions: Follow Highway 410 over Chinook Pass. Turn south at the Boulder Cave sign between Mileposts 95 and 96 and continue to the trailhead at Boulder Cave Campground.
Info: Naches Ranger District, 1-509-653-1400.
ICE CAVE
This is a lava tube formed by an ancient eruption of Mount Adams. Ice forms in the cave each year, leaving huge frozen stalactites and stalagmites and a chilly place for children to play.
A staircase accesses the cave.
“It’s a neat place for kids as long as you don’t let them climb down into the second part of the lava tube,” said Gerry Harding, a Gifford Pinchot National Forest ranger. “You should have a hard hat and a flashlight to go in there.”
Another nearby cave experience is the Natural Bridges. There isn’t a cave here anymore, but this ancient lava tube has collapsed, leaving two natural bridges.
“Kids like walking across the bridges,” Harding said. “Most people visit the caves and the bridges on the same trip.”
Hiking distance: 1/4 mile for each.
Directions: Follow Highway 141 through Trout Lake as the road turns to Forest Service Road 24. Six miles past Trout Lake turn left on Road 301 and continue to the trailhead.
Info: Mount Adams Ranger District, 1-509-395-3400.
LAYSER CAVE
This small cave was discovered 25 years ago by ranger Tim Layser while he was working in Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Randle. But this cave is not new.
Scientists found stone tools and animal bones in the cave. They believe the cave was used as a shelter and to store meat for more than 7,000 years.
The cave is only 32 feet deep and easy enough to explore without a flashlight.
The short trail and the cave entrance have interpretive signs that supply more history on the cave.
Hiking distance: 450 yards.
Directions: From U.S. 12 in Randle, turn south on Highway 131. After a mile, turn left at the sign for the Cispus Center. After seven miles turn left at the Layser Cave sign and continue up the short, steep dirt road to the trailhead.
Info: Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, 1-360-497-1100.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
medicare prescription drug rant
So regarding Medicare, I'm wondering who else here is in the same boat that I am in - meaning, you don't pay a premium for Medicare and you don't have to deal with the Donut Hole issue. In other words, just last month I suddenly was no longer paying for many of my prescriptions. particularly my triplicates - the Percocet and MS Contin are now free and the others: Soma, Ultram ER etc are still $3.15 or so. My question is, has anyone experienced any kind of limit put on their medication in the last month. I just went to get my MS Contin refill last week and I was going to run out by today but didn't think there would be a problem. But suddenly after having taken MS Contin since March of this year, it was suddenly a problem for Medicare to pay for it. They are now limiting me to 120 pills instead of 180 (I don't need 180 but my doctor wants me to have as big of a stockpile of meds as I can, so the extra amount is always a good help for that). AND on top of that, they suddenly had a problem with it having to be brand. Well, sorry, but generics for my pills that count - the heavy pain killers, don't do jack for me so I can only take brand. And why is there suddenly an issue. Of course, my doctor's office was supposed to take care of this for me and when I called on Monday they still hadn't, even though I said I was going to run out on Tuesday. I ended up calling AARP who I have my prescription plan through and fixing the problem myself, so I just picked up 120 pills with teh brand name. But the woman said they had just put a limit on the medication, but couldnt' tell me exactly why. It would be great if they could put out some kind of notice, telling you that now these drugs on this list now have certain limitations, etc.
Another problem that we just discovered, is that when I finally had my disability for a year and got my Medicare, in august of 06, no one told me that if I had other insurance, I needed to call them and switch that insurance over to a supplemental insurance. No one told me I had a 3 month limit and in that amount of time, that was what needed to be done. Well shit! My mom called Blue Cross yesterday because every two months - when my dad pays my bill - the price keeps going up and up, for no particular reason at all. I dont' want to lose Blue Cross as my alternative back up insurance because one day I plan to not need Medicare anymore and if I go away from Blue Cross, I'll never be able to get it again and it might be nearly impossible for me to get any type of insurance on my own, because of my pre-existing conditions. So my mom calls to see what the deal is and the guy is so rude, talking so fast and eating his lunch while he's talking, making these gross chewing noises. Gees! What is wrong with people?? So she finally finds out that this needed to happen a year ago and that I'm basically shit out of luck - meaning that if I switch Blue Cross to be my supplemental insurance, that I won't have prescription coverage for 3 months, until january. Now, yes Medicare pays most of my prescriptions, except one - my Klonopin - this is not a med that I can change, as others like it have not worked the same way. The problem is that I can't get it refilled until the 19th of Sept and I only get #30 a month, so I'm hoping that if I explain the situation to my doctor, he can tweak my prescription and write it for at least double the amount. I use it to sleep and also when I'm having panic attacks and really bad days. So I don't take it too often but I can't not have it around as it is a great lifesaver when I do need it.
I just don't get the system at all. But I think what we're going to do is just wait until I can get my Klonopin refill on the 19th, then when my parents are back from Tahoe on the 24th, my mom will call and get Blue CRoss switched to supplemental so the bill for over $400 which is due Oct 10th, doesn't have to be paid. I hate that I can't pay it myself but my parents swore that their kids would always have insurance, because it's one thing that is pretty hard to get once you've lost it.
I still can't afford to get Actiq, the drug that would normally keep me out of the ER when I flare up pretty severely, I have one left! Blue CRoss no longer covers it - I used to be able to get it from them at $10 a pop. But Medicare says they won't pay for it for me because it's prescribed mainly to people with cancer. What a bunch of bullshit!?! My pain is certainly at the cancer pain level, if not higher at times. (I'm not trying to compare myself to someone else) - but....come on! What the fuck?? I'm so pissed and ticked off that me as a pain patient is being denied certain medications that could save me from much sufferign, because the makers of Actiq won't add chronic pain to their list of uses for the drug. Actiq is Fentanyl, but I can't use it in the patch form, unfortunately - makes me severely nauseous even at the lowest dose. But the lozenge pops are wonderful! If I had to pay out of pocket, which I did once when I got my workman's comp money - I bought 30 pops for over $2000. It was insane! I think I would have to pay $40 a piece for them or something ridiculous like that. And the company used to have a advocate system that would help you appeal to your insurance if they weren't willing to pay for it for a chronic pain condition but the 800# no longer works or is out of service and you can't get anywhere online. We definetly need more advocates to help us - especially since I can't tolerate the stress involved in dealing with insurance companies and certain doctors, etc. I mean, we have advocates to help you when applying for SSI and SSDI but not for getting medications and dealing with insurance?? How does that make sense?
Anyway, that's my rant for the day.
Another problem that we just discovered, is that when I finally had my disability for a year and got my Medicare, in august of 06, no one told me that if I had other insurance, I needed to call them and switch that insurance over to a supplemental insurance. No one told me I had a 3 month limit and in that amount of time, that was what needed to be done. Well shit! My mom called Blue Cross yesterday because every two months - when my dad pays my bill - the price keeps going up and up, for no particular reason at all. I dont' want to lose Blue Cross as my alternative back up insurance because one day I plan to not need Medicare anymore and if I go away from Blue Cross, I'll never be able to get it again and it might be nearly impossible for me to get any type of insurance on my own, because of my pre-existing conditions. So my mom calls to see what the deal is and the guy is so rude, talking so fast and eating his lunch while he's talking, making these gross chewing noises. Gees! What is wrong with people?? So she finally finds out that this needed to happen a year ago and that I'm basically shit out of luck - meaning that if I switch Blue Cross to be my supplemental insurance, that I won't have prescription coverage for 3 months, until january. Now, yes Medicare pays most of my prescriptions, except one - my Klonopin - this is not a med that I can change, as others like it have not worked the same way. The problem is that I can't get it refilled until the 19th of Sept and I only get #30 a month, so I'm hoping that if I explain the situation to my doctor, he can tweak my prescription and write it for at least double the amount. I use it to sleep and also when I'm having panic attacks and really bad days. So I don't take it too often but I can't not have it around as it is a great lifesaver when I do need it.
I just don't get the system at all. But I think what we're going to do is just wait until I can get my Klonopin refill on the 19th, then when my parents are back from Tahoe on the 24th, my mom will call and get Blue CRoss switched to supplemental so the bill for over $400 which is due Oct 10th, doesn't have to be paid. I hate that I can't pay it myself but my parents swore that their kids would always have insurance, because it's one thing that is pretty hard to get once you've lost it.
I still can't afford to get Actiq, the drug that would normally keep me out of the ER when I flare up pretty severely, I have one left! Blue CRoss no longer covers it - I used to be able to get it from them at $10 a pop. But Medicare says they won't pay for it for me because it's prescribed mainly to people with cancer. What a bunch of bullshit!?! My pain is certainly at the cancer pain level, if not higher at times. (I'm not trying to compare myself to someone else) - but....come on! What the fuck?? I'm so pissed and ticked off that me as a pain patient is being denied certain medications that could save me from much sufferign, because the makers of Actiq won't add chronic pain to their list of uses for the drug. Actiq is Fentanyl, but I can't use it in the patch form, unfortunately - makes me severely nauseous even at the lowest dose. But the lozenge pops are wonderful! If I had to pay out of pocket, which I did once when I got my workman's comp money - I bought 30 pops for over $2000. It was insane! I think I would have to pay $40 a piece for them or something ridiculous like that. And the company used to have a advocate system that would help you appeal to your insurance if they weren't willing to pay for it for a chronic pain condition but the 800# no longer works or is out of service and you can't get anywhere online. We definetly need more advocates to help us - especially since I can't tolerate the stress involved in dealing with insurance companies and certain doctors, etc. I mean, we have advocates to help you when applying for SSI and SSDI but not for getting medications and dealing with insurance?? How does that make sense?
Anyway, that's my rant for the day.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Please do the dishes - parents don't get it!
So I'm sick of my parents, mainly my mother, not getting that when I'm flaring and yes I've told her/him which specific body parts are currently killing me - tonight happens to be that I have these huge bundles of knots in either shoulder, up on top of the blade and it's the same muscle that goes down along either side of my spine and back up my neck to my head. The knots and muscles will not relax, some heat is helping but nothing else is working - my Soma is just making me sleepy and at least I got a nap in before bed.
But before dinner, I told them both what was going on because they don't get it when I say that I'm 'flaring'. That should be an indication that I'm in more pain than normal - I feel like they just ignore the reality of my situation and go about their lives with no concern about mine. The only thing my mom did today was offer me to heat up a shoulder wrap but then after dinner, I'm nauseous, on the couch with a ice pack and bundled up, not moving - my says, good night and oh by the way, I hope you won't be surprised that we're leaving you the dishes to do! What the fuck??! I think. What part of my shoulders and neck are killing me and why can't she connect the dots and know that my shouders are connected to my arms and those aren't working right because of the pain in my shoulders?? Now you're expecting me to be able to do the dishes, which involves lifting pretty heavy plates and hot water and greasy food. Sounds exactly like what I want to be doing on top of my pain. I'm just astonished. I don't understand at all why two very abled human beings can't take over chores like dishes from someone who normally does them (yes, I usually do the dishes but NOT when i'm hurting so much!). Do I really need to make a list of all of the things I shouldn't be doing when I'm in any kind of pain that is above normal? I guess so! I just don't know what to do anymore! I'm sick of this bullshit!
So if any fibro people have any suggestions for dealing with parents, please fill me in. Yes, I still live with my parents - moved home two summers ago after having lived with my boyfriend for 3 years - he's up in Oregon now and it sucks but this is what I needed at the tiem. I'm seriously looking into moving to the Portland area now, as I'm one of the few lucky Fibro people who can actually stand the cold AND I do better with cold weather and rain. I can't stand and I actually get sick now from the heat + humidity or mugginess, which we've been having here in sucky California - yes, I hate this state now. I dont' want to live here anymore, I want to be where it is green all the time and I don't have to make an effort to stay out of the sun much and people are nice :) But in the meantime, I still have ot deal with my non-understanding conditionally loving parents - who of course would deny not loving me unconditionally but it's true, that they do love under their rules, their conditions, when I'm in their home. It's stressful and it sucks and my only positive result is that they are gone at least one week each month, sometimes longer, so I get the house to myself very often. That is my trade off for the time being. Come beginning of the new year of 2008, I will be taking a trip to Portland to check it out, hang out with old friends who are there now and seeing where I can move to.
But before dinner, I told them both what was going on because they don't get it when I say that I'm 'flaring'. That should be an indication that I'm in more pain than normal - I feel like they just ignore the reality of my situation and go about their lives with no concern about mine. The only thing my mom did today was offer me to heat up a shoulder wrap but then after dinner, I'm nauseous, on the couch with a ice pack and bundled up, not moving - my says, good night and oh by the way, I hope you won't be surprised that we're leaving you the dishes to do! What the fuck??! I think. What part of my shoulders and neck are killing me and why can't she connect the dots and know that my shouders are connected to my arms and those aren't working right because of the pain in my shoulders?? Now you're expecting me to be able to do the dishes, which involves lifting pretty heavy plates and hot water and greasy food. Sounds exactly like what I want to be doing on top of my pain. I'm just astonished. I don't understand at all why two very abled human beings can't take over chores like dishes from someone who normally does them (yes, I usually do the dishes but NOT when i'm hurting so much!). Do I really need to make a list of all of the things I shouldn't be doing when I'm in any kind of pain that is above normal? I guess so! I just don't know what to do anymore! I'm sick of this bullshit!
So if any fibro people have any suggestions for dealing with parents, please fill me in. Yes, I still live with my parents - moved home two summers ago after having lived with my boyfriend for 3 years - he's up in Oregon now and it sucks but this is what I needed at the tiem. I'm seriously looking into moving to the Portland area now, as I'm one of the few lucky Fibro people who can actually stand the cold AND I do better with cold weather and rain. I can't stand and I actually get sick now from the heat + humidity or mugginess, which we've been having here in sucky California - yes, I hate this state now. I dont' want to live here anymore, I want to be where it is green all the time and I don't have to make an effort to stay out of the sun much and people are nice :) But in the meantime, I still have ot deal with my non-understanding conditionally loving parents - who of course would deny not loving me unconditionally but it's true, that they do love under their rules, their conditions, when I'm in their home. It's stressful and it sucks and my only positive result is that they are gone at least one week each month, sometimes longer, so I get the house to myself very often. That is my trade off for the time being. Come beginning of the new year of 2008, I will be taking a trip to Portland to check it out, hang out with old friends who are there now and seeing where I can move to.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
New Great White Shark at Monterey - yay!!!!
I'm so happy to read that Monterey Bay Aquarium has a great white again. I saw their last one and he was a cutie! This one is about the same size I think and hopefully will be staying in residence for a while. A good excuse to get off my butt and drive down there for a day visit, since I am a member and can get in for free and it takes my mind off of my pain :) I love the sharkies :)
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For only the third time since 2004, we have a young white shark [Online Field Guide] in the Outer Bay exhibit. He arrived on August 28, and will remain in the million-gallon exhibit as long as he's in good health and hasn't grown too large for us to return safely to the wild.
Like our first shark in 2004, he was caught accidentally in commercial fishing gear. Like our second shark in 2006, he's a young male: just 4-feet, 9-inches long and weighing 67 ½ pounds. As with both of the other young white sharks, he was kept in an ocean holding pen off Malibu in Southern California until we observed him feeding and navigating well in the confines of the pen.
Our first shark was with us for 6 � months; our second, for 4 � months. Both were successfully returned to the wild, and the tracking tags they carried documented their journeys back in the ocean. We've tagged 10 other young sharks in the wild in Southern California waters as part of our white shark field project, and support research to track the migrations of adult white sharks tagged off the Farallon Islands and Point A�o Nuevo on California's central coast.
You can meet the white shark in person when you visit, or try to spot him on our Outer Bay Cam as he swims in the exhibit. We'll post regular online updates on how he's doing.
Why White Sharks Need Our Help
Why White Sharks Need Our Help
Overfishing, trophy hunting, habitat destruction—all have contributed to a devastating decline in the white shark population worldwide. Here at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we're working to turn the tide. We're learning more about white sharks and supporting policies to protect them in the wild. You can help.
Donate now to help save sharks and the oceans they live in.
>We Have Lots to Learn about White Sharks We're Learning a Lot
Observing a white shark face to face is exciting for visitors—and helpful for scientists. But it's just a small part of our white shark research project. Studying white sharks in the wild is even more important and intriguing. Together with our research partners, we're learning more every day about their habits, their travels, their unique and irreplaceable role in the ocean ecosystem.
Find out more about our research.
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Here is a pic I took of the second shark that was there:
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For only the third time since 2004, we have a young white shark [Online Field Guide] in the Outer Bay exhibit. He arrived on August 28, and will remain in the million-gallon exhibit as long as he's in good health and hasn't grown too large for us to return safely to the wild.
Like our first shark in 2004, he was caught accidentally in commercial fishing gear. Like our second shark in 2006, he's a young male: just 4-feet, 9-inches long and weighing 67 ½ pounds. As with both of the other young white sharks, he was kept in an ocean holding pen off Malibu in Southern California until we observed him feeding and navigating well in the confines of the pen.
Our first shark was with us for 6 � months; our second, for 4 � months. Both were successfully returned to the wild, and the tracking tags they carried documented their journeys back in the ocean. We've tagged 10 other young sharks in the wild in Southern California waters as part of our white shark field project, and support research to track the migrations of adult white sharks tagged off the Farallon Islands and Point A�o Nuevo on California's central coast.
You can meet the white shark in person when you visit, or try to spot him on our Outer Bay Cam as he swims in the exhibit. We'll post regular online updates on how he's doing.
Why White Sharks Need Our Help
Why White Sharks Need Our Help
Overfishing, trophy hunting, habitat destruction—all have contributed to a devastating decline in the white shark population worldwide. Here at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we're working to turn the tide. We're learning more about white sharks and supporting policies to protect them in the wild. You can help.
Donate now to help save sharks and the oceans they live in.
>We Have Lots to Learn about White Sharks We're Learning a Lot
Observing a white shark face to face is exciting for visitors—and helpful for scientists. But it's just a small part of our white shark research project. Studying white sharks in the wild is even more important and intriguing. Together with our research partners, we're learning more every day about their habits, their travels, their unique and irreplaceable role in the ocean ecosystem.
Find out more about our research.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a pic I took of the second shark that was there:
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