I Have a Kidney Stone… | Word Vomit, Pictures and All That Jazz

Yup.  Probably multiples.  While they travel through my body, they are making me feel like I am going to die or maybe just hoping that I’ll pass out from the pain.  But, that’s not what I really want to write about today… I just wanted to whine a little first.  :-)

Okay… it’s really “I have a dream…” day… 50 years ago Martin Luther King Jr. stood up and spoke these words:

I thought about just copying and pasting the text, but watch it (17 min and 29 sec).  You’ll get so much more out of it.  SO MUCH MORE.

One of the things that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke about what the significance and importance of non-violence.  I’m going to share a picture stolen from one of my favorite bloggers who stole it from somewhere else:photo (3)

How can this man, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and the President of the United States of America, a citizen of the greatest country on our planet, a husband and a father, stand up and praise the work of the great Dr. King and support the violence that he not only condones but orders to occur around the world?

In another interesting way of remembering Dr. King, one journalist asks who would Dr. King be today:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/27/politics/fbi-surveillance-mlk/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

Read it.  It’s fascinating.  I don’t think Dr. King would have approved of the violence perpetrated by the US government or the lost of civil liberties that we are all experiencing. “Let freedom ring!”

images

His message is still relevant today in so many methods and views:  for gay rights, for women’s rights, for civil liberties, etc… I could go on and on.  ”Let freedom ring!”

let_freedom_ring_by_ravingeaglemedia-d55ztxa

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up” he said that day infront of thousands of people.  I too have that same dream… that this nation will rise up and demand that the people who create our laws and policies are also subject to them.  ”Let freedom ring!”

LetFreedomRing

I dream that our children and our children’s children can get an education from teachers who are truly able to teach them to think for themselves and not  how to fill in bubbles on a scantron sheet.

I dream that people from all over the world will “join hands” and work together for the health and well being of our planet and our species.

Sit down with your children and watch this amazing speech.  Teach them about our history so that it doesn’t repeat itself.  Be proud to be an American, today and every day.

Thank you, Dr. King.  Thank you.  Thank you for reminding us all to dream.

Picture Of A 3mm Kidney Stone

In addition incomplete breakage of stones can occur which can necessitate repeat procedures according to the textbook “Campbell-Walsh Urology.” In percutaneous nephrolithotomy or PNL the surgeon makes a small incision in the patient’s back and inserts a hollow tube through which the stone is removed. Picture Of A 3mm Kidney Stone the most significant risk is of hemorrhage with up to 10 percent of procedures necessitating blood transfusion according to “Campbell-Walsh Urology.” Other complications include infection adjacent organ injury such as the bowel and perforation of kidney structures. In this procedure the surgeon uses small scopes to visualize the stones in the ureters. The surgeon can also use the scope to remove or destroy the stone. The overall rate of complications is 6 percent from this procedure according to an August 2007 article in the journal Urologic Clinics of North

Picture Of A 3mm Kidney Stone

America. Complications can include urinary retention after surgery fever pain and perforation of the ureters. While minimally invasive options for kidney stone surgery exist occasionally the surgeon has to “open” the patient up with a large incision to remove the stone.

Kidney Stone Surgery Complications Kidney stones are a painful medical condition in which mineral deposits form in the upper urinary tract. The upper urinary tract is composed of the kidneys and the ureters the narrow tubes that drain urine from the kidneys into the bladder. The stones can be quite painful and serve as a focus of

Picture Of A 3mm Kidney Stone

infection.

Once the stone is broken into several fragments they can be passed in the urine for resolution of symptoms. Complications include damage to kidney tissue from the shockwaves which can result in blood urine damage to gastrointestinal structures from shockwaves increased blood pressure and long-term reduction in kidney function. In addition incomplete breakage of stones can occur which can necessitate repeat procedures according to the textbook “Campbell-Walsh Urology.” In percutaneous nephrolithotomy or PNL the Picture Of A 3mm Kidney Stone surgeon makes a small incision in the patient’s back and inserts a hollow tube through which the stone is removed. The most significant risk is of hemorrhage with up to 10 percent of procedures necessitating blood transfusion according to “Campbell-Walsh Urology.” Other complications include infection adjacent organ injury such as the bowel and perforation of kidney structures. In this procedure the surgeon uses small scopes to visualize the stones in the ureters.

Complications include damage to kidney tissue from the shockwaves which can result in blood urine damage to gastrointestinal structures from shockwaves increased blood pressure and long-term reduction in kidney function. In addition incomplete breakage of stones can occur which can necessitate repeat procedures according to the textbook “Campbell-Walsh Urology.” In percutaneous nephrolithotomy or PNL the surgeon makes a small incision in the patient’s back and inserts a hollow tube through which the stone is removed. The most significant risk is of hemorrhage with up to 10 percent of procedures necessitating blood transfusion according to “Campbell-Walsh Urology.” Other complications include infection adjacent organ injury such as the bowel and perforation of kidney structures. In this procedure the surgeon uses small scopes to visualize the stones in the ureters. The surgeon can also use the scope to remove or destroy the stone. The overall rate of complications is 6 percent from this procedure according to an August 2007 article in the journal Urologic Clinics of North America.

Kidney Stone Surgery Complications Kidney stones are a painful medical condition in which mineral deposits form in the upper urinary tract. The upper urinary tract is composed of the kidneys and the ureters the narrow tubes that drain urine from the kidneys into the bladder. The stones can be quite painful and serve as a focus of infection. There are many surgical techniques that are employed to treat kidney stones each with its own risk of complications that should be considered by the patient. Shock wave lithotripsy or SWL is the use of shock waves from a source external to the patient’s body to fragment the stones.

The overall rate of

Picture Of A 3mm Kidney Stone

complications is 6 percent from this procedure according to an August 2007 article in the journal Urologic Clinics of North America. Complications can include urinary retention after surgery fever pain and perforation of the ureters. While minimally invasive options for kidney stone surgery exist occasionally the surgeon has to “open” the patient up with a large incision to remove the stone.

Kidney Stone Surgery Complications Kidney stones are a painful medical condition in which mineral deposits form in the upper urinary tract. The upper urinary tract is composed of the kidneys and the ureters the narrow tubes that drain urine from the kidneys into the bladder. The stones can be quite painful and serve as a focus of infection.

Kidney Stone Surgery Complications Kidney stones are a painful medical condition in which mineral deposits form in the upper urinary tract. The upper urinary tract is composed of the kidneys and the ureters the narrow tubes that drain urine from the kidneys into the bladder. The stones can be quite painful and serve as a focus of infection.

Kidney Stone Surgery Complications Kidney stones are a painful medical condition in which mineral deposits form in the upper urinary tract. The upper urinary tract is composed of the kidneys and the ureters the narrow tubes that drain urine from the kidneys into the bladder. The stones can be quite painful and serve as a focus of infection. There are many surgical techniques that are employed to treat kidney stones each with its own risk of complications that should be considered by the patient.

The overall rate of complications is 6 percent from this procedure according to an August 2007 article in the journal Urologic Clinics of North America. Complications can include urinary retention after surgery fever pain and perforation of the ureters. While minimally invasive options for kidney stone surgery exist occasionally the surgeon has to “open” the patient up with a large incision to remove the stone.

Other complications include infection adjacent organ injury suh as the bowel and perforation of kidney structures

  • Shock wave lithotripsy or SWL is the use of shock waves from a source external to the patient’s body to fragment the stones
  • In addition incomplete breakage of stones can occur which can necessitate repeat procedures according to the textbook “Campbell-Walsh Urology
  • Complications include longer hospital stays and recovery period than with minimally invasive approaches infection diminished gastrointestinal function immediately after surgery bleeding and urinary retention according to “Campbell-Walsh Urology
  • In percutaneous nephrolithotomy or PNL the surgeon makes a small incision in the patient’s back and inserts a hollow tube through which the stone is removed
  • The upper urinary tract is composed of the kidneys and the ureters the narrow tubes that drain urine from the kidneys into the bladder
  • Other complications include infection adjacent organ injury such as the bowel and perforation of kidney structures
  • The overall rate of complications is 6 percent from this procedure according to an August 2007 article in the journal Urologic Clinics of North America
  • Often patients with stones that don’t respond to other treatments will undergo this form of surgery

. In this procedure the surgeon uses small scopes to visualize the stones in the ureters. The surgeon can also use the scope to remove or destroy the stone.

Complications include damage to kidney tissue from the shockwaves which can result in blood urine damage to gastrointestinal structures from shockwaves increased blood pressure and long-term reduction in kidney function. In addition incomplete breakage of stones can occur which can necessitate repeat procedures according to the textbook “Campbell-Walsh Urology.” In percutaneous nephrolithotomy or PNL the surgeon makes a small incision in the patient’s back and inserts a hollow tube through which the stone is removed. The most significant risk is of hemorrhage with up to 10 percent of procedures necessitating blood transfusion according to “Campbell-Walsh Urology.

http://kidneystoneremedy.info/best-kidney-stone-natural-solution-review-in-girardville/
http://journals.ohiolink.edu/ejc/search.cgi?q=authorExact:%22Schwaderer%2C%20Andrew%20L.%22
http://kidneystoneremedy.info/effective-stone-in-kidney-natural-treatments-reviews-in-lambertville/
http://kidneystoneremedy.info/effective-kidney-stone-prevention-in-upper-holland/
http://kidneystoneremedy.info/pictures-of-a-3-mm-kidney-stone/
http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/health-information/getcontentbykeywords.cfm?keyword=Tests%20Performed%20Before%20Surgery&results=189
http://kidneystoneremedy.info/very-fast-kidney-stone-solution-review-in-valrico/

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Retired in Delaware: Kidney Stone Redux


This morning when I woke up I had “that” feeling again.  Oh no, another kidney stone passing.  There was no denying what was happening.  I had nausea, and my right side was hurting.  Yes, I just had a kidney stone pass a few weeks ago.  That time it was on my left side.


This time I decided not to wait and make myself believe that I was imagining things.  I put my clothes on and left my bedroom to see Bill in our sunroom.  This is our usual morning routine.  He is up much earlier than I am and waits for me.


I told him “I’m passing another kidney stone. Could you take me to the emergency room?”  Of course he couldn’t believe it either and I had to repeat myself.  I decided not to call 911 and take the ambulance because the last time that took just too long.  You have to wait for the ambulance and once they get here they take tests to make sure you’re not dying before they put you in the ambulance.  The last time it seemed like it took forever to get to the emergency room.  This time I wanted to get to the emergency room and have the painkillers before my pain got too bad.  Of course I knew I would have to go through a possible delay if the emergency room was busy.





One good thing if there is any good thing about passing a kidney stone, it was early this morning before the Route One traffic really got heavy on this Saturday morning in the height of the summer resort traffic that is the reality of Rehoboth Beach and Lewes this year.

Bill dropped me off in front of the emergency room.  I took out my iPhone and took a quick photo (you know me), even though I was in great discomfort.  I entered the emergency room admissions.  I told the woman behind the desk “I’m passing a kidney stone.”  She immediately led me back to the emergency room working area.


I don’t want or have the time to go into all the detail but I know the drill now, this being my fourth time passing a kidney stone.  They asked me my pain level.  I said “Six” on a scale of one to ten.  That’s one reason I left early, I wanted to get pain killers before it got unbearable.  


They told me to get undressed and I put on their hospital gown.  Bill was with me.  They asked who he was and I said “That’s my spouse.”  I would have said “husband” but Bill prefers I say “spouse” so I did.  





After more routine questions many of which asked me to repeat my name and date of birth several times, I was administered my pain killers.  Oh sweet Jesus, relief.  


More questions about my symptoms then I feel asleep.  Bill took some photos of me sleeping with his iPhone.  Thank you Bill.  For posterity for that day when I can laugh about this, the old man that I am falling apart here.


Next up was the CAT-SCAN.  The nurse joked with me that I probably knew the routine.  I told her I did “Breath in….hold.”  Old routine now.


All the while I’m still thinking “This is only my imagination.  I can’ possibly be passing ANOTHER kidney stone.”  I just can’t believe this was happening.  Oh, before I forget, prior to going in for my CAT-SCAN I had to give them a urine sample for them to see if I had blood in my urine.


I finish the CAT-SCAN (old hat now) and they wheel me back in to Bill who was waiting for me in the one curtained off portion of the emergency room.  I probably should put a deposit on that room, I’ve been spending so much time there lately.


Now the wait.  I fell asleep.  The painkillers were working.  





I don’t know how long I was sleeping but I awoke when I heard the chains on the curtain being drawn aside.  It was the doctor.  He said yes, I was passing another kidney stone.  This one was .6 millimeters, the largest yet.  My last “visit” to my reserved space at the emergency room my kidney stone measured .4 millimeters.  He said “You should be able to pass this because you’re still able to urinate.  However, because of the size this may be problematical.”  I hate to tell you but I didn’t like hearing that word.


He gave me two prescriptions; one for a pain killer and another to relax my urethra to help the kidney stone pass.  They discharged me with the instructions that if I encountered any problems to come back.

I wound my way out of the maze that is the emergency room at Beebe to the outside on this beautiful, sunny morning in Lewes to await Bill who went to get our car.


I asked Bill to take me to the Walgreens in Milton so I could fill my prescriptions.  The summertime traffic had picked up considerable on Route One.  Oh was I SO GLAD that this kidney stone attack didn’t hit later.

Bill drove me to Milton and I dragged myself into Walgreens.  The painkillers were wearing off.  I still haven’t passed my kidney stone and I was still feeling pain on my right side and nausea but not the intensity of level of pain I’ve felt with other kidney stone passings.  I went to the back of the store where the pharmacy is located.  Thank God no other customers were waiting.  I gave them my prescription, with my hospital plastic identification bracelet still on and the cotton and bandage on the crook of left arm still in place where the emergency room personnel injected me with pain killers.  I didn’t care.  I’m sure I looked wipe out.  I was.  The women behind the counter asked “Want to pick this your prescription up later or do you want to wait for it?”  Without any hesitation I said “I’ll wait for it.”  I could feel the increasing nausea and pain one my right side.


While I was waiting I uploaded my status to my Facebook account.  Hey, that’s what Facebook is for right?  Not just letting everyone know you’re attending the latest concert of showing photos of a terrific recipe that I just cooked (like I did last night with my ratatouille recipe).  


My wait was only about fifteen minutes.  I had a few questions about taking my prescription.  I wanted to know if I could skip the pain medication because it makes me nauseas but the pharmacist said I have to take both prescriptions at the same time.   The one prescription is a generic called Ketorolac (10 MG).  He said this is a very strong kidney medicine and I should not take more than three a day or I could cause damage to my kidneys.  He also said that I MUST take it with a FULL glass of water, which is probably my problem in the first place with kidney stones.  I just don’t drink enough water.  Now the chickens are coming home to roost.  He said this prescription expands my urethra so my kidney stone can pass.



My other prescription is a painkiller called Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen.  The prescription says “Take 1-2 tablets by mouth every 4 hours as needed.”  I hate taking painkillers because they nauseate me and cause me constipation but they are apparently working now because I’m not in too much discomfort.  I’m a bit wifty and I certainly couldn’t drive or work but they’re working.


After I took my pills I went to my bedroom (this was about 11:15 am).  I had to go to the bathroom so I got my strainer out (the one to catch the kidney stone – I saved it from the last time) and went into the bathroom.  I had a strained urination but at least I could pee, for which I am thankful.  I DO NOT want a catheter.  I didn’t pass the kidney stone.  


I laid down on my bed.  I was going to read but I was exhausted so I just pulled out the light coverlet that I have to shield my eyes from daylight when I take my daily nap, and placed it on my forehead.  I was dead to the world until about 3 pm when I heard my iPhone ring.  It was a friend of mine who Bill had notified that I had a medical emergency.  See how thoughtful Bill is? What a wonderful thing for Bill to do.  I talked with my friend for awhile on the iPhone.  I’m glad he called, talking to him helped me to relax and slow down that express train of me feeling sorry for myself.  


I had to get up and take a pee again.  I used the strainer, still no kidney stone.


So here is where I am now.  The time is 5:53 pm.  I haven’t had a bite of food since my ratatouille dinner last night.  I’m going to try and eat something as soon as I finish this blog posting.  Believe it or not, writing about my experience today is therapeutic.  I can’t explain it but this helps.  My blog writing helps me in so many ways.  My blog is my therapy.



  

Pregnant Celebrities of 2013, 10 Stars Expecting This Year [PHOTOS]

A number of stars are due to give birth in 2013.

1) Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie and her husband Josh Duhamel are expecting their first child, a boy, any day now. Their last red carpet appearance was on Aug. 20 when they attended the premiere of his new film Scenic Route in Hollywood. Duhamel told The Huffington Post earlier in August he and Fergie will opt for a somewhat-traditional name for their baby boy.

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” It just puts pressure on the kid to live up to [a] crazy name. So, you have to think about that. Our kid is going to be saddled with enough, we don’t want to add to that,” Duhamel said. “But we love the name that we’ve picked and we think it’s going to be perfect for him. And anyone who doesn’t like it, too bad.”

Former Disney Stars, Where Are They Now?

2) Kate Winslet announced her third pregnancy on June 4. The Titanic actress — already mom to daughter Mia, 12, and son Joe, 9, from two previous marriages — is expecting her first child with husband Ned Rocknroll, whom she secretly wed in December 2012. Enstars previously reported that her good friend Leonardo DiCaprio walked her down the aisle and gave her away at the wedding.

Winslet was forced to hide her baby bump while shooting the upcoming movie Divergent in Chicago, she told USA Today.

3) Simon Cowell is expecting his first child with his close friend’s wife Lauren Silverman. A source told New York Daily News the American Idol judge was blindsided by the news, saying, “Simon thought this was a casual relationship – friends with benefits. The pregnancy was not planned.” Cowell has previously said he never wanted children.

Silverman is nearly three months pregnant and in the midst of divorce proceedings with her estranged husband Andrew Silverman, who filed for separation on July 15.

4) Jennifer Love Hewitt is expecting her first child with her fiance and her The Client List co-star Brian Hallisay. The couple announced her pregnancy in June when she was three months along. The actors previously stared in NBC’s Love Bites. She told Us Weekly in a recent interview that she is working with a trainer doing “cardio and weights so my arms are strong to hold the baby.” Speaking about the best parenting advice she has been given, she said the following:

“Just to be human versus superhuman. I think most people, when they’re getting ready to be a mom, they go, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to have all of the answers right now,’ but every kid is different, every parent is different and every child and parent relationship is different, so you just sort of have to wait until you’re in it and do the best that you can to try to zen in the middle of it all.”

5) Evan Rachel Wood and Jamie Bell announced they are expecting a baby in January sfter getting married in secret in November 2012. The couple’s rep said that they were “thrilled” by the news.

6) Halle Berry is expecting her second child, and first with Olivier Martinez. The actress already has a 5-year-old daughter with ex Gabriel Aubry. TMZ broke the news in April, also revealing that they are expecting a boy. The couple announced their engagement in 2012.

In an interview with HELLO! magazine, Berry said at first she thought she had kidney stones. She said, “I was at the doctor’s when they told me and I was completely shocked. I didn’t see it coming. I went to the doctor because I thought I had kidney stones or something.”

Berry’s red carpet debut of her baby bump was at the premiere of her film The Call in Argentina.in early April.

7) Glee star Heather Morris is expecting her first child with her high school boyfriend Taylor Hubbel, revealed in April. Morris has been vocal about her desire to start a family with Hubbell.

“I want to marry Taylor and have kids with him,” she told Fitness in 2011. “I love acting, but if it affects my relationship, then I won’t continue.”

8) Maya Rudolph is reportedly expecting her fourth child with husband Paul Thomas Anderson. They are already parents to daughter Pearl, Lucille and son Jack. She confirmed she is pregnant with her fourth child during an April 27 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Joined by her Grown Ups 2 cast members — Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade and Salma Hayek — she said she is due this summer.

9) Michael Bublé and wife Luisana Lopilato announced that they were expecting their first child in a Youtube video. “Mike and I have big news for you,” Luisana wrote, linking to a a video showing the first sonogram picture of the couple’s child. Lopilato is due any day now.

Bublé and Lopilata, an Argentinian actress, married in 2011 in Buenos Aires. 

10) Alec Baldwin revealed that new wife Hilaria Balwin are expecting their first child together. The 30 Rock star already has 17-year-old daughter, Ireland, with ex-wife Kim Basinger. Hilaria is reportedly eight months along.

My visit to see Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition …

**Disclaimer: I was given a media pass to attend the exhibits on July 31, 2013, which was media day, before the exhibit was open to the public. While my admission was complimentary, the opinions and photos are my own.**

I have followed the Titanic news since I was young. Shipwrecks overall fascinate me, but nothing like the allure of the Titanic. The eeriness of the site, the sheer size of the ship, the history and mystery that shrouds it…it all sucks me in like nothing else of historical relevance. I was given the opportunity to attend the exhibits — something I would have gladly paid to do anyway — and literally jumped around a little, making the RV shake.

Embarrassing confession aside…these exhibits are amazing. They are SO amazing, in fact, that I was at a loss for words as I walked around with my tour guides, Margaret “Molly” Brown, and Frederick, a shipsman. (I believe he was a stoker, Irish accent and appropriate attire and all.) I could only say “wow” and “amazing” over and over and over. I probably left indelible marks on Molly and Frederick by my inability to have a vocabulary worthy enough to seem like a writer. Not my typical conversationalist that day, I wasn’t, that’s a promise. (Usually, I talk too much. Ask people who know me. It’s okay, it won’t hurt my feelings.)

I took far too many pictures to share in one post, but I will share enough to give you a general idea of what to expect. In short, GO. You will not be disappointed. You will undoubtedly leave with a sense of awe and with a million facts in your mind about the body, as I still can picture what a kidney stone looks like and how muscles stretch when you are running. And holding an actual real human brain in my hand? Priceless! That was right up there with TOUCHING THE TITANIC.

I know I’m yelling, but it’s that big of a deal: when, not if, you go to the exhibits, you will not only have the chance to hold a brain, but you can TOUCH THE TITANIC. I about melted on the spot.

I stopped my guide and tweeted about it right then and there, and took pictures of my own hand touching it. And of course, without my hand in the way so as not to obscure the MOST AMAZING THING I COULD EVER TOUCH.

As I went on a media day, it was still referred to as a ‘hardhat tour.’ This was not only cool because it was not crowded and I got to chat with my guides, but I was fortunate enough to watch them installing exhibits, tweaking lights and setting up sound systems. I walked the exhibits leisurely enough to thoroughly enjoy each portion and take all the photos I wanted without anyone in my way. And did I say I learned a lot?

On with the photos, what you really want to see!

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

If you’re familiar with Buena Park, California at all, you probably know of Beach Boulevard, home of Knott’s Berry Farm and Medieval Times. The Titanic and Bodies exhibits are now housed in the old Movieland Wax Museum building, which I happened to love as a child and fondly remember the scene where you walk through the underbelly of a ship modeled after the Poseidon Adventure. (See the theme here? I truly do love shipwrecks.)

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

Oh how I wish I had noticed then that it was blurry…anyway, moving on..

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

A tour down the first-class cabin hallway of the Titanic, along with your very own Margaret “Molly” Brown, looking beautiful as ever.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

Oh, yes, I did. They had bathrooms on the Titanic, after all. There’s not a single piece of history here that wasn’t fascinating to picture being a part of the life of the passengers that fateful trip.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

Frederick showing me his quarters below-deck.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

This piece stopped me in my tracks. It was part of one of the watertight door assembly, possibly first-class cabin area. You can see how mangled it is. Five compartments flooded that awful night, and there’s talk that if only four had flooded, if the doors had been at the proper levels of closure, the ship may not have sank.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

No words needed. SO chilling.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

And there it is! It’s all at the same temperature of the water that day, and the creepy part is that as you just get remotely close to this very tiny replica of the monstrous berg that took down the Titanic, you can feel the chill. To touch it leaves no doubt as to why people died of hypothermia so quickly. (And it reminded me of why deep, dark water at night is so scary.) Did you know that there were no binoculars in the crow’s nest that night, but even if there had been, it may not have helped? If they had hit the iceberg dead-on, instead of turning at the last minute, there’s a possibility they’d have only been damaged, but not to the point of catastrophic loss as happened instead.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

The wall of Titanic passengers, broken down by class, with the survivors being listed on top, and those who didn’t make it, on the bottom.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

This picture doesn’t do the exhibit justice, but you can see the actual pieces excavated from the wreckage below pictures of how they were found on the ocean floor. Did you know that nothing can be taken from the site unless it is fully disengaged from the ship itself? I vote YAY on that, as the ship should be respected as the gravesite that it is. Such loss and tragedy, such sad stories.

The piece de resistance? Yes, you know it, the piece of Titanic that I touched. I TOUCHED THE TITANIC.

Ahem.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

Nothing can compare.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

And of course, Frederick and Margaret, the two best tour guides ever! Thank you so much for your patience and humor and wit and facts, you made the tour!

Onto Bodies the Exhibit…

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

Not blurry!

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

ALL real. ALL legit, real bodies that have been preserved in such a way as to maintain their true likeness. I thought anatomy class in college, working on cadavers, was so cool, and then I saw this and class, sorry, you pale in comparison.

Before I go further, I have to share that I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Dr. Roy Glover, the medical director of the exhibit. What a fascinating conversation we had! I shared a little bit about why a few of the exhibits meant so much to me, and we had quite the talk about the human body and why it works like it does. Thank you, Dr. Glover!

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

This is an actual set (is that what I should refer to it as?) of a spinal column, brain and the nerves.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

You know you wanted to see it up close, especially the eyes. Doesn’t it make you think of your whole body in a different way? I left with such a newfound respect for my muscles and nervous system and everything!

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

And those…lungs. I was particularly interested in how they color-tinged various systems so you can differentiate.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

And that, ladies, is your intestinal system in all it’s glory. Explains a lot, doesn’t it?

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

I couldn’t get enough of the poses! Picture us standing there, posing for a selfie, heels and all..there you have it. So interesting.

My visit to Titanic the Experience and Bodies the Exhibition

Whoa. That’s all I can say. Such an experience.

If you have an opening afternoon, go see the exhibits. If you don’t have an opening, make one, as the exhibits will only be around for so long. You can find out more information here. 

You can also follow them on Twitter at @RMS_Titanic and @BodiesExhibit. Ticket prices are listed in this post, lest I make this one too long! The giveaway mentioned in that post is over, but I also linked to a great video of the exhibit.

Don’t miss out, this exhibit’s great for kids and adults and well worth the time — enjoy!!

 

 

 

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Chances Of Kidney Stones Crumble For Those Who Drink Plenty Of …








08/12/2013 12:01 AM














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As New Yorkers sweat through the summer, their bodies lose precious water and kidney stones can be one painful side effect of dehydration. NY1’s Health reporter Erin Billups filed the following report.

It has been a rough summer for 34-year-old Jayme McGrantham.

“I broke my ankle playing tennis,” she says.

Just before that it was internal pain in her back and side that brought her to the doctor’s office — confirming her suspicions that she had kidney stones.

“It’s just really bad. The pain makes you actually get really nauseous,” she says.

McGrantham was treated by Dr. Ricardo Ricciardi, a urologist in Flushing Hospital. He blasted her stones into little pieces with soundwave technology called lithotripsy.

But McGrantham still had to pass some rather large ones, which made her broken ankle feel like a walk in the park.

“This is definitely more tolerable than the kidney stones when it’s bad,” she says.

McGrantham is not alone. Ricciardi says every summer, when people are more prone to sweat, he sees an uptick in patients coming in with stones.

“In this region, we probably see a three-fold increase instances of stone formation. That means visits to the emergency room or visits to the office,” says Ricciardi.

While we all have crystals in our urine that could cling together and form stones, those most at risk are adults over 40, men, and those with a personal history of digestive diseases and surgery.

McGrantham has a family history of stones, which put her at higher risk. She didn’t help her chances by drinking mainly juice, soda and five-hour energy drinks.

“Caffeinated beverages, teas and coffee tend to increase stone formation,” Ricciardi says. “Diet plays a role, you know. Certainly if patients are consuming food that is high in salt, salt tends to pull calcium into the urine.”

The key to avoiding a trip to the urologist’s office is simple: drink lots of water, at least eight to 10 glasses a day.

“If your urine is dark, obviously you’re going to have a higher incidence. So if your urine is very light in color or very pale and almost clear, you are going to reduce the incidence of forming stones,” Ricciardi says.

McGrantham says she now drinks about 16 ounces of water a day.

“It’s really water, water is the best,” she says.