Sometimes it’s hard for me to get out there, and do a full blogrun. My Bloglines usually runs between 300 and 600 unread posts on any given day … and there are plenty of days that I just can not get to them all. I do try to get to most of them at least once a week, and in between, I try to hit each RSS feed and see what’s been posted, even if I don’t get in to leave a comment.

Every now and then, I’ll see that one of my blog friends has just “met” another one of my blog friends, and I’m flabbergasted, because I thought they already knew each other! There are a few bloggers that I had in my sidebar before I lost my last theme. They were each posting Serials, and I was trying to keep a link to the latest segment updated at all times. I just haven’t had time to do that since I put this new theme up, however I thought I’d better get in here and say something - just in case some of you don’t know about these bloggers and their serials …

Dr. Gordon has a novel playing itself out, chapter by chapter, on his blog, and it’s wonderful! It reminds me of Theive’s World, which was the collective work of some of the best known Sci-Fi and Fantasy writers of the time. Dr. Gordon could definitely have been right in there with them. He’s that good. To pick the novel up from chapter one, begin here: Plague Town Anthology

Dr. Hébert also has a story going on his blog - Dr. Hébert’s Medical Gumbo … and he just added an installment today! It’s called The Blistering. Click on the link to get started on it. It just took a very interesting and delightful turn! Bring your sense of humor … and go take it in! On a more serious note, Dr. Hébert’s Katrina posts are linked into my sidebar. Recommended reading … on many levels.

Dr. Grumet - I would never forgive myself if I didn’t mention that he has one series after another going on his blog: “In My Humble Opinion.” Sometimes he makes cry … sometimes he makes me laugh … and he never fails to make me think. The latest one is “Emergency,” and I see that he’s just added a new section to it today, also. We’ll have to pick on Dr. Jordan to try to get him to link the first parts of each of this short stories into his sidebar! :o)

Dr. Bob … although this one is not a work of fiction. Dr. Bob from The Doctor is In is another of our blog friends who writes series. He calls his latest series: “The Path”, and describes it as: “A journal of one fool’s journey, and the faith which found him.” Exquisitely evocative, full of vivid imagery … it draws me like a moth to a flame … and it’s not the only series he’s written …

Dr. Schwab - Just finished a great series on Breast Cancer, and is now working on a new one: “Hospital Politics: The Infamous Memo”. He’s up to part 3! He’s had several series before that … if you haven’t been there yet, you’re missing out on a truly great writer.

Wow … I’m behind again … *blink!*

At the moment, I’m just getting ready to read Dr. Gordon’s “Cherubs in the Land of Lucifer” … (my husband grabbed it as soon as it came in) … and I just recently finished reading “Cutting Remarks“, by Dr. Sidney Schwab. I intend to order Dr. Charles’ book (and would have already, but I couldn’t get it from Amazon) and of course Peggikaye’s, when it comes out! I hope to review each one for you over time … so stay tuned!

We’re getting a lot of questions about what’s going on with Sarah and all of her blogs … we’re going to have to ask all of you to be patient for now, because we really can’t get into it publicly until we’re sure it’s OK to do so. There are bad things going on in other parts of the net, and we’re observing a temporary “radio silence.”

I promise that we’ll spill the beans as soon as we’re allowed.

Back in April, I left a comment on Brad Wright’s Anatomy Notes. He had a very interesting post about “Sneezing in Bright Light.” He had information about “photic sneezers” which I’d never heard before … including the results of an intriguing poll.

Now, “photic sneezing” is not something that happens to me, however I do have a different, odd “sneezing” problem - for the last number of years, most of my sneezes have been preceded by a sharp, acute, aggressive wave of nausea … which passes with the sneeze (thank the powers that be!) Anyway, I left a comment on his post, and another lady with the same problem left a comment saying:

I have the same weird reaction just before I sneeze. It’s an overwhelming nausea and it goes away as soon as I sneeze. I found this blog while trying to figure out why this happens. It began about 6 months ago. Please, does anyone have any information that might be the least bit useful? I’m a nurse and I’ve never heard of this type of reaction. It’s really getting bothersome and I know that one day, when it’s the most inopportune time, I’m going to barf/sneeze and embarrass the heck out of myself.

I left her my email address, and we began to exchange emails, trying to pin down anything we might have in common. Then - my life got a bit complicated, and the emails petered off … bad Moof!

Anyway, several weeks ago, I got an email from another lady who had seen the April posting, and wanted to tell me that she also experiences the same thing. Wow! Another one! We exchanged a few emails, trying to peg down what we could possibly have in common. While we were still in the process of exchanging emails, another email came in from yet a third woman who has the same problem. It took me a moment to realize that this was yet a brand new person, and not one of the other two ladies I was already in touch with.

I wrote to all three of them, and asked permission to blog about the information we’d managed to accumulate up until now. I was hoping to tap into the medical blogosphere’s store of geniuses for information … ;o)

We compared notes on medical conditions and medications … I’m going to include all of the information below, without associating any of it with a particular individual. Note that the four of us, as I stated previously, are women. I haven’t yet heard from any men. Maybe this will drag some out the woodwork - unless, of course, it ends up being a women-only phenomenon.

History #1:

It’s so strange yet comforting to know that this odd phenomenon happens to someone else. I’m not sure why but I’ve never mentioned it to my doctor. Have you?

As far as my medical history goes, I am a 44-year-old, caucasian female. I have Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. My labs most usually come back normal with slight variences in my glucose levels. I am on a seemingly endless regimen of medications including metformin, Atacand, Avandia, Prozac, Wellbutrin, Aciphex, Yasmin, Zyrtec, and Zocor and last week I began Byetta injections to stablize my blood sugar levels. In addition to all of this I take a couple over-the-counter items including Vitamin E, a multi-vitamin and New Phase herbal supplement for symptoms of menopause.

My antihypertensive is Atacand 32mgs daily. I was put on this med because I couldn’t tolerate the ACE 2 inhibitors. It caused me to have a bothersome dry cough. It was so bad I couldn’t sleep at night.

I am overweight but since changing my diet, due to the diabetes, I have started to lose weight. Hooray! I’ve had no major surgeries and only had a general anesthesia one time to have my wisdom teeth removed. (valuim and versed IV).

I suspect I have some type of auto-immune disorder but it’s never been diagnosed. I have frequent fatigue that sometimes lasts for days. My practitioner did an Epstein-Barr titer and it was quite high but I don’t know how to interpret the results. I’ve looked online with no luck. I had mono about 10 years ago and just haven’t felt “right” since.

History #2:

I am a 49 year old woman in good health. The only major health issue I’ve had is melanoma in-situ removed from my left knee in 2004. Get checked regularly. I take no meds other than supplements. I am a new nurse. I’ve been really worried about this. (brain tumor, sinus tumor?) I saw a handful of people on the internet that have this same thing, and no doctor seemed to know what it is.

Benign pituitary tumor-hmm-I also have a history of benign growths (fibroids, thryoglossal cysts, ovarian cysts, etc).

It is so bizarre when it happens. I don’t sneeze alot, but this happens a couple times a week. It happened today, in fact, and the nausea was so extreme I got a little scared. I never vomit, though, the stomach is not involved at all. And once I sneeze, everything is fine. I wonder if there is a tumor situation, increased intercranial pressure? Who knows.

History #3:

I am 50(just) live in […] Australia., I saw your post on a website about sneezing What you described is EXACTLY like my complaint…and I have been trying to find the cause. I thought it may be due to some medication I am on ????

I am a type 2 diabetic and am on Lipitor (cholesterol) and a new anti triglyceride drug as well as metformin(diabetes) and coversil (blood pressure).

History #4:

I’m a 54 year old caucasian female. I have a history of cysts (ovarian, kidney, breast, etc.,) and fibroids, have chronic kidney failure and hypertension, secondary anemia, secondary hyperparathyroidism … and was told as a young woman that I probably have a benign pituitary tumor, although it was never verified, but he felt certain enough that he told me to avoid hormone therapy later in life. I am not diabetic, but have to keep an eye on triglyceride levels.

I’m taking Lipitor, Hyzaar, Clonidine, Norvasc, Calcitriol, adult aspirin daily, and monthly injections of Aranesp.

Note that two of the women work as nurses … two are diabetic (adult onset?) … two take Lipitor … all are women between 44 and 54 … three are hypertensive … three have a history of growths …

If anyone has any questions, wants any clarifications, etc., please let me know and I’ll do my best to get the information.

If anyone has anything to add, please do so in the comments. I’m looking for more people with the phenomenon who are willing to share a bit of history with us … and of course, for you geniuses out there to make some sense out of this! ;o)

9/10/06 … Peggikaye gave me permission to put what she wrote in the comments into the post itself. I will continue to add people to the post as they show up, if they allow me. You can be anonymous on the post, if you’d like …

I’ll put any newcomers here:

History #5:

Ok Moof, I’m here to expound as promised. :)

You asked me to put my conditions and medications. If you’re ready and you’re readers are ready …here we go. Warning for everyone, it looks far worse in the telling than it does in the reading!!! No pity!!!

Let’s do the conditions first, otherwise my medications will not make sense because you’ll think why in the world is 41 year old taking all this medication????

Myasthenia Gravis
Lupus (joints, costochondritis, pleurisy, MINOR pericarditis, mouth sores, lupus cystitis, hair loss, fatigue ….)
Asthma
GERD, History of ulcers, quite a few that left scars
Pyloric spasm, Hiatel Hernia, scars in my esophogus.
Osteoarthritis in knees, right hip, and shoulders
Hypermobile Joint Syndrome (born with it, my mom would dislocate my hips when she’d change my diaper, if they picked me up like they did a normal kid, they’d dislocate my shoulders. This is the cause of the early onset Osteoarthritis)
Eating Disorder -NOS ( large cause of most of the gastro intestinal problems)
Polyps on throat (probably also caused by eating disorder)
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Metabolic Syndrome (Insulin Restistance)

There are a few other things too but my mind is frying now, so on to the medications.

Mestinon 60 MG 3-4 times a day
Mestinon Timespan 180 mg 2 times a day
Cellcept 500 mgs .. 2 tablets …3 times a day
Prednisone 5 mgs …daily
Ultram 3 daily
Celebrex 100 mg daily
Actos 15 mg daily
Crestor 5 mg daily
Topomax 150 mg daily
Zyrtec 10 mg daily
Prozac not telling on blog world lol
Macrodantin 100 mg daily
Atrovent 2 puffs 3 times a day
Advair 50/250 2 times daily
Albuterol (PRN)
Flonase (PRN)
Frova (PRN, Migraines)
Ambien 10 mg bedtime
Nexium 40 mg daily
Xopenex (PRN, nebulizer)
Toprol XL 25 mg daily
Darvocet N 100 (PRN)

Okkkkkkkkkay …. anyone not fainted yet?

You know how they drag critters out of the underbrush? First, they tag ‘em … then, when the thrashing around stops, they go in with ropes, tie ‘em up, and drag ‘em out into the open … and then they bag ‘em …

Well, I was hiding in my little Bloglines account, minding my own business, occasionally poking a toe into the water to test the temperature, and telling myself: “Maybe tomorrow …” … until along comes Dr. Jordan, and tags me! Not only that, but he tags me with one of those really hard memes!

That’s OK … I won’t feel so guilty the next time I tag the dear fellow … >;o)

Okay … let me try to do this …

1) Are you happy/satisfied with your blog’s content and look?

I actually preferred the look of the last theme, because with the random pictures in the header, I was actually sharing more of what I love with everyone. I was dumbfounded to discover that it gave most of my Internet Explorer users so much grief. I settled for this theme, although it’s not my favorite, but I’m happy with it because it seems to work well across all browsers … or at least, no one has complained yet. About the content … I haven’t hit my stride yet. It’s coming.

2) Does your family know about your blog?

If you mean extended family, then no. Many of them know about it, but no one comes here. My daughter-in-law Sarah reads it though, and I read hers. Some of my family holler at me for not “keeping in touch” … all the while not realizing that if they want to know what’s happening in the here and now of my life, they just need to check out my blog …

3) Do you feel embarrassed to let your friends know about your blog? Do you consider it a private thing?

This is my public blog. I’m not embarrassed to let anyone know about my public blog. I have other blogs, however, that I consider “private.”

4) Did blogging cause positive changes in your thoughts?

Yes. Blogging, and meeting “blog friends” … has given me something I didn’t have before, and that something has quite often been “positive.”

5) Do you only open the blogs of those who comment on your blog or do you love to go and discover more by yourself?

I am on a perpetual hunt for more blogs. It’s not an active, deliberate thing, it just happens. I virtually never do blog searches on key words, I just follow links in the sidebars of new “blog friends” … and discover all sorts of wonders. Sometimes I follow incoming links in my Word Press Dashboard … sometimes sometimes new comments. A few times I’ve found new bloggers through non-blog sources. I link them in, and then I blogline them … and at the very least, read the titles of their posts. My bloglines often runs into the 300+ unread posts category though … blogging seems to be a full time job … *blink!*

6) What does a visitor counter mean to you? Do you like having one on your blog?

On my blog, I have Sitemeter, which I had for my ministry web site for years before I started blogging. I also have StatCounter, which I first noticed in Dr. Bob’s sidebar … and that’s also where I found Technorati and Truth Laid Bear, by the way. On top of those, I have Tracksy, which has a longer history than the other two, and allows me to research hits as far back as two months ago. Finally, I have Performancing Metrics, a Word Press specific program which does far more than metrics, but for some reason, which I don’t use as often.

What does a visitor counter mean to me? I’m not sure. My blog still doesn’t receive 1/4 of what my now nearly defunct ministry web site still receives. I’m far more interested in who comes to my blog than in how many come to my blog. There are entire days that I never look at any of the meters at all, and then some that I feel the need to check on them quite often. When my blogs crashed, it took me nearly two weeks to bother to put the stats counters back in, and I still don’t have them back in with some of my more obscure blogs. I’m going to have to not fully answer this question, I think, because I don’t really have an answer to it formulated yet.

7) Did you try to imagine your fellow bloggers and give them real pictures?

Yes, I do. Even if only in my mind. Those of you that I have a picture of, that’s how I see you, of course. Those of you what I don’t have a picture of … you’ll never know how I see you! *blink!*

Actually, I have pictures of some of you that you’re not aware I’ve seen. >;o)

8) Admit it. Do you think there is any real benefit in blogging?

Absolutely … absolutely … absolutely. Yes. Hugely.

Does that answer your question? *cough*

9) Do you think that blogger’s society is isolated from the real world or interaction with events?

No, in fact I believe that blogging has not only made me aware of the “real world” in a way that Fox News never could, but also has given me insight - into the insights - behind the news. We are able to follow some of the most interesting conversation and debates in blogs … stuff you’ll never see anyplace else … at least, until the news places wise up and begin to come to the blogs for some of their info …

10) Does criticism annoy you or do you feel it’s a normal thing?

Multiple answers here. Constructive criticism is very important, and I welcome it. It also gives me a chance to realize how others are seeing what I’ve written/done, and if I feel I’m being misunderstood, it gives me a chance to try to express myself more clearly.

However - there is some criticism that I feel has no place in a blog comment. Personal attacks, name calling … insults … I don’t take kindly to - and I follow my own rules, I also don’t resort to them, even anonymously. For that matter, I don’t post anonymously. If I don’t want to put my moniker and email address on it, I won’t say it at all.

So far, I’ve never had to delete a comment on my blog - however I’ve had to warn a few people that I would for a variety of reasons … none of them had to do with personal criticism, though.

11) Do you fear some political blogs and avoid them?

I don’t fear political blogs … I have some in my side bar. I’m politically conservative, and I have an open mind about other people’s views. I love to discuss difficult things with people who don’t agree with me, as long as everyone in the discussion respects all of the interlocutors, and sticks with facts, logic, reasoning, persuasion, and so on, to make a point. Even when another person can’t sway me over to their “side,” or vice versa, I find that I grow stronger by understanding their position, and respecting them in their position.

I can’t think of anything I enjoy more than a good “discussion.” That’s why I’m fond of asking really gnarly questions, and getting out of the way while my readers try to answer them.

12) Were you shocked by the arrest of some bloggers?

I hadn’t heard … and I can’t help but wonder why and where. I’d be able to tell you more about being shocked or not if those two questions were answered. In China or any communist county for almost any reason? No, I wouldn’t be. Here in the US? Yes … and probably angry, too.

13) What do you think will happen to your blog after you die?

I’ve asked my son to let everyone know what happened, and to try to keep it online for a while. After that - I don’t know.

14) What song do you like to hear? What song would you like to link to on your blog?

I’ve linked a bunch of songs into my sidebar, and in my “Mots” page. Mots, by the way, is “words,” or “lyrics,” in French. The songs I put in all of those places have special meaning to me … or they wouldn’t be there.

15) The next “victims”?

Oy! Who do I want mad at me!? *LOL* Kidding by the way … *cringe*

Okay … hmmm ….

Cathy …

Dr. Scan Man …

And Pattie … if she’ll ever forgive me for that time she tagged me, and I was never able to get to it in a reasonable amount of time … *blush*

And … my friend Ian Lidster - if he’s willing to indulge … >:o)