Mom's Health Update

Still bald but is thinking about growing hair. Chemo is over after 3 not so well tolerated doses. Got home from the hospital a week ago, after 5 units of blood from a bleeding duodenal ulcer, side effect of the Chemo.

But, doing much better now. Almost eating normally. No nausea or belly pain anymore. Hoping to get back to work on Sunday, May 3rd. Taking less drugs everyday. Yeah.

We are looking forward to traveling to Missouri for Mara's medical school graduation on May 15th with Dad.

Swine Flu (Influenza A H1N1) FAMILY NOTICE

... or as the Spanish speaking humans in the world call it, "La influenza porcina (gripe porcina)." As a newly evolved virus, and one which spans human - avian - pig, it seems to me there are a number of likely outcomes;

1. This will become a pandemic. In the age of mass travel, it's inevitable. Think about how AIDS spread, a virus relatively hard to spread (requires blood/semen transmission). This virus is respiratory.
2. A 5-10% death rate for those infected, if it follows current trends.
3. The virus will have greater vitality in populations where there is greater medical needs.
4. The virus may trigger changes in Avian flu that will result in it becoming a human to human transmitter, and this is important because.... avian flu is much more leathal to humans. Currently concentrated in Asia, avian flu will intersect with this new stain.
5. No one is talking about Latin America, but Peru already has one case yet to be confirmed, and there is a great amount travel between Central/South America and Mexico.

So, what can we do about it? See the new widget on the left? Best info source on the net. On the macro-epidemiology level, not much. On the micro-epidemiology level, that is, your personal health... Follow Health Department warnings, limit travel, avoid those who are sick, and if you get sick, stay home. Here's the office CDC recommendations:

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?

There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

1. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
2. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
4. Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
5. If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

And here's Dad's advice in addition to the CDC:

The handwashing thing is really true. Whenever you go into public, avoid touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth, until you have throughly washed your hands with soap and water or used alcohol based hand cleanser. And remember to hang onto that paper towel until you have shut off the water with it and used it to open the door to exit the public washroom, otherwise known as the den of dem bugs. No kidding. The door handle is the second most infected area in a public restroom. Can you guess what's #1? Yup, the toilet flush handle and that little knob on the stall door.

When there are known cases in your area, wear a N95 mask rated for bodily fluids (I've ordered a case), whenever you are going into a public area, and especially crowded areas and medical facilities. If you want to buy some, don't look at a pharmacy, go to Home Depot and look in the sheetrock supply area.

If you become sick with flu like symptoms (this is the respiratory type flu, not the stomach flu), stay home and treat the symptoms. Avoid exposing others by limiting contact and wearing a mask. Treat fever and pain with Tylenol. Treat cough with Robitussin with expectorant. Maintain fluid level and rest. Call your Dad or Dr. Mara if you have any questions.

If you (or anyone you know) has significant symptoms, call your health care system or your doctor, and follow directions. DON'T JUST SHOW UP AT THE CLINIC OR HOSPITAL. You will either be told to stay home and heal there, or if warranted, mask yourself and come into the doctor for an examination, or mask yourself and go to the emergency room. Significant complications to watch for are: difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and dehydration.

Pax Vobiscum

Smart Car Rally 3/21/09 to Multnomah Falls

We had some fun on Saturday, taking part is a Smart Car Rally, driving from Beaverton wtih about 30 other Smarties, to Multnomah Falls. Had a nice lunch there, hiked to the falls bridge, and meet some new friends.

Update on Pat

Since the beginning of the year we have been coping with breast cancer diagnosis, surgery and treatment with Pat. She had a mastectomy for a very small tumor in situ, and is now in the midst of checmotherapy, treatment 2 coming up this week, out of a total of 4. She's feeling good right now, but the chemo knocks her out for a week to 10 days. Anyway, it will improve her long term chances of no recurrance. We thank eveyone for their support and prayers.

Some pics:

End of Year Post in Pictures

Our Trip to MN in September. Left a few Obama signs around the State. This is Joey Novacek, in Greenbush, MN.

Bean, Maddie's little puppy, asleep at the wood stove.















Tom and Jan, Jason, Jennie, Tasita and Martin, on our visit during the MN trip.















We had an excellent Blueberry crop in the summer.
















Mara was with us in June, while she did practical clinic experiences in our area.















The improved lean-to to shelter the firewood on the back porch. It was later distroyed and torn down in December following 50 mile per hour winds.















Maddie and Jennie Kawachi at Christmastime. Jennie is our long time family sort-of-adopted daughter (Miesha's age).















On the visit to MN, in my Mom's backyard.















Also on the MN Trip, Pat's sisters, Vickie and Kathy, and their husbands, Jim Simon and Ronnie Pinski.















Our gay brother boxers. Bacio and Samson. This picture inspired me to think about the concept that the opposite of war is community [not peace, as most people believe]. Peace is a byproduct of community.




















Dom and Kelsie on our Eagle Creek, OR hike, November, 2008, at Punchbowl falls.















A picture, upstream at Punchbowl Falls.

Miesha and I shoveling snow, after our 1 foot plus snowfall for Christmas.

A little video of our unbelievable white Christmas in Camas!

Wood PVC pipe "Greenhouse"

Well Pat and I are just days away from a September vacation. We are driving to attend her nephew Nathan' wedding in Minnesota. We are taking the bug, so the drive should be more than comfortable and as inexpensive as possible at 40 mpg. A goal I had before we left was to get wood for the winter, and I was able to score some nice maple for $230 a cord. And to store it, made a PVC pipe/clear plastic kind of green house on the back deck. It turned out fairly well, I think. We will see how it holds up to our enthusiastic winter winds!

Letter to the Editor

Letters to the Editor, Camas Post Record, July 22, 2008

Obama favored

We are very fortunate to have such an intelligent progressive candidate in Barack Obama for president in 2008. I encourage everyone to listen to his speech of July 15th on patriotism and foreign policy. This speech clearly outlines the truth that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, that Bush, with McCain's support messed it up badly, have allowed the Taliban and bin Laden to resurge in Afganistan, and have sacrificed all of our futures by missed opportunity back home.

Our troops have performed brilliantly, accomplishing every mission they were given. But, what was the mission? Bush, with McCain's support went for the oil in Iraq while we were shocked by 9/11. They have done this without regard to the majority of U.S. citizen's will.

At the same time they promote banking deregulation, which has led to the mortgage crisis and what will likely be the biggest corporate banking bailout in history. Deregulate the profits and nationalize the losses is their mantra. The economy is tanking as a result and we are all too afraid because of our debt burdens to demonstrate.

So, I'm fed up. Period. Here's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to take it anymore. If you have an R, or GOP, or conservative behind you name on the ballot, I'm going to make you pay. If you are a Democrat and you don't support ending the war, you are not getting my vote. I'm going to take the little power I still have and vote everyone of you Republicans out of office on every level. Dog catcher, local, state and federal. I blame you all, although there is plenty of blame to go around to all parties. My plan is to make you pay so war mongering and "free-market" capitalism is set back for at least a generation. Join me. Stand up for truth and hope.

Jim Ebacher
Camas

And, I've come up with a logo for this movement: