April Is Autism Awareness Month, How Aware Are You?
April 2, 2009 · Leave a Comment
→ Leave a CommentCategories: Brain · Health · family
Tagged: Advanced Brain Technologies, Alex Doman, asd, autism, autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder
Can Music Cure?
March 29, 2009 · 1 Comment
I wanted to share this blog post because I am so aware of how important and beneficial music is in my life, and has been for more years than I can remember. There is some really intriguing work being done in this field, and I am totally fascinated, as well as excited about the possibilities.
“The Musical Cure
March 29, 2009
Alex Doman
Will music ever be prescribed as a remedy to treat or even cure chronic disease? Perhaps, and recent research indicates we may be closer to the musical cure than previously thought imaginable. We all recognize music has a salutary effect. Who hasn’t used a tune to relax, focus, or improve their mood? Our understanding of music is emerging. The wheat is separating from the chaff as we move beyond pseudoscientific claims of music effects, to clinical trials that demonstrate the benefits the right musical prescription may hold… read more: http://alexdoman.com/2009/03/29/the-musical-cure/
→ 1 CommentCategories: Health · music
Tagged: Alex Doman, heart rate variability, hypertension, medicine, New York Times, Paracelsus Private Medical University, prescriptions, sanoson, The Brain Understanding Itself, The Mozart Effect, Vera Brandes, wellness
The Coming of Spring and New Beginnings
March 22, 2009 · 2 Comments
Spring has officially arrived, and I must say I am so happy to see it come this year. It has been an unusually snowy year in WA state, which for me at least, seemed to make winter interminable this year. My beautiful little purple iris, which normally bloom in February are still in bloom now. The days are long now, and the extra daylight is a joy to experience, though it always catches me by surprise. Today is a dreary, gray day, and the rain is coming down steadily. Still, I know that the weather will improve, and that soon the plum trees that line the street will be in bloom. 
Next month the tulip farms in the next county will open to tourists, and the country roads will be lined with cars as we who have lived with months of gray, punctuated by intermittent glimpses of blue sky, drink in the vibrant colors that fill their fields all too briefly. Spring has taken on a new meaning for me this year. The state of the economy has impacted all of us, and if we watch the news it can be difficult to retain a sense of optimism. I know, at least for myself, that if I lose that sense of optimism, life could become a self- fulfilling prophecy. This spring, which has already begun, can also be the beginning of a rebirth in this country. We can choose to reinvent ourselves, can choose to support people who have neve before needed or asked for our support, can choose hope over fear. At the risk of being repetitive, what will you choose? 
→ 2 CommentsCategories: Crisis/Opportunity · Finance · Personal growth · Uncategorized
Tagged: economy, emotions, renewal, spring
What Will You Choose For Yourself Today?
March 8, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Is anyone else finding the news a bit too much to bear these days? Every time I turn it on it seens there is another corporation about to go under, or a bank that needs to be bailed out. Pundits proclaim that President Obama’s stimulus plan has failed when it has hardly even begun, and the list goes on.
At the same time, in my own life, my work keeps me hopping. I am fortunate to work for my son, and to help sell products that can make enormous positive changes in people’s lives. I get to hear wonderful reports about how someone’s brain is functioning better, how a child has begun to speak, another child has begun to socially engage for the first time. What could be better than such news?
My reality is so different than everything that I hear on the news, and I have decided that it is counter productive to pay much attention to what the media reports. Instead I am focusing on all the good things that are happening around me, and am determined to co-create even more. We have enormous opportunities to make changes for the better in the midst of this crisis. We can take a close look at our lives and decide what is really important. We can strip away the non essentials that really don’t add anything to the quality of our lives and focus instead on the people and things that are most important. It is our choice, and I hope that all of us will find common ground here.
Brian Swimme, who has a PhD in gravitational dynamics, is a cosmologist at CIIS in the Bay area, and an extraordinary story teller. He has a way of describing the creation of the earth that brings everything into focus for me. I remember sitting in workshops, enthralled as he talked about how infinitesmal the chance was that everything came together to create the conditions for life to exist on this planet. If you are feeling hopeless, or depressed by what is happening right now, please go find a copy of The Universe Is a Green Dragon, read an excerpt here: http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC12/Swimme.htm and watch him tell the New Story here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRykk_0ovI0
Savor the miracle that is today and know that you have the power of the universe behind you.
→ Leave a CommentCategories: Books · Crisis/Opportunity · Finance
Tagged: Balance, Brian Swimme, cosmology, economy, emotions, finances, Life, optimism, Stimulus Plan
“No Eyes That Have Seen Beauty Ever Lose Their Sight”
January 31, 2009 · 1 Comment
“No eyes that have seen beauty ever lose their sight. “~ Jean Toomer
Are you over forty? Do you have annual eye exams? If not, I hope that reading my story will convince you that they should be a regular part of your health care regimen. I have tried to keep this post as short as possible, may have more to say later.
About four and a half years ago I woke up on a Sunday morning and realized that the vision was very blurred in my left eye. It did not get any better as time went on, and was a very long day. I had not seen an opthamologist since moving to Washington state, so knew I would have to do some scrambling the following morning to find someone to look at my eyes for me. I resorted to an appointment with the optometrist who was included in my larger clinic’s plan as he was able to work me in that Monday afternoon.
I had lasik surgery done about four years earlier, and what I feared was that somehow the surgery had gone wrong after all that time. It had been such a treat to spend the following years without the glasses and/or contacts I had worn since first grade. My lasik surgery had been done by one of the best specialists in Colorado: my vision was too important to do any bargain hunting. I knew that if it had somehow failed, my corneal tissue was so thin that there would be no chance for a do-over. What I didn’t know was what else the blurring might mean.
The optometrist examined both eyes, and in just a few minutes told me that he needed to refer me to a retinal specialist. It wasn’t an immediate emergency but that I needed to be seen the following day if at all possible. He did not offer much more explanation, just had his assistant call the specialist and secure an appointment. He might have mentioned macular degeneration but I was somewhat in a state of shock, wondering if things were even worse than I had thought. I didn’t really know anything about macular degeneration at that point, but I was soon to learn more than I ever wanted to know.
The following day was a long one much of it a blur; examinations, injections, photos of my eyes with an absolutely incredible camera, and in between, waiting nervously. When the retinal specialist finally had everything he needed, he sat down to explain that I had wet macular degeneration; likely more related to my extreme near sightedness than to my age. He offered me the choice of seeing another retinal specialist if I felt I needed a second opinion, but prompt treatment was critical to stop the blood vessels that were bleeding into my macula. This was in order to save as much of my central vision as possible. There would be no cure, no reversal, the objective was to attempt to stop the MD in its tracks. The treatment he proposed to do that day was PDT, photodynamic therapy which I later learned was the cutting edge therapy at that time. http://www.visudyne.com I felt comfortable with him, and so calls were made to the insurance company to clear the treatment.
Many appointments and various costly treatments later, my vision was finally stabilized. He utilized PDT, Macugen, later Avastin; whatever was getting the best results among retinal specialists across the country. What actually prompted this post is a six month follow up appointment this coming Monday. It will mark two years of stable vision in my left eye, and I have no problems to date with my right eye. I would love to hear about some great new treatment that might restore my central vision, but I don’t think the research is there yet. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of sixty so research does have a high priority as more and more boomers reach that age.
For now anyway, life has really normalized. I don’t have any central vision in my left eye but my brain has compensated quite well, with only a few exceptions. I have terrible depth perception, so avoid driving at night, especially on nights when the roads are wet. I have trouble reading print on a colored background; do best with black print on white. I always wear sunglasses outdoors, even on overcast days. I do follow the dietary recommendations, inculding lots of green leafy vegetables, and other foods rich in lutein and xeathenine.
I know that my life could change in a day if the same thing happens to my right eye, but unless and until, I live life as normally as possible. For the longest time though, I spent hours staring at photos of people who are most important to me, hours studying the faces of my dogs, and trying to memorize beautiful places and things so that if I did ultimately lose my sight, I would be able to remember them. Ironically, one of my greatest fears has always been the loss of my vision, and that fear has somewhat diminished through this process.
Here are a couple of the links I have found helpful along my journey. Please don’t take vision care for granted, it’s important to have regular check ups, especially as you age.
→ 1 CommentCategories: Health
Tagged: aging, blindness, eyecare, PDT, photodynamic therapy, vision, wet macular degeneration
Random Thoughts on Health Care Needs & Insurance
January 23, 2009 · Leave a Comment
I really hated the original title for this post, so have renamed it and have updated a bit of the content…1/31/09
I spent a couple of hours this afternoon getting an injection to relieve nerve pain from spinal stenosis. I think this is my fifth or sixth injection to date. I seem to need one about every five months so far, but as my wonderful Dr. reminds me, this is still much better than the alternative of surgery, for as long as it is viable. I am fortunate enough to have health insurance; though recently changed employment and am still nervous about whether this will be considered an uncovered pre-existing condition for the next few months. We’ll see…
Spinal stenosis, as I have discovered is not that uncommon, particularly in those with aging spines. Of all the things that could be going south as I age, this is certainly not as serious as many other possibilities. Yet, when I let it go a bit too long between treatments, as I did this time, I wonder how those who have this condition and have no insurance can possibly function? The level of pain, toward the end of my five month periods often leaves me breathless, almost unable to do anything well, and is not mitigated to any great extent by any kind of pain killers.
If it is a similar pain for all who have this fairly common condition, how in the world do they wake up and function effectively every day if untreated? What about the myriad other health conditions that both young and old deal with every day? What sort of financial, physical and emotional costs do we incur if people are not able to afford the treatments they need to live satisfying and productive lives?
Just a few thoughts as we move into a new Presidency and health care continues to be a huge and mounting concern for all of us. There are no easy answers, but our current health care system is not serving us as well as it could and costs continue to mount. I hope that this new Administration will be able, with our help, to craft a plan that is fair to all, and does not deny any necessary health care to anyone, regardless of insurance status. I also hope that all of us realize we need to be active participants in our own care.
Two Twitter friends, Karoli Kuns and Francine Hardaway, have started a new website to address the health care crisis. They are building a community that can discuss ways to resolve the issues we are facing and share some creative ways to do so. Please take a look and participate. http://ushealthcrisis.com/
→ Leave a CommentCategories: Finance · Health
Tagged: aging, crowdsourcing, economy, finances, Francine Hardaway, government, health care, health insurance, Karoli Kuns, ushealthcrisis.com
eco dog – Healthy Living for Your Pet – Book Review
January 2, 2009 · 1 Comment
I am active on Twitter and early in December, was fortunate enough to win a book in a giveaway sponsored by @PawLuxury, http://www.pawlux.com/ . I finally got the chance to read it, and thought some of you might find it of interest as well.
Ecodog, authored by Corbett Marshall and Jim Deskevich, is a great little book, a short, comprehensive guide to raising a healthy dog and maintaining a healthy, nontoxic home. That last part can benefit all of your family members, not just the canines in your home! It would particularly benefit a fairly novice pet owner, and is a good collection of helpful information in one easy to read, attractive, book.
The subjects include grooming, with some homemade recipes for flea repellants and shampoos. I would check with your veterinarian before using rosemary, as some breeds can be more sensitive to certain herbs. There is some good basic information included about health as well, stressing the importance of proper exercise and weight control.
Food is one of the more complex issues to attempt to cover in a pet book these days. I do agree with the authors that it is important to give your dogs the best quality food that you can afford, whether that is a commercially prepared or home made diet. The guide to ingredients is important to read (and if you feed a commercially prepared food, don’t assume that the ingredient list will stay the same from one bag to the next. Manufacturers can and do make changes without indicating they have done so on the bag.) The treat recipes should come in very handy and are very easy.
There are some great craft projects included that make use of recycled materials. I thought the most fun would be the dog bed made from old jeans. Another important kit to pay attention to is the first aid kit, a must have in any house with pets. I often make my own jerky and it is as easy as their recipe calls for. You can substitute heart for the kidney and liver they mention, too.
My only real disappointment with this book, which is printed with vegetable based inks on paper certified from sustainable forests is that I wish Chronicle Books had not had it manufactured in China. Overall though it was a delightful read.
→ 1 CommentCategories: Books · Pets
Tagged: dog, Health, recycling, Twitter
What Part Does Music Play In Your Life?
December 27, 2008 · 7 Comments
I am really excited about a wonderful new project that Don Campbell, author of The Mozart Effect®, and my son Alex Doman are collaborating on. The SoundSwell™ blog is a place for people to share their experiences with music of all sorts.
”SoundSwell™ is a blog about the rising musical tide around us: the negative effects of noise and the positive effects of organized rhythmic sounds and melodies that improve and sometimes heal us. This is a part of our HATSS™ project that is surveying the hundreds of studies that have been made in the past few years for the purpose of helping teachers, students, parents and healthcare workers improve their lives with music.
This blog is about you and your experiences in your work, home and school with music. From research to interesting stories, we want to listen, learn and share. Are there new trends in your community using music? Have you experienced a surprising and perhaps amazing event with sound?
Over the coming months, we will share with you some of the most interesting projects we’ve encountered. But now, let’s begin to explore the world of music and sound. What’s on your mind?”
Please take a peek and share any interesting stories on their blog that you have about the role music plays in your life. If you know of someone else who has a story to share, please share the link with them: http://soundswell.org
Update 1/22/09
I have gotten a couple of wonderful comments on this post about how people use music in their lives. If you do have comments to share, please go to the SoundSwell blog to do so. That way more people will be able to read your thoughts. Thanks so much, it seems clear that music is an important if not an essential part of many of our lives! Ginger
→ 7 CommentsCategories: Balance · Brain · Health · family · music
Tagged: Advanced Brain Technologies, Alex Doman, Don Campbell, emotions, family, friends, Life, Mozart Effect, music
Lend Me A Dog
December 2, 2008 · 8 Comments
“I will lend to you for awhile a dog, God said,
For you to love him while he lives and to mourn for him when he is gone.
Maybe for twelve or fourteen years, or maybe for two or three
But will you, till I call him back take care of him for me?
He’ll bring his charms to gladden you and (should his stay be brief)
you’ll always have his memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise that he will stay, since all from earth return,
But there are lessons taught below I want this pup to learn.
I’ve looked the whole world over in search of teachers true
And from the folk that crowd lifes’ land I have chosen you.
Now will you give him all your love, nor think the labour vain
Nor hate me when I come to take my pup back again.
I fancied that I heard them say ‘Dear Lord Thy Will Be Done,’
For all the joys this dog will bring, the risk of grief you’ll run.
Will you shelter him with tenderness ,will you love him while you may
And for the happiness you’ll know forever grateful stay.
But should I call him back much sooner than you’ve planned
Please brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand.
If, by your love, you’ve managed my wishes to achieve,
In memory of him that you’ve loved,
Cherish every moment with your faithful dog,
and know he loved you too.” -Author Unknown
I am so aware of the circle of life and death at this moment. I am sharing my house with three adorable, full of life nine week old Irish Setter puppies; Cullen, Ciaran and Lochlan. Their momma Brea is almost as mischievous as they are, and as good a mom as she is, she has become more even more playful than she was as a young adult.
Then there is my beautiful, wonderful rescue girl Crimson, pictured above. She was almost five when I adopted her, and has been a source of joy almost every day since.
She has however aged quickly, particularly this year, and at age 11 1/2, I try to treasure every day I have with her. She sleeps much of the day now, and has trouble getting up and down. It is a major feat for her to climb the stairs each night to go to bed, and if it gets too much more difficult I will probably begin sleeping on the couch downstairs so that she won’t have to try to come to me. She still eats well, and occasionally has a playful period. It may not last for long, but it encourages me that it is not her time to leave me just yet.
When it is that time, I pray that I will know, and will not try to selfishly keep her going when it is more for my sake than hers. It can be a hard call, especially when we who love these creatures sometimes have to be the ones to make that final decision to let our beloved pets go; to continue their journey, whatever that may be.
As heartbroken as I will be when it is her time, if it is up to me to make the decision, I will be with her till the end. She deserves nothing less. And though the mourning will be hard I am so very thankful that she has been lent to me for whatever time I get to share my life with her.
→ 8 CommentsCategories: Death · Friendship · Personal growth · Pets
Tagged: dog, Life, love
Stumble It!