Tuesday, August 11, 2015

The Liver

Your Liver 

The liver is the largest internal organ, located behind the ribcage on the right side of the abdomen.  It weighs approximately three pounds and is about the size of a football.  The liver is responsible for some 500 vital functions.  It processes virtually everything you eat, breathe, or absorb through the skin.  The liver converts substances you eat and drink into energy and the building blocks for muscles, hormones, clotting factors, and immune factors.  It store many vitamins, minerals, and sugars for later use.  Liver cells produce bile, which helps the body digest food and absorb nutrients.  The liver detoxifies substances that are harmful to the body.  It can regenerate its own tissue--as much as 3/4 of the liver can regenerate within a few weeks.

Environmental Toxins

Everything you breathe or absorb through the skin must be filtered by the liver, fumes from paint thinners, pesticides, and aerosol sprays can damage your liver and should be avoided.


HAV and HBV Vaccination

It is strongly recommended that people with HCV get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

I spent two hours sitting on my front porch today, watching all the classic cars drive by.  We have "Hot August Nights", going on in Reno, Nevada, a yearly event.  Car collectors, buyers, sellers, look-e-you's, builders, all gather and have auctions to sell off their special cars, downtown are booths, carrying all kinds of goodies, food, art work, clothing, live bands perform and everyone enjoys the weekend.  Of course, we have the casino's too, and Lake Tahoe is only 20minutes a way, the perfect town to hold events! (I sound like an advertisement!)

I complain about being "stuck", can't get around, can't do this, can't do that, and here life presents a bonus of action, if I was working, I would miss out on viewing the parade right in front of my home.  There would not be time to take in the sun throwing off its covers and blazing the sky with vivid pinks and purples, rising higher and warming the earth.  Then again, at night, watching the sky and sun interacting, outlining the clouds, sending streaks of light among the clouds, until finally darkness covers the sun and gives way to the twinkling stars, filling the sky with pinpoints of light.

I have time to play with my cat, throwing "mouses" which she chases, then brings it back for me to throw again, brushing her warm, soft hair, "talking" to her in her language, having her warmth against me, calming my spirit. 

My son and I can sit and talk for hours, about everything and anything.   We chat about family, about my living will, death benefits, what to do, how to do it.  I tell him how very proud I am of him, what a fine man he has become.  We pray together and study Gods Word, we have always been close, now even more so.  

When I stop and look at all the blessings I have in my life, I find that there is no time to feel sorry for myself, I am to busy.

Some days, the pain and all the physical losses began to pull me down into my dark box, and I start to give up.  Then one of the magic moments happens and I come back to the living, being joyful for all I have in life,  not what I don't have.

Having a terminal, chronic illness is hard, you have to surround yourself with positive people, thoughts.  I am in the stage of a lot of brain fog, forgetting things, so in order to keep it together, I write a lot of sticky notes, have a journal, do whatever I need to do so that I can hold it together and on clear days, I set up more things to help me.  I am blessed with a family that is on my side, they help me and keep things together, they have taken over most of the cooking, laundry and housework, that helps me so much.

Another thing, never isolate.  If you can't get out of your home, then jump on line, join a support group and make new friends.  My on line "family & friends" are awesome.

Next time, I will post some sites to join and then start going into what this illness has given me.  It is so important to understand the basics of your illness and what you can do to help yourself feel better.  Always remember:  This is your body, you are in control and responsible for your well being, learn all you can do and keep being positive.

I am here for you.