Showing posts with label Dr Margaret Aranda. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

It’s the First “Blog Hop ~ Tweet” Ever!

/ By Dr. Margaret Aranda /

Attention: Authors & New Writers & Bloggers with a Passion

This is all in fun!

Write Write Write

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dr Margaret Aranda's "MEMOIR MADNESS: AGES 1 - 31"

You Are Invited to Dr. Margaret Aranda's Writing Challenge:

"Memoir Madness: Ages 1 - 31"

For now, follow 31 days of Dr. Aranda's Memoirs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Starts November 1, 2016 ~ Get Your Pen Ready!

Preliminary Blog Rules (Modifications and additions pending):

Blog 1 Age per Day for 31 days of childhood memoirs

Can not remember your own Age 1?
Start with your earliest memory & that's Age 1.

Artistic freedom encouraged so use your imagination and pic great pics!

It'll be A Blog Hop/Tweet !

Blog ~ Hop ~ Tweet ~

Hop/Tweet everywhere here and there ~ ~ we all hop over to your blog, too!

Original poetry, sketches, art and photography applauded.

Start from your earliest memory, of course!

Go ahead and use your artistic talents to self-modify and use artistic talent.

OK to discuss relationships, mind, body, soul, mental health, spirituality, cancer, poverty, divorce, abuse, nutrition, puberty and more.

(As always, place a rider for graphic topics.)

It's the First "Blog Hop ~Tweet" ever !

It's all in fun!

What to Do:

October: (1) For fun & ideas, read Dr. Margaret Aranda's articles:

"Memoir Madness: Ages 1 - 31"

www.drmargaretaranda.wordpress.com

Re: Wordpress Websites ~ tons of authors use Wordpress for great writing features

One can "Re-Wordpress" and other Wordpress article on your own Wordpress blog!

It's just one Click! Super! Keep "Re-Wordpressing" all your life long to Share relevant content!

(2) Follow Dr Aranda on Twitter

October 15, 2016: Enter #BlogHopTweet via personal email

To send an email,

First Follow Dr Aranda on Twitter: @DrMargareAranda
Send her a Direct Message (DM) with your email address
Await email confirmation
You consent to Dr Aranda's use of Tweeting your articles, your Twitter page and public information as we all want to get to know more authors, bloggers and writers. You also consent to Dr Aranda's giving you editing advice for your articles (how fun!)
Your Confirmation Entry is via email
Once Confirmed, get ready to start Posting every day, Starting November 1, 2016
Leave time to #BlogHopTweet (not for self-promotion) other #BlogHopTweet writers, too
Write your Blog ~ Tweet it to Dr Aranda's Public Profile ~ make it good ;-)
(Want someone to look at it first? Just ask Dr Aranda. She'll try to personally do this.)
The sooner you start writing your own Memoir, the sooner Dr Aranda can look at it for you
Dr Aranda will make suggestions to refine your article and you can re-write any of them
Stay tuned for 2017's #BlogHopTweet as this is Dr Aranda's 4th Edition!
Tweet! G+, FB, Instagram, Tweet! "Re-Wordpress!" other writers too (did we say, Tweet!?)
Use #BlogHopTweet to Tag all Shares to social media
Be flexible and not stressed ~ we will all do our best!
Dr Aranda will ReTweet (RT) your Articles to her Twitter Page:

~ For those who remain 'On Schedule' ~

(i.e., day 6 = age 6)

Dr Aranda's Twitter Features

"Memoir #BlogHopTweet of the Day"

It's All in Fun!

October 15, 2016: Sign up for #BlogHopTweet

* Await your Confirmation
* Get Ages 1 - 3 written while you wait for Nov 1, 2016 please (start now)

November 1, 2016: Day #1 of #BlogHopTweet

November 1 - 31: Blog one age per day on your website.

Then #BlogHopTweet:

This is How to Do the #BlogHopTweet:

* Comment on others' Blogs

* Share with your social media, please

* Focus on Tweeting / Tweet / RT / "Re-Wordpress" too

On December 1, 2016: Last Day of #BlogHopTweet

December 2, 2016: You are a better writer and/or author
You have new writing friends!
This was fun!

January 1, 2017: Happy New Year, Writer!

all dr aranda's memoir madness ARTICLEs were Originally published on her HTTP://WWW.DRMARGARETARANDA.BLOGSPOT.COM, "Perseverance" blog. SEVERAL versions OF these memoirs EXIST HERE AND THERE.

©COPYRIGHT 2016 Aranda MD ENTERPRISES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DO NOT COPY AND PASTE portion ANY OF THIS ARTICLE, INCLUDING QUOTES, Expressed WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE WRITER. SCREENSHOTS OK TO TWEET OR USE QUOTES ONLY IF YOU TAG Dr aranda HERE: @DRMARGAREARANDA. MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: NOTHING IS meant to CONVEY MEDICAL ADVICE, TREATMENT OR CURE FOR ANY CONDITION. SEE YOUR doctor FOR YOUR COMPLAINTS.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Women, Health & Wellness, ROCK ON! Even if you have an Invisible Illness!

by Dr. Margaret Aranda, MD

Invisible Illnesses, we made National News!

Women, Health & Wellness, ROCK ON!

Well, this was a fascinating journey with an energetic comrade in time, fellow Baby Boomer Tom Matt. He has made one of his life's efforts to bring awareness, health, fitness, and energy to the Baby Boomers of today, and Hat's Off to him for such a grand accomplishment!

He asked me to be interviewed for his show, and honestly I can not recall how exactly it came about. That's the fuzziness about brain injuries...they make some memories hazy, but you know they happened. The week prior, we had a 'Pre-Interview' where we were introduced and received and exchanged background information. Tom is just the kind of guy that you don't want to stop talking to; he is charismatic, and his brain is filled with knowledge and justice.

The first thing I noticed about Mr. Matt is his energy. It is dynamic, compelling, and contagious. I could visualize him as a person who runs 10 miles/day, or multitasks effectively yet comes home to a wonderful wife and family. And still, he has time to pay attention to them, as they re-center and re-connect him to the world, to his own life, and to his own purposes. But on to my interview, some of which may have needed to be edited out because I talk too much sometimes. Just sometimes.

Mr. Matt was able to take me on a walk to my past. To age 13, where I made 35 sandwiches/day for 7 children, 5 days for the week. At 14, I picked garlic in the Gilroy fields with the migrant field workers, and Bill Withers' "Lean on Me" was blaring from a transistor radio. That song still takes me back to the fields, and to A & W Root Beer, where we went every Friday with our $0.35/bucket. Those root beer floats never tasted so good, before or since.

I think we mentioned when I ran away at 16, entering Junior College. I forgot to mention I got chicken pox and dropped out, only to go to Cosmetology and then Real Estate schools, gaining both licenses by the time I was 19. Graduated college in 1985, USC Medical School in 1990, Stanford anesthesiology in 1995, Stanford Critical Care in 1996. I forgot to mention that I also got Board Certified in Forensic Medicine and Certified in Age Management Medicine.

The big elephant in the room was that my daughter and I were in a car accident in 2006, leaving me bed-ridden for the better part of seven years now. I was getting better until January of 2013, when a doctor let me drop onto the hard wood floor, sustaining another traumatic brain injury and requiring crushed DDAVP or pituitary hormone now, and probably for the rest of my life. I'll probably always struggle with pulling nouns out of my head (expressive aphasia), and stuttering that will stay with me just like my long nails ~ just a part of who I am. Some people even finish the end of my sentences for me, and you're not supposed to do that to a person with a brain injury. The patient needs the mental exercise.

He asked me how I did it, how I survived seven years in bed. I said the answer was in Book 2, Stepping from the Edge. Soooo many people have asked, and basically, my answer is "one day at a time". But the book has lessons at nearly the end of every chapter, is individualized, can be used for Bible Study, and allows you to see the difference between 'believing' in God vs. 'acting like you believe'. Enough said.

The podcast came out today. At the end of the show, he asked me to summarize, in one word, my advice to others. If you know me for any length of time at all, you know what I said.

*** Click here for Podcast: http://ow.ly/t1xi1 ***

Invisible Illnesses, we made National News!

Women, Health & Wellness, ROCK ON!

Thank you, Tom Matt!

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Author Focus on Dr. Margaret Aranda

Announcing a recent, local article about Dr. Aranda's two recent books. One is on Christian Living, called Stepping from the Edge. It is the Sequel to No More Tears: A Physician Turned Patient Inspires Recovery. The Other is a children's book, Little Missy Two-Shoes Likes a Ladybug. Launching nationwide, her next book will focus on Women's Health from puberty past menopause, and you are guaranteed to learn at least 50 things that you did not know.

For now, it is good to see women highlighted in the news:

Valley News Group

Never give up.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Announcement: Spirited Women ShareFest Starts December 3, 2013

The Spirited Women Sharefest is a 10-day Celebration by women and for women, meant to inspire, encourage, and keep you persevering so that you can end 2013 on a bang!

To join, please go to My Facebook Page and Join!

Also, Share with your family and friends!

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This is to Cordially invite you, as a visionary woman with dreams,

to participate in this fun and enlightening Share Fest!

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This is done globally, through the Spirited Woman Facebook Page, which you can find on the link.

I am delighted to stand with Nancy Mills in inviting you and the women in your lives.

We may not be able to meet everyone in person all the time, but the internet can bring us all together

to celebrate, to inspire, to encourage, to persevere, and to meet new friends on this

fantastic journey together!

So jump aboard!

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See you there! You can be sitting, standing, laying in bed, walking with a walker, sitting in a wheelchair, and none of that matters for this!

You can still be with us, no matter where you are in the world!

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STAY TUNED! IT STARTS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Dr. Aranda named Cover Girl, Nancy Mills' Spirited Women 2014 Directory

by Dr Margaret Aranda

I can't stand up without midodrine, I can't eat without zofran, I get migraines and tinnitus without diazepam, and I would go into kidney failure without DDAVP. To name a few.

Despite all that, I use my fingers, my brain, and my computer to inspire, encourage, and educate doctors and patients alike. I won't forget the bed-ridden or the chronically ill, because I am both.

I am deeply honored that Nancy Mills called me to see if I would accept this invitation: to be in the Nancy Mills' Spirited Women's Directory of 2014. There are 14 other Cover Girls, too. Launching on 12/12/13, please mark your calendar to see the chosen Spirited Women worldwide, who are bound to make you smile and inspire you to be the best that you can be, no matter your circumstances. It's FREE, for you my friend. Free inspiration from me to you so that you can strive your best to accomplish one baby step at a time. Just one day at a time.

Now what could be better than that? My gift to you this Holiday Season.

Friday, November 16, 2012

An Anti-Inflammatory Salmon Dinner

This is a simply fabulous dinner for two or three. You can easily multiply the recipe, make the salsa the morning of the dinner, and cook the carrots for longer than the stated time. The goal here is to get the house smelling wonderfully, serve up a healthy meal, and have a fantastic presentation that is sure to be an eye-pleaser for your guests. And if you clean the dishes as you go along, you won't have a huge mess on your hands. We use the same pot for the carrots twice, and we use the same skillet for the salmon twice also, as we return the dish for more flavor and the finishing touches!

Menu:

Salmon with Dill and Olives

Baby Carrots with Dill, Parsley, and Garlic

Papaya and Tomato Salsa with Cilantro

Water

Papaya and Tomato Salsa with Cilantro

1/2 cup fresh papaya, chopped

3/4 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Place all items in a small serving bowl and refrigerate to cool down while the other items are cooking. Sure to be a crowd-pleaser and a great pairing with the salmon and dill. Go ahead and throw away the stems and core of the tomato, cleaning your counter before proceeding with the carrots and salmon. You'll be glad you did, and the kitchen will look much cleaner. Serves 2 or 3.

Baby Carrots with Dill

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup baby carrots

Dash of salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Do not substitute.

1/4 teaspoon fresh garlic, chopped finely

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

Bring water to boil and then add baby carrots. Bring to boil again, then simmer on medium for 40 minutes. Do not discard carrot water as it contains water-soluble vitamins. Check for doneness and then remove all carrots to a cutting board. Reserve water in a cup. While chopping carrots, saute garlic in same pot. This will make the house smell wonderful and the neighbors will get hungry. Add parsley and dill. Then add all the chopped carrots. Simmer and stir frequently; do not leave the pot. Gradually use all the reserved water to replenish with vitamins. Carrots will stay hot for some time because of their nature, but you can simmer them for 2 minutes on medium high when it is time to serve. Serves 3 or 4.

Salmon with Dill and Olives

Atlantic salmon, farm-raised 4 fillets

Olive Oil 2 teaspoons per fillet

Black and Green Olives, chopped finely 1 teaspoon per salmon fillet

White or wheat flour, unbleached 1 tablespoon

Half and half 2 tablespoons

Pour olive oil into skillet on medium high. Add salmon filets, then top with chopped olives. Cover. Let simmer for 10 - 15 min. The olives will bake into the top of the salmon. Turn over carefully and then Cover again. Let simmer again for 10 min. Return to original position and cook for 5 more minutes. You can turn off the skillet and finish dinner preparations for the baby carrots and the salsa, as you will return the fillets to the skillet for sauce and heating up. Check for doneness and allow for additional cooking if desired. Remove salmon from skillet.

Keep skillet on medium. Drizzle flour onto leftover oil. Whisk rapidly, crushing lumps. Slowly add half and half, simmer. Sauce thickens. May add water to thin. For serving, return salmon fillets to skillet and cook on medium high for 2 min. Dot top of fillet with spots of sauce for extra yumminess.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Women Helping Women

Women have gone through menopause ever since they could live long enough to pass the usual insults of medieval life ~ death by childbirth or communicable diseases. While menopause is a natural part of aging and not a disease state or illness per se, it is important to view it as a hormone deficiency state where quality of life needs to be optimized. Fluctuations in hormones can be erratic, or severe deficiency can occur, making the time ripe for evaluation by a professional. Did anyone have The Second Talk with you about menopause? Menopause is associated with significant health risk factors: heart disease and osteoporosis.

Many women complain of symptoms of pre-menopause, where periods become heavier, the abdomen is more bloated, and insomnia begins to plague a woman's quality of life. Ahhh. Quality of Life (QoL). That is what we are talking about, ladies and gentlemen.

Most women don't really know when they are going through pre-menopause, as the process can take from 1-6 years or longer. During this time, periods may be missed here and there, and symptoms do not yet include the typical hot flashes, vulvar atrophy, or dysparunia so characteristic of menopause.

Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop functioning, and the menstrual period has stopped for one calendar year. Women in menopause complain primarly of hot flashes (in Western society), joint pain (in India, Japan, Hawaiian Japanese, Iranians), insomnia, moodiness, irritability, and depression. Many studies on menopause and QoL exist, and several studies also looked at hormone therapy, finding that hormones had a positive effect on QoL. So menopause is complete at one year, and Postmenopause begins.

The Postmenopausal period extends for the rest of a woman's life, such that a woman will spend about one third of her life in pre-menopause, menopause, and/or post-menopause. With 6,000 Baby Boomers entering menopause per day in the USA, it's no wonder that we need to think about menopause, talk about menopause, and consider joining a menopause group. Women need to help women.

________________________

Bears Can Smell the Menstruation: Or Can They?

by Dr. Margaret Aranda

The question arises as to whether bears attack women who are on their periods, due to the attraction of the menstrual blood. In 1983, Cushing presented his findings at the International Conference on Bear Research and Management, documenting the responses of polar bears to menstrual odors. This spearheaded the future work in this area, which continues to this day. Stay with me as we explore the fascinating issues surrounding this issue.

The Grizzly Bear.

Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has been tabulating interactions between bears and humans in their district, which includes parks in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Data analyzed in 2012 by Kerry A. Gunther, bear biologist and expert at YNP’s Bear Management Program. He showed that the overall risk of human injury (for any reason) by a bear in YNP, men and women inclusive, is 1 in 2.1 million. But the interest and fascination with this subject continues.

Kerry A. Gunther.

Perhaps the biggest outburst public scrutiny on bears attacking menstruating occurred after the night of August 13, 1967 in Glacier National Park. The Park is located in northwestern Montana, along the Rocky Mountains. In a situation that was later determined to be unrelated and coincidental, two women on their periods were killed by Grizzly bears on this night. The National Park Service (NPS) subsequently put out a bulletin that menstruating women could be attacked by the Black Grizzly bear, perhaps spurring that speculation had turned into a scientific notion that the two were actually scientifically related. The official statement was, “..women should stay out of bear country during their menstrual period.” Years of belief ensued, wherein it was thought that camping or hiking women on their periods were attractants to killings by bears.

In his 1983 study on captive Polar Bears and the odor of menstrual blood, Cushing studied a series of different odors and their effect on bears. Scents included seal scent, food, used tampons, and non-menstrual human blood. There was a strong response to seal scent and used tampons. Cushing also studied wild Polar Bears, who were attracted to and ate food and used tampons, perpetuating the observation that bears are attracted to menstrual blood.

In 1985, Herrero studied Grizzly bears and human attacks, including the two women attacked in 1967. He concluded that there was no relationship.

In 1988, Byrd revisited the unsettled issue, trying to answer this question on his Thesis for his Master’s in Science. He found that there was no evidence that the Black Grizzly bear preferred menstrual odors over other odors, and there was no scientific evidence that hundreds of bear attacks were related to women on their periods (Byrd 1988).

In 1991, Rogers et al studied how 26 wild Black Bears reacted to used tampons from 26 women. In a novel design, he also studied 20 wild Black Bears’ response to 4 women’s menstrual blood at different times of their menstrual cycle. The bears ignored the menstrual odors.

From 1980 through 2002, YNP had over 62,000,000 visitors spending over 15,400,000 nights at the main campgrounds and 956,000 nights in the backcountry. No one kept track of statistics on the proportion of menstruating women. There were 32 people injured by bears, coming to 1.2 injuries per year. Gunther and Hoekstra evaluated 1970 - 1994 statistics, citing that no bear injuries to humans were caused by menstruating women.

Official word came out on August 9, 2012 from Kerry A. Gunther, who categorically stated that bears are not attracted to menstruating women. We can rest assured that if we keep the safety measures cited above, the risk would be so small as to be unproven. So hat's away to camping, and be careful in the backwoods.

References:

Byrd, C.P. Of bears and women: Investigating the hypothesis that menstruation attracts bears. M.S. Thesis, Univ. Montana, Missoula. 129 pp, 1988.

Cushing, B. 1983. Responses of polar bears to human menstrual odors. International Conference on Bear Research and Management 5:270-274.

Gunther K.A. and H.L. Hoekstra. Bear-inflicted human injuries in Yellowstone, 1970 – 1994, a cautionary and instructive guide to who gets hurt and why. Yellowstone Science 4(1):2-9. 1997.

Herrero, S.M. Bear attacks – their causes and avoidance. Winchester Press, New Century Publishers, Inc. Piscataway, New Jersey, 287 pp, 1985.

Nelson, Brian. Mother Nature Network. Mentruating women do not attract bear attacks. August 9, 2012. http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/menstruating-women-do-not-attract-bear-attacks

_____. Yellowstone National Park website. National Park Service. Bears and Menstruating Women. http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/bears_women.htm