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» New to Forum, newly diagnosed 13 year old - J's story
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Holding It Together
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New to Forum, newly diagnosed 13 year old - J's story
Hi. I'm mom to J, who is 13 and just diagnosed with
She has had issues since infancy - diagnosed with failure to thrive in childhood and never really became healthy since. Never had a
until last month although they did do a workup then and said she "was a petite girl with big parents". In her early childhood she had chronic diarrhea and abdominal pain after meals - had her bent over a chair during meals holding her stomach. At age 4 she developed seizures (I think now may have been result of malnutrition). Seizure meds were a nightmare (another story). I found that gluten-insensitivity could cause seizures at about age 6 so we went on a gluten free diet. This was a miracle for us as she stopped having so much abdominal pain and diarrhea. (Her celiac tests were always negative). She's always sat at about the 5th % for weight since she dropped from 50th % at birth in infancy. Gluten free diet didn't do everything, but helped so much and has off and on gotten us off the seizure meds which make her GI problems worse. Currently she's been seizure free since 2010 and off meds since last August.
Last April I noticed that she was not going into puberty at all and took her to a peds endocrinologist again (she saw one in infancy for her failure to thrive). She did a workup for her and found that she was pubertally delayed and growth delayed and less than 1 % for weight and height had dropped to less 25th % (had been 50 % for many years). I told her J's story and she gave her 6 months to grow. No changes in that time, but I told her in followup that I thought it had to do with J's GI problems. She asked about joint problems, and at that time she had been complaining of knee pain and other joint problems. She got a sed rate and found it to be high. She immediately thought of Crohn's/IBD and sent her to peds GI.
In December we saw the peds GI doc and had colonoscopy, MR endoscopy, upper endoscopy and 9 days later capsule endoscopy. (That's a lot of prep in a 10 day period to be sure!). The endoscopies showed one small area of her colon that was inflamed. She took 17 biopsies throughout her GI tract (but couldn't see in small bowel) and only that one small area showed anything abnormal (inflammation possibly due to bacterial infection or early Crohn's). 9 days later the capsule endoscopy showed ulcers throughout her colon and inflammation throughout her small bowel. GI doc thinks it is Crohn's and wants to start her on prednisone.
My biggest concern is that J's main problem is not diarrhea or pain for the most part but lack of appetite and failure to gain weight. Fortunately, she is now finally starting puberty. Over the past month while waiting for results we have been pushing Ensure (2-3 cans a day) and going with a completely gluten-free diet. For the past 3-4 days she has been pain free, diarrhea free and this month has gained 2 lbs (as well as started puberty). She is only 70 lbs. I don't know about prednisone followed by these heavy duty meds. Is it really necessary? Isn't the treatment worse than the disease in her case? I think I am leaning toward asking the GI doc if we can try to continue the diet and Ensure for awhile to see how she does, or go on total enteral nutrition as an alternative. I think at one point she was open to this.
Does anyone have a story of a child similar to ours that doesn't have severe Crohn's, no bloody diarrhea, pain controlled with diet and Ensure or similar, who did well without the big gun meds? I really need some support, and really appreciate the support I've seen for others who have posted.
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Welcome to forum, sorry you had to find us.
I know from the forum that EN is standard first treatment in a number of countries.
I personally haven't experience with it but there are many parents here who have. I'm sure they will be long shortly.
Mother of Sarah dx aged 16, Jan 2012
DX - CD 1/12, asthma
Small bowel to small bowel fistula
Meds: ), azathioprine 200mg, Mesalazine 1.2g x 2, seretide 250 x 2 (asthma), ventolin (as needed)
Currently no supplements.
Has previously taken Multi B, Caltrate, B12 & Iron
Prednisolone (from 30 mg 01/02/2012 to 17/06/2012, 30mg 24/10/12-28/12/12, 50mg 24/1/13-27/4/13)
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Hi and welcome to the forum. Our daughters story is different, but they are about the same age.
The discovery that stands out with your daughter is the ulcers and
. If you believe that the ensure is actually reducing the inflammation, then there is no need for
. It is so good that she is starting to gain weight.
Even though she does not have the diarrhea and blood, she sounds like she is in a severe flare, and may have been for a lwhile. It is good that she is not in any pain.
The Prednisone, is not something we liked giving to our daughter either, but to get her inflammation down quickly, we knew Prednisone was our best option. It is only a short term medication, to help while other meds start working.
The blood tests should also show if your daughter is still in a flare. At least they are a helpful tool to consider.
All treatment is your decision. Our daughter was bleeding, and pain had started. She has never had diarrhea, but we knew we needed to take on the medications to get in under control
I wish you and your daughter the very best. If I can help in any way, let me know. Our daughter is baylee and she is 14. After a year, she is doing well.
take care
Daughter (age 17) diagnosed with Crohns Colitis/UC 1/2012 Mod/severe changed to U.C.: 11/7/2014 anemia:blood transfusion
: Flare, weaning from Prednisone, still bloating:
,Pentesa: 2000mg twice daily, Vegan diet, mesalamine enemas .
mercaptopurine, Remicade (13 treatments), Imuran, prednisone ), Flagyl, iron infusions, cortifoam,
Continue to be hopeful
Daughter: age 21, undiagnosed: GI issues
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Northern California, USA
Welcome to the forum. I am glad your daughter was finally diagnosed. It sounds like she may have been sick for a long time.
So I will do my best to break this to you gently but it does not sound to me like she has a "mild" case of Crohn's.
Those cases do exist but they do not present the way you are describing.
Significant growth delay generally automatically places a child in the moderate to severe disease level. Because for there to be such severe signs of malnutrition (1% for weight) she has/had significant small intestine inflammation for a long time.
Finding very little inflammation in the colon is good.
Finding ulcerations and inflammation throughout the small bowel is bad.
The problem with Crohn's is that it can become very bad very fast with lots of drama to tell you what's going on. Big bad numbers in the labwork, lots of pain, blood, etc.
Or it can appear to be gone, cured, in
only to show up as
and abscesses or perianal/vaginal disease. And near perfect labs.
Sometimes everything seems fine and the next day you are in ER waiting for emergency surgery for an obstruction or perforation.
My point is not so much to scare you as to help you understand that this disease is unpredictable and the worst case scenario, while unusual, is really bad and to be avoided if at all possible.
There are two options to talk over with your doctor as alternatives to prednisone. But your daughter may really need prednisone so I suggest that you don't completely rule it out at this point.
1. Exclusive enteral nutrition - you are already half way there and you are right to think it is probably why she is doing so much better. EEN may get her all the way to remission or at least to the point where she is nutritionally and medically really stable. But. Unless she wants to stay on it for forever she is going to need maintenance medication of some kind and it's usually best to start maintenance meds while she's on EEN.
2. Budesonide - this is also a steroid; it is taken orally but it is topical - coats the inside of the gut - and only 20% or less is absorbed into the body so there are far fewer side effects. But it can be very effective in suppressing inflammation in the gut. Provided the inflammation is located where the medicine releases. This is something you will need to talk to the doc about since she knows where your daughter's inflammation is the worst.
3. Actually you can do both EEN and Budesonide together.
Prednisone is incredibly powerful and is a life-saving medication. Doctors generally do not use it lightly especially in kids because it suppresses growth among other things. You can shoot for as low a dose as the doc will do (usually not lower than 20 mg, most start at 40 mg) and a definite plan to wean her - which is the part that takes forever. If the doctor feels strongly about using prednisone here are some things to know/talk over with doc.
Important factors to be considered include:
strong family history of diabetes - prednisone can cause diabetes which may or may not go away after stopping the pred
strong family history of mood disorders - even "normal" people w/o this can flip out on pred and require psychiatric hospitalization although it's rare. Most people get moody and difficult. If there's a strong family history of mood disorders then you are almost certainly risking triggering significant mental health problems and do NOT let the GI tell you otherwise.
history of frequent, persistent or unusual infections - could indicate an underlying immune deficiency. Pred makes you more vulnerable to infection so it's important to know this.
history of fractures - pred weakens kids bones, not fast but it does. Given her nutritional history and weight she may already have osteoporosis. If she has a history of fractures that may also argue against prednisone if there are alternatives.
Ideally she should have a DXA scan done before or soon after starting steroids to check her bone density.
Take a breath. It's an enormous amount of information to take in at the same time you are grieving the diagnosis and feeling anxious about all the unknowns.
We'll be here to help you through it.
Badger, 18, CD,
overall great guy
Dxd age 10, 2006 after nearly 1 year of active sx
Current CD meds: Remicade, Methotrexate and Omeprazole, Vit. D, Calcium, Folic Acid, Probiotic
Nothing I say here should be construed as medical advice. I am not a doctor. These are just my opinions.
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Welcome Carol!
Wow, you rock Patricia!
I can only add our experience. My 13 yr old son has had two pred tapers in the last 3 years and other than the typical moon-face(that soon disappears) and the drive you up the wall energy they get from it, we've had good results both times. Our GI is not a fan of EEN but many on here are.
I wish you all the best! Are you near your ped GI? I know Alaska tends to be a little stretched out to say the least!
Mark, father of EJ
EJ dx w/ Crohn's 12/09
No more 6mp
Currently in the Humira Club
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Julie/Patricia, how can you say she is in a severe
and has been for a while if 16/17 biopsies show no disease even after a lifetime of her problems? We just got some bloodwork yesterday so maybe the sed rate will help show us. What other blood work do you all do that helps to know whether she is in a "severe" flare? What are the goals of the meds? Weight gain, being able to eat, not having pain? How do you assess this? If she's had this all her life, why hasn't she had the bad things that people describe that goes along with this? (ie fistulas,
, blockage, etc?). I agree that it isn't good that she isn't growing and that she is malnourished. If by diet we can get rid of the inflammation and help increase her appetite, isn't that good enough?
Mark, we live 3 hours from Anchorage where our peds GI is.
On a good note, we have a nutritionist who is well versed in Crohn's that we just met yesterday and that is giving me hope that we have alternatives. I will consider the budesonide. My peds GI suggested that too.
Thanks for all the good information. I will keep praying and processing.
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When you indicated that, "9 days later the
capsule endoscopy
showed ulcers throughout her colon and inflammation throughout her small bowel. GI doc thinks it is Crohn's and wants to start her on prednisone. " is what indicates a severe flare. A lot of people with Crohns dont bleed, and some dont have diarrhea.
It is the small intestines that is responsible for nutrition intake. It sounds like your nutritionist is going to be a big help to you.
There is so much to process, and talking with her doctor and reading will give you even more information. With Crohns, the most important part, is getting rid of the inflammation because it can cause harm to the intestines,colon
I know there is so much information coming your way. You are doing such a good job getting all the help you need to help your daughter. I wish you the VERY best. prayers for you both.
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Alabama
Welcome Carol! Sorry that you had to find us but it's a great place to be for info and support.
My son has Crohn's but does not have prolific diarrhea. He is 15. His symptoms are more failure to absorb/gain weight, abdominal pain, some blood and loose stool/some
, pale,
and cranky and emotional. The worst for us is the weight. He is 5'6" and 108...nothing but bones.
We tried diet, but that hasn't solely controlled it. He took prednisone then 6mp for 2 years with great success. That stopped working then we went remicade-failed, methotrexate shots are working now, but not beautifully.
I think you are on the right track with the EN idea. Many people say the EN works as well as steroids. If the GI will postpone the steroids, just be sure to check bloodwork often. Crohn's activity can be silent, but the inflammation and ulcers are in there causing damage that will hurt her in the long run. So just because she looks better doesn't mean that she is better. That's what happened to us with diet. He felt better, but inside it was a volcano. Never again. The more you let it fester, the more it increases the chances they will have surgery in the future.
I hope the EN/diet works and you can get her crohn's under control without meds. That would be awesome! Let us know how it's going.
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Welcome to the forum, Carol.
My son's story is similar to jmckinley, no prolific D, failure to absorb/gain weight, very little to no blood, constipation etc. He is 16, 5'6" and 113 so really skinny and it could be stunting his growth.
EN has studies behind it that show that it can be as effective as pred at quelling the inflammation. Supplementing with formula can also ensure they are getting the nutrition and calorie intake they need.
Hope it all improves for you little one.
Mom to
C age 19
dx March 2012 CD
MTX injections, Stelara
Dx May 2014: JSpA
8/2014 ileocecectomy
9/2017 G tube
remicade, oral mtx, humira
Holding It Together
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Julie and J,
Thanks for the encouragement. Julie, I guess my thought is that the ulcers were perhaps the biopsy sites, and couldn't the 2 preps in 9 days make it look like inflammation/irritate the bowels? The
did not show it nor did the biopsies.
What I am accepting is that she does have extensive disease in her small bowel. That is why we did the capsule endoscopy and that is now what we know. I think that I am going to have to try the nutritional route, because it seems so much more healthy and less risky. I spoke to her pediatrician this morning, and she is on board with me. We will do q 2 week weight checks.
J had some blood work yesterday. Her
is < 0.5 and her ESR is 11. Her AST is mildly elevated at 29 (I think it has been up to 39 in past). No CBC done, but she's never shown anemia even at her worst. Her B12 is 674 without supplementation (other than her daily vitamins and Ensure).
Do any of you wish you hadn't gone to prednisone/meds so quickly? Anyone hem and haw like me wish you had?
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Hi and welcome,
Same here for Grace. No D, little blood. She also has absorption problems. She's on EN and I swear by it. For the first time she's getting all she needs. My girl is 4 and also has had issues since birth. I hope all goes well.
I'm mom to............... Little Farm Girl 9
yr old
Ibd (microscopic)
dx Juvenile Arthritis
dx Erthema Nodosum
Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome dx (1/26/17)
Remicade started on
(9/8/14)Every 2 wks
MTX started AGAIN on
EN/EEN- since
Past Meds- LDN, Humira, Pred, MTX, Sulfasalazine,
Holding It Together
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Does anyone know a good goal for weight gain/growth? 2 lbs a month? 4 lbs a month? 1 inch/month?
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plainville, Connecticut
Biopsies can be very hit and miss. Doctors try to grab them from likely looking places, but the patchy nature of Crohn's makes every biopsy site sort of a coin flip. The visually noted pathology is plenty, as others have said, to diagnose a severe IBD, with Crohn's being likely due to the location, quality, and severity of the inflammation.
It's great that
enteral nutrition
is working for her, and you should continue it, but it would be a very bad mistake to rule out effective maintenance drug therapy only to find that her disease has been quietly worsening while you tried to avoid rare and unlikely side effects of this or that medication. remission is a thing to be nailed down and clung to, not taken for granted.
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If you do try the nutritional path you might want to have a look through our
Diets Forum
(<---click here) as there are a variety of
and supplements members have utilized and posted their experience with. I think the parent, Charleigh of a little boy, E, I think, has thread with her son's experience with one of the diets.
Holding It Together
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Biopsies can be very hit and miss. Doctors try to grab them from likely looking places, but the patchy nature of Crohn's makes every biopsy site sort of a coin flip. The visually noted pathology is plenty, as others have said, to diagnose a severe IBD, with Crohn's being likely due to the location, quality, and severity of the inflammation.
It's great that enteral nutrition is working for her, and you should continue it, but it would be a very bad mistake to rule out effective maintenance drug therapy only to find that her disease has been quietly worsening while you tried to avoid rare and unlikely side effects of this or that medication. remission is a thing to be nailed down and clung to, not taken for granted.
Yes, I agree. But are meds the only way to achieve this?
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Alabama
I was very against these medications in the beginning.
My son was 9 at diagnosis. We started him on a short
of predisone when he was first diagnosed and
and later Lialda. After a year and a half or so, he was having no pain or diarrhea so I thought he was doing ok (major denial!!) and eventually his doctor and I decided to try him off of medications.
Fast forward about 3 years later, around age 12, he was not growing and not gaining weight (he was under 1% for height and at 3% for weight on the growth charts). I took him to an endocrinologist for his lack of growth. His first question was "Is his Crohn's really in control?" We went to a new GI doctor who ordered blood work and eventually scopes. SED rate was 58. Scopes showed "pretty significant" disease in his terminal ileum. Boy did I feel awful for thinking he was doing better than he was. He was started on Remicade and had to have surgery a year later for a stricture that the Remicade just could not fix. He is still on Remicade and I will never ask to take him off as long as he is doing good on it!!
One thing I have learned from this is that while you think things are going good, it can really be festering and making a mess. Since having surgery and truly getting his disease in control, he has gained about 18 pounds and grown about 3.5 inches in 5 months.
I know the medicines are scary, but what can happen without them is really scary too. I hope EN continues to work for your daughter, but please don't totally rule out medications.
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plainville, Connecticut
Yes, I agree. But are meds the only way to achieve this?
Some rare few claim a lot of success with diet alone, but I'm always skeptical of this. I managed to stay
myself for 7 years, but ended up with a very bad abscess/fistula at the end of that period, and ended up back on medication.
I've had Crohn's for 30 years, and my daughter for 11 years, and while there do seem to be "mild" cases out there and people can get away without medication for quite awhile in seemingly good health, there are also cases of people suffering pretty severe incremental damage from quiet inflammation that was asymptomatic until the point of surgery being required.
Try diet if you want, but be incredibly vigilant and careful. It's a very, very difficult thing for an inexperienced sufferer/caregiver to maintain a remission with diet alone. For some patients, I think it's simply impossible, although I know there are at least a handful of people on this forum who would disagree with me.
Ultimately what you decide to do for your child is up to you but having nearly lost my 14 year old twice since age 3, once when we tried reducing her meds in favor of nutritional solutions due to her disease being so quiet, I can't help but say that if it were me I'd take the meds. My daughter went from apparently full remission to inpatient and receiving blood transfusions in under a week once. Crohn's is cyclical and random. You can easily misinterpret a passing quiet period as being the result of this or that regimen when really it's just the disease doing what it does.
I use
, which is a 5-ASA, and while 5-ASA is generally considered not "beefy" enough for Crohn's, I've been using some form of ASA (with occasional prednisone to get me through intermittent flares) for 30 years now and have never "upgraded" to a "real" Crohn's drug. I credit my diet choices for that, but I'd never try to go med-free again.
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Welcome Alaska! I went there on my honeymoon and fell in love with it...truly God's Country!
I am sorry to hear about your daughter's dx but wanted to share with you my daughter's journey. She was always thin but I am thin, shoe size didn't change for almost three years, never a stomach problem, triathlete and the only symptom we sorta kinda noticed was her times slowing down.
Last January she went to the the mall ate chinese food from the food court and came home with severe diarhrea that lasted two weeks. At first we thought it was food poisoning but when I really looked at her and saw how thin she was (4' 8" 65 pounds) I took her to the ped. At ped's office her
was a 7 and we were admitted that day. 2 blood transfusions,
right away and within the first 24 hours she was in ICU. They told me they figured she had the disease for about two years and that it was silently doing it's damage until all you know what broke loose. Severity is judged not only on symptoms but effects of disease, age, etc.
I tell you this not to scare you because this diesease most definitely can be managed and half the battle is knowing you have it. But want to stress that it can often be silent and only rear its head obviously when things are very serious.
I think it is great that you have a diagnosis and are carefully considering all your options.
My daughter did EEN and had great success with it. The thing to keep in mind is that EEN only works while you are using it. Once you complete it you may stay in remission for awhile (for some a month, others 3 months and still others 6 months or more). There is no way of knowing how long the remission will last. Subesquent trials of EEN are not as successful as the first but many do succeeed. For this reason many people choose a maintenance med (Azathioprine, Methotrexate, Biologics etc). Some choose to hop on and off EEN as needed. My only concern would be with very few symptoms my daughter's disease would be progressing without us knowing and the damage from the inflammation would be done and we would be back where we started. Our doc put our daughter on remicade and prednisone while in patient. It worked but didn't get her all the way there. Our doc wanted to add Methotrexate but we asked to use EEN first. Luckily it worked for us and gave us the added bonus of good nutrition.
I was not happy about Remicade but now my daughter has grown 4 inches, gained 2o pounds and is improving in her athletic endeavors so Remicade is my new best friend. Still no signs of puberty though.
I would think signs of puberty are a good indication you are getting ahead of the disease and are at a good point to act. Good luck with whatever you decide. The parents here are a great resource so keep those questions coming...there is always someone here who has tried that, done that or been there.
Daughter O dx 2/1/12 at age 12
Crohns & Remicade induced Psoriasis
Vit d 2000IU
Multi vitamin plus iron
Previously used - Prednisone, Prevacid, Enteral Nutrition, Methotrexate oral and injections, Folic Acid, Probiotics, Cortofoam
Daughter T dx 1/2/15 at age 11
Vitaligo, Precoscious puberty & Crohn's
Vit D 2000IU
Previously used, Exclusive Enteral Nutrition, Methotrexate (injections and oral), Folic Acid, Entocort,IBD-AID Diet
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Welcome to the forum My son is 13 as well and we have thought we were doing great for the last couple of years, just went to the Ped's the other day for possible
and he is 1% for weight as well 5' - 77lbs. Never really had D. no blood in stools. His main symptoms were failure to grow/gain weight. He says he feels great, however we suspect that there is ongoing inflammation. Bloodwork comes back good he has the same CRP and ESR .5 and 11. We have an appt. next week to schedule scopes. So even when you are on the big guns (First Imuran,
, now LDN) this disease can still be silently doing damage. Still his only symptom is failure to grow, gain weight.
I'm glad your daughter will drink Ensure, Jack will not. We are looking at EEN if his GI says prednisone. It sounds like you are 1/2 there in that respect.
Hope you find what works for you and your daughter and we can offer support when you need it.
Mom to Jack (18) dx Crohn's 2/2010
Remicade - started 1/9/14; 7.5ml/kg every 6 weeks
Past meds: Imuran/Azathioprine; allopurinol; methotrexate; LDN; Prednisone; Apriso; Pentasa; EEN
Husband dx Crohn's 3/1993
currently none due to liver issues
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Forgot to mention my daughter drank Ensure and Boost 6-10 cans a day for 6 weeks as her EEN. Nothing else other than water and one piece of chewing gum a day. Gradually added food back so back on full diet after about 10 weeks.
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Hi and welcome! I can understand your reluctance to starting the stronger meds. My son has no symptoms at all at the moment (he did the 8 weeks EN a year and a half ago), however he has a fistula in his bottom which the surgeons are reluctant to operate on. So we will be starting with
in a couple weeks - I soooo don't want to! I find it hard to justify it in my mind since there is nothing else wrong with him, however if the fistula got worse and he ended up needing a bigger operation, I would feel awful that I didn't try the meds. So I put it off for as long as they will let me and we are going to try the 6mp and hope for the best.
Good luck with your decision. This is a hard disease to keep track of because so much happens inside that we cannot see.
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Alabama
Yes, I hemmed and hawed from October 2011 to March 2012 on
. Then I did the same over adding the methotrexate and tried the
paleo diet
for 10 weeks. I finally ended up calling the GI and asking him to admit Ryan and get things under control. In hindsight, I wish I had started things much sooner because we lost valuable time and he suffered for months. He did feel better on the diet, but his crohn's was silently brewing underneath. His CRP and SED rate were horrible upon admission. GI pretty much chewed my tail. We are speaking again :-)
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My son was diagnosed at age 11 in Oct 2011. He had the same symptoms as your daughter weight loss and lack of growth. He also has constipation.
When someone is labeled with crohn's as mild/moderate/severe it is based on how they look during the scope that day. Which is not always a good indicator of future disease course. The fact that she was diagnosed as a child is a very good indicator her disease will not be mild. Only 20% of crohn's is diagnosed in childhood. Also, the level of growth delay, weight percentile, and delay in puberty you describe does not sound mild.
My son was put on Prednisone and his labs were normal in 6 days. Short term prednisone will not effect growth. He gained 30lbs while on it. He took the full dose for 6 weeks then started to taper so he really wasn't on it all that long.
The longer you wait and try different things the harder it will be to get your daughter into remission.
I hated the thought of my son taking 6mp at first and now I pray he can stay on it as long as possible. This medication has given me my son back.
I can only tell you that it is hard to explain to you the huge difference I see in my son now that his crohn's is treated. I look at pictures of him before diagnosis and my heart breaks at how thin he was. He was literally starving. He is a totally different kid now.
These doctors have treated this disease for years and they have seen it all. Trust them if they tell you diet alone won't control her.
I know this is all very hard to take in and come to terms with. Praying you find the right treatment for your girl and she is growing and gaining weight soon. (((((Hugs))))))
Mom of Johnny
Dx Oct 11 2011 Crohns disease
Prednisone done 12/30/11
6mp 50mg every day
Allopurinol 50mg -discontinued per new G.I. on 11/01/12
Multi Vitamin
Vitamin D3 1000mg
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Northern California, USA
Julie/Patricia, how can you say she is in a severe flare and has been for a while if 16/17 biopsies show no disease even after a lifetime of her problems?
The biopsies only sampled the colon. And they only sampled a very small part of the colon. The colon is important but a person can survive pretty well without it. The part that's absolutely essential is the small intestine. And it sounds like the small intestine showed extensive inflammation and ulcers.
Her disease may have been quiet/remission at times and flaring at other times. Crohn's doesn't affect everyone in the same ways at the same rate or to the same degree. It's not unusual for the colon to be spared while the small intestine is badly inflamed.
We just got some bloodwork yesterday so maybe the sed rate will help show us. What other blood work do you all do that helps to know whether she is in a "severe" flare?
Blood work doesn't always serve as a good guide to the severity of a flare - at least not until the kid is so sick you don't need a blood test to tell you they should be in the hospital. My son is one of those. His CrP never became elevated even when he was bleeding from severe inflammation in the sigmoid colon and rectal vault, bleeding ulcers in his small intestine and his intestines had completely stopped moving anything through them (obstipation). And his ESR was only elevated to 20 with the normal level 15.
Wish I could promise you that her bloodwork is going to be a reliable guide. It might - you and your doctor will have to figure that out and sometimes it takes a while to discern a pattern.
Her CRP is < 0.5 and her ESR is 11.
Both of these are unreliable measures of illness
for my son
. Our leading indicator is
. When his ferritin level falls we know he is starting to have trouble.
Each GI has their own preferences about what labs to run. The ones our GI orders are very comprehensive and I know a lot of GI's do not order all of these every 3 months.
CBC w/Diff
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
Chemistry Panel
at least once a year we also do a Lipid panel.
What are the goals of the meds?
I think you mean prednisone and/or
. Prednisone is to suppress the inflammation so that she doesn't develop a perforated ulcer or blockage due to swelling of the intestines either trapping food or the intestinal walls swelling closed. The goal is the same with budesonide.
Weight gain, being able to eat, not having pain? How do you assess this? If she's had this all her life, why hasn't she had the bad things that people describe that goes along with this? (ie fistulas, abscesses, blockage, etc?). I agree that it isn't good that she isn't growing and that she is malnourished.
No one can say for sure that she's had it all her life - at least not to the degree that she has it now. The history you report is certainly suspicious but that doesn't mean she had it the whole time. As I said before she may have had periods of remission that helped her heal and catch up. I don't know.
For example, the severe pain she had as a 4 yr old may have been partial blockages - or something else altogether.
If by diet we can get rid of the inflammation and help increase her appetite, isn't that good enough?
No. It is not good enough. Because the inflammation will come back. And you may be underestimating the degree to which her malnutrition has affected her body and it's development. She is going to need a lot of time to recover nutritionally and then get back onto the growth curve. If she is starting puberty she is entering a period of even greater nutritional demands. You can talk to your nutritionist and doctor about this - it's great that you have a nutritionist on your team.
There are many alternative treatments of other diseases but with Crohn's you are working with a limited palette of meds that we know for a fact promote mucosal healing in most chidlren with Crohn's.
Like all of us here, you want the lowest risk treatments to achieve the maximum benefit - remission. Sometimes it works out that way but it almost never turns out that way when your child has mod/severe disease.
You may want to read a short version of our story here:
All the best
Last edited by Patricia56; 01-25-2013 at
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To answer your question about the biopsies: they would not appear as ulcers. The biopsies are so small.
It was one of the hardest decision we made to put our daughter on Prednisone, and then on Remicade. But I have no regrets. it did take almost a year, but today she is doing so well. And today, January 24th, 2013 is the best day she has had since being diagnosed. There have been many highs and lows over this last year; There are trials, there are good days and bad days... and some tears. and I am careful to say it is today that she is doing well, because this disease is so unpredictable.
there are other treatments you can consider too, usually in addition to a medication, until remisison is achieved: Fecal infusion and Anti-M.A.P treatment., and there is so much research being done, that more treatments may be available some day.
wishing you and your daughter the best
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Hi Carol,
You have been given so much good advice already. The only thing I wanted to add is that boost and ensure are not always considered true EN and may not do the full job. Most doctors reccomend special prescription formulas in which the ingredients are so broken down that the body has to do very little to process them. This allows the bowel to rest and heal. If you decide to go the EN route you may want to discuss this with your doctor.
Also the alternative steroid Patricia mentioned budesonide also called
is a good option to consider. Our daughter has almost no side effects from it when she has used it. Good luck in whatever you decide and let keep us posted!
Crohn's Dx'ed Sept 08
Allerg Imuran Sept 08
Fail Remicade Jan 09
Methotrex Oct 09-Aug 11
Pentasa stopped - nosebleeds
EENOct 31 - Nov 28th. Too hard!
Retried Remicade Dec 11
Stopped due 2 Anaphylactic Reaction
LDN Jan 2012-June 2014 Got My daughter back!
New secondary diagnosis: Gastroporesis Dec 2013
Lost remission June 2014
Started Entyvio April 2015. Decreased to every 4 weeks October 2015. Praying for remission.
Super Moderator
Join Date: May 2010
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Hi Carol and
There are two things about this disease that I think are paramount.
1. Beware the sleeping dragon. In other words...never underestimate what inflammation silently simmering away is capable of.
2. No matter the path you choose now, tomorrow or ten years down the track. Never hold so tightly to it that you don't see the forest for the trees.
There are no wrong decisions when it comes to treatment, just different ones. Above all else you must be prepared to be honest with what you see whether it be physically and/or clinically and change tact if it is called for.
I well understand your fear and dread of the medications, we all do.
I think one of the ways I managed to get my head around it is to reason with myself what I would do if my child had a different disorder. What if they were diabetic or asthmatic? Would I not give medication due to potential side effects? No, because these diseases have the potential to kill if left untreated or under treated. Unfortunately Crohn's is no different.
I experienced this with my daughter. I must point out that she was undiagnosed at the time but her untreated Crohn's resulted in emergency surgery for a perforated and infarcted bowel and we came within a whiskers breadth of losing her. The main reason she went so long without a diagnosis is that Crohn's wasn't even on the radar so scopes were not done. She did not have the 'classic symptoms' and for both of my children blood and diarrhoea were never a symptom. For my daughter another red herring was that imaging and bloods consistently returned normal results until very, very late in the game.
You have been given wonderful advice about EN,
and Budesonide so I have nothing to add there. I would like to wish you every success in whatever path you choose hun and remember to keep asking questions as knowledge certainly is power.
Good luck and welcome aboard!
Dusty. xxx
Mum of 2 kids with Crohn's.
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Hi Dusty. Thanks for the post. I think I am starting to get it. The more I read on this board, the more I start to see the nature of this beast we are beginning to fight. Below is a copy of an email I sent to my peds GI today. She seemed positive about EEN for Jaedyn when I first talked to her a few weeks ago, before we had a final diagnosis. She seemed to say that it was viable alternative and she was glad we would consider it.
Dear Dr. Wilson,
I thought Id write you to give you a little update on Jaedyn. I know you are waiting to hear what we decided about prednisone.
For now, we dont want to do prednisone. We wont completely rule out ever doing it, but wed like to try alternatives first.
Jaedyn is doing fairly well now. She states that she is not having pain or diarrhea at this time, and hasnt had pain for a week or diarrhea for maybe 2 weeks. She does state that she feels sick after meals and nauseated. Sometimes she stops eating during a meal due to these feelings, but can finish it if she waits 20 minutes or so. Her servings are pretty small and she is eating regularly. She is also drinking, right now, about 2 Ensures a day. As of last week (or was it the week before?) when she saw Dr. Bailey, she had gained 2 lbs and grown an inch. She weighed 70.4 lbs, and I think this increase was since she saw you in December.
Ive talked a lot to Jaedyn and she is committed to getting better. Weve talked about the prednisone and about EEN. She is willing to try EEN if necessary. Would it be possible to try a period of doing supplemental Ensure (say 4-6 cans you tell me how much) orally in addition to her foods to see if she will continue to get better, or do you feel that would be a waste of time? We could go see Dr Schramm every 2 weeks for weight and growth checks.
If she starts EEN or not, when would you recommend that she start a maintenance medication? Is budesonide only used for induction? What maintenance medication would you want her to do and when would you want her to start?
If we do total EEN, I would like a plan spelled out for us, such as recommended formula to use, how much, how long (or when do we check in with you, etc). Could she eat/drink anything else? Jaedyn will try doing it orally, but already she is getting tired of the Ensure. She said shed be willing to try the nighttime feedings with the NG tube if necessary also.
We do seem to have a dietician here who is knowledgeable about Crohns. Her name is Shea Brumley and she is associated with Central Peninsula Hospital. Tim (her dad) and Jaedyn met with her once and she is working with us to help Jaedyn increase her calories and improve her nutrition.
Jaedyn had some bloodwork done on Wednesday, including some vitamin levels, CMP, Sed Rate and ESR. I assume Dr. Schramm is planning to forward it to you when she gets everything back. The sed rate and CRP were normal.
was in the upper 600s,
still a little high at 29, but otherwise things were mostly normal. The other vitamin/ferritin levels were still pending. No CBC was done.
Thanks for your time. I hope you have a good weekend.
I showed Jaedyn the video of the little girl on Youtube (link from the EEN thread - second post) showing how to insert an NG tube. She was impressed by this and saw that it was really no big deal. I'm so proud that she is showing maturity in this. She's come a long way in the last six weeks. Six weeks ago, I almost had to pry her out of the van to go get a blood draw. This week she came willingly to my office after seeing the nutritionist, let me put lidocaine/prilocaine on her arms and gave her daddy no grief about getting the blood draw, even though they ended up having to stick her twice.
My little girl is growing up!
Super Moderator
Join Date: May 2010
Location: New South Wales, Australia
EEN is a very good viable alternative.
I hope it works wonderfully well for you girl, bless her.
Dusty. xxx
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Location: Michigan
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My Grace is doing EN. I love it. I hope she does well!
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text:
Photographing these owls is the same as taking drugs...more...more...more!
I decided to take a fast run over to Ile Bizard this afternoon to see how Sally and friends were doing. Sally wasn't around but I ran accross Mikey looking for an afternoon snack.
He was sitting in a tree about 30 feet from me and suddenly dove into the field.....
He had caught a mouse and decided to eat it on the ground. He then proceeded to take off and started flying right towards me!
I just kept on shooting, praying that the AF was tracking
It was very apparent that he didn't see me (I was wearing camo) or he didn't care...
I thought that I might have to duck!
He finally landed in a tree right over my head. I had to crouch to get the next two shots casue he was too close for the AF to work
MKII with 400 f/5.6
I know that I've blown the maximum images per post rule but I'm so damn excited. Mods can flog me
*edit* All images are full frame.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
No matter how many times you walk on the uneven cobblestones of Red Square, the view is awe-inspiring and the experience monumental. Stand in the center and let your mind wander as centuries of Russian history unfold in the architecture. Tsars were crowned and traitors beheaded just outside of St. Basil's Cathedral's colorful domes. Soviet tanks once rolled ceremoniously across as Stalin surveyed from the sidelines, and Lenin's mausoleum is still guarded by stern-faced soldiers.
The first walls of the Kremlin were erected more than 850 years ago and continue to symbolize Russian power today. Don't miss the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexander Gardens, a popular place for newlyweds to have their first photo taken. The Armory Chamber is the jewel of the Kremlin and contains one of the richest collections of silver, gold, diamonds, and Faberge eggs in the country. Several halls display more than 4,000 artifacts dating back to the 12th century, including diamond-encrusted coronation thrones and extravagant Russian armor.
Moscow's oldest—and most famous—theater recently reopened after a complete renovation that took six years. Watching a ballet performance of a Russian classic, such as Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, on the main stage is unforgettable.
Wander through the rooms of Old Tretyakov's extraordinary collection of famous Russian icons, landscapes, and portraits housed in an early-20th-century building that feels more like a castle. The museum boasts one of the largest and most renowned collections of work from the prerevolutionary Russian realists known as the Wanderers.
After a recent renovation, this "Park of Culture" has once again become a very popular spot for Muscovites. The dilapidated Soviet buildings and Ferris wheel have been torn down and replaced with modern art galleries, cafes, and playgrounds. Young and old will find plenty to do here, from simply strolling around the vast green space to renting paddleboats, bicycles, or rollerblades. There are concerts and art shows in the summer, and snowboarding and ice skating in the winter.
If the imposing marble exterior of this Soviet-era iconic structure doesn't intimate you, the soldiers standing guard inside might. The stern guards are there to watch over Vladimir Lenin's embalmed body and ensure visitors maintain a respectful silence around the former leader of the Russian Revolution. Gigglers will be scolded. While admittedly morbid, the experience of seeing one of modern history's most noteworthy figures is certainly a can't-miss Moscow sight.
Opened in 1912, the museum holds Moscow's largest collection of European art. Broken up into several wings, it contains both rotating and permanent collections of fine art and archeological treasures from Central Asia to Europe. The private collections wing has some outstanding art collected over the years by prominent Russian collectors.
Moscow is a city of tremendous power and energy. Hulking gothic towers loom over broad avenues that form a sprawling web around the Kremlin and course with traffic day and night. The Soviet past looms large, but the city embraces capitalism with gusto. Although Muscovites are protecting some of their architectural heritage, they're also creating a new, often controversial legacy in the form of soaring skyscrapers and shopping malls. With a population of more than 11 million, Moscow is Russia's largest city and, indeed, the largest—and one of the most rapidly changing—cities in Europe.
Founded in the 12th century as the center of one of several competing principalities, Moscow eventually emerged as the heart of a unified Russian state in the 15th century. One hundred years later it had grown into the capital of a strong and prosperous realm, one of the largest in the world. But under Peter the Great (1672–1725), the city was demoted. Influenced by his exposure to the West, Peter deliberately turned his back on the old traditions and established his own capital—St. Petersburg—on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Yet Moscow continued to thrive as an economic and cultural center, and more than 200 years later, within a year of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the young Soviet government restored its status as the nation's capital.
The city became the undisputed political and ideological center of the vast Soviet empire. And even though it has been nearly two decades since that empire broke apart, the city retains its political, industrial, and cultural sway as Russia's capital. It's the home of some of the country's most renowned cultural institutions, theaters, and film studios. It's also the country's most important transportation hub—even today many flights to the former Soviet republics are routed through Moscow's airports.
To fortify and spur forward Russia's giant economy, the government and city's business communities actively court outside investments and set ambitious economic agendas. For visitors, this translates into a modern, fast-paced city with an increased availability of Western-style services and products. But even as Moscow becomes a hub of international business activity, it's determinedly holding onto its Russian roots. Restaurant kitchens, many of which strove to satisfy Russians' thirst for foreign tastes in the '90s, are turning back to the country's native cuisine, serving gourmet borscht and delicious pelmeni (bite-sized dumplings). Retro Soviet nostalgia is chic with young hipsters who were barely born before the Soviet Union split up. Business deals may no longer be made over a banquet table and sealed with a shot of vodka, but Muscovites take hospitality seriously, as a visit to any private home will show you. This tradition of welcoming with open arms has persisted alongside a less generous Soviet mentality, however: stubborn indifference remains the default attitude of staff at some hotels, restaurants, and stores. This is gradually fading, but you might still be faced with surly ticket sellers or even ungracious hotel employees, especially if trying to communicate strictly in spoken English.
As Russia enters its third decade of post-Soviet life, development and reconstruction are at an all-time high. Parts of Moscow, especially within the Boulevard Ring (Bulvarnoye Koltso), are now clean, safe, and well kept. Many of these buildings are designed to be harmonious with the ancient Russian style, but there are a growing number of shockingly modern steel-and-glass office towers, particularly in central Moscow. The decades ahead promise more change and hurdles to overcome. But this city has survived devastating fires, an invasion by Napoléon, and more than half a century of alternating demolition and breakneck construction by the Soviets. Moscow is ready for anything.
The best way to orient yourself in Moscow is via the city's efficient and highly ornate metro system.TIP Most of the sights in this chapter are located on or within the metro's brown line (#5) which circles the old historic center.Learning the Cyrillic alphabet will prove infinitely useful in helping you to distinguish between metro stops. When asking locals for directions, it's often more fruitful to discuss locations by the nearest metro stop than by neighborhood names.
Moscow is laid out in a series of concentric circles that emanate from its heart—the Kremlin/Red Square area. This epicenter, encircled by the tree-lined Boulevard Ring (Bulvarnoye Koltso), is rich with palaces and churches. Although the individual streets that make up the Boulevard Ring have different names, most of them have the word for boulevard, bulvar, in their names. The Boulevard Ring passes by stations Arbatskaya, Pushkinskaya, and Chistye Prudy on its way around the city. Much of your time is likely to be spent near metro stop Pushkinskaya, a few hundred yards up ulitsa Tverskaya, the city's main street, which goes north directly from the Kremlin.
Marking the outer edge of the city center is the Garden Ring (Sadovoe Koltso), a wide boulevard that has lost all the trees for which it was once famous. The metro's brown (#5) line almost follows the route of the Garden Ring. Metro stations Smolenskaya, Barrikadnaya, Mayakovskaya, Sukharevskaya, Krasniye Vorota, Taganskaya, Paveletskaya, Oktyabrskaya, and Park Kultury are all located on the Garden Ring road.
The Kremlin and Red Square. The ancient heart of the city stands out for its grand palaces, towers, and some of the country's most sacred churches, including St. Basil's and Assumption Cathedral. In addition to the historical sights, there are also modern shopping centers and a lively atmosphere in this most central area.
Kitai Gorod. North and east of the Kremlin/Red Square area and within the Boulevard Ring, this neighborhood began as an outgrowth of the Kremlin. Its sights include the Bolshoi Theatre and Sandunovskiye Bani, as well as some of the city's best restaurants.
Ulitsa Tverskaya. North of the Kremlin is the famous northern road to St. Petersburg, ulitsa Tverskaya, which extends from the Kremlin through the Boulevard Ring and out to the Garden Ring. This is Moscow's main shopping street. The Museum of the Contemporary History of Russia, just north of the Boulevard Ring, provides an interesting look at Moscow's evolution.
Ulitsa Bolshaya Nikitskaya. This main thoroughfare is lined with some stunning old mansions and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. The area around Patriarch's Ponds (Patriarshy Prudy) is full of posh cafés and shops and reminiscent of New York's Greenwich Village.
The Arbat. Two streets radiating out of the Kremlin to the west are the Stary Arbat (Old Arbat) and the Novy Arbat(New Arbat). The Stary Arbat is referred to by Russians simply as "the Arbat" and is a cobblestone pedestrian street with cafés, street performers, and all manner of souvenir shops. Novy Arbat is a modern thoroughfare with shopping malls and upscale restaurants.
The Kropotkinsky District. Southwest of the Kremlin, the Kropotkinsky District is home to the monumental Church of Christ Our Savior, where the Russian Patriarch leads mass on the most important holidays. Also here are the venerable Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the Tolstoy Memorial Museum.
Zamoskvoreche. This area is best known for its many churches, especially along the long north–south street Bolshaya Ordynka. Also here is the Tretyakov Gallery, the country's best art museum and the entrance to the recently revamped Gorky Park.
Moscow Outskirts. Four magnificent monasteries are the main points of interest south and east of the city center. The can't-miss among them is New Maiden's Monastery, with its colorful battle towers and peaceful pond. To the west and south, parks and former estates outside the city give you a glimpse of the verdant Russian countryside. Perfect for a visit on a day with fine weather, these spots draw masses of picnicking Muscovites all summer long. For those on a tight schedule, and with an interest in World War II, the sprawling Victory Park is just a quick trip from the center on the Moscow metro.
Far and away the best time to visit Moscow is in the late spring or summer. During the months of May to September, the weather is usually balmy, with averages in the 70s. It should be said that in recent years, it has also become uncomfortably and even dangerously hot at stretches. Even so, the warm temperatures and long days are ideal for
enjoying outdoor terraces at restaurants, music festivals at countryside estates, and lounging in the city's parks. From October to April, the weather is unpredictable, usually with a lot of rain and snow, making it inconvenient for touring the city on foot.
As the most important transportation hub in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, a quasi-confederation of states that includes most of the former Soviet Union), Moscow has several airports. Most international flights from the United States arrive at Sheremetyevo, about 29 km (18 miles) north of the city center. One of the most modern airports in Russia when it was built in 1979, Sheremetyevo's terminals have undergone a huge upgrade. There are five passenger terminals, known by letters B through F; most international flights are served by terminals E and F. (There's a terminal A as well, used for business air traffic.) The Russian carrier Aeroflot operates flights from Sheremeyevo to just about every capital of Europe, as well as to Canada and the United States, and codeshares with Delta Airlines. The airline also serves numerous domestic destinations.
Domodedovo, one of the largest airports in the world by passenger volume and Russia's busiest, is some 48 km (30 miles) southeast of Moscow. British Airways, Swiss, and Lufthansa fly in and out of Domodedovo. Flights also depart from Domodedovo to the republics of Central Asia and other parts of Russia.
Vnukovo, 29 km (18 miles) southwest of the city center, has become more popular in the last several years after an extensive upgrade. Several international carriers, including Turkish Airlines, Virgin, and Lufthansa, use the airport. Vnukovo also serves regional flights to Georgia, the southern republics, and Ukraine.
For general information on arriving international flights, call the airline directly or check the airports' websites—all three airports have made theirs more user friendly. Calling the airports usually takes longer and fewer people speak English.
It's necessary to pass through metal detectors and bag scanners at the entrances to terminals at all three airports. As a result, you should budget extra time when departing (up to three hours for international flights), as the lines to enter the buildings, as well as those at ticket counters, passport control, and security, can be long.
Domodedovo.This easy-to-use airport is located about 48 km (30 miles) south of the city center. The Aeroexpress train from Paveletsky train station gets you to the airport terminal in 40 minutes, allowing you to avoid the heavy traffic on the shosse Kashirskoe. Several major international carriers fly into Domodedova (DME), including British Airways, Swiss Air, and Lufthansa. Flights to other parts of Russia and the former Soviet republics of Central Asia also depart from here. The website has up-to-date arrival and departure information. | Domodedovo | 142015 |495/933–6666 | www.domodedovo.ru/en.
Sheremetyevo. Most direct flights from the U.S. arrive at Russia's second busiest airport (after Domodedovo), including those on Delta and its codeshare partner, Aeroflot. Sheremetyevo (SVO) is also the main hub for Aeroflot's domestic destinations, most of which leave from the new Terminal D. The Aeroexpress train connects the airport with Belorussky train station and takes about 35 minutes each way. | Khimki | 141400 | 495/578–6565, 800/100–6565 | www.svo.aero/en.
Vnukovo. More international carriers, such as Virgin and Turkish Airlines, have begun flying into Vnukovo (VKO), and some of Luftahansa's flights now use the airport. With less passenger travel than the other two major Moscow airports, the facilities can seem a bit more user-friendly. It's easy to reach via the Aeroexpress train to and from Kievsky train station. | 12 ul. 1st Reysovaya | 119027 | 495/937–5555 | www.vnukovo.ru/eng.
You can make arrival a lot easier by arranging in advance for your transfer from the airport. Most hotels will provide airport transfers (for a fee, usually about 4,500R) upon advance request by a phone call or fax (which you should confirm). Various private taxi companies charge considerably less (1,500R to 2,000R, depending on the airport), usually have English-speaking drivers available, and can be booked online ahead of time.
If you don't have many bags and feel comfortable navigating public transport straight off the plane, consider using the airports' newly spiffed-up Aeroexpress trains to get into the city. You'll see arrows pointing to the small stations from which they leave when you exit customs at each airport. A regular ticket (320R) takes you to one of the city's central train stations—Belorussky station from Sheremetyevo, Paveletsky station from Domodedovo, and Kievsky station from Vnukovo—from which you can take a cab or the metro to wherever you're staying. When heading to the airport on these trains, you can sometimes check into your flight at the train station (it depends on which airline you're using) and even hand off any baggage you want to check.
There are plenty of unofficial gypsy cabs available at the airports, but there's always a risk of being swindled. (If you do take one, be sure to bargain, bargain, bargain.) It's better to use the services offered on the airports' ground floors. These private firms are less risky, they can provide you with a receipt, and you may find their prices more reasonable than those of the gypsy cabs. The prices are still not cheap, however, ranging from 1,500–2,000R depending on your destination. Traveling to the airport from the city is cheaper. It's best to book a taxi in advance to do this. The rate is typically 1,000R–1,500R.
The cheapest options for getting to and from the city's airports are buses and marshrutka (minibuses), which shuttle back and forth from various outlying metro stations. Those going to Sheremetyevo leave from metro station Rechnoy Vokzal (at the northern end of the green line); and those going to Domodedovo leave from metro station Domodedovskaya (also on the green line but in the south). Those headed to Vnukovo leave from metro station Yugo-Zapadnaya, a name that translates as South-West, as it's at the southwestern end of the red metro line. It can be confusing trying to find the next bus leaving, but you can usually just follow someone else carrying luggage once you're outside the metro station. The buses each take about 30 minutes to get to the different airports. Traffic is unpredictable, though, and it can take longer, sometimes significantly so. The road to Sheremetyevo is particularly notorious for traffic, often becoming gridlocked for hours during the commuter rushes in morning and early evening.
The website provide schedules and ticket information for this handy service that links Paveletsky train station with Domodedovo airport, Belorussky station with Sheremetyevo airport, and Kievsky station with Vnukovo airport. |www.aeroexpress.ru.
Moscow has a river-taxi service that runs from Kiev train station to the Southern River Terminal from April to October, with stops at Gorky Park and the bottom of Sparrow Hills. The open-top boats are more of a tourist attraction than a form of commuter transport, although they can beat the traffic snarls. Tickets cost 300R for adults and 150R for children, and the timetable can be found at the ferry stops. Trips last about 1½ hours, and it's possible to buy drinks and snacks on board. The same company organizes longer tours in and around Moscow.
You're unlikely to want to travel by long-distance bus in Russia, since trains are frequent, cheap, and reliable. Most bus services go to provincial towns that lack good rail links.
For travel within Moscow, the municipal buses, trams, and trolleys all use the same tickets (30R), which you can buy in special kiosks, usually near metro stations. The tickets come in various denominations, ranging from one ride to 60 rides. You have to get on at the entrance next to the driver and put the ticket through an electronic turnstile, front-side down. Single-ride tickets are valid for a ride on one bus only; if you transfer to another bus or to a tram or trolley, you must pay another fare.
At metro stations, you can purchase smart cards in various denominations for multiple uses, including the "Troika" card introduced in 2013, which is good for all forms of city transportation both above and below ground. Another version of the smart card allows unlimited travel on buses, trams, trolleys, and the metro within 24 hours for 200R or 11 trips for 300R. Buses, trams, and trolleys operate from 5:30 am to 1 am, although service in the late-evening hours and on Sunday tends to be unreliable. Trolleys are connected to overhead power lines, trams to metal rails.
Newspaper kiosks sell a map that shows all of Moscow's transport routes: it's called karta Moskvy so vsem transportom.
The tram can be a fun way to take in part of the city while also resting your legs. A nice tram ride is the 39, which goes from Universitet metro station on the red line in the southwest of the city to Chistiye Prudy metro station, past Donskoy Monastery and Danilovsky Market. The B trolley bus runs around the Garden Ring and can be a pleasant way to see the Ring when the traffic's not heavy.
Bus, Tram, and Trolley Contacts
Mosgortrans. This organization runs all the city's bus, trolley, and tramcar lines. The website has schedules and maps in Russian only. | 495/950–4204 | www.mosgortrans.com.
Moskovsky Avtovokzal (Moscow Central Bus Station). This is Moscow's central bus station, serving towns and cities in the oblast as well as those farther out. The website is Russian only. | 2 ul. Uralskaya, Eastern Outskirts |107207 | 499/748–8029, 499/748–8964 | turizm.mostransavto.ru | Station: Shchelkovskaya.
You can reach Moscow from Finland and St. Petersburg by taking the Helsinki–St. Petersburg Highway through Vyborg and St. Petersburg and continuing from there on the Moscow–St. Petersburg Highway. Using a car for getting around Moscow isn't advised, though, as driving in Russia is invariably more of a hassle than a pleasure. Roads are very poorly maintained, and many streets in the city center are one-way. Renting a car can also be much more expensive than in the U.S. To top it all off, Moscow traffic police are infamous for seeking out bribes, especially from foreigners, and they'll often demand that you pay a shtraf (fine) whether you have all the proper documents or not. If you do decide to drive, be sure to carry a notarized translation of your current license.
The Moscow metro, which opened in 1935, ranks among the world's finest public transportation systems. With more than 300 km (186 miles) of track, the Moscow metro carries an estimated 8 million passengers daily. Even though it scrapes by with inadequate state subsidies, the system continues to run efficiently, with trains every 50 seconds during rush hour. It leaves New Yorkers green with envy.
If you're not traveling with a tour group or if you haven't hired your own driver, taking the metro is the best way to get around the Russian capital. You'll be doing yourself a big favor and saving yourself a lot of frustration if you learn the Russian (Cyrillic) alphabet well enough to be able to transliterate the names of the stations. This will come in especially handy at transfer points, where signs with long lists of the names of metro stations lead you from one major metro line to another. You should also be able to recognize the entrance and exit signs
Pocket maps of the system are available at newspaper kiosks and sometimes from individual vendors at metro stations. Be sure that you obtain a map with English transliterations in addition to Cyrillic. If you can't find one, try any of the major hotels. Plan your route beforehand and have your destination written in Russian and its English transliteration to help you spot the station. As the train approaches each station, the station name will be announced over the train's public-address system; the name of the next station is given before the train starts off. Reminders of interchanges and transfers are also given. All trains have the transliterated names of stations on line maps, and newer trains have electronic displays next to the doors that show the names of all the stations on the line and the train's progress.
Stations are built deep underground (they were built to double as bomb shelters); the escalators are steep and run fast, so watch your step. If you use the metro during rush hour (8:30–10 am, 5–7 pm), be prepared for some pushing and shoving. In a crowded train, just before a station, you're likely to be asked, "Vy vykhódíte?" or whether you're getting off at the next station. If not, you're expected to move out of the way. Riders are expected to give up seats for senior citizens and small children.
The metro is easy to use and amazingly inexpensive. Stations are marked with a large illuminated "M" sign and are open daily 5:30 am to 1 am. The fare is the same regardless of distance traveled, and there are many stations where lines connect and you may transfer for free. You purchase a magnetic smart card (available at all stations) for 1, 5, 10, 20, or more journeys and hold it near the yellow circle on the right side of the entry gate. Wait until you see the red light replaced by a green one, signaling that your card has registered, then walk through. A single ride costs 30R and discounts are available for multiple-journey cards—for instance, unlimited travel on the metro as well as on buses, trams, and trolleys within 24 hours for 200R, or 11 trips for 300R. You can purchase smart cards at any metro station.
Exercise caution when using taxis. There are standard taxis of various makes and colors, but professional ones all have taxi lights on top. Official taxis also have a "T" and checkered emblem on the doors (but there aren't many of them). When you enter a cab, check to see if the meter is working; if it isn't, agree on a price beforehand. Everyone with a car is a potential taxi driver in Moscow, and there are huge masses of people who make extra money or even their entire livelihood driving people in their private vehicles (often beat-up Soviet models), so you never have to wait long for someone to stop. This is generally a safe practice, but it's best to avoid it, particularly if you don't speak Russian, as most drivers will try to swindle you. Some private drivers also don't know the city very well and may not be able to reach your destination without directions from you. If you do choose to take a ride in an ordinary car, take some precautions: never get in a car with more than one person inside, and if the driver wants to stop for another fare, say no or get out of the car.
The easiest thing to do if you want a cab is to order one by phone or through your hotel. Moscow has numerous cab companies, most with 24-hour service. There's sometimes a delay, but a cab usually arrives within the hour. If you order a cab in this way, you usually pay a set rate for the first 20–40 minutes (around 350R–500R) and then a set rate per minute (usually around 10R per minute) after that. Always ask for an approximate price when you telephone for a cab. Unfortunately, most operators don't speak English, so when possible ask your hotel concierge (or a restaurant's maître d') to order one for you. Formula Taxi provides city cabs (typically silver Renault sedans) as well as airport service from hotels or private residences. Novoye Zhyoltoye Taksi (New Yellow Taxi) is a cab firm with a good reputation. Yandex Taxi is a smartphone app and a website that allows you to locate the closest cab, depending on your location.
Taxi Contacts
Formula Taxi. | 495/777–5777 | www.formula-taxi.ru/en.
Novoye Zhyoltoye Taksi. This is one of the larger taxi companies operating in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Prices start at 22 rubles a kilometer. Bookings can be made on the phone or via the online system. | 495/940–8888 |www.nyt.ru/en.
Welcome Taxi. English-speaking drivers make airport pick-ups and trips around the city. They'll purchase a mobile SIM card for you and meet you at the airport with it. Bookings may be made online. | 499/922–0674, 499/553–0158 |welcometaxi.ru.
Yandex Taxi. This site, with a smartphone app, allows customers to book a taxi online. The system uses Yandex maps to locate your phone, and then allows you to choose a taxi service that's closest to your location. The site is in Russian, but you can type your location in English. | taxi.yandex.ru.
Moscow is the hub of the Russian railway system, and the city's several railway stations handle nearly half a billion passengers annually. There are several trains daily to St. Petersburg, and overnight service is available to Kiev, Helsinki, Riga, and Tallinn. All the major train stations have a connecting metro stop, so they're easily reached by public transportation. The most important stations are Belorussky station, for trains to Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, and France; Kazansky station, for points south and to Central Asia and Siberia; Kievsky station, for Kiev and western Ukraine, Moldova, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary; Kursky station, for eastern Ukraine, the Crimea, and southern Russia; Leningradsky station, for St. Petersburg, northern Russia, Estonia, and Finland; Paveletsky station, for eastern Ukraine and points south; Rizhsky station, for Latvia; and Yaroslavsky station, for points east, including Mongolia and China. Trains to Vladivostok on the Trans-Siberian Railway depart from Yaroslavsky station. Both overnight trains and high-speed day trains depart from Leningradsky and Kursky stations for St. Petersburg. The daytime high-speed Sapsan trains take four hours and leave at various times throughout the day. Of the numerous overnight trains, the most popular is train number 2, the Krasnaya Strela (Red Arrow), which leaves Moscow at 11:55 pm and arrives the next day in St. Petersburg at 7:55 am. The Grand Express has a similar schedule, departing Moscow at 11:40 pm and arriving in St. Petersburg at 8:35 am. There are half a dozen categories of accommodation; the higher-class compartments have showers, and some have satellite TV and other amenities.
Note that although there are phone numbers for each station, it's all but impossible to get through to them. If you want to check schedules and ticket prices ahead of time, you can use the booking function on the Russian Trains website. The system can be finicky, but should improve over time. You can also purchase tickets at the railway stations, but expect long lines and brusque clerks, most of whom have little patience for those who speak no Russian. The easier route is to ask your hotel for help, as they typically have a connection with a travel agency who can arrange tickets for you. In either case, have your passport or a photocopy with you. You need it to buy tickets (they print your name and your passport number on the ticket), and you'll need to show your passport to the attendant on the train.
Train Information
Russian Railways. Every train station in Moscow has a ticket counter, and other ticket agencies are located around the city. You can also buy tickets online, but only through the Russian pages of the website. | 5 pl. Komsomolskaya |107104 | 800/775-0000 | www.rzd.ru | Station: Chistiye Prudy.
Train Station Information
Belorussia station (Belorussky Vokzal). | pl. Tverskaya Zastava, Northern Outskirts | 125047 | 495/266–0300 |Station: Belorusskaya.
Kazan station (Kazansky Vokzal). | pl. Komsomolskaya, Northern Outskirts | 107140 | 495/266–2300 | Station:Komsomolskaya.
Kiev station (Kievsky Vokzal). | pl. Kiyevsky, Krasnaya Presnya | 121059 | 499/240–7071 | Station: Kievskaya.
Kursk station (Kursky Vokzal). | pl. Kursky, Eastern Outskirts | 105064 | 495/266–5310 | Station: Kurskaya.
Leningrad station (Leningradsky Vokzal). | pl. Komsomolskaya, Northern Outskirts | 107140 | 495/262–9143 |Station: Komsomoskaya.
Pavelets station (Paveletsky Vokzal). | pl. Paveletskaya, Southern Outskirts | 115054 | 495/950–3700 | Station:Paveletskaya.
Riga station (Rizhsky Vokzal). | pl. Rizhskaya, Northern Outskirts | 129272 | 495/631-1588 | Station: Rizhskaya.
Yaroslav station (Yaroslavsky Vokzal). | 5 pl. Komsomolskaya, Northern Outskirts | 107140 | 495/266–6300 | Station:Komsomolskaya.
Every major hotel maintains a tourist bureau that books individual and group tours to Moscow's main sights. In addition, there are numerous private agencies that can help with your sightseeing plans.
Patriarshy Dom Tours conducts unusual day and overnight tours in and around Moscow and St. Petersburg for groups or individuals. Among the tours are Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery and the Andrei Sakharov Museum, literature and architectural walks, and the space-flight command center. Capital Tours handles group and individual tours in Moscow, including a guided trip through the most interesting metro stations and a tour of a former Soviet nuclear command bunker. They can also arrange custom tours or even whole itineraries through Russia.
The new hop-on, hop-off bus tour service operated by City Sightseeing Moscow is a good, cheap option for getting your bearings in Moscow and seeing some of the major sites.
City Sightseeing Moscow.
Moscow's new hop-on, hop-off bus tour service gives visitors a good overview of the city's main sights at a reasonable price. The route has 18 stops, and audio guides are available in English, German, and Russian. A good jumping-on point is stop No. 10 on Theater Square across from the Bolshoi Theater. | 495/227–7996 |hoponhopoff.ru | 600R | Daily 10–10.
Capital Tours. | 4 ul. Ilyinka, Kremlin/Red Square | 109012 | 495/232–2442 | www.capitaltours.ru | Station: Kitai-Gorod.
Patriarshy Dom Tours. | 6 per. Vspolny, Ulitsa Bolshaya Nikitskaya | 123001 | 495/795–0927, 650/678–7076 in U.S.| www.toursinrussia.com | Station: Barrikadnaya.
Travel agents in all the major hotels offer their guests (and anyone else willing to pay their fees) various tourist services, including help in booking group or individual excursions, making a restaurant reservation, or purchasing theater or ballet tickets. The Moscow city government offers very little assistance to tourists, in part because the established Soviet travel service monopoly, Intourist, was sold off by the government during the '90s privatization spree. However, there's an official Moscow tourist office that runs a hotline you can call to ask questions and obtain information regarding museums, tour agencies, emergency services, and other tourist activities. The operators speak English, but don't count on them for a great deal of detailed information.
Tourist Hotline. This service is hit or miss in terms of getting the answer you want. They usually have information about the major sights in the city, however. English is spoken. | 495/690–1301, 800/220–0001, 800/220–0002.
Moscow. Cosmopolitan in flavor, Russia's capital exudes prosperity and vigor. From Stalin's carved-marble metro stations to the sprawl of modern business complexes, Moscow flaunts its ambition with a penchant for going over the top. It's an all-night-party town whose days offer endless opportunities for those who can keep up. A merchant capital by birth, Moscow was fashioned for big spenders, and money has always made the wheels go 'round here. Now counted as one of the world's most expensive cities, the only possible limit is the size of your wallet.
See also Program of visiting Moscow and Golden ring
Moscow Environs and the Golden Ring. In the 12th to 14th centuries, the Golden Ring cities were the most important political, religious, and commercial centers in Russia before Moscow usurped all power. Nowadays these ancient enclaves are perfect destinations for rolling back the centuries. A visit to their medieval convents, ancient trade chambers, and kremlins is like stepping into a living encyclopedia of Russian culture, complete with picture-postcard views of onion-domed churches set on the banks of the Volga River.
See also Program of visiting Moscow and Golden ring
St. Petersburg. Serenity and reflection reign in this city. Tsars don't rush—it would be undignified. St. Petersburg was founded as the new capital of the Russian Empire in 1703 by Peter the Great and still carries itself with austere regal grace. The city built on the marshy banks of the Neva River today attracts more tourists than anywhere else in Russia. A brilliant fusion created by Italian and French architects, St. Petersburg invites comparisons with Amsterdam, Venice, and Stockholm. The big attractions here are the pastimes of the nobility—artwork, classical concerts, ballet, and idyllic promenading in the 19th-century landscape.
See also Reception in St. Petersburg. Program of visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg
Summer Palaces and Historic Islands. Several of St. Petersburg's imperial summer residences have been meticulously restored to their original splendor, and the sheer opulence is stunning. Peterhof's (Petrodvorets) park is Russia's answer to Versailles, while Catherine's Palace at Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo) houses the legendary Amber Room. Lomonosov (Oranienbaum), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Konstantine Palace have both undergone restoration and are great places for a summer stroll or picnic. The islands of Kronshtadt and Vallam showcase another side of the city's history.
Раз в неделю мы отправляем дайджест с уникальными подборками выгодных туров и самыми популярными статьями о туризме и путешествиях.
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3G 4G WiFi Maps And Speed Test APKDownloads: 947 Updated: April 06, 2016 Category : Tools
by:OpenSignal.com Requires: Android 4.0 and upPrice:free
(Click to Ratings)
3G 4G WiFi Maps And Speed Test Description
This app looks for the nearest towers around you. It's really useful if you are in a place nearly out of range and you need to know which way you have to walk toward in order to get better signal. In a populated city, where at least two or three towers are around you at any time, it's more a curiosity than anything else.
✓ Signal compass points you in the direction your signal is coming from, just walk towards it!
✓ WiFi map allows you to easily locate nearby public networks.
✓ Coverage maps allow you see the best/worst places for signal.
✓ Internet Speedtest feature allows you to see the true speed of your connection (download, upload & latency)
✓ NetworkRank shows which carrier is best in your area
✓ See local cell towers
✓ Free and ad-free
You can also:
✓ Help improve our crowdsourced and impartial maps by contributing data.
✓ Share your findings and compare your connection with other users.
✓ View your history of signal readings
✓ Test upload, download and latency (internet speed)
✓ Save your data to SD card
✓ Signal booster for compatible phones
✓ Widget for signal strength and network type
✓ Set live wallpaper that changes with signal strength
When you activate this app, you're collaborating with Open Signal Maps, a project to map all the cellphone signals worldwide. Useful if you plan to travel to God-knows-where and you don't know if there'll be 3G there or not, or which carriers work and so on.
Editors Notes
Open Signal Maps is a world wide project to map signal sources.
Download 3G 4G WiFi Maps And Speed Test APK File
Download 3G 4G WiFi Maps And Speed Test
- Price: free
- Requires: Android 4.0 and up
- File Name: 3G 4G WiFi Maps And Speed Test.apk
- Downloads: 947
- Version : V3.64
- Category : Android Tools App
Old Versions 3G 4G WiFi Maps And Speed Test
- 3G 4G WiFi Maps And Speed Test 5.00 Apk File [Free] Date: 2016-08-26
- 3G 4G WiFi Maps And Speed Test V3.64 Apk File [free] Date: 2016-04-07
What's New in 3G 4G WiFi Maps And Speed Test
- Adding more zoom levels to the coverage maps. Now you can see more detail.
DISCLAIMER: 3G 4G WiFi Maps And Speed Test is the property and trademark from , all rights reserved by Click on the above link to proceed to the apk file download page or app buy page.
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Every year, our customers look forward to the PremCom Annual Technology Showcase. This year did not disappoint. With over 10 of PremCom's best in breed vendors, local organizations were able to see the latest in technology and speak to representatives of the companies that they have invested IT dollar .. Read More
PremCom Customers not only enjoyed some valuable information on Fortune's Sandboxing technology this week in the FortiExpress 18 wheeler, but also enjoyed some friendly racing competition at Pole Position Raceway! Our top finishers after the top 8 competed in 15 laps were Michael Murrin fr .. Read More
In two articles by The Huffington Post and our partner, ShoreTel, we learn the advantages of using Voice over Internet Protocol, one of our many products, in businesses. From the Huffington Post article: "Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is a type of Internet telephone that has been in use for abo .. Read More
85 Northpointe Pkwy, Amherst, New York 14228


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I wrote in for a competition, the theme of which was 'food and drink'. I had no idea what to write about for my submission, so I asked my other half, and he jokingly said 'taramasalata'.
For those of you who don't already know, taramasalata is a weird pink blancmange type substance made of mushed-up fish. It is in no way my favourite food...
That being said, I do like a challenge, and finding nine rhymes for taramasalata certainly *was* a challenge!
I didn't win the competition - and I think that's probably for the best, all things considered. But, if the Taramasalata Advisory Board are reading this, then I am very open to future fish-based commissions. Drop me an email, and we'll talk.
Some folks like a salad
Or soup to eat for starters,
But I just can't be sated
Without taramasalata.
It's almost an addiction.
I'll admit I am a martyr.
But heaven knows what I would do
For taramasalata.
There's no restrictions on its use
In any social strata.
It makes your breath smell like the sea,
Does taramasalata.
It's full of fish and vitamins –
I think it makes your smarter.
I've gained two PhD degrees
With Taramasalata.
If I could pass a Public Law,
Decree, or Royal Charter,
I'd get them to protect the fish
(For taramasalata).
And when there's none inside the fridge,
I beg and steal and barter.
It can't be helped, I'm really stuck
On taramasalata.
I want to buy the world's supply;
I've put it on KickStarter.
(The gift you get for donating
Is taramasalata.)
And, when I'm seeking payment –
Either full-time or pro rata –
I'll ask them to consider
Giving taramasalata.
If climate change kills all the fish,
It would be a disaster.
There'd be no sea diversity
(Or taramasalata).


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Plymouth High School's Tyler Willeford, 17, points out a feature of the grill that his school made to Wisconsin workforce development's Reggie Newson Friday May …Read More »
Project GRILL showcases student/manufacturer final products
SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) – Seven original grills built by Sheboygan County high school students were on display Friday evening at Wildwood Park in Sheboygan. …Read More »
Creativity + Skills + Baseball = Hot Time
Five 2012-2013 Project G.R.I.L.L. teams unveiled their creations at the Sheboygan A's Wildwood Park on Saturday, June 1st. G.R.I.L.L. (Growing Readiness in Learning & Leading) …Read More »
Project Grill unveils county student efforts
Truly unique and fully functional grills, built by students from seven different high schools under the supervision of seven area manufacturers were unveiled Friday at …Read More »
Project GRILL recieves AT&T Foundation grant
SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) – Lakeshore TECHNICAL COLLEGE received a $4,500 grant from the AT&T Foundation Thursday to help LTC's Project GRILL. Julie Tonkovitz from …Read More »


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Couples Hottest Photos of George Clooney Ex-Girlfriends
George Clooney's exes all have one thing in common: they are ridiculously hot! Check out some of the hottest photos of George Clooney's ex-girlfriends here. From the most recent conquests to the 80s hookups, this list is impressive. George is a busy guy. He's got the world (and some of it's hottest women) at his feet! If you're looking for pictures of Clooney's ex-flames, you've come to the right place!Who are the hottest women George Clooney has dated? If you'd like a look at some of Clooney's rumored (other) conquests, check out the George Clooney's Loves & Hookups page.
Kelly Preston
Pretty much everyone knows that actress Kelly Preston is married to John Travolta - but did you know that before she met Travolta, she dated George Clooney? Yep. She lived with him while the two were trying to get their respective acting careers off the ground, circa 1987 or so. Preston and Clooney were together for about two years. After their breakup, she dated Charlie Sheen before marrying Travolta in 1991.
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model. She has appeared in more than 60 television and film productions, most notably including Mischief, Twins and Jerry Maguire. She is married to John Travolta. ...more on Wikipedia
Age: 55
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
Elisabetta Canalis
Italian hottie Elisabetta Canalis began dating George Clooney in 2009. The couple first went public with their romance at the Venice Film Festival in September of 2009 - and they were a stunning pair. Sadly, George and Elisabetta called it quits in June of 2011. In a joint statement, Clooney and Canalis said, "We are not together anymore. It's very difficult and very personal, and we hope everyone can respect our privacy." So sad. But did we mention already that this means George Clooney is single and ready to mingle?
Elisabetta Canalis is an Italian actress and showgirl. ...more on Wikipedia
Age: 39
Birthplace: Sassari, Italy
Sarah Larson
Sarah Larson was working as a cocktail waitress in Las Vegas when she met George Clooney in 2007. The two dated for less than a year, splitting in 2008. Larson, a former 'Fear Factor' contestant, went on to sign a modeling contract.
Age: 39
Birthplace: Kent, Washington, United States of America
Krista Allen
Actress Krista Allen dated George Clooney for nearly two years. The two first got together after she was cast in 2002's 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.' They called it quits in 2004 - but some say they (very briefly) got together again in 2006.
Krista Allen is an American actress. She is best known for her work in the television series, Days of Our Lives, and Baywatch Hawaii, and in the Hollywood films Liar Liar, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Anger Management, The Final Destination and the Emmanuelle erotic TV series. ...more on Wikipedia
Age: 46
Birthplace: Ventura, California, United States of America


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Harvard College Library Funds
The Levin Family Judaica Book Fund
The gift of Arthur L. Levin, Class of 1961, M.D. 1965 to establish a Judaica book fund in the Harvard College Library in memory of his parents Zelda K. Levin and Harold L. Levin, Class of 1929, his grandparents Gertrude and Israel Max Levin and Annie and Morris Katzeff, and uncle Major Clarence Levin LL.B. 1930, a permanent endowment fund, the income of which is to be used in perpetuity for the acquisition of Judaica publications in the area of Jewish and Zionist history, with emphasis on the history of the Yishuv.


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A BABY dolphin reportedly died after beachgoers pulled it out of the water so they could pet it and take selfies with it.
The animal was struggling in shallow water on a beach in the seaside city of San Bernardo del Tuyu in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Bathers spotted it and pulled it on to the beach and soon a crowd gathered to pet the animal and take selfies with it, it has been claimed.
Despite the crowds, no one thought to return the baby dolphin to deeper waters and it died on the sand.
One witness, named only as Claudia, said: "They let it die.
"It was very small and it was next to the seashore.
"They could have returned it to sea, in fact it was breathing but they only wanted to take pictures of it and touch it repeatedly.
"They even claimed that it was already dead."
Most Read in News
Footage of people petting the animal was posted in social media by C5N and has outraged animal lovers.
Netizen 'lucianoluc' said: "Why didn't they put it back in the sea?"
Rochufalcone' added: "Where was the lifeguard when this happened? And why are people so ignorant?"
In February 2016, animal lovers in Argentina were distraught after a baby dolphin died in similar circumstances in the beach resort of Santa Teresita, also in Buenos Aires.
A tourist found the baby dolphin on the shoreline, picked it up and carried it onto the beach so that people could get a closer look and take pictures with it.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at email@example.com or call 0207 782 4368


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Reception Superstars for next week are..........
Rec Superstars: Jake & Chloe
Congratulations to all our Superstars.
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Leoni Torres Ft Kelvis Ochoa & Alexander Abreu – Es Tu Mirada | Exclusive
The Making of "Es Tu Mirada"
The Making of "Es Tu Mirada"
Probably the best rueda de casino so far … what do you think ?
Exclusive Fresh Cuban music from Belgium, Grupo Contrabado – Fe con bendiciones 2013
I have created this playlist where, you can find the classic hits of cuban timba, the best songs in my honest opinion are the best so far, so if someone is starting to listen cuban music, then this playlist if for you.
Charanga Habanera have had great singers during their stay with the band, like leoni torres, Dantes Cardoza, Sobrilla, Michel Maza, Tirso Duarte, Danny Lozada, just to name a few, David Calzado through out these years has had the ability to keep the band where it is now, one of the most successful and more followed […]


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DIY Tip for your Tuesday12:19 PM
Hi everyone! It's full of sunshine on this side of town. Temperature during daytime is definitely making an all time record high. An...
Hi everyone!
It's full of sunshine on this side of town. Temperature during daytime is definitely making an all time record high. And while it's nice to spend more time on vacation houses with the sea on your view and/or a cool vast swimming pool right in front of your doorstep, it's not budget friendly.
So let the shower room work overtime. It's always bath time!
And while bathrooms are often small, its functionality is quite huge. This utility space, aside from its expected performance can look good and refreshing with a little help of some green plants. Take a look of what a few green leaves can do to my valuable sanctuary.
Apparently, party balloons can do the trick, too! An example of a dull bathroom which took an interesting lift with its very buoyant occupant is the picture below.
Well, that's another story. Because there are other things you can add to your bathroom, too. Like these robots and car launcher dangling on my bath racks. Huh!
That's what I call, adding personality to your shower space. For mine, it's dominated by Lightning McQueen! It's the boy's influence, who else! Oh well, it's cute.
But I really want those nice, country styled bathrooms as featured on home magazines. I am partial to those warm hued light fixtures mounted on walls beside a white-framed vanity mirror and walls that are covered with cutesy wallpaper. Welcome again to my wishlist.
If I could really infuse my personality to our shower space, it would be something like these.
Note that the scale is for that tiny bathroom like mine which I guess is doable if only I have the resources. Oh well, save! Eeek, there's just too many wishlists. The next best doable item is to add some plants. There!
Asparagus fern and Chinese evergreen are some common plants that is good for your bathrooms. Some other plants I've searched are listed here.
And here's a few more inspiration for you.
Isn't it creating some airiness in your scrimpy but spa-like functional space? Now, how would you like to style your own? Let me hear from you.
If you want more ideas, check out pictures from here and here.
Have a refreshing and cool day!


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Temple Takes Next Step Toward Multipurpose Facility
On January 18th, President Richard M. Englert announced that Temple University will be taking the next steps in building a multipurpose facility on campus. In an email sent to the Temple community, Englert said, "I'm pleased to report that Temple is taking the next step in evaluating the potential for a multipurpose facility, including retail space and a stadium, on our Main Campus." Talk about a stadium being built on campus has lasted almost two years, and it has caused great controversy with the people who live locally. View More »