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The Trinity of Wellness: Body, Mind and Spirit
At the end of each year, like everyone else, I find myself reflecting on the past year and thinking about where I was then compared to today.
Last December, I was in the middle of a long taper Prednisone treatment, following another terrible spike in my flare-up. Hydroxyzine proved to be the magic medicine. I tapered off the Prednisone and each day the hives and swelling were smaller and smaller until they disappeared altogether (mid-February). I have been in remission since. It was the longest stretch of CIU (Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria) that I have ever had, spanning a year and a half this flare.
I am not a sickly person. In fact, I have been very physically fit for the last 15-20 years. While I no longer run (too hard on the knees!), I regularly strength train and do cardio, I practice yoga daily, and I eat extraordinarily healthfully and mindfully.
However, in the years preceding this flare, three of our children left home for college (leaving us with an empty nest), we lost two beloved family pets, my husband and I both changed jobs (with my husband becoming an independent contractor) – all of which caused incredible stress and put a strain on my closest relationships. I denied it existed – particularly to myself. Instead, I buried it all deep inside ("I'm strong – I can handle anything!"). The cortisol in my body continued to build. Cortisol (aka the "stress hormone") usually fluctuates throughout the day and night, rising in response to a stressful event, then returns to a normal level following the stressful event. However, my cortisol level went up and never went down, causing my immune system to go BANANAS. My body began attacking itself and nearly everything I touched or ingested. Writing about it now actually makes my chest tight. It was a terrible couple of years and I am so grateful to now feel SO good.
The life lesson I finally learned while trying to recover from this flare is that true health is more than just the fitness of my physical body. It includes the health of my mind and my soul, as well. Until this year, I was truly unhealthy in that sense, and it is what ultimately led to this flare.
During the flare, I underwent counseling with a gifted psychologist. I insisted that treatment not include pills. Instead, we talked about how I got here, and he taught me how to listen to my body in response to my emotions – breathing, meditation, and being present – and how to forgive myself for not being perfect.
I am not big on New Year's resolutions, but last January, I made a decision that 2016 was going to be the healthiest year of my life. I think I succeeded.
I know I am not as healthy as I could be, and some days are harder than others, but 2016 HAS been the healthiest year of my life thus far. I will certainly try to top it in 2017.
Happy New Year!
But you look so good!
I have not posted in a while – life is full and I was feeling somewhat lazy. However, it is a rainy, stormy day and a long weekend, so I feel a desire to think and write.
The fantastic news is that I am officially in remission. The final diagnosis is generally Autoimmune Disease, but more specifically, Hashimoto's Disease and Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria ("CIU"). I take a synthetic thyroid daily and the hypothyroid symptoms improved dramatically within a few months (less hair loss, less joint pain, better sleep, more focused). As I mentioned in my last post, I was prescribed Hydroxyzine in January for the CIU. Within the first week, the giant welting hives started transitioning to small chicken pox-like hives, then NOTHING. I have not had a CIU flare-up in any form since early February and I no longer need to take the Hydroxyzine.
My flare-ups have occurred about every six years since my early twenties. I am hopeful that with what I have learned about taking care of myself in the last crazy year, the cycle may finally be broken, my body will completely heal, and just maybe I can prevent a recurrence. I know now that taking exceptional care of my body is simply not enough – true wellness requires taking care of my mind and soul, as well.
It was initially very difficult for me to tell anyone that something was wrong – I am a very private person. When I reached out to friends and family about my "mystery" illness, I was touched by the responses I received. However, I was also very confused and hurt that so many people that I thought were close friends not only did not respond, but said nothing to me at all when I did see them. It wasn't cancer, but it wasn't nothing either. Didn't they care? Maybe they didn't believe that I was really sick?
The term "invisible illness" is relatively new. Some examples include other autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, depression and mental illness, digestive disorders like Celiac's Disease, etc.
People often judge others by what they see – this is natural human behavior. For a long time, my illness was a mystery to me, as well, so when people asked me to explain, I could not and I would often hear, "but you look so healthy" or "you really don't look sick." It was also frustrating when people offered unsolicited advice – if my doctors and I could not figure it out, what made them think they had an answer? I had another friend tell me, while I was in the middle of a terrible flare-up, that I should look at it as a blessing. Good advice, but REALLY bad timing to tell me this when I was in the depths of it – excuse me if I don't feel very blessed right now! Of course, now that I am moving beyond it, I DO feel that it was a blessing – but that's a post for another day.
Very few friends or family actually saw the illness because I was often in hiding. I stayed home a LOT and did not accept invitations or reach out to friends. When they did see me, I looked healthy. My husband is the only one in my life that I think truly understands what this last year did to me because he lived it every day – it also deeply affected his life, as well as our relationship. I know that he felt frustrated and helpless, yet was loving, supportive and encouraging to me.
Those friends that appeared to be "fair-weather" are still in my life. They simply did not see sickness. If they did, they certainly did not see it on a daily basis – the symptoms, the frustration, the depression and the isolation. In hindsight, I think my expectations of their response were idealistic and unrealistic, so I choose to release any judgment of it now and hopefully educate people along the way.
We all are sick on occasion – we pick up viruses here and there. But what if your virus never went away? In fact, what if it just progressively got worse and days turned into months, with no hope of resolution? What if your doctors (even specialists) could not pinpoint the cause, provide a diagnosis or find a treatment, and you were told that it could potentially be part of your life forever? Then try to imagine explaining this reality to your friends and family – when you look perfectly fine on the outside.
Our culture is taught to believe that illness and disease are visible and apparent, and that when we are sick, we go to the doctor, the doctor diagnoses the issue and prescribes treatment. That did not happen to me, nor does it happen to a lot of people, even in our very medically advanced world.
There is still more that we don't than what we DO know. We need to continue to educate ourselves, let go of the past, manifest kindness and release judgment.
Of course, sometimes, this is easier said than done (especially in an election year). 😉
Patient Heal Thyself
As mentioned in prior posts, after another angioedema episode that brought me back to urgent care for another epi shot, I started on a strong dose, slow taper of prednisone. It did the trick – no hives, urticaria or angioedema for the course of the Prednisone.
I finished the Prednisone two weeks ago. A week ago, I woke up with a couple of hives and over the last week, I have had a few hives here and there – no giant hives, no urticaria, no angioedema – nothing like a real flare up.
So I AM rebounding after discontinuing the Prednisone, but it is a small rebound. I am going to hold onto that as a good sign.
I visited the immunologist last week and received a diagnosis: Chronic Idiopathic Autoimmune Urticaria, which is caused by anti-FcεRI and less frequently, by anti-IgE autoantibodies that lead to mast cell and basophil activation, thereby giving rise to the release of histamine and other proinflammatory mediators (Ref 1). It is not known if this could be related to the hypothyroid issues I am experiencing. From the treatment summary:
"Angela's history and laboratory evaluation are not clearly suggestive of a specific etiology or process to explain her relapsing-remitting urticaria and angioedema. We discussed the limitations of commercially availably laboratory tests to assess immune function, which is broad, complex and influenced by genetics and environment."
So the immunologist's treatment plan is to continue to suppress the immune response with high doses of the histamine inhibitors and asthma medication, with a plan to start tapering in a few months, and to continue with the immune system boosting vitamins and supplements that I currently take.
MY plan is to make 2016 the healthiest year of my life. To help make that happen, I have adjusted my mindset, diet, exercise and lifestyle. See my next blog post for the deets on my course of action.
Dealing with the Devil – Medications that Help
I feel fantastic – a stark contrast from my last post on this. I will not continue to go on and on about how terrible this disease is – blah, blah, blah. There will be no more whining. It is now time to turn this into something positive.
The reason I AM feeling so fantastic is that I am on a high dose of Prednisone, with a slow taper schedule. (More on Prednisone below.)
When the hives are what I call "standard hives" – itchy, spotty welts and wheals, I found a combination of Zirtec (cetirizine) and Zantac (Ranitidine) helped keep them under control.
Zirtec is s a second-generation antihistamine used in the treatment of hay fever, allergies, angioedema and urticaria. It is a major metabolite of hydroxyzine, and a racemic selective H1 receptor antagonist.
Zantac is a histamine H2-receptor antagonist that inhibits stomach acid production. However, it is also used alongside antihistamines for the treatment of skin conditions such as hives.
However, when I have giant hives that literally cover my body with ¼ inch thick welts, urticaria in my face and mouth, and restricted breathing, the Zirtec/Zantac combo does nothing. The only thing thus far that has helped control the severe immune response is Prednisone.
Prednisone is corticosteroid. It prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. It also suppresses the immune system, which is why it has been prescribed to me.
However…Prednisone has significant adverse effects, especially with prolonged treatment, including cataracts, bone loss, weakening of the immune system, and many others. One of the most serious complications from prednisone is the risk of osteoporosis, which occurs from the bone loss.
The bottom line is that Prednisone will cover up the disease, but the underlying dysfunction (the cause of the disease) must be repaired.
I am off to the immunologist tomorrow, hopeful that they will have another solution for me.
When Your Own Body is the Enemy
I am a self-proclaimed health and wellness nut. I take exceptionally good care of myself, so I should be feeling FANTASTIC, right? Unfortunately, not even close. I am so very grateful, however, that I do take great care of myself – I cannot imagine how much worse this might be if I did not.
What I have discovered through the journey I will describe below is that the most helpful thing to me has been reading message boards, blogs and articles written by others that are going through similar challenges. So I think it is time to share this. Perhaps my journey can provide guidance and insight to others – and maybe even some comfort that they are not crazy or alone. Future posts will be more focused and a much quicker read.
As I sit to write this post, my body is covered in giant hives from the top of my head to my toes – itching, painful, ugly welts and wheals. They explode out of my skin so violently that they actually cause bruising. When they finally flatten out, my skin aches for at least another day. I remind myself how much worse it could be – that my face, lips and eyes could be swelling and I could have difficulty breathing, which was my situation LAST week at this time, necessitating a shot of epinephrine and another round of prednisone.
This miserable condition has flared up about every 5-6 years since my twenties, with each flare-up lasting 4-6 months. The physical manifestation of the current flare-up (the hives and urticaria) started in early May and has been the worst flare up yet. The other symptoms – fatigue, constant hunger, weight gain, muscle and joint pain and stiffness, difficulty sleeping, hair loss, increased anxiety, and other symptoms – started about a year and a half before that, with symptoms continuing to worsen until the hives appeared. In the years between the flare-ups, I have lived a pretty normal life – I have gone for years at a time with none of these symptoms.
An endocrinologist recently diagnosed me with Autoimmune Disease. An autoimmune disease develops when your immune system decides your healthy cells are foreign and it attacks them. It is genetic (my mother had Hashimoto's Disease and vitiligo and a sister also has vitiligo) and my autoimmune response appears to be triggered by chronic stress – my body stays in the "fight or flight" mode constantly and for months, and cortisol levels never come down. This has both weakened and interfered with the function of my immune system. In between flare-ups, I have been in remission.
I am grateful that there is a name for it and I wish I could say that the diagnosis means that there is a treatment. That is not the case. The immune system is extraordinarily complex and complicated – even for the specialists. The doctors certainly know what triggers the response in me and how it manifests, but aside from the emergency treatments, they do not know how to treat it.
In addition to the urticaria and hives, I have classic Hashimoto's symptoms, so was tested for that (Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease related to hypothyroid and it is genetic). While all of my test results were in the "standard" range, they were at the lowest end of the range. The endo told me that 10% of those with Hashimoto's symptoms are in the standard range on tests, but that they show benefit from taking thyroid medication, so he prescribed a synthetic thyroid two weeks ago. I am told that it takes 3-4 weeks to notice changes (obviously, my symptoms won't resolve with the thyroid meds unless I do have hypothyroid). However, I do notice changes already – I sleep better, I have more energy (the daily fatigue is all but gone), my muscles and joints do not ache.
Yet the hives and urticarial remain. I am hopeful that they will magically disappear after 3-4 weeks on they thyroid meds, but the endo warned me that it might not do anything to improve the hives. I am going to visit an immunologist next week. Lots of healthcare fun.
We know that the food we eat can cause inflammation and inflammation is disease. Additionally, my immune system is broken right now – I don't know what is triggering the hives on any given day. So a few weeks ago, I started a very restricted "autoimmune" re-set diet. For 30 days
- No dairy
- No eggs
- No gluten
- No soy
- No nuts
- No seeds
- No legumes
- No sugar
- No nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers)
- No processed foods
It is Paleo Plus – and I DO feel like a cave woman – hungry and constantly trying to find something that I can eat! However, the cravings for what I cannot have are subsiding and I am finding recipes for some decent things to eat – believe it or not. If I go out, I look for somewhere I can get a big piece of meat and a pile of approved veggies.
I hope you reach out to me with comments and questions.
The Stress Monster
There is more to life than increasing its speed. ~Mohandas K. Gandhi
We all experience stress on a daily basis – mostly on a small-scale. It's part of life. The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it (physically, mentally and emotionally). It can be positive in the fact that it keeps us alert and ready to avoid danger (the "fight or flight" response). It is difficult for scientists to define, as the effects differ for each of us. Something that is distressful for me may be very pleasurable for another (i.e. public speaking – enjoyable for some, terrifying for others). It can result from external challenges (major life changes, work, financial problems) or be self-generated (pessimism, perfectionism, negative self-talk).
However, when stress becomes continuous or chronic, without relaxation between challenges, it leads to distress. Mentally, it can cause difficulty in concentration, trouble learning new information, forgetfulness, difficulty making decisions, feeling overwhelmed, social withdrawal, panic attacks – just to name a few! It can manifest itself physically, causing headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, difficulty sleeping, etc., etc…. The effects are different for everyone. Consider the following:
- Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
- 75-90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
- Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared stress a hazard of the workplace. Stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually.
- The lifetime prevalence of an emotional disorder is more than 50%, often due to chronic, untreated stress reactions.
When we experience stress, our body releases a hormone called "Cortisol." It helps metabolize glucose, regulates blood pressure, assists with insulin release for blood sugar maintenance, and is involved in immune function and inflammatory response. Small increases in cortisol can provide a quick burst of energy, heightened memory functions, a burst of increased immunity, lower sensitivity to pain, and assistance in maintaining homeostasis (the physiology of internal stability) in the body.
However, prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream (chronic stress) can cause a multitude of physical problems, including (but not limited to!) the following:
- Impaired cognitive performance
- Suppressed thyroid function
- Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
- Decreased bone density
- Decrease in muscle tissue
- Higher blood pressure
- Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, and other health consequences
- Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, the development of metabolic syndrome, higher levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL), which can lead to other health problems!
- The effects of stress often look like symptoms of other illnesses (partially due to the fact that stress lowers immunity and makes us vulnerable to many things), sometimes people mistake symptoms of illness for stress and vice versa.
In my case, stress ran my immune system into the ground.
About a year ago, I had a lot going on in my life – good and bad. I had a very stressful job, I was caring for a sick, elderly pet and I was planning my wedding. My entire life up to that point had required that I push through whatever stress was taking place at any given moment – I had to in order to survive. This was natural for me. However, while I took care of my body – ate healthfully, exercised regularly – my mind was spinning out of control. I was able to maintain a remarkably calm exterior. Based on my appearance and composure, no one could tell (including me) that the suppression of these stresses was making me very sick.
I started having panic attacks, chest pains, and I was sleeping very little. This led to a complete meltdown of my immune system. Within a few months, I developed urticaria and giant hives on a daily basis. My body was suddenly allergic to foods I used to eat several times a week, if not every day – peanuts (and other tree nuts), berries, shellfish, and sulfates. The medical doctors that treated me were perplexed. They refused to believe that stress alone could be the cause of my many ailments, ordering test after test, sending me to specialists – all of which resulted in a diagnosis of something like "unspecified immune system dysfunction," with no idea of how to treat it. (Unfortunately, I spent a lot of money for that diagnosis!) They prescribed various medications – steroids (when my life was at risk from the urticaria) to antihistamines. At one point, I was taking four different medications to control the physical symptoms that were causing me pain and disrupting my life.
My body was in such terrible shape that a lifestyle change was necessary. After the wedding, I quit my stressful job and focused on getting healthy – emotionally, physically, mentally. It took about a month after leaving my job for the symptoms to start to dissipate. While I am now quite healthy, I still have a long way to go in my journey; I spent a lifetime telling myself to "suck it up and move on!" I know now that the stress does not go away; if you don't address it, it festers and grows. This year has been both incredibly blessed and terribly difficult – and an incredible learning experience!
The following are some ways that you can relax your body and mind to keep cortisol levels at bay:
- Journaling
- Meditation
- Exercise
- Yoga
- Breathing exercises
- Listening to music
- Acupuncture
- Sex
Don't let the Stress Monster get the best of you!
Angela, Chillin' Chica 🙂
- The Trinity of Wellness: Body, Mind and Spirit
- But you look so good!
- No news is good news
- One step forward and a half step back…
- Patient Heal Thyself
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- Dealing with the Devil – Medications that Help
- When Your Own Body is the Enemy
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Democrat Kathy Kozuszek announces candidacy for County Clerk
Kathy Kozuszek announced this week that she will be filing her candidacy for
the Office of the Porter County Circuit Clerk in 2014.
Kozuszek has worked in the Porter County Voters Registration office since
2001 and served as the Democratic Director since 2007. She said she has
personally overseen all of the elections that have been held in the county
over those years.
Taxpayers deserve a Clerk that will be inclusive, responsive and who works
for all residents, Kozuszek said.
"While the Republican-controlled Legislature continues to make it more
difficult for Porter County residents to vote, as your County Clerk I will
continue to improve voter access to elections by resisting any effort to
eliminate neighborhood voting locations through inconvenient and distant
vote centers. I will continue on with all the cost saving measures that I
have implemented in the administration of elections in Porter County," she
Taxpayers are the ones who help elect the Circuit Court Clerk, Kozuszek
said, and the Clerk needs to be responsible to all of them as it is a public
Kozuszek said she will be a County Clerk who works with elected and
appointed officials of all parties and, most importantly, will ensure that
she will perform her duties for the citizens of the community. She said she
will be a Clerk who listens and works with the Porter County Judges to
ensure fair, impartial and accessible judicial process for every citizen.
She also said she will make every attempt to educate and encourage the
children of Porter County about the importance of the voting process and
that every vote does count.
"As your next elected Clerk, I promise to be responsive to all constituents
and members of both parties and the taxpayers like you and me who are proud
to call Porter County our home," Koszuszek said.
Kozuszek invites Facebook users to follow her on her page kathy4clerk.
Posted 12/26/2013
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
This Naval Aviary double gourd table lamp from the Color + Plus lighting collection comes with a shade in the Aviary pattern design from Seedling by thomaspaul.More Details >
This double gourd glass table lamp from the Color + Plus™ collection offers a brilliant color accent for your home decor. The designer Naval base is hand-crafted by our experienced artisans in California, and is topped by a custom-made lamp shade. The shade features an exclusive Aviary pattern and is printed to order. The bold and graphic shade pattern is from acclaimed textile designer Thomas Paul. His on-trend designs are inspired by vintage fabrics and motifs, and offer a fresh, up-to-date accent for any home. Shade process U.S. Patent # 7,347,593. Lamp base U.S. Patent # 8,899,798.


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MI - The Rancho RS9000X nine-position fully
adjustable performance shock absorber is now available for
dozens of additional on- and off-road applications and in
several extended-length designs. Rancho, which introduced
the RS9000X in 2002, is the world's premier brand
of performance suspension systems, shocks and related accessories
for light trucks and sport-utility vehicles.
an advanced tri-tube mono-flow design and nine-position
adjustable valving, the RS9000X enables drivers to manually
or remotely (from the cab) tune damping performance to match
a vast range of performance situations. The shock's
reserve/intermediate/primary tubes and mono-flow configuration
yield 17 times greater fluid area than the original RS9000,
ensuring exceptional performance under a full range of load
and temperature conditions.
"The RS9000X is everything we hoped it would be,"
said Bill Johnson, director of engineering for Rancho. "Customers
worldwide have been able to achieve an unprecedented level
of performance and handling precision – both off the
road and on – and their satisfaction has helped make
this one of the most successful product introductions in
the history of the Rancho brand."
The RS9000X is now available for a full range of 4WD and
2WD late-model domestic and import vehicles, including Ford,
Dodge, Chevy/GMC, Oldsmobile, Jeep, Mazda, Nissan, Isuzu,
Mitsubishi, and Toyota light trucks and SUVs. The new shock
also is offered in extended-length designs delivering 10
to 15 inches of travel.
RS9000X features Rancho's exclusive 15-stage velocity-sensitive
valving for enhanced
stability and traction. Each shock includes a 16-mm-diameter
hardened and double-chromed rod, 32-mm-diameter piston with
Teflon band and an all-new rod guide design that reduces
friction and improves flow for enhanced ride comfort.
also offers an optional in-cab remote control kit –
No. RS99700 – that permits adjustment of front and/or
rear RS9000X shocks while the vehicle is in motion.
more information on the all-new Rancho RS9000X nine-position
fully-adjustable shock, contact your Rancho dealer or write
to: Rancho Suspension, One International Drive, Monroe,
MI 48161. To locate your nearest Rancho dealer, call 1-734-384-7804.
Rancho also can be found on the Web at www.gorancho.com.
Rockcrawler 4x4 and Off-Road Magazine. All Rights Reserved


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Crochet a cluster circle and open mesh hatBeginner's stitches: Chain, double trebel, trebel and double crochet stitches. UK symbols used here. This is my own crochet pattern that I am offering for free. Please tell others and send a link back here if you like this hat pattern.
Equipment needed:
4mm (brim) and 5mm (body of hat) size crochet hook
8 Ply or DK acrylic yarn
Crochet stitches used in this pattern:
Double crochet, trebel crochet, double trebel crochet and chain.
This size is for a toddler, 2 to 4 year old. You can measure the head circumference and adjust this top of hat to fit your toddler's head.
Top of hat.
Do a cluster circle pattern following Jan Eaton's pattern on page 77 of her book, The Encyclopedia of Crochet Techniques. This will take Rounds 1 to 5 to complete. Instead of doing just a trebel stitch where she used trebel crochet, I accidentally used double trebel stitches!! So I did double trebel stitches in rounds 1 to 4, and changed to trebel stitches only in round 5. Use 5mm size hook.
Shaping the crown and turning downwards to body.
Round 6 to round 9 do double crochets in each stitch.
Round 10 - 14 create sides using Trebel crochet to make lattice or open mesh design.
Round 10 Ch 4, *1 tr crochet, skip 1 st, then 1 tr crochet next st. Repeat from * to end of rows for rounds 10 to 14. Slip stitch to the third stitch of turning chain in this round to complete round 10.
Round 11 Ch 4 then repeat * from round 10 to end. Repeat for rounds 12 to 14.
Make the hat's brim from Round 15 to round 25, use size 4mm crochet hook.
Round 15 ch 1, *1 dc next st, then 2 dc next stitch. Repeat * to end of row.
Round 16 ch 1, *1 dc next st, then 2 dc next stitch. Repeat * to end of row.
Round 17 to round 25, ch 1, then 1 dc in each stitch, slip stitch to chain 1 of turning chain to complete each round.
Please see the books I recommend on the side of this blog, to source the actual pattern for the cluster circle. Due to copyrights issue, I cannot share them here.


text: Have any of you tried applying nail tips and the overlay yourself? Even if you go to a salon, have you learned anything watching them? I could use some pointers if you have. I usually do a full-cover nail but this seems to be better both for strength and nail health. Some woman I met does this herself & her nails are absolutely BEAUTIFUL. So with her encouragement, I invested in all the stuff. I'm about ready to attempt this feat. Any suggestions?


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I understand we are a little outside of summer, so maybe this should be more of a fall pesto. But pesto just feels so summery, doesn't it? Green, garlicy, fresh and flavorful. Maybe I'm just already mourning summer.
The pesto recipe I tried today is from David Lebovitz, whom I have only recently discovered. I have a bit of a foodie crush on him (though I realize he bats for the other team, is probably closer to my dad's age than mine, and isn't near as handsome as my husband). It's his use of simple, pure ingredients to make delicious food that lures me in. And the pictures on his blog... beautiful. But as pretty as this pesto looked on the blog, it was not the best pesto I have made.
Maybe it was because I used the food processor and didn't crush it to a pulp with a mortar and pestle like David did. Maybe the basil was impacted by the frost and not as delicious as it was in the spring or summer. Or could it be the tablespoon of lemon juice I added to help keep that vibrant green color? Whatever it was, while good, it still wasn't great. But if you want to try it for yourself (or at least salivate over his yummy blog), check out the recipe here: David Lebovitz Pesto Recipe
But if you want to make the pesto we found to be quite good (and it even sneaks in a good amount of fresh spinach), check out this recipe: Spinach Basil Pesto. But be forewarned, it has a fair amount of garlic spiciness to it, so it might be good to cut back on the garlic and add it in to taste. I also used walnuts instead of pine nuts (call me crazy) but I'm sure the pine nuts would've been great too. It's pictured below. I think our "vintage" counter top sets off the green nicely. :)
Or, if you want to just enjoy some delicious store bought pesto, I would highly recommend the one Whole Foods makes in their stores. That is some good stuff and much easier than making it from scratch, but where's the fun in that?


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Charlie Louvin Dies at 83
Charlie Louvin of the Louvin brothers, a country music icon, died Wednesday in his home in Wartrace, TN. He was 83. The cause was complications of pancreatic cancer. Taste of Country reports:
Last July, Louvin announced that he was battling stage two pancreatic cancer. He underwent surgery that same month at Nashville's Vanderbilt University Medical Center; however, the surgery did not go as well as the Louvin family had hoped. For the past few months, Louvin had been experimenting with alternative methods to battle the disease.


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Good evening the community,
I do not know if the question had been asked. Do you think it will be possible to mount .iso images to simulate CD / DVD?
Good, good work !
I love CE
A forum about Atari 16/32 computers and their clones. This forum is in no way affiliated with Atari Interactive.
Moderators: Jookie, Moderator Team
Code: Select all
mount -t iso9660 -o loop /home/tecmint/Fedora-18-i386-DVD.iso /mnt/iso/
ccarl84 wrote:I think emulate an .iso, it's well for all compil in .iso. Sure, we can copy from CD-ROM to translated drive, but when we have more CD-ROM in .iso, it's great to mount a .iso file to check what we want to use ...
nanard wrote:I'm not speaking of copying, just mounting.
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text:
Holiday workshops for kids and Nanny (Brussels)
Hi there - anyone know of holiday workshops for 4 1/2 year olds in the Ixelles area that my little girl could do? Also, I am looking for a Nanny for my two kids one day a week..... we have had a bad experience in the past with an Au pair so if anyone knows of a reputable agency in town, I'd appreciate the information.
Thanks in advance.


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Madam Speaker, I bring you news from the third front, the war zone that is our souther border with Mexico.
Violent behavior is reaching new lows in the Mexican border town of Juarez. Armed attackers busted into a kindergarten school and set it on fire.
Well, the criminal drug cartels found out the teachers in Juarez got a Christmas bonus, so they set up a new extortion racket. These outlaw banditos demanded a protection fee from the teachers to keep their students safe. When the teachers didn't pay up, armed attackers broke into the school and set it on fire.
Juarez is the most violent city in all of Mexico, and the violent cartels are bringing the war to the United States. Just last night, Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered by bandits in the border town of Rio Rico, Arizona. Our wide open borders are facilitating violence on both sides of the border war zone. Meanwhile, the administration just whistles past the graveyard.
And that's just the way it is.
Dec 15 2010
Madam Speaker, I bring you news from the third front, the war zone that is our souther border with Mexico.


text:
By David "Los Gatos" Rosenberg
MGM Grand, Las Vegas - Floyd Mayweather Jr. (42-0, 26KOs) knocked out Victor Ortiz (29-3, 22KOs) in the fourth round to capture the WBC welterweight title. The ending had some controversy. In the fourth round, Ortiz had Mayweather backed up against the ropes and was throwing punches, but then used he intentionally fouled Mayweather with his head. Ortiz lost a point but then went over to hug Mayweather and touch gloves, when Ortiz backed away from the hug and looked for a split second at referee Joe Cortez, Mayweather unleashed two big shots to knock him out.
Mayweather doesn't believe there was anything illegal on his part. He says Ortiz used his head several times and busted open his mouth.
"This was another unbelievable performance. A lot of people want to know what happened. There were a couple head butts. Sh*t happens in the sport of boxing. Protect yourself at all times. You wanted to see a knockout and that is what I gave you. When Victor Ortiz was nine years old, I was dominating the sport of boxing," Mayweather said.
"I was always told to protect yourself at all times. My mouth was split open. I said keep it clean. Once you touch gloves, it is go time. We came together to fight. It is fight time. You want to do me dirty and then two minutes later you want to be my friend? This is the hurting business. Without the fourth round, he was going to get knocked out anyway. I was fighting stronger. I was keeping my composure and sticking to the game plan.
"We were breaking him down. I listened to what my corner said. He was slowly breaking down as each round went. He was going to go anyway. Once you put me in that squared circle, I am home. I just say what goes around, comes around. Things happen in this sport and like I said, they say protect yourself at all times."


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Deanna Postlethwaite and Sarah Evans of Lincoln Electric will present two educational sessions at the ACTE's CareerTech Vision 2013 conference, Dec. 4-7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The two sessions will look at virtual reality welding and other welding training and education solutions to bring more qualified workers into skilled trades.
The manufacturing industry faces a skilled labour shortage, which can be eliminated by developing new ways to engage, excite and attract new workers to the sector. Lincoln Electric is helping to make this happen with new technology and solutions that appeal to today's youth, and tomorrow's workforce, supporting the efforts of Career Technical Education programs worldwide.
The two separate presentations by Deanna Postlethwaite and Sarah Evans will examine new trends and initiatives aimed at growing the skilled labour base.
In her presentation on Dec. 5, 'Educate, Engage & Excite – The Benefits of Using Virtual Reality Welding Simulators', Postlethwaite, Lincoln Electric's Virtual Reality Welding Training Business Unit Manager will explore various ways to supplement traditional welding training with virtual reality arc welding training systems. She will focus on how simulation can enhance and supplement welding education programs and also discuss findings of several independent studies that support the claim a blended training program of virtual education and hands-on welding training can increase learning speed, comprehension and test results for typical students. The session will run from 2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. in room N227.
On Dec. 6, Lincoln Electric's Virtual Solutions Product Manager Sarah Evans will present, 'Attracting and Engaging Students to Address the Labour Shortage in Skilled Trades' from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in meeting room N224. She will discuss new ways to recruit students into skilled trade education programs, including the use of virtual reality welding training systems as part of a blended learning approach that bolsters student interest and engagement in the learning process and in long-term career options in the skilled trades. Evans will also cover the opportunity to use virtual welding training in mobile outreach and training programs.


text:
Hostage run / Andrew Klavan.
View other formats and editions
Record details
- ISBN: 9780718034498 (sound recording : hoopla Audio Book)
- ISBN: 071803449X (sound recording : hoopla Audio Book)
- Physical Description: 1 online resource (1 audio file (7hr., 49 min.)) : digital.
- Edition: Unabridged.
- Publisher: [United States] : THOMAS NELSON : 2015.
Content descriptions
|Restrictions on Access Note:
Digital content provided by hoopla.
|Participant or Performer Note:
Read by Andrew Kanies.
|Summary, etc.:
RICK DIAL IS FACED WITH AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE: SAVE THE LIFE OF HIS BEST FRIEND MOLLY . . . OR SAVE THE FREE WORLD. Rick Dial's career as a superstar quarterback ended when a car accident left him unable to walk. But his uncanny gaming ability caught the attention of a secret government organization trying to stop a high-tech terrorist attack on America. He's been to the fantastical cyber world called the MindWar Realm . . . and returned to Real Life victorious. But the stakes have just gone up. Another attack is imminent, and Rick is the only one who can stop it. How can he, though, when terrorists have kidnapped his best friend Molly and are threatening to kill her if Rick returns to the Realm? As Molly uses every resource of mind and body to outwit her brutal captors, Rick races against time inside a nightmare video game where a fate worse than death may be waiting for him. Hundreds of miles apart, both will have to test the power of their faith and the strength of their spirits. They're being forced to a moment of sacrifice . . . one that could cost them everything.
|Target Audience Note:
HL 760 Lexile.
|System Details Note:
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Search for related items by subject
|Cyberterrorism > Prevention > Fiction.
Undercover operations > Fiction.
Video gamers > Fiction.


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Fish oil can help prevent inflammatory disease as well as good heart health. You can get the recommended amount if you eat fatty fish (high in omega-3) at least twice a week. Wild caught salmon, egg yolks, and grass-fed beef are good examples. It can also be found on some nut oils, vegetable oils, (flaxseed, or linseed- try Uda oil which is found in the refrigerator aisle at health food stores)
Fish oil can lower triglycerides (plays a role in high cholesterol), help prevent heart disease, slow the buildup of plaques that cause hardening of the arteries and may help reduce blood pressure (everyday health-12/2/10). It can also reduce inflammation that leads to diabetes.
You can try a fish oil supplement if you don't like seafood. I recommend that you invest in a good quality product because it can reduce the smell that some people complain seeps through your pores or are belched up. Most nutritionist prefers you get omega 3's from food. Do what's convenient, affordable, and works for you.
As always check with your doctor to make sure that any supplements don't have any negative interactions with drugs you may be taking.
12/11/11-Sunday Workout Diary :
Day off
12/11/11 - Sunday Food Diary:
1 whole wheat wrap (100 cal)
2 tbls organic almond butter (186 cal)
1/2 banana, 1/8 cup bluberries (70 cal)
A.M. Snack-
whey protein shake (125 cal)
grilled veggie open face sandwich (320 cal.) I took two toasted pieces of Ezekial toast, covered in cooked zuchinni, onions portebella mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, 1 oz fat free feta, 2 oz fat-free feta, then I microwaved for 55 seconds to melt and warm. I ate with a fork and knife as an open faced sandwich. It was AMAZING, low-sodium, low oil and healthy. In a restaurant it would have cost me $12 and had 500 calories
small salad including green peppers, cherry tomatoes (55 cal)
P.M. Snack-
8 oz non fat cottage cheese(160 cal)
5 oz roast turkey (360 cal)
1/2 spaghetti squash, drizzle of balsamic glaze (30 cal)
1/2 cup sauté mushrooms, onions, garlic,1 tbls rosemary EVOO, italian spices (65 cal)
1 small whole wheat dinner roll (50 cal)
2 oz high cocoa dark chocolate (110 cal)
Tags: inflammatory disease, fish oil, cholesterol, heart disease, triglycerides
Paula's Healthy Living
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Trailer & Trailers want your purchasing experience to be pleasant, easy and smooth. Buyers like to do their research first so we have created a full website to showcase the complete range; listing the standard specifications and displaying images of each model in selected sizes. We also know that the web is not for everyone, and especially in the case of purchasing a trailer, you will want to see it in person.
So when you visit our showroom, you will find that you can view and interact with our trailers on display at your own pace without pressured selling. The Trailer & Trailers showroom also showcases some mock up environments to display the features and benefits of certain models and help you visualise that particular trailer in use.
When you are ready to buy or need to ask questions, our friendly expert staff will be at your disposal.
Remember that TRAILER & trailers have a trailer for all needs…


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No one wants to spend more time on the computer than in the shop. However, I learnt an important fact during my time as an Army Cadet - the 6 P's - Prior Preperation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. A bench of this size and weight and design requires good planning. I want this to last 3 generations.
To start with I did some research. I searched the net; read articles and watched pods. Being one that collects books; I picked up two.
The Old Luthier the blog I've been most impressed with.
The Schwarz not the official name for the blog, but one I follow.
The Workbench: A Complete Guide to Creating Your Perfect Bench by Lon Schleining. This is a comprohensive book covering a varity of benches, vises and techniques for a varity of purposes by a variety of people. It covered traditional benches and modern ones (man-made materials, twin screw vises etc.)
Workbenches: From Design And Theory To Construction And Use (Popular Woodworking) by Christopher Schwarz. This book focuses on two types of benches. Eventually I decided on the roubo bench in the book. (With a few modifications.) This book than the other focuses on the 'use' of the workbench.
Workbench Dicussion thread:


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That was my producer at WJAR TV asking the question I could not refuse.
It was 1991. Bowie's new venture -- Tin Machine, a back to basics no frills effort -- was playing the Campus Club in Providence, Rhode Island. Bowie was granting interviews to mere mortals.
And I was one of them.
The PR guy was hardcore. You get five questions. Five. Don't mention Ziggy. Stick to Tin Machine. And for crying out loud, don't even THINK of asking about Iman.
I sat for hours waiting for my five minutes.
Finally, I was ushered to a round table.
Looking back on it, I don't remember much of what Bowie said to me.
I was lost. The bone structure, the cat eyes, the aura.
Four fingers.
Four fingers.
He was talking and acting like a regular guy.
Three fingers.
Three fingers.
Right, Ana, a regular guy who creates incredible music and is married to IMAN.
Two fingers.
You blast this guy's music in your car and dance to it at home.
Two fingers.
You blast this guy's music in your car and dance to it at home.
One finger.
I had stashed a white sweatshirt and a black marker.
"Will you sign this?" My last question.
Bowie grinned, signed and grabbed the paw.
"Let her have a few more," he said.
I wore the sweatshirt today.


text:
Olympia, WA 98507
My fitness approach is about down-to-earth, realistic training. I am here to listen to your goals and find a realistic approach to fitness that fits your style, schedule, and goals. I believe exercise should be enjoyable and I don't buy into the beat your body up approach. I offer FREE fitness consultations to see if we would be a good match to help you reach your goals! Check out www.britt.fitness
Love and sparkles,
ACSM - ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
Expires: Dec 31, 2018
Yoga Alliance - RYT 200 (Registered Yoga Teacher)
Pending Verification
Trains within 50.00 miles of 98507


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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Presto GP' started by Valerio Vinassa, Apr 13, 2011.
no incident to report
No incidents to report
No incident to report :wink:
TS 467 (of my replay file):
Reik vs. David T.
We were entering the middle sector hairpin, when I was very close behind David. When we accelerated David reduced his acceleration for a tiny moment. As a consequence I touched his tail before I recognize him being a bit slow.
David spun immediately so I waited for him to let him pass me and go on racing. He went on racing in 7th Ithink and me in 9th.
I have to take complete responsibility, because I was a bit uncareful to follow you so close. I'm very, very sorry :frown: and hope you didn't suffer any damage, because I was able to go on unharmed.
I hope you accept my excuse that I was focused very much on my own acceleration and didn't expect the car in front (you) to accelerate slower than me, because you left the corner eralier. But of course I should have taken in account that accelerating there is difficult, so a mistake could happen anytime... :frown:
My apologies to Peter and Andy
Same place - turn 14...
I took inside line and Tempted to overtake there twice
TS 495 : Sorry Peter for didn't waited u, I thought it was OK but it wasn't ( after saw replay )
TS 782 : Same thing with Andy - Sorry man , then waited , Alex came behind into car, I was invisible for him ( game bug )
No problem Eliezer,
Nothing serious to report.
Following Nico into the slow left-hander of turn 10, Anthony appeared on the apex [from my blind side] and I was forced wide. No problem.
Chasing Andy into turn 13 I was surprised by Eliezer on the apex. I unfortunately turned in and made contact. We both continued. Sorry Eliezer.
Start of the last and I went side by side with Anthony into turn 1. Anthony was having none of it and took the apex of turn 2. I made contact with Anthony's right rear.
Sorry Anthony. No consequences I think as we both finished in position.
No incidents to report
Alex Galyutin vs Nicolai Nicholson
Nicolai goes a bit wide in T4. I enter the turn a bit faster than usually, touch Nico's car and spin. I could easily go through the corner if there was no Nicolai on my way, but first of all I should be more attentive while chasing somebody. My mistake.
Alex Galyutin vs Eliezer Bartik
Eliezer was invisible to me! I was accelerating after T14. There was absolutely free track ahead of me, and suddenly big BOOOOOOM happened. Broken suspension and aero --> early pit --> 2 pit-stop strategy. Game bug....
Alex Galyutin vs Tom Watts
I was overoptimistic on late braking in T9 and touched Tom. My mistake, I hope I did not hurt your car mate!
Alex Galyutin vs Tom Watts
Tom spuns in T14 and I slightly punch him. Tom's unlucky. Racing accident.
I was about to report this incident ..
I was careful trying to hold my position and was tight in the middle of T2 but , apparently I had no grip at all and the car just went sideways :tongue: ...I have to apologies for causing that incident Peter .. but it was great fun
no incidents to report!
All simple racing incidents, no incidents to report.
All good Anthony.
We are obligated to report any and all incidents and discuss; keeps the race Director happy if we can sort it out ourselves. All three of my incidents were at least partly caused by the "blind-side" nature of the corners. In other words, I had started my turn prior to yourself and Eliezer "finishing" your moves on me and then it is too late for me to do anything when I finally see you. I received no damage this race and so I feel I/ we were lucky. That's my perspective anyway but do feel free to disagree...
No incident to report.
I was a bit wider and slower in this corner to avoid the cars ahead of me (see my little video). I did not see Alex comming on my inside, but there was no consequence for me as I managed to keep my car pointing forward, received no damage and only lost a second or so.
Also, I got a bit too close and managed to softly touch Cristian Di F.'s rear and send him into a little spin on the last lap. Luckily we had a gap back to the 5th place, so he keeps his 3rd place (and I 4th), so no consequences Poor driving from me there, I guess Cristian was a bit slower than I thought through a slow corner where it happened, but that is no excuse for me, my mistake
Dont worry alex about the first one, saw you last minute so moved before it did any damage
the second was my mistake to early on the power went round and people had no where to go :/
not entirely your fault, i was slow up that hill, but like you say with you following so close you didnt give yourself much room for error on your part or mine, not much can do about it now anyhoo so not to worry.
apology accepted
No incident worth reporting.
No problem Eliezer, my car wasen't damaged and you waited for me, so everything ok for me
No further incidents to report.
thx very much for accepting my apology! You're a fine sports man! I see that this season turns out to be a very unlucky one for you, being involved in different incidents, very often unguilty. :frown: That's why I feel very ashamed that now also I played a bad role in this chapter. :frown: Sorry again.
I keep fingers crossed you find back luck again for the rest of the season, so you hopefully don't loose motivation!
C U on track again
I had a little bump with david mccradic , i think we spoke already about this after race pitty we were had good racing , otherwise no incidents to report.
no incidents to report!


text:
Date: 29 September 2017
Discover how to become an airline pilot with L3 Airline Academy! Featuring a guest presentation from British Airways. Visit our Pilot Careers Event at our Southampton Training Center, UK on Saturday September 30 2017.
As part of your visit, you'll hear from our Airline Partners, trainee and professional pilots. You'll also have the opportunity to get up close to our full-flight jet simulators.
This event will prove invaluable for you and your family as you go through your preparations to begin training and kick start your career.
Join us to visit our training facilities, meet the team and fully research the options available to you in the industry today.
1000 Doors Open
1030 - 1200 Presentation Session: Launch an Airline Pilot career with L3 Airline Academy featuring a guest presentation from British Airways. (Check in from 1000)
1245 Presentation Sessions: Integrate a Degree into your Training
1330 - 1500 Afternoon Presentation Session: Launch an Airline Pilot career with L3 Airline Academy featuring a guest presentation from British Airways. (Check in from 1100)
1600 Close
Our airline pilot careers advisors and dedicated experts in selection, training and finance will be on hand to answer your questions throughout the day.
Most importantly you will have the opportunity to chat with trainees and pilots - either currently in training with us, or now flying with one of our growing number of Airline Partners including British Airways, easyJet, Flybe, Thomas Cook and Virgin Atlantic (to name a few!). This is a fantastic opportunity to get a real insight into their own career research, training and career experiences.
If you're interested in becoming an airline pilot then come along to this Pilot Careers Event to explore our world-class facilities and learn more about our unique training programs.
Our Training Center will be open for visitors from 1000 - 1600 hrs. Please ensure you register all guests to attend this event to secure your places as spaces are limited and will be confirmed on a 'first come, first served' basis.
When the event is fully subscribed, a wait list will operate.
We look forward to seeing you on the day and kick-starting your career as a pilot!
Please note the following:
All those attending must be at least 15 years old and we cannot allow young children and infants to attend. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
L3 Airline Academy - Pilot Careers Events are open to aspiring pilots and their guests only. We cannot accept registrations from people not considering a career as an airline pilot.
Thank you for your understanding regarding the above points.


text:
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text:
Violence Warning/Disclaimer: This chapter depicts scenes of violence, death and their aftermath. Some scenes may be explicit or graphic in nature. Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of depiction may wish to read something else.
Chapter Twenty-One
The next day brought more snow and foul weather and the ER was busy again as people fell victim to their own carelessness and various other sundry afflictions. Regina walked out of one of the exam rooms and washed her hands for what seemed like the twentieth time today. She'd seen her tenth flu patient already and from the way things looked in the waiting room, nothing was going to change anytime soon.
Down the hallway, she saw Alex leaning over a man, listening to his chest with her stethoscope. The doctor's braid hung over her left shoulder and she brushed it back as she straightened up and wrote something in the chart that she then handed to one of the medical students, standing next to her.
Their eyes met as they both walked back toward the nurse's station and the resident swore Alex winked, as she got closer. "Crazy day, huh?"
"You love it when it's like this," Regina smiled up at the doctor, knowing how much Alex thrived on the chaos. She'd seen it time and again over the past few months; it was when things fell apart and life hung tenuously in the balance that the doctor was at her best.
Regina had seen in those moments a side to Alex that was devoid of all the emotional turmoil that haunted her subconscious. The blonde stole a glance up at her taller companion and wondered if what they had discovered in each other would be enough for Alex to let go of the past and allow them a chance at a future together.
The young resident's attention was drawn to Sandy as she spoke sharply into the phone. "Well, tell them we need the beds. Community Medical Center is already diverting major traumas so we have to take them." She slammed the phone down in aggravation and muttered under her breath.
"That bad?" Regina asked.
"Can that patient be discharged?" Sandy pointed to the chart Regina was holding.
"As soon as the IV is finished. The orders are already written."
"Good." She grabbed the chart from her and glanced up at Alex. "Dr. Mitchard was looking for you earlier and we have another patient the paramedics just brought in."
"What did she want?" Alex asked.
"She said she'd find you later."
Regina glanced down the hallway toward the entrance of the emergency room and gasped. "Oh my God."
"What?" Alex turned to follow her partner's gaze and saw a man standing just inside the door. She recognized the family resemblance and leaned closer to the blonde. "I take it that's your father."
Regina nodded mutely. "Oh, shit. I can't believe he's here. I…I told him I got off at nine."
"Well, you better go get him away from the ambulance bay doors before he gets run over by an overzealous paramedic," Alex advised her quietly. She watched as the younger woman stepped hesitantly away from the desk and walked awkwardly down the hall toward the man.
Regina felt her heart hammer rapidly in her chest as her father turned and focused on her. Oh this is not good. How is it that parents can reduce you to feeling like a little kid again just by the look they give you, Regina questioned herself as she walked closer.
"Dad?" Regina stopped, standing awkwardly in front of him. "I…I still have an hour to go. I wasn't expecting you for a while yet."
He gave her an apologetic grin. "I know." He turned towards her and tucked one of her hands into his larger one.
Regina started at the unfamiliar gesture. "Dad, what's wrong?"
"She wouldn't come with me. I'm sorry, Regina."
The blonde swallowed and averted her eyes to hide the pain from her father. Why did I think that she would? "It was a lot to expect that she would, dad. She's upset."
"You're her daughter." His voice was filled with hurt and anger.
Regina mustered her own reassuring smile when she met his gaze again. "It'll be alright, Dad. She needs time." She turned back towards the desk. "Come on, at least you can get some coffee while you wait."
"So, this is where you work," he commented as he walked past several stretchers lined up against the wall.
"This is what I do, Dad." She replied and guided him past the exam and trauma rooms that were mostly filled with sick and injured in various stages of triage. The resident winced inwardly as she saw his eyes react to pain and suffering that was part of a daily routine to her now. It wasn't that she was immune to it, not by a long shot. In the months she had been here, she had developed her own defenses and learned to hang onto the successes, so the memories carried her along during the really bad traumas.
Regina had been trying to decide since last night if she was going to introduce her parents to Alex and if she did what she would say. Now as she neared the desk and saw the tall, statuesque woman, her dark hair pulled back in a thick braid, crouched in front of a woman who was sitting in a wheelchair, she knew her answer. I don't care what he thinks. He's down here, this is who I am and that is the woman I love.
The resident waited as Alex stood up and motioned to one of the medical students to come over. She handed him the chart and gave him instructions before she turned the patient over to the tall, lanky man. The doctor stood with her hands on her hips watching the medical student disappear into one of the exam rooms. Her dark head turned and her chin lifted slightly as she met Regina's gaze.
"Alex, this is my father." She saw the imperceptible softening in the blue eyes as Alex stared at her for a second then turned and offered her hand to the man.
"Mr. Kingston." She grasped his hand, her demeanor still guarded as they sized each other up. Next time, we're going to have to discuss strategy before we do one of these impromptu introductions, my friend. "You're daughter's an excellent doctor."
"It's Roger and I know she is."
Regina let out a breath as she saw both of them relax slightly. She heard an exaggerated cough behind her and turned to see Sandy standing behind the desk, arms crossed and a comical expression on her face "Well, I know where I rate now, huh Dr. Kingston? Good enough to work by your side in the trenches, but -"
"Sandy," Regina objected and then saw the nurse wink at her and reach over the desk to take her father's hand.
"Hello, Mr. Kingston. I'm Sandy. Don't let that tall dark-haired one fool you. She thinks she runs the emergency department. I just haven't let her in on the joke yet. How about I show you where we have drinkable coffee in this joint while they go save the world?"
Regina's father smiled disarmingly as the curly, blonde-haired nurse walked around the desk and took his arm. "Thanks, I think I could use some. It's cold out there tonight."
The blonde turned and glanced at the taller woman standing behind her. "Breathe, Alex."
Alex snorted from behind her. "I am." She watched Sandy walk down the hall leading Regina's father into the lounge then grumbled something about going to check that the medical student was x-raying the correct arm.
Regina scratched her temple and blew out a breath as Alex brushed by her and headed down the hall. She let a smile tug at her lips as Sandy came up beside her a few minutes later and poked her in the back. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it. I really wasn't relishing the prospect of having to do CPR on the two of them right here in the middle hallway. Too much paperwork to fill out."
They both snickered and then started laughing as they looked at each other.
A moment later the radio crackled and came to life on the desk. "Aw shit. This can't be good." The blonde-haired nurse turned and quickly picked up the microphone.
Alex re-appeared from the exam room and stepped forward, listening to the garbled voice coming through over the receiver.
Sandy glanced up as she wrote down a few quick notes. "Motor vehicle accident. One critically injured. They're five minutes out."
Alex stepped away from the desk, grabbed an isolation gown from one of the bins, and started slipping it on, her mind already running through all the clinical scenarios they might be up against. "I'm going to need your help, Regina."
Regina quickly followed, grabbing a pair of gloves from one of the wall boxes. She stopped one of the medical students as he walked out of the lounge.
"Michael, we've got a trauma coming in. You need to be there to work on your procedures."
"I just have to run something down to the lab."
"Well, hurry up and get back here," Regina told him as she pulled her protective goggles on and ran toward the ambulance bay just as the paramedics banged through the emergency room doors.
"We've got a twenty-six year old male, ejected from his vehicle, and thrown approximately fifteen feet. We intubated him in the field. His pulse is thready, blood pressure is ninety." The litany continued as the doctors and paramedics rushed the patient down the hallway and into the trauma room.
They wheeled the stretcher up alongside the table and efficiently transferred the boy over. "What's his name?" Alex asked.
"Tim, Tim Johnson." The paramedic glanced down at his clipboard. He collected the backboard from the technicians and started walking slowly out of the room. He bumped into one of the medical students who barged through the door, tying his mask behind his head.
"Sorry," Michael mumbled.
"Tim, can you hear me?" Alex called out. She bent over, flashing her penlight over his pupils. "His right pupil is fixed and not reactive."
Regina rubbed the knuckles of her fist over his sternum. "He's unresponsive to pain."
"Let's get a CBC, type and cross match for four units of blood. Do a drug and alcohol screen. I need two more IV lines, sixteen-gauge with normal saline. Hang a Dopamine drip and get a catheter in him, now. Let's move people! Get his clothes off." Alex barked orders, as she ran skilled fingers over his skull and face. Probing gently, she felt a depression in the back of his head. "He's got a depressed skull fracture."
As Sandy reached around Alex hooking the tube coming from his mouth to the ventilator,
one of the ER techs was already on the phone calling the OR and another was quickly cutting away the boy's clothes.
Regina listened for breath sounds, moving the stethoscope deliberately over his chest. "I've got decreased breath sounds on both sides. Check the position of the tube."
Alex bent over and pulled the endotracheal tube out a couple of inches. "Anything?"
Regina shook her head, still listening with the stethoscope. "Decreased breath sounds, both sides. I need two chest tube kits."
"I got it." Sandy grabbed the kits out of the cabinets. Ripping the covering off of them, she dropped the kits on the instrument tables then reached over and handed Regina a scalpel.
Regina grabbed the instrument from the nurse and quickly made a six-centimeter long incision between the boy's ribs. Using her fingers, she spread the hole and inserted the tube until she felt it break through the outer lining of the lung. Working quickly, she sutured the wound closed.
"I got the lines in," Michael announced moments later, as he hung the bags up on the IV pole. He backed up and bumped into the instrument tray, knocking it over with a loud crash.
"God damn it, watch what you're doing," Alex growled as she made a quick incision and pushed her fingers inside, making the hole wider. "Sandy, get me another kit, now."
Embarrassed at his clumsiness, Michael skulked behind the attending and picked up the tray stand, setting it upright. He stood at the foot of the stretcher watching awkwardly at the two doctors working feverishly over the patient. Sandy shoved a plastic kit in his hands. "Make yourself useful and catheterize him."
"Thomas," Regina called to the technician. "Dress this wound for me." Moving around him, she grabbed the portable ultrasound unit and performed a scan of the patient's abdomen. "He's got blood in his abdominal cavity. The aorta is torn."
One of the technicians watched the automatic cuff around the patient's arm inflate and measure his blood pressure. "His pressure's ninety and dropping."
The door to the trauma room swung open and one of the nurses stuck her head in. "Dr. Margulies, we've got another trauma on its' way."
"Page Dr. Washington and Dr. Jack. We're busy," Alex snapped, without looking up from the patient as she inserted the tube into the chest wall. "Give him point five of atropine and open up the IV's all the way." Alex looked up at the monitor. Shit, we're losing him.
"They are," the medical student said.
"Then squeeze the bag in," Alex ordered. "He's losing volume as fast as we're putting it in."
One of the nurses ran into the room and handed Sandy the four units of blood. "Here, check it with me." Sandy said, pulling her back. Quickly they compared the labels with the patient' blood type, then Sandy hung the bags and piggybacked them to the IV lines.
"There's a hundred cc's of blood in the bag," Regina said, as she held up the catheter bag.
"He's bleeding out. Do we have the O-neg yet?" Alex demanded
"It's already going in," Sandy told her.
One of the surgeons, still in his bloodied surgical scrubs from his last case, ran into the room pulling on a mask. What've we got?"
"Blunt abdominal trauma, closed head injury, internal bleeding, blown pupil, his blood pressure is ninety over palp," Sandy quickly reported.
Moments later, outside in the hallway, they heard a frantic voice calling the boy's name. Alex glanced up as the man's voice drew closer. "If those are the parents keep them the hell out of here. They don't need to see this."
One of the other nurses stepped out of the room and looked down the hallway. She cursed under her breath and jogged in the direction of the police officer and the two people she guessed were the kid's parents. She heard the father's question as she came up alongside them.
"What happened the hospital called and said my son was in an accident?"
Derrick pulled his cap of and scratched his head. "Sir, a drunk driver hit your son's car."
"He's all right, isn't he?" The woman's voice trembled and she clutched her husband's arm.
"Sir, please come with me." She glared up at the officer, angry that he had told them about the drunk driver. "The doctors are taking care of him right now."
The father turned and stared down at the nurse, who had spoken to him. "Where's my son?" he demanded, pushing abruptly past the nurse. "The officer just told me a drunk driver hit my son. I want to see him. Now, dammit."
"Sir, please, the doctors will be out to speak to you when they can." The dark haired woman dressed in blue scrubs, tried to guide him toward the waiting area but he shrugged her hand off his arm.
"Where is he?" he demanded, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders as she stood beside him.
The nurse had the couple almost past the trauma room when the doors behind them crashed open and the paramedics, followed by two more police officers, rushed the driver of the other car into the emergency department.
Dr. Washington ran past the nurse in the direction of the paramedics. "Let's go," he said, pointing with his finger. "Room three is open."
The man turned, watching the stretcher disappear through the doors and then his eyes were drawn to the movement in the room adjacent to him.
Inside the chaotic trauma room, Alex looked up at the monitor and watched the short bursts of abnormal heartbeats. "He's throwing PVC's. Give him a loading dose of Lidocaine."
Regina reached behind Sandy and grabbed the vial of medication from the med cart. Quickly drawing the medication into the syringe, she grabbed the IV and jabbed the needle into the port, depressing the plunger.
Everyone watched the monitor as the medication at first controlled his heart's wild contractions and then gave way to the failing muscle. The monitor alarmed shrilly as the boy's heart rate suddenly flat lined on the monitor. "Asystole. Give him one milligram of epinephrine, now." Alex leaned over him and started compressing his chest.
Regina grabbed the defibrillator paddles from the code cart, charging them to two hundred-seventy joules, and brought the paddles down onto his chest. "Clear," she said, and Alex backed away, raising her hands from the body. She pressed the buttons and watched as the body convulsed on the stretcher from the intensity of the current.
Alex met Regina's eyes briefly in a knowing glance. They were in a battle against time and it was quickly running out on the boy lying beneath them on the stretcher. They repeated the sequence two more times, increasing the drugs and charging the paddles higher each time in an attempt to restart the boy's heart.
"What about a thoracotomy and cross-clamping the aorta?" Regina asked, as she stood by with paddles charged and ready, watching as Alex pumped on his chest. She wasn't ready to give up just yet.
The surgeon shook his head as he watched with growing detachment what was going on at the table. "The mortality rate is ninety percent with a blunt abdominal trauma. There's too much damage; nothing we can do."
They worked on the boy for several more minutes, desperately trying to bring him back from death's door, but to no avail. Finally, Alex straightened up, looking up at the flat line on the monitor. She hated admitting defeat. "Time of death – eighteen forty-five."
She ripped her gloves off and threw them on the floor in disgust.
The surgeon shook his head and walked back outside the room. "What a waste. The kid never had a chance."
Outside, the father shoved the nurse away from him and grabbed the door as it started to swing closed. "No! Why are you giving up? You can't stop."
Everyone in the room stood still rooted in place, shocked at the sudden, unexpected appearance of the man and woman, both obviously the boy's parents.
Regina who was the closest to the distraught father, hesitantly stepped closer, putting a hand on his arm. "Mr. Johnson, I'm sorry, your son sustained a severe head injury and massive internal damage to his organs. We used all our resources…"
The woman who had been standing mutely, clinging to her husband's arm, buried her head against his chest and let out a low, keening wail.
Regina looked into the man's face wishing desperately that she didn't have to say the next part. "I'm sorry, Mr. Johnson, but we couldn't save him." Regina clenched her jaw nervously watching the anguished expression she saw on the man's face.
Sandy grabbed Alex's arm and directed her to the adjacent door. "Jon needs you next door. I'll help Regina with the parents. Go."
Alex could hear the commotion coming from the trauma room as soon as she stepped through the adjoining doors. Her gut clenched as she heard the struggle that was going on with the patient on the table.
"Let me go, damn it. You're not taking my clothes off."
"Thomas, hold her down." There was a struggle as the woman on the stretcher fought against the doctor.
Two quick steps brought Alex up beside the stretcher and she grabbed the woman's arms and pinned her down to the stretcher. Her eyes widened as she realized for the first time who was lying on the stretcher. "Dana, shut up and stop fighting with them."
"Let go of me, you bitch." She spat in Alex's face.
"Whoa, Jesus Christ, get that!" Jon grabbed Dana's arm as she reached inside her coat.
Alex's ears picked up the clatter of metal on the tile and her brain slowly registered the fact that a gun tumbled from Dana's hand and rattled across the floor. Quickly retrieving it, she handed it to the technician.
"Make sure this gets into the lock box and call security," she growled as she shoved the butt of the gun into his hands. The technician's eyes bulged as he gingerly took hold of the shiny, black handled weapon and ran out of the room.
Jon grabbed Dana's hand and pinned it to her side, quickly tying it in a restraint. "She's got a tender abdomen and she needs to go to the OR for an exploratory laparotomy."
"Fuck you! Let go of me," Dana growled.
"Shut up, Dana." Alex leaned over the struggling woman, helping him tie the other arm down. "What happened?"
"She broad sided the kid you were working on."
"Shit." A wave of revulsion swept through Alex as she stared down at Dana in disbelief. She yanked the restraint tight around her wrist and glared down at the wild-eyed blonde, struggling to contain her anger at the senseless loss of life that Dana had caused. "Let's get her to CT scan, now." Alex jerked the rails up on her side of the stretcher.
There was a loud crash just outside the door, followed by several cries of alarm as a supply cart slammed into the wall and tipped over, sending boxes and plastic bins scattering across the floor.
"What the hell is going on out there?" Alex heard angry shouts and then the door to the trauma room slammed open behind her.
"Let her die."
She felt a prickly sensation on the back of her neck as her hair stood up at the sound of the voice.
The two doctors looked up at the same time and stared at the man pointing the gun at the woman lying on the stretcher. Outside the door, they caught a glimpse of the technician pressing his hand against his jaw and Sandy leaning over him.
"She didn't give my son a chance. She doesn't deserve one."
Alex straightened up slowly, aware that Jon was now moving the stretcher toward the side door away from the man with the gun. "It's not our decision to make, Mr. Johnson. Give me the gun, no one wants anyone else hurt tonight." Alex slowly reached her hand out.
The man stepped closer, his hands trembling as he held the gun in front of him. "You're not taking her anywhere."
"Mr. Johnson." Regina stepped through the door behind him, holding her hands up in front of her as he whirled around pointing the gun at her.
"Regina, get out of here," Alex hissed at her.
The resident shook her head and held the man's gaze as she stepped closer. "Please, Mr. Johnson, your wife just lost her son, she doesn't need to lose her husband, too."
"Alex, we've got to move her. Her pressure is dropping." Jon set the portable monitor on the end of the stretcher and hooked the EKG wire to it along with the pulse oximeter.
"No!" The man spun around now holding the gun on Jon as he worked on the injured woman.
"Get a dopamine drip started and push another liter of fluid, Jon." Alex didn't take her eyes off the distraught father.
"That bitch killed my son!" He stepped closer to the stretcher, his whole body shaking as he started to squeeze the trigger.
"I know." Regina stepped up beside him and held her hand out. "Give me the gun, Mr. Johnson. You don't want to do this."
He turned part way around and stared down at the blonde pleading with him.
There was the sound of footsteps running down the hallway and more shouts of alarm as two uniformed police officers raced towards the trauma room. Alex edged closer, thinking she had the best chance to grab the gun away while he was focused on Regina. Out of the corner of her eye, she picked out the blur of blue fabric as the officers filled the doorway.
"No!" Alex waved them back. She could sense the man's resolve crumbling as he stared at Regina, the hand holding the gun slowly lowering to the floor.
Startled by the officers' appearance, the man cried out and spun back around, pulled the gun up and aimed it at Dana lying on the stretcher. At the same time, Alex darted forward; her outstretched hand grabbing for his wrist. For one instant, Regina met Alex's eyes as the doctor struggled to wrestle the gun from the father's hands; the younger woman's cry was drowned out by the sharp staccato report of a gun firing.
A look of surprise registered on Alex's face as the sensation of being punched in the chest stole her breath away. She stumbled, her legs collapsing underneath her, and she fell to her knees. Far away, she heard voices shouting as pandemonium broke out around her.
She dropped face down on the floor, feeling the cold tile on her face and her hands. The two police officers barreled through the door, knocked Regina aside, and tackled the man, knocking him into a code cart that crashed to the ground, its contents spilling across the floor.
As Jon pulled the stretcher with Dana on it out of the room and into the hallway, Regina scrambled forward, dropped to her knees, and grabbed Alex by the shoulders, rolling the injured doctor over. A dark red stain was blossoming over the front of doctor's scrub top.
"Regina." Her voice was little more than a whisper as she slowly focused on the blonde haired woman bending over her.
"D…Don't say anything, Alex. Just hold on." Regina's hands were trembling as she grabbed a package lying on the floor and ripped it open, slapping the pressure bandage over the ragged hole in Alex's chest, and pressed her hand over it, slowing the flow of blood. She looked around frantically. "I need help in here!"
She could hear Jon in the hallway barking out commands as he turned Dana's care over to a surgical resident and a nurse. In front of her, the officers were dragging the man to his feet, stumbling and tripping over contents of the code cart as they hauled him out of the room.
"Sandy! I need help."
The nurse bumped into the officers as she ran into the room, followed by one of the techs. "Oh my God! I told them he had a gun."
"Help me," Regina pleaded, still pressing her hand down over the bloody wound in Alex's chest. "We've got to get her on a stretcher."
"On three - one, two, three." Regina directed and together they quickly lifted the attending off the floor and onto a stretcher. Alex groaned and passed out as a wave of intense pain exploded inside her chest.
Meanwhile, Jon raced back down the hallway and caught Maggie's attention, as she talked frantically into the phone.
"No, I can't hold on, just tell them to be ready. I don't care who they have to bump, tell them it's one of their own doctors dammit!" She slammed the phone down and caught up with Jon as they got to the trauma room. "The OR's on standby."
"Good. Thomas," Jon called to the technician as he ran out of the trauma room across from them. "I need four units of O – negative blood."
"I gotta get something for one of the residents."
"Just get me the damn blood," Jon snapped, as they turned the corner into the room.
"I needed a blood pressure on her." Regina turned around to grab a pair of gloves and bumped into one of the police officers coming back into the room. Shock registered on her face as she recognized who it was.
"Move, Derrick." She shoved him out of the way.
"I have to get the gun and the shells." He shoved past her and then got stopped short as Jon grabbed him with both hands and hauled him away from everyone.
"Get the hell out of here!" he ordered, shoving Derrick out of the room. "Move!"
Regina looked up as Marcus ran breathless into the room, from having been stat paged overhead. "Marcus, get over here and help us."
"Son of a bitch," his voice cracked as he saw Alex lying covered in blood on the stretcher. "What happened?"
"Blood pressure is one-hundred over fifty," Sandy reported.
"Good breath sounds bilaterally," Regina said, as she listened to Alex's chest with the stethoscope.
"She's losing volume. Get two 16-gauge lines in now and start a Dopamine drip," Jon ordered.
It was dark and eerily quiet around her. Blinking her eyes, Alex heard a rushing noise in her ears, then a searing pain exploded in her chest and her world spun around her as a blinding light assaulted her eyes. Above her, she could hear disconnected voices shouting frantically.
"I need a larger needle." She heard Regina's strained voice and she stared up at the blonde through the oxygen mask that covered her face. From a distance, someone shouted back at Regina and she pulled away out of Alex's line of sight.
"I don't care what size. Just give me a larger needle."
Cool air hit her skin as scissors ripped away her scrub top to expose her chest. Something cold and wet swabbed her neck and Alex felt a prick in her arm and then a burning pain in the base of her neck as another line was inserted.
"Alex," Regina was staring down at her now. Setting her hands on either side of her head, she leaned over her.
"R…Regina?" Alex asked hesitantly, trying to focus through the pain and the confusion. It hurt to breathe; everything was all jumbled in her mind and she couldn't remember what happened, only knew that something went terribly wrong.
"Alex, look at me." Blue eyes drifted away, then slowly tracked back to meet Regina's. "Do you know where you are?"
The doctor nodded her head slowly. "Hospital. I…I'm sorry."
"Don't say that." Regina shook her head fighting back tears. "You stay with me. You're going to be ok, I promise."
"C…cold." Her teeth were chattering and everything seemed to be fading, getting farther away and harder to hold onto, as she tried desperately to stay focused on Regina's face. A swirl of red, blue, and green lights danced in her peripheral vision and then everything started to go a fuzzy white. Oh God, please not here. Not like this. Mercifully, the drugs injected into the IV pulled her down into a blissful indifference as the opiates coursed through her veins.
"Pulse is one-twenty."
"Where's the blood?" Regina demanded.
"It just came in." Sandy grabbed the units of blood from Thomas and pushed him over to the table. Jon helped Sandy hang the blood, piggy-backing the lines and slipping the pressure sleeves over the IV bags to force the fluid in faster.
"We need to move her, now," Dr. Washington said, as he watched the monitor.
The doors to the room banged open and Dr. Kelly, one of the surgeons, ran in pulling on a gown and gloves. "What the hell happened?"
"Gunshot wound to the chest. We've pumped in two liters of fluid and she's on her first unit of O – neg blood," Jon told the surgeon.
Sandy pointed to the catheter bag. "She's bleeding out. There's another one hundred cc's in the bag. Her systolic pressure is dropping."
"It could've hit one of the kidneys," Regina said, as she searched for another vein in Alex's arm. "She needs volume. Squeeze in another bag of fluid." Regina jabbed another needle into a vein and set up another line.
"Let's go, let's go," Dr. Washington ordered, pulling up the rails of the stretcher.
The surgeon stopped the stretcher. "No, she won't make it to the OR." He turned and grabbed a clear plastic package from the shelves behind him. "We have to stop the bleeding. Intubate her and prep for a thoracotomy, now," he ordered, as he tore open the plastic wrapping and pulled out the sternal saw.
There was a split second hesitation as everyone realized what they were about to do. Sandy grabbed a large sterile bundle off one of the shelves and broke the seal, setting the instruments on a tray that was next to the surgeon.
"Give me an amp of epinephrine and a number eight endotracheal tube," Jon barked as he slipped up to the head of the stretcher. He ripped open the package of tubing and tilted Alex's head back. Seconds later the tube was hooked up to the ventilator, pumping oxygen into Alex's lungs.
Regina quickly moved to the side of the table, shrugging into the sterile gown that one of the techs shook open. She glanced up at the monitor and saw the rapid heartbeat displayed on the monitor. "She's tachycardic."
One of the nurses squirted Betadine down the center of Alex's chest, lengthways between her breasts, and then hastily laid the sterile drapes that one of the techs handed to her, around the site. By the door, Thomas slammed the phone down. "The OR's waiting for us."
Jon made the incision down the length of Alex's sternum with the scalpel. The moment he lifted the scalpel away, Dr. Kelly leaned over Alex and pressed the blade of the reciprocating saw against the bone, then pressed the trigger. Regina physically recoiled at the high pitched buzzing sound and the sight of the serrated blade ripping through the length of the glistening white bone, spraying a mist of bone dust and blood into the air. It shattered what was left of her control.
The resident grabbed hold of the stretcher to steady herself, fighting back a wave of nausea, as she looked down in disbelief at the ashen face lying swathed under blankets and medical equipment. Voices swirled around her as she struggled desperately to get her bearings. Her mask was damp and she realized that she was crying as she watched on in horror.
As all this was going on, Jon grabbed the rib spreader from the tray. He inserted the tool between the space in the breastbone and rapidly turned the crank and locked it in place, opening the area so the surgeon could see inside the chest cavity. He held it steady and moved back a step to give the surgeon room.
Dr. Kelly bent over the open cavity of Alex's chest. "Dammit, give me more suction. I can't see a goddamn thing with all this blood."
Marcus reached over and the sound of the suction gurgled loudly, almost drowning out the sounds of the ventilator as it whooshed and beeped at the head of the table. As he was doing that, Sandy ripped open the sterile packaging around a stack of sterile gauze towels and shoved them inside. She quickly pulled out the blood soaked towels and threw them on the floor, then repeated the process several more times.
Regina watched as the surgeon groped inside, desperately trying to find the source of the bleeding. They were losing her. Regina could feel it happening. A strong sense of dread filled her and she fought to control her fear. Oh God, no, please don't let this happen. Hang on Alex, please, just hang on a few minutes more.
The resident stepped forward. "You're taking too long," she said, through clenched teeth. She grabbed a pair of sterile gloves from the box behind her, tore open the package and quickly shoved her hands into them.
The surgeon glanced up at her. "You're not a surgeon, Dr. Kingston," he grunted, as he continued to search futilely with his hands.
"We're losing her. Let me at least try." Regina didn't hesitate as she stepped forward and leaned over Alex's body. She grabbed a sterile towel from Sandy and reached inside, stopping the flow of blood with the pressure, then watching for the split second when the damaged vessel uncompressed and started to pump out the crimson colored blood again.
"There it is." The surgeon moved his hands, exposing the torn vessel.
"I see it," Regina said, as she searched around with her hands. "Give me a clamp." She grabbed the instrument from Sandy's hand and clamped the large vessel. "I need three-o silk. Hurry up, dammit."
"Jon, I need more resection," Regina ordered, and waited a moment as the doctor cranked the rib spreader, allowing her more room. "That's it, good. Hold it there." Regina worked quickly, sewing the hole in the vessel closed.
"Good, good," Dr. Kelly said, as Jon applied more pressure to the rib spreader and held it in place.
Sandy glanced up at the monitor. "Her pressure is stable: one hundred over fifty and holding."
"Ok, let's move, now."
"Here," Dr. Washington threw several layers of sterile gauze over the open wound in the doctor's chest and poured sterile water over it to keep the exposed tissues protected and keep from drying out on the short trip to the OR.
"Come on, let's move." There was a flurry of activity as the team unhooked the myriad of lines and tubes.
"Don't forget the drug box," Sandy called out, as she backpedaled pulling the stretcher with her towards the door.
"I got it. Watch the lines!" Thomas rescued one of the IV's from snagging on a med cart.
Jon grabbed the supply cart and hauled it upright. With Marcus at the head of the stretcher, squeezing the ambubag, Regina and Sandy pulled the stretcher into the hallway.
At a dead run down the hallway, the surgical team met the stretcher half way to the OR. "We got her from here guys."
Regina stared after the stretcher as the doors swung closed behind her. The silence in the hallway was deafening as they stood there without a thing to do now but wait. Regina's breath went ragged as she collapsed back against the wall. She slid to the floor as she finally let go of the rigid control she'd been holding during the whole ordeal. She felt two pairs of hands take hold of her arms, lifting her up, then her vision narrowed suddenly and she knew only darkness.
Part 20
Back to the Academy


text:
Sri Lanka arrests 13 Indian fishermen
Colombo: Sri Lanka authorities on Thursday arrested 13 Indian fishermen for poaching in its territorial waters.
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The authorities also seized two trawlers used by the Indian fishermen in the northern seas, south of Sri Lanka's Delft Island, Xinhua news agency reported.
At a ministerial meeting in January, Sri Lanka urged India to end bottom trawling in order to resolve a long-standing fishing dispute.


text:
Very touching words written by the hero Walid Daqqa, one of the most intellectual Palestinian authors in Israeli prisons who forms a source of inspiration of many youth inside and outside jail, including me. He wrote this arabic piece that I am sharing below today as he starts his 28th year in imprisonment. The following is my translation of his moving piece. Please share to let the word know that Walid Daqqa isn't just a number, but he's a beautiful soul who can teach the whole world humanity.
"Today I acknowledge at the 28th anniversary of my detention, that my heart has never known hatred, nor I have mastered the toughness and the crudeness that prison life imposes on one.
I further admit that I still rejoice and feel as happy as a kid for the simplest things, and I feel filled with joy for receiving a little compliment or hearing a nice word.
I admit that my heart leaps up for glancing a flower, the sea, or any scene of nature on TV. I admit that I am happy despite everything, and I don't miss any of life luxuries.
I only miss two scenes: the children and the workers. I miss those glimpses of children gushing out of all alleys of the village, heading to their schools in the morning, and the scene of workers as they are coming from all neighborhood very early in a foggy cold morning, enthusiastic while they head to the city centre, getting ready to travel to their work places.
I admit all these sentiments and all this love was never to remain without the love of my mother Farida, my wife Sanaa, my brother Hussny, and the support of all of my family, friends, and beloved ones to me. For them I admit that I am still a human embracing the love in my heart and holding it as it was a flamed stone. I promise you I will remain steadfast with this love. I will keep loving you dearly as my love is my only humble victory against my jailer."