Fruit and Herb Infused Water Recipe

April 14, 2013 | 3 Comments
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The Institute of Medicine has determined the adequate amount of water per day for men is 3 liters (13 cups) and for women 2.2 liters (about 9 cups). - Mayo Clinic That’s a lot of water! Granted, we are getting some of our water intake from other beverages and fruits and vegetables we consume, but many of us know we aren’t consuming enough fluid in a day for our bodies to run their best. Drinking an adequate amount of water has been shown to improve complexion, help maintain a balanced … [Read more...]

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Preeclampsia – My HELLP Syndrome Story

March 28, 2013 | 24 Comments
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300,000 women each year will be diagnosed with Preeclampsia or HELLP Syndrome. Knowing the signs and symptoms is the single most important thing you can do to increase you and your baby's chance of survival. Unfortunately, you can't always trust the medical community to make an early diagnosis. Preeclampsia, and especially HELLP, are finicky diseases in the beginning stages and often go undiagnosed until the situation becomes severe. Preeclampsia affects between 5-10% of all pregnancies. … [Read more...]

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Kids Healthy Eating Tips from Dr. Jay Gordon

November 19, 2012 | 3 Comments
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Dr. Jay Gordon is a vegetarian that encourages a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. I am more of an omnivore, but I've learned so much from him about child nutrition and getting kids excited about eating healthy foods that I want to share some of it with you.   Teach her that fruit is the sweet. A berry tastes incredibly sweet unless you have just eaten an Oreo cookie. Help your child appreciate the sweetness of fruit by limiting artificial sweets including cakes, cookies, and most any … [Read more...]

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Internet Fast- Prayers Please

November 20, 2011 | 10 Comments
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Hey Everyone, My parents came down to watch the boys This weekend. It was Brian's 30th birthday and we went to Las Vegas with friends. On Thursday I got a very worried call from my sister about some alarming symptoms my mom has been having. My mom wasn't concerned, but over the weekend we discovered a little more about what has been going on. My moms symptoms fit the description for Paget's Disease (a rare breast cancer)- We are praying it is just an infection. She is going to … [Read more...]

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Save a Mother, Preserve a Family?

June 25, 2011 | 1 Comment

Adopting from Ethiopia made us realize how vital it was for Samuel that we stay extremely connected to Ethiopia - not just the culture, but the actual country. We understand the importance of taking trips as frequently as possible, and to put as much effort into causes we find important over there, just like we do here. Philanthropy in Ethiopia Since having Aram, my goal has been aiding in reducing maternal mortality rates, particularly from hypertensive diseases of pregnancy in developing … [Read more...]

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Happy Birthday Mr. Aram!

June 22, 2011 | 2 Comments

Today Aram turns Three!!!!!! (and coincidentally it is the day we officially accepted Samuel's referral) This day brings back a lot of wonderful and scary memories. I remember getting ready to be released from the hospital when the nurses rushed in with a bag of magnesium sulfate. I knew what that meant- I was sick....as sick as I had suspected. The only good doctor I had during my week stay, came in and said that my liver enzymes had tripled and my platelets had dropped and were going … [Read more...]

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One Year Ago Today…

June 18, 2011 | 2 Comments

Oh wow, so much has happened in the past few years. On this date three years ago I was admitted into the hospital with these symptoms: Preterm labor, mildly elevated blood pressure, and a nose bleed that wouldn't stop. Little did I know I was in the early stages of gestational hypertension that would develop into HELLP Syndrome. The 18th has always been a very sad day for me because it was the day I felt like a failure. My body couldn't do what it was designed to do. It not only let me … [Read more...]

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The Changing World of HIV

June 9, 2011 | 2 Comments

Joan Rivers recently joked about how her AIDS charity work isn't as meaningful because HIV is now chronic. Totally inappropriate, but the world sometimes needs to laugh at the seriously unfunny aspects of life to keep us going. Joan definitely touched on the reality of HIV medication advancements over the last thirty years. People are starting to live longer, and HIV/AIDS is sometimes referred to as a chronic condition. Unfortunately, Africa has the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world … [Read more...]

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