The Heart Of All That Is
Posted by Michelle Moquin on August 16th, 2012
Good morning!
Maka: Thank you for posting about Pe’ Sla, and bringing it to my attention. Your story moved me. I feel for the Lakota people and their land. When I began to read more about it, I decided that I would make it the topic for today’s write just in case my readers passed over your comment, my featuring it would give it more light, and HOPEfully more attention.
I wish you and yours my very best and I HOPE that Pe’ Sla gets enough media attention that the sacred land can be saved. Click here to donate.
Pe’ Sla: Help Save Lakota Sioux Sacred Land!
The sale is perfectly “legal,” but is it morally, ethically, and spiritually correct?
In a race against the clock, the Sioux Nation is fighting to save Pe’ Sla, one of its most sacred religious sites.Pe’ Sla, located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, is the epicenter of the creation story of the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota nations. Tribal elders and spiritual leaders conduct ceremonies essential to their culture and beliefs at times of the year when the stars are in special alignment. On Aug. 25, 2012, approximately 1,942.66 acres, sold in five tracts of land, will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Once sold, it is highly likely that Pe’ Sla will be opened up for development, with the State of South Dakota building a road directly through it, according to a press release I stumbled across on Facebook. If the Sioux ever needed a savvy PR and fundraising team, now is the time, and it may be too late.
The fact that native sacred places were taken illegally by the United States government is secondary to the urgent need to do something to protect this privately owned yet cosmologically significant site before Aug. 25, less than two weeks from now. In a gallant effort the Sioux Nation is fundraising to buy as much of the holy ground of Pe’ Sla as possible. What is possible and what is realistic may be two different things, or they may not.
To be honest, when this writer discovered the story, the situation seemed overwhelming and hopeless. How would the Sioux be able to raise over one million dollars in a fundraising campaign in two weeks? So I dutifully posted it on Facebook, tried to go to sleep, tossed and turned in protest at my inaction, and now find myself blogging away at 1 AM–hoping and praying that by throwing this sad, terrible story against the wall, something might stick.
Winona LaDuke, the great native activist and teacher wrote a note “from the heart” about the importance of the Great Mystery to indigenous peoples, and here is the link to it. Read it. It may uplift you and it may bring a tear to your eye, but most of all it may inspire you to offer testimony and “talk story” about what is happening. The act of speaking is an act of spiritual solidarity.
“In the time of the sacred sites and the crashing of ecosystems and worlds, it may be worth not making a commodity out of all that is revered,” LaDuke writes, asking the critical question of morality.
She goes on to cite Lakota scholar Chase Iron Eyes, who said:
Pe’Sla, to the Lakota, is the place where Morning Star, manifested as a meteor, fell to earth to help the Lakota by killing a great bird which had taken the lives of seven women; Morning Star’s descent having created the wide open uncharacteristic bald-spot in the middle of the forested Black Hills. (On American maps, this is called, Old Baldy) The Morning Star placed the spirits of those seven women in the sky as the constellation “Pleiades” or “The Seven Sisters.”
On May 24, 1996, President Bill Clinton issued Executive Order 13007 that requires the government to “accommodate access to and ceremonial use of Indian sacred sites by religious practitioners.” Unfortunately, the order applies to federal and not privately held lands, leaving an ethical chasm between what should be and what is reality at sacred sites.
And now, at this moment, there is absolutely nothing we can do about that harsh fact.
It is the hour of dark skies here in northern Minnesota and the Pleiades are just now rising in the eastern sky, soon to be followed by Jupiter, Venus and the waning crescent moon. I find myself wondering what the skies are like just one state to the west in the Black Hills. Part of the writer wants to go there to better explain the sense of the sacred lands, but there is no time to waste when the hands of the clock have moved into another day since the time I sat down to write this testimony.
So, feeling completely helpless and inadequate, we offer what little we can and hope that a solution can be found in the coming days to save the “heart of all that is.“
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Anonymous: Thank you so much for making a contribution in my name. I am going to make a contribution today as well, and I HOPE that many of my readers will too if they have not already done so.
Readers: There isn’t much time. If you can help Maka and her cause, please make a donation. Click here to donate. I have said it before and I will say it again, “If every single one of us just contributed $1 we would have a huge impact”. Thank you.
Oh…it looks like Ryan is now a member of the LSOS Club. Did I ever doubt he would be? No.
Peace & Love…
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)
Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:
Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129
Thank you for your loyal support!
All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012
“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream
" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"
August 16th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
I am watching the Cycle with Krystal Ball and another white woman, S.E. Cupp with two men, a black guy, named Toure, and a white guy named, Kornatche.
S.E. Cupp is for the republicans.
Even before she opens her mouth, looking at her one would guess that this is a woman who would support the republican party. Talk about your dumb blond. This is a true poster child for the spot.
Who else could she be for but a party that treats women as if they have no brains so they have to be managed by men.
August 16th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
The Four Dirtiest Surfaces in a Hotel Room
When you enter a hotel room, you already know that it’s probably teeming with germs from the many strangers who stayed there before you.
But, realistically, what are you going to do about it? Spend hours cleaning every corner? Cover yourself in plastic wrap? Not travel?
Well, there’s a new (and much more realistic) strategy that you can try, because a recent study has identified the areas in hotel rooms that have the most bacteria.
And they’re not all spots that you would commonly think to avoid or to wipe clean.
So instead of worrying or just feeling uncomfortable, I’m going to focus on sanitizing these few hot spots—and you can, too. It doesn’t take long (there are only four!).
FOUR GROSSEST AREAS
Researchers collected samples from various surfaces in three freshly cleaned hotel rooms in three different states (a total of nine rooms), and then, back at the lab, detected how many bacteria were on each surface by conducting something called aerobic plate counts.
The higher the surface’s “count,” the more bacteria it contained. The top four dirtiest surfaces (outside of housekeepers’ cleaning equipment, the toilet, and the bathroom sink and floor—all of which scored over 117 “counts”) turned out to be:
Main light switch: 113
TV remote control: 68
Bedside lamp switch: 22
Telephone keypad: 20
Most items (including the toilet paper holder, mug, bathroom faucet, room door handle, shower floor and bathroom door handle) had relatively moderate amounts of bacteria, with scores between 4 and 11.
The two cleanest surfaces, both of which scored only 0.5, were the bed headboard and the curtain rod.
Yuck! Some of these top hot spots, such as the remote control, don’t surprise me, but I never would have thought about the bedside lamp!
This news is definitely going to make me rethink the way I always turn on the bedside lamp (without disinfecting it first) while reading before bed.
I’m also stunned that the bathroom faucet, the shower floor and the two doorknobs weren’t higher on the list!
You might be wondering which types of bacteria were identified. Unfortunately, the aerobic plate counts measured only how many bacteria there were on the surfaces, not which kinds.
WILL YOU GET SICK?
When I called study coauthor Jay Neal, PhD, a food microbiologist and assistant professor at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management within the University of Houston, he wasn’t overly concerned by the findings, because not all germs will make you sick.
But exposure to any pathogens (germs that carry diseases) raises your risk for getting sick, especially if you are immunocompromised.
For example, if you’re undergoing chemo…if you’re pregnant…or if you have HIV, you’re more susceptible to infection.
Of course, there’s no way to completely avoid germs, but, in my opinion, it doesn’t hurt to take the following basic precautions—whether you’re immunocompromised or not—to help reduce your risk of getting sick.
A TRAVELER’S BEST FRIEND: SANITIZING WIPES
While Dr. Neal does not believe that sanitizing wipes are necessary, I pack them whenever I travel. You, too, can slip a container of them into your suitcase to disinfect the bacteria-laden surfaces mentioned above the moment that you walk into your hotel room.
Don’t assume that a housekeeper cleaned those areas. Even if a housekeeper did, he or she likely wiped it down with a sponge or mop that was filled with bacteria.
Of all the different surfaces that the researchers examined, sponges and mops were the most contaminated items of all!
And, of course, wash your hands when you’re in a hotel room as often as possible with soap and hot water (or use hand sanitizer)—especially before eating or touching your face.
Source(s): Jay Neal, PhD, assistant professor, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Houston.
Researchers reported these findings at the June 2012 General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Until the results are published in a peer-reviewed journal, they should be viewed as preliminary.
August 16th, 2012 at 2:36 pm
Myth Romney didn’t pick a running mate in Paul Ryan. He picked an accomplice.
August 16th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Romney lies and misprepresnts with amazaing consistency. Why shouldn’t his VP choice show some of the same distaste for the truth?
Too bad some poor souls actuallly believe the lies. It’s getting more and more embarassing to be a Republican these days.
August 16th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Here’s what he doesn’t get: everthing’s on record. He can lie, but proof is proof and it’s already out there. So now we know he lies just like his boss.
The GOP ticket is in huge trouble. No wonder little mitt hasn’t dropped his congressional run. Hopefully, the voters in Wisconsin will take this into consideration and make him a private citizen asap.
August 16th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
CAN YOU TEAPUBLICAN LIARS ALL HAVE A BIG MEETIN G AND GET YOUR LIES STARIGHT AND ON THE SAME PAGE?
maybe in Tampa?
August 16th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Great, now we have another Romney:
1. I didn’t do it
2. If I did do it, I didn’t mean it
3. If I did mean it, I had a good reason.
August 16th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
The republicans are going to focus on getting more of their base to turn out and rely on their crooks to steal the vote by cutting off the votes of those that would vote for Obama.
They will concentrate on voter suppression in all the swing states.
Mike,TM
August 16th, 2012 at 3:58 pm
I’ll never forget the day I got the phone call: My brother Peter Price, who suffered brain trauma from a bicycle accident, had swallowed 5 fish hooks and 22 AA batteries in a desperate attempt to escape the rehabilitation center where he was abused.
I was devastated. Not long after Peter had been placed in the Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation (FINR), he had begun complaining that staff would frequently hold him down and punch him in the face and groin. He said he was kept in isolation for weeks.
The conditions Peter described were horrifying, and I tried to get him moved quickly. But he was in so much distress he couldn’t wait. He risked his life because he saw no other way out.
Today, Peter is doing well at a different rehabilitation center where he is tended to by a caring staff. But I was haunted when I learned that dozens of defenseless patients at FINR continued to face abuse.
You can imagine how I felt when I read a Bloomberg News article last week that highlighted the stories of those abused: Danny Silva, an autistic patient assaulted by staff on camera; Michael Lieux, a Marine killed after staff pinned him down until he suffocated; and Reginald Hicks, a tube-fed patient who died after staff fed him food that lodged in his lungs.
Those stories are just the tip of the iceberg — there have been more than 477 allegations of abuse at FINR since 2005. A congressional investigation found that staff prolonged the stays of patients to boost profits. Yet, FINR continues to operate and even accept new patients.
State agencies have swept the issue under the rug, but if thousands of people sign my petition calling for a federal investigation, the Department of Health won’t be able to ignore us.
My brother is proud I’m speaking up for vulnerable brain injured patients like him – no one should have to go through the abuse that he did ever again.
Thank you,
Jessica Alopaeus
August 16th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
This Video MIGHT Stop Romney From Becoming President
http://front.moveon.org/this-video-might-stop-romney-from-becoming-president
August 16th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
August 15, 2012• Vol. 7, No. 33
ORDER TODAY!
The Obama normal vs. the Romney prosperity
by Newt Gingrich
Dear Fellow Conservative,
By picking Paul Ryan as his vice presidential candidate, Governor Romney may have set the stage for the clearest election choice since William McKinley defeated William Jennings Bryan in 1896.
In 1896 Democrats chose the youngest nominee in history. William Jennings Bryan won the nomination at 36 as a Populist, anti-industrial, anti-urban candidate. Bryan was a brilliant, compelling orator. He called for “grass to grow in the streets” and condemned the emerging industrial, urban America. His demagogic spirit of negative campaigning and class warfare deeply influences the Democratic Party to this day.
McKinley was the calm, sober, well organized advocate of an urban, industrial America. His symbol was the full lunch pail. He developed a deliberate contrast with Bryan’s frantic campaigning and emotional speeches by waging a “front porch” campaign. Bryan’s campaign literally transported hundreds of thousands of voters by train to McKinley’s home in Canton, Ohio in the best organized campaign in American history.
The modern world decisively defeated the divisive, retrograde Bryan campaign. Americans voted for jobs, technological change, and an optimistic future of prosperity and achievement.
Governor Romney has now boldly set the stage for a similar big choice election.
The Ryan vice presidential nomination virtually guarantees that this will be a big issues, big choice election. It creates a stark contrast with the petty, negative, gotcha politics the Obama campaign devolved into during June and July.
Governor Romney’s first major decision as a presidential candidate is historic, courageous, and bold. He has clearly decided that the American people deserve a campaign that focuses on facts, outlines proposals, and offers an alternative to Obama’s vision for a European-socialist style future.
Obama and the entire Left (including much of the elite media) will try to turn this into a referendum on a false, distorted and dishonest version of Paul Ryan’s proposals. For example, every effort to frighten seniors over Medicare will collapse if Republicans repeat consistently and intensely that none of the proposals effect anyone over 55. If you hear a Democrat trying to frighten seniors over Medicare you know they are lying. It is that simple.
The actual choice will be much bigger than the budget.
The real choice is between an “Obama normal” and Romney prosperity.
The Obama Normal
Many columnists and analysts of the left write and talk about a “new normal.” They would like people to believe that the current economic disaster ( the worst recovery in 75 years) is simply the way things will remain. After all, from their perspective, if it is “normal” then it can’t be Obama’s fault.
There is no ” new normal,” however. This is the “Obama normal.”
The lasting unemployment, the economy so bad that the work force has been shrinking dramatically, the number of young people who can’t repay their student loans because they can’t find work–all these are the consequences of terrible government policies imposed by Obama and the left.
Obama can’t credibly campaign promising prosperity because he has had four years in office and has the worst economic record of any president in three-quarters of a century.
If Obama knew how to create prosperity he would have done so. And if you want an idea of where the Obama normal is headed, consider what big government, big bureaucracy, and centralized political power have done in Europe. Youth unemployment in Greece hit 54 percent this month.
Compare the extraordinary first term achievements of President Reagan and the strength of the recovery which propelled him to an easy re- election in 1984 with the continuing stagnation, high unemployment, bankrupt cities, and hopelessness of the Obama Presidency.
The Romney Prosperity
The real goal of the Romney Plan for a Stronger Middle Class is to create a generation of full employment and growing take home pay.
The Romney vision for America is very much like that of Ronald Reagan and Jack Kemp.
Like those great conservative leaders, Romney believes that if you have a job and you have rising take home pay, you can take care of your family, work as a volunteer in your neighborhood and build a decentralized free society of enormous potential.
The contrast with the Obama model could not be sharper.
Romney believes in a bigger economy, more jobs and take home pay and a smaller government (which is essential to create the environment that allow the economic growth and increased prosperity).
Obama believes in a bigger government creating greater dependency, which inevitably results in fewer jobs, less growth, and as a result less prosperity.
The Obama model is self-fulfilling. By increasing the size of government, it kills jobs.
By increasing the amount of red tape and regulations from Washington bureaucrats, it discourages entrepreneurs.
By waging class warfare and attacking the successful, it disheartens those who might have started a new company or worked a little bit harder.
Having guaranteed dependency the Obama normal then asks people to vote to continue being dependent. Big government becomes an end in itself because under the Obama normal there is no alternative.
The Choice
The remarkable thing about Governor Romney’s bold choice of Paul Ryan is that it guarantees this will be the most principled, philosophical and policy driven election of modern times.
Since the left will be doomed to defeat within the facts (after all, the Obama normal is a disaster for average Americans), the left will be forced to engage in the most dishonest, demagogic campaign since William Jennings Bryan in 1896.
The challenge for Romney, Ryan, and the Republicans will be to have the skill, the persistence, and the clarity to trump lies with facts, falsehoods with truth, and desperation with optimism.
This will be an election for the history books.
The choice of the American people will define our country for decades to come.
Your Friends,
Newt and Callista
August 16th, 2012 at 4:17 pm
How to Read Blood Chemistry Test Results
Dear Reader,
If you’re like most of my patients, you’ve probably looked over the alphabet soup of acronyms and abbreviations in your blood work results and wondered what it all means.
So to empower my readers, here is a simplified guide to understanding blood test results. If you’re interested in playing a more active role in your medical care — something I strongly recommend — then I suggest you save this newsletter.
The next time you have blood work done, you’ll be able to read the results like a pro!
Blood tests, sometimes called blood panels, are one of a physician’s most basic tools. Not that long ago, doctors diagnosed patients through observation and the patients’ answers to questions.
Today, we have a wide range of testing options to choose from, with blood tests being among the most basic.
Blood tests allow a doctor to see a detailed analysis of the nutrients and waste products in your body as well as how various organs (e.g., kidneys and liver) are functioning. Below, I’ve explained some of the commonly measured indicators of health.
During a physical examination, your doctor will often draw blood for chemistry and complete blood count (CBC) tests as well as a lipid profile, which measures cholesterol and related elements.
Here is a brief explanation of the abbreviations used in measurements followed by descriptions of several common test components.
Deciphering Blood Test Measurements
Blood tests use the metric measurement system and abbreviations such as the following:
• cmm cells per cubic millimeter
• fL (femtoliter) fraction of one-millionth of a liter
• g/dL grams per deciliter
• IU/L international units per liter
• mEq/L milliequivalent per liter
• mg/dL milligrams per deciliter
• mL milliliter
• mmol/L millimoles per liter
• ng/mL nanograms per milliliter
• pg (picograms) one-trillionth of a gram
CHEMISTRY PANEL (or METABOLIC PANEL)
ALT (alanine aminotransferase)
Healthy range: 8 to 37 IU/L
This test looks at levels of the liver enzyme ALT. When all’s well with your liver, your score on this test should be within range. Anything higher may indicate liver damage.
Albumin
Healthy range: 3.9 to 5.0 g/dL
A protein made by the liver, albumin levels can be an indicator of liver or kidney problems.
A/G ratio (albumin/globulin ratio) or total protein test
Healthy ratio: a bit over 1, favoring albumin
There are two types of protein your blood — albumin (see above) and globulin. The A/G ratio test compares levels of these proteins with one another. Elevated protein levels could indicate a health condition in need of attention.
Alkaline phosphatase
Healthy range: 44 to 147 IU/L
This enzyme is involved in both liver and bone, so elevations may indicate problems with the liver or bone-related disease.
AST (aspartate aminotransferase)
Healthy range: 10 to 34 IU/L
This enzyme is found in heart and liver tissue, so elevations suggest problems may be occurring in one or both of those areas.
Bilirubin
Healthy range: 0.1 to 1.9 mg/dL
This provides information about liver and kidney functions, problems in bile ducts, and anemia.
BUN (blood urea nitrogen)
Healthy range: 10 to 20 mg/dL
This is another measure of kidney and liver functions. High values may indicate a problem with kidney function. A number of medications and a diet high in protein can also raise BUN levels.
BUN/creatinine ratio
Healthy ratio of BUN to creatinine: 10:1 to 20:1 (men and older individuals may be a bit higher)
This test shows if kidneys are eliminating waste properly. High levels of creatinine, a by-product of muscle contractions, are excreted through the kidneys and suggest reduced kidney function.
Calcium
Healthy range: 9.0 to 10.5 mg/dL (the elderly typically score a bit lower)
Too much calcium in the bloodstream could indicate kidney problems; overly active thyroid or parathyroid glands; certain types of cancer, including lymphoma; problems with the pancreas; or a deficiency of vitamin D.
Chloride
Healthy range: 98 to 106 mEq/L
This mineral is often measured as part of an electrolyte panel. A high-salt diet and/or certain medications are often responsible for elevations in chloride. Excess chloride may indicate an overly acidic environment in the body. It also could be a red flag for dehydration, multiple myeloma, kidney disorders, or adrenal gland dysfunction.
Creatinine
Healthy range: 0.5 to 1.1 mg/dL for women; 0.6 to 1.2 mg/dL for men (the elderly may be slightly lower)
The kidneys process this waste product, so elevations could indicate a problem with kidney function.
Fasting glucose (blood sugar)
Healthy range: 70 to 99 mg/dL for the average adult (the elderly tend to score higher even when they are healthy)
Blood sugar levels can be affected by food or beverages you have ingested recently, your current stress levels, medications you may be taking, and the time of day. The fasting blood sugar test is done after at least 6 hours without food or drink other than water.
Phosphorus
Healthy range: 2.4 to 4.1 mg/dL
Phosphorus plays an important role in bone health and is related to calcium levels. Too much phosphorus could indicate a problem with kidneys or the parathyroid gland. Alcohol abuse, long-term antacid use, excessive intake of diuretics or vitamin D, and malnutrition can also elevate phosphorus levels.
Potassium
Healthy range: 3.7 to 5.2 mEq/L
This mineral is essential for relaying nerve impulses, maintaining proper muscle functions, and regulating heartbeats. Diuretics, drugs that are often taken for high blood pressure, can cause low levels of potassium.
Sodium
Healthy range: 135 to 145 mEq/L
Another member of the electrolyte family, the mineral sodium helps your body balance water levels and helps with nerve impulses and muscle contractions. Irregularities in sodium levels may indicate dehydration; disorders of the adrenal glands; excessive intake of salt, corticosteroids, or pain-relieving medications; or problems with the liver or kidneys.
LIPID PANEL (or LIPID PROFILE)
The lipid panel is a collection of tests measuring different types of cholesterol and triglycerides (fats) in your bloodstream.
Total cholesterol
General rules (best to worst):
• Healthy Below 200 mg/dL (below 5.18 mmol/L)
• Borderline high 200 to 239 mg/dL (5.2 to 6.2 mmol/L)
• High Above 240 mg/dL (above 6.2 mmol/L)
This test measures combined levels of both LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol. The test may be done simply to record an individual’s cholesterol levels or for comparison purposes (e.g., to determine if cholesterol-lowering medications or nutrients are working).
Triglycerides
Healthy range: 40 to 160 mg/dL
These fats are found in the bloodstream and may contribute to heart disease and other health problems.
HDL cholesterol
General rules:
• Best Above 60 mg/dL
• Good 50 to 60 mg/dL
• Poor Below 40 mg/dL for men; below 50 mg/dL for women
Also known as good cholesterol, HDL (high-density lipoprotein) protects against heart disease. Low scores are risk factors for heart disease.
LDL cholesterol
General rules (best to worst):
• Optimal Below 100 mg/dL
• Near optimal 100 to 129 mg/dL
• Borderline high 130 to 159 mg/dL
• High 160 to 189 mg/dL
• Very high Above 189 mg/dL
Also known as bad cholesterol, LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the substance that clogs arteries and is linked to heart disease.
Total cholesterol/HDL ratio
American Heart Association guidelines:
• Optimal Ratio of 3.5 to 1
• Healthy Ratio of 5 to 1 or lower
This ratio is another way of checking your risk of heart disease. It is determined by dividing your HDL cholesterol level into total cholesterol. But don’t worry about the math — the lab normally does the calculation, so your doctor will simply tell you what the ratio is.
COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT (CBC)
The CBC test examines cellular elements in the blood, including red blood cells, various white blood cells, and platelets. Here is a list of the components that are normally measured, along with typical values. If your doctor says you’re fine but your tests results are somewhat different from the range shown here, don’t be alarmed. Some labs interpret test results a bit differently from others, so don’t consider these figures absolutes.
WBC (white blood cell) leukocyte count
Normal range: 4,300 to 10,800 cmm
White blood cells help fight infections, so a high white blood cell count could be helpful for identifying infections. It may also indicate leukemia, which can cause an increase in the number of white blood cells. On the other hand, too few white blood cells could be caused by certain medications or health disorders.
WBC (white blood cell) differential count
Normal range:
• Neutrophils 40% to 60% of the total
• Lymphocytes 20% to 40%
• Monocytes 2% to 8%
• Eosinophils 1% to 4%
• Basophils 0.5% to 1%
This test measures the numbers, shapes, and sizes of various types of white blood cells listed above. The WBC differential count also shows if the numbers of different cells are in proper proportion to each other. Irregularities in this test could signal an infection, inflammation, autoimmune disorders, anemia, or other health concerns.
RBC (red blood cell) erythrocyte count
Normal range: 4.2 to 5.9 million cmm
We have millions of red blood cells in our bodies, and this test measures the number of RBCs in a specific amount of blood. It helps us determine the total number of RBCs and gives us an idea of their lifespan, but it does not indicate where problems originate. So if there are irregularities, other tests will be required.
Hematocrit (Hct)
Normal range: 45% to 52% for men; 37% to 48% for women
Useful for diagnosing anemia, this test determines how much of the total blood volume in the body consists of red blood cells.
Hemoglobin (Hgb)
Normal range: 13 to 18 g/dL for men; 12 to 16 g/dL for women
Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which makes blood bright red. More importantly, hemoglobin delivers oxygen from the lungs to the entire body; then it returns to the lungs with carbon dioxide, which we exhale. Healthy hemoglobin levels vary by gender. Low levels of hemoglobin may indicate anemia.
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)
Normal range: 80 to 100 femtoliters
This test measures the average volume of red blood cells, or the average amount of space each red blood cell fills. Irregularities could indicate anemia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)
Normal range: 27 to 32 picograms
This test measures the average amount of hemoglobin in the typical red blood cell. Results that are too high could signal anemia, while those too low may indicate a nutritional deficiency.
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)
Normal range: 28% to 36%
The MCHC test reports the average concentration of hemoglobin in a specific amount of red blood cells. Here again, we are looking for indications of anemia if the count is low, or possible nutritional deficiencies if it’s high.
Red cell distribution width (RDW or RCDW)
Normal range: 11% to 15%
With this test, we get an idea of the shape and size of red blood cells. In this case, “width” refers to a measurement of distribution, not the size of the cells. Liver disease, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, and a number of health conditions could cause high or low RDW results.
Platelet count
Normal range: 150,000 to 400,000 mL
Platelets are small portions of cells involved in blood clotting. Too many or too few platelets can affect clotting in different ways. The number of platelets may also indicate a health condition.
Mean Platelet Volume (MPV)
Normal range: 7.5 to 11.5 femtoliters
This test measures and calculates the average size of platelets. Higher MPVs mean the platelets are larger, which could put an individual at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Lower MPVs indicate smaller platelets, meaning the person is at risk for a bleeding disorder.
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED TESTS
Thyroid
While not part of the standard blood panel, I often order thyroid tests for my patients, especially if they report fatigue and weight gain, or weight loss and feelings of nervousness or hyperactivity. Some physicians dismiss borderline low or high tests, but I’ve found that these can be very helpful for identifying problems with the thyroid gland. Here are the ranges I look for in thyroid tests:
Test Normal Range
• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 0.3 to 3
• Total T4 (total thyroxine) 4.5 to 12.5
• Free T4 (free thyroxine) 0.7 to 2.0
• Total T3 (total triiodothyronine) 80 to 220
• Free T3 (free triiodothyronine) 2.3 to 4.2
If your test shows you are below the minimum numbers, you may be suffering from hypothyroidism, or low thyroid. If your scores are above the normal range, you may have an overly active thyroid, or hyperthyroidism. In either case, your physician can advise you on appropriate medication. You may also want to read my earlier newsletter on thyroid issues.
Vitamin D
Normal range: 30 to 74 ng/mL
Regular readers know I often recommend supplemental vitamin D, since deficiencies are very common. Too little vitamin D can put you at risk for broken bones, heart disease, cancer, and a host of other ailments. Our bodies can make vitamin D, but only when bare skin, free of sunblock and lotions, is exposed to sunlight. And even then, people of color and older individuals may not be able to manufacture sufficient quantities for optimal health. The best way to determine if you need supplements is to have a vitamin D test, known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Here again, doctors don’t always agree on how to interpret the results. My own preference is to see readings in the normal range.
There are quite a few more tests available, but the ones included here are among the most common.
To get accurate readings, be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions in preparing for tests. You may, for example, be asked not to eat and to drink only water for anywhere from a few hours to 12 hours beforehand. Please follow these instructions, or your results may be skewed, requiring additional tests or even unnecessary medications.
If you don’t understand something in your results, remember it’s okay to ask questions. Doctors are busy people, but you are entitled to the information. If your doctor can’t provide it, ask the nurse or physician’s assistant for help
Knowing where you stand with these important parameters is essential for being proactive and owning your own health.
Thrive in Health & Wellness,
Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D.
August 16th, 2012 at 4:45 pm
# 3 Myth Ro-money (ho-money) is a good one.
# 7 that was good also, reminded me of this: look but don’t touch, touch but don’t feel, feel but don’t fall ; )
Luv, Zen Lill
August 16th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Mischa, great video/story, hmm, makes you think about where white men came up with ‘taking back our country’ yeah uh-huh…tell that story to a Native American Indian. I can hear our resident racist now, yes but we white men developed it all – who asked you to develop it all or to do it all by force or do it without agreement and cooperation? It’s all done now though the blowing of the horns about how white peeps made/make everything happen is a good GOP bedtime story, and we all know that fairy tales and myths (along with outright big bold lies) abound in GOPville.
MikeTM, is there *anything* that can be done to prevent the suppression of the voters?? I have a hard time hearing these things without any mention of any kind of fix at all, throw me a bone here, wouldja?
Luv, Zen Lill
August 16th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Michelle, I have been trying to get in to comment on your article. What is this need to destroy everything beautiful and sacred? Is there no moral fibre left in the US? Does any American care…truely care???
August 16th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Dont you people take anything else from the natives. Havnt you done enough damage to their sacred lands, and animals ?? You need to stop your greed, and start giving back to the Natives. It sickening what you have done, and you are still doing it. STOP IT NOW. Leave them and their lands alone !!!
August 16th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
This is a cause near and dear to my heart. This place must be preserved. It is long overdue. My wife and I pray for the success of this fight. Take back what is ours.
August 16th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Michelle, thanks you for bringing this to the attention of your Blog. Thank you for helping us to protect an ancient and vanishing way of life and a spirituality which keeps us in contact with Mother Earth.
Ila
August 16th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
The Black Hills Are Sacred!
August 16th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Please help there are only 8 days left before the heart of lakota land will be under attack by US corporations.
Please help protect the lakota people from genocide and the destruction of their most sacred site.
August 16th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
“Pe’ Sla is an area in the Black Hills of South Dakota (just west of Rapid City) that is considered by the Lakota people to be the Center and heart of everything that is.
It is part of our creation story. It is a sacred place. We perform certain ceremonies at Pe’ Sla which sustain the Lakota way of life and keep the universe in harmony.
This area is currently owned by the Reynolds family. They plan to auction off almost 2,000 acres on August 25, 2012 to the highest bidder. It is likely that the state of South Dakota will put a road directly through Pe’ Sla and open up this sacred place for development.
The seven bands of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Oyate (people) aka Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation) have a collective effort to buy as much of Pe’Sla as we can at this auction (although we also believe that the land cannot be owned and that our sacred places were illegally taken by the United States).
Yet we are trying to work within the current U.S. laws to regain custody of our sacred sites and prevent future road and industrial development.
Our sacred ways must be protected and passed on to our future generations so that our children may live. This area of the Paha Sapa (Black Hills) is also home to many plants and animals who should also be protected. In fact, many consider that the area should possibly be a historical site, which would also assist in protecting it from future development as well.
As Lakota people, our ancestors prayed here, at Pe’ Sla, at certain times of year, when the stars aligned. We cannot go elsewhere to pray. We were meant to pray here. This is what they do not understand.
Please help the Lakota people. “Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.” Chief Sitting Bull, 1877 We have a group of young professional Native people that are dedicated to the promotion of education, health, leadership, and sovereignity among our indigenous Nations.
Our goal is to assist in any way possible the purchase of Pe’ Sla by a collective effort of the seven bands of the Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation) – the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota people. All proceeds from this campaign will go towards that effort.
This area would be open to tribal nations for ceremonial purposes. The plants, animals, water, and air in the area would be respected and honored. Please see http://www.lastrealindians.com/category/chase-iron-eyes/ for more information. We thank you for your hope in the future.
We are hoping to buy as much of the land that is being put up for auction as possible. The total amount of land is 1,942.66 acres which is in 5 tracts (300 – 440 acres each). It is diffcult to say how much this land would be sold for as developers may increase the true western “value”.
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe has designated $50,000 for the purpose of purchasing Pe’ Sla land. By contributing to the effort of all the Sioux Tribes, we aim to purchase at least some of the tracts, if not all.
Many of the Sioux Tribes continue to exist in poverty and do not have a thriving casino-based economy as the media may have portrayed. Yet we continue to fight for what is sacred, because it matters!”
August 16th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
All nations should unite to support this cause. There is strength and power in unity and this is so important.
Even if this land were not sacred, it is pristine and beautiful, and so worthy of protecting from development. Please share EVERYWHERE! Time is of the essence!
August 16th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Truly sad that this area has not already been preserved by the federal government at a historical site or a nature preserve. This is one of the last areas that is truly beautiful and undisturbed.
Yet, the XL pipeline lurks at the very edge and in the near future. Please donate to this cause and preserve this area! Pilamaye!
August 16th, 2012 at 5:18 pm
We challenge the United States, President Obama, and the State of South Dakota to designate this area as a historical landmark or nature preserve.
Yet given time constraints, we are also raising funds to attempt to purchase some of this land at auction, an auction which should have never taken place.
Please help return this sacred land to the Lakota Sioux people and to all Tribal Nations which hold Pe’ Sla sacred! Please see http://www.indiegogo.com/PeSla-LakotaHeartland?a=1006191 for more information! Pilamaye, Thank you! Sara Jumping Eagle
August 16th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Thank you Michelle, for helping to raise awareness. I know some of your readers have a conscience and believe they will help.
August 16th, 2012 at 5:21 pm
Please read and share! And consider donating what you can, any little bit helps.
is extremely important to the Sioux Nation that this sacred land is preserved. It is an important part of traditional ceremonies and the teachings of religion in many native american tribes.
Ive always been told how The Black Hills are considered The heart of the earth and the place to go for many native nations if things were to go bad in the world. I would also hate to see it become ruined and monopolized by the government.
Sorry to seem as if im pestering but I figured even the thoughts and prayers from users here would be helpful towards the effort to save the sacred land, and I feel an obligation to spread the word via every social outlet I know of.
And I know there are alot of spiritual users here that I feel would care to know about this. Even if you arent native american im sure you will see the importance of preserving what little nature/ sacred land we have left. There are only 9 days left for the campaign so these are the final days to spread the word.
August 16th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
This really pisses me off.My ex and I use to volunteer at Pine Ridge in South Dakota. The reservation has one of the lowest life spans in the country and unemployment is around 80%(Sick!This is like the 7th or 8th largest reservation out there).
If you really want to know how this country will look like when everything falls apart I suggest you read about this place.If AIM members took over Pine Ridge for 70 days in the 1970s it could easily happen again.(I hope it happens again.)
They should have owned this land in the first place.These are some of the most beautiful people I have ever met,they were born into a lost cause and now have to deal with the lack of help and racism from it.
There is a reason why our government is stripping their land,education, and health away,just to save rake in some extra dollars.
Skip that soda you might get on your lunch break and donate a buck,it really does help.
August 16th, 2012 at 6:04 pm
I just watched a black man with a knife shot 45 times by six police officers standing way out of danger.
They felt at ease doing it in the bright of day and in full view of the media.
Damn
August 17th, 2012 at 8:06 am
Michelle, you run your blog like it is some open facebook that anyone can jump in and get in on anyone else’s conversation.
You need more organization. Your topics and conversations are all over the place. I can not find any cohesiveness.
This blog sucks.
August 17th, 2012 at 8:10 am
A spokeswoman for Romney when asked if his plan(claim as who knows what his real plans are) to restore the Obama $714 billion cut to Medicare could somehow hasten its bankruptcy is on its face absurd,” said spokeswoman Andrea Saul.”
yup, morons, ON IT’S FACE. which is WHY you do deeper analysis instead of knee-jerk.
“Romney has not spelled out full details of his Medicare plan.”
orrrrr anything ELSE for that matter.
May 10th, 2014 at 5:13 pm
Heya! I know this is somewhat off-topic however I needed to ask.
Does operating a well-established blog like yours require a large amount of work?
I’m completely new to blogging but I do write in my journal daily.
I’d like to start a blog so I can easily share my own experience and views online.
Please let me know if you have any kind of suggestions or tips for brand new aspiring bloggers.
Appreciate it!
Here is my website – Elsword Hack