How Well Did You Sleep Last Night?
Posted by Michelle Moquin on January 15th, 2010
Good morning.
It’s very early, and this Friday like every Friday, I need to get out of the house earlier than the rest of the week. I slept good last night, and this morning I woke up in my cozy, warm, comfy bed. How well did you sleep last night?
As I was laying warm and safe in my bed, the first thing that I thought of this morning when I woke up was the Haitians and residents of Haiti…and especially all of those that are displaced. I am sure that even if you didn’t sleep well last night, it was ten times better than the sleep of so many of the people in Haiti. Many are not waking up in the comforts of their own beds…they aren’t even in their own homes. And they may not even be in the presence of their loved ones, nor even sure if their loved ones are alive.
This thought left me with a pit in my stomach…I can not imagine how these people felt waking up this morning, if they indeed slept…waking up in a strange room, if any…wishing that this disaster was just a terrible nightmare…wanting to shake the images, the sounds, from their heads. But unfortunately it isn’t a nightmare, and sadly they can not.
I’m sure many of you received this letter from our president in your e-mail. I know that I asked yesterday for donations, but after seeing the news and watching videos of the disaster in Haiti, I can’t help but be compelled to ask you again to donate, if you haven’t already. I made a donation last night.
I know many of you are struggling to make ends meet. We too are financially challenged. But even a few dollars from each one of us can make a huge difference to families that are displaced.
A letter from Obama:
On Tuesday, a catastrophic earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but the death toll — already in the thousands — is climbing fast.
This is the worst earthquake to hit the area in more than 200 years. Entire communities have been ripped apart and as many as 3 million people have been directly affected, including tens of thousands of American citizens who are in Haiti.
Our neighbors in Haiti are racing to confront the enormous devastation — and the OFA community can help.
Click here for more information about essential relief efforts and ways you can help today.
Footage is pouring in of homes collapsing, Haitians carrying injured family members, and hospitals being overrun in what was already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
I have directed my administration to respond with a swift, coordinated, and aggressive effort to save lives. Personnel from the United States and our partners in the international community are on the ground in damaged areas right now, working side by side with the Haitian people. They’re providing much-needed food, water, and sanitation supplies, saving lives and helping local communities start to rebuild.
Despite the fact that we are experiencing tough times here at home, I encourage those who can to reach out and help. It’s in times like these that we must show the kind of compassion and humanity that has defined the best of our national character for generations.
Click here to find out what you can do:
http://my.barackobama.com/Haiti
As this story continues to unfold, I hope you will continue to keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers, as well as the many Haitian-Americans who have done so much to enrich our country and who are worried about friends and loved ones in this time of need.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
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Readers: Thank you again, for everything and anything you can do to help. May the Haitians and the residents of Haiti receive as much support as is needed, and some sort of relief and comfort soon.
Marsha: PS. I need to make a correction in my comment about the movie ‘Avatar’ yesterday. I know you know what I meant but my sentence: ‘Being an animal lover, the connection that the Avatars not only had with their environment, but with the animals that fed and clothed them was especially moving to me’, should have read: ’Being an animal lover, the connection that the indigenous people not only had with their environment, but with the animals that fed and clothed them was especially moving to me.’ Thanks.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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January 16th, 2010 at 1:19 am
Subject: Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel – please read
ouch!!!!!!!!
This is crazy…. (Check it out at snopes.com/medical/drugs/zicam.asp )
I want my friends and loved ones to know what has happened to me in hopes that it will never happen to you or anybody you care about. About 10 days ago, I felt a cold coming on; so before I went to bed I used Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel. It’s supposed to help you “get over your cold faster.” Immediately after I sprayed it into each nostril I felt the most horrific burning sensation imaginable. It literally felt like I had sprayed pepper spray directly into my brain. It burned all the way to the top of my skull. My nasal passages swelled, my eyes watered – the burning lasted all night long into the next day.
After about a day, I realized I couldn’t taste anything and I thought, “Wow – I must really have a bad cold.” Then I noticed that I couldn’t smell coffee brewing, couldn’t smell my perfume when I put it on, couldn’t smell the popcorn I burned, couldn’t smell my favorite candle. I panicked and starting smelling everything that I could find that had really strong odors – ammonia, finger nail polish remover, bleach, etc. I couldn’t smell ANYTHING! I started tasting everything that had really strong tastes such as HOT salsa, raw red onions, Doritos, coffee. I couldn’t taste ANYTHING!
I told my mother about this and she said, “Oh, I’ve heard Zicam can affect your Olfactory nerve.” I went online, typed in “Zicam side effects” and bam – up popped all sorts of web sites with people reporting the same thing I experienced. It seems that this past June, Zicam pulled the swabs for adults and children off the shelf but not the nasal gel.
I went to my ENT and he said the Zicam had basically “FRIED” my Olfactory nerve and the results are most likely permanent. He put me on a strong dose of a steroid called Prednisone in hopes of recovering ANY bit of the nerve damage but he told me to “take this and pray.” He said he had read about the side effects of Zicam and couldn’t believe it is still on the shelf. It isn’t FDA approved. I am taking the Prednisone and praying but nothing is happening. I LITERALLY CANNOT SMELL OR TASTE ANYTHING! I can tell if foods are hot or cold, I can tell the consistency and I can faintly detect if it is salty but that is it.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pass this on to everyone you care about. I don’t want this to happen to ANYONE else!!!!!!!!!! And if you have Zicam in your medicine cabinet–THROW IT AWAY!
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