#he originally went for cataracts and they found this issue

[actualmichelle]

my dad's home from his eye surgery and seems to be doing well! He was under light sedation but seems pretty alert, and he has to keep his eye covered till the followup tomorrow but hopefully he will have a quick and easy recovery!

[uncloseted]

my mom believes in homeopathy and i don't know what to do. our town homeopath died not so long ago so she won't be recommending him to people anymore, but she still believes in the system. apparently he cured my brother's hyperthyroidism and my nephew's alopecia. she says that he went to tons of real doctors and the only thing that worked was homeopathy. that left me speechless. im still skeptical but how do you explain that? and if it's a placebo but it works, then why shouldn't we use it?

This answer is going to be a long one, so I apologize in advance. Apologies also for how long this has taken for me to write and publish. As always, I want to make sure that I answer every part of this question with thought, care, and sources. To make it easier to navigate, I'm going to add headers for each section. What are Homeopathic "Remedies"? The first thing I want to do is clarify what homeopathic "remedies" actually are and what the theory behind homeopathy is. Often, I think we imagine that homeopathy is just herbalism- using "natural" plants as "medicine". By itself, doing that is kind of a dubious approach to treating illness, but it can be at least somewhat effective. It's important to understand that that's not what homeopathy is. Homeopathy is an alternative "medicine" practice created in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann as a reaction to the mainstream medicine of the late 18th century. Hahnemann's homeopathy is based on the doctrine that "like cures like"- that a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms to that disease in healthy people. In order to prevent those symptoms from occurring as a result of the "remedy", homeopathy also subscribes to something called the “law of minimum dose”—the notion that the lower the dose of the medication, the greater its effectiveness. This is inconsistent with what science knows about dose-response relationships, where the effect of a dose is reliant on the concentration of the active ingredient. Many homeopathic products are so diluted that no molecules of the original active ingredient remain. Modern advocates of homeopathy have suggested that water "remembers" the substances mixed in it, and transmits the effect of those substances when it's consumed. This isn't consistent with our scientific understanding of matter. Homeopathy also traditionally includes the concept of "miasms" as the "infectious principle" behind illnesses (including illnesses like epilepsy, cancer, deafness, and cataracts). Miasms are a negative force (imagined to be kind of like a cloud or fog) that serve no purpose other than to make humans miserable and ultimately kill them. Traditionally, homeopaths believe that individual symptoms should not be alleviated, since it will only drive the miasm deeper and the miasm will "manifest itself as diseases of the internal organs". They believe that in order to cure illness, the miasm must be removed from the "vital force". The concept of miasms have become less popular in modern times, but there are still homeopaths who base their practice around it. It's important to know that none of these ideas are backed by the scientific method, nor have they been shown to be effective when subjected to the scientific method. That said, you can kind of see concepts in homeopathy that are 18th century explanations for phenomena that are real. For example, "like cures like" and "law of minimum dose" is actually kind of how vaccines work: you give a very small bit ("a minimum dose") of a disease-causing microorganism or an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism ("like cures like"), which trains the body's immune system to recognize that agent as a threat. Another example is airborne infectious diseases. It is possible to get certain illnesses (such as COVID-19, measles, chickenpox, the flu, and norovirus) if you encounter a "miasm" (what we now call droplets of an airborne infectious disease). The problem with homeopathy is that it's not the 18th century anymore. Science has moved on from using "like cures like" and "miasms" as explanations for illness. We know that "like cures like" is not an effective treatment for every illness, and we know that not all illnesses are "miasms" (airborne). We have a better grasp of things like genetics, viruses, infections, and environmental factors that allow us to more effectively understand what causes illnesses and how to provide effective, reliable treatments for those illnesses. What's the Harm? Problems with Homeopathic "Remedies" Moving on, I want to start with

your last question first. If homeopathic "remedies" are a placebo and they work, why shouldn't we use them? What's the harm? There are three main problems with using homeopathic "remedies" that I want to discuss. The first and most important answer is just that they don't work. I'll do a deeper dive on the evidence against homeopathic "remedies" and why homeopathic "remedies" don't work in a second, but for now, just know that the first problem is that homeopathy can't fix the health problems people are looking to solve. The placebo effect is pretty limited in its scope; it generally works for subjective, patient-reported outcomes such as pain and nausea, but it doesn't usually affect the actual disease. For example, when the placebo effect is used to treat insomnia, patients perceive that they've slept better, but it doesn't actually improve the amount of time it takes a person to fall asleep. The second problem is that homeopathic "remedies" aren't always harmless. While they're generally "unlikely to provoke severe adverse reactions", there have been cases of those "remedies" being taken off of the market because they've caused serious symptoms such as seizures. In the US, homeopathic "remedies" aren't overseen by the FDA in the same what that medications are. As a result, there's no assurance that the substance you think you're getting is what you're actually getting. Frequently, "remedies" are a waste of money because they don't have enough of the active ingredient to work at all. This is especially true if the product you're getting is a "dilution", which intentionally gets rid of the molecules of the original material as a result of the "law of minimum dose", but it can even be true of things like nutritional supplements that you can buy at CVS or Walmart. In the US, there's no group tasked with objectively testing the claims made by companies that sell "remedies", and there's no group making sure that "remedies" don't have ingredients in them that are unsafe. Belladonna, arsenic, and poison ivy have been found at detectable levels in homeopathic "remedies", and cases of arsenic poisoning in particular have occurred. But because homeopathic products are marketed as if they're "drugs", many people assume they wouldn't be allowed to be sold if they weren't good, if they didn't work, or if they were advertising falsely, and so they keep buying them. If you see an individual homeopath, this problem is compounded. "Homeopath" is not a protected term in the US, meaning that anyone can claim to be one. In turn, this means that there's no licensing board that oversees their work, no professional association or government agency that keeps them accountable for their mistakes, and no educational credentials that they need to begin practicing. Your local homeopath may have no background in biology, medicine, chemistry, pharmacology, or even homeopathic or alternative medicine practices. They can literally just be a person, one who you're trusting to cure your ailments and to not accidentally poison you in the process. The last issue I want to bring up is that homeopathy is often (although not always) viewed as being an acceptable replacement for evidence-backed medicine. This means that often, people who see a homeopath aren't seeing a medical doctor, and their symptoms aren't being treated by evidence-based medicine. By not taking an evidence-based approach to intervening in illness, outcomes are significantly worsened, especially for serious, life-threatening conditions such as cancer. Patients have died as a result of opting to take a homeopathic approach to illness instead of receiving proper treatment for diseases that could have been easily managed by evidence-backed medicine. This becomes an even bigger problem when it comes to public health issues. People who view homeopathy as being equal to or better than evidence-backed medicine are more likely to be anti-vaxxers and to not vaccinate their children. Reductions in vaccination rates have led to resurgences of diseases that had previously

been close to elimination. The US has seen a resurgence of whooping cough, measles, and tetanus as a result of anti-vax sentiment. Those resurgences directly endanger people who cannot be vaccinated due to chronic health issues, people with allergies to ingredients in vaccines, and people who cannot choose to be vaccinated, such as children. How Effective Are Homeopathic "Remedies"? Next, let's talk about studies that look into the efficacy of homeopathic "remedies". Government level reviews of homeopathic "remedies" have been conducted by the UK, Australia, and the European Academies' Science Advisory Council. The UK's study found that there was "no compelling evidence of effect". Australia conducted a meta-analysis of 1800 papers, and found that "there were no health conditions for which there was reliable evidence that homeopathy was effective." EASAC found that there was a lack of evidence that homeopathic products are effective, and raised concerns about quality control. Additionally, there have been systemic reviews and meta-analyses of the efficacy of homeopathic "remedies" from doctors, universities, and medical researchers. In 2005, The Lancet (one of the world's oldest, best-known, and respected medical journals) published a meta-analysis looking at the efficacy of homeopathy. Basically, that means that they looked at data from 110 homeopathy trials. These trials were included in the study because they had a completely randomized set of patients who don't know whether they were getting a "homeopathic treatment" or a placebo pill. This type of "blinded" study allows researchers to see how effective the intervention (in this case, a homeopathic "treatment") actually is. Their findings were, "compatible with the notion that the clinical effects of homeopathy are placebo effects". Meta-analyses have also been conducted on the application of homeopathy for individual diseases, including cancer, ADHD, asthma, insomnia, fibromyalgia, dementia, IBS, osteoarthritis, migraines, ecchymosis and edema, and dermatological conditions, and all have found the same result. The UK's NHS, the American Medical Association, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, the National Health Service and Medical Research Council of Australia, the World Health Organization, the American College of Medical Toxicology, the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and even the acting deputy director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine have all come out against the use of homeopathy, saying that there's "no good quality evidence that homeopathy is effective as treatment for any health condition", recommending that no one use homeopathic "treatments" for disease or as a preventative health measure, and noting that there is evidence that using these treatments can produce harm and indirect health risks. But it Seems Like it Works! What Else Could Have Happened? In terms of what happened with your brother's hyperthyroidism and your nephew's alopecia, I'm perfectly happy to admit that I have no idea. I don't know what the homeopath gave them or what else they were taking or what else they were doing during that period of time that might have changed their health status. I can offer you some hypotheses (and I will in a second), but I don't know, and that's okay. What I do know about is the current state of research on homeopathic "remedies" overall, and how it holds up when subjected to the scientific method. There are a few common culprits for why homeopathy may seem to work. I'm going to go over those now, and then I'll dig into some theories for what may have happened with your brother and nephew. These culprits include:

Placebo effect- we talked about this one earlier, but essentially, if people believe that a "treatment" will work, they're also more likely to believe the "treatment" worked after taking it. As a result, they will report feeling better on subjective measures such as pain.

Natural healing- with time, the body can sometimes heal itself without medical assistance. This is most common for things like viruses.

Therapeutic effect of consultation- care, concern, and reassurance from a compassionate caregiver can have a positive impact on the patient's assessment of their well-being, even if objective assessments of their well-being stay the same.

Regression towards the mean- many conditions and diseases are cyclical. The patient may notice a decrease in symptoms that they attribute to homeopathic "remedies", but are actually just a result of moving to a different stage of the disease cycle.

Cessation of unpleasant treatment- a homeopath may suggest that patients stop receiving medical treatment. Medical treatments can sometimes have unpleasant side effects, and so halting those treatments can make the patient feel better in the short term. The patient attributes the decrease in symptoms to the homeopathic "remedy" but it's actually that they stopped taking a medication that has side effects. In the short term, this feels good, but in the long term it is destructive because the disease isn't being treated.

Non-homeopathic treatment- the patient is also receiving medical care, and the medical care is responsible for the decrease in symptoms, not the homeopathic "remedy".

Unrecognized treatments- an unrelated food, exercise, environmental agent, treatment for a different ailment, etc. is also treating the patient's medical condition and is responsible for the decrease in symptoms.

For alopecia areata (hair loss in patches on the scalp), spontaneous remission is actually more common than you might expect. In most cases that begin with a small number of patches of hair loss, hair grows back after a few months to a year. It's possible that your nephew's hair just... grew back, especially if time had passed. It's also possible your nephew's parents were treating his alopecia other ways (minoxidil, contact immunotherapy, corticosteroids, a gluten free diet if the alopecia was associated with celiac disease) and just didn't tell you or your mum. Hyperthyroidism is a bit more difficult to guess at. It could be that your brother's medical doctors switched him to a different medication that did work or changed his dosage. If you're sure that's not it, it could be that he switched his diet to one that's low iodine and low in caffeine. Research suggests that, although a low iodine diet cannot cure hyperthyroidism, it can reduce or alleviate the symptoms in some people. If your brother went vegetarian, vegan, or stopped eating fish, that could be the culprit. If he stopped taking a multivitamin that contains iodine, that could be it. If he started eating a ton of foods high in goitrogens (soy, cassava, cabbage, cauliflower), that could also contribute to what happened, since goitrogens interfere with the uptake of iodine in the thyroid. It's also possible he was misdiagnosed, but if it's true that he went to "tons of real doctors", that seems fairly unlikely. Again, all of these are just guesses for the purpose of illustrating what confounding factors may have been present. I think the bottom line with stories like these are that you're hearing them secondhand. You don't know how many doctors your nephew or brother saw, or the quality of those doctors, or what they diagnosed, or what they prescribed, or how many different lifestyle changes they tried. You don't know what the homeopath prescribed them, or if they took it. You're hearing a story of miracles through the mouth of a believer, and that can make it difficult to know what is and isn't true (in a medically accurate kind of way). It's possible that your mum's homeopath has stumbled upon a treatment for alopecia and one for hyperthyroidism that work better than traditional medicine. I hope that's true. We can always use better treatments, especially for difficult-to-cure conditions like alopecia. But I think it's more likely that there's just some piece of information you weren't given. What do I do? Getting to your original question, there's not a ton of evidence-backed research (that I could find, at least) for how to change people's minds about homeopathy, but there is data on changing people's minds with regard to vaccines, and I think using those tactics may work in both cases. What to do about your mum's beliefs in homeopathy depend on where those beliefs come from, how entrenched they are, and how it's impacting her life. If she's just someone who tries lifestyle changes and supplements from CVS first before going to a doctor and if she believes in vaccination, homeopathy is a waste of time and money, but it's probably not too big of a problem. In that case, it may not be worth pushing her about it, especially if she hasn't found a new homeopath after her old one passed away. If she's anti-vax and/or refuses to see medical doctors, that's a bigger problem, and it's worth having a conversation about. Changing her views is likely to take time, so be prepared to have at least a few conversations about these topics. And be prepared to step away from the conversation and resume it at a later time if it becomes too contentious. Start by asking her about her fears with regard to evidence-backed medicine. Do your best to be curious rather than judgmental in those conversations and to be a good listener. Respect is the most important tool in changing a person's mind, so try not to interrupt, be dismissive, or combat her beliefs off the bat. Affirm her right to have questions (but not the validity of the actual concern), and

try to say positive things about her in the conversation (for example, "I can see you really want to do everything you can to keep yourself healthy and safe"). Focus on her feelings, not facts. By trying to understand where she's coming from, you can begin to understand where her hesitations are and how those fears might be remedied. For example, a lot of people who believe in homeopathy do so in part because they feel like homeopathic practitioners listen to them, respect them, and care about them more than medical doctors do. They've usually had a bad experience with medical doctors. Knowing where her fears lie gives you a better idea of what she needs in a medical context, and can help you figure out how to dispel misconceptions she has about medicine or find alternatives that actually work. In the case of feeling like medical doctors don't respect her, you may be able to help your mum find a medical doctor who will spend longer with her and really listen to what she has to say. You can try asking her follow-up questions that allow her to investigate her own beliefs. For example, you might try asking about Hahnemann's ideas of "like cures like", "the law of minimum dose" or "water memory" and see how she reacts. Many people, even those who use homeopathic "remedies", don't know the principles that it's based on, and will eventually express skepticism when asked to explain them. It's tempting to try and combat pseudoscience with facts, but studies suggest that presenting facts makes people more likely to cling to their original beliefs. It's better to let people investigate their beliefs on their own through asking the right questions. You might also try this technique. Ask her how likely she would be to see a medical doctor/get a vaccine, on a scale of 0-10. If she says 1 or 0, this strategy isn't going to work. But if she says 2 or 3, then you can ask her why she's not a 0. Why is she not fully saying she won't see a medical doctor or get a vaccine? This forces her to explain what she thinks the positives of medical doctors/vaccinations are. Now you're on the same side; you both think there are some positives to the medical profession. Reinforce those ideas when you talk to her. From there, you can ask what would make her more likely to see a medical doctor/get a vaccine, and when she answers, you can point to the places where those things exist in the medical field. If nothing else works, you could try finding ways to make evidence-based medicine and vaccination compatible with her beliefs. Perhaps you could try using the language of homeopathy to explain medical issues and their treatments. For example, with COVID, it might work to tell her that COVID is a miasm, and that researchers used "like cures like" and the “law of minimum dose” to create a vaccine to remove the miasm from the "vital force". All of that is technically true, at least in a sense. It's just not the language scientists would use to describe what happens. To Sum It Up The medical establishment definitely has issues it needs to work on. The lack of compassionate, respectful care in many medical settings is a real problem, and it has real consequences. There are some situations in which a placebo is a potentially valid approach to treatment. But the answer is not to encourage homeopathy. It's to do more research, develop better drugs, and change the ways that doctors interact with their patients. Homeopathy doesn't work, and it does potentially have harmful side effects, both on a personal and societal level. The way we can combat homeopathy is to be curious and respectful, to help people identify and work through their concerns, and to offer them solutions to their medical problems that take those concerns into account.

[kjack89]

Personal Gain (Chapter 2/?)

Modern magic AU, developing E/R and Courferre. Read Chapter 1 here (or read on AO3).

Courfeyrac waved an impatient hand as he opened his apartment door, like he was swatting an annoying bug away from him. In reality, he was clearing the warding spell he’d placed on his door and windows when he moved in. 

The spell wasn’t designed to keep anyone out – he had nothing worth stealing in his apartment, and his tendency to let his less fortunate friends crash at his place made such a spell impractical, but he liked to know who went into his apartment when he was gone. 

“Anyone exciting?” Combeferre asked dryly from behind him, and Courfeyrac shook his head.

“Nope, just Pontmercy, but a few days old.”

He wandered toward his bedroom, mentally sorting through his best options for dealing with Enjolras and Grantaire situation as Combeferre settled in his usual spot on the couch. “Are you getting the grimoire?”

“You mean the Book of Shadows?” Courfeyrac called from his bedroom, and even though he couldn’t see him, he could practically hear Combeferre scowl.

“You stole that from Charmed,” Combeferre called back, and Courfeyrac reemerged, clutching his family’s grimoire and grinning.

“Yeah, but it’s my grimoire so I can call it whatever I want.” He set the book down on the coffee table with a satisfying thud before sitting down next to Combeferre. “Besides, Charmed was a formative TV show in my troubled youth.”

Combeferre snorted lightly. “Yeah, I’ll bet it was.” He sat forward. “So what are you thinking exactly? Is there a spell for love?”

Courfeyrac flipped through the grimoire and shook his head. “No, it’s one of those things that magic isn’t really able to replicate exactly. There are spells for lust, for attraction, fidelity, and so on.”

“And which exactly are you thinking of?” Combeferre asked, sounding equal parts curious and skeptical.

Courfeyrac grinned as he found the page he was looking for. “Attraction spell,” he said proudly, turning the grimoire to show Combeferre. “The same one I used on Marius.”

Combeferre frowned. “Ok, but that didn’t exactly work out the way you intended it to.”

Courfeyrac rolled his eyes and turned the book back. “And that had absolutely nothing to do with the spell,” he huffed. “It did exactly what it was supposed to do! It brought the person who owned the handkerchief to Marius.”

“And that person was a fifty-year-old man.”

“So there was a minor issue,” Courfeyrac said dismissively. “But that won’t happen this time because we won’t be relying on Marius to provide an item that actually belongs to the object of his affection and not just something he picked up off the street.”

Combeferre laughed lightly. “Fair point,” he allowed. “But it’s not like Enjolras and Grantaire need to find each other. They see each other almost every day.”

Courfeyrac frowned. “I guess that’s true…” he said reluctantly, before he immediately brightened. “Wait, that’s it. Combeferre, you’re a genius!”

He immediately flipped through the grimoire and Combeferre raised an eyebrow at him. “Normally I’d just take the compliment for what it is, but, uh, in this case I don’t know why you think I’m a genius.”

“They see each other,” Courfeyrac said, stopping his frantic flipping to point triumphantly at a page. “And this will make sure that when they see each other, that’s all they see!”

Combeferre grabbed the grimoire, setting it in his lap and adjusting his glasses before reading out loud, “Focus Spell. Traditionally used in battle to distract one’s enemies—” He broke off and looked up at Courfeyrac. “Really?”

Courfeyrac rolled his eyes. “Keep reading,” he ordered.

Still looking skeptical, Combeferre looked back down at the grimoire. “—the more common modern usage of the Focus Spell is to keep a partner’s wandering eye fixed where it should be. When the recipient of the spell sees their beloved, the rest of the world will fade, keeping their focus on their partner.” Again he looked up at Courfeyrac. “Seeing as how they’re not together, I don’t really see how a spell to stop one from cheating will help.”

Courfeyrac scowled and snatched the grimoire back, taking it into the kitchen where he started rifling through one of his cupboards. “That’s because you lack imagination,” he said. “But if I cast this spell on both of them, the only thing they’ll able to focus on is each other. Meaning there won’t be anything with the Cause to distract Enjolras, or—” He paused. “—Or, well, whatever it is that Grantaire focuses on.”

Combeferre joined Courfeyrac in the kitchen, watching as he picked a number of herbs out of the cupboard, and Courfeyrac glanced over at him and sighed. “Look, worse comes to worst, the spell only lasts a couple of hours, so what’s the worst that could happen?”

“I can think of several things,” Combeferre said sourly. “But what I can’t think of is anything that will actually stop you, so.”

“So then be a dear and grind this licorice root for me,” Courfeyrac said sweetly, handing over a mortar and pestle.

Combeferre took the mortar and pestle, wrinkling his nose as the strong licorice smell as he started grinding the roots. “How are we going to convince them to eat this?”

Courfeyrac shook his head, measuring out powdered skullcap with a practiced eye. “We won’t be,” he said cheerfully. “We’re going to blow it directly into their eyes.”

Combeferre stopped grinding. “We’re going to what?”

----------

“This is a terrible idea,” Combeferre hissed to Courfeyrac, who was beaming and bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement. 

“This is a great idea and you know it,” he said confidently. “Now shh, here comes Grantaire.”

Grantaire spilled into the backroom of the Musain with Joly and Bossuet, all three laughing, though Joly and Bossuet at least tried to stifle it when they saw Combeferre and Courfeyrac. Grantaire made no such attempt, just arching an eyebrow at them, his grin not fading. “What is this, a welcome party?” he asked.

Combeferre gave Courfeyrac a look but Courfeyrac ignored him. “Actually, yes, because I’m in the mood for a drink and Combeferre is terrible drinking company.”

“Hey now,” Combeferre said, insulted, but Grantaire just laughed.

“You’re not wrong,” he said, leading the way to the usual table he shared with Joly and Bossuet. “It’s the judge-y thing, right?”

“Actually, the judge-y thing normally works for me, but—”

“I can hear you, you know,” Combeferre called as he stalked back to his normal position at the front of the room.

Grantaire passed a beer bottle to Courfeyrac, who took a sip before looking down at it, confused. “Wait, where did this—”

“Don’t worry, I always bring extras,” Grantaire said, grinning as he pulled a second beer bottle from the pocket of his hoodie. 

Courfeyrac shook his head and held the beer up. “Well, cheers,” he said, and Grantaire leaned in, clinking his bottle against Courfeyrac.

“Cheers.”

He started to sit back in his seat but Courfeyrac grabbed his arm, holding him in place. “Hang on a second, you’ve got something on your cheek—” He leaned in close, pretending to pick something off of Grantaire’s cheek before blowing lightly on the powder he’d just put there instead.

Grantaire blinked a few times, his eyes looking suddenly unfocused for a moment. “Did you get it?” he asked.

“Eyelash,” Courfeyrac confirmed with a nod. 

Grantaire blinked a few more times, draining half his beer in one large gulp before rejoining Joly and Bossuet in whatever conversation they had been having before. For his part, Courfeyrac just sat back in his seat, nursing his beer and waiting for the spell to take effect.

He didn’t have to wait long. Not even a minute later, Grantaire blinked again and shook his head before reaching up and pinching the bridge of his nose. It was enough to stop Joly mid-sentence to instead frown at him. “Is everything ok?” he asked, slipping automatically into his doctor voice.

Grantaire shook his head again. “No, something’s wrong with my eyes,” he said, squinting over at the as Feuilly and Bahorel made their way in. “Everything’s all...blurry.”

“Maybe you need glasses?” Bossuet suggested.

Joly looked pointedly at the beer in Grantaire’s hand. “Or maybe you just need to stop emptying glasses.”

“Clever,” Grantaire said sourly, pinching the bridge of his nose again. “Damnit, I hope I don’t need glasses, that was the one thing I had going for me.”

“Your most winning quality, truly,” Bossuet said solemnly. “I’m certain you have your perfect eyesight listed in your grindr profile.”

“Shut up,” Grantaire said, but he was laughing. He glanced over at Joly, who was on his phone. “You’re googling eye problems, aren’t you?”

Joly immediately put his phone down. “No,” he said, before biting his lip and then blurting, “But it could be macular degeneration, or cataracts, or—”

“Or it could be something that another drink will solve,” Grantaire said, draining his beer and standing. “See, this is why I always bring extras—”

He broke off as Enjolras strode into the room, tugging his scarf irritably as he made his way over to where Combeferre was sitting. Grantaire tracked him with his eyes, his mouth hanging open just slightly. When Enjolras slid into his seat next to Combeferre, Grantaire slowly sank back into his seat as well, his eyes not leaving Enjolras.

“Earth to Grantaire,” Bossuet said, snapping his fingers loudly next to Grantaire’s ear. “Were you getting another drink or what?”

“Huh?” Grantaire said, blinking before looking over at him. “Oh, uh, I guess not—”

Joly snorted. “Ok, I’m definitely going back to my original assessment that you do not need another drink. I’m cutting you off.”

“I’ve barely had anything,” Grantaire started, but his protest seemed almost distracted as he instead stared at Enjolras again. 

Courfeyrac tried not to grin as he took one more sip of beer before sliding it back across the table to Grantaire. “You can finish mine,” he said innocently. “Duty calls.”

He headed over to Combeferre and Enjolras, pausing to whisper in Combeferre’s ear, “One down, one to go.”

He made as if to walk past him, but Combeferre grabbed his wrist, holding him in place. “I don’t know about this,” he said in an undertone. “Enjolras seems like he’s in a mood.”

“Enjolras is always in a mood,” Courfeyrac whispered. “Besides—”

“Something I can help you both with?” Enjolras asked, sounding more amused than irritated, and Courfeyrac straightened. 

“A little secret never hurt anyone,” he said with a wink.

Enjolras raised an eyebrow and glanced between the two of them. “Sure,” he said, and Combeferre cleared his throat.

“Actually, I’ve got something I want to show you,” he said, pointing at a passage in the printed copy of a news article he was ostensibly reading.

As soon as Enjolras bent over the paper, Combeferre blew on it, causing the spelled herbs to blow into Enjolras’s eyes. Enjolras winced and jerked back. “Everything ok?” Courfeyrac asked as Enjolras frowned, rubbing his eyes.

“Got something in my contacts,” Enjolras said, blinking several times as if to clear them, then looked back at Combeferre expectantly. “Now what were you trying to show me?”

“You know what, it’ll wait until after the meeting,” Combeferre told him before giving Courfeyrac a pointed look, one that Courfeyrac knew all too well, and he meekly sat down next to Combeferre.

As Enjolras called the meeting to order, Combeferre leaned over to hiss at Courfeyrac, “Please tell me that you didn’t forget that Enjolras wore contacts.”

Courfeyrac winced. “I may have forgotten that Enjolras wears contacts.”

“And let me guess, the spell needs to actually touch his eyes to work?”

Courfeyrac watched Enjolras in silence for a long moment, but when Enjolras showed absolutely none of the signs Grantaire had, he sighed and looked over at Combeferre. “That certainly appears to be the case.”

Combeferre exhaled sharply. “Meaning this entire absurd charade was for nothing.”

“Not for nothing!” Courfeyrac protested. “We’ve confirmed that Grantaire definitely has feelings for Enjolras.”

Combeferre gave him a look. “Was that somehow in doubt for you?”

Courfeyrac shrugged. “No, but confirmation is nice. Besides…” He trailed off, nodding over at Grantaire. “Just look at him.”

Grantaire’s chin was propped in his hand as he watched Enjolras talk, a slightly dreamy expression on his face, as if Enjolras was the only thing in the world that seemed to matter to him. Combeferre glanced back at Courfeyrac. “How is that any different than what he normally looks like?”

Courfeyrac scowled and elbowed him sharply. “If you’re going to be like this, I’m not going to let you help me anymore.”

“Let me?” Combeferre repeated incredulously. “Here I was under the impression that I was being forced to help you.”

Both men fell silent for a long moment, though Courfeyrac didn’t pay any attention to what Enjolras was saying, focused instead on Grantaire. Finally, he leaned back over to Combeferre. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“Oh really?” Combeferre whispered back. “Did you cast a mind-reading spell on yourself?”

“Funny,” Courfeyrac said, undeterred. “And you’re thinking that this misstep means we should just give up.”

Combeferre’s expression didn’t change. “I didn’t say that.”

Courfeyrac gave him a look. “You didn’t have to.”

Combeferre sighed. “Look, Courf, I understand what you’re trying to accomplish, and I admit that those two would probably be happier together than they are apart, but it didn’t work.”

Courfeyrac shook his head. “It didn’t work this time,” he said stubbornly.

Combeferre sighed again, but this time it was a sigh of what Courfeyrac recognized as reluctant acceptance. “You’re not going to give this up, are you?”

“Just one of the many things you love about me,” Courfeyrac said smugly. Combeferre muttered something inaudible, and Courfeyrac looked over at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” Combeferre said, a little too quickly. “So if you aren’t giving up on this, do you have any plan for what to try next?”

“Oh yes,” Courfeyrac said confidently. “Honestly, I’m not sure why I didn’t start with it, it’s so obvious.”

Combeferre arched an eyebrow. “Dare I ask?”

Courfeyrac grinned. “Well, what else — a love potion.”

>>Read chapter 3 here>>

[topicprinter]

Hey - Pat from StarterStory.com here with another interview.Today's interview is with Jeff Phillips of Grown Eyewear, a brand that sells wooden sunglasses.Some stats:Product: Wooden sunglasses.Revenue/mo: $25,000Started: June 2011Location: Byron Bay, AustraliaFounders: 1Employees: 5Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?Hi everyone, my name is Jeff Phillips and I am the founder of GROWN® Eyewear. We focus on designing, manufacturing and selling handcrafted & sustainable wood and bamboo sunglasses.We’re proud to say that we are Australia’s Original sustainable sunglasses company too! As part of our mission, for every pair sold through our North America or European shops we fully fund sight-restoring eye Surgery for 1 person or diagnostic eye exams for 12 children through our giving partner in SEVA.Similarly, in Australia each pair sold will fund nutritional needs for orphaned or injured animals through our Australian partner, WIRES.Our average monthly revenue is $25,000.What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?I was a teacher and would find my mind wandering to product ideas in class. I would say I was a good teacher and liked doing it, but it was clear that it wasn’t quite enough. In 2009 I had launched a headwear brand (Beardo®) and it was going quite well, but I had an urge to do something that would do good. So odd as it seems, the idea to create a company that ‘did only good’ came long before the actual product idea.I didn’t know what I was going to sell, only that the profits would go to help others. I was first inspired by a documentary I saw on TV in Australia about an eye doctor named Fred Hollows.He was an extremely selfless man who travelled to poor countries to give free eye treatments to communities in need. People would literally travel for days by foot to see him and he was able to give back sight to many people who had been afflicted by treatable issues like cataracts. That’s where it all started for me. It touched deeply and from there I decided to find a way so that I could give back something.From there I decided that creating a brand based around a high quality and sustainable product would be a great match. Because we were dealing with eyes and cataract issues, naturally sunglasses were an easy product choice, but as mentioned, I wanted it to be sustainable.There was no sense to me in creating a product to give back to those in need while burning oil and pollutants to make plastic products. That is when I started researching fibre and other materials to use. Wood was a good choice as I had seen others in Europe trying it, and by using only FSC certified wood and bamboo I could ensure that the materials were grown in registered plantations and sustainably sourced.Though sunglasses were a seasonal product for most of the World, in Australia it’s always sunny and I knew wood sunglasses were something that others would also be interested in. It seemed to me that the whole world was growing more aware of personal impacts on the environment and the timing was just right.Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing the product.DesignEarly prototypes were a bit hard, my friends and I were running some old CNC machines and they did the trick but we quickly discovered that without the right material and methods, the sunglasses would not be stable. Where plastic glasses can be molded and stamped out perfectly, the handcrafting method of wood sunglasses was a bit trickier and each pair was truly different.We discovered that wood truly does breathe and to create strong sunglasses we needed to cross layer the wood, in at least 4 layers. That would ensure that humidity levels in the areas that we shipped the glasses would have no effect. This was the moment we knew we had something special, that nobody had been able to perfect, but we did!WebsiteTrademarks and startup costs were fairly minimal and the real output was in time, research and trial and error. We setup a shop on Bigcartel, but pretty quickly realized it was limiting.There were a few bugs that kept popping up and our suggestions the Bigcartel for new apps and features that we saw on Shopify were not being responded to. Also we found that reporting sections could be much better to help keep us on track.Shopify seemed to be reading our mind with their improvements and new features so was a good choice and I am extremely happy with the look and feel of the site now.PackagingPackaging was another challenge early on.Everyone selling plastic glasses were using rectangular boxes. We wanted to be different, but we also wanted to rethink this method to ensure strong packaging for online sales. Afterall, you never know what happens behind the scenes at a mail processing facility!I was looking at all kinds of options and designs, but when I was at a local liquor store I had an ‘AHA!” moment. I saw that a lot of wine bottles were shipped in lightweight cardboard tubes. That was it! Exactly what we needed. Lightweight, sustainable and nearly crush-proof.Describe the process of launching the business.I had a bit of savings in the bank and financing was luckily not a big issue, it wasn’t an extreme amount of money, but I had about $15,000 to get things moving. It helps to have friends in the SEO and website field who were happy to pitch in and truly believed in the project.Due to the fact that GROWN® was the first wood sunglasses company in Australia, it was easy to appear in the top search spot for all of our keywords! There was simply no competition! Getting in early like this has also helped retain the #1 search position since launch. I am pretty sure that google looks at both our keywords and age of the site, which helps to keep us at the top.Launching any business is hard though and each one always brings unique hurdles. For us it was just a matter of reaching out to bloggers, news and media who would appreciate the focus on sustainability. Back then, there were a few hot words that everyone was throwing around like ‘Eco-friendly’ and we helped ourselves by integrating some of those trending words into our pitches.A few years after launch things were going pretty good and we were starting to make a name for ourselves. I had a 1962 Holden EK which I painted our logo on and that started getting alot of heads turning too! It was also great for photo shoots.Shark TankI had heard that the tv show ‘Shark Tank’ was filming for its first Australian season and thought that would be a great chance to get a partner and possibly go mainstream.I never got a call and thought they just weren’t interested, but about 3 days before they were set to film, one of the producers called. They said they would like to put GROWN® on a waiting list and that if interested, I would have to fly to Sydney at the drop of a hat sometime over the next 3 weeks.I said “absolutely’ and picked up my sandwich to continue eating lunch. Before I could take another bite, he called back and said I need to pack up and get to the airport!I knew this would be a great opportunity so I got moving! The pitch went great and in the end I accepted an offer from 2 Sharks (Naomi Simpson and John McGrath) who had ties to the World’s largest eyewear retail mogul, Luxottica.I was excited to get into stores like Sunglass Hut, and OPSM, but in the end their contact was simply not interested in getting into sustainable products and we mutually parted ways.That was a bit of a bummer, but the brand had exploded in Australia and thanks to the airing of the Shark Tank Episode, traffic spiked and we had over 24,000 visitors on the site during the first 20 minutes of the episode airing. GROWN® was very popular and the press couldn’t get enough of our story!Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?We have played with running ads and retargeting and find that most of our customers are coming to us organically, we have the unique opportunity to keep ad costs minimal.This works just fine for us, so we keep focusing on SEO and allowing our potential customers to find us, rather than trying to throw out a wide net. That would cost a lot and let’s be honest, not everyone wants wood or bamboo sunglasses!Specifically, we make sure we know what people are searching for. In Australia for example, potential customers search for ‘wooden sunglasses’ while in North America ‘Wood Sunglasses’ is used as the search term much more.This kind of understanding of our keywords only comes with time and research, and it does change also! We apply the keywords to the site in an organic and non-forced way by integrating into descriptions and page names.While this may seem like SEO 101, there is an art to it and making sure you aren’t too heavy on your keywords or placements.We have 25k fans on Facebook and about 10k on Instagram (@growndesigns) and while the facebook and Instagram algorithm changes has affected every brand, we don’t let it get to us. We never boost posts as we find it’s not effective and we rarely run anything more than a retargeting ad.Our following was sitting around 10k on Instagram but after the airing of our shark tank appearance we gained a lot of new fans who were just interested in following our story. We aren’t focused on the fanbase to be honest.It’s an important method to reach your current fans and customers with paid ads, but by no means as important as it was 2-4 years ago. People are now bombarded with ads on social media and banner blindness is more prevalent than ever.Our goal is to retain existing customers and to make sure their shopping experience is a good one. Sunglasses are a funny item, one day they are on your table, the next they have vanished. Or as one of our customers discovered, running over them with a car isn’t a good idea! While we test our wood sunglasses heavily and even include a lens ball drop test, and a 20 foot free-fall onto concrete, running them over or sitting on them will usually end in tears!We know accidents happen and because we found ourselves giving our family and friend discount to customers who had accidents, I thought we should change the game. That’s why I started the ‘DAMN COVERAGE’ program. It means that no matter what you do, if your glasses break within a year we will give you 40% off a new pair. That is also on top of our regular manufacturers warranty.By doing this, we are happy that our customers are happy and their minds are left at ease if they have another accident! People really like that program and our customer retention has gone up significantly.How are you doing today and what does the future look like?The future looks good for GROWN, we are developing some new sunglasses lines. They will be sustainable of course, but these will not be wood. It’s all very top-secret right now as this has never been done before, but just know that good things are coming!We may revisit putting GROWN sunglasses back into retail shops. We had previously stopped putting them in stores as it opened up a whole different list of issues and was a lot harder to manage.We had our sunglasses in a few chains like Patagonia and Golden Breed, but pulled them out because we wanted to have the ability to offer exclusivity to a large distributor, and we simply couldn’t do that with hundreds of accounts already open.We don’t use Amazon yet but may be open to that in the future as well. We find that our direct and organic search traffic is quite steady, but Amazon may help put us in front of some new eyes too.We get roughly 10k unique visitors a month and a conversion rate of nearly 4%. Over 80% of cart adds end in a conversion, which is great to see, but it’s also telling us that customers know what they want, our site is laid out in an easy to navigate way and that Free Shipping is great for avoiding dropouts.Our goal for the site was to make it easy to navigate, and more importantly, easy to checkout.Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?It pays to get things right the first time and not rushing to market, though you don’t want to develop a fear of launching either. I’ve seen both! Make a plan when you first start out, it could be a full business plan or just a list of goals for this launch. I find this helps to look back on, to see how far you’ve come and to keep you on track.Be stubborn in your pursuits, but not so stubborn that you won’t humor the idea of changing paths if something isn’t likely to work.As for skills, I find that the basic skills are useful to monitor your sales, and make sure you are hitting targets. Also a working knowledge of design, photoshop and photography can be really useful, especially early on.Photoshoots are not cheap and by knowing what you want, it can help you negotiate a good shoot rate, and cut out a lot of wasted time and energy. Good photos are very important and I think having a strong idea about style will help solidify the brand image.What platform/tools do you use for your business?We use Shopify as mentioned, fulfilment is managed in house and we have no smaller items which warrants an upsell feature, though this is something I think is valuable if you can implement it.We use MailChimp for our emails as they are clean to design and affordable. We don’t discount our products often, maybe once a year, but when we do, our customers are very willing to buy.That is something I think a lot of brands do to much. If you discount your product a lot, you are basically saying that you have too much stock or you’ve overpriced to begin with. It can look terrible if not done right.What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?I really was inspired by Tim Ferris’ The 4 Hour Workweek. It’s got a not of insight and tricks of the trade.Some of the resources are a bit outdated that he mentions, but it’s very relatable for any entrepreneur and I find it opens my mind up to other possibilities and other ways of doing things.It gets you thinking a bit laterally.Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?If you are looking to start out online, you should remember that simple is better. When designing your website try to make it as clean and smooth as possible. That goes for product design, packaging and ads too. Simple is better and trial and error is the key, so keep testing.Some issues I see are things like spending too much money before you have even started selling.Take a chance and follow your gut. If you have an idea and you really do like it, chances are other out there will too. Go for it!Where can we go to learn more?growndesigns.comfacebook.com/growndesignsinstagram.com/growndesignsLiked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data.Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM

[amandanedermeijer]

A Basic Analysis Of Deciding On Critical Elements For Iso Xp Probiotic Protein

A Straightforward Overview On Quick Secrets For New Zealand Grass Fed Whey Protein Canada

We have a pretty unique way to make these cakes with popcorn. We use the same popcorn we use in ready-to-eat to make popcorn cakes. They deliver a different level of crunch and taste, again bringing simple ingredients, short ingredient labels and the SkinnyPop brand to a category that has long been neglected. Amplify recently launched SkinnyPop Microwave Popcorn, packaged in a chemical-free lined pop-up box. What were some of the key learnings from the company’s research on millennials, and how is the company using these insights in product development? Ms. Finer: We really focused on millennials because they will have the most buying power over the next several years and they are critical to this better-for-you snacking movement. These millennial consumers don’t believe they need to sacrifice taste for nutrition... They think that a better-for-you snack should taste as good as a regular snack. We also wanted to understand how these consumers actually define better-for-you. One of the things we learned was having a simple and transparent ingredient statement … being able to understand the ingredients in the products they are eating is really important. We learned a lot from the study, and it helped validate some of the things we already knew about our consumers, but it also helped inform our strategy moving forward. Consumers are absolutely willing to pay a premium for better-for-you snacks, and it’s not just consumers that make more than $75,000 a year.

For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/9382-how-amplify-snack-brands-stays-current-in-a-competitive-category

Achieving Your Fitness Goals For Health And Happiness

A lot of people don't find it easy to get fit, but do not let that discourage you. It is hard to begin a routine of you have no idea what to do. You need to gather more information and get some guidance. The following advice will show you how to start becoming more fit right away. You should find an exercise routing that keeps you interested. If you enjoy your exercise plan, you'll anticipate it with pleasure rather than dread every day. When it comes to improving health and fitness, walking is definitely one of the best exercises. To maximize the workout of your calf muscles, put your heel down first and roll forward onto your toes. You should also work out the arms by only flexing at the elbow. Do not fret. You can also try biking for alternative fitness. Biking is a great and fun way to get to work and it is great for you as well. A drive that is 5 miles is a 30 minutes bike ride so check off exercising from your to-do list before you even get to work. If you want to go to the next level, consider hiring a personal trainer. A personal trainer is a wealth of knowledge, and they can motivate you to keep going when times are tough. Your personal trainer can help a lot, but you might not need one. You won't be able to get a six pack by doing endless crunches. You can build strength on your body by building your abs, but you won't really burn too much fat in the process. You have to workout every area of your body and go on a strict diet in order to get washboard abs. Be sure you have a great pair of workout shoes before you start your exercises. When you don shoes that are inappropriate for a given activity, you may injure your legs, feet or ankles. You can also cause foot discomfort post-workout which can prevent you from exercising later. Are you interested in exercising more efficiently? Studies have shown that stretching improves muscle strength by as much as 20%. You should take some time inbetween sets to stretch. You can improve your workout with just one stretch. You should check the padding thickness on your workout bench by pressing down on the cushioning. If the padding is not sufficient, you will be able to feel the wood under the pad. Try out a different machine if you can feel the wood. If you exercise on a machine that isn't padded well enough, you could bruise your body, as the machine isn't providing support. If you are looking to speed up your strength building, try exercising the same amount but cutting your exercise time by 10%. This will cause your muscles to work harder and will, at the same time, improve your endurance. For instance, if your routine currently lasts 45 minutes, attempt to bring it down to just 40 minutes. Be certain you have good shoes for your workout. Shop for shoes later in the day after your feet have had a chance to spread. There should be half an inch between your big toe and the end of the shoe. There should be just enough room for your toes to wiggle slightly. If you want to be more fit use these tips. Although it may seem like it's taking time to get into shape, if you stick with it soon you will see the results that you are seeking. By getting into shape, you are ensuring your vitality and spirituality for a long time.

Some Simple Information On Effortless Plans For Canada

Last fall Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer told La Presse Canadienne that Senate Conservatives were “focused on the goal” of “blocking” C-45, and would use “all the democratic tools” to do so. Conservative senators, who generally vote in Whey Protein lockstep on legislation, have been vocal in their opposition to the bill. In March, Senator Pierre-Hughes Boisvenu went as far as calling the bill “a piece of shit” that wouldn’t protect people or “exclude organized crime.” He said the bill had been written “very badly” and added that it would be “a very good exercise” to rewrite it. Canadian Cannabis Legalization: A Guide to Laws by Province Other Conservative senators dismissed the bill too, saying it would endanger young people, increase smoking rates, make policing difficult, and do little to curb sales of cannabis on the black market. To prevent the bill from being defeated in the second reading in March, Trudeau urged Independent and Liberal senators who were on the road to return for the vote. In the end, the measure passed. The Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology will study the Cannabis Act until the end of May. “I think the Conservatives are looking at this issue through the lens of the next election. But there is a point where you must put politics aside. Put on your senator hat and do your job. Behave like an adult,” said Dean. “I haven’t seen that yet.” The Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology will study the Cannabis Act until the end of May. If the bill is amended in the Senate, it then returns to the House of Commons.

For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit https://www.leafly.com/news/canada/canadas-cannabis-act-faces-renewed-opposition-in-the-senate

Secrets Your Peers Won't Tell You About Vitamins

Are you confused about attaining good health? Do you feel bad without knowing how to fix it? You are about to read over some excellent advice concerning supplementing your diet with the right nutrients and vitamins. Vitamins and minerals need to be synthesized if your body wants to use them, so you need to know about any potential reactions. For example, calcium can make it harder for your body to absorb iron. Therefore, when taking your iron pill, wait at least a half an hour to take an antacid or calcium supplement and don't have any dairy products within this time frame. If you want to make sure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need, make sure your diet is balanced and healthy. A good dose of vitamins and minerals can be found in fruits and vegetables, while supplementing that with just a little bit of protein. If you find this is not possible, it is a good idea to take a vitamin and mineral supplement. Vitamin B2 is an important part of your daily diet, and you can get this essential vitamin by eating bananas, dairy products, popcorn, green beans and more. Vitamin B2 deficiency can cause cracked and scaly skin and can decrease hemoglobin levels in your blood. In addition, vitamin B2 can help ward off cancer, anemia, cataracts and even carpal tunnel syndrome. Vitamin A will boost the immune system and it helps with your skin's aging process while keeping heart disease at bay. However, it can be poisonous if you take too much, so stick to about 2300 IU. One of the best sources of vitamin A is dark green leafy vegetables. If you've wondered if taking your children's gummy supplements would help you, you'll need to know that you may need to take more than one at a time. Adults need to take more vitamins than kids, so when you take one it won't be enough. Look into how many would be best since too many could cause health problems. You will find many of the nutrients you need in fruits and vegetables, but you should focus on fresh over processed or canned. You may also want to add a multivitamin to your diet. Try to eat as healthy as possible, even if it costs more money. Purchase some basic vitamins to make sure your body can efficiently convert fat into energy, and fight off any cold that threatens. Question information sources about your supplements. Often ads are more focused on selling product than helping customers. For this reason, be informed. If you doubt anything, talk with your doctor. Manganese is a nutrient that you should consider. Manganese heals wounds quicker and helps bones form. It can speed up your metabolism, as well. You can boost your dietary manganese by eating beans, whole grain foods, almonds, and drinking black or green tea. You can also find manganese supplements in vitamins stores and online. You may find feelings of depression come around when you are not at your prime. Fortunately, we have given you some helpful solutions provided by those who are experts about vitamins and minerals. This knowledge will help you out a lot. It is time to get healthy!

[ronaldmorton]

Fidose of Reality 2017 Pawer Women

The pawer women have made their mark in 2017! The ending of one year and the beginning of another brings with it great joy and reflection: This is our year-end tradition wherein Fidose of Reality announces a list of women in the pet industry who go above and beyond. In some way, shape, or form, these ladies did something to impact the lives of dogs in 2017 (and no doubt long before that and for many years to come). This year, we are switching things up. We’ve kept track of dog moms in general this year; maybe they are employed in the pet industry or maybe not. The 10 ladies you are about to meet have done something, either one random act, or throughout the year, that touches the lives of a dog(s) in some capacity. This is the first time Fidose of Reality has put a spin on Pawer Women, and we have all the feels in doing so.

In a year when Wonder Woman officially became the highest-grossing superhero origin film in history, a crown it should wear proudly and loudly, these ladies are a dog lover version of Wonder Woman. If you meet them, you may not see their crown or magic lasso, but trust us, they embody the Wonder Woman spirit.

For the Second Year in a Row, we are naming the Dog Parent of the Year: This is a dog mom who goes above and beyond and through actions, hopefully inspires others to make a difference in the life of a dog. Without further ado, here are the Fidose of Reality 2017 Pawer Women. As an aside, my wife and I gather names of dog women throughout the year and together we discuss who makes the top 10. We do NOT sit in judgement of anyone; rather, we believe in spotlight amazing women who do good things in the dog world, and for their lives to be a celebration.

Dog Parent of the Year: Neely Bryanne

Neely Bryanne Elvidge loves bulldogs. I knew this the moment I met her. Our dogs first crossed paths at a New York City Pet Fashion Show years ago. You will notice a theme here that dogs bring people together, and Neely’s life intersecting with mine is another example.

Neely lived in South Florida for the last decade or so, but moved up to Indianapolis, Indiana last year after marrying her wife, Jen. Though Neely has a doctorate in clinical psychology, when she moved, she decided to go where her heart was calling… with dogs of course! Neely is a patient care advocate at a veterinary hospital outside of Indy. She works at a fear-free clinic and offers integrative medicine including acupuncture, herbal therapy, and cold laser therapy.

The couple has five of their own dogs: Four English Bulldogs and one French Bulldog. They also have 2 cats (a domestic short hair and a Sphynx), as well as an African Grey parrot and several fish. Neely is President of Hoosier Bulldog Rescue, so they often have anywhere from one to five fosters in their home as well. Currently they have three fosters – a special needs French Bulldog with mega-esophagus disorder, as well as a puppy mill mamma with severe skin issues who is about to start heart worm treatment, and a beautiful young bulldog who was used as bait for dog fighting. She’s about to go off to her forever home in New Jersey next month.

Neely and her wife foster and here is her story as to why, in her own words: “After adopting my first English bulldog “Girl” in 2010, I was immediately hooked on bulldogs. I should mention I was originally looking through shelter websites for a shihtzu when I stumbled up on this ancient, scrawny, bloodshot eyed, pathetic bulldog. And I instantly fell in love. She had been in rescue for 6 months and not a single inquiry. Let’s be honest, she wasn’t much to look at back then and she was already 10 years old! But something about her touched my soul. I was going through a breakup and had the typical feelings of being unwanted. I felt connected to her. People kept trying to convince me to get another dog but I kept going back to Girl. After I adopted her, the rescue asked if I wanted to volunteer. Within a month I accepted a position as Vice-President with that rescue and of course fostering came along with that! My first foster was the hardest to part with of course. But when you know they’re going to another amazing home, it’s honestly not that hard to let them go. And sadly, there’s always another one waiting to be rescued. I’ve only had two foster failures in 7 years, so that’s not a bad average!”

Neely says Champ was her everything, her heart dog and  soul mate dog. He came to Neely in 2009. He was found in Miami after being dumped as a bait dog. It took months to recover both physically and mentally. He eventually became a therapy dog and they visited schools, juvenile detention centers, and hospitals. The duo taught Dog Safety & Dog Bite Prevention at local schools and community programs through our Dog Scouts of America troop. Champ also went to work with Neely every day at a psychiatric hospital where he brought a little joy into the patients’ lives. She worked primarily with chronic mental illness (Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Severe Depression, as well as Drug Abuse), and Champ provided so much positivity to a normally stressful unit. They started a campaign called Bullies Against Bullying which was the primary focus of so much of our therapy work. She says when Champ passed,  a lot of her ideas and goals were never finished. She recently started working on the series of books that she started a few years ago. Even after his passing, his story continues to inspire others. One of his most well known endeavors was being “Champcasso” – he used his paws to paint on canvas, which they then sold or auctioned off to raise money for rescues.

Meeting Neely and Champ with me and Dex on right

Does she mostly rescue bullies or are there other dogs/breeds, too? Neely says, “Our rescue takes in French and English Bulldogs, as well as bulldog mixes. I’ve helped rehome other breeds also, including shihtzus, pit bulls, and a pugs, but our focus is mainly bulldogs. Although I love all dogs, I do have a fondness for the flat faced kids. ”

Connect with Neely and consider donating to her wonderful rescue:

On Facebook: http://ift.tt/2Eknmdh

Website: DivaDogs.com

Hoosier BullDog Rescue

http://ift.tt/2EiN69A

Congratulations, Neely! We raise our sparkling water dish to you!

Tammy Donly: Pet Blogger, Dog Rescuer, Mega Huge Heart

We first had the pleasure of getting to know West Coast gal, Tammy Donly, through the BlogPaws social media and pet blogging community. Tammy and I became fast online friends due to our shared loved of Cocker Spaniels. Her Cocker, Annie, would coyly flirt with my Cocker, Dexter, and she pined for the two to sometime meet.

The other half of the RosyReports.com team is a cute poodle named Rosy. Here is how Rosy describes meeting Annie, “I was named after Rose Street in Memphis where I was found as a stray in 2010.  I was lucky enough to cross the path of my Mom walking Bear and Fuzz (my two Golden brothers who have since crossed the Bridge.)  We moved to San Diego in 2011 and I officially proclaimed myself a California Princess.  In 2012 we saw a Cocker Spaniel on Facebook and my parents went to get her at the shelter. I claimed her as my dog and named her Annie. (FYI, Annie and I are both forever young seniors- Annie is 15+ and I am at least 14 years old. I will never tell exactly!)”

Sadly, in December, the beautiful Annie lost her brave battle with canine cancer, and of course, Tammy and family are devastated. She will always be remembered and loved.

In true Tammy style, imagine our glee and tears flowing when we recently logged onto her RosyReports blog and discovered this:

His name is Titus. He is my new brother with fab highlights.I know some of you will be very surprised since we just lost Annie. And while our hearts are still broken, we found out about a dog that was also heartbroken after losing his family. So we decided we can help mend each other’s hearts and he now has his forever home.

Indeed, Rosy is honoring the life of another dog and welcomes the beautiful Titus home. Congratulations on being selected as a Pawer Woman, Tammy.

BTW, yes, Dexter did get to meet Annie, the two got along famously, and I will cherish these memories forever.

Learn more and follow along with Tammy and her pack at RosyReports.com and RosyReports on Instagram.

Rebecca Tolbert Smith: Dog Mom, Dog Rescuer, Online Mega Friend

Some people you never had the opportunity to meet in person, and yet you feel as if you have known them forever. You just click, and you know that when the day comes and you do meet, the connection of friendship will be instant. This is how I feel about Rebecca Tolbert Smith.

Rebecca and I first crossed paths on Instagram, as we are both mega Cocker lovers. Her account name recently changed on Instagram from “JacktheBlackCocker” to “JacktheBlackCockerandElliot,” and you can probably guess why.

Rebecca recently moved to Colorado with her family and we followed her adventures on the way. Her love for rescue dog, Jack, and her witty, funny comments are a bright spot to our days. They recently decided to add another dog to the family, a former trucker’s dog who was no longer wanted…and now has his happy ever after.

Beyond this love affair with Cockers and her big heart to rescue, Rebecca is one of the most loyal people I have never had the pleasure of meeting. She is forever tagging me, alerting me of things, sending folks to me for advice with dog issues, and is the true meaning of giving.

You can follow the Adventures of JacktheBlackCockerandElliot on Instagram.

Marlene Ness: Dog Show Pro, Dog Mom, Working to Eliminate Cocker Cataracts

I first met Marlene Ness at my 2016 fundraiser, Wigglebutts Uncorked, but Marlene and I have been online friends a pretty long time. I always admired her kindness, courtesy, and overall warm demeanor she presents to anyone she encounters. She travels the world with her dogs and is well know and revered in the dog show ring. In fact, here’s a photo of her gorgeous Cocker, Ace:

  Marlene works tirelessly to help fundraise so that cataracts in Cockers may be eliminated. So prevalent are cataracts in Cocker Spaniels that a molecular genetic study of inherited cataracts in the Cocker Spaniel has been underway. Cocker Spaniel parents simply take their dog to have their eyes examined and submit a blood sample to help find a DNA marker to eliminate cataracts in Cockers. This, in turn, helps humans who are affected by cataracts.

Interested Cocker parents can call OptiGen at 607-257-0301 or email at genetest@optigen.com for questions about sample submission. Also, visit the Optigen website for complete details. Marlene is helping with fundraising in this capacity, and Fidose of Reality recently partnered with the American Spaniel Club Foundation in an online auction that raised several thousand dollars. If you’d like to help, please visit the ACSF site for more information.

Join Club Cocker on Facebook, too!

Bryn Nowell: Dog Blogger, Visionary, Heart of Gold

Bryn and I have had an instant connection. You meet her and think she is this quiet, reserved intelligent gal, and then you get to know her and follow her online and she surprises you with wit, candor, a hysterical sense of humor, a passion for pets, and a true friend of the highest order.

Bryn is the brainchild of A Dog Walks Into a Bar, which is oh so savvy and a site you need to follow. Here’s how Bryn describes her blog, “A Dog Walks into a Bar will educate and entertain visitors by sharing informative and fun weekly posts that focus on pet ownership and the adult beverage industry.  We aim to share a variety of posts focusing on dog friendly locations and events, fun adventures, DIY projects, recipes, giveaways and charitable causes.  Our primary aim is to assist animal rescue organizations and philanthropic causes that help animals and our local community. ”

Bryn also will give you the shirt off her back, as she helps both animals and people in need. She is a rare combination of humility and humor and one of these people in this crazy world you meet and say to yourself, “now here is someone I can count on.”

From her fundraising efforts to homeless dogs, supporting our Wigglebutt Warriors fundraising events, emails and direct messages, snail mail, and more, Bryn Nowell you are the epitome of a Pawer Woman. I look forward to watching you grow and soar! P.S. She takes fabulous images, as Yoda and Bean showcase here:

Follow Bryn: A Dog Walks Into a Bar blog

A Dog Walks Into a Bar Instagram

Katharine McMahon – Marketing and Growth Expert, Dog Mom, Survivor

I’ve known Katharine McMahon through her attendance at BlogPaws Conferences, and I have met her many times, she and her Iggy, Duff. McMahon overcame some personal struggles in 2017 and granted herself the fresh start she and her dog so very much deserved.

Duff was diagnosed with IMT, which is immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, the same autoimmune disease that my dog, Dexter, was diagnosed with in October. Both dogs are in remission.

McMahon reached out to me, with everything she was going through, and extended herself, her resources, her knowledge, and her friendship. When a woman going through struggles and can reach out to help others in need, that is a true Pawer Woman and Wonder Woman to me!

Follow Katharine on Twitter

Get to Know Katharine on Chance to Grow

Dr. Laurie Coger – Wholistic Veterinarian, Dog Trainer, & Dog Lover

Dr. Coger, or Laurie as I call her, is the real deal. She loves dogs, imparts knowledge from a wholisitic standpoint, and over the years, we’ve developed an online friendship. Not only is Laurie a friend, but a trusted resource and thought leader.

Dr. Coger’s practice and dog care philosophy emphasize natural methods and care. She regularly integrates chiropractic, low level laser, herbal, nutritional, and physical therapy techniques into her treatment plans. She is a staunch advocate of raw, natural diets. Her first book, “Vaccines Explained: The Wholistic Vet’s Guide to Vaccinating Your Dog” is currently available on Amazon. She is well known in the media, having been featured in USA Today, Dogs Naturally Magazine, Pet360, PetMD, and numerous nationally known blogs and websites. She has been nominated for a Dog Writers’ Association of America award for her work in the Australian Shepherd Journal.

Laurie is the founder of The Healthy Dog Workshop, too. She gives pet parents an alternative way of looking at pet food, vaccines, and more. She more than deserves to be a Pawer Woman!

Get to know Dr. Coger: 

The Healthy Dog Workshop

Dr. Coger on Facebook 

 Nancy Brisebois: Dog Mom, Supportive Friend, Dog Lover of the Highest Order

Some people enter your life and you feel like it’s just simply meant to be. Nancy BG, as she is known online, is one of those people. Nancy is dog mom to rescued Cocker, Mayor, whom I self-admittedly have a dog crush on.

Nancy, however, is oh so much more. Hailing from Canada, Nancy is a Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor. She rescued her dog, Mayor, from the fine folks at OBG Cocker Spaniel Rescue, whom we have held fundraisers for several times. Nancy is one of the best and most engaged fans a dog blogger/dog writer like me could ever ask for. She is loyal, appreciative, leaves comments and tags me here and there, plus she genuinely uses the information we share. This gives us the warm fuzzies and all the feels in the world. Nancy, your love of animals, your commitment to Mayor, and the love and respect you show others online are some of the many reasons we are naming you a Fidose of Reality Pawer Woman.

We know this has been a rough year for you, and most recently, you donated to our birthday fundraiser to help homeless Cocker Spaniels. This small act is a huge example as to the mighty spirit you are. Oh and us Christmaholics, Elvis Fans, must stick together!!

Congratulations, Nancy! We love you.

 Amy Cox – Fashion Trendsetter, Dog Rescuer, Dog Mom, Shining Star

Amy Cox is the president of The Paws Cause in McKinney, Texas. I first met Amy at the Women in the Pet Industry Conference a few years ago. She is a dynamo who you remember.  She and her husband founded and developed The Shot Spot. Amy and her husband, Dr. Danny Cox, a Veterinarian, have traveled the United States and foreign countries including Mexico, Turkey, Greece, and Italy to participate and spearhead projects in animal rescue, disaster relief, spay and neuter programs and other animal related projects for over a decade.

She is a dedicated dog mom, travels the country with her pack, is well known in the pet fashion circuit, and is a genuinely kind soul. You know this the moment you meet her. I am honored to call her my friend. Congrats, Amy!

Learn more about The Shot Spot

The Shot Spot on Facebook: http://ift.tt/2q1gv5n

Learn more about The Pet Vet

Dolores Rodrigues – Dog Lover of the Highest Order, Founder of Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue

Dolores Rodrigues once told a reporter, “My goal is for people to share the same love and happiness that my first Cocker Spaniel, Rudy, gave me. He is my driving force and although this work can be very heartbreaking at times, seeing a dog get adopted into a loving family makes it all worthwhile.”

And oh how she shines and shares the love.

The mission of Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue, Inc. (AACSR) dba NY Abandoned Angels Rescue (NYAAR) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the rescue and re-homing of Cocker Spaniels and other dog breeds in need of loving forever homes. AACSR will not reject any dog due to age or health reasons and often accepts dogs with temperament and/or medical issues. AACSR relies solely on donations whether through adoptions or the generosity of the public to help pay for the veterinary care of sick, physically disabled, and behaviorally challenged dogs.

I have been a fan and friend to Dolores for many years, but something she did this year really touched my heart and will never be forgotten. When my Cocker Spaniel, Dexter, was diagnosed with an immune disease earlier this year, Dolores from Abandoned Angels Cocker Rescue called me and also called her vet for advice. She was one of the first people to reach out to me. So I dedicated my Christmas birthday fundraiser to Abandoned Angels Cocker Rescue.

Consider donating and learn more about Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue.

Dolores struggles with some physical ailments and that does not stop her from saving and rescuing and continuing to help dogs in need.

How You Can Help…

​The best way you can help us is to provide a loving, permanent home for one of our Abandoned Angels. Please also make sure that each of your pets is spayed or neutered. Spaying and neutering helps reduce pet overpopulation and reduces the risk of certain diseases, including certain types of cancer and pyometra in females. We are also desperately in need of foster homesfor our pups. Some of our dogs are boarded, which is not ideal for the dog (despite the wonderful care provided by our vet and his staff) and costly for us. If you cannot adopt or foster a dog, we also need: $$$$ (for food, boarding and vet expenses), collars and leashes, treats for the dogs, dog food Beds, blankets and towels dogwalkers, who are willing to socialize the dogs, help w/transport (to help with pulling dogs in more distant shelters and transporting area cockers to other rescues when we don’t have the space). Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue.

Congrats to the 2017 Pawer Woman from Fidose of Reality!!!!! Long may you shine, soar, affect dogs lives, and stay pawsome!

  The post Fidose of Reality 2017 Pawer Women appeared first on Fidose of Reality.

Fidose of Reality 2017 Pawer Women syndicated from http://ift.tt/2k1J2Eq

[lulew1988]

Graves disease has robbed me

Marie-Louise Pawsey, a lifestyle and dating coach from Australia, who also suffers, like myself with Graves Disease  has very kindly offered to share her story on The Thyroid Damsel. 

Here is Marie-Louise' story!

  Ten years ago, I was a newlywed. I’d met the man of my dreams a couple of years before, and we were fortunate to be living in Melbourne’s CBD in an apartment, unlike most of my friends and family.

During our first year or so, I’d had some issues with my eyes. I couldn’t explain it properly but they were sore, and I had vision issues. All my life my parents had gotten their eyes checked regularly; both wore glasses and my mum had had cataracts. So, I’d been getting my eyes checked every year since I was a teenager and I knew something wasn’t right. We weren’t living near my usual optometrist, so, I made an appointment with an optometrist nearby.

I was pretty much told that there was nothing wrong, but I knew there was, so I went to a second clinic, and was told a very different story but it still didn’t seem to really account for the issues I was having. Ugh!! So, I figured, I’d get a tie breaker, and went to a third. There, I was told that I needed glasses and they’d be prism lenses. I’d never heard of such a thing, but as I’d now had three very different stories, I did a fairly dumb thing, and I ignored them all. I battled on and just went about my business, planning my wedding, and my future. It’s amazing what you can put up with if you put your mind to it.

Six months later, we’d just moved into our new house. Within weeks I knew something was wrong. All the weight I’d been trying to lose in the leadup to our wedding was suddenly falling off, and I couldn’t figure out why. We’d moved from a one bedroom apartment to a three bedroom house, but I didn’t think that the extra walking around as I unpacked could have made such an impact. I didn’t even have much time to exercise since I’d given up the gym which had been in our apartment building, and now I had to commute 45min each way for work. So how was I shedding weight?

I started taking notice of everything. My appetite changed, I couldn’t sleep, but had heaps of energy, my heart race seemed to be that of a thoroughbred even as I woke in the morning, and I couldn’t concentrate on anything. And my eyes seemed to be getting worse all of a sudden.

So, I made an appointment with the GP I’d gone to for years- now that we were back in the area in which I’d grown up.

He’s amazing. I told him my symptoms and he immediately sent me to have blood tests to have my thyroid checked.

Within a week I was at an appointment with one of Melbourne’s leading Endocrinologists and the diagnosis was clear: I had Graves Disease.

When we’d moved, I’d taken a week off work to unpack, and during that time, I’d dropped in my old gym boss who had, on the spot, offered me part time work as a personal trainer.  It was fine for a little while, but my diagnosis meant that I couldn’t demonstrate exercises I wanted my clients to do, or workout alongside them. So I had to adjust by demonstrating once, and then issuing instructions to them verbally. I also had to explain to them what was going on with me, which was scary and revealing, as I didn’t fully understand it yet.

I found I could eat anything I wanted and not gain weight, but I didn’t have much of an appetite. My husband had to beg and plead for me to eat, and sometimes he’d resort to spoon feeding me. Looking back, I’m sure that there were times when I was determined to put the surprise weight loss to good use and capitalise on it. Other times I gorged on chips and chocolate, revelling in the idea of not gaining weight. I was all over the place, mentally and emotionally.

 But as the 15 tablets a day (14 x neomercazole and 1 beta blocker) kicked in, that all changed, and all the weight I’d lost came back with a vengeance. Alas, the snacking habit was a hard one to break, and it’s still one I battle now.

I also experienced trembling legs, increased bowel functions (spontaneously at times), anxiety, intolerance to heat (and I was diagnosed in summer so that explained why I complained more than others did!), erratic sleeping patterns and a myriad of eye problems that effected my work, driving and leisure time.

I’d gone to my original optometrist about my eyes and he’d recommended an ophthalmologist who diagnosed Thyroid Eye Disease. That explained a lot! The problem was that it meant that I’d need special glasses, (prism lenses, can you believe it?) and until they could get them, I wasn’t allowed to drive. I was the sole driver in the family, so that threw our whole routine out. We could no longer visit friends and family on the weekends if it meant driving and our shopping had to be done locally. All of this was a massive adjustment for us, and it caused a great deal of cabin fever for a couple who was used to going to the country every few weeks and being able to do normal day to day activities without restraint.

Not driving was a really good idea too, because despite being back in my old neighbourhood, I suddenly had memory problems. I found, and still find, that I could drive to the same place two days in a row, from the same starting point, and I’d get lost on the second day. I can envisage where I have to get to, and I know where I am, but can’t figure out a way to go, and even if I do figure it out, I’m uncertain about it. Google maps has become a very handy tool for me, but road works and detours completely throw me.

That’s okay now, but back then, I worked at night and drove across town to work. Fortunately, my boss was willing to adjust my hours, so I worked 4 longer nights a week, and was able to get there by train. This meant walking to and from the station, and anywhere else, which added a little more exercise into my routine.

I’d increased my exercise output, but was constrained to walking because I wasn’t allowed to get my heart rate up. I was never really able to convey the fear I felt about having a heart attack. I wore a watch with a pulse monitor and checked it repeatedly, but even when I wasn’t wearing it (in bed, in the shower) I could tell when it was high because my heart would race and then seem to stop. Ten years later, I still have those palpitations and when they become too regular, I go and get checked again.

I began walking 2-4 hours a day. It was one thing that helped me feel as though I had some control over the disease. I really put a lot of effort in, and changed my diet after seeking the help of a nutritionist.

I viewed some of these lifestyle changes as adventures. Certainly, going to work for 4 days was a nice change, and my increased energy meant that I didn’t struggle to work those 12 hours in a day. Seeing the world through a train window gave me new insight into those around me. But those things, I could take or leave.

Inside, however I was changed forever. I determined that I wouldn’t see myself as a victim, but went about making the necessary changes, and following instructions from my doctors.

Along with my endocrinologist, I had my optometrist, ophthalmologist, nutritionist, GP, and later I added a fertility specialising gynecologist. I did the rounds regularly, and it was an emotional and costly venture. The endo appointments need to be paid in full on the day, but are then reimbursed in part by Medicare. The appointment cost around $120 and I’d get about $70 of that back, if I recall. But that meant going to a Medicare (in the early days) office to lodge and claim. Those offices aren’t everywhere, so I’d tend to build up a few claims and do them all at once. So this meant that I was out of pocket all the appointment money until I could get to an office.

In Australia, not all tests are covered by Medicare, and it also depends on which doctor you go to, as to whether your appointment is bulk billed or not. Bulk billed means it’s free for the patient, but other places charge, usually $30-$60. When you factor in appointment costs, on top of medication costs, my extremely expensive glasses, money spent on healthy food, public transport when I was using it etc, all added up and my new life was costing me a small fortune.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

One such instruction that my endo issued was that we had to put our baby making on hold. We’d planned to move into our house, live there for a year or so to get used to married life, and then start having babies.

We were told that that plan was on hold until I was told otherwise. That was heartbreaking for me. I wasn’t someone who’d yearned for babies all my life, but now that I’d found my husband, I was keen for them.

Except that was a decision which was taken out of my hands.

For three years, I took my medications, walked and walked, ate, and managed my illness as well as I could, and finally, I received the news I wanted to hear: I was in remission.

I didn’t realise at the time, but I’ve been experiencing anxiety for a long time now. I’ve always been organised but wouldn’t have said I was a control freak, but now, if plans change too greatly, the effect on me is immense.

Over the years, I’ve realised that the disease has flipped my life completely, and if I could control anything- when the disease controlled me- it gave me a sense of balance. But there really is no balance. The disease is in control, and in some ways, the sooner I realised that the better. It wasn’t going to adjust to me, so I had to adjust to it.

But along the way, it robbed me of so much, and that’s something I struggle to accept, even today.

If you loved Marie-Louise' post as much as I did. You can follow her on social media and at her blog! 

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[type2diabetestreatments-blog]

Seeing Beauty Through Artwork, Even with Diabetic Eye Disease

New Post has been published on http://type2diabetestreatment.net/diabetes-mellitus/seeing-beauty-through-artwork-even-with-diabetic-eye-disease/

Seeing Beauty Through Artwork, Even with Diabetic Eye Disease

"Complications" of diabetes are always a scary prospect for those of us living with the disease. So we're always impressed to find PWDs who have managed to not only cope successfully with complications, but to use their experience to support and inspire others.

Today, we're excited to introduce Maryanne Kass, a longtime type 2 and former school teacher in Nevada living with diabetic macular edema (DME). We received a marketing pitch in early February that Regeneron Pharmaceuticals was launching a new initative aimed at awareness about low vision caused by retinal diseases -- a campaign designed for this month since it's Low Vision Awareness Month. The biotech and sciences company launched the Look To Your Future website on Feb. 6, offering resources about retinal eye disease and encouraging people to do more to protect themselves from vision loss.

Part of this online initiative features the artwork of crazy-talented graffiti artist Bryce Chisholm, who illustrated Maryanne's experiences through a new painting. While not on physical display anywhere, this vivid painting depicts the world through her DME-affected eyes, as a way to tell her story and inspire others.

An Interview with Type 2 Advocate Maryanne Kass

DM) First, can you tell about your diabetes diagnosis, and what happened with your eyes?

MK) About 20 years ago at age 40, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. One of the things I was told when I was first diagnosed was that I needed to pay closer attention to my vision. My doctor told me that vision loss is a risk that comes with diabetes, and that it could affect me if I didn’t take care of myself. But I always thought, “That will never happen to me.” And I felt fine, so I brushed it off and put it out of my mind.

I’m not one to miss a doctor’s appointment, so I kept up with my regular visits to my optometrist. My vision started gradually worsening, and about 12 years ago he told me I needed to undergo cataract surgery. I was surprised and thought, “That’s for old people!” But I went ahead and scheduled it.

During the cataract surgery my doctor found other damage to my eyes, and referred me to a retinal specialist. The retinal specialist diagnosed me with DME at age 49.

At first I was in denial, but I quickly made up my mind to immediately take steps to help protect my vision and do whatever I could to stop any further vision loss.

Had you really not noticed the vision problems yourself before the doctor?

As noted, I didn’t take my doctor’s warnings that my vision could be at risk seriously. Then a few years after my diagnosis, I did notice that my vision kept gradually worsening, and I needed stronger and stronger glasses. My optometrist mentioned my eyes were a little swollen, and said it was probably due to the diabetes. He recommended starting with a cataract surgery. That surgery was what unvieled other damage to my eyes and eventually led to a diagnosis of DME by a retinal specialist.

How did you cope with the eye disease diagnosis?

My DME diagnosis was both a shock and a relief. For years, my family knew that whenever we were all watching TV, I would ask, “What does that say?” I couldn’t read the captions, and I kept needing stronger glasses. I also take a lot of classes educating me on my diabetes, and I always had to sit way up front. I never imagined that some of these vision issues could be connected to DME and the damage caused by my diabetes, so it was good to learn what my condition was. Being able to put a name to what I was going through allowed me to take the steps I needed to take better care of my eyes and to help protect against further vision loss.

Are you now on insulin as a type 2 or oral meds?

I am on oral metformin and two types of insulin.

So you became an advocate for DME?

Yes, because of what I went through, I now always encourage people to stay on top of managing their diabetes.

I travelled to Atlanta last year to help others with DME learn about the condition. The visit was to talk with a focus group on what would catch people’s eyes and ears to encourage them to get early treatment. We all got to share our stories, and everyone’s story was kind of the same with blurry vision. However, of the 14 of us there, I was the only one who had experienced what looked like black threads across my eye. By sharing our experiences – both common and unique – I’m hopeful we can be better at reaching others like us before they get to a point where they’re losing their vision.

Can you tell us more how you connected with Regeneron to become part of this awareness project?

Regeneron worked with a (marketing) partner to connect us, and I agreed to work with this Look To Your Future initiative in the hopes that my story will help spread awareness about the impact of low vision caused by DME. The website features patient stories, resources, and walks people through "the journey with DME." I have lost enough of my vision to know that the sight I do still have is a blessing, and I want to help others avoid repeating the same mistakes.

What’s the story behind this colorful painting by Bryce Chisholm?

Bryce is an artist living in my home state of Nevada, and he was the right choice because of his vibrant pieces that capture all those things I hold dear and love to see. Because of our close proximity, we were able to meet, and I was able to communicate my story in person so Bryce could bring it to life in his work.

As the initiative's messaging says:

"Set at a particularly beloved beach in San Diego, the painting shows Maryanne’s grandchildren, who she loves spending time with and who makes up an important part of her life. The painting also illustrates Maryanne’s eyes, which represent the importance of the steps she took to help protect against vision loss. With this art and her story, Maryanne hopes she can inspire others to never lose sight of what’s important."

That is Mission Beach in San Diego and it's kind of my sanctuary. My family used to rent a beach house near Mission Beach to escape the heat of where I grew up in Brawley, CA. It’s where I go to think and take in everything, and just really reflect on my life. Seeing it in the artwork is powerful, because it makes me think of all the things I cherish still being able to see despite my DME.

For me, the artwork represents those things that I don’t want to miss out on -- my grandchildren and all the special people in my life, the beach and my love for travelling. My grandchildren make up a huge and important part of my life, and I love spending time with them. Finally, the bright colors capture how much beauty there is in the world to see every day, and the large eyes in the background are that constant reminder not to take good eye health for granted.

Of course, this isn't limited to T2D, but impacts all of us regardless of the type of diabetes…

Yes, anyone with diabetes can be at risk for DME, especially as they get older. I think it’s important for anyone with diabetes to have more candid conversations with their doctors and, if they’re not getting the information they need, to not be afraid of asking their doctor to communicate with them with visuals or in other creative ways. It’s important that diabetes patients understand what could happen so they know what’s at stake – which in my case was my vision.

As someone who has been living with type 2 diabetes for many years, I know how hard it can be to manage the disease. Between remembering to take my medications every day and carefully watching my diet and blood sugar levels – it’s not easy to stay on top of it all. But you can’t let that stop you from making your eye health a priority; your vision is too precious to neglect taking good care of yourself and really taking ownership of your diabetes treatments.

I’d also like to add that one of the things that surprised me most was that I was often the youngest person in my doctor’s office having these vision problems! I think that goes to show how this can really happen to anyone with diabetes, and that they need to be proactive about taking care of their eye health.

Any messages you’d have for the Diabetes Community at large?

I would tell anyone diagnosed with type 2 diabetes not to brush off the warning from your doctor that vision loss might occur as a result of your diabetes! Take it all seriously, or it can creep up on you. I would also encourage anyone who is experiencing symptoms of vision loss or is at increased risk to make an appointment with their eye doctor to discuss how they can help protect themselves against vision loss.

Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Maryanne! And thanks for working to inspire others, to let people know that even with complications, you can see and appreciate the beauty in life.

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Type 2 Diabetes Diet Diabetes Destroyer Reviews Original Article

[amandanedermeijer]

The Best Routes For Efficient Iso Xp Grass Fed Whey Solutions

Efficient Strategies For Grass Fed Organic Whey Canada Uncovered

In Restaurant Trends, What Comes After Farm-to-Table? Sourcing local produce is one thing. Now, chefs are redefining ‘farm-to-table’ by overseeing the growing themselves. On the plate, the results are radically fresh. Plus: a guide to next-level restaurants near you IT BEGAN for Matthew Accarrino, the chef at SPQR in San Francisco, when he grew weary of sifting through farmers’ markets, vying with other chefs for the same carrots and tomatoes. Truly unusual produce, he realized, wasn’t sold this way—it wouldn’t make financial sense for a farmer. So he started ordering and buying directly from farms, but he struggled to come up with crops to request. Then, in 2011, he got to know a regular diner at SPQR named Peter Jacobsen, who owned a small farm in Yountville, Calif. Copyright ©2018 Dow Jones & Company , Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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How To Start Reaching Your Real Fitness Potential

There are many parts of fitness. It has to do with your diet, going to the gym, using certain products and developing good habits. When it comes to getting fit, there are a lot of different options. In this article, you can learn a lot about fitness, which can help you get your body functioning healthy. You may want to consider getting a couple of sessions with a private trainer when establishing your workout routine. A quality trainer can help you figure out your goals and assess your strengths and weaknesses so they can develop the best fitness program for you. A lot of people are intimidated by the gym, so make sure an advantage by hiring a personal trainer to help assist you along the way. This will put you on the way to a good start to a fitness plan you can commit to. Pay for your gym membership in advance to make sure you utilize it. Paying in advance may guilt you into going more often. However, you should only do this if you're struggling to get yourself to workout. Proper walking form is vital when working out to reduce injury. Walk with your back straight and your shoulders down. Keep your elbows at right angles as you swing your arms. Additionally, keep your arms opposite your feet. Each step should involve allowing your heel to land on the ground first followed by rolling the rest of your foot forward. If you'd like to improve your muscle mass, then you should do less reps, but lift a greater amount of weight. Choose a muscle group to start with, perhaps the chest or the biceps. Start by lifting light weights to warm up. A weight that allows you to perform 15 to 20 repetitions is about right. Next, increase the weight and do a smaller set of 6-8. Add five more pounds to the weight and repeat the third set. Crunches aren't going to give you a six pack, no matter how many you do. You can build strength on your body by building your abs, but you won't really burn too much fat in the process. If you desire to have six-pack abs, it's necessary to reduce your overall body fat by following an excellent diet and workout routine. When lifting weights, remember that more repetitions with lighter weights will add more muscle mass than doing fewer reps with heavier weights. It may seem like the ability to lift more is most important, but the goal is to see who can go longest without needing to give up. This is a very popular technique among many professionals. Set a schedule for yourself if you're having difficulty committing to exercising. You should try working out a few days a week. It is important that you follow your schedule. If you need to miss a workout day, make it up by scheduling another replacement day where you work equally hard. In summary, there is so much to learn and educate yourself about the world of fitness While there are a few basic rules that have to be followed, every exerciser has a wide array of options to customize his or her fitness routine. Are you ready to get into great shape?

Some Advice On Speedy Plans Of Canada

3, 2015, the photo of Alan lying dead on the beach appeared in newspapers around the world. Canada, which was in the throes of a federal election campaign, was linked to the boy in initial media reports that mistakenly stated his family’s application to come to Canada had been rejected. “I need urgent responsive lines,” a staffer at the Canadian embassy in Beirut asked of the Immigration department. Communications staffers immediately went into damage control. Emails that began early in the morning went back and forth, discussing media lines aimed at correcting the public record — the Kurdi family had not been rejected by Canada — while also highlighting the commitment of Stephen Harper’s Conservative government to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees. One bureaucrat tried to move the conversation away from message control, stressing the “need to focus on the migrant issue” and asked them to consider naming Alan Kurdi in the government response. “Doesn’t matter how many thousands, a three (year-old) boy is dead,” wrote Jean-Bruno Villeneuve, assistant director of media relations for Immigration. But the ensuing conversations only became more bureaucratic. Transcriptions of every media report and copies of every news story were shared among the staffers, as well as the increasingly frustrated requests from journalists, still awaiting the government’s official response. Meanwhile, communications staffers worked on a draft statement and continued to loop more and more departmental heads into the conversation, asking for input and approval on wording. Here and there, a word would be changed, and the newly revised draft would have to once again be circulated for approvals, which were required at the deputy minister level of multiple departments and from the Privy Council Office, the bureaucratic arm of the Prime Minister’s Office. Finally, at about 4 p.m.

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Vitamin Tips, Tricks And Techniques You Need

Most people understand that supplements can aid them in achieving health goals. But, most people are unaware that they don't have enough of them. In order to reap the benefits of these nutrients, some basics must be understood. Continue this article to understand the basics. Calcium helps you have stronger bones. Taking vitamin D with calcium will help with the body's absorption of the calcium. This vitamin can be obtained through food, supplements and sunlight. Any one of these helps you get more calcium into your system. At a time when health care is expensive, promoting good health is important and adding daily vitamins is a good start. For just a few dollars a month, you can reduce the visits to your doctor by improving your health with vitamin and mineral supplements. Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is found in bananas, dairy products and asparagus. If you don't get enough, you may have scaly skin and cracked lips. Patients who get enough riboflavin may face a decreased risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome, cancer, anemia, and cataracts. We may want to eat as healthy as we can but it's hard on a budget. Learn all you can about vitamins and minerals, and use the knowledge to boost your immune system and start leading a better life. Getting enough vitamins and minerals is growing in importance. Canned and packaged goods on grocery store shelves lose nutrients during processing. A simple multivitamin can do a lot to boost your nutrition. If you're postmenopausal, don't consume prenatal vitamins. Many women who are not pregnant take these vitamins in order to help grow their hair and nails. They actually have too much iron for those past menopause and can be dangerous to take. Many fruits and vegetables are rich with Vitamin C, but citrus fruits are abundant with it. Most people are unable to receive all of the vitamins and minerals they need, so supplements are a great way to make up for that. This vitamin is potent and can help with treating skin infections, acne, stomach ulcers, gum disease, and colds. If that's not enough, studies have proven that vitamin C also helps those with dementia and ADHD. If you're tempted to take your kid's gummy vitamins, make sure you take several. Adults' vitamin needs are higher than children's so one is generally not enough. Just don't take too many since that is not good, either. Manganese is a wonder vitamin that should be taken regularly in the recommended dosages. Manganese heals wounds quicker and helps bones form. It also boosts metabolism of protein, cholesterol, and carbs. This is something you can find in teas, both black and green, most whole grains, almonds, and many beans. If you are on a specific diet that does not allow for foods containing manganese, you can always purchase it in the vitamin aisle of your favorite store. It is important to know how vitamins and minerals may interact with your medicines. Some interactions can even be life-threatening. Let your doctor know about supplements you take or plan on taking to see if it is okay to combine with your prescription medication. Learn about adverse effect of medications with your vitamins from the doctor or pharmacist. Eating vegetables steamed or raw is the ideal method. Vitamins can be lost when food is cooked. If you need to cook vegetables, steaming is a good way to change their texture without getting rid of nutrients. Vegetables that have been frozen are still ideal as long as they aren't overcooked. After reading through this advice, you certainly feel more knowledgeable about vitamin supplements. You now understand they are necessary for a healthy life. Apply the information as soon as possible. Using this information will make your life more enjoyable and healthier.