What’s Wrong with Nichelle?

Other than Fibromyalgia, that’s something we’re still trying to figure out.

Today we visit with the neurologist, who may choose to have Nichelle undergo an MRI. We had blood work done last week, but still need to discuss the results.

Nichelle has had debilitating exhuastion, strange feelings in her limbs, and stabbing pains in her head that spread throughout her body. Put everything together and you get a lot of time spent on the couch or in bed, but she never seems to get enough rest.

Can you believe it? She actually wants me to help out around the house. Sheesh.

I think she's just lazy.


Related posts: The Twins Are Back: What’s Wrong with Nichelle, Continued, Pain; or view all posts categorized as related to fibromyalgia.

Death and Taxes

Taxpayer Dies After Official Error
Mon Nov 1, 2004 07:49 AM ET

WARSAW (Reuters) – A Polish taxpayer died from a heart attack after a demand for immediate payment in full of 80,000 zlotys ($23,560) following a mistake by the tax office.
Locksmith Zbigniew Macewicz died during a hearing in the central city of Bydgoszcz, where tax collectors demanded 80,000 zlotys because he failed to keep to a restructuring agreement.

But, in fact, the tax office had miscalculated one payment, telling Macewicz to pay 8.80 zlotys less than he should have and thus putting him in arrears on his repayment schedule.

The government expressed regret over the incident.

“I express my deep regret at the taxpayer's death,” deputy Finance Minister Stanislaw Stec was quoted by the Gazeta Wyborcza daily as saying in Bydgoszcz, where he was sent to look into the matter.

He ordered an internal audit of the city's tax authorities.

© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.

Why President Bush Is Opposed to Federal Spending on Stem Cell Research

This weekend, for the first time ever, I actually heard a newscast (a Webcast, actually) that included the words, “the destruction of embryos,” in conjunction with President Bush’s stance on Federal funding of stem cell reseach.

On October 21, I had the privilege of attending a lecture by Lisa Boucher Clark, Ph.D., from the University of New Hampshire, entitled “Stem Cells and Cloning: The Perils and the Promise.” The issue was fascinating, and Dr. Clark presented this extremely controversial topic in a factual context, attempting to avoid editorializing or taking a side on the issues, and, in general, succeeding in doing so. (The topic needs a BLOG entry of its own; despite Dr. Clark’s efforts, there were outbursts and arguments that erupted from the audience.) One of the things she discussed is the promise of using stem cells in therapeutic medicine. For example, we are nearing the technological point at which it would be possible to combine somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning) with stem cell harvesting to produce stem cells that would later be coaxed to differentiate into heart cells—or just about any other tissue—that perfectly match the donor-recipient to replace damaged heart muscle. (This is something of an oversimplification: Although the basic technologies have already been proven, they are not yet very reliable, and to date, SCNT has not been successful with human cells.)

This is the promise of cloning and stem cell research. But it comes at a price. Assuming the SCNT procedure works, the stem cells produced would be removed from an embryo at its blastocyst stage, thus killing the developing embryo. Those stem cells could then be cultured into entire cell lines. Note that current stem cell lines are produced using discarded embryos from in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics, not from cloning via SCNT.

Our President does not want to give federal money toward stem cell research that destroys embryos. He has allowed for federal funding for stem cell research in cultured stem cell lines that are already in existence, and has done nothing to prohibit or outlaw privately-funded stem cell research. He is not trying to stop the progress of science in a potentially helpful area. He is living up to his beliefs, and his promises, by not putting tax dollars to use in killing the unborn.

The media have done a poor job of presenting the technology and the subject matter as it actually exists, although it is not entirely their fault. Former President Reagan’s son Ron is an outspoken advocate of stem cell research, but he carefully avoids talking about the fact that embryos are destroyed in the current process. More proponents of embryonic stem cell research should come clean on what the full implications of such research are.

“You’re talking politics. I want to know what you think is right.”

Former President Ronald Wilson Reagan died on Saturday, June 5, at the age of 93. We mourn the passing of a leader who inspired our nation, saw the end of the Cold War, and chose to do what he believed was right, rather than what was politically expedient. Even Bill Clinton chose to pattern some of his Presidency after Reagan—it is a pity he chose not to try to emulate Reagan’s integrity.

There are hundreds of articles available about President Regan. Here is one perspective; Dr. James Dobson also has written an excellent account of his experiences with President Reagan and his administration. I highly recommend reading the latter, as it offers a perspective on conservative political issues from before Reagan era through today.