Mermaid Girl –

A client writes:I have a question about vanishing twins and was wondering if you could answer it for me:

I have a 10-month old boy. When I got pregnant with him, about five weeks into my pregnancy, I had an ultrasound and they told me that I had two sacs and that it was twins. At the time they couldn’t get a heart beat, so I went back to the Dr. and she told me then that I had one baby. The other was what they called a vanishing twin. She told me that the one twin absorbed the other?! Anyway the other sac disappeared and I have the one baby boy.

Since all that, I have seen several stories on the Discovery Channel that talked about if one twin absorbed another one, that later on, when the surviving twin reached the age of six, seven, or eight. . .that they could develop a tumor in their stomach where they had absorbed the other baby. This doesn’t even sound right. I can’t figure out how this would or could happen, but I have seen a lot of stories on this. I wanted to ask someone who might really know about this. If you could help, I would really appreciate it. Thank you, Margaret

Answer: Margaret. I wouldn’t be overly concerned about a cancer starting in his abdomen as this event is extremely rare, but do note it in his history that he has a vanishing twin so he knows of it.

On rare occasion one twin can absorb another, but that’s not usually how it works. A close friend of mine has a vanishing twin (I never told him this.) I could tell, because he had what is called a dermoid cyst on his forehead. A dermoid cyst is a growth that has every conceivable type of cell in it. My friend actually had a little piece of nail growing out of the center of the cyst. He had the entire cyst removed, but some of it grew back!

I have heard where a vanishing twin will grow inside the abdomen. Most are just absorbed by the mother?s body and are a part of the mom’s uterus. This happens all the time in veterinary medicine. Once I did have a client who was taking an oral HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) spray, and the spray enticed the benign dermoid cyst in her uterus to grow and turn into cancer.

What I think you will see as he grows older are those personality characteristics that seem to occur often in the vanishing twin syndrome such as low self-esteem, lack of self love, self-sabotaging, the ability to make lots of money but not save any, searching for someone who is “just like him”, and an aversion to competition. Pay particular attention to helping him build self-love, self-worth, and self-esteem from an early age.

There is an excellent book coming out in 2007 by Althea Hayton that discusses, in depth, all the aspects of the vanishing twin syndrome through the eyes of many, many professionals who have researched and have been aware of the vanishing twin syndrome for many years. Watch for that.

Most importantly though, enjoy your son. Life is precious. It was the vanishing twin’s decision to come into your body and to leave, giving your son a set of some very special spiritual lessons. The twin–and I’m sensing that his twin is a female–usually hangs around for the life of the child. She will watch over him and protect him, so please don’t discourage him when he interacts with his “imaginal friend” as most likely he will be able to see her and talk to her. I bet he will feel more comfortable with women than men in this lifetime and search for a woman “just like him.” You watch, and keep in touch. Namaste. Dr. Moffat

Mermaid Girl Syndrome
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In office buildings all across the country, employees come to work feeling fine and leave the office feeling ill and lethargic. This doesn’t necessarily mean that these employees are sick of their jobs, but in many cases it does mean that their job is literally making them sick due to what is called “sick building syndrome.”

Sick building syndrome is caused by molds, monoxides, and other pollutants that lurk in air conditioning vents and behind walls. The result can be deadly in extreme cases; the rest of the time, sick building syndrome produces unmotivated, unhappy employees who wonder why they literally feel sick coming to work.

How can you tell if your office could have “sick building syndrome” If you suspect that people in your office could be suffering adverse health affects, contact an HVAC specialist to check for contaminants in your building’s air conditioning vents. If the vents and ducts are dirty or the specialists believes that the walls may be hiding molds, spores, or other dangerous contaminants, stop using the central air system immediately and have a specialist install portable air conditioners to cool and circulate air through the building.

How buildings become “sick” There are countless different contaminants in and around buildings, from asbestos in older office buildings, to the mold that has been mushrooming since last year’s, water pipe leak. Add to this the fact that most office buildings, especially high rises, have no windows to let in fresh air and sometimes no doors that lead directly outside.

How to alleviate sick building syndrome Portable air conditioners don’t utilize the ducting and can be set up quickly for temporary use. Portable air conditioners offer more than just cool air; they condition the air, filtering out contaminants as the air circulates through the system. If you find that the portable air conditioners have improved the overall health in the office, it’s a good bet that there is some form of irritant in the central air ducting that is the root cause of the problem.

However, if the building has no form of outside ventilation, a portable air conditioner will still be recycling the air in the space. If conditions are too severe, you may want to consider moving to a building with more ventilation. Find out from your building superintendent how many cubic feet of fresh air the central air conditioning is pulling in per minute and divide that by the number of people in the office. According to HVAC professionals, 20 cubic feet of fresh air per person is ideal.

If employees feel tired and ill when they come to work, don’t necessarily chalk it up to poor attitudes and disinterest in the job. As any CEO or president knows, people are the greatest asset of any company. Taking measures to ensure that their working environment is healthy and safe is an essential part of building a positive, thriving business.

About the Author

Author is a writer for Stokely Services who specialize in portable air conditioners. For more information you can visit http://www.ColdAir.net

Mermaid Girl –

A lot of people practicing Law of Attraction have a syndrome. You hear about it every day but no one gives it a name – so presenting the JUST IN CASE syndrome:

You are a child and you say ?Mom, I want to be a movie star!? She says ?Honey, get a degree – just in case it doesn?t work out??

You go to the grocery store and you say ?double bag it for me – just in case it breaks??

You say ?I?m going to be self employed?, you hear ?make sure you have 6 months? worth of income – just in case it doesn?t work out??

You say ?I?ve asked the Universe for $2K to pay my mortgage but just in case I?m going to get a part-time job.

We call it our backup plan, but the Universe calls it lack of trust or lack of faith.

Most people are putting out empty requests to the Universe and they add in a dash of feeling: I?m so happy that my money is coming; I?m so happy my car is coming; I?m so happy the sky is blue?but for the rest of the 24 hours it?s ?Oh my god – what if the money doesn?t come, what am I gonna do, what are we gonna eat, what if this doesn?t work out, what if the Universe doesn?t answer me?? Okay maybe while I wait I?ll formulate a plan B, C, D, E, F and Z too?just in case the Universe is really busy and doesn?t get around to my request in time.? Well sorry to break it to you but that is not trust.

When did we stop trusting?

As kids we learned that people cannot be trusted – that people let us down, even God lets us down, then Santa didn?t bring the presents we wanted, then the tooth fairy said we were too old to get money for our teeth and so we figured out ?Hey, the only person who will not let me down is ME.?

Then as time went by you realized ?I can?t even trust myself! I?ve made mistakes, had bad relationships, loaned people money who never paid me back?I?ve failed at so many things. How can I trust decisions I make with absolute faith???

And so was born the ?Just in cases?, meant to shield you from being hurt and being let down, even by yourself?So if you cannot trust yourself, how much trust do you really believe you show the Universe?

If you have a job and the employer says ?I?m going to pay you on the 15th and the 30th?, do you expect to get paid on the 1st? Do you plan to get paid on any other day except the 15th and the 30th? NO. You have absolute faith that the employer will honor his promise. (After all, you?ve already spent the money, even if only in your mind!) Do you make a backup plan that if I don?t get a paycheck on the 30th I?ll do X, Y, Z followed by A, B, C? NO ? you don?t. You don?t make ?just in case my employer doesn?t pay me? plans. You have the mindset of ?I?m gonna get paid ? PERIOD?, and that right there is a solid belief: the money is coming, it has no choice but to come and I?ve made no backup plans.

But when we say ?Universe I need to generate an extra $2K in income in 30 days?, our belief is totally different. It now changes to ?Well, if the Universe doesn?t send it I must have done something wrong, I could probably survive without it?? so now the belief is: I can make a backup plan?a ?just in case?.

How to get over the JUST IN CASE?

Stop making backup plans. Stop thinking it may not work out – that in itself is a belief. Burn all bridges behind you. I?ve looked back on my life and realized that the points where I succeeded wildly were the points where I had no backup plan – no just in case. It was simple – IT?S GOT TO WORK – and it did, because I believed it had to work. There was no going back, only going forward at those points in time.

Law of Attraction teaches that what you focus on expands, so if you focus on ?it may not work so just in case let?s make a plan b, and in case plan b may not work lets make plan c?, what do you attract? Situations that don?t work out so you can say THANK GOD I MADE A PLAN B. But if you have no plan B, C, D, E, or F and you say ?It?s got to work – it has no choice? then you are focused on IT HAS TO WORK and so things to prove that it has to work, or it is working will show up for you?

So pick something – anything – and throw away your backup plans and your doubt and decide today that there is no fallback plan and this has simply GOT TO WORK.

About the Author:

For a free Law of Attractione-book to help you on your personal development journey. For motivational articlesto help you move to the next level visit http://www.dailymotivation.info

Mermaid Girl –

How many people do you know who take an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor)? I know quite a few; many more than I did ten years ago when I was first diagnosed with depression (and later, properly diagnosed with bipolar disorder). Even with the long list of side effects, more and more people are deciding to embark down the road of taking antidepressant medications. They can be helpful for those who are severely depressed and let’s face it; they’re typically cheaper than therapy and require a lot less effort.

But, many people, after their depression has lifted or they can no longer tolerate the side effects, choose to discontinue the use of their SSRI, often without consulting their doctor. I did exactly that four years ago and suffered for it. I actually did consult with my doctor at the time, and he felt I needed to go off of the medication slowly, whereas I felt the need to stop it immediately. I found it debilitating. It wasn’t helping my depression and made me so tired that I slept nearly half the day, even after sleeping eight to ten hours a night. For the first time in six years of treatment I went against his advice and quit taking the SSRI cold turkey. Within a couple of days I began experiencing what is sometimes referred to as Serotonin Rebound Syndrome. It’s not a pleasant experience and can last for weeks. Possible symptoms include:

Physical Symptoms

~*~ Flu like symptoms, fatigue, chills, lethargy ~*~ Dizziness, vertigo ~*~ Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea ~*~ Insomnia, unusual dreams

Psychological Symptoms

~*~ Irritability, anxiety, agitation, crying ~*~ Less frequent symptoms: decreased concentration, slowed thinking, memory problems, confusion, lowered mood, over active

These are just a few of the complications that are easy to recognize. There are other complications have to do with rebound mania that can either precede or follow the rebound symptoms. These seem to be far more dangerous and, like most manias, are easier to ignore.

Psychiatric Symptoms

~*~ Hypomania, racing thoughts, pressured speech, elevated or dysphoric mood

I urge you to consult with your doctor before you discontinue your use of any medication, but especially an SSRI. If you and your doctor decide that the SSRI should be stopped, they have proper ways of decreasing the dosage and slowly weaning you off of it. By following your doctor’s advice, you will be saving yourself the heartache of Serotonin Rebound Syndrome – something you really don’t want to experience.

About the Author

Terry J. Coyier is a freelance writer who writes about bipolar disorder. Terry was diagnosed with bipolar ten years ago. She lives with her son in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. Terry is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers and her personal portfolio can be viewed here.

Mermaid Girl –

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a genetic disease. There are several different types of EDS but they all have a few symptoms in common, such as loose joints and elastic skin that bruises easily. Even with these common symptoms, each type of EDS has specific symptoms. For example, the symptoms of the classical type of EDS are primarily loose joints and elastic skin, while the primary symptoms of vascular EDS are usually thin elastic skin that you can see the veins through, with the risk of blood vessels rupturing as you age.

Because Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is genetic, there is no cure, but there are treatment options. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with EDS, there are some basic things you can do to help with the disease. You can take vitamin C to reduce the intensity of symptoms of some EDS types, exercise, make sure to receive yearly eye exams, take steps to protect your joints and avoid unneeded sun exposure. You can also take prescription medicine for the pain and inflammation in your joints.

The most commonly prescribed medicines are pain relievers and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). All NSAIDs have certain risks associated with them. The most common complaint is stomach problems, such as ulcers and heartburn. Because of these problems, it is recommended that you do not take NSAIDs on an empty stomach. Even over the counter versions of NSAIDs (Advil or Motrin) can have these side effects, so for mild pain relief doctors often recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol). This over the counter drug is not an NSAID, so it can be safely taken with most prescription drugs. There are limits to the amount of acetaminophen you can take in a day though. If the allowed daily amount of acetaminophen does not relieve your pain completely, your doctor will most likely give you a prescription for pain relievers.

A good strategy for preventing some joint problems is to protect your joints. There are several ways to accomplish this. The first way is to take a short break when doing a repetitive task such as typing, or switch to a different task for a short while. For example, if you work in an office and spend most of your time typing, you can either take a 15 minute break from work or you can make copies or file papers for 15 to 20 minutes. Another way to protect your joints is to use them in the proper manner to avoid stress on them. This means carrying a heavy box near your center of gravity (your waist for most people) or, if you have a bulky load, have someone help you carry your load. You can also use different products to help with some daily tasks. You can use a cane for extra stability when you walk, a wagon or cart to help carry grocery/shopping bags from your car to the house, or a grab bar in the shower to help you get in or out of the bathtub.

Some other treatment options for EDS are eye exams, taking vitamin C supplements, reducing sun exposure, exercise and surgery. People with EDS should get yearly eye exams because nearsightedness is common among EDS sufferers and can be easily fixed with eyeglasses or contact lenses. Kyphoscoliosis EDS sufferers are especially at risk for eye problems and should see a doctor who has EDS experience. Some EDS sufferers have experienced success with vitamin C reducing the intensity of their symptoms. Avoiding sun exposure is important because of the skin problems associated with EDS. The best way to avoid the sun while maintaining a normal schedule is to wear long pants, long sleeves and a wide-brimmed hat and put sunscreen on the remaining exposed skin. A sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 is best. The point of an exercise program as a treatment option for EDS is to improve joint stability. Exercise accomplishes this by strengthening the muscles supporting the joint. Speak with your doctor for the best exercises for you, because you should avoid any exercise that puts stress on your joints. The final option, surgery, is often used as a last resort. If surgery is used, it is often to correct fractures or dislocated joints. You should always tell your surgeon that you have EDS when you are scheduled for surgery. This way they can avoid using stitches to close your wound because your skin is more likely to tear than someone not affected by EDS.

Mermaid Girl –

Parents of a child with Down syndrome have their hands full just trying to get used to their child?s condition. What could get them more dubious is when someone suggests that their child should have a physical therapist. Why physical therapy? Won?t he learn to walk and run, just like other children do?

Down syndrome and physical therapy may be an odd pair yet the parent should realize the inherent benefits that physical therapy could offer. First of all, the arrangement of Down syndrome and physical therapy offers the child one of the most important services he will receive in the early intervention period. It is during this early phase that the Down syndrome and physical therapy match will have the greatest chemistry to improve the child?s condition in the future.

Although the limitation of having a child with a Down syndrome and physical therapy as his early treatment is apparently that it does not accelerate the rate at which the child achieves his total motor skill, physical therapy still helps the child in avoiding his development of abnormal compensatory movement patterns. A child having a Down syndrome and physical therapy deficit are nearly certain that they will develop the following compensatory movement patterns: standing and walking with hips in external rotation, knees stiff, feet flat and turned out, sitting with trunk rounded and pelvis tilted back, and standing with a stomach out and back arched, in a more pronounced, difficult, and precarious way.

While it is true that your child is going to learn how to walk eventually and that what is only takes is for you wait more patiently, it would still be more worthwhile if you avoid making that wait wasted. Physical therapy during this development stage is so powerful in preventing impending orthopedic problems in your child once he reaches his adolescence and adulthood. Otherwise his physical functioning will have the tendency to be impaired later in life. Physical therapy can help a child with a Down syndrome by proactively teaching him some optimal movement patterns to developed strength in particular muscles.

And aside from eliminating the compensatory movement patterns that the child with a Down syndrome is prone to, physical therapy can also help the child in attaining a mastery of his total motor development. His total motor development ? rolling over, sitting, crawling and walking are the first challenges he will meet in life. Hence this will also be his first area of strength. Once the both of you has learned how to walk, your team will advance to refining the pattern, ultimately allowing you to access community recreation programs like ?gymboree?, dance, gymnastics, or any other program that you both would enjoy in.

Mermaid Girl –

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a painful condition that is characterized by symptoms such as pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, paresthesia (pins and needles) and loss of strength and coordination in the thumb, index, middle and sometimes one-half of the ring finger. Not all of the symptoms or fingers have to be affected simultaneously as symptoms often vary and may move around. (Symptoms present in the ring and little finger are not carpal tunnel syndrome and instead are related to ulnar nerve entrapment in disorders like Guyon?s Syndrome and Cubital Tunnel Syndrome.)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the most common nerve entrapment disorder in the past decade and is generally caused by muscle strength and length imbalance that exists between the flexor muscles that close the hand and the extensor muscles that open the hand, resulting in excessive pressure on the median nerve. Surgery is one option for treating this disabling condition; however, it remains a controversial choice and it is important to fully understand the risks and benefits involved.

There are many invasive and non-invasive treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome including medication, exercise, wrist splinting, and corticosteroid nerve injections. Surgery is by far the most invasive procedure and it merits careful forethought as a majority of those undergoing the knife may obtain some relief, long-term relief has a very poor success rate. In contrast, the vast majority of patients fare better with conservative treatment and it is estimated that less than 1/3 require surgical intervention. Indeed, surgery is only recommended when there is persistent, debilitating pain, deteriorated grip or grasping, muscle flattening and all other conservative methods have been tried.

There are multiple forms of surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome including open hand surgery and endoscopic surgery, a less invasive incision through the muscle in the palm. Symptoms such as pain and numbness usually begin to improve in about 18-days with endoscopic release and about 38-days with open release surgery. Muscle coordination, control, and strength may initially worsen following surgery, and a return to pre-operative status may take several months for some people, depending on the procedure performed, age, severity of symptoms and length of injury present prior to surgery. Significant improvement to pre-injury status may take as much as two years to achieve, if it comes at all according to the following carpal tunnel surgery statistics:

? ONLY 23% of all Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patients returned to their previous professions following surgery, according to the Bureau of Labor & Statistics and the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (1997-2000 Statistics).

? Carpal Tunnel Surgery has about a 57% failure rate following patients from 1-day to 6-years. At least one of the following symptoms re-occurred during this time: Pain, Numbness, Tingling sensations. Source: Nancollas, et al, 1995. J. Hand Surgery.

The complications associated with surgery as well as the timeline to substantial recovery make it a last choice resort for most patients. Thankfully, there are numerous effective treatment alternatives that are much less invasive and provide more immediate and long-term relief for those disable by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.