Archive for September 11th, 2009

Mt Kilimanjaro…Go see it!

Author: Sophia

Sep 11

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It is the highest mountain in Africa at 19,331 ft . Located in Tanzania, East Africa close to the Kenyan border.  It has three volcano cones (inactive) Kibo, Mawenzi and shira.  This is the area i grew up in.  Down the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro.. It is beautiful with a dynamic view, green vegetation, and forests  cover  most of the area below it.  Each year millions of tourists attempt to climb the mountain. I do not blame them at all.. If you are into hiking, this will be the ultimate spot.  The top of the mountain is covered in ice cap.  Routes to climb the mountain are via Marangu, Rongai, Lemosho, Shira, Umbwe and Machame. We lived close to Rongai and tourists coming through Kenya would typically go through this route.

Waking up in the morning  you could see  that ice on the top of the mountain. That is about as much ice as the  locals  there could  ever see. We do not have seasons.. definitely no winter. The weather there  is more of a spring/fall.  I am a chagga, typically this tribe settled around the kilimanjaro region. We are farmers.. we grow , corn , beans, potatoes, coffee beans, bananas and all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Many families  own livestock as well. Cows, sheep, goats , pigs and chickens. Yeah you can say i grew up on a farm. 

mmmh. Those days…There was always something about driving home from boarding school. I used to love it when it rained, i could  smell that fresh  rainy scent all over the air.. pure, free of any toxins. I loved the vegetation. I loved it green, and when you could see a pick of Mt Kilimanjaro through all that vegetation, standing there after all those years, you close your eyes, take a deep breath and take it all in. Beauty. mother nature. What a monument. what an attraction. I can’t wait till my boys get to visit our motherland and see it too. 

Tanzania has a lot of attractions to see, and Kilimanjaro is definitely one of them. I grew up there, but never scaled the mountain, my little brother Goody wants to go. I am glad he will get to do it..It will be quite an accomplishment. I read on AGI news that Roman Abramovich, The owner of Chelsea Football Club was on vacation in Tanzania and has always wanted to go scale Kilimanjaro. He arrived with his 113 assistants at 4,600 meters, but from there turned back without continuing to the summit, at 5,892 meters. According to reports, the Russian Billionaire has had respiratory problems, yet he remained determined to complete this challenge.  AGI reported that  he  did visit Serengeti national park before returning to London.

So if you are ever on an African safari and wants some excitement.. visit Kilimanjaro area, or go on and climb ..It will be quite something!

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Spices = Antioxidants = suppress Cancer?

Author: Sophia

Sep 11

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According to  Leslie Baumann, M.D. a Yahoo Health Expert for Skin Conditions  There is more reasons for you to  add more spice to your diet.  She stated that

“Ginger has been shown to suppress colon cancer production in rats.
Curry, which contains turmeric, is also  very strong antioxidant which has been shown to decrease cancer production.
Basil, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, oregano  and thyme have also been shown to have strong antioxidant activity. ”

She also added

” Many oils such as olive oil and safflower oil contain antioxidants. Other sources include red wine, green tea, dark chocolate, berries, pomegranate, almonds and coffee. ”

So get your spices.. keep on munching  and while you are on it…drink on, you maybe suppressing  that cancer production in your body!

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pseudomonas bacterial infection in his ears

Author: Sophia

Sep 11

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Basically this is what Eli had. His Dr said it was uncommon for babies in  his age, so she  had to call the infectious disease clinic for consultation as far as how to treat it.  Elicaught it at 2 1/2 months.. but i guess anything can happen. There is an oral antibiotic for it usually for adults, The infectious disease clinic had told  Eli’s Dr to make sure she gets that treated asap they recommended the  Ciprofloxacin  ear drops  to try to get rid of it.. Thank God this drops worked!. If this didn’t clear the ear, she told us she would have referred us to an ENT.  I guess this bacteria must be very serious, she wants us to continue the drops for another 5 days 2x a day.

overall, My Eli is doing well… he is a big boy and has been eating well for us.  Today he weighed 16 lbs and was 2 feet tall.  He looks exactly like Julian at that age. He is a split image of his brother.. There are times i have him wear some of Julian’s hand me downs and it feels like am staring at Julian. It is great. Thinking about it, just makes me smile.

So back to the  pseudomonas bacteria… I searched about it and this is what i found online posted by an ENT moderator… as  recommended by
Steve Dankle, MD, .Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Milwaukee, Wis

“The recommended treatment for a pseudomonas infection of the ear depends on the type of ear infection (middle or outer), the severity of the infection, the overall health and immune status of the child, the initial manifestations of the infection, etc.

Pseudomonas can be a serious problem particularly in an immuno-compromised individual who has weakened natural defenses against infection. On the other hand, in an otherwise healthy patient, it can represent more or less a nuisance infection such as that seen in a child with tubes placed in the past for middle ear problems who develops liquid drainage through the tubes.

The pseudomonas organism tends to be found where there is a moist environment (eg where there is liquid drainage). It may also develop as a contaminant or re-infection in an infection initially caused by another organism. An example of this would be in the previous example of a child who developed drainage from the ears after tubes were placed. In this situation topical therapy of the ear infection may be all that is necessary ie periodic cleansing of the ear canal with a dilute acetic acid solution (vinegar and water) combined with topical antibiotic drops active against pseudomonas like Tobradex or Garamycin ophthalmic drops. It is not uncommon for outer ear infections to be associated with pseudomonas such as the common “swimmer’s ear”. This type of infection is usually associated with some minor trauma to the skin of the ear canal combined with prolonged exposure to water in the ear canals. Outer ear infections tend to be quite painful and associated with swelling and redness. Occasionally the swelling is such that drops will not penetrate into the ear canal unless a small wick is placed into the opening of the ear canal. More severe infections, whether middle or outer ear, especially in an individual with a weakened immune system warrants intravenous therapy. In adults there is an oral antibiotic availabe that may be effective in certain pseudomonas infections and is called Ciprofloxacin (Cipro). The use of Cipro however is contraindicated for oral use in children under 14 or so years of age because of risks of abnormal growth of certain bones. “

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