My beautiful and big-hearted sister-in-law is doing a fundraiser for a friend of hers who has recently had to undergo liver and kidney transplant surgery. The transplant, luckily, was a success, but it was a long and difficult struggle to recovery; Tom spent three months in the hospital, which means that he and his family are now left with a very heavy financial burden to carry.
If you live anywhere near Cambridge, MN, I hope that you will take a little time out of your next Saturday and attend the Plant Sale at the Fleet Go parking lot in Cambridge, from 8am-5pm (or until the plants run out), and/or on Sunday drop in at the Pancake-and-Sausages breakfast and auction at the American Legion building at 6439 Elm Street in North Branch, 8am-Noon.
This is a case of getting a good deal AND doing a good deed - which means it's a great opportunity that shouldn't be missed.
Another opportunity you shouldn't miss is the opportunity to list yourself as an organ donor. It takes no time or effort on your part, and gives you the opportunity to improve or save many lives.
One of the bitterest things about having cancer is that I am no longer eligible as an organ donor (although my card still lists me as one). I hope that others more fortunate realize what a wonderful thing it is to be able to make one's own death meaningful by enabling someone else to live a better life and be a blessing to their own families for years into the future.
More information on organ donation - and the opportunity to register as a donor online - can be found at Donate Life Minnesota. Quick! Go do something good, and make yourself proud!
Showing posts with label Benefit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Benefit. Show all posts
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Important Healthcare Alert
Vitamin D deficiency has a PRIMARY link to *all* cancers, including and especially hormonally-linked ones such as prostate and breast cancer. It is also linked to other serious diseases - MS, heart disease, autism, etc. Information can be found on the Vitamin D Council website, or if you want a good video to start with (takes about 30 minutes, but you get the idea within the first 10 or so):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PsyaYNX1dw
There is a huge health-care threat flying under the radar right now - see below - and our opportunity to respond is rapidly shrinking. Please take action now, if you can!
(And if you haven't been tested already, please get tested asap)
~Eileen
Vitamin D Council Newsletter
Friday the 13th, February, 2009.
Emergency!
On Friday, February 6, 2009, Medicare announced its intention to stop paying for vitamin D blood tests in many Medicare districts. If this rule passes, the change will quickly extend to all Medicare districts. Private insurers will then follow suit, denying payment for vitamin D blood tests, even for the diagnoses of vitamin D deficiency. Medicare proposes to pay for vitamin D blood tests for only few limited indications, such as rickets, osteomalacia and chronic renal failure.
Draft LCD for Vitamin D Assay Testing (DL29510)
This rule change flies in the face of an enormous amount of research, some of it published in the last few months. For example, several weeks ago, the British Journal of Cancer reported that in men with prostate cancer, those with highest vitamin D blood levels were 7 (seven) times more likely to survive than were men with the lowest levels (RR 0.16). If any media stories appeared about this amazing discovery, I am unable to locate them.
Association between serum 25(OH)D and death from prostate cancer
Apparently, Medicare's reasoning is not understood in England. A week ago, researchers at Oxford discovered the long-sort genetic link vitamin D has with multiple sclerosis. According to Medicare's new rules, if you have MS, or don't want your unborn baby to develop it, or have a family history of MS, or just don't want to get MS, you will have to pay for the blood test to decide how much vitamin D you should take to optimize your 25-hydroxy-vitamin D level.
MS link to vitamin D deficiency hailed by politicians as giant leap forward
If you are pregnant, and want to reduce your risk of caesarian section by four-fold, you will have to anti up.
Low vitamin D may increase chance of a caesarean delivery
Patients with diagnosed colon cancer are 48% less likely to die if their vitamin D levels are high. If you have this dreaded cancer, how do you know if your levels are high?
Vitamin D May Promote Colon Cancer Survival
If you fear getting demented, pay up. Recent research indicates people with impaired cognition are twice as likely to have vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D is mental health aid
If you have Parkinson's disease, or don't want to get it, get our your wallet.
Study finds link between low vitamin D and Parkinson's disease
Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recently stated,
"Given the growing evidence that adequate maternal vitamin D status is essential during pregnancy, not only for maternal well-being but also for fetal development, health care professionals who provide obstetric care should consider assessing maternal vitamin D status by measuring the 25-hydroxy-vitamin D concentrations of pregnant women."
Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents.
That is, the American Academy of Pediatrics now suggests vitamin D blood levels be measured in all pregnant women. Expectant mothers, concerned about their baby's "fetal development," will soon have to pay for the only test that will do what the American Academy of Pediatrics now advises, tell them if their unborn baby is vitamin D deficient.
I could go on and on. Now is the time the Vitamin D Council needs your help. I want you to do two things:
1) Email the person taking comments, Medicare's Ms. Gina Oliveri, at Gina.Oliveri@ugswlp.com, and tell her your feelings about this proposed rule change. Include your reason why this test is crucial for the health of Americans.
2) Send an email to your Congressperson and ask them to investigate Medicare's "Draft LCD for Vitamin D Assay Testing (DL29510)." Tell your representative not to let this happen. Simply click on the link below, fill in your state and zip code, go to your Congressperson's website, and then click on "contact."
Write Your Representative
Of course, this rule change will help the finances of the Vitamin D Council, as it will increase sales of ZRT's in-home Vitamin D test, which generates ten bucks per test to us. However, this rule change will end up killing Americans. We cannot let it happen.
I can't stress enough how important this is for the public health of the United States. On February 21st, in just nine days, Medicare will not allow any further input by citizens, so email both Gina.Oliveri@ugswlp.com and your Congressperson right now.
John Cannell, MD
The Vitamin D Council
9100 San Gregorio Road
Atascadero, CA 93422
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PsyaYNX1dw
There is a huge health-care threat flying under the radar right now - see below - and our opportunity to respond is rapidly shrinking. Please take action now, if you can!
(And if you haven't been tested already, please get tested asap)
~Eileen
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vitamin D Council Newsletter
Friday the 13th, February, 2009.
Emergency!
On Friday, February 6, 2009, Medicare announced its intention to stop paying for vitamin D blood tests in many Medicare districts. If this rule passes, the change will quickly extend to all Medicare districts. Private insurers will then follow suit, denying payment for vitamin D blood tests, even for the diagnoses of vitamin D deficiency. Medicare proposes to pay for vitamin D blood tests for only few limited indications, such as rickets, osteomalacia and chronic renal failure.
Draft LCD for Vitamin D Assay Testing (DL29510)
This rule change flies in the face of an enormous amount of research, some of it published in the last few months. For example, several weeks ago, the British Journal of Cancer reported that in men with prostate cancer, those with highest vitamin D blood levels were 7 (seven) times more likely to survive than were men with the lowest levels (RR 0.16). If any media stories appeared about this amazing discovery, I am unable to locate them.
Association between serum 25(OH)D and death from prostate cancer
Apparently, Medicare's reasoning is not understood in England. A week ago, researchers at Oxford discovered the long-sort genetic link vitamin D has with multiple sclerosis. According to Medicare's new rules, if you have MS, or don't want your unborn baby to develop it, or have a family history of MS, or just don't want to get MS, you will have to pay for the blood test to decide how much vitamin D you should take to optimize your 25-hydroxy-vitamin D level.
MS link to vitamin D deficiency hailed by politicians as giant leap forward
If you are pregnant, and want to reduce your risk of caesarian section by four-fold, you will have to anti up.
Low vitamin D may increase chance of a caesarean delivery
Patients with diagnosed colon cancer are 48% less likely to die if their vitamin D levels are high. If you have this dreaded cancer, how do you know if your levels are high?
Vitamin D May Promote Colon Cancer Survival
If you fear getting demented, pay up. Recent research indicates people with impaired cognition are twice as likely to have vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D is mental health aid
If you have Parkinson's disease, or don't want to get it, get our your wallet.
Study finds link between low vitamin D and Parkinson's disease
Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recently stated,
"Given the growing evidence that adequate maternal vitamin D status is essential during pregnancy, not only for maternal well-being but also for fetal development, health care professionals who provide obstetric care should consider assessing maternal vitamin D status by measuring the 25-hydroxy-vitamin D concentrations of pregnant women."
Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents.
That is, the American Academy of Pediatrics now suggests vitamin D blood levels be measured in all pregnant women. Expectant mothers, concerned about their baby's "fetal development," will soon have to pay for the only test that will do what the American Academy of Pediatrics now advises, tell them if their unborn baby is vitamin D deficient.
I could go on and on. Now is the time the Vitamin D Council needs your help. I want you to do two things:
1) Email the person taking comments, Medicare's Ms. Gina Oliveri, at Gina.Oliveri@ugswlp.com, and tell her your feelings about this proposed rule change. Include your reason why this test is crucial for the health of Americans.
2) Send an email to your Congressperson and ask them to investigate Medicare's "Draft LCD for Vitamin D Assay Testing (DL29510)." Tell your representative not to let this happen. Simply click on the link below, fill in your state and zip code, go to your Congressperson's website, and then click on "contact."
Write Your Representative
Of course, this rule change will help the finances of the Vitamin D Council, as it will increase sales of ZRT's in-home Vitamin D test, which generates ten bucks per test to us. However, this rule change will end up killing Americans. We cannot let it happen.
I can't stress enough how important this is for the public health of the United States. On February 21st, in just nine days, Medicare will not allow any further input by citizens, so email both Gina.Oliveri@ugswlp.com and your Congressperson right now.
John Cannell, MD
The Vitamin D Council
9100 San Gregorio Road
Atascadero, CA 93422
Monday, October 6, 2008
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
I've been busily building the website for the Mitch Carlson Benefit. If you haven't been to the website yet, please visit, especially if you are one of those lovely individuals who donated an auction item. Let me know if there's anything you would like added to the description there!
And if you live in the Twin Cities area, be sure to visit the site to check out the raffle and auction items as they appear over the next few days - and then come to the Benefit. There will be lots of fun things to do, to eat and drink, to sing, and to buy. Something for everyone!
It is amazing and inspiring to see how many wonderful donations we've received; people are incredibly generous and kind, much more so that we tend to give them credit for. Blanche Dubois was right to depend on the kindness of strangers - but I would argue that once one does so, they can no longer be counted as strangers, but as friends. We are, indeed, all connected!
(I'm having a Fred Rogers moment here, and am suddenly feeling very warm and cuddly)
And if you live in the Twin Cities area, be sure to visit the site to check out the raffle and auction items as they appear over the next few days - and then come to the Benefit. There will be lots of fun things to do, to eat and drink, to sing, and to buy. Something for everyone!
It is amazing and inspiring to see how many wonderful donations we've received; people are incredibly generous and kind, much more so that we tend to give them credit for. Blanche Dubois was right to depend on the kindness of strangers - but I would argue that once one does so, they can no longer be counted as strangers, but as friends. We are, indeed, all connected!
(I'm having a Fred Rogers moment here, and am suddenly feeling very warm and cuddly)
Monday, September 29, 2008
Benefit
As some of my readers know, my sister-in-law's husband has been diagnosed with squamous cell cancer of the throat, and is currently undergoing both chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Mitch and Sue both have been working two jobs in order to keep their little family afloat, and the medical bills have put a serious strain on their ability to cope - the current economy certainly isn't helping!
Mitch is a wonderful husband and father, a super chaperone to his son's scouting troop, and is a very entertaining guy to talk to. In fact, we want to give you a chance to meet him, and to help his family out at this difficult time in their lives... and to have a great time, yourself, in the process.
If you live near the Twin Cities, you are cordially invited to join us at the Mitch Carlson Benefit Event on Oct. 18. There will be a Car Show, an all-you-can-eat Spaghetti Dinner, a silent auction (at which there will be many wonderful handcrafted items, of course, along with wine baskets, jewelry, sports & game equipment, fashion items, books, soaps and lotions, and much more), an until-the-kegs-run-out Beer Bust, Karaoke, and a Raffle for a Ford Explorer Sport. It's going to be great fun!
Information on schedule, location, cost, items up for auction, and of course the raffle prize, can all be found here.
There is also still time to donate items for the auction, if you wish to do so - please leave a comment here or contact me at ravensegge at gmail dot com (adjust the address with the usual symbols; I love my readers but am not so fond of spammers!)
I hope to see you there!
Mitch is a wonderful husband and father, a super chaperone to his son's scouting troop, and is a very entertaining guy to talk to. In fact, we want to give you a chance to meet him, and to help his family out at this difficult time in their lives... and to have a great time, yourself, in the process.
If you live near the Twin Cities, you are cordially invited to join us at the Mitch Carlson Benefit Event on Oct. 18. There will be a Car Show, an all-you-can-eat Spaghetti Dinner, a silent auction (at which there will be many wonderful handcrafted items, of course, along with wine baskets, jewelry, sports & game equipment, fashion items, books, soaps and lotions, and much more), an until-the-kegs-run-out Beer Bust, Karaoke, and a Raffle for a Ford Explorer Sport. It's going to be great fun!
Information on schedule, location, cost, items up for auction, and of course the raffle prize, can all be found here.
There is also still time to donate items for the auction, if you wish to do so - please leave a comment here or contact me at ravensegge at gmail dot com (adjust the address with the usual symbols; I love my readers but am not so fond of spammers!)
I hope to see you there!
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