echinacea + craft day!

See – it’s NOT in my head! Echinacea makes my tummy hurt. Echinacea makes cramps and pain get worse. Echinacea baaaaad for gypsyhick. Echinacea Side Effect: Gut Changes

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It’s craft day at work today. No, not because it’s supposed to be, but because I am avoiding doing an estimate and really have nothing else to distract me, plus TUO has some great links proved inspirational. So far, I’ve created a 3D Snowflake which has gotten me on the track to do even more to hang above my head in this dank cube. I’ve also looked at the carved crayons, but come on, first I have no crayons and second I have no exacto knife and I’m sure I’ll have forgotten by the time I return home where these supplies exist. Onwards, snowflake creators! Get’er’done!Oh – happy christmas, hannukah, kwanza, new year and above all, Merry Festivus!

IL23R

Gene Could Point to Crohn’s, Colitis Treatments

The people in labcoats have found common genetics in a large group of Crohn’s & Colitis people of European descent. Which means there’s now partially a CAUSE which means it’ll be a hell of a lot easier to find TREATMENT and maybe, just maybe… a cure.

My IL23R gene is broken, and that’s alright by me today because that means that there’s a blueprinted reason why my body is doing what it’s doing, environmental triggers aside. Maybe my nieces and nephews and future children won’t have to worry about malnutrition, pain, death – they’ll be screened for this gene, and by then, there will be a gene-treatment that will be like a trip to the dentist to eradicate their disease.

Yeah. Today’s a really really good day.

finding a cure

The Calgary Chapter of the CCFC (Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of Canada) just shared the 2006 Award of Excellence for their fantastic work this year towards finding a cure for IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). I’m so proud of every one of us who volunteers – Congrats, comrades! We’re getting closer and closer to making these diseases extinct.

From the speech at the ceremony:

“What is the magic ingredient within this Chapter that has made so much possible? It is its volunteers. They embody the words of Margaret Mead,“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Calgary Chapter’s volunteers’ passion and endeavours uplift our spirit. By giving freely of their time, ideas and skills today, we can hope for a tomorrow free of pain and suffering.”