It’s been a while since I’ve written about my mother and her breast cancer diagnosis. Last I wrote we got the good news that all of the lymph nodes were not cancerous. I even stated that she was cancer free. From what we’ve learned though, this isn’t exactly true.

You see when cancer is found in the lymph nodes, even if it is one node, it is considered stage two. When the primary source hasn’t been found it is still assumed that there is cancer in the breast, somewhere. So she is not cancer free. She is in an extremely good position for recovery though.

She still has fluid under her arm from where the lymph nodes were removed. She goes weekly to have that removed. There was the possibility of further surgery to have another pump put in, but since the fluid level is decreasing, that is put on hold.

She will need radiation, but that won’t occur until the fluid is gone completely. The radiation will be 5 days per week for 6 weeks. She is very weak as well as depressed and anxious. She doesn’t want to get help for her mental status though and won’t take the medication her primary doctor ordered.

Please keep her in your thoughts and your prayers. We have a long road ahead of us.

After I had Samantha 11 years ago, she was given a hearing test a few days after her birth. I brought her back to the hospital where she was born and in about 30 minutes she was done and passed with flying colors, thank goodness.

At first I was a bit annoyed with the idea of having to go back to the hospital for this type of test. After all, wouldn’t I, her own mother be able to tell if she couldn’t hear? I was tired and felt awful. I didn’t want to get dressed or dress her and get her in the car. But, I listened to what I was told.

I’ve learned now that it isn’t possible for parents to know if an infant has a hearing loss and I was fortunate that my state provided that test. Since that time I have come to recognize the importance of hearing tests and of reducing risks of hearing loss.

ASHA – American Speech-Language Hearing Association is running a campaign to protect children’s hearing.

For some time, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has warned that hearing loss in the United States could rise significantly due to the misuse of personal audio technology,” ASHA President Tommie L. Robinson, Jr. explains. “Unfortunately, a report released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation cites some alarming trends about excessive entertainment media consumption among our nation’s children, indirectly supporting ASHA’s concerns. This should be a warning to parents that they must regulate children’s exposure and fully understand the potential health threats associated with misuse and over exposure to such technologies.

Some important ways to reduce hearing loss in children (and adults too):

• Keep the volume down! Especially on any type of headset half volume is best.
• Don’t buy noisy appliances or toys.
• Take hearing breaks. Silence is golden!
• Have your child’s hearing tested yearly. Many public schools provide a rudimentary test. If you have any concerns about your child’s hearing, discuss it with your physician.
• Follow ASHA on Twitter and Facebook to stay informed and ask questions.

Have you ever had a stuffed up ear and couldn’t hear for a while? Imagine that for a lifetime. Protect your children’s hearing.

Some of the information in this post was provided by Global Influence.

Florastor is a Probiotic which helps you maintain your intestinal function. The main thing about Florastor that makes it different is that it is a yeast, unlike acidophilus. Florastor can be used with antibiotics because it won’t be killed off by the antibiotic.

When my husband suffered from C. Diff in November it was caused by an antibiotic. The treatment though, was a strong antibiotic. He had to take it no matter how badly he felt. And he was sick. He was hospitalized for the C. Diff and then again for being dehydrated from taking the antibiotic. Even with acidophilus, he still had diarrhea.

C. Diff is becoming more common, we’ve learned, in people in the community. It is usually an illness that attacks people in nursing homes or people with prolonged hospital stays. My husband is proof of this. It was a terribly frightening time for all of us and it took months for him to recover. He finally got a clean bill of health a few days ago. He let the doctor know that he was using Florastor and he approved of it.

Saccharomyces boulardii or the brand name Florastor is all natural and can be used by all ages from infant to adult. Use it when you travel, are under stress or are irregular. (Always see a physician if you are having serious intestinal problems.) There are over 100 published studies about its effectiveness.

My Review: Because Florastor can be taken with antibiotics and is all natural, this is what my husband has chosen to use to prevent any more problems in the future. The capsules can be opened and poured into juice or onto food if your stomach is upset. We never want to go through this again.

Purchase: You can buy Florastor at your local drugstore.

Giveaway: One bottle of Florastor

The Rules:
1. Contest starts now and ends  January 16th at midnight EST.
2. Open to adults 18 and over in the US.
3. Winner will be chosen by Random.org.
4. Winner has 2 days to claim prize.
5. Have fun and tell your friends.

How To Enter:
For One Entry For Each Below: (please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Leave a comment about one fact that I didn’t mention in this post about Florastor by visiting their webiste FAQs.
2. Follow me, ConnieFoggles, on Twitter and leave you Twitter name.

Disclosure: I was given one bottle of Florastor. All opinions are my own.

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Giveaway ended. Winner announced.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of HealthyTuna.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Tuna has benefits during pregnancy. News to me!  Although it’s been 11 years since I had my daughter, I remember my doctor telling me to be careful about eating seafood while I was pregnant. He didn’t give me any reasons so I avoided all of it. And let me tell you this was a sacrifice because I love all kinds of fish.

In reality seafood from that is high in mercury is what pregnant woman should be avoided. In fact tuna is low in mercury but high is Omega 3 Fatty Acids which contains DHA. All of the DHA that a baby in utero needs comes from mother. One of the best sources of DHA is tuna. DHA helps baby’s eyes and brains develop.

Because tuna is easy to store and to prepare as well as inexpensive, it is a good addition to a pregnant woman’s diet. You can eat up to 12 ounces of light tuna per week or six ounces of albacore during pregnancy or when nursing. Here are some healthy tuna recipes that you can use and make into a meal -

Tuna Salad – Use a can of drained tuna and add greens of your choice, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, drained frozen peas (until just soft), any other vegetables that you like and a dressing of your choice. Top with sunflower seeds and croutons. You can even add left over rice to fill you up or add a slice of multi-grain bread on the side.

Tuna Melt – Mutigrain bread with cheese of your choice, can of tuna drained, tomato slices, greens and some mayonnaise to taste. Grill or put in toaster oven until bread is toasted and cheese melts. Add a salad to the side.