My address has changed -- just wanted to try designing my own blog using WordPress... Just restless I guess.
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Have a Wonderful Day!
Nick
Aug 30, 2009
Aug 14, 2009
A Great Day
Yesterday was a great day for me - mostly because I got to go to lunch with a beautiful young woman, and listen to her hopes and dreams for the future.
I listened to my middle child talk about her trip to Europe this summer and the experiences they had there, why she wanted to change her major to English from Psychology, and how the university is changing the rules for seating during the football games. All extremely important stuff to a 19 year-old.
This meal reaffirmed one more time that this kid gets it. She has always been described to me as "an old soul", displaying wisdom beyond her years and an understanding of situations that most of us would constantly fret about - until a good friend slaps you upside the head and says stop.
I listened to my middle child talk about her trip to Europe this summer and the experiences they had there, why she wanted to change her major to English from Psychology, and how the university is changing the rules for seating during the football games. All extremely important stuff to a 19 year-old.
This meal reaffirmed one more time that this kid gets it. She has always been described to me as "an old soul", displaying wisdom beyond her years and an understanding of situations that most of us would constantly fret about - until a good friend slaps you upside the head and says stop.
"He isn't my type so I don't really care for him beyond being friends" she says, "He doesn't really like me either, I'm just a goal". And that was the end of this line of questioning. But I couldn't let it go in my head.
A GOAL...A GOAL... where did this wisdom come from. As any father that has had the joy and misery of raising a teenage daughter knows - you can only hope your daughter can get this wisdom without being burned by some kid (due to a father's karma coming full circle..?). I must admit, I was able to breathe just a little bit easier with her moving off campus for the first time - just a little.
Continuing over spicy tuna and Mexican rolls, the conversation then switched to her older sister's wedding in September - to whether or not there will be hurricane that weekend (we decided there won't be), how she is excited but sad to be leaving to school soon, wondering where she should try to get internships the next summer and hoping she can get up early enough to get the good seats at the football game.
All extremely important stuff to a father.
All extremely important stuff to a father.
A Great Day by Nick Marazita is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Aug 2, 2009
Taking A Trip
Well, everyone in my house seems to be sleeping in this morning, so I thought I would catch up on some of my writing...
As I was "walking" to my computer room, I stubbed my left toe as one with drop foot does, and it made me start to wonder when the last time I "didn't" have a reason for tripping.
As with my first childhood memory - the memory of my first "trip" is vivid and blurred at the same time. I was doing my last minute run for a flight to Norway, and was going up the escalator from the parking garage to the ticketing level at Brussels' Zaventem Airport. I was wearing my overcoat, and was dressed in my typical uniform - a suit, tie, lightly starched shirt and cuff links, completed with my brief case and overnight bag - and when I reached the very top and started to step off, I went down without any warning, hard.
Fortunately, I didn't take anybody down with me - and I recovered doing the old Pee Wee Herman routine - popping up with the "I meant to do that!" look on my face. Though I absolutely remember the confusion I felt- and wondering why did that happen???
That was the first time in my life I can actually remember falling without a reason or blaming myself for not paying attention to some obstacle in my path. I was truly dumbfounded on why I fell - and more than a little surprised when I did (Pee Wee Herman reaction aside...). While I walked to passport control, I kept thinking about how it must be my new shoes, or my distraction caused by thinking about the pending meeting in Oslo - though I had no an
swers at that time, in my heart of hearts, I didn't think it was an innocent little trip.
I had started to notice how my left foot would drag after working out or walking 18 holes on the golf course - and I wondered if this was connected to my constant need to go to the bathroom. Was there something really wrong... or was I being silly because I fell and I don't do that?
Well, within about 6 months of this happening, I almost fell in our kitchen from stubbing my toe after going for a short 1 mile run. My wife looked at me and said that enough is enough, we're going to the doctor! I had no more excuses to hide behind - like I'm getting older, out of shape, or not looking where I'm going. I knew it wasn't right and something was wrong...
As I was "walking" to my computer room, I stubbed my left toe as one with drop foot does, and it made me start to wonder when the last time I "didn't" have a reason for tripping.
As with my first childhood memory - the memory of my first "trip" is vivid and blurred at the same time. I was doing my last minute run for a flight to Norway, and was going up the escalator from the parking garage to the ticketing level at Brussels' Zaventem Airport. I was wearing my overcoat, and was dressed in my typical uniform - a suit, tie, lightly starched shirt and cuff links, completed with my brief case and overnight bag - and when I reached the very top and started to step off, I went down without any warning, hard.
Fortunately, I didn't take anybody down with me - and I recovered doing the old Pee Wee Herman routine - popping up with the "I meant to do that!" look on my face. Though I absolutely remember the confusion I felt- and wondering why did that happen???
That was the first time in my life I can actually remember falling without a reason or blaming myself for not paying attention to some obstacle in my path. I was truly dumbfounded on why I fell - and more than a little surprised when I did (Pee Wee Herman reaction aside...). While I walked to passport control, I kept thinking about how it must be my new shoes, or my distraction caused by thinking about the pending meeting in Oslo - though I had no an
swers at that time, in my heart of hearts, I didn't think it was an innocent little trip.I had started to notice how my left foot would drag after working out or walking 18 holes on the golf course - and I wondered if this was connected to my constant need to go to the bathroom. Was there something really wrong... or was I being silly because I fell and I don't do that?
Well, within about 6 months of this happening, I almost fell in our kitchen from stubbing my toe after going for a short 1 mile run. My wife looked at me and said that enough is enough, we're going to the doctor! I had no more excuses to hide behind - like I'm getting older, out of shape, or not looking where I'm going. I knew it wasn't right and something was wrong...
When I stubbed my toe this morning, I didn't get confused or wonder about my shoes.
Taking A Trip by Nick Marazita is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
11th Tysabri Patient Develops PML
Occasionally I'll post news items that I come across for all to review - Directly From their Feed
Article Date: July 29, 2009 3:00 PDT
An 11th patient taking Biogen Idec's multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Tysabri has developed a potentially deadly brain infection. In the latest confirmed case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, the patient took Tysabri for 29 doses, continuing the trend of the last six reported cases of the infection, where each patient had therapy for two years or longer.
The latest patient was located in the USA, the third American to have developed the infection. Of the 11 reported cases, one patient has died. The PML incidence rate remains below the long-projected risk rate of one in 1,000 patients for those patients receiving the therapy for 12 months or 18 months. The drug was temporarily withdrawn in 2005 after it was linked with PML, but was then brought back in 2006 with stricter safety warnings.
Tysabri continues to receive strong support from patients and doctors, however, because of the drug's perceived effectiveness. That support has remained steady because patients are made well-aware of the PML risk before they start taking Tysabri for MS. This is the last case of PML that the company plans to announce on its website.
In future any new cases will be reported by word of mouth to medical professional and patient groups.
SourceMultiple Sclerosis Society
Article Date: July 29, 2009 3:00 PDT
An 11th patient taking Biogen Idec's multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Tysabri has developed a potentially deadly brain infection. In the latest confirmed case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, the patient took Tysabri for 29 doses, continuing the trend of the last six reported cases of the infection, where each patient had therapy for two years or longer.
The latest patient was located in the USA, the third American to have developed the infection. Of the 11 reported cases, one patient has died. The PML incidence rate remains below the long-projected risk rate of one in 1,000 patients for those patients receiving the therapy for 12 months or 18 months. The drug was temporarily withdrawn in 2005 after it was linked with PML, but was then brought back in 2006 with stricter safety warnings.
Tysabri continues to receive strong support from patients and doctors, however, because of the drug's perceived effectiveness. That support has remained steady because patients are made well-aware of the PML risk before they start taking Tysabri for MS. This is the last case of PML that the company plans to announce on its website.
In future any new cases will be reported by word of mouth to medical professional and patient groups.
SourceMultiple Sclerosis Society
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