Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
the computer is driving me crazy------I am sure of the password and then it is declined and I have to fill out this and that, here and there, and finally I reset the password. I am sure it is the same password that was rejected or maybe not and I used up thirty minutes truing to solve a problem. I worked on my leaf to island paintings this weekend. I am pretty happy with the results. I had a very nice thanksgiving dinner at David and Cora's place.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
the pencil shavings
I placed these pencil shavings in a wee shiny box and I enjoy the side reflections
clayed and played
clayed and played
Originally uploaded by janorah
how I have been feeling lately
I am going through alot of intense fatigue and I sleep alot when home. However when I am very busy with my volunteer work and my art projects I ignore the way I feel and set it aside and people do not realize or get how I feel as that is a somewhat invisible symtom. Actually I do not sleep a great deal but I feel I want to sleep alot and I feel extremely tired after a meal and especially if I eat a high sugar content. I suppose my liver is working extra hard.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Deidre just got home about 15 minutes ago. My daughter is 18. When she turned 18 she received $200 of my gwl insurance cheque. In a way I do not mind as it is spending money that is provided and I do not have to take it from my already tight budget. Sometimes I ask myself whether she is merely having fun as a youth or is she devveloping into an alcoholic? I hope that her priorities will move in a safer direction as her dad is a non recovering alcoholic. She is very concerned about her dad whose hep c has gotten much worse and he waited until just now to push for treatment. So much damage has been done-who knows. The dr. in Nova scotia could very well think of him as a non- compliant patient. He wants Dee to go there in July and basically look after him. I recommended that Dee spend a small vacation time with him and then return here. It is way too much responsibility for her and very traumatizing and depressing and her dad is quite difficult to be around. On the good side he did apologize to me for spreading the hep c to me very likely through the shared use of a razor.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
the following article was published in the Lifestyle 55 newspaper May 2010, Winnipeg Manitoba
How volunteering brought teacher back to art and creativity "The rehab patients are suffering from a variety of illnesses. When I do the presentations, they. learn that there is hope. There is an 80 per cent chance now of clearing the hepatitis virus."
he idea of volunteering was far from my mind when I left my teaching position in Garden Hill, near Island Lake in northeastern Manitoba. I couldn't have suspected it would before the end of the decade play a major role in my life. In 2006 I came south to Winnipeg, facing a serious medical condition and challenging treatment agenda. I missed my former job as a senior high art teacher and being part of something bigger than myself But by the spring of2007 something else was beginning to fill the void in my life. I had joined a hepatitis C support group. We met everyTuesday at 7 p.m. The chairman and group members were a lively lot and we had much to share in talking about how we fought for normalcy in our lives, and how we coped with the treatment and the inevitable money problems. One day the chairman asked me if I would consider doing a presentation on hepatitis C to groups in Winnipeg. A female was needed to visit rehab centres. At first I was reluctant. But my first visit went over extremely well and then I was booked ahead for a year to do a monthly presentation at one centre. I really enjoyed this. I enjoyed having the clients add their own comments. I felt honoured by the enthusiasm these people showed for what they were hearing, and looked forward to the next session.
Message of hope
I've been asked to do other presentations as well. I have also attended conferences in Calgary, Regina and Winnipeg concerning the effect of the hepatitis virus
Nora Fraser
on people. I was able to meet care givers, medical staff and my peers who had experiences similar to my own. I found out that the hep C virus touches people in all walks of life .. One in 12 people globally have been diagnosed with either the hep B or C virus. A huge number more do not know they have the virus, and that their liver is being scarred and inflamed, leading to a diagnosis of cirrhosis.
The rehab clients have suffered from a variety of illnesses. When I do the educational awareness presentations, they are very moved by what they are hearing, and learn that there is hope. So I believe my volunteer work has been very helpful. There is an 80 per cent chance now of clearing the hepatitis virus. A patient can move forward with renewed energy if the liver has not been hugely damaged.
I feel happier. Perhaps I look better. Although I still have fatigue and sometimes lack concentration, I do not dwell on these things. The northern classroom still calls to me but I am answering the call here in the city in a different way.
There were more positive developments last summer. I was helping with a table at Central Park, promoting hep C awareness, and came across a pamphlet about a workshop at St. John's library on writing and drawing. So I went to that and met
an outstanding instructor, who invited me and my granddaughter Kylie to Art City on Broadway Avenue (a srorefront art centre for inner city youth founded by Winnipeg artist Wanda Koop). I enjoyed the workshop. We produced works on canvas re the seven sacred teachings of the Aboriginal people, and I decided to take my granddaughter to some more sessions free of charge. Art City is a great place for youth to gather and be creative. I found out there was a clay class downstairs and that I could attend a free adult class there once a week. After a few ~eeks I inquired about volunteering at the children's class. I wanted, with my time and skills, to return something back to Art City and I was accepted. So every Thursday I volunteer with the children's pottery and clay class. Quite often Kylie and my younger granddaughter Kira come, too.
Amidst all the clay We, the volunteers, help the kids but we strongly keep in mind that their work is theirs and we give them a lot of freedom to make choices about subject matter, size, shape and the rest. The kids have wonderful ideas.
When I offered myself as a volunteer at Art City, the leadership accepted me right away. So my prior experience gave me that extra push, and of course art has always been my field of interest. What could be more exciting than being surrounded by artists on staff and very creative volunteers, and of course the youth?
So I am in the middle of all this day being shaped and cut and pressed and wedged and patterned by kids from age 3 to about age 14, and I'm gradually increasing my own portfolio of new works. Every week, I am enthusiastic as I head toward the art class on Broadway. The experience has added to my life in a very positive way .
How volunteering brought teacher back to art and creativity "The rehab patients are suffering from a variety of illnesses. When I do the presentations, they. learn that there is hope. There is an 80 per cent chance now of clearing the hepatitis virus."
he idea of volunteering was far from my mind when I left my teaching position in Garden Hill, near Island Lake in northeastern Manitoba. I couldn't have suspected it would before the end of the decade play a major role in my life. In 2006 I came south to Winnipeg, facing a serious medical condition and challenging treatment agenda. I missed my former job as a senior high art teacher and being part of something bigger than myself But by the spring of2007 something else was beginning to fill the void in my life. I had joined a hepatitis C support group. We met everyTuesday at 7 p.m. The chairman and group members were a lively lot and we had much to share in talking about how we fought for normalcy in our lives, and how we coped with the treatment and the inevitable money problems. One day the chairman asked me if I would consider doing a presentation on hepatitis C to groups in Winnipeg. A female was needed to visit rehab centres. At first I was reluctant. But my first visit went over extremely well and then I was booked ahead for a year to do a monthly presentation at one centre. I really enjoyed this. I enjoyed having the clients add their own comments. I felt honoured by the enthusiasm these people showed for what they were hearing, and looked forward to the next session.
Message of hope
I've been asked to do other presentations as well. I have also attended conferences in Calgary, Regina and Winnipeg concerning the effect of the hepatitis virus
Nora Fraser
on people. I was able to meet care givers, medical staff and my peers who had experiences similar to my own. I found out that the hep C virus touches people in all walks of life .. One in 12 people globally have been diagnosed with either the hep B or C virus. A huge number more do not know they have the virus, and that their liver is being scarred and inflamed, leading to a diagnosis of cirrhosis.
The rehab clients have suffered from a variety of illnesses. When I do the educational awareness presentations, they are very moved by what they are hearing, and learn that there is hope. So I believe my volunteer work has been very helpful. There is an 80 per cent chance now of clearing the hepatitis virus. A patient can move forward with renewed energy if the liver has not been hugely damaged.
I feel happier. Perhaps I look better. Although I still have fatigue and sometimes lack concentration, I do not dwell on these things. The northern classroom still calls to me but I am answering the call here in the city in a different way.
There were more positive developments last summer. I was helping with a table at Central Park, promoting hep C awareness, and came across a pamphlet about a workshop at St. John's library on writing and drawing. So I went to that and met
an outstanding instructor, who invited me and my granddaughter Kylie to Art City on Broadway Avenue (a srorefront art centre for inner city youth founded by Winnipeg artist Wanda Koop). I enjoyed the workshop. We produced works on canvas re the seven sacred teachings of the Aboriginal people, and I decided to take my granddaughter to some more sessions free of charge. Art City is a great place for youth to gather and be creative. I found out there was a clay class downstairs and that I could attend a free adult class there once a week. After a few ~eeks I inquired about volunteering at the children's class. I wanted, with my time and skills, to return something back to Art City and I was accepted. So every Thursday I volunteer with the children's pottery and clay class. Quite often Kylie and my younger granddaughter Kira come, too.
Amidst all the clay We, the volunteers, help the kids but we strongly keep in mind that their work is theirs and we give them a lot of freedom to make choices about subject matter, size, shape and the rest. The kids have wonderful ideas.
When I offered myself as a volunteer at Art City, the leadership accepted me right away. So my prior experience gave me that extra push, and of course art has always been my field of interest. What could be more exciting than being surrounded by artists on staff and very creative volunteers, and of course the youth?
So I am in the middle of all this day being shaped and cut and pressed and wedged and patterned by kids from age 3 to about age 14, and I'm gradually increasing my own portfolio of new works. Every week, I am enthusiastic as I head toward the art class on Broadway. The experience has added to my life in a very positive way .
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
a few thoughts from myself through aquilla the beaver
And Aquila reflected upon her journey. She thought to herself,” I made a decision with stubbornness. I am an artist. No one really understands this. They look at me as though I am merely playing and their work is held fast with purpose and value and will not be diminished by time and unruly waters. I take the clear water and blend it with the colours of berries and fruit! The colours wave and weave and fly through the passage of thoughts and atmosphere and produce new forms and nuanced textures. These tapestries of determination excite me and I swim with swiftness and grace and playfulness carrying aloft my flamboyant message. I sharpen my teeth upon the tree and build sculptures of wooden trophies. You will see these bright colours and carved forms in my wetlands and then I also help my family with the lodge and the dam. Yes we are sensitive and sensible at times.
And the words and pictures appear in a book for the humans to touch, read and embrace.
There is so much to do!!!
“Ooooeeeeew”, Aquilla sighs.
And the words and pictures appear in a book for the humans to touch, read and embrace.
There is so much to do!!!
“Ooooeeeeew”, Aquilla sighs.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Matthew Offenbacher
Matthew Offenbacher
I am using my son's slow computer while baby kaden sleeps and I wanted to save this article. I am continuing to do research on beavers and produce illustrations and sculptures of clay on this very industrious animal.
I am using my son's slow computer while baby kaden sleeps and I wanted to save this article. I am continuing to do research on beavers and produce illustrations and sculptures of clay on this very industrious animal.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
presentation
I am getting more comfortable with doing presentations about hep c and the audience is very willing to participate in a discussion. Our presentation is meant to increase awareness of hep c and touches on the following, what it is, how hep c is spread, the liver functions and what a healthy liver looks like and what an unhealthy looks like, the symptoms of the disease, the treatment agenda, side effects of the medication, the measures taken by people who are infected with hiv and hep c, and of course some personal anecdotes about my own experiences.
I always remember my highschool d teacher who would tell us stories about the war in Germany. He was German and had been a soldier on the front lines and he made history much more exciting because we entered into his world and it became more real. He told of passing an enemy soldier in an empty field. They both looked at each other and looked down and passed by each other and no shots were fired. His story sent shivers down my back.
I hope I am getting through to the people who hear my presentations. I am encouraged by their participation.
I always remember my highschool d teacher who would tell us stories about the war in Germany. He was German and had been a soldier on the front lines and he made history much more exciting because we entered into his world and it became more real. He told of passing an enemy soldier in an empty field. They both looked at each other and looked down and passed by each other and no shots were fired. His story sent shivers down my back.
I hope I am getting through to the people who hear my presentations. I am encouraged by their participation.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
My recent post is a link-although my blog is mostly about hepatitis c and personal anecdotes I found this information regarding South Africa and their aids problems quite informative and tragic. I also am acquainted with people in Winnipeg who are co-infected with both hiv and hepatitis c. In canada many persons with the disease are aware of treatment agendas and harm reduction and many are living healthy lives. They are educated and informed.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Ascites
If you ever have a fear of contracting hepatitis c you should be tested and treated to avoid this terrible condition. I have known people who have died from this. It is very painful and much suffering occurs,what is Ascites and why you do not want it
Ascites is the accumulation of fluid (usually serous fluid which is a pale yellow and clear fluid) in the abdominal (peritoneal) cavity. The abdominal cavity is located below the chest cavity, separated from it by the diaphragm. Ascitic fluid can have many sources such as liver disease, cancers, congestive heart failure, or kidney failure.
this is quoted from MedicineNet.com
The most common cause of ascites is advanced liver disease or cirrhosis. Approximately 80% of the ascites cases are thought to be due to cirrhosis. Although the exact mechanism of ascites development is not completely understood, most theories suggest portal hypertension (increased pressure in the liver blood flow) as the main contributor. The basic principle is similar to the formation of edema elsewhere in the body due to an imbalance of pressure between inside the circulation (high pressure system) and outside, in this case, the abdominal cavity (low pressure space). The increase in portal blood pressure and decrease in albumin (a protein that is carried in the blood) may be responsible in forming the pressure gradient and resulting in abdominal ascites. Other factors that may contribute to ascites are salt and water retention. The circulating blood volume may be perceived low by the sensors in the kidneys as the formation of ascites may deplete some volume from the blood. This signals the kidneys to reabsorb more salt and water to compensate for the volume loss.
This is quoted from MedicineNet.com
this is quoted from MedicineNet.com
The most common cause of ascites is advanced liver disease or cirrhosis. Approximately 80% of the ascites cases are thought to be due to cirrhosis. Although the exact mechanism of ascites development is not completely understood, most theories suggest portal hypertension (increased pressure in the liver blood flow) as the main contributor. The basic principle is similar to the formation of edema elsewhere in the body due to an imbalance of pressure between inside the circulation (high pressure system) and outside, in this case, the abdominal cavity (low pressure space). The increase in portal blood pressure and decrease in albumin (a protein that is carried in the blood) may be responsible in forming the pressure gradient and resulting in abdominal ascites. Other factors that may contribute to ascites are salt and water retention. The circulating blood volume may be perceived low by the sensors in the kidneys as the formation of ascites may deplete some volume from the blood. This signals the kidneys to reabsorb more salt and water to compensate for the volume loss.
This is quoted from MedicineNet.com
sonogram results
The liver is the same as a year ago-cirrhosis, portal hypertension, enlarged spleen.The good news is that the liver is not damaged following my treatment agenda and we have bit the bullet on a horrible condition called ascites.No one wold want to look forward to that condition on their calendar.I will post what ascitis is next.
Friday, January 8, 2010
how am I feeling
I saw Dr. Kaita and he is passing me off to my family physician who will manage my ultrasounds from now on. I should be seeing the results of the ultrasound from New Year's eve. very soon.I told dr. K. that my appetite is zero but my weight remains at 147 pounds and he said that I must be eating o.k. as I am not losing weight-not the precise answer I desired. I still feel very very tired at times especially after eating something very sweet. When I am extremely busy I do not dwell on the way I feel. Plus I can not focus on reading for long periods of time.
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