Monday, March 20, 2006

Angela and Courtney's Twins

Aren't the babies just the cutest? Can't wait til' my cousin brings hers into the world. Just a couple more days...

Actors Courtney B. Vance, 46, and Angela Bassett, 47, welcomed their boy girl twins by surrogate mother on January 27th, about 5 weeks early. Daughter Bronwyn Golden weighed in a 6 lbs, 2 oz, while son Slater Josiah weighed 5 lbs, 2 oz (great weights for twins, especially being 5 weeks early!)

While the couple would not get into specifics regarding the birth (the surrogate mother wishes to stay private), they would say that the babies were born by c-section, and that the babies are the biological children of both parents, putting an end to rumors that they had used an egg donor as well as a surrogate. The couple employ a full time nanny, but discuss the shift in their life from a long married couple with no children, to juggling two!






Source:People

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Health Info: Sickle Cell

What is Sickle Cell Disease?
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin* S, an abnormal type of hemoglobin. Sometimes these red blood cells become sickle-shaped (crescent shaped) and have difficulty passing through small blood vessels.

Normal red blood cells are soft and round and can squeeze through tiny blood tubes(vessels). Sickled cells become stiff, distorted in shape and have difficulty passing through the body’s small blood vessels. When sickle-shaped cells block small blood vessels, less blood can reach that part of the body. Tissue that does not receive a normal blood flow eventually becomes damaged. This is what causes the complications of sickle cell disease.




Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin is the main substance of the red blood cell. It helps red blood cells carry oxygen from the air in our lungs to all parts of the body. Normal red blood cells contain hemoglobin A. Hemoglobin S and hemoglobin C are abnormal types of hemoglobin. People with sickle cell conditions make a different form of hemoglobin A called hemoglobin S (S stands for sickle).

Types of Sickle Cell Disease
There are several types of sickle cell disease. The most common are: Sickle Cell Anemia (SS), Sickle-Hemoglobin C Disease (SC), Sickle Beta-Plus Thalassemia and Sickle Beta-Zero Thalassemia.

What is Sickle Cell Trait?
Sickle Cell trait (AS) is an inherited condition in which both hemoglobin A and S are produced in the red blood cells, always more A than S. Sickle cell trait is not a type of sickle cell disease. People with sickle cell trait are generally healthy.

Inheritance
Sickle cell conditions are inherited from parents in much the same way as blood type, hair color and texture, eye color and other physical traits. The types of hemoglobin a person makes in the red blood cells depend upon what hemoglobin genes the person inherits from his or her parents. Like most genes, hemoglobin genes are inherited in two sets…one from each parent.




How will I know if I have the Trait?
TEST YOUR CHILDREN EARLY. A SIMPLE PAINLESS BLOOD TEST followed by a laboratory technique called Hemoglobin Electrophoresis will determine the type of hemoglobin you have. When you pass an electric charge through a solution of hemoglobin, distinct hemoglobins move different distances, depending on their composition. This technique differentiates between normal hemoglobin (A), Sickle hemoglobin (S), and other different kinds of hemoglobin (such as C, D, E, etc.).

Medical Problems
Sickle cells are destroyed rapidly in the body of people with the disease causing anemia, jaundice and the formation of gallstones.

The sickle cells also block the flow of blood through vessels resulting in lung tissue damage (acute chest syndrome), pain episodes (arms, legs, chest and abdomen), stroke and priapism (painful prolonged erection). It also causes damage to most organs including the spleen, kidneys and liver. Damage to the spleen makes sickle cell disease patients, especially young children, easily overwhelmed by certain bacterial infections.

Treatment
Health maintenance for patients with sickle cell disease starts with early diagnosis, preferably in the newborn period and includes penicillin prophylaxis, vaccination against pneumococcus bacteria and folic acid supplementation.

Treatment of complications often includes antibiotics, pain management, intravenous fluids, blood transfusion and surgery all backed by psychosocial support. Like all patients with chronic disease patients are best managed in a comprehensive multi-disciplinary program of care.

Blood transfusions help benefit sickle cell disease patients by reducing recurrent pain crises, risk of stroke and other complications. Because red blood cells contain iron, and there is no natural way for the body to eliminate it, patients who receive repeated blood transfusions can accumulate iron in the body until it reaches toxic levels. It is important to remove excess iron from the body, because it can gather in the heart, liver, and other organs and may lead to organ damage. Treatments are available to eliminate iron overload.

Who is Affected?
Sickle cell disease is a global health problem. In the United States it is estimated that over 70,000 people have sickle cell disease. About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year in America.

In the United States people are often surprised when they learn that a person who is not African American has sickle cell disease. The disease originated in at least 4 places in Africa and in the Indian/Saudi Arabian subcontinent. It exists in all countries of Africa and in areas where Africans have migrated. It is most common in West and Central Africa where as many as 25% of the people have sickle cell trait and 1-2% of all babies are born with a form of the disease. In Nigeria, with an estimated 1997 population of 90 million, 45,000-90,000 babies with sickle cell disease are born each year.




Educate yourself about Sickle Cell Disease. Visit
SCDAA and the Sickle Cell Society for more information.

T Shirt Hell

Okay so I got really mad at this when I saw it


And then I saw this one, and didn't know what to think


Is it fair since they attack everyone?
Go
here to see more of their shirts (I'm in no way trying to help them sell shirts)

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Beautiful Men

I just wanted to share with ya'll some of the beautiful men that I adore out there, but I'll start with my favorite (sorry O, but he's MINE)




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And Common ain't too shabby either...

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And when he's not looking like Mr. Bentley's twin, Andre ain't too bad himself...

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And I'll post a lil sumthin for the fellas since I think she's FABU...

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(ain't she looking a little Beyonce-ish in this one?)

Monday, March 13, 2006

Constantine



Umm, so I know he's from American Idol, but doesn't he look like a murderer? Scares the hell out of me.

They're Back!


My sister calls them the mob, but I don't care, they make some damn good cookies. I love those Thin Mints...

Important Information On Women's Health

A friend emailed this article to me. All I gotta say is who the hell participated in this study? I just might have to be boobless if this is really the case...


Study: Fellatio may significantly decrease the risk of breast cancer in women

(AP) --Women who perform the act of fellatio and swallow semen on a regular basis, one to two times a week, may reduce their risk of breast cancer by up to 40 percent, a North Carolina State University study found.

Doctors had never suspected a link between the act of fellatio and breast cancer, but new research being performed at North Carolina State University is starting to suggest that there could be an important link between the two.

In a study of over 15,000 women suspected of having performed regular fellatio and swallowed the ejaculatory fluid, over the past ten years, the researchers found that those actually having performed the act regularly, one to two times a week, had a lower occurance of breast cancer than those who had not. There was no increased risk, however, for those who did not regularly perform.

"I think it removes the last shade of doubt that fellatio is actually a healthy act," said Dr. A.J. Kramer of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who was not involved in the research. "I am surprised by these findings, but am also excited that the researchers may have discovered a relatively easy way to lower the occurance of breast cancer in women."

The University researchers stressed that, though breast cancer is relatively uncommon, any steps taken to reduce the risk would be a wise decision.

"Only with regular occurance will your chances be reduced, so I encourage all women out there to make fellatio an important part of their daily routine," said Dr. Helena Shifteer, one of the researchers at the University. "Since the emergence of the research, I try to fellate at least once every other night to reduce my chances."

The study is reported in Friday's Journal of Medical Research.
In 1991, 43,582 women died of breast cancer, as reported by the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Len Lictepeen, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, said women should not overlook or "play down" these findings.

"This will hopefully change women's practice and patterns, resulting in a severe drop in the future number of cases," Lictepeen said.

Sooner said the research shows no increase in the risk of breast cancer in those who are, for whatever reason, not able to fellate regularly.

"There's definitely fertile ground for more research. Many have stepped forward to volunteer for related research now in the planning stages," he said.

Almost every woman is, at some point, going to perform the act of fellatio, but it is the frequency at which this event occurs that makes the difference, say researchers. Also key seems to be the protein and enzyme count in the semen, but researchers are again waiting for more test data.

The reasearch consisted of two groups, 6,246 women ages 25 to 45 who had performed fellatio and swallowed on a regular basis over the past five to ten years, and 9,728 women who had not or did not swallow. The group of women who had performed and swallowed had a breast cancer rate of 1.9 percent and the group who had not had a breast cancer rate of 10.4 percent.

"The findings do suggest that there are other causes for breast cancer besides the absence of regular fellatio," Shafteer said. "It's a cause, not THE cause."

Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Zulema


K, so I was listening to The Wendy Williams Show today, and Zulema said she's a lesbian (married) who's been in a relationship for 3 years now (with a white girl). For some reason that shocked me. She didn't come across as the type AT ALL. The things you learn about folks...

Sunday, March 12, 2006

TV Heaven

Woohoo!!! Tonights a great night for TV. There's Soprano's, The L Word, Grey's Anatomy AND The Flavor Of Love finale (yes, I admit I watch these fools) . And in the middle of that I have to take some time to hit the town. What's a girl to do?

ANTM

Apparently Furonda from ANTM has previously modeling experience. So why'd she suck so bad on her first shoot? Go here to see more pictures.






And here's season 5 winner Nicole Linkletter's Elle spread if you missed it.