tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85658284425899060772024-03-12T21:48:05.386-05:00Every Breath I Take"If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it."bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.comBlogger197125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-27721278686944191212012-02-17T10:24:00.000-06:002012-02-17T10:24:42.614-06:00Brandi, 1978-2012For those of you who have been following Brandi's blog, we want to let you know that she lost her battle with Cystic Fibrosis on Wednesday, February 15, 2012.<br />
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Brandi asked that donations be made in her honor to Great Strides. Here is the link to her memorial page:<br />
http://www.cff.org/great_strides/dsp_donationPage.cfm?registeringwalkid=8094&idUser=197084<br />
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Thank you for following Brandi and for your thoughts and prayers. She was a courageous and wonderful woman who has touched the lives of so many and who will be sorely missed. <br />
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Breathe easy, Brandi. We love you.bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-88145830121071064952012-01-14T11:56:00.000-06:002012-01-14T11:56:18.645-06:00Hello? Hello! Anybody out there?[peeping my head up out of the ground]<br />
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Wow. I just realized that my last post was on July 29, 2011. I honestly didn't realize I'd been gone that long. You know what they say about having good intentions - I've been meaning to put pen to paper (or hand to keyboard) for quite a while but I have let time escape me.<br />
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I think most of my family and friends have kept up with me on Facebook, but I needed to write a longer post to write the update I've promised to so many. I'm home from the hospital, but still not functioning at 100%. I was in the hospital for 28 days in December (the second longest stay I've ever had), for a visit that just didn't go as planned. Here's a quick overview of what's happened.<br />
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<ul><li>November 10th - Clinic visit. PFTs were down and probably worthy of IV meds, but I wanted to try and "plan" my next admission so that it fell between Thanksgiving and Christmas. My doctor and I made an agreement that I would be seen in two weeks and do a 14 day course of Avelox. He made me agree to an admission if my next FEV1 was less than 45%.</li>
</ul><ul><li>November 22nd - Clinic visit with my nurse practitioner. An odd day, because my PFTs were actually higher than expected, but I sounded like a freight train was rumbling through my chest. I "presented" as being sick, so my NP wanted to admit me. Once again, I begged and pleaded my way to holding the admission until after Thanksgiving. I was already scheduled to be off the remainder of the week (Wednesday, Turkey Day, and Black Friday), so I would be able to rest and finish out the 2nd course of antibiotics that my ENT had prescribed. "Patient reluctantly agreed to admission on Monday" (as my nurse stated in my progress notes). </li>
</ul><ul><li>November 28th - Showed up (suitcase in hand) and prepared myself for 21 fun-filled days of doctors and antibiotics. For all intents and purposes this was supposed to be a "routine" visit. Through many years of trial and error, I have found that 21 days of antibiotics gives me my best outcome - bringing any infection under control and giving me a boost to stay out of the hospital for the next ten or twelve weeks.</li>
</ul>Let the fun begin...<br />
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At my first clinic visit in November I talked to my doctor about the hip and leg pain that I had been experiencing since September. As it had been getting progressively worse, he agreed to order a hip x-ray and MRI to see if we could find the cause of the problem. The results: two compressed discs in my lower back (in between L4 & L5 and L5 & S1) that are strategically positioned to sit right on the nerve root. This explained the sharp, stabbing pain I was feeling in my hip that radiated down my leg and the numbness/tingling sensation in my foot.<br />
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By the time the x-ray and MRI were ordered, my pain had worsened significantly - bringing me to tears, barely able to walk from my bed to the bathroom. While my normal "drug of choice" for pain is Tylenol or Advil, I was to the point of begging for something stronger.<br />
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[Cue massive drama and theatrics] . Consults had been made with Neurosurgery and Anesthesiology (the god-like creatures who deign to treat the pain in mere mortals held captive at UAB). To make a long story short, there was a difference in opinion in how I was to be treated. Of course, those differences tend to happen when the resident assigned to the case fails to read the MRI results before concluding that said patient is merely "drug-seeking" and states there is no evidence of why she would be in pain. Interesting theory, considering both the radiologist and neurosurgeon had identified two compressed discs in my lower back that are sitting directly on the nerve root. That explain exactly why I was in excruciating pain.<br />
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I was, of course, just the slightest bit pissed off that a resident I had never laid eyes upon was standing in my room accusing me of a drug problem. I kindly showed him the way out and proceeded to raise holy hell with my pulmonary doctor and NP. I am very fortunate to have an outstanding relationship with my NP, and although the attending Dr. that was seeing patients in December may not know me that well, he knew enough to be able to rely on my nurse's assessment of the situation.<br />
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In the end, my pain was managed by my pulmonary team. I was discharged with a stack of prescriptions and referrals to both the Pain Clinic and Neurosurgery. The plan-of-care recommended trying a steroid dose pack (which was done in the hospital, but with no benefit). Up next in the play book are an epidural block and/or surgery.<br />
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On the Pulmonary front, things went from bad to worse. My pulmonary functions declined throughout my hospital visit rather than improving as they normally would. Overall, I never felt that I was truly "getting well" - on Day 21, I felt as bad if not worse as when I was admitted. On Day 24 (the Friday before Christmas), my PFTs were extremely poor (FEV1 = 25%), which kind of sent me into a downward spiral. To be perfectly honest, I am normally one of those people that can just put on a happy face, even if I am upset or frustrated. After such a long and intense stay, though, I lost my cool.<br />
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I ended up completing 28 days of antibiotics and received a Solumedrol kick in the ass (high octane steroids) my last weekend there. Unfortunately I was in the hospital over Christmas, but was able to go home the day after. The hospital is never where you want to spend the holidays, but we made a go of it. I dressed up in my Christmas PJs (a gift from my mother) and my family came to visit. My aunt made her famous fried chicken nuggets, so I enjoyed a good meal that day (Thanks, Cheryl!).<br />
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I've been home for two (almost three) weeks now and recovery has been slow. When I was younger, I was always raring to go the day after I got home. The older I get, the longer that seems to take. I would say that, on average, it now takes me almost a full week (at least four or five days) to get myself back in the swing of things. The negative side of receiving the steroid boost at the very end of my hospital visit meant that I had to come home on Prednisone. And although my lungs appreciate the effects of the steroids, the rest of my body does not. My taper runs for two more weeks. This means two more weeks of insomnia offset by moments of pred-mania. I am also suffering from a severe case of pred-munchies and cravings of the weirdest sort (Arby's mozzarella cheese sticks and a vanilla milkshake, anybody?).<br />
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<u>So, where are we now?</u><br />
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Well, if you've made it this far, then I applaud you! Because my PFTs were so low when I left the hospital, my doctors wanted to see me in clinic in two weeks rather than the usual four-week followup. I went to clinic on Monday. My PFTs were up some from my discharge (FEV1 = 34%), but not at all close to my "well" standards. Generally speaking, if I blew a 34%, I would be admitted, but since we had just finished 28 days of strong antibiotics, my Dr. and I agreed that adding another seven or fourteen days would not be helpful. So, fortunately, I was able to hold off on being re-admitted to the hospital.<br />
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Right now, our goal is to find out what is causing my PFTs to drop so suddenly and not bounce back like they usually do. My Dr. wanted to check for ABPA (<a href="http://www.cff.org/LivingWithCF/StayingHealthy/Germs/ABPA/" target="_blank">Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis</a>), which is a fungus that can wreak havoc in CF lungs. Technically, I have not met the criteria for diagnosis (having a serum IgE greater than 1000), but previous studies have shown that I have had an elevated IgE for quite some time (in the 700-800 range). Because I have a history of ABPA (in high school), my Dr. wanted to order a special test (which is, of course, expensive) that is more sensitive and may be able to determine if ABPA is causing my current issues. If it is, then the plan is to treat with anti-fungals and steroids. Honestly, although I do want to find out what is wrong, I really don't want it to be ABPA because I'm not sure I can stand to be on steroids for much longer.<br />
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If the test for ABPA is negative, then my Dr. wants to do a bronch to take a peek at what is going on inside my lungs. Right now, this is currently scheduled for February 6th. I'll also have a clinic appointment the same day so that we can discuss the results of the bronch.<br />
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Finally, we discussed the possibility of a referral over to the transplant clinic. The appointment would be more of a "meet & greet" (although I know most of the doctors because they rotate in and out of our CF clinic). We would discuss the possibility of beginning the evaluation process. It does not necessarily mean that I would be listed right now (or any time in the near future), but if I get the tests done, they will be good for two years. Although I'm OK with the eventual possibility of a transplant, I'm not quite ready to jump the gun. However, once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout, so I will at least look through the window of that future possibility and "Be Prepared."<br />
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I think that about sums up everything that has been going on for the past month and a half. I will try and do a better job of updating my blog with the latest information. <br />
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And now I'm off to do something <u>FAR</u> more interesting -- getting the hair did! Catch y'all on the flip side.bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-32523260346689474322011-07-29T10:18:00.000-05:002011-07-29T10:18:52.991-05:00New medical FICO score sparks controversy, questionsSee the original article <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/New-medical-FICO-score-sparks-creditcards-1400615100.html?x=0">here</a>.<br />
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Within the next 12 months, whether you like it or not, about 10 million Americans are expected to be scored -- much like a credit score -- on how likely they are to fill a prescription and take all the pills the doctor ordered, on schedule.<br />
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FICO , creator of the widely used credit score that predicts whether you'll borrow responsibly, is now rolling out its new Medication Adherence Score. <br />
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FICO based its score on a formula that predicts whether you will take your prescription drugs. FICO says that since correct use of medication is important for patients, medical providers, insurers and pharmaceutical companies, the Medication Adherence Score will help achieve that goal. They predict it will improve therapy effectiveness and reduce health care costs. <br />
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The company says those who score low can be targeted for extra reminders and educational efforts, with the goal of making patients more likely to complete their prescribed regimens. <br />
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"It's very important to identify those people who may need that additional education and that additional help," says Dave Shellenberger, senior principal consultant in FICO's health care division. <br />
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Critics aren't so sure. Since the score uses information on patients' employment, homeownership and living situations, they say that in the current economic environment, the Medication Adherence Score may unfairly target people who have found themselves in challenging financial situations. It could also, they say, open the door for a new way for insurance companies to charge different prices for different scores. This happened in recent years to consumers buying auto insurance: The cost of those policies are now likely based on an auto insurance credit score . <br />
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<b>What's in the score?</b><b><br />
</b>FICO launched the Medication Adherence Score on June 23, 2011. To create the scoring algorithm, FICO looked at data from a random sample of several million anonymous patients provided by a large pharmacy benefits manager. FICO observed patients who filled (or refilled) their prescriptions and patients who failed to, with the company then identifying those variables that best predicted medication adherence. For the Medication Adherence Score, those variables include age, gender, family size and asset information -- such as the likelihood of car ownership -- data also used by direct marketing companies. FICO says that with only a patient's name and address, it can pull the remainder of the necessary information from publicly available sources. <br />
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The scores range from 1 to 500. "The higher the score, the higher the likelihood a patient will be adherent to a drug regimen," FICO's Shellenberger says. FICO says patients who score 400 or higher are likely to take medication as prescribed, while those who score below 200 are at high risk of not taking medication. According to FICO, patients who earn a low score may receive a medication reminder in the form of an email, letter or phone call from their doctor -- tactics that would be too costly to apply across the board. <br />
FICO says those who wouldn't want to receive notices should contact their health care providers and ask about their opt-out policies.<b> </b>High scorers who appear likely to take all their meds probably won't be contacted.<b> </b> <br />
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<b>FICO: No insurance implications</b><br />
What won't happen, FICO says, is your insurance taking a hit because of a low score. "No decision is being made as to whether someone is getting access to health care," says Shellenberger. That's because companies can't use the Medication Adherence Score when deciding whether to provide health insurance and how much to charge for it. "The score was not designed, tested or validated to serve as an underwriting tool. And, underwriting is not an allowable use of the score under the terms of our client contracts," Shellenberger says. <br />
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FICO declined a request for a copy of the contract. FICO says consumers can find out if they have scores by asking their health care providers. <br />
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<b>Age, gender taken into account</b><br />
Who's likely to score low? Shellenberger notes that older patients are typically better about taking their medication than younger patients -- until those older patients begin to reach their 80s and 90s -- and men typically are a little better about taking medication than women. "One hypothesis is that women tend to be caregivers and take care of others rather than care for themselves to the extent that they should," he says. <br />
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It's against the law for FICO to factor some information into its more-familiar credit scoring formula. It's forbidden from considering, for example, your race, religion, national origin or sex. In addition, it voluntarily does not consider your age or salary. But gender and age are two factors in the Medical Adherence Score. FICO says that's because the score only results in communication with a patient and only uses "publicly available third-party data sources, such as the U.S. Census," Shellenberger says. None of your personal credit information -- the data used to determine your FICO credit score, which is regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act -- is used in the medical score, he says. <br />
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Whatever it includes, your own personal Medication Adherence Score is coming. FICO estimates that by the end of 2011, 2 million to 3 million patients will have been given a FICO Medication Adherence Score, with a total of 10 million patients expected to be scored during the next 12 months. As a patient, you probably won't be informed of your actual score, however. <br />
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<b>A very real problem </b>...<br />
FICO and medical industry experts both say that medication noncompliance warranted the creation of the new scoring system. According to FICO's press release , medical industry estimates show that up to half of the 3.2 billion prescriptions in the United States annually aren't taken as prescribed, with nonadherence "cited as the primary cause for 10 percent of hospital admissions and 23 percent of nursing home admissions each year." It's also costly. According to a company fact sheet , the cost of medication nonadherence to the U.S. health care system totals an estimated $290 billion a year. <br />
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Pharmacists agree that nonadherence represents a challenge. "We recognize that adherence to medication has been a problem for 40 or 50 years. And the ability to identify people who would most benefit from interventions would provide pharmacists and others an advantage in their ability to target services to where they are needed the most. No one would argue about that," says Lucinda Maine, chief executive of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) in Alexandria, Va. <br />
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Patients are unreliable medicine-takers for a variety of reasons. "Some people don't understand the condition that they have. Some people might have high blood pressure but they're not experiencing symptoms every day," says Anne Burns, senior vice president of professional affairs with the American Pharmacists Association in Washington, D.C. Such a lack of symptoms could discourage patients from consistently taking their medication, causing their health problems to return. <br />
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As a result, "programs like this are starting to appear in the marketplace," Burns says. <br />
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<b>... But is the score the answer?<br />
</b>While there's general agreement about the problem, not everyone thinks FICO has the solution. "There are many programs and assessments for patient adherence currently available and whether this algorithm is better than any others has yet to be seen," says Dr. Richard Perry, an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Long Island University. <br />
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Experts stress that medication adherence is a complex issue, with many factors -- some tied to a patient's finances, culture or attitude -- contributing to failures to take medicine. <br />
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For example, Dave deBronkart, also known as "e-Patient Dave," a personal health data rights advocate based in Nashua, N.H., says financial problems once kept him from buying a prescribed medication. <br />
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When deBronkart left his last full-time job -- but before his COBRA insurance kicked in to provide continued health benefits -- he went to refill his prescription for generic blood pressure medication. "I was very short on cash," deBronkart says. His prescription, which cost just $4 with insurance, nearly tripled in cost to $11. "All of a sudden, I don't have insurance and the price goes up," deBronkart says. Due to that jump in price, "I didn't buy it," he says, instead delaying the purchase until his COBRA took effect. <br />
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Those types of situations may be increasingly common as more patients find themselves unemployed in the tough economy. That could mean low Medication Adherence Scores for otherwise responsible patients. "Apparently under this scoring model, you are at higher risk for not taking your medication and thus have a low score if you, among other things, don't have a job, don't own a home or a car and live alone," says Tena Friery, research director with the nonprofit consumer group Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.<b> </b> <br />
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Although some critics have voiced concerns over the Medication Adherence Score and possible privacy issues, other experts say that privacy isn't the problem. "Health plans already have information on what drugs you're on and which ones you went to the drugstore and picked up or got through mail order. The third step, the piece they don't know, is whether you took the drugs," says Deven McGraw, director of Health Privacy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology. <br />
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"I think it's far less of a privacy concern than an age-old concern about how people can use health data to discriminate against people in the insurance marketplace or employment,"<b> </b>McGraw says. <br />
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<b>What's next?<br />
</b>Looking ahead, FICO says the Medication Adherence Score -- like any of its scoring models -- can be updated about every 18 to 24 months to make it work better. Just don't expect too many details when the company does. FICO guards all its algorithms closely as proprietary information. "I don't know whether they will ever allow researchers to look behind that green curtain of Oz to know what their analytic model is," says the AACP's Maine. <br />
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And FICO also isn't identifying additional scoring formulas it could create to predict other areas of everyday life. If it were to do that, however, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse's Friery guesses that it could be some sort of "lifestyle" score. Since poor lifestyle choices can result in high health care costs, the score could be used to target individuals about health initiatives, such as weight loss or smoking cessation. <br />
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"Reports are that people of low income or those who live in certain areas are more likely to be overweight, to smoke, to be inactive. I assume that any future scoring, like the Medication Adherence Score, would not be based on an individual's past behavior but rather certain factors that would put them into the high-risk category," says Friery. <br />
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Although the "objective of lowering health care costs is certainly a good thing," Friery says that with such a score, consumers may receive unwanted phone calls or other contact about services that don't apply to them. "I can only hope that users of such scores would use caution in initiating these contacts. As a minimum, consumers should be given the right to opt out, to stop future contact, whether or not the targeted behavior applies to them," she says. bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-12828712366082524532011-07-14T15:28:00.000-05:002011-07-14T15:28:55.314-05:00Clinic UpdateToday was my one-month post hospital clinic appointment and I'm happy to report that, overall, it was a fairly good visit. My FEV1 has finally shown some improvement after being in the tank last time I was in the hospital and is near baseline. I'm still hanging out around 44% lung capacity, which I'm happy with. Given that a few years ago I was struggling to keep it in the 30's (when I was battling back-to-back pneumonia infections -- SIX times in one year), I am always thrilled to see a higher #.<br />
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So the plan for now is to keep on keeping on. My stomach issues are still rampant, but my GI doctors have been less than forthcoming in ways to fix or improve it and I'm just in for the long haul. I have been on the Domperidone for over a month now and while I will say that while I see some improvement over the Reglan (which was doing absolutely nothing to treat my gastroparesis), it is still an everyday problem. In addition to the stomach issues, my doctors are having me checked for possible gallstones, so I have an abdominal ultrasound scheduled for Monday. I have been having sharp, stabbing pains in the area of my gall bladder every time I eat, particularly if I eat anything high-fat (which I typically try to avoid).<br />
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I talked with my NP today about scheduling a tune-up in August because I want to be in tip-top shape for September when I go on a cruise. Two of my BFFs, <a href="http://whatthefreckle.blogspot.com/">Angela</a> & Brien are getting hitched and are doing a wedding cruise out of Mobile. It's actually the same cruise I went on last year (to Progreso and Cozumel), but ANY cruise is a good cruise in my books. I am definitely looking forward to some true vacation time (even though I qualify for four weeks of vacation with my employer, I typically only get one week and forfeit the rest when I am in the hospital).<br />
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And that's about all the updates I have for now. That, and the fact that my legs are numb from allowing my sixteen pound beast to sit in my lap while I've been typing this blog (love ya, Beau-ba-lo!).<br />
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Catch y'all on the flip side!bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-15528860494516968362011-05-11T14:41:00.000-05:002011-05-13T15:28:18.753-05:00Work Day Survival KitOur volume has been a little light over in the Complaints arena recently, so we've been outsourced on a few different projects that our team is currently involved in. Even still, today has been one of those days where I've watched the minutes tick, tick, tick S-L-O-W-L-Y. It's made me think of all the various things I use to survive the day (and it also gave me a chance to play with the <a href="http://hipstamaticapp.com/">Hipstamatic</a> app on my iPhone). <br />
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<u>Sustenance</u><br />
<i>Yes, I'm a caffeine junkie and Diet Coke is my drug of choice.</i> <br />
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<img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ssrLSejYvYY/Tcroi_I5FRI/AAAAAAAACzc/N167lAUdid0/s320/sustenance.JPG" width="320" /><br />
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<u>The Sound of Music</u><br />
<i>I absolutely have to have music playing to be able to focus on the task at hand. For some reason, that little bit of background noise helps me concentrate better, whereas utter silence sends me off into la-la land. <a href="http://www.pandora.com/">Pandora</a> rocks my world!</i><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DzWuR7nv1yw/TcroieXHqrI/AAAAAAAACzY/EQBd4O68hTA/s1600/iPad.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DzWuR7nv1yw/TcroieXHqrI/AAAAAAAACzY/EQBd4O68hTA/s320/iPad.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ssrLSejYvYY/Tcroi_I5FRI/AAAAAAAACzc/N167lAUdid0/s1600/sustenance.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<u>Flower Power</u><br />
<i>A little splash of color helps brighten up my officle.</i><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MUVTCEe8AbI/Tcroh33xzzI/AAAAAAAACzU/QMOYJNJWl20/s1600/flower+power.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MUVTCEe8AbI/Tcroh33xzzI/AAAAAAAACzU/QMOYJNJWl20/s320/flower+power.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
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<u>Fortitude</u><br />
<i>You win some, you lose some. The overall strategy to dealing with complaints around-the-clock is being able to step back and laugh. And then put on your big girl panties when you have to face a Federal examiner and answer their questions.</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B01Y90m2_W8/Tcrof9bE8EI/AAAAAAAACzQ/TE4t0GOdqnQ/s1600/courage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B01Y90m2_W8/Tcrof9bE8EI/AAAAAAAACzQ/TE4t0GOdqnQ/s320/courage.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This is the touchstone that I was given at the UAB memorial service for <a href="http://bankrgrl.blogspot.com/search/label/lauren">Lauren</a>. It sits on my desk for remembrance, as a reminder. A single glance has served me well at work and at home.</i></span>bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-65843045399030563272011-05-03T09:56:00.000-05:002011-05-03T09:56:03.098-05:00A to ZI haven't participated in a fun little me-me in awhile, so while I have some free time, I figured, what the heck...<br />
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<b>A - Age:</b> 33<br />
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B - Bed size:</b> Queen (just enough room for me and the three kittehs who think the bed belongs to them).<br />
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<b>C - Chore you hate:</b> Getting the clean clothes from the dryer back into the closet.<br />
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<b>D - Dog's name: </b>Louis, Louie, Rose, Simba, Bailey, Henry and Argyle (aka "Pooter"). <i>No, none of them actually live with me, but they are all my adopted babies.</i><br />
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<b>E - Essential start your day item:</b> Caffeine<br />
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<b>F - Favorite color:</b> Pink<br />
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<b>G - Gold or Silver:</b> Silver<br />
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<b>H - Height:</b> 5' 3" <br />
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<b>I - Instruments you play(ed): </b>I took piano lessons as a kid, played the recorder in fifth grade, attempted to play the clarinet (briefly) in middle school and then played handbells in high school. Handbells were, by far, my favorite. <br />
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<b>J - Job title:</b> Compliance Analyst III<br />
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<b>K - Kid(s):</b> My kittehs (Issy, Beau, and Hallow) are the only children I'll ever have.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tPikW304LEE/TcAWGWOdISI/AAAAAAAACzM/SYyjxMCZtQo/s1600/BooCubed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tPikW304LEE/TcAWGWOdISI/AAAAAAAACzM/SYyjxMCZtQo/s320/BooCubed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b> L - Living arrangements:</b> I'm a city girl.<br />
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M - Mom's name: </b>Mona Lynn<br />
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<b>N - Nicknames:</b> B, B-Ri, Shortcakes (that's an oldie from high school).<br />
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<b>O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth:</b> To many too count!<br />
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<b>P - Pet Peeve:</b> Bad grammar and misspelled words. Hypocrites.<br />
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<b>Q - Quote from a movie: </b>"I'm your huckleberry..."<br />
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<b>R - Right or left handed:</b> Right.<br />
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<b>S - Siblings:</b> Not a single one.<br />
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<b>T - Time you wake up:</b> During the week, I am usually up around 6 AM. I don't need an alarm clock, I have cats. On the weekends, I like to sleep until 8:30 or 9.<br />
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U- Underwear:</b> Yep, I wear underoos.<br />
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<b>V - Vegetable you dislike:</b> BRUSSEL SPROUTS. <br />
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<b>W - Ways you run late:</b> I'm usually a pretty on-time person.<br />
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<b>X - X-rays you've had:</b> I couldn't begin to count the number of chest x-rays that I've had. I've also had my ankles, wrists, and elbow x-rayed at different points, usually due to sprains or breaks.<br />
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<b>Y - Yummy food you make:</b> I don't. I can handle brownies from a box, but that's about the extent of my cooking ability.<br />
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<b>Z - Zoo favorite: </b>Penguins, sea lions and big cats. bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-39361248950578189182011-04-28T14:12:00.003-05:002011-04-28T14:30:00.947-05:00Thankful ThursdayI've never participated in one of Ronnie's (of <a href="http://www.runsickboyrun.com/">RunSickBoyRun</a> fame) Thankful Thursday postings before. I probably don't say it often enough, but I am thankful for all of the wonderful things that I have in my life (my friends, my family, my co-workers, and my health among others), but today seems like a most appropriate day to truly be thankful.<br />
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Yesterday was -- weather-wise -- one of the most tragic days that we've seen in the great state of Alabama. The death toll is currently 162 and it will be several more days before the final counts are complete. Why? Tornado season, which typically runs from March to May for the Heart of Dixie. We experienced an EF4, possibly an EF5, tornado that was ON THE GROUND from Tuscaloosa, AL to Birmingham, AL (about 60 miles) that was at times more than a mile wide. Below is a video of the devastation that can be seen in Central Alabama from ABC 33/40 (home of <a href="http://www.abc3340.com/story/12780923/james-spann">James Spann</a>, the world's greatest meteorologist).<br />
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Please take about five minutes out of your day to watch this video and remember all of the families and businesses that have been devastated by the power of Mother Earth.<br />
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<script src="http://www.abc3340.com/global/video/videoplayer.js?rnd=271709;hostDomain=www.abc3340.com;playerWidth=640;playerHeight=380;isShowIcon=true;clipId=5797824;flvUri=;partnerclipid=;adTag=News;advertisingZone=;enableAds=false;landingPage=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.abc3340.com%252Fvideo;islandingPageoverride=false;playerType=STANDARD_EMBEDDEDscript" type="text/javascript">
</script><br />
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Fortunately, my little corner of the world escaped damage. I live downtown and the storm tracked about five miles north of me. My condo is on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Mountain_%28Birmingham,_Alabama%29">Red Mountain</a>, directly below the TV stations, so the view from the cameras atop the station were essentially exactly what I was seeing from my front window. What appeared to be a wall of clouds a mile wide was actually a tornado devastating my hometown.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RANN7qsddUc/Tbm66mxp33I/AAAAAAAACzA/WAimksOaAuw/s1600/bham_tornado042711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RANN7qsddUc/Tbm66mxp33I/AAAAAAAACzA/WAimksOaAuw/s320/bham_tornado042711.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>This picture is from the UAB campus, which is about six blocks north of me. What looks like a wall of clouds is actually the tornado that struck north Birmingham.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bySYxZvoozM/Tbm67nEPbGI/AAAAAAAACzE/LPunrIUKcSE/s1600/bham_tornado042711-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bySYxZvoozM/Tbm67nEPbGI/AAAAAAAACzE/LPunrIUKcSE/s320/bham_tornado042711-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>I'm not sure of the exact location of this picture in relation to my house (it appears to be a little west of my condo looking back downtown). The white office building in the center of the photo is where I work.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPZ3u3tCt04/Tbm9WNoCdWI/AAAAAAAACzI/YWTfii1trCk/s1600/tornadoviewfromwork.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPZ3u3tCt04/Tbm9WNoCdWI/AAAAAAAACzI/YWTfii1trCk/s320/tornadoviewfromwork.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <i>This is a view of the tornado from BBVA Compass' corporate headquarters (my employer). This is a block south of my office (the building in the left corner of the photo is actually my office). </i></div>bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-37993913670689706632011-04-06T15:09:00.004-05:002011-04-18T11:13:24.637-05:00Great Strides 2011 - We're going to BLOW CF AWAY!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9beZzkaSCR8/TZzHtOZBFOI/AAAAAAAACys/7TO-UJjrv8k/s1600/2011+T-Shirt+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9beZzkaSCR8/TZzHtOZBFOI/AAAAAAAACys/7TO-UJjrv8k/s320/2011+T-Shirt+Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a>Dear Family and Friends,<br />
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It's that time again! Please consider joining us for the annual Great Strides event in Birmingham, AL on May 14, 2011. Our goal this year is a simple one ... it's all about <b style="color: blue;">BREATHING EASIER!</b> GREAT STRIDES is the CF Foundation’s biggest fundraiser and provides us an opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of those with Cystic Fibrosis. <br />
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Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic, life-threatening disease that affects approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. According to the CF Foundation’s National Patient Registry, the median age of survival for a person with CF is now approaching 37 years. <br />
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Advances continue to be made in finding a cure, but your help is needed to help keep up the momentum of this life-saving research. I know that the last few years have been hard on many, but I hope that you will be able to help us raise money for a cure. Remember, every donation - large or small - goes towards supporting the Foundation's goal of finding new & novel therapies for CF patients. As you may know, the CF Foundation receives no government funding. Therefore, the funds that you donate go directly to helping us find a cure.<br />
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This year, I will be walking with the other members of the UAB Adult CF Team, with a goal of raising at least $3,000 by May 14, 2011 in Birmingham, AL. With that in mind, please save the date in your calendar! Plan on joining the members of the UAB Adult CF Team for food, fun, and music at Veteran's Park in Birmingham (Hoover), AL. I know this year’s goal can be met with your help! <br />
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If you would like to participate in the walk, you can log on to my website at: <a href="http://www.cff.org/great_strides/BrandiThorpe">http://www.cff.org/great_strides/BrandiThorpe</a>. If you have any problems registering online, please let me know and I will be happy to process your registration manually. You can reach me via e-mail at bankrgrl -@- gmail.com<br />
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If you can't join us for the walk, please consider making a donation. Donations are accepted online, through a secure server, provided by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Just click the "Donate Now" button on my blog to make a donation that will be credited to our team. Any amount you can donate is greatly appreciated!<br />
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I look forward to seeing all of you who participated last year and hopefully a few new faces. Please help this be an outstanding year ~ let's start taking GREAT STRIDES to cure CF. <br />
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Thank you!!!bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-35888906350035074692011-04-05T12:59:00.003-05:002011-04-05T14:03:00.657-05:00Updates, Updates, UpdatesAt the end of February, early March, I had the opportunity to travel to Orlando, FL for work. I attended a conference (training) related to my job. For four days, I studied the basics of Deposit & Lending Compliance. I know that might not sound exciting to many of you, but <b>YES</b>, I actually enjoyed it. I was familiar with most of the deposit regulations (Reg CC, Reg DD, Reg E, among others) but the lending session really kicked my butt (especially Reg Z & RESPA ... my brain was toast by the end of Day 2!)<br />
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While I was in Orlando, I also got to have a little bit of fun. (Don't tell my boss that!)<br />
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On Wednesday night, I met up with an old friend ... we haven't seen each other since 5th grade, when she moved back to Japan. We'd kept in touch over the years via letters (yes, real ones) and then found each other on Facebook not too long ago. When she saw my post about being in Orlando, she contacted me that night and we immediately decided that we had to get together. We met up in Downtown Disney and enjoyed dinner at an Irish Pub (where we had meat pies ... savory & sweet pies for you Sweeney Todd fans). Later that night we went over to the Magic Kingdom where I got to do some shopping and we watched the fireworks show. All in all, it was a great night!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vh1Flcv70n4/TZtWdWW3spI/AAAAAAAACyk/fT_UbI_-JVs/s1600/MeAyumi_Disney.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vh1Flcv70n4/TZtWdWW3spI/AAAAAAAACyk/fT_UbI_-JVs/s320/MeAyumi_Disney.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
On my last night there (after the conference was over) I decided to catch the final performance of <a href="http://www.wickedthemusical.com/">Wicked</a>. I love, love, love this show and this was my second time seeing it. Although the <a href="http://www.orlandovenues.net/other_info_files/bob_carr_centre.php">Bob Carr Performing Arts Center</a> was a little smaller than I expected for a city the size of Orlando, it was a nice setting. Even better, the tickets I scored were three rows back (which I had no idea when I purchased). To say I was thrilled would be putting it lightly.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MggkqqdtaWI/TZtXRNJh82I/AAAAAAAACyo/hlHO-xG1nQE/s1600/Me_WICKED%2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MggkqqdtaWI/TZtXRNJh82I/AAAAAAAACyo/hlHO-xG1nQE/s320/Me_WICKED%2521.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>15 minutes til curtain!</i></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">After a whirlwind week, I was glad to arrive home on Saturday. I was in kitteh withdrawal after a week in a hotel (Although I highly recommend the <a href="http://homewoodsuites1.hilton.com/en_US/hw/hotel/MCOMLHW-Homewood-Suites-by-Hilton-Orlando-Maitland-Florida/index.do">Homewood Suites</a> in Maitland, FL if you are ever visiting the area, it was a little off the beaten path. However, it was very close to the office my training classes were being held in and the rooms and free food made it even better).</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
I was home for a couple of days when my body crashed and I had to be re-admitted to UAB Hospital. So, on March 9, I checked in for sixteen fun-filled and exciting days. Although it meant celebrating my birthday in the hospital, it wasn't a bad visit overall. I am now officially back to work and back up to all of my old tricks!bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-49811641895712101362011-02-14T12:57:00.002-06:002011-02-14T13:50:44.703-06:00Happy Heart Day!<div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Snell Roundhand LT Script"; font-size: 28pt; line-height: 115%;">Happy Valentine</span></b><b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Snell Roundhand LT Script"; font-size: 28pt; line-height: 115%;">’s Day to all of my lovely friends and family!</span></b><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--yzGKMNopB8/TVmHd6S311I/AAAAAAAACyY/uURnhyv8iVU/s1600/image002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="363" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--yzGKMNopB8/TVmHd6S311I/AAAAAAAACyY/uURnhyv8iVU/s400/image002.jpg" width="400" /></a><b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Snell Roundhand LT Script"; font-size: 28pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div></div>bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-16588435138703521032011-02-01T18:55:00.000-06:002011-02-01T18:55:36.930-06:00A Lesson LearnedWord to the wise: When you own three cats who think your closet is their personal playground, take an extra close look at yourself before you leave the house in the morning.<br />
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For some reason I was in the mood to dig out a shirt from the depths of my closet that I haven't worn in quite a while. It's a cute black & white silk floral top from Ann Taylor. It's short sleeved, so I grabbed a jacket to wear over it (the temperature in my office building fluctuates wildly - usually somewhere between the Mojave Desert & Antartica depending on the time of day).<br />
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On my first restroom break, I happened to glance in the mirror and what do I see? A tear in the front of my shirt, held together by a couple of threads. Looking more closely, I realized it was the nefarious work of one of my kittehs. My guess is that some unknown hellcat probably used the shirt to pull himself up so they could prance along the rod.<br />
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Fortunately, the pattern in the shirt hid most of the damage and LUCKILY I decided to wear the jacket this morning. Granted, we might be "business casual" in the office, but I think wearing cat-clawed attire is taking it a bit far.bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-61376798190482025252011-01-20T15:20:00.000-06:002011-01-20T15:20:32.865-06:00Hello? Hello? Anybody out there?It's been a while. My apologies for playing least in the sight the past few months, but I've had a serious lack of motivation to write - which is unusual for me. I hesitate to write when I have nothing new to report and (fortunately) life has been pretty routine lately (you know the drill - work, sleep, play, hospital {rinse & repeat}).<br />
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I survived another 20-day visit to Club Med in December and made it home just in time for the holidays. Spent lots of time with the fam, which was fabulous and started back to le job two days after Christmas. Since then I've been absorbed in work and trying to stay well.<br />
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Today was my one-month post-hospital clinic visit. Not exactly a stellar report, but it's been a pretty sub-par month for me. I haven't been Sick (in my world there's "Sick" (which equates to hospital time) and "sick" (which means I don't feel great, but not bad enough that I'm willing to do anything about it). I've had a stomach bug and some other infection that I couldn't really pinpoint (but I knew my body was fighting something because my lymph nodes were swollen to about the size of a nickel for about a week & a half).<br />
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So today, my FEV1 was down 7% from discharge, which was Not. Cool. The nurse threatened me with another round of IV abx but I managed to sweet talk my way into two weeks of oral abx (Levaquin & Bactrim).<br />
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It also appears that Cayston and I are going to have to part ways. After six days of SOB & wheezing and three days of hemoptysis, I decided to take a break. Determined to give it the old college try, I waited three days and decided to go one more round. Cayston = 2, Brandi = 0. Based on that, the docs recommended stopping the Cayston for now. If we have to bring it back into the arsenal later, we'll see if I can tolerate it then.<br />
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In other news, I'm very excited about an opportunity that I've received at work. Beginning Monday, I'll be shadowing a new manager and will begin learning how to do Compliance Monitoring (reviews). I'm very excited because this keeps me with the same team that I've been working with, but allows me to move outside the world of official complaints. Seeing as how I've been working with complaints in some form or fashion for the past seven years, I'm really looking forward to the change. It will also be a great opportunity to learn each regulation more in-depth which will be a huge bonus when I start studying for my CRCM (Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager) next year.<br />
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That's all for now, folks. Catch ya on the flip side!bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-21534301806699376972010-11-08T11:55:00.001-06:002010-11-08T11:56:48.799-06:00Playing Dress Up<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TNQi5IWH5qI/AAAAAAAACrk/UBANENw6-GM/s1600/photo18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TNQi5IWH5qI/AAAAAAAACrk/UBANENw6-GM/s200/photo18.JPG" width="146" /></a>This blog is going to be a double feature! Although I initially intended to write separate posts about the past two weekends, I've somehow managed to let time escape me yet again. Therefore, it's a 2-in-1 pictorial about how I've gotten to do one of my favorite things for the past two weekends - play dress up!<br />
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Three weeks ago, my aunt, cousin and I ventured up to Florence, AL and spent the day at the <a href="http://www.alarenfaire.org/">Alabama Renaissance Faire</a>. This is our second year to attend the Faire, but our first dressing up for the event. My aunt opted for the look of a noble lady, my cousin was a medieval sorcerer and I was your local tavern wench. In all, the day was an absolute blast.<br />
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Among the sites to see, there were men in kilts, trolls, ruffians & barbarians, powerful magicians, enchanted statues and, of course, the nobility.<br />
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<center><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fbankrgrl%2Falbumid%2F5537230722301492897%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></center><br />
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For more pics of the day, check out <a href="http://www.facebook.com/bankrgrl">Facebook</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TNg0_9ep1sI/AAAAAAAACvk/2eAIJ4PMY7g/s1600/Zombie+Nurse+meets+The+Devil.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TNg0_9ep1sI/AAAAAAAACvk/2eAIJ4PMY7g/s320/Zombie+Nurse+meets+The+Devil.JPG" width="320" /></a>And last weekend we celebrated my favorite holiday of all - <b>H<span style="color: orange;">A</span>L<span style="color: orange;">L</span>O<span style="color: orange;">W</span>E<span style="color: orange;">E</span>N</b>! In case you don't know, Halloween is kind of a <span style="font-size: large;"><u>BIG</u></span> deal in my family. As soon as one Halloween ends, we start planning the next year's theme (seriously, my cousin and I just had a lengthy discussion yesterday over lunch about an escaped psycho-Hannibal Lecter type theme next year). Anyway, this year we opted for a medical horror and it turned out better than we could have asked. We easily had 300+ trick or treaters, went through eleven large bags of candy PLUS my aunt's secret stash and still ran out by 8:30 PM.<br />
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We've spent so much time talking about how great Halloween night is that my family from Virginia decided to venture down and check out the shenanigans. That's my cousin, the devil & me this year.<br />
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<center><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fbankrgrl%2Falbumid%2F5537234695752547857%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></center><br />
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Again, more pics are up on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/bankrgrl">Facebook</a>. Check 'em out if you have time! How did you scare away the spirits this Halloween?bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-49264782537824842052010-10-27T14:27:00.000-05:002010-10-27T14:27:07.198-05:00We Took Their Breath Away!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpabKODuI/AAAAAAAACpg/l61B4B6YYj0/s1600/Auction+Closed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhphZuHBMI/AAAAAAAACqM/gT68wJfL5Ck/s1600/Naked+Art+Gallery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhphZuHBMI/AAAAAAAACqM/gT68wJfL5Ck/s320/Naked+Art+Gallery.JPG" width="320" /></a>Our first event as a Young Professionals Board - <a href="http://www.cff.org/Chapters/alabama/Spotlight/artisticevent.cfm">A Breathtakingly Artistic Event</a> was Friday, October 22, 2010 and was - in one word - <b>FABULOUS</b>! Although the final totals aren't in yet, I believe we raised close to $500 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.<br />
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The event was planned and coordinated by Alexis McBrayer in honor of her husband, David, who passed away from Cystic Fibrosis last August.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpb9sksII/AAAAAAAACps/d7wslq7r7c0/s1600/Auction+Setup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpb9sksII/AAAAAAAACps/d7wslq7r7c0/s200/Auction+Setup.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Working with various members of the YP Board & Véronique Vanblaere from the <a href="http://www.nakedartusa.com/">Naked Art Gallery</a> in Birmingham, AL, we enjoyed some wonderful wine & food (donated by <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/">Whole Foods Market</a>), and the opportunity to browse Véro's collection of fun & funky art. Véro was also generous enough to contribute 10% of the night's sales to the Foundation.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpgyMQtFI/AAAAAAAACqI/q6aE9dcnhO4/s1600/Munchies.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpgyMQtFI/AAAAAAAACqI/q6aE9dcnhO4/s200/Munchies.JPG" width="200" /></a>The doors opened around 5:30 PM and our first guest showed up shortly thereafter. I think he might have enjoyed the wine & snacks more than the art, but we certainly didn't mind. It was just exciting to have people there, showing support for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In all, I would say that we enjoyed seeing between fifty and seventy-five people attend the event.<br />
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Throughout the night, people bid on items and enjoyed browsing the store:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpdBPIWKI/AAAAAAAACp0/EJAODHAiw9c/s1600/Customers+Bidding.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpdBPIWKI/AAAAAAAACp0/EJAODHAiw9c/s320/Customers+Bidding.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> <img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpj_03LyI/AAAAAAAACqY/UvN_nW33nb4/s320/Store+View.JPG" width="320" /> </div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Miss H. may have been our youngest customer, but even she found something to buy (thanks, Mom!):</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpgyMQtFI/AAAAAAAACqI/q6aE9dcnhO4/s1600/Munchies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpfO92PNI/AAAAAAAACp8/tEl_DADmTkk/s1600/Hayden+-+Littlest+Customer.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpfO92PNI/AAAAAAAACp8/tEl_DADmTkk/s320/Hayden+-+Littlest+Customer.JPG" width="212" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpf7nsy1I/AAAAAAAACqA/PQga8-FPRok/s1600/Hayden%27s+Purchase.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMhpf7nsy1I/AAAAAAAACqA/PQga8-FPRok/s320/Hayden%27s+Purchase.JPG" width="216" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We had to call an end to the bidding wars around 8:00 PM so that we could start announcing winners. With tickets to upcoming events like the <a href="http://www.raylamontagne.com/us/forums/ray-lamontagne-and-levon-helm-birmingham-al">Ray Lamontagne and Levon Helm Show</a>, the <a href="http://www.alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=82">ASC Holiday Comedy Show starring Joan Rivers</a>, gift certificates to <a href="http://www.silvertroncafe.us/">Silvertron Café</a> and some amazing art by local artists, the auction was a success!<i> </i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Thanks to all those involved with putting together a successful first event. Way to go!</i></div></div>bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-55458386362632655412010-10-25T13:33:00.000-05:002010-10-25T13:33:10.104-05:00Here she is ... Mrs. Bachelor GirlMy friend and sister, Kelly of <a href="http://www.bachelorgirl.net/">Bachelor Girl</a> fame (soon to be Mrs. Bachelor Girl) got married last weekend! FINALLY! I have nothing to say, other than ...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Congratulations, KPP!</b></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the day:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMXMBzHz2tI/AAAAAAAACpE/LIbN0YUApTQ/s1600/Mrs.+Batchelor+Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMXMFT_0lAI/AAAAAAAACpM/FPEowXu0hlQ/s1600/Kel+&+Bridesmaids+FUNNY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMXMFT_0lAI/AAAAAAAACpM/FPEowXu0hlQ/s400/Kel+&+Bridesmaids+FUNNY.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMXMHozyLlI/AAAAAAAACpQ/JQsTEpNEbxs/s1600/Kel+&+Dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMXMHozyLlI/AAAAAAAACpQ/JQsTEpNEbxs/s400/Kel+&+Dad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMXMBzHz2tI/AAAAAAAACpE/LIbN0YUApTQ/s1600/Mrs.+Batchelor+Girl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMXMBzHz2tI/AAAAAAAACpE/LIbN0YUApTQ/s400/Mrs.+Batchelor+Girl.jpg" width="270" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMXMBzHz2tI/AAAAAAAACpE/LIbN0YUApTQ/s1600/Mrs.+Batchelor+Girl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-67299975932148019032010-10-25T12:59:00.003-05:002010-10-25T13:11:56.296-05:00Magic in the MoonlightOur CFF Gala is right around the corner. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to volunteer this year as I have other Halloween plans, but I wanted to share information about this upcoming event with my readers. If you are interested in attending this fantastic event, see below.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TMXA-eoO0bI/AAAAAAAACpA/smucvOgY2zo/s320/Maginc+in+the+Moonlight.png" width="320" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: purple; text-align: center;"><b>SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 30, 2010</b></div><div style="color: purple; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="color: purple; text-align: center;"><b>PRESENTED BY: ROGER & DIANE APPELL</b></div><div style="color: purple; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="color: purple; text-align: center;"><b>HOSTED BY: DR. & MRS. BARRY GINSBURG</b></div><div style="color: purple; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="color: purple; text-align: center;"><b>ENTERTAINMENT BY: VANN BURCHFIELD</b></div><br />
"Magic in the Moonlight," presented by UAB Administration / UAB Health Systems and AT&T, is set this year for Saturday, October 30th, with a relaxed atmosphere in the home of Dr. & Mrs. Barry Ginsburg. Co-Chairs Roger & Diane Appell have once again brought together some of the best restaurants and chefs in Birmingham who will present their signature dishes, including <a href="http://www.eatatmichaels.com/">Michael's</a>, <a href="http://www.bongiornoitalianrestaurant.com/">Bongiorno's</a>, <a href="http://www.johnscitydiner.com/">John's City Diner</a>, <a href="http://www.birminghamrestaurants.com/guide.asp?action=menu&rid=142197">Gianmarco's</a> and <a href="http://www.zearestaurants.com/site.php">Zea Rotisserie & Grill</a>, as well as Chef Andy Camardella. World class saxophonist <a href="http://www.vannburchfield.com/">Vann Burchfield</a> will entertain us. Vann has had the honor of performing at the White House for their Annual Holiday Open House during the Christmas season for the past four years. You’ll want to be sure to bid on a variety of auction items, as well as our “Diamond on Ice” courtesy of <a href="http://www.bartonclay.com/">Barton-Clay Fine Jewelers</a>.<br />
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We are very pleased to announce that Dr. J.P. Clancy is our Honoree this year, and will be presented the Sheena Diane Ayers Humanitarian Award that evening. Dr. Clancy is well known and loved by so many of our CF families he has helped care for. Dr. Clancy also plays a huge role in our CF research shared worldwide including recent breakthrough studies.<br />
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For tickets, sponsorship or additional information on <i>Magic in the Moonlight</i>, contact <a href="mailto:jmceuen@cff.org">Jennifer McEuen</a> of the CFF Alabama Chapter at (205) 870-8565. You can also <a href="https://www.cff.org/Display/dsp_EventMasterHandler.cfm?idEvent=15090&idFieldOffice=2">buy tickets online</a> through the CFF Alabama Chapter.bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-47034264691800746312010-10-18T11:02:00.000-05:002010-10-18T11:02:03.006-05:00An Artistic FundraiserI thought I would share a few of the <b>fun </b>& <b>funky </b>pieces that are going to be available at our <i><a href="http://bankrgrl.blogspot.com/2010/10/breathtakingly-artistic-event.html"><span style="color: magenta;">Breathtakingly Artistic Event</span></a></i>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLxuw8FQzyI/AAAAAAAACos/ESjAXFJHrBQ/s1600/Naked+Art+-+Adopt+A+Cat+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLxuw8FQzyI/AAAAAAAACos/ESjAXFJHrBQ/s320/Naked+Art+-+Adopt+A+Cat+Picture.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLxuyaAk-nI/AAAAAAAACow/47e9cRgCSFM/s1600/Naked+Art+-+CPK+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLxuyaAk-nI/AAAAAAAACow/47e9cRgCSFM/s320/Naked+Art+-+CPK+Picture.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLxuzdajYxI/AAAAAAAACo0/ijZ1-t5kMGg/s1600/Naked+Art+-+Light+Switch+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLxuzdajYxI/AAAAAAAACo0/ijZ1-t5kMGg/s320/Naked+Art+-+Light+Switch+Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLxu02AAcvI/AAAAAAAACo4/0YxRPjfkE90/s1600/Naked+Art+-+Necklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLxu02AAcvI/AAAAAAAACo4/0YxRPjfkE90/s320/Naked+Art+-+Necklace.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLxu2BKvnoI/AAAAAAAACo8/wH-A623rzpk/s1600/Naked+Art+-+Soul+Food+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLxu2BKvnoI/AAAAAAAACo8/wH-A623rzpk/s320/Naked+Art+-+Soul+Food+Picture.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
This is just a small sampling of what will be available on Friday. Check out the <a href="http://www.nakedartusa.com/">Naked Art Gallery</a> for more amazing art!</div>bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-29136718322868481512010-10-14T13:25:00.000-05:002010-10-14T13:25:34.938-05:00A Breathtakingly Artistic Event<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLdJaEVxHDI/AAAAAAAACok/xWpibxCxATo/s1600/nakedartfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLdJaEVxHDI/AAAAAAAACok/xWpibxCxATo/s400/nakedartfront.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>Save The Date!</b></i> </div><br />
<span style="color: #004040; font-size: small;"><strong>Art Show & Silent Auction Benefiting Cystic Fibrosis Foundation</strong></span><br />
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<strong>Location</strong>:<strong> <a href="http://www.nakedartusa.com/">Naked Art Gallery</a></strong>, 3831 Clairmont Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35222<br />
<strong>Date</strong>: October 22, 2010<br />
<strong>Time</strong>: 5:30-8:30 pm<br />
<strong>Sponsored by:</strong> <a href="http://www.nakedartusa.com/">Naked Art Gallery</a>, <a href="http://www.silvertroncafe.us/">Silverton Cafe</a>, <a href="http://www.zoeshop.com/">Zoe's</a>, and the historical <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Birmingham-AL/Forest-Park-Village/97181374695">Forest Park Village</a><br />
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This is our first event sponsored by our newly formed Young Professionals Board. It was coordinated by Alexis McBrayer, who recently lost her husband to Cystic Fibrosis. This fundraiser is in honor of David McBrayer and all the other wonderful people who have fought the battle against CF.<br />
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Please join us! In addition to the Art Show & Silent, Vero VanBlaere (of the Naked Art Gallery) has agreed to donate 10% of all sales during the event to the CF Foundation.bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-46247139586558136872010-10-13T19:21:00.001-05:002010-10-14T13:17:01.859-05:00FSA Accounts - New Rules 2011 & 2013I'm not sure how many others utilize the tax benefits of an FSA account, but be forewarned, things are about to change.<br />
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In 2013, the maximum contribution to your FSA account will be limited to $2500.00. This is going to be a huge drawback for me as I currently contribute $5000/yr to my FSA and that barely covers 1/2 of my medical expenses. $2500 will cover one hospital co-pay ($1725 for me) and about half of the expense for one order of prescription refills (a three month supply), which (obviously) I spend three or four times a year. Needless to say, this is going to be quite a hit on the budget for me.<br />
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Also, in 2011, if you use your FSA account to buy over-the-counter items such as Nyquil, Benadryl, Claritin, etc., you will have to provide a prescription from your doctor in order for it to be an approved FSA purchase. You can still buy these items out of pocket without a prescription. Read this <a href="http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=227301,00.html">IRS.gov article</a> for more details.<br />
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These are two new regulations that are part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enacted by Obama that will greatly affect the lives of CF patients. <b>BE INFORMED! </b>You can read news releases and legal guidance from the IRS <a href="http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=222814,00.html">here</a>.bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-46297186732680526492010-10-13T10:02:00.000-05:002010-10-13T10:02:21.711-05:00Halloween FeverSamhain ("sow-en") is, without a doubt, my most favorite holiday of the year. I'm the girl that starts planning my costume sometime around January and begins dreaming up the gory details for the night throughout the year (it's kind of A. BIG. DEAL.). This year my plans are two-fold - I'll start the night over at C.'s house with my family and about 300 trick or treaters and then end up the night at The Greatest Halloween Bash Ever, hosted by my friends.<br />
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This year, we're planning for a medical / gory / slasher / zombie setup. My cousin, A. will be the evil doctor and I'll be the assistant nurse who was attacked by zombies on her way to work. I ordered three costumes this year, just to make sure I had a good selection. There was the original <i>Zombie Nurse</i> outfit:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLXD9pk5ULI/AAAAAAAACoU/2EIi8dHmFJA/s1600/Zombie+Nurse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLXD9pk5ULI/AAAAAAAACoU/2EIi8dHmFJA/s320/Zombie+Nurse.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Unfortunately, this costume didn't fit right, even though I really liked it. Next up was <i>Nurse Mercy</i>:</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLXD8cpOVfI/AAAAAAAACoM/3fc5y9oWgxk/s1600/Nurse+Mercy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLXD8cpOVfI/AAAAAAAACoM/3fc5y9oWgxk/s320/Nurse+Mercy.jpg" width="320" /></a><i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This one didn't work at all. You know, when you order a $29 costume, you should expect it to look like a $29 costume. Not at all what I was going for. Finally, there was the little costume that had quite a bit of potential: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLXD85t_FqI/AAAAAAAACoQ/mAeAx0Aj2E0/s1600/Vintage+Nurse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TLXD85t_FqI/AAAAAAAACoQ/mAeAx0Aj2E0/s320/Vintage+Nurse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>50's style Vintage Nurse</i><br />
</div>This ended up being the PERFECT costume. I love the style of the dress and with a pair of scissors and some fake blood, I'll be be able to zombify the dress with ease. I'm especially looking forward to playing with my hair and makeup (especially the eyes) to get the effect that I'm looking for.<br />
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<i><b>18 days and counting...</b></i>bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-87591958485849506532010-10-08T11:36:00.000-05:002010-10-08T11:36:19.779-05:00the new rideI've been itching to buy a new car for some time now. It's quite well known that along with the CF gene that I inherited from my Thorpe family, I also inherited a car-crazy gene. The results? An intense desire to go fast, look good, and always want something new. It's a sad affliction, but one that I am happy to suffer with.<br />
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With that said, I recently sold my car to my father (a 2003 Mercedes C32 AMG) and purchased this lovely lady about two weeks ago:<br />
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<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UmTYe7NuhOQIn5SsR7mUrw?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="239" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TK9HslzVLVI/AAAAAAAACoE/68EXkaEWVOM/s400/Infiniti%20G37.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/bankrgrl/FriendsAndFun?feat=embedwebsite">Friends and Fun</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
She doesn't have a name yet, other than "the G." What do you think? Any suggestions?bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-79786001309542554952010-09-24T12:15:00.000-05:002010-09-24T12:15:56.667-05:00Alive and kickin'...You know it's been awhile since you've posted when your doctor asks if you've forgotten about your blog at your most recent clinic visit. I haven't exactly FORGOTTEN but it has been on the back burner for quite awhile now (looking back, I'm only five days shy of a two month lapse in posting). My apologies.<br />
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Admittedly, this last hospital visit (in August) was a good opportunity to write, but I hardly touched my computer while I was there. Literally, I think I can count on one hand the number of times I used it during this admission. I was gorked out on Prednisone for the majority of my stay which makes a very anti-social Brandi. Between that and the never-ending nausea that is my life on antibiotics, you can imagine that writing a pretty little post was the least of my concerns.<br />
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Since I've been home, life has been ... well, BUSY. Looking back over my calendar for the past month or so, there hasn't been a week where I have been home more than one night a week. In between the J-O-B, I'm still the treasurer for our homeowner's board, I've written a newsletter for Delta Gamma and attended numerous board & committee meetings for our newly formed CF Young Professionals Board. Methinks I might be stretched a little thin, but I'm going to continue trying to juggle these balls for as long as possible.<br />
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In other, more exciting news, my bestie (Dā) is home from the UK for an extended visit. She gave birth to a beautiful little girl in March and I've finally gotten to lay eyes on Miss Lily, who is cuteness personified. For the girl who only has a thimbleful of maternal instinct, I've spent an awful lot of time looking for cute baby outfits at Baby Gap and Old Navy.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">Last Sunday was an absolute blast! Dā and I ventured over to an old friend's house to spend some time with an amazing group of people that we haven't seen in fourteen years. If you're counting, you'll be able to guess that these were my old friends from high school. We spent the entire afternoon (and well into the evening) catching up on everybody's happenings since our glory days at THS. It was wonderful to reminisce, laugh at pictures and compare stories. Turns out, my friends rock as much now as they did then. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>What else? What else? I know I'm forgetting a million and one things that have happened since my escape from jail. Hmmm.....<br />
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Oh well! Since I can't think of more of the past to tell, I'll leave you with a few things that I'm looking forward to in the next few weeks.<br />
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* the first Birmingham Broadway show of the season -- Legally Blonde;<br />
* spending more time with Dā and Lily-bug before they hop across the pond again; <br />
* the Renaissance Faire (I still need something to wear); and<br />
* HALLOWEEN (I've already ordered three costumes!!!)<br />
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Ciao!bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-5930750518763222382010-07-29T14:05:00.000-05:002010-07-29T14:05:10.758-05:00Fiddle-Dee-Dee!What a month it's been. I'm EXHAUSTED. And, I must admit, I am looking forward to a weekend of doing absolutely nothing. Since the end of June I've helped redecorate a kitchen, spent a long weekend in Virginia, hosted a pool party, and took a quick trip to Atlanta. Last week I spent the latter part of the week & the weekend with my family celebrating my cousin's graduation. In between, I've attended board meetings and birthday parties. And, lest I forget, I've worked at the <i>real</i> job. You know, the one that pays the bills.<br />
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I'm finishing up my first full month of Cayston. Great stuff. I'm almost three months out of a tune up (August 7) and still feeling decent. Not great, but decent. I truly am exhausted by the end of the day and typically go home and catch some zzz's before tackling any chores around the house. And, although the kittehs are enjoying the extra snuggle time, it's really cutting into the few hours I have each evening to get things accomplished.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TFHJvO6VjRI/AAAAAAAACnA/GlFIgUeNQDA/s1600/Phantom_Journey_Gleason_Moldovan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TFHJvO6VjRI/AAAAAAAACnA/GlFIgUeNQDA/s200/Phantom_Journey_Gleason_Moldovan.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>About two weeks ago, we got an early start and headed over to the ATL. We spent Saturday afternoon exploring Margaret Mitchell's apartment (affectionately referred to as "<a href="http://www.margaretmitchellhouse.com/">The Dump</a>"). This is where she spent several years writing Gone With The Wind. Later that evening, we had a fabulous dinner at <a href="http://www.nakatorestaurant.com/">Nakato Japanese Restaurant</a> and then journeyed over to the <a href="http://www.foxtheatre.org/">Fox Theatre</a> to see <a href="http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/"><i>Phantom of the Opera</i></a>.<br />
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We had a few newbies with us, which is always fun. I know that they enjoyed the show but I don't think they were quite as enthralled as my aunt, cousin & I are! According to my Playbill, this is the final season for the US Tour. It will still be showing in London, New York, and Las Vegas. What a tragedy! Actually, it just gives me that much more desire to get my tail over to England see a performance at Her Majesty's Theatre.<br />
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On Sunday we grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel (cold cereal, anyone?) and then scurried over to the <a href="http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/">Georgia Aquarium</a>. My favorite exhibit? The penguins, of course! Actually, all of the exhibits were fascinating and I really enjoyed seeing the beluga whales, the sea otters, and the sharks. They have a <a href="http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/swimordive/index.aspx">swim or dive program</a> where you actually have the opportunity to swim with thousands of fish, sharks, and rays. It's a fairly shallow dive and I'm thinking about asking my Dr. if he thinks my lungs could handle it. I would <i>love </i>to learn how to scuba dive.<br />
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LA! That's all for now ... must get back to work so that I can pay the bills.<br />
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Oh, before I sign off, I'm ecstatic to hear that <a href="http://cysticgal.blogspot.com/">CysticGal</a> finally got a new set of breathers. At last report she was already off the vent and trying to talk. Go Beth!!!bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-80472251856601085042010-07-16T21:45:00.000-05:002010-07-16T21:45:47.918-05:00Flash Me FridayWell, I must admit that I have not done a great job at keeping up with Flash Me! Fridays (the brainchild of <a href="http://groettumfamily.blogspot.com/">Jen</a> over at The Groettum Family blog) but once I saw this week's flash, I knew I had to participate.<br />
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This week's flash: What's your favorite piece of art in your home?<br />
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This was a <b>HARD</b> decision because I have tons of art on every wall in my home and I <u>love</u>, <u>love</u>, <u>love</u> every piece. But if I had to give a nod to one particular piece, I think it would go to this one:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TEEWLgtmYhI/AAAAAAAACm4/MVNarMfJzIo/s1600/Ballet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8xNZa3rZSQc/TEEWLgtmYhI/AAAAAAAACm4/MVNarMfJzIo/s320/Ballet.JPG" /></a></div><br />
My grandmother had this painting commissioned by a local artist in Wilmington, NC. It was a birthday present that she and my grandfather gave me about six or seven years ago. I cherish it because, in one quick glance I can relive the many, many years I spent in a leotard & a pair of ballet slippers. Dance was (is) life!!! I don't dance as often as I used to, but I'm fortunate in the fact that the <a href="http://www.alabamaballet.org/">Alabama School of Ballet</a> has a great selection of adult classes to keep my feet busy.bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8565828442589906077.post-7395062970571720122010-07-14T19:19:00.001-05:002010-07-14T19:19:44.655-05:00And the results are in ...AMBRY results, that is.<br />
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My sweet doctor e-mailed me the results of my Ambry test today, even though he is technically still on vacation. I have a copy of the report which says:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>DeltaF508 / p.S945L (with a 7T/9T variant)</b></div><br />
"This mutation has been associated with severe pulmonary disease, elevated sweat chloride levels and variable pancreatic sufficiency."<br />
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I'm guessing that the first two charecteristics are typical to the <b>DeltaF508</b> mutation and the last to the <b>p.S945L</b>.<br />
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I've been fortunate enough to have moderate pulmonary disease for the past several years and I've been pancreatic sufficient (for the most part - I have to take enzymes when I eat high fat / greasy foods). I do have other unrelated stomach issues, mainly severe reflux and gastroparesis but that appears to be something that runs in my family.<br />
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Dr. C. said that he needed to do some homework because my second mutation is "<i>very rare</i>." He also mentioned that he believes it may be responsive to some of the potentiator drugs (VX770) and may also be related to some of the current research that he is doing, both of which he finds encouraging (and so do I!).<br />
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That's all the information I have for now. After doing some digging on Google, I found several articles that mentioned the p.S945L mutation but none that gave good specific information about it. A search of the <a href="http://www.genet.sickkids.on.ca/cftr/app">Cystic Fibrosis Mutation Database</a> didn't turn up much information either.<br />
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P.S. There is a <span style="font-size: xx-small;">small</span> bitchy part of me that would like to say "<i>suck it</i>" to a doctor (who shall remain nameless) from my past that essentially told me I didn't have CF, just couldn't have CF and should never have been diagnosed as CF because I didn't fit the "textbook" definition. I guess I haven't been imagining things all these years.bankrgrlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08773263755263304128noreply@blogger.com4