The past few days have been crap. it all started sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning when I caught a cold. it wasn’t just any cold. it was a balls-to-the-wall, complete-inability-to-breathe-out-of-my-nose, glassy-eyed, debilitating cold that only got worse with time. And the fact that I’m pregnant and can’t load up on sweet, sweet Procter & Gamble relief turns the whole thing into a cruel joke.

For days I haven’t slept. I don’t do well with this. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been one of those people who is awful without sleep. I get cranky, emotional, pissed off. And when you couple that with the nastiest cold I’ve had in years — shit’s about to get real, y’all.

The only thing that makes this unbearable state worse than it already is is when people tell me, “it’s because you’re pregnant.”

There’s no denying that I’m a hot mess right now. I’ve been walking around with what looks like perpetual wax burn underneath my nose from all the blowing I’ve done, and I’ve typed this sentence four times, because, currently, words don’t make much sense to me. I’m exhausted and run down, and, yes, still pregnant. but, for the love of the baby Jesus, please don’t tell me I’m exhausted and run down, and generally look like crap (I know that’s what you’re insinuating), because I’m pregnant.

Believe it or not, I’ve had colds before. And they’ve wrecked havoc on me. I’ve looked ugly and stuffy and unrested at points in my life before getting pregnant. yes, it’s true! so, don’t tell me that this current situation I’ve got going on is all because I’m knocked up. I promise you, I wouldn’t look and/or feel much different were I not.

My pregnancy is a huge part of my life. obviously. but not every single thing I say, do, and eat is because of it. I may be a bit loopy these days, but I’m still a “regular” person.

Before getting pregnant, I’d have bad days where I really didn’t feel like talking. Before getting pregnant, I’d occasionally crave pineapple juice (although then I don’t think it’s considered a craving then; it’s something you’re in the mood for). Before getting pregnant, I’d get tired. And before getting pregnant, I’d still get annoyed at my husband for hovering over me while I cook, asking me if I “waited ’til the water was boiling to add the salt.” answer: No, Eric Ripert.

Yeah, I’ll admit, things are different now. I definitely feel more vulnerable, which is probably why I hate feeling like I’m being watched so closely by others all the time. Sometimes, I feel like people are waiting to see pregnancy symptoms from me — physical or otherwise. so, when there’s any kind of small change in me whatsoever, they want to jump on it and say “it’s because you’re pregnant.”

Which, I guess, in some ways, is cute. They’re just excited for me. but, man, sometimes, it’s really just annoying. because, seriously dude, it’s not always because I’m pregnant.

Did this sort of thing ever irritate you while you were pregnant?

Image via muyvin/Flickr

You had a great time Friday night, hooking up with someone as lonely as you were. but did your partner, whom you might never see again, leave something behind to remember him or her by?

Sexually transmitted infections have increased in number since El Paso County dumped its testing, surveillance and treatment program in late 2008. in 2009, the incidence of chlamydia — the most common STI — surged by 10 percent, to 2,928 cases. That pushed the incidence rate up from 447 per 100,000 people in 2008 to 484 in 2009. During that same time, the number of people statewide with the disease went up by 4 percent.

But more concerning to those who monitor such things may be the five local cases of syphilis, because they’re part of a dramatic uptick statewide. Thanks largely to an outbreak in Denver last year, the number infected with the worrisome STI increased by 56 percent, to 164.

“A 50 percent increase is an alarming increase,” says Ralph Wilmoth, who oversees the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s STI/HIV Disease Control and Environmental Epidemiology Division. “We’re working with Denver public health and notifying providers to be attentive to that. We’re working with the community so the community knows, so they’re aware of their need to be attentive to symptoms and to inform their health care providers that they should be tested.”

In late 2008, after a county sales-tax ballot measure was defeated, the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment announced cuts. in addition to 23 workers, investigations of sexually transmitted diseases were among the casualties. Gone were the county’s clinical and surveillance components, which included testing and treatment, plus efforts to notify a patient’s partners.

“When you have a local finger on the pulse in terms of STIs and doing investigations, you’re going to stay a bit more up to date, because you’re there every day,” says medical director Dr. Bernadette Albanese. “And we don’t have that anymore. For our community, it’s a loss.”

Not only does surveillance identify infected partners, it’s an avenue for education and prevention of diseases whose symptoms can be invisible, Albanese says. For instance, some STIs can cause scarring of the reproductive tract, which can lead to infertility, and even infection of a newborn.

The state has taken on El Paso County’s surveillance in special cases, as it already did for other counties. but it doesn’t test or treat except when dealing with outbreaks, like the Denver syphilis problem. its numbers come from labs and private physicians, all required to report positive test results.

The latest state numbers for chlamydia, for 2009, show that 2,029 women tested positive in El Paso County — higher than the preceding five years. (Data from 2010 won’t be available until May.) both Albanese and Wilmoth say chlamydia is probably not more prevalent in women than men, but women are more apt to seek medical services.

The syphilis numbers, while small, do present cause for concern; the 11 cases over the last two years represent a big jump from 2005′s single case. Late-stage syphilis can bring some nasty symptoms, even blindness and dementia, and syphilis at any stage also makes contracting HIV/AIDS easier.

Using active surveillance — “beating the bushes” for infected partners — can lead to treatment and the lowering of infection rates over time, says John Potterat, who worked STI investigations for the county between 1972 and 2001. When he started, he saw one case of syphilis a week. “When I left, we had a case per year,” he says. “If you’re not digging cases out of the woodwork, you really don’t know what’s out there.”

The state reports El Paso County is the third-highest for number of people living with HIV, at 422. in 2009, there were 22 new cases reported locally. Albanese says the county has a small grant to perform HIV testing but, again, mostly relies on the state.

When Victoria Stone, outreach case manager for homeless youth agency Urban Peak, started organizing an HIV testing program, she found little coordination.

“There are so many services and collaborators in Denver, and we don’t have that here,” she says. She notes, however, the Southern Colorado AIDS Project, planned Parenthood, the Pride Center and the Health Department have agreed to help. The goal of the “You know Different” campaign is to test everyone under 25 — the group with the fastest-growing incidence nationwide.

Testing is key, she says, because one in four people who have HIV don’t know it.

Stone and program worker Eric Pizana started with the LGBT community. in recent months, they’ve tested 17 young people with oral swabs that yield preliminary results within 20 minutes. no positives so far. anyone with a reactive test would be referred to Denver Children’s Hospital.

“If you get on medication,” Stone says, “you can live for a long time.”

Kampala

With the cameras rolling on a historic Friday night that brought together the six Kampala mayoral candidates in a debate, they all seemed staggering, pausing for a painful six seconds, fumbling through a couple of false starts, then settling on the highlight of the day: their plans for Kampala.

It was a stormy face off in a debate that lasted for more than three hours of intense and thrilling issue-based contest that produced no eventual winner, but glorified by participants as timely, educative and informative. The Kampala mayoral debate came six days to the general elections expected on Febraury 18.

Three panelists, Dr Afuna Adula, an environmentalist, Ms Dorothy Tuma, an entrepreneur, and Eng. Merion Tebabinganya, a traffic consultant, were there to steer the momentous mayoral debate hosted by entertainment personality “Dr Mitch”—Ronnie Egwang.

To set off the pace, each candidate was given at least five minutes to detail their manifestos—outlining their plans for Kampala, a city some of them described as “sick” and “messy”. amid cheers from their supporters, all candidates agreed on one thing: “there is a big problem in Kampala”.

As debate advanced to a critical stage, there was drama as Mr Erias Lukwago, who unexpectedly took on his political nemesis Peter Sematimba who throughout the encounter faced a torrid time to explain himself on the allegations of corruption and his academic credentials in a 10-minute question and answer session.

Armed with documentary evidence —the government White Paper on Global Fund money, Mr Lukwago put Mr Sematimba on the spot by questioning his moral authority in the fight against corruption. Mr Lukwago accused the NRM mayoral candidate of being one of the suspects who were implicated in the abuse of Global Fund money for people living with HIV/Aids, Malaria and Tuberculosis.

Mr Lukwago also said Mr Sematimba submitted fake qualifications to the Electoral Commission, a claim Mr Sematimba described as wolokoso —meaning tittle-tattle. The document, shared with Mr Sematimba at the podium amid heckling and chanting from an explosive audience, a copy Sunday Monitor saw, indicates that Mr Sematimba was awarded a Christian degree of Advanced Diploma in Theology from the International College of Excellence.

Mr Babu was not spared either, for asking Mr Sematimba to control his supporters whom he accused of turning the debate into a rally and heckling him during debate. The supporters, who were embroiled in a scuffle with the police guards, followed Mr Babu after the debate and nearly fought.

Lukwago’s takeMr Lukwago, who is currently the Kampala Central MP, promised to fight corruption and change the current tax system, which he said is unfair and stiffles development of Kampala city. Mr Emmanuel Tumusiime enthralled the audience when he described Kampala as “a sick city” and insisted that due to lack of a strong and transparent leadership Kampala dwellers sleep and walk in sewage. “The problems we see in Kampala are mere symptoms to a much bigger leadership challenge,” Mr Tumusiime said. “If elected a mayor I will ensure sharing of resources by stopping corruption—we need a garbage free city.”

When Ms Sandra Katebalirwe took to the podium, she asked for an opportunity to bring what she called “a motherly sensitivity emotion” to the management of Kampala city she said had gone to the dogs due to politics in the city. “The people of Kampala are tired.we need a performer not wolokoso— a lingo used to describe a loquacious person. I am a mother and a business woman. Kampala needs to be managed like a business entity and remove politics from the city management affairs.”

Amid cheers from his supporters Mr Sematimba faced a torrid time to explain his academic qualification and corruption allegations relating to the misuse of Global Fund resources. however, the NRM mayoral candidate denied any wrong doing and moved to clear the air on his academic papers claiming that he owns a “Bachelors degree in computer engineering and electronics”.

Mr Michael Mabikke, the MP for Makindye East, once elected Kampala mayor, promised to work on the potholes in the City through a coordinated infrastructural plan to reduce congestion. Mr Mabikke also promised strategic intervention to reduce urban poverty though job creation and education reforms in the city.

Who would think that a teeny tick could transform your whole life, and not in a good way? Ticks transmit lyme disease, a little-understood and often misdiagnosed phenomenon that turns life into lemons for those who suffer from it. More people are afflicted with the disease than is known — one website reported there are more than one billion cases of lyme disease worldwide. It has come home to Estes Park, with 27-year-old Rebekah Steers, daughter-in-law of Roger and Karin Steers of the Anniversary Inn. there will be a silent auction benefit Friday night at Marys Lake Lodge, from 4 to 9 p.m., to help with Rebekah`s medical bills. (See the story in the Estes Inside and out section on Friday).

Rebekah, married three years to Graham Steers, was finally diagnosed with lyme disease this summer, after suffering symptoms affecting her whole body for a long period. she and Graham were forced to move from Chicago to Estes Park, after she became so incapacitated she could no longer work or care for herself.

Rebekah writes in her blog, “Lyme brought me fistfuls of fears…. It would be unconscionable to condemn anyone to suffer this illness. I cannot even fathom the weight of passing it to a child.”

But what is “it”? Lyme disease begins with a bite from an infected tick. The disease has three phases: early localized, early disseminated and late persistent. Rebekah is in the third stage — because she wasn`t properly diagnosed until her chiropractor found the disease that fit her symptoms. Lyme is difficult to diagnose and there is resistance within the medical community to finding correct treatment.

Rebekah writes, “…I was struck dumb when I found out that I had been diagnosed with a controversial illness….

“…Chronic lyme, the kind that greets me and so many others every morning, is a highly political disease. For that reason, it isn`t well-known. Because of that status, insurance doesn`t recognize it and won`t pay for its treatment…. And yet lyme is all over the place…. It is out there in epidemic proportions. And it is spreading.”

The way it spreads is by the bite of an infected lyme tick. The name “lyme” derives from cases in Lyme, Conn., in 1975, when a group of children began suffering from arthritis, all found to be caused by tick bites. Lyme ticks are tiny, spideresque creatures inhabiting woodland and other grassy areas, feeding on the blood of birds and mammals.

Ticks attach themselves to food sources that rub against bushes, plants and grass. they often move to a warm, moist location, such as your head, neck, armpits, ankles or groin. they may crawl on your skin up to an hour before biting. Blacklegged ticks or deer ticks, which carry lyme disease bacteria, are usually no bigger than the head of a pin.

Some people who develop lyme disease first have a rash — usually circular, enlarging over time — at the site of the tick bite (Rebakah didn`t).

Rebekah writes that in the months following her infection, she “laid down and have not worked or risen from bed without pain since…. heavily medicated, confined to a bed or a wheelchair, and suffering chronic pain — I saw many specialists, with many different prognoses and diagnoses….. Now that I have the proper diagnosis, I am seeing some improvement for the first time in over a year.”

Along with physical easing of symptoms, fears are also allayed. Because of the tremors, shakes and pain confining her to bed, Rebekah has feared she would never feel useful again. Lyme is a cousin to syphilis and Rebekah has feared infecting her husband. however, she said that “all of these fears could be quieted with sufficient research and knowledge; there is an absolute need for more research with respect to lyme.”

Rebekah writes that “through two years of treatment, a Lymie friend has whittled down her list of 26 symptoms to two,” including persistent, devastating insomnia. Rebekah also suffers from insomnia, reporting that she read the parasite babesia — one of the free riders that accompanies a lyme tick bite — is most active at night, a contributing factor to insomnia in hosts.

Articles in the “Annals of Internal Medicine” attribute “long-term impairment of functional status” to exposure to lyme disease.

Early stages of the disease may include flu-like symptoms, with or without the rash. Victims suffer from a lack of energy (the most common early symptom); headache and stiff neck; fever and chills; muscle and joint pain; and swollen lymph nodes.

Within one to four months of infection, if the disease is not detected and treated, the infection may affect the skin, joints, nervous system and heart. Symptoms at this stage include: tiredness; additional skin rashes in several places on the body; pain, weakness or numbness in the arms or legs; inability to control the muscles of the face — paralysis of facial nerves; recurring headaches or fainting; poor memory and reduced ability to concentrate; conjunctivitis (pink eye) or sometimes damage to deep tissue in the eyes; occasional rapid heartbeats (palpitations) or serious heart problems.

If still undiagnosed and untreated, lyme disease proceeds to damage the joints, nerves and brain, perhaps even years after infection. Symptoms at this stage may include: swelling and pain in the joints, especially in the knees; numbness and tingling in the hands, feet or back; partial facial nerve paralysis; neurologic changes, including problems with memory, mood or sleep, and sometimes problems speaking; and chronic lyme arthritis.

Little Mason Disick, best known for being the son of his famous mama, Kourtney Kardashian, was rushed the hospital Friday night after having an allergic reaction to peanut butter.

“[Mason] threw up within minutes of tasting it and got hives on his face,” Kardashian wrote on her blog. “I called 911 and the fire department came immediately. they suggested that we take him to the hospital, so we did.”

Kardashian’s spokesperson declined to comment on the incident.

Kardashian reported that Mason was in good spirits after the reaction, which put him among the 1 percent of American children who is allergic to peanuts or peanut products.

“The peanut allergy gets a lot of attention because it’s relatively common, it’s often severe, and often sticks around for life,” said Dr. Scott Sicherer, professor of pediatrics at Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai Medical Center in new York. “People can be very sensitive to peanuts, so the allergy can be a big impact on a person’s quality of life.”

About 20 percent of those children will outgrow the allergy. But the majority are stuck with it for life.

Peanut reactions can range from mild symptoms, like a tingling mouth and hives, to more severe attacks that include wheezing, trouble breathing, vomiting, poor blood circulation, fainting and confusion. Treatments also vary from over-the-counter antihistamines to an epinephrine (adrenaline) injections meant to reverse anaphylactic shock.

The American Academy of Pediatrics had long recommended that parents delay the introduction of common allergens like dairy, eggs and nuts until a child is 2 or 3 years old. But, in January 2008, the organization reversed its stance after clinical studies shiowed no benefit to the delay.

“After 4 to 6 months of age, there is a lack of good evidence that avoidance of specific highly allergenic foods can alter future allergies and allergic conditions,” said Dr. Clifford Bassett, assistant clinical professor of medicine and otolaryngology at SUNY-Health Sciences Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“If you have a happy smiling child without allergic problems, there isn’t really a recommendation to avoid giving them peanuts or peanut products,” Sicherer said.

This doesn’t mean that any young child should start eating peanut butter at any given time. If there is a history of food allergies in the family, or the child has already reacted to other products, like milk and eggs, there could be a higher risk for a peanut allergy.