Thursday, April 29, 2010

WebMD Has the Answers



For Women Only:  I read this article on www.webmd.com which was reprinted from Redbook Magazine and thought it interesting enough to share.

Where to read more:  www.webmd.com

4 Diseases Doctors Get Wrong

Doubting your diagnosis? Read on to find out what you might really have.

WebMD Feature from "Redbook" Magazine
By Laura Nathan
Redbook Magazine Logo

Doubting your diagnosis? Read on to find out what you might really have.
Sometimes even the best doctors miss the mark: About 40 percent of all mistakes that M.D.s make are misdiagnoses, says the National Patient Safety Foundation. That's because many ailments have similar symptoms or can be detected only with tests that your physician might consider unnecessary if he's confident in his verdict. If you're in the know about often-confused conditions, though, you can ask the right questions to prevent or fix an error — and even save your life.

1. YOUR SYMPTOMS: Numbness on one side, headaches, dizziness, suddenly blurred vision, lack of balance or muscle coordination, and/or slurred speech
  • The doctor says it's: Vertigo, migraines, or an inner-ear disorder
  • It could be: Stroke
  • Why the confusion? Research shows that 14 percent of stroke cases in people under 45 are misdiagnosed. When patients are young and otherwise healthy, ER staff might point to milder problems first. But if you leave the ER with an undiagnosed stroke, you could suffer another one. You may also miss the chance to reverse impaired speech or vision, paralysis, and brain damage.
  • Red flags: If one side is numb or you have any combination of the listed symptoms, rush to the ER, especially if symptoms persist more than an hour.
2. YOUR SYMPTOMS: Headaches and/or ringing or aching ears, plus aching back, neck, and/or teeth
  • The doctor says it's: Migraines or an ear disorder
  • It could be: Temporomandibular joint syndrome
  • Why the confusion? When the joint connecting your jaw and skull becomes inflamed, the pain radiates and causes headaches or ear problems. TMJ is best treated by a dentist, but the symptoms will likely send you to an M.D., who might diagnose you with something else. The price you'll pay? Serious pain that could easily have been alleviated.
  • Red flags: If your doctor gives a tentative diagnosis without conducting any tests or prescribes meds that don't do the trick, head to a dentist.
3. YOUR SYMPTOMS: Fatigue or trouble breathing plus chest pain or tightness and/or palpitations
  • The doctor says it's: Stress or panic attack
  • It could be: Heart attack or heart disease
  • Why the confusion? Heart attacks tend to be more subtle in women than in men: Fatigue or shortness of breath might be your only sign of a problem. In fact, up to half of female heart attack victims are initially misdiagnosed — and heart disease remains the top killer of women in America.
  • Red flags: If your doc's recommended treatment doesn't help, see a cardiologist, pronto.
4. THE SYMPTOMS: Sadness plus fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, and/or muscle aches or stiffness
  • The doctor says it's: Depression
  • It could be: Hypothyroidism
  • Why the confusion? Doctors tend to link persistent sadness with depression and might not think to test for hypothyroidism, a condition in which your thyroid gland fails to produce enough hormones. Left untreated, hypothyroidism can cause high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and (ironically) clinical depression.
  • Red flags: If the meds your doctor prescribes don't lift your mood, request a TSH blood test to check for hypothyroidism. Better yet, ask for the test during your initial visit.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

SpaLook for Luxury Skincare Essentials - 20% Off


If you haven't taken a look at www.spalook.com, now is the time!  Mother's Day discount on everything and free shipping when you spend $50 or more.

The brands sold here are top of the line, including Frederic Fekkai, Dr. Hauschka, Jan Iredale, Obagi, Rene Furterer and Trish McEvoy, for starters.

What you will find at www.spalook.com are products for your face and hair as well as make up, body products, tools and fragrances for both men and women.

The coupon code to use is:  MOMSPA.

Where to shop:  www.spalook.com

Beauty is only a click away!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Italian Wine Merchants Makes Life With a Wine Cellar so Easy




Finally, a great way to remember wines you laid down in your wine cellar without the need for an expensive computer program.

Italian Wine Merchants in New York City has a program which is so easy to use. If you have never looked at their site, www.iwmcellars.com, you should do so as well as sign up for emails.  They have one of the best selections of Italian wines anywhere.

A while ago I had received an email from Italian Wine Merchants describing a "Complimentary Online Cellar Management Account" service they offer where you input information about each wine you have. 

Once the wine is in the system, you will find sub categories such as "Cellar View" and "Analysis" for example.  It also allows you to rate the wine you have for future reference. You can sort your wine by almost any attribute, keep track of quantity of each wine, and where it is stored in your cellar.

When in your "cellar" account, another feature makes it easy to purchase a wine you already have. You highlight the wine to see if Italian Wine Merchants carries it and if so, you can order it. It is so simple.

When you go to www.iwmcellars.com, from the Home Page, "Wine Collecting Services," go to Register to set up an account. Once there you can learn how the program works.

While on the site, don't forget to take a look at all the wonderful wines!

Where to go:  www.iwmcellars.com 

Where to shop for wine:  www.iwmstore.com

Now you can start on your journey to wine management.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

The Container Store is my New Best Friend



Just picture a New York City apartment where closets are at a minimum.  What you do with those closets is the difference between having all your belongings fit inside or having to put your clothes, shoes, sheets, whatever, under the bed!

(By the way, you can purchase containers which will fit under most beds if you don't have enough closets.) 


We discovered The Container Store one day after seeing an ad for a discount on Elfa shelving. We made an appointment to work with an organization expert and then took measurements for each closet we needed help with.  Armed with ideas of what we wanted in the closet, we discussed our needs with our organization expert, decided on what type of wood we wanted for trim, colors of grid shelving and brackets and before long, had a closet design.

What is incredible about The Container Store is the product:  Elfa - a modular shelving and drawer system.  The computer program it uses works like a charm.  When your design is finalized, the program adds in all the types of screws you need (you will be asked what material your walls are,) and anything else necessary to complete the project.  It's a no-brainer.

My husband did all the installation himself after reading the directions, which are very clear, and after doing two closets, he became an expert. In total, he has done 8 closets and one wall unit.  He is ready right now to help you with your closets!

For a fee, you can also have The Container Store do the installation.  They offer discounts on installation as well as the shelving various times throughout the year. On the website, www.containerstore.com, you can watch an installation video ahead of time to see if this is something you want to take on.

The product almost always arrives in perfect condition, although if you have an issue with any piece, you can return/exchange it.  Once we found a scratch on an end piece of a free standing unit and The Container Store delivered a new piece the next day.  Also, any extra pieces you didn't use, such as a bag of screws, you may also return.

Needless to say, The Container Store sells everything you could possibly need for making your life more organized.  When they have a 20% off sale on everything in the store, watch out, because all of a sudden you will wonder how you could have managed without all you will find there!

I noticed on their website, www.containerstore.com, that there is a Spring Organization Sale going on now and some of the Elfa shelving is on sale.

There is a flat fee for local delivery. Otherwise it ships UPS.

Where to shop:  www.containerstore.com

Who to call:  1-888-CONTAIN

Enjoy your new, orderly life!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Blinds To Go in No Time at All



The sun is coming in, it's too hot outside and you need to block out the intense light.  If you want a quick and economical solution, you have to shop at Blinds To Go.  I use the word "economical" not to imply cheap, just to let you know that you can design a really nice window treatment for a great price...and have it in your hands in no time at all.

We went into the store, of which there are many locations, gave the salesperson our measurements, picked out fabric and our order was put into production.  The best part was that we picked up our shades 48 hours later.

If you look at their website, www.Blindstogo.com, you can view everything you need to start your project, "e-talk" to an expert, view promotions, learn how to measure, find a store nearby. Blinds To Go offers factory-direct prices with factories in the United States and Canada. 

Once you have your measurements, visit the store and you won't believe the selection of blinds and fabrics for all types of shades.  We were impressed with our salesperson's expertize and he didn't seem to mind how long we took to decide on our fabric choice and finalize our order.

When giving measurements to your salesperson, make sure they understand the exact set up of the shades/blinds you are going to install. In our case, because two shades were being installed next to one another in the same window frame, the salesperson didn't allow enough space for one of the brackets. This made installation a bit difficult. Also, read all the directions first so you know exactly what you have to do.

So nice to have a room where the light is beautifully filtered through. 


Where to start:  www.Blindstogo.com

You can also call:  1-800-BLINDS-7