Leukemia Viruses on Cereal.

So I've been reading this book entitled "Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth About Cow's Milk and Your Health," by Joseph Keon, and I ran across some interesting facts to share:

1. 40% of American beef are infected with bovine leukemia virus.
2. 89% of American dairy cows are infected with bovine leukemia virus (BLV).

3. Bovine leukemia is the most common fatal malignancy in cows.

4. There is evidence this virus may be capable of spreading to humans.

5. Pasteurization is supposed to inactivae the virus (most of the time)

6. 2/3 of raw milk has live BLV

7. Dairy farmers are one population with higher rates of leukemia.

8. Human leukemia (ALL=acute lymphocytic leukemia) is high in area where BLV is high in dairy herds.

...if all these things add up I'd have to agree with the author that:

"...we don't need leukemia retroviruses, inactivated through pasteurization or not, on our cornflakes."

The LORD will fight...

The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace... --Exodus 14:14

Current Conditions

It has been a while since I have posted. I was at Weimar in November with Mom which was a nice time together. I observed some hydrotherapy and a few other things, walked lots and lots, ate all the yummy vegan food, and went to the lectures. I also got to use the hydrotherapy department after hours to practice hydro on Mom: fever baths, contrast showers, fomentations, etc. It was also fun to see Doug Plata there, who just happened to be covering for one of the doctors who was out of town. I also enjoyed going to the cooking school and learning to make some new recipes. We also got to sneak in to some AFCOE meetings and hear Don Macintosh and Doug Batchelor teach some sessions. One Sabbath Mom, Doug, and I went to Auntie Phebe's house (Saguan's aunt) for dinner for her sooooooooooooooooo delicious vegan cooking and an afternoon walk.
Since then it has been back to work here. I sure have been enjoying the on for a few days, then off for a few days life of a hospitalist. Although some Sabbath day and Friday night shifts still make it difficult, though I have only been working 1-2 Sabbath/Friday night shifts per month. It just seems like more since I have been either out of town (Weimar, AMEN, soon GYC) or trying out local churches (Newberg, Tualatin) and so I haven't been to my own home church in a while. But I have finally decided to transfer my membership to Stone Tower SDA church in Portland since it really is the best in the area in regards to interest in Evangelism, belief in SOP, sermons that challenge and point to Jesus, and a Friday night small group meeting. It was a blessing to be able to go to church this Sabbath.
Otherwise I have been enjoying a little yard work like raking leaves, bringing in firewood for the winter, and just going to walks in the neighborhood trying not to loose all that progress gained at Weimar.
I have also been cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Well... some of it has been good and some not so good, but finally I have days off with time to play in the kitchen and brush up on all those domestic skills that have not had a chance to survive during medical school and residency. I've been having fun organizing my kitchen, putting types of flour and other food items in little matching containers. Organizing my pantry and my refrigerator. Lots of fun! As far as cooking goes I have a favorite special k loaf, easy lasagna, "chicken" pot pie. Don't ask about the mushroom ravioli that I made yesterday (the doughiness was pretty overwhelming...) as I don't think I will want to think about ravioli for a long time.
Regarding housekeeping, the only down side of my schedule is that by the time and go through a stretch of hospitalist work days the house that I just cleaned has gone to pot again and I spend the first day off washing all the dishes and sweeping the whole house.
Regarding work, I guess I am here for now. I'm not sure where God is going to want me eventually, but currently I just have my oregon license and so I am here until God calls me elsewhere. I am applying for a Texas license now mainly so that if Mom's health gets worse I can move there for a while. I am also about to start the process of applying for a California license. I would enjoy doing a bit of work at Weimar when I am available and they have a need and who knows what else I might do, maybe come back to Loma Linda for a while.
I just noticed last night that Alistair and Deborah are together. Sooooooooo sweet! Sigh....
Anyway, I can't wait to see everyone at GYC!!!!!!!

By the way, it is snowing here and has been snowing all day. You may not be able to see the thermometer above but the temperature is 25 degrees.

Weimar

Hi Everyone,

I am excited that I will be going with my Mom to Weimar in November for their 18 day program. I am going as a "professional observer" and my Mom as a patient. It just worked out great that I had only been scheduled for 2 hospitalist shifts during the dates of the program and I was able to trade these dates to go.

Otherwise I have been lying around in my spare time reading books, trying to make up for the lack of lifestyle medicine/nutrition training that I received during medical school and residency:
The China Study (a must read!!!)
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
Food Revolution

Also playing in the kitchen. And there are little bits of spinach starting to grow in my garden. I'm excited about seeing those of you who will be at AMEN conference.
Blessings!
Larie

Blessed Sabbath!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.... Sabbath.....
I have had a very busy week of packing boxes and filling out certification paperwork for hospital "priviledges", and all the nonsense of trying to find the right moving company and set up moving, forward mail, change utilities.

So yes.... I will be moving in to the little country farm house. It is so beautiful out there. Before the rental lady got there when I first arrived at the gate I looked down the long driveway, and a lovely doe walked out from the woods and just stood and looked at me. Then a ten point buck came out of the woods with fuzzy antlers, just behind her and he also just looked at me. Then they both walked slowly down the road toward the car and and buck walked across the road and into the woods and the doe walked back down the driveway and into the woods. I also saw a skunk out there the day before. So there are lots of critters there...
I am really blessed the meet this group of people from the Stone Tower church. I am finally actually getting to know them now that I am finished with residency. I just found out about their friday night group that meets over a light supper and the reads/discusses spiritual things. Currently they are studying COL. I have been twice to this gathering and am so blessed to finally have a group out here whose hearts beat in unity with mine in regard to spiritual matters. Praise God!!!

Studying and Moving Madness

So I am back again, trying to update my few but faithful...

1) First of all, I've been praying a lot about my first job and God has really been leading. Despite the fact that I was originally told that this wonderful hospital (Providence Newberg) where I am planning to work would want me to sign a year contract for hospitalist work and that they don't have on-call work, God has led such that I was wishy-washy enough at my interview (only being completely honest) and also gave them a list of dates that I was hoping to get off (GYC, AMEN, ?perhaps Bangladesh, etc) that my employer saw the light and offered me an "on-call" contract such that they can provide about as much as full time work if that is what I would like, but I get to call the shots as to when I am available. This is great!!!!!!! That means I will get to come to GYC, AMEN, Bangladesh (if I can get my act together soon enough to prepare), visit Eric and Rachel, and whatever else I jolly well please... : ) Ahhhhhh...... God is good..... I also see a lot of Sabbaths off in my future since I do no plan to work Sabbaths electively (will cover if there is no one else or something comes up and they need me). I also have a clinic "on-call" contract so I can cover for clinic or urgent cares in the area if I want extra cash or just want to keep up those skills.

2) I have been furiously hunting for a place to rent after deciding not to buy this year (due to all the bad economic predictions and my strong desire to pay off my med school debts instead of incur more debt--though it would have been a significant tax deduction). My dream house has been a little country cottage to rent with enough property for a garden and neighbors that are not close enough for me to reach out my window and reach into their window. That is just gross! I originally found something that seemed to perfectly fit this description, but alas, found out that it already had a contract on it, someone had just snatched it up. So I commenced other searching the the Sherwood, Newberg, Dundee area. Those of you who have house hunted before: have you ever noticed that the pictures do not adequately reflect the product that you actually visit? Anyway, I did lots of that... living room too small the fit my couches into, kitchen to small to turn around in, houses that were advertised for the wrong price on line and I get there and find out the reason the house seems like a "steal" is because it actually costs a lot more to rent but they had some major typos in the advertisment (like, only listed it about $500 dollars per month cheaper than it really is). I also learned that you get what you pay for and thus any house in the area with rent less than $1000 is probably not worth paying for....
Anyway, so I had finally settled on the nice house in Dundee that had a decent size back yard at the end of a culdesac with neighbors at least more than 6 inches from my house (just kidding, actually more like several yards away) and got permission the put in a garden. The place is really pretty nice and fairly new and I was only regretting that it was not as country-like as I was hoping.
Then...my Mom happend to call back the little country cottage and see if the contract went through, though I had given up on it. And, what do you know, the contract fell through and the little country cottage was again for rent. So, yesterday I got too impatient to wait and drove out there and fell in love with the property, probably sitting on about an acre or so, surrounded by wheat fields that the owner tends, has a barn and a garage. But I could not see it yesterday so have an appoinment to see the inside of the house today and supposedly I am first in line for the place if I get there a little early...
Stay posted, perhaps the inside of the house is falling apart...

3) So... one way or another I have faith that the moving will commence very soon, whether the little house in town or the country cottage... So I went to a crate place yesterday and bought a bunch of used boxes (only 30 to 90 cents each) and got a ton of boxes for $10 saving myself the dumpster diving...

4) Otherwise I am just studying for boards and starting the packing process... I will say that the amount of books I own is really the most overwhelming part of moving....

Blessings!!! Have a great day!

First Sabbath out of Residency!!!

My last day of residency was June 30th and I have been working nights so actually finished my shift at about 8am. I am so happy to be finished. This week since finishing residency I have working on getting back onto day shift. So far I have not been successful. The first day out I thought I could make it work by letting myself sleep only 5 hours during the day, but apparently that was way too much since I didn't go to sleep that night until about 6 am. Then I really meant to wake up but slept until 2:30 pm. The following night I was tired but lay awake all night, but finally got up at 6 am because I was annoyed that I was accomplishing nothing. Then I stayed up all day even though I was tired. I thought that would do it but you would know that even though I slept last night (making some progress here) I still slept in today until 1:30pm (alarm was set for 9:30am). Well... we'll eventually get back to a normal schedule...
Otherwise I am just trying to start studying for boards but have done very little studying this last week. I have to really get serious this next week.
I am getting excited about coming down to see everyone very soon. I will be flying in to ontario and I think I am getting a rental car. See you all soon!

Goodnight!