CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVOR TO SPEND 12TH BIRTHDAY VOLUNTEERING AT 28 MILE CHARITY HIKE

Eleven-year-old Will Busby first heard of CureSearch’s Ultimate Hike seven years ago, when his father, Jeff, starting raising funds and training for a 28.3-mile trek to be completed in one day. The family was well aware of the need for funding for children’s cancer research, as four-year-old Will had been diagnosed with high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia on in 2011. 

“More funding for research is critical. One in eight children diagnosed with cancer won’t survive, and of those who do, 60% will develop lifelong side effects,” said Brecka Putnam, senior manager of campaign development.  “Only four treatments have been developed specifically for children in the past twenty years. We need more treatments for children to improve patient outcomes.”

The Busbys have been actively involved in research since his diagnosis. Will participated in a CureSearch funded clinical to help further research, and Jeff laced up his boots and raised funds through the Ultimate Hike program. Jeff continued hiking and coaching new hikers, and Will continued fighting cancer for years finally the family celebrated his “no more chemo day” on May 6, 2014.

Although Will is officially done fighting cancer, he’s chosen to spend his 12th birthday volunteering on the hike to show his support for all the kids who are in treatment now. “He now seems to be dealing with the experience in a way that makes it a positive part of his story,” said Jeff Busby.

Volunteering for an Ultimate Hike is no small feat. Jeff will spend the day on the trail, coaching other hikers and setting them up for success. Meanwhile, Will’s day will be spent loading and unloading vans, filling up hikers’ water packs, cleaning, and cheering on hikers. The first volunteers will report for duty before 2:00 a.m., and the last volunteers on the trail could load up as late as 9:00 p.m.

“We’re so excited to have Will spend the day with us. It can be exhausting, and many kids would prefer to spend their birthday hanging out with friends, rather than making sandwiches for 70 people in the middle of the woods. We’re so thankful,” said Putnam. “Having someone that young who beat cancer out there on the trail will give our hikers the motivation they need when the going gets tough.”

In addition to volunteering with CureSearch, Jeff is a chaplain and leader for Will’s trail life troop, he also backpacks with the group once a month, all year round. He is looking forward to introducing Will to a new group of hikers in a few weeks.

To learn more about CureSearch’s Ultimate Hike, visit www.ultimatehike.org/foothills. To make a donation in honor of Will’s birthday, text CURE to 56512.

About CureSearch for Children’s Cancer

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, a national nonprofit organization based in Bethesda, Md., works to end childhood cancer by driving targeted and innovative research with measurable results in an accelerated time frame. CureSearch focuses on advancing the strongest research out the laboratory and into clinical trials and development, where better, less-toxic treatments can quickly help children.

For more information, visit curesearch.org or follow CureSearch on Twitter @curesearch or join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/curesearch.

Remington College Columbia Campus offers free salon services for high school students headed to prom

Free Prom Night Makeovers available on select dates in April, May

 

The cost for students to attend high school proms quickly adds up - from tickets, the dress or tuxedo, a trip to the salon, and maybe even a limo.

 

Remington College-Columbia Campus wants to help the families of high schoolers save some money by offering free salon services at its annual Prom Night Makeover event.

 

Students in the Remington College Cosmetology Program will provide high schoolers headed to prom with free haircuts, up-dos, manicures, pedicures and makeup services.

Prom Night Makeover at Remington College Columbia Campus   Event dates: Friday, April 20, 2018                         Friday, April 27, 2018                         Friday, May 4, 2018 Salon Hours: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments: Call 803-214-9062

 

All Prom Night Makeover services will take place at the Remington College School of Cosmetology, located at 607 Bush River Road, Columbia, SC 29210. Appointments are recommended and can be made by calling 803-214-9062.

 

This is the ninth year that Remington College is holding its Prom Night Makeover event, which has provided thousands of high school students across the country with free salon services.

 

Remington College's Cosmetology Diploma program teaches students the art of hair, skin and nail care through traditional classroom instruction and hands-on training in the Remington College School of Cosmetology, which allows students to work with real clients.

 

For more on the Remington College Cosmetology Program, visit remingtoncollege.edu or call 
1-800-496-0571.

 

First come, first serve. Appointments are recommended. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

 

About Remington College:  Non-profit Remington College, headquartered in Lake Mary, FL, operates 16 college campuses throughout the United States offering career focused diploma, bachelor and associate degree programs in a variety of career fields. For more information, please visit  remingtoncollege.edu. For the latest news about Remington College, visit facebook.com/remingtoncollege. Remington College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs and other school administered programs. 

The Best Plants To Help Keep Mosquitoes Away

It's crazy to think that although we are in the month of April, many parts of the country are getting late snowfall and freezing temperatures. We have experienced all four seasons in recent weeks. What surprises me is although we have only had a handful of days in the lower 80's, we have seen swarms of tiny mosquitoes. Since we spend a lot of time on our back deck, we have to do all we can to keep those pesky buggers away. 

Last year we tried a few plants that were recommended by our local garden center, and we added a few others. Keep in mind that some of these plants can be hard to find at the big chain places, so you may have to go to a local specialty place for them like we did for some. The plants below have worked for us, which says a lot since mosquitoes can find me in a crowd of a thousand people! 

Take a look at these plants that help keep the mosquitoes away

Citronella (also called the mosquito plant)

This plant gives off a citrusy scent that mosquitoes hate. We find this plant is most effective when you pluck a leaf or two off, rub it to release the natural oils, and wipe it on your exposed areas like your legs and arms. This one really does work well! I have yet to get single bite if I have this around. We found it at a local garden center, but you can buy them here as well. 

Marigolds
The great part about these is you can find them in almost any store that sells plants. They are super affordable, come in different colors, and work great in garden beds, pots or hanging baskets.

Rosemary 

This herb is very fragrant so it chases mosquitoes away. I can't stand the scent at all myself. Rosemary is a hardy plants that requires no maintenance aside from watering. They can take full sun as well. 

Other recommended herbs are: basil, peppermint, spearmint, and garlic chives. 

Eucalyptus
This plant emits a fragrance that chases pests away. We bought a couple small pants called silver drop that we planted in pots. They will only get to be a few feet tall, which makes it good for containers. We might consider getting a larger tree to plant in the ground at the bottom of our deck. We use eucalyptus in our home, so it would be great to have a full size tree.

Geranium
This flower plant is a stunner! I have read that they can help repel mosquitoes, so of course I had to buy a plant to put in a pot to admire. I'll report back to let you all now if it worked or not. At least it's pretty, right?

So far we have plenty of potted plants on our back deck and our front door entrance to keep mosquitoes from trying to enter our home. We are hoping the summer heat isn't too hard on them. The only real maintenance these plants need is proper watering, a little plant food, and the correct amount of sun. Too bad plants only work for small areas.

In addition to having potted plants for repelling mosquitoes, we also use Tiki torches, candles, and our new favorite, citronella mosquito repellent sticks. They are long-lasting and work really well. It's nice to be able to grill out, without getting eaten alive. If mosquitoes are bugging you, I suggest trying any of the recommendations in this post.

Low-Carb Italian Zucchini Boats

If you are like me, you probably have about 50 links on Facebook you saved of recipe or exercise videos that caught your eye. You tell yourself you will try that amazing ab and butt workout or will bake that triple chocolate ganache brownie cake. Am I right? Of course I am! I think Facebook sends me bi-weekly reminders that tell me I have saved links to look at. 

Recently I saw a recipe floating around Facebook for Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats and it really caught my attention. This time it was only saved for one week instead of 6 months. Today was finally the day I would try it. I followed the recipe for the most part, but tweaked it to my taste. First, here is the original recipe from Valerie's Kitchen. 

I omitted the extra flesh that was scraped out of the zucchini as well as the panko bread crumbs at the end. Also, I used a 4-cheese pasta sauce instead of marinara like the recipe stated. I put my own favorite seasonings including some extra hot pepper and let me tell you, this one is a winner! It was so full of flavor and good texture. I like the fact that you top it with the cheeses at the end so that it doesn't get too gooey or lose it's cheesiness (if that makes sense).

My husband does not like zucchini at all. He will tolerate trying one or two slices in a stir-fry, but still never actually liked it. He is currently practicing a lower carb lifestyle and I begged him to try it. He started with half of one "boat" and soon went back to the kitchen for the other half. He was so shocked that he really liked it. I was super shocked myself! I think it was because the zucchini was still pretty firm that he enjoyed it. If it was squooshy, he would not touch it. 

I did notice that if you reheat any of the leftovers that they become a whole lot softer. I think I will bake for 5-8 minutes less next time. One of my blog friends mentioned that her mother makes these with eggplant. I will definitely have to try that in the future. If you are looking for a delicious dinner idea (especially if you are doing LCHF), you must try this one!

Thanks for stopping by 💓

What You Need to Know about Nasal Polyps

Have you been experiencing trouble breathing through your nose? Losing your sense of smell and taste? Perhaps painful sinus headaches that affect life, making daily activities difficult? These could be the signs of nasal polyps. Many patients begin to notice this issue after developing symptoms that won’t go away after a lengthy period of time.

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What Are Polyps?

Nasal polyps are grape-like growths that occurs in the nasal and sinus cavities. They begin to block the airways in the nostrils and can even begin to spread. Most people don’t notice that there is anything wrong until an obvious sign occurs, such as a persistent sinus headache or a rise in the number of times they get sick or develop an infection. The polyps grow gradually over time, which means that many patients don’t notice that they have a problem because the body has adjusted with the growth. Patients who have their polyps treated often note a major positive impact on their nasal breathing as well as other nose and sinus related symptoms.

How Are Polyps Diagnosed?

Patients with stuffy nose, diminished sense of smell and taste, postnasal drainage, etc may at some point make their way to an ear, nose and throat physician. Further evaluation will often involve a nasal endoscopy in which the doctor uses a small lighted rod to view back into the nasal passages. It is on careful examination, often with endoscopy, that patients are sometimes found to have nasal polyps. Further studies, such as CT scans, may be performed to help determine the extent of the polyps and the sinus blockage.

How Can Polyps be Treated?

Some polyps respond well to medications and others do not. There is an increasingly wide range of prescription nasal sprays and oral medications that can slow down the growth of polyps and, in some cases, shrink them. On occasion, it may be recommended that polyps be surgically removed so that the topical medications can work more effectively to keep them from coming back. Fortunately, surgery for polyps has changed a lot during the past few years, and is now usually an outpatient, minimally-invasive procedure without packing, bruising, or splints, and only minimal discomfort while the healing process occurs.  Small stents are now available that can be implanted during surgery and give off anti-inflammatory medication for several weeks.

In any case, polyps should always be evaluated by an ear, nose, and throat physician. Some polyps – particularly those that occur on one side only – need careful evaluation to ensure that there is not a more serious condition present.

To get help with nasal polyps, contact of Dr. Samuel S. Becker, a sinus specialist located in Pennsylvania. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and a board-certified specialist in otolaryngology. For more information about him, visit his website at www.beckerent.com.