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Thursday, November 24, 2005

Zamaan awi fi masr

Traffic in Cairo is chaotic… ok… I already notice that…
Living in Cairo for 5 months (yeah, already) I am aware of the rules in the road…
Driving license here is relative…
Yesterday, a route that in normal conditions (and I am including normal traffic jam) takes about 15 minutes, toke me 2hours!
Yes!!
2 hours to go from Zamalek to Dokki!!
2 bloody hours!!
Just to cross Gami’at al Duwal, from Midan Sphinx to Sheria Moheidin, toke more that one hour…
Let me put this in Portuguese terms…
Imagine that Zamalek is Cidade Universitaria, and Dokki is Rossio….
Imagine that Gami’at al Duwal as Av Liberdade, from Marques to Rossio….more than one hour!! Ok, I think sometimes it gets stacked there as well, the original in the situation, was that the taxi where I was had shock in 2 cars, and after apologies, continue the horning….

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Medical conditions..no worries

On Monday I discovered that I have Polycystic ovarian…after almost 5 months withouth menstruation, and more 12 kilos, someone had sugested that it might be related…. Although I enjoy this menstruation vacation, I want to put things going….
Last month Katlin has been diagnosticated with Cysts ovarian, now me…
As odd as it may seems, and trying to keep away all the bad feelings concerning to the subject… I think I can be a little sadistic about the situation…

Katlin, Sweetheart.. do you think is contagious??ahahaha….

There is 2 ways to treat this, one is by medication another is get pregnant… for the obvious reasons I chosed the first one!

Something to read about it:



Polycystic ovaries; Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS); Stein-Leventhal syndrome; Polyfollicular ovarian disease.

Definition
Polycystic ovary disease is characterized by enlarged ovaries with multiple small cysts, an abnormally high number of follicles at various states of maturation, and a thick, scarred capsule surrounding each ovary.
The syndrome was originally reported by Stein and Leventhal in 1935 when they described a group of women with
amenorrhea (absence of menses), infertility, hirsutism (unwanted hair growth in women), and enlarged polycystic ovaries.
Today, it is known that those with polycystic ovaries may have some, but not necessarily all, of the "classic" symptoms included in Stein-Leventhal syndrome.


Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Polycystic ovary disease is an endocrine disorder, which means normal hormone cycles are disrupted. Hormones direct many functions throughout the body. For example, hormones regulate reproductive functions, including the normal development of ova (eggs) in the ovaries. It is not completely understood why or how hormone cycles are disrupted, although there are several working theories.

In polycystic ovary disease, under-developed follicles accumulate in the ovaries. Follicles are sacs within the ovaries that contain ova. The ova in these follicles fail to mature and, therefore, cannot be released from the ovaries. Instead, they accumulate as cysts in the ovary. This can contribute to infertility. The lack of follicular maturation and inability to ovulate are likely caused by low levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and higher-than-normal levels of androgens (male hormones) produced in the ovary.

Insulin resistance also seems to be a key feature in polycystic ovarian syndrome. In addition to other hormones, insulin helps regulate ovarian function.
When someone is insulin resistant, this means that cells throughout the body do not readily respond to insulin circulating in the blood.
For this reason, the amount of insulin remains high in the blood (called hyperinsulinemia).
High levels of insulin can contribute to lack of ovulation, high androgen levels, infertility, and early pregnancy loss.

Polycystic ovaries are two to five times larger than normal ovaries, and they have a white, thick, tough outer covering.
Women are usually diagnosed when in their 20s or 30s.
Many women with polycystic ovary disease have irregular menses and may have scanty menstruation (oligomenorrhea) or no menses at all (amenorrhea).

Women diagnosed with this disorder frequently have a mother or sister with similar symptoms commonly associated with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome).

Conception is frequently possible with proper surgical or medical treatments. Following conception, pregnancy is usually uneventful.

Symptoms
If you have polycystic ovary disease, you are likely to experience some of the following symptoms:


Abnormal, irregular, or scanty menstrual periods (oligomenorrhea)

Absent menses (
amenorrhea), usually (but not always) after having one or more normal menstrual periods during puberty (secondary amenorrhea)

Weight gain, even obesity

Insulin resistance and diabetes

Infertility

Increased hair growth (
hirsutism);

distribution of body hair may be in a male pattern

Virilization -- development of male sex characteristics in a female.

This may include an increase in body hair, facial hair, a deepening of the voice, male-pattern baldness, and clitoral enlargement.

Decreased breast size

Aggravation of acne

Signs and tests

In a pelvic examination, the health care provider may note an enlarged clitoris (very rare finding) and enlarged ovaries.

Tests include:
FSH levels -- low or normal
LH levels -- generally high
Androgen (
testosterone) levels -- high
Estrogen (primarily estrone and estradiol) levels -- relatively high
Urine 17-ketosteroids -- possibly high
Vaginal ultrasound and, possibly, abdominal ultrasound
MRI
Laparoscopy
Ovarian
biopsy
Other blood tests that may be done as part of the initial evaluation to look for other potential causes of the symptoms include:
Serum HCG (
pregnancy test) negative
Thyroid function tests
Prolactin levels

Treatment
Medications used to treat the symptoms of polycystic ovary disease include birth control pills, spironolactone, flutamide, and clomiphene citrate.

Treatment with clomiphene induces the pituitary gland to produce more FSH, which in turn stimulates maturity and release of the ova. Occasionally, more potent ovulation induction agents (fertility drugs, human menopausal gonadotropins) are needed for pregnancy.

Weight reduction, which may be very difficult, is also very important.
For those with polycystic ovaries who are overweight, weight loss can reduce insulin resistance, stimulate ovulation, and improve fertility rates.
Sometimes, part of the treatment for polycystic ovaries is use of insulin sensitizing medication like metformin.

Expectations (prognosis)
Pregnancy may be achieved with appropriate treatment.


Complications
Sterility
Obesity-related conditions, like high blood pressure and diabetes
Increased the risk of
endometrial cancer -- this is because the endometrium (lining of the uterine wall that sheds when you menstruate) can get thicker and thicker (hyperplasia) due to the lack of ovulation
Possible increased risk of breast cancer
Calling your health care provider
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you are experiencing the symptoms of this disorder.
Update Date: 10/22/2004
Updated by: Jacqueline A. Hart, M.D., Senior Medical Editor, A.D.A.M., Inc. Previously reviewed by Francisco L. Gaudier, M. D., Maternal Fetal Medicine, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (10/18/2003).

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Very late update

This last weeks I was quite busy so I didn’t had time to post…

My life has suddenly changed, and the path I tough it was mean to be, also changed …hamb du lillah

I found a new job here in Egypt…
The opportunity is to excellent, its challenging, its totally different from everything I had done so far…


I Am Happy!!!!

And awesome as it may seems, the end of Ramadan was also the end of my time in Xceed, and the IlAID was also mine last holidays for a while, and the beginning of my new job!!

I finally started to smile ( again) and be positive and enjoying life as it should be….

For celebrating Il AID, and life I went to Hurghada with a huge group!!!!
(hope don’t forget anyone)
Me, Kosmas, Aga, Ifigenia, Dennis, Dalia, Sarah, Ahmed How, Haithem, Martin, Amme, Mada, Yassek, Raja went on Wednesday night, and Augusto, Ahmed, Karim, Ahmed (another), Angela and Nasrin joined us Friday morning!

I had one of the best times since I am here!!!

Thursday we went to the beach, chill….

Friday was a blast… it seems to me that Friday had more than 24 hours….

Around 10 we took a boat, and went to the middle of the sea diving…
I dove, for the first and second time, and not the last one, I dove!! And I am so happy!!!
Is amazing!!
I had luck to dive with an experiment diver, which relaxed me and make me very secure…
I am going to take the diving course for sure!!!
At night went dinner downtown Hurghada, the fish wasn’t so good…. Then we went to Bonanza, to party…
I felt like a grandma..
Four months without clubbing made me get drunk with one vodka and knock me down at 2.30am… Shame on me…


Saturday the hangover was general… barely drag ourselves to the beach and chill…

In the end of the day me, Ahmed, Augusto, Amme and Karim went for a ride in the banana…

That was crazy!!!

Well. I think I can say I had a blast!!!



Just have some photos now, but I promise I will upload much more!!!


Traveling with a big group, especially in Egypt might be an exercise to the patience, but it worth it, I had fun and met new and interesting people, which I am sure feel the same way, and even that they don’t feel, I feel (ehehhe)!!!


me in the boat.

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

just Pics

Me with the Greek Flag...
I Told you guys, i am becomming greek!!!













A very nice place near the Nile...Sawy Cultural Center!!