#Review: The Forgotten Secret by Scott Clements

Simply wow! The follow up to Gasparilla’s Treasure by middle-grade author Scott Clements absolutely did not disappoint.

A great mix of history and adventure, this one is certainly a page turner (or slider if you have an e-reader). I could not put it down.

The story resumes with our favourite trio of treasure hunters basking in the victory of finding Gasparilla’s Treasure and living life a little bit better than before.

Trip, Sarah and Josh are quickly approached by a new character to the mix, Gonzalez, who has an air of mystery to him but presents the intrepid treasure hunters with an offer they simply cannot refuse. I’ll leave it there, I do not want to spoil it for you, but it’s fantastic with twists and turns and a lot of laughs too.

Full of fun ‘Easter eggs’ of references that us adventure movie loving fans will pick up on and page-turning action for the younger readers, this series is fantastic for making kids (and adults) want to read more.

Clements is a genius when it comes to writing visually. You really can ‘see’ the book as you read it and I just love that.

If you are looking for some great reading material for the kids this summer (or sooner!), that will hold their interest and get them excited about reading, check these out. They will not disappoint.

All of Clements’ books are available at his website here: www.HappyBrownDog.com

Migraine Awareness Month Interview with the Experts Part 2

And now Part 2 of my Migraine Awareness Month interviews. This time I interviewed Mary Ellen who has suffered for years with chronic migraines. She offers some wonderful insights and positive messages for those who also have to add coping strategies to their routines.

1. When did these chronic migraines start for you?

At age 21 ( 33 years and counting)

2.  How long do they last and how do you cope?

They could last up to 3 or 4 days. I took many different kinds of pain killers in the beginning – primarily Tylenol 3s. Then I began taking Imitrex and Tylenol 3s. I would isolate myself in a dark room with an ice pack and then when the pain was too great and there was no relief I would call my Doctor, a GP who has been my doctor for the past 22 years, and she would give me a shot of Demoral/Gravol and then I would return to bed and wait for the migraine to end. Now I have a different pain med routine. I take Indorol everyday and I use a 5 mg nose spray of ZOMIG and have regular BOTOX migraine treatment every 3 months.

3.  When you feel one coming on, how do you start prepping for it so that it impacts minimally on your life and work?

I start with liquid Advils right away and then wait about a 1/2 hour. If there is no relief and the headache is progressing into a migraine, I take a nose spray, ZOMIG, and try and lay down if I can. Many times I wake up during the night with a migraine and I spray right away. If the pain continues I take Tylenol 3s as well.

4.  I read that your migraines come on when you are relaxed, oh my, what strategies do you employ to deal with this?

There really isn’t a lot that I can do except I know that one of my triggers is lack of sleep, if I know that there is an special event that I want to attend then I try and get some rest before hand, but most of the time when the stress has subsided it can trigger a migraine. Unfortunately I have had a few challenging holidays where I have been unable to completely enjoy them as I have been suffering from a migraine. I no longer will take a red eye flight as I know that I won’t sleep and I will increase my chances of an attack.

5.  How does your family and workplace cope with your chronic migraines? What advice do you have for others in explaining and dealing with this with their workplaces and families?

I have an extremely supportive family. My older sister suffered, so my siblings and parents were always there for me. I guess I decided a long time ago to tell people what was wrong with me, that this is what my life is, that I cope as best I can and since Botox  I have had very few attacks, my life has changed considerably. I don’t hide it from work either, I tell people what it is like and what I do to try and manage but I have had to miss work I have also attended meetings and had to travel with a migraine but my colleagues know and are as supportive as they possibly can be, they usually want to help in whatever way they can. I have found that when I tell people they understand, they often have a friend or a family member who suffers and they are quick to tell me about their situation. My children have always been aware of my attacks and have been so supportive, they see how much of an effort I make to not miss anything that they are involved in and I know that they both understand the pain as they have each experienced one attack in their lives. Luckily it has only been one attack but it was enough for them to realize what I have to deal with.

6.  As I asked Dr. Shapero, what is your message to sufferers?

To not give up hope, to keep trying, that no two migraine sufferers are the same, our triggers are different, our symptoms can be different and what works for one does not always work for other sufferers. I would tell them to educate themselves, to read and research what is out there about migraine and to talk to their Doctor and keep pressing them to get them the help they need to refer them to migraine specialists. I have been seeing Dr. Rose Giammarco for 1.5 years and have been given a new life. I have travelled, worked and lived almost completely migraine-free since my first visit. Migraine may always be a part of someone’s life but with the proper support and medical care I believe we can live a good life.

Thank you Mary Ellen for your candid answers. You are an inspiration. For more information on Chronic Migraine’s, check out the website: www.mychronicmigraine.ca

As part of this series for Migraine Awareness Month I am also having a giveaway as mentioned in Part 1 of this interview with Dr. Shapero. You can also enter by doing the same things here, leaving a comment and liking on Facebook!

Wordless Wednesday May 15th, 2013

Want to know more? Click on over to my other blog for the continuing story of the Minnie’s!

Migraine Awareness Month Interview with the Experts Part 1

Have the wacky weather changes lately driven you to a dark room and a pillow? They certainly do me in at times and my solutions include exactly that, hiding in my room with total quiet, total dark and the hopes that sleeping it off will work.

Sometimes that isn’t enough and for some it’s almost never enough. That’s why when I got the opportunity to interview Dr. Shapero, for Migraine Awareness Month about this very problem, I was intrigued. I have friends who have suffered (and some who in fact still do suffer) from chronic migraines and it is awful, my heart goes out to them. Learning more about them and how they can be dealt with I hope helps!

1. What are some of the common signs/triggers that a migraine is approaching that we should be aware of and why?

Changes in vision or hearing, called aura, may be present and come just before or just as the migraine begins. Some individuals have cravings for particular foods or excessive yawning, fatigue or agitation in what is sometimes referred to as the prodrome stage of migraine. This stage may precede the migraine attack by several hours.

 A recent survey found the most common triggers of Chronic Migraine include: stress (77 per cent), sleep issues (63 per cent), changes in weather (53 per cent) and bright or flickering lights (52 per cent).

Other common triggers are:

·         Physical exertion or activity

·         Hormonal changes (in women)

·         Skipping meals

·         Perfume or odour

·         Neck pain

·         Alcohol

·         Smoke

·         Heat

·         Food/diet

 2. What is actually happening in our heads during a migraine? And how do you discern a regular headache from a migraine?

During a migraine attack, there is a complicated interaction between the nerves and blood vessels in what is called the trigeminal neurovascular system which results in a dilation of the blood vessels, a release of sensory neuropeptides, such as substance P and CGRP, which then causes irritation of the nerves in that region and a transmission of that nerve irritation back to the brain resulting in a severe headache. Migraine is a specific type of headache with pain that can last anywhere from 4 hours up to 3 days.

·         Pain is usually moderately to severely intense, throbbing or pulsating, and often occurring on one side of the head.

·         Can be accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.

·         Can become aggravated (get worse) by routine physical activity (e.g., walking or climbing stairs).

·         Changes in vision or hearing, called aura, may be present and come just before or just as the migraine begins.

 An individual may be considered to be suffering from chronic migraine when he or she has headaches occurring 15 or more days per month of which 8 days or more have features of migraine, as described, for at least 3 months.

3.  At what point should a patient go see a doctor about this?

If headaches are present on more than one to 2 days per week and are not relieved by typical over-the-counter pain medications or if there are any unusual neurological events such as a loss of vision, confusion, altered sensation, or other neurological deficits, then individuals should either see their family physician or head to the nearest emergency department.

 There may be many people out there that have Chronic Migraine but have yet to be diagnosed. Speak with a headache specialist.

If you think that you may have Chronic Migraine, you can visit http://www.mychronicmigraine.ca to download a simple-to-use migraine diary to record details of your migraine attacks to share with the doctor.

Once your condition has been diagnosed, there are many different treatment options available.

4.       Are there things we can do when we feel one coming on to lessen the impact on ourselves, our work and families?

Have a plan of action. Know what medications you are planning to take and take them early into the migraine attack. Find a quiet and dark place to rest.

 5.  Do you have tips for shortening the length of them?

While there is no cure for Chronic Migraine, there are different types of treatment strategies or medications to manage migraine.  It’s important for patients to talk to a doctor who has expertise in treating and diagnosing headaches to find out how acute, preventive and alternative treatments may benefit their type of migraine.

6.  What age group are you finding is most commonly affected by migraines? Why do you think that is?

Women are more commonly affected than men by a ratio of 3-1. Adults from 20-50, in the most productive years of their life, tend to be most commonly affected.

7.  If you could give one message to sufferers, what would it be?

If you have Chronic Migraine, you don’t need to suffer in silence. There are treatments and support available to help you manage your condition and more fully participate in and enjoy important life events. Talk to your family physician and potentially have a referral to a neurologist or headache specialist.

Thank you Dr. Shapero!

Now for a bonus for you all! As part of Migraine Awareness Month I am having a giveaway for a “Chronic Migraine Survival Kit” valued at over $200, including a sleep mask, herbal teas and a massage pad among other items that can be used to prevent the onset of migraines!

To enter simply leave a comment below. For a bonus second entry, like Nonmom on Facebook too and make sure you tell me who to look for to verify we’re FB buds!

Open to Canadians only, contest opens now and closes Monday May 20th at midnight EST. Good luck!!!

Thanks Doc! And a #Giveaway!

Have you thanked your Doctor recently?

For those who didn’t know, May 1st was Doctors’ Day where we say thank you to those doctors who make a true difference in the lives of their patients.

I know my doctor has been a huge help to myself and my family and was invaluable when I had whooping cough as a teen. He got things fixed and I healed up much quicker after seeing him. Thanks Dr. Silver!!!! He’s known me almost my entire life (actually, I owe him a visit, he’ll be so proud of the new me!) and that’s important to me because when I go see him he knows it’s something I need fixed and he knows what will work on me based on my history.

“Ontario’s doctors treat more than 400,000 people every day and these interactions are the foundation of our health system. Whether at the hospital, the long-term care facility, or the patient’s home, doctors work hard to make sure Ontarians get the care they need.

Beginning on May 1^st and lasting for 30 days, patients can help celebrate their doctor by participating in the Thanks Doc! campaign in a number of easy ways. Patients can send a personalized thank you card to their doctor by visiting thanksdoc.oma.org or share their story on Facebook.com/Ontariosdoctors. Patients who take the time to say Thanks Doc! will be entered into a draw to win an iPhone5 or a Fitbit One Wireless Activity and Sleep Tracker. Follow @Ontariosdoctors on Twitter to read some of the most compelling tweets throughout the day.”

And as a bonus to entering and hopefully one of you winning the iPhone5 or FitBit (which I have heard awesome things about), Nonmom is having a draw for a $25 gift card to Sport Chek! What you need to do to enter is go to the website above, submit your note to your doctor and then come back here, post the link to your note in a comment to me and I’ll draw from those and you’ll get your gift card to go grab something fun for yourself or a loved one!

The contest opens now, yay and closes Friday May 10th at midnight EST. Open to Canadian’s only,  I’ll email the winner and wish all of you good luck and great health

***Nonmom edit: In case some of you are worried about putting your stories out there, what we’ll do is you get one entry for following the steps above and one for commenting on this post. Either way you get 2 or one, up to you! ***

Review: New G.I.Joe Retaliation Toys from #Hasbro

I am slow on getting this done, but I assure you, the toys are pretty darn cool!

G.I. Joe is back, and even as a girl, I loved the show and toys as a kid. It might have had something to do with the fact that the lady who took care of my sister and I had three boys and we played with their toys, but I really had so much fun with them and I love that this franchise has continued. I now have the original theme song in my head playing over and over as I type this you should know LOL.

What is a Nonmom to do when asked to check these out…well, she enlists first her husband (he was partial to the mask LOL) and then a younger friend who became her ‘experts’.

Here’s what Aeden had to say about the line:

Snake Eyes Mask:  For the snake eyes mask I like how Hasbro followed the design of the mask like in the movie. I also like how it’s only the front of the mask not all away around. I wish that the mask could have come with sounds or a felt backing to make it more comfortable. Overall I like the mask.

Cobra Commander: For the Cobra Commander I like how it comes in a separate box and I also like how the Cobra Staff can add an cobra on top and how it shoots a missile. On Cobra Commander himself I like all the detail that went into the toy and into the weapons. There is nothing really I don’t like about this toy.

Ninja Speed Cycle: For the Ninja Speed Cycle I like the overall look of the cycle. I also like all the detail into some spots where barely anyone would look. I like how the missile fires and how extra stuff can be added on. I wish Hasbro would make it turn as it goes though.

Micro Force Five Pack: For the five pack I like how there can be multiple combinations with the pack. I also like how you can see all the characters in the pack. I wish the characters were a bit bigger and I think that there should be a bigger pack.

Micro Force Two Pack: For the Micro Force two pack I like how there could be many combinations but I would have liked to have seen the package in plastic because I would like to see the figures I’m getting. I wish that there was jumbo pack of the two pack for a mystery collection. On the other hand I do like the design of the figures and I appreciate how much detail and time went into these toys. ***Nonmom note: These small packs immediately screamed ‘loot bags’ at me. Love them for that or road trips.***

Nonmom’s take on the line overall is that it’s very cool how Hasbro has updated it, but it’s still very much the G.I. Joe I remember. I love that there is adaptability for the different age groups too with Micro Force and then the bigger figures for different levels of play. The level of detail never ceases to amaze me. I look at some of the toys I used to play with (yes I’ve kept a lot from my childhood) and the details are so much more in-depth now.

I’m also a fan of how you can get packages in different sizes for the Micro Force in particular. The larger pack can be for say, a birthday present, and the little packs for a treat after a good report or test at school or a big win in sports etc.

Check ‘em out!

Wordless Wednesday Princess Edition!

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