New to group

[Guest guest]

> Looks like you could use a lot more protein in your diet.

I'm going to work on the protein thing I may have to resort to

shakes. I also have a nice recipe for " eggless tofu salad " that would

be good for lunch. Right now, I'm trying to get the protein with FF

plain yogurt and beans/peas. I *know* beans are listed as carbs --

though I wonder why they don't count as protein as well. Even

though I was a veggie for years, I have been eating a little meat

lately. So.. I'm not against meat, other than it makes me feel like

cr@p (digestive) when I eat it.

I do get plenty of liquids throughout the day in the forms of water,

herb tea, and a daily afternoon glass of " emergencee " (vitamin C

packet).

I felt *much* better yesterday after my banana mid-morning snack,

and yogurt/fruit at lunch. I think I burned too many calories on NY

Day (what a shame!) and didn't replace enough of them. The bottle

of champagne on NYE may have had something to do with it as well

Finished the BFL for Women book last night. I'll probably grab the

hubby's copy of the original this evening

Dana

[Guest guest]

> Also you mentioned soy milk - if you dont want to go whey, try some

> quality soy protein powder to some smoothies with it (or even add it

> to the milk to up its protein grams), or even try some hemp protein

> powder for variety: http://tinyurl.com/v63vd

I'm not avoiding dairy, it's just that I *like* soy milk (plus, regular milk

makes me want to gag, unless it's laden with chocolate, of course

I probably will head over to the nutrition store for protein powder...

Dana

[Guest guest]

Hi I am starting the program tomorrow. I had done it before but really

did not try to hard. After my grandmother passed away from a heart

attack and seeing my husband have a heart attack , I knew I needed to

make a change in my life to have a better life and body. I know I need

all the help I can get. I sometimes give in when I know I could keep

going. Thank You for letting me join this group.

Cara G

[Guest guest]

You almost certainly likely have PA. Get a renin and aldo done as soon as you can. Take my article to your primary care and any specialists you have seen.I attach our welcome again.CE Grim MD Welcome to the exciting world of Hyperaldosteronism You are in the right place! I am Dr. CE Grim a retired Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology. I have had a long standing interest is Primary Aldosteronism since medical school days when I saw my first patient with Primary Aldosteronism in 1963. I trained with Dr. Conn in Endocrinology and Metabolism 1969-70 and have published over 240 papers and book chapters in most areas of the broad discipline of High Blood Pressure. My CV is in our files for details. The goal of our group is to teach you and your health care team about the ins and outs of the causes, diagnosis and control of the many forms of hyperaldosteronism. The steps below will introduce you into the fascinating world of high blood pressure, salt and potassium and the role of the adrenal hormone aldosterone in health and disease. Doing these in sequence will save you time and effort in getting up to speed in taking control of you health and educating your own health care team. While we can’t make you a doctor we will make you into a pretty good BP doctor-a skill that you will have for life. 1. Overview: Read my article in our files on the evolution of PA (Evolution_of_PA-Grim.pdf ) and take to all members of health care team. Tell us what stage you believe you are in. This is a brief review of most causes of hyperaldosteronism, high blood pressure, low potassium (K). 2. Other patients with hyperaldosteronism (Conn’s syndrome). Read our Conn's stories in our files and then give us your own in as much detail as you can. Dr. Conn was the first to describe this disease process and the syndrome is named after him.To see others' stories, on the Hyperaldosteronism home page, go to Files/Conn’s Stories. You'll find instructions in "A - How to put your story here.doc " First send us your story in an email and they we may have questions and suggestions before you upload it to our files. 3. Eating Plan to control high blood pressure due to hyperaldosteronism and most others with high blood pressure. This will reduce your need for medications and in many will get your BP and K to goal without meds.. Get the DASH diet book by T. et al, read it and use it: $8 in paperback at your local bookstore. If they don’t have it ask them to order it for you. Learning to eat the DASH way will play a major role in your road to good BP and K control and, in many of our folks here, will revolutionize your life. Go to chapter 9 and do the 14 day challenge. Tell your Dr you are doing this as your BP may plummet if you are on other meds. or go to http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf download this 64 page booklet free and do the Week on the DASH Diet for 2 weeks. If you are on BP meds be prepared for a large fall in BP and let your Dr. know you are doing this. Or go to (but costs money) DASH Diet for Health ProgramThe DASH Diet for Health Program is designed to help you improve your eating and exercise habits. Twice each week we will provide you with information on our website about food, food preparation, eating out, losing weight, getting fit and much more. In addition to providing new information each week on our website, we create a web page specially for you where you can track progress in areas such as your weight, blood pressure, and exercise.http://www.dashforhealth.com/ I strongly recommend you get this book and read it. 4. Measure your BP: Measure your BP daily so you can see if it is getting better. If you are taking meds be sure to tell your health care team you are doing this as your BP may plummet to normal quickly. We recommend you use a device you listen to and will help you learn how to do this. If this is not something you want to do we can teach a significant other how to do it. See sharedcareinc.com or email to sharedcare@... to order a video on how to do this. If you already have one we will teach you how to teach your health care team how to validate your device. Your life and health depends on accurate BP measurements. Go to the amricanheart.org and download the Guidelines for Human Blood Pressure Measurement. Insist the your health care team do BP the AHA way. Never trust your life to an automatic BP machine unless you know it is accurate on YOU. 5. Genetics and your BP: Go to familyhistory.hhs.gov and do your detailed family medical history so we can review with you to help Dx familial causes of high blood pressure and heart disease. If BP runs in your family you may save lives in your family by checking their BP yourself. 6. How to DX and treat PA: Go to our file/Conn's Articles of Note/Medications/Bravo spir 1973.pdf and read this article and take to your health care team. It is old but still one of the best in the medical management of PA. Also see our file from the Endocrine Society Guidelines on PA. Dr. Grim's Perfect Primary Aldosteronism Blood and Urine Testing to diagnose PA in one day. 1. Eat a regular to high salt diet for 2 weeks.2. No BP meds in last 4-12 weeks depending on meds.3. Collect 24 hr urine for Na, K and creatinine and aldosterone. Do not lose a drop of this liquid gold. It is impossible to interpret the renin and aldo without this.4. The morning you finish the 24 hr urine have fasting blood drawn for renin, aldo and K using our guidelines to get an accurate K. Try to get this done about 4 hours after you have been out of bed.5. Send us the results with the normal values for your lab.6. If you ever have a salt (saline) infusion test for PA be certain to ask them to measure how much you pee during the 4 hours of the infusion. If it is 1-1.5 liter of urine it strongly suggests that you may have PA. If more tha 1.5 L you almost certainly have PA. Our PA Registry: If you have been Dxed with PA already and are on Rx or have had surgery please go to http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=HIJIO_f2685379 and complete our survey with as much information as you know. If there is some information you don't know ask us and we will help. If you need to update this as you journey thru the diagnostic/treatment process you can add another entry but label it as Nameyymmdd. For example today 6/12/09 for me would be Grim090612. This ever increasing number will allow us and you to sort your multiple entries into a dated order. 8. Learn the language: If you are new to medical lingo then download the acroyms from http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/bloodpressureline/message/291869. Salt and high blood pressure: To learn the state of the science of salt and blood pressure please spend some time looking at http://www.worldactiononsalt.com/evidence/treatment_trials.htm10. Become a HBP expert consumer: Expect that it will take at least several weeks to get all this digested and to learn the new language of high blood pressure health care. As most doctors and nurses in practice have had very little training in high blood pressure you must become an expert yourself. For example most have never had anyone listen with them with a double stethoscope to verify that they can hear BP sounds. We cannot make you a doctor but we will make you a pretty good BP doctor.11. How High Blood Pressure should be managed: Go to nih.gov and download and read the Joint National Commission (JNC) Report 7 to get an overview on current guidelines. I ask all my secretaries to read this so they can communicate the importance of high blood pressure to my patients. JNC 8 will be out soon.Then: get (and study) the Hypertension Primer from americanheart.org. This is the most up-to-date compendium of what is known about high blood pressure and what every Dr. should know when they graduate from Medical School. Every chapter is only 2-3 pages. Read one chapter every week-night and you will finish it in about a year. I am working on a reading guide for lay people for the Primer. Stay tuned.12. Ask us questions: Ask any questions about high blood pressure you want answered. That is what we are here for.13. One-on-one Consulting: I can provide individual consulting if you do not want to go public. If you want individual one-on-one consulting for you and your Doctor contract me directly at lowerbp2@....May your pressure be low!Clarence E. Grim BS, MS, MD, FACP, FACCBoard Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and High Blood Pressure Retired Faculty/Professor of Medicine (U of MO, Indiana, UCLA/DREW, Medical College of Wisconsin and Cardiology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, and Epidemiology. Specializing in Primary Aldosteronism and Difficult to Control High Blood Pressure. Thank you for responding.The test that I have had run are: Cardiac test all normal, endoscopy: GERD and possible esophageal spasms (not confirm with manometry). And low K on 2 visit to the ER (2.9).I have extreme fatigue, muscle spasms (mostly in chest), extreme thrist and urination. I pee 2-3 times through the night. I have high aniexty and take xanax (as needed) but do not take it daily. Also, feel dizzy and disoriented at times and like I said the vibrations through my body (more noticable at night). I am currently taking meds for my thyroid, protonix, estrogen/prog.I am a 56 yr old female. I do not eat licorice. I haven't renin or aldo test run.Thank you again,Hello, After reading some of the posts I feel a little better. I started having problems about 3yrs ago. I went to the ER with chest pains and shortness of breath. All they found was a low K. I had all the work-ups for heart problems and all was normal. My doctor said it was panic attacks and I would have to learn to live with them. Now it is 3yrs later and at least 5 more visits to the ER and always they test for heart ONLY, tell me I am fine and send me home. I am about to go crazy. I have possible esophageal spasms, palpatations, extreme fatigue, moderately high blood pressure at times. I feel like I get jolts of electricity through my body (thats the best way I can discribe it) and I have many sleepless nights. When I try to go to sleep I feel bad muscle spasms across my chest and abdomen.I had a goiter in my 30's, so my doc blames some of my problems on thyroid imblances. I know it is not panic disorder (although it does make me panic at times). Could someone please help me to help my new doctor run some test and possibly evaluate my situation better. Thank you for all the help.After reading about Conn's I feel I have a lot of the symptoms.

[Guest guest]

Hyperventilation will cause a low K. Some do this when they get blood drawn. But is correctly by breathing in a bag.Never ever let anyone say "All they found was a low K", to you again. They must explain the low K. assume BP has been up as well?Certainly many here do not feel right when their K is low. CE Grim MD, since when do panic attacks cause low potassium? I'm so sick of that same old song. Val From: hyperaldosteronism [mailto:hyperaldosteronism ] On Behalf Of garykat11Hello, After reading some of the posts I feel a little better. I started having problems about 3yrs ago. I went to the ER with chest pains and shortness of breath. All they found was a low K. I had all the work-ups for heart problems and all was normal. My doctor said it was panic attacks and I would have to learn to live with them. Now it is 3yrs later and at least 5 more visits to the ER and always they test for heart ONLY, tell me I am fine and send me home. I am about to go crazy. I have possible esophageal spasms, palpatations, extreme fatigue, moderately high blood pressure at times. I feel like I get jolts of electricity through my body (thats the best way I can discribe it) and I have many sleepless nights. When I try to go to sleep I feel bad muscle spasms across my chest and abdomen.I had a goiter in my 30's, so my doc blames some of my problems on thyroid imblances. I know it is not panic disorder (although it does make me panic at times). Could someone please help me to help my new doctor run some test and possibly evaluate my situation better. Thank you for all the help.After reading about Conn's I feel I have a lot of the symptoms.

[Guest guest]

sounds like u was dehydrated ??? maybe?

Subject: New to groupTo: hyperaldosteronism Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 3:00 PM

Hello, After reading some of the posts I feel a little better. I started having problems about 3yrs ago. I went to the ER with chest pains and shortness of breath. All they found was a low K. I had all the work-ups for heart problems and all was normal. My doctor said it was panic attacks and I would have to learn to live with them. Now it is 3yrs later and at least 5 more visits to the ER and always they test for heart ONLY, tell me I am fine and send me home. I am about to go crazy. I have possible esophageal spasms, palpatations, extreme fatigue, moderately high blood pressure at times. I feel like I get jolts of electricity through my body (thats the best way I can discribe it) and I have many sleepless nights. When I try to go to sleep I feel bad muscle spasms across my chest and abdomen.I had a goiter in my 30's, so my doc blames some of my problems on thyroid imblances. I know it is not panic disorder (although it does make me panic at

times). Could someone please help me to help my new doctor run some test and possibly evaluate my situation better. Thank you for all the help.After reading about Conn's I feel I have a lot of the symptoms.

[Guest guest]

I have a question about PA and dehydration.

If I understand this right. It is the increase in blood sodium that makes us

drink until sodium is returned to normal. If we do not drink enough blood volume

gets to low and sodium gets to high we get dehydrated.

When one has PA this increases sodium so you drink more that a normal person

does. This in turn makes blood volume to high.

Because ones blood volume is to high can they still get SX of dehydration even

though they have to much fluid in them?

>

>

>

> Subject: New to group

> To: hyperaldosteronism

> Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 3:00 PM

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>

> Hello, After reading some of the posts I feel a little better. I started

having problems about 3yrs ago. I went to the ER with chest pains and shortness

of breath. All they found was a low K. I had all the work-ups for heart problems

and all was normal. My doctor said it was panic attacks and I would have to

learn to live with them. Now it is 3yrs later and at least 5 more visits to the

ER and always they test for heart ONLY, tell me I am fine and send me home. I am

about to go crazy. I have possible esophageal spasms, palpatations, extreme

fatigue, moderately high blood pressure at times. I feel like I get jolts of

electricity through my body (thats the best way I can discribe it) and I have

many sleepless nights. When I try to go to sleep I feel bad muscle spasms across

my chest and abdomen.

> I had a goiter in my 30's, so my doc blames some of my problems on thyroid

imblances. I know it is not panic disorder (although it does make me panic at

times). Could someone please help me to help my new doctor run some test and

possibly evaluate my situation better. Thank you for all the help.

> After reading about Conn's I feel I have a lot of the symptoms.

>

[Guest guest]

Dr. Grim, I would like to tell you where I am at today. 8 weeks ago I saw a new

dr. and told him my symptoms. He didn't run any blood test at the time, but

thought I might have adrenal fatigue. He placed me on Vit B complex and we also

changed my thyroid meds to a slow release T4 and T3 combination. After 3 weeks

of being on the new meds I was totally exhaustedand aniexty was worse. I went

back to see him and he gave me a B12 shot. Three days after that I went to the

ER with the severe chest spasms. Again the cardaic work-up and all that was

found is low K. The dr. that released me from the hospital gave me a script for

K 40mg X 2 daily. I went in to see the new dr. the next week, he ran free T4 and

T3 and my T4 had plummetted. At this time we have increased my T4 and will do

labs again in four weeks, but he told me to cut the K down to 1 X a day (20mg)

But my other symptoms are still there and I do not feel they are related to the

thyroid being low. I

do beleive he will run the other test, but would like to know the best

information to give him to read about the PA. Also, about 8 yrs ago my

dermatology dr. put me on spiroaldoctone for adult acne and I took the med

several yrs. in fact I was on it the first time my K dropped. I could not

understand why it would have dropped being on the spiro, since it was K sparing.

Could taking this med and now being off (almost 3yrs) have any effects on what

is happening?

I have been taking my blood pressure most days. It usually is 120/70 range, but

when I get the spikes it gets high 150/90.

Thank you.

> Hello, After reading some

> of the posts I feel a little better. I started having

> problems about 3yrs ago. I went to the ER with chest pains

> and shortness of breath. All they found was a low K. I had

> all the work-ups for heart problems and all was normal. My

> doctor said it was panic attacks and I would have to learn

> to live with them. Now it is 3yrs later and at least 5 more

> visits to the ER and always they test for heart ONLY, tell

> me I am fine and send me home. I am about to go crazy. I

> have possible esophageal spasms, palpatations, extreme

> fatigue, moderately high blood pressure at times. I feel

> like I get jolts of electricity through my body (thats the

> best way I can discribe it) and I have many sleepless

> nights. When I try to go to sleep I feel bad muscle spasms

> across my chest and abdomen.

> I had a goiter in my 30's, so my doc blames some of my

> problems on thyroid imblances. I know it is not panic

> disorder (although it does make me panic at times). Could

> someone please help me to help my new doctor run some test

> and possibly evaluate my situation better. Thank you for all

> the help.

> After reading about Conn's I feel I have a lot of the

> symptoms. 

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[Guest guest]

Any Dr who Dxs adrenal fatigue in a pt who has a low K, or gives B12 unless you have Pernicious Anemia or very low B12 may be on the fringe.What have your renin and aldos numbers been.What else were you taking when your K first dropped? How much Spiro?CE Grim MDDr. Grim, I would like to tell you where I am at today. 8 weeks ago I saw a new dr. and told him my symptoms. He didn't run any blood test at the time, but thought I might have adrenal fatigue. He placed me on Vit B complex and we also changed my thyroid meds to a slow release T4 and T3 combination. After 3 weeks of being on the new meds I was totally exhaustedand aniexty was worse. I went back to see him and he gave me a B12 shot. Three days after that I went to the ER with the severe chest spasms. Again the cardaic work-up and all that was found is low K. The dr. that released me from the hospital gave me a script for K 40mg X 2 daily. I went in to see the new dr. the next week, he ran free T4 and T3 and my T4 had plummetted. At this time we have increased my T4 and will do labs again in four weeks, but he told me to cut the K down to 1 X a day (20mg) But my other symptoms are still there and I do not feel they are related to the thyroid being low. Ido beleive he will run the other test, but would like to know the best information to give him to read about the PA. Also, about 8 yrs ago my dermatology dr. put me on spiroaldoctone for adult acne and I took the med several yrs. in fact I was on it the first time my K dropped. I could not understand why it would have dropped being on the spiro, since it was K sparing. Could taking this med and now being off (almost 3yrs) have any effects on what is happening?I have been taking my blood pressure most days. It usually is 120/70 range, but when I get the spikes it gets high 150/90. Thank you.> Hello, After reading some> of the posts I feel a little better. I started having> problems about 3yrs ago. I went to the ER with chest pains> and shortness of breath. All they found was a low K. I had> all the work-ups for heart problems and all was normal. My> doctor said it was panic attacks and I would have to learn> to live with them. Now it is 3yrs later and at least 5 more> visits to the ER and always they test for heart ONLY, tell> me I am fine and send me home. I am about to go crazy. I> have possible esophageal spasms, palpatations, extreme> fatigue, moderately high blood pressure at times. I feel> like I get jolts of electricity through my body (thats the> best way I can discribe it) and I have many sleepless> nights. When I try to go to sleep I feel bad muscle spasms> across my chest and abdomen.> I had a goiter in my 30's, so my doc blames some of my> problems on thyroid imblances. I know it is not panic> disorder (although it does make me panic at times). Could> someone please help me to help my new doctor run some test> and possibly evaluate my situation better. Thank you for all> the help.> After reading about Conn's I feel I have a lot of the> symptoms. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

[Guest guest]

When I took the spiro I was also on snthyroid .125 and prilosic for GERD. I took

spiro 25 2X daily for about a month and then she dropped me to 25 1X daily. I

have never been told I had anemia or to my knowledge never had my B12 checked or

my renin or aldostrone. My regular gp told me I was having panic attacks and

that I needed to learn to live with them about 8 months ago. I have been trying

to deal with this by just taking xanax when it gets so bad I can't handle it

(the anxiety and chest spasms). Also, I will not take the xanax daily because it

is an addictive med. That is when I made an appt. to see the new dr. I just

want to get better and feel myself again, before this started I NEVER was sick.

> > Hello, After reading some

> > of the posts I feel a little better. I started having

> > problems about 3yrs ago. I went to the ER with chest

> pains

> > and shortness of breath. All they found was a low K. I

> had

> > all the work-ups for heart problems and all was

> normal. My

> > doctor said it was panic attacks and I would have to

> learn

> > to live with them. Now it is 3yrs later and at least 5

> more

> > visits to the ER and always they test for heart ONLY,

> tell

> > me I am fine and send me home. I am about to go crazy.

> I

> > have possible esophageal spasms, palpatations,

> extreme

> > fatigue, moderately high blood pressure at times. I

> feel

> > like I get jolts of electricity through my body (thats

> the

> > best way I can discribe it) and I have many sleepless

> > nights. When I try to go to sleep I feel bad muscle

> spasms

> > across my chest and abdomen.

> > I had a goiter in my 30's, so my doc blames some

> of my

> > problems on thyroid imblances. I know it is not panic

> > disorder (although it does make me panic at times).

> Could

> > someone please help me to help my new doctor run some

> test

> > and possibly evaluate my situation better. Thank you

> for all

> > the help.

> > After reading about Conn's I feel I have a lot of

> the

> > symptoms. 

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[Guest guest]

if your BP has been above 140/90 and K low take my evolution ar to your dr.CE Grim MDWhen I took the spiro I was also on snthyroid .125 and prilosic for GERD. I took spiro 25 2X daily for about a month and then she dropped me to 25 1X daily. I have never been told I had anemia or to my knowledge never had my B12 checked or my renin or aldostrone. My regular gp told me I was having panic attacks and that I needed to learn to live with them about 8 months ago. I have been trying to deal with this by just taking xanax when it gets so bad I can't handle it (the anxiety and chest spasms). Also, I will not take the xanax daily because it is an addictive med. That is when I made an appt. to see the new dr. I just want to get better and feel myself again, before this started I NEVER was sick. > > Hello, After reading some> > of the posts I feel a little better. I started having> > problems about 3yrs ago. I went to the ER with chest> pains> > and shortness of breath. All they found was a low K. I> had> > all the work-ups for heart problems and all was> normal. My> > doctor said it was panic attacks and I would have to> learn> > to live with them. Now it is 3yrs later and at least 5> more> > visits to the ER and always they test for heart ONLY,> tell> > me I am fine and send me home. I am about to go crazy.> I> > have possible esophageal spasms, palpatations,> extreme> > fatigue, moderately high blood pressure at times. I> feel> > like I get jolts of electricity through my body (thats> the> > best way I can discribe it) and I have many sleepless> > nights. When I try to go to sleep I feel bad muscle> spasms> > across my chest and abdomen.> > I had a goiter in my 30's, so my doc blames some> of my> > problems on thyroid imblances. I know it is not panic> > disorder (although it does make me panic at times).> Could> > someone please help me to help my new doctor run some> test> > and possibly evaluate my situation better. Thank you> for all> > the help.> > After reading about Conn's I feel I have a lot of> the> > symptoms. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

[Guest guest]

http://www.fatigueanswers.com/dehydration.html... THIS MAY HELP.

Subject: Re: New to groupTo: hyperaldosteronism Date: Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 11:20 AM

I have a question about PA and dehydration. If I understand this right. It is the increase in blood sodium that makes us drink until sodium is returned to normal. If we do not drink enough blood volume gets to low and sodium gets to high we get dehydrated. When one has PA this increases sodium so you drink more that a normal person does. This in turn makes blood volume to high. Because ones blood volume is to high can they still get SX of dehydration even though they have to much fluid in them? > > > From:

garykat11 > Subject: New to group> To: hyperaldosteronism > Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 3:00 PM> > > Â > > > > Hello, After reading some of the posts I feel a little better. I started having problems about 3yrs ago. I went to the ER with chest pains and shortness of breath. All they found was a low K. I had all the work-ups for heart problems and all was normal. My doctor said it was panic attacks and I would have to learn to live with them. Now it is 3yrs later and at least 5 more visits to the ER and always they test for heart ONLY, tell me I am fine and send me home. I am about to go crazy. I have possible esophageal spasms, palpatations,

extreme fatigue, moderately high blood pressure at times. I feel like I get jolts of electricity through my body (thats the best way I can discribe it) and I have many sleepless nights. When I try to go to sleep I feel bad muscle spasms across my chest and abdomen.> I had a goiter in my 30's, so my doc blames some of my problems on thyroid imblances. I know it is not panic disorder (although it does make me panic at times). Could someone please help me to help my new doctor run some test and possibly evaluate my situation better. Thank you for all the help.> After reading about Conn's I feel I have a lot of the symptoms.>

[Guest guest]

I'm new also, but I would like to welcome you. With the other experiences you

had, it should be a great step in the right direction! Welcome again.

[Guest guest]

________________________________

To: NaturalPerfumery

Sent: Thu, September 2, 2010 1:42:47 PM

Subject: New to group

Hello everyone.

I became interested in natural perfumery about two years ago. I am a novice at

perfume construction. But, I have had other life experiences that should help. I

have read several books written by perfume-makers and have experimented a bit on

my own.

I recently retired from a 32 year career in publishing. I was educated in art &

art history and have done a lot of research in international and colonial

records of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In these records, there is a

lot of material about plants and how people used them. I find the history of

perfume to be of interest and am fond of antique perfume bottles, sachet

containers and scent lockets.

My great grandmother, who was born in 1877, first introduced me to flower and

herbal gardening when I was a child. She was extremely old at the time. My

fondest memories are of walking in the garden with her. Surrounded by scent, she

would tell me how to use the plants and herbs. She would crush the flowers and

herbs and rub them on her wrists, a farm woman's perfume. From her, I learned

early to notice scent and it is a predominant theme in my early memories.

Because of her influence, I spent many years gardening in adult life, because I

too loved fragrance. I focused on herbs and antique roses, collected abandoned

roses and plants from remote homesteads, and grew hundreds of other kinds of

flowering plants. I kept a thorough gardening log throughout, and experimented

with flower and herb concoctions. I also collected antique books on gardening

and culinary history. I used to write a cooking blog and in the past, have made

my own cordials, ratafias, fruit brandies and vinegars according to old receipts

(recipes.)

So, I have been exposed to scent, herbs and flowers in different contexts for

decades and have experimented in various ways with plant materials, infusions

and oils. I hope these experiences will be useful as I work to deepen my skills

in natural perfumery.

I very much look forward to being a member of this group. Thank you for allowing

me to participate,

Candace York

Hello Candace,

Welcome! Your background in publishing is apparent from your beautifully

written introduction. How wonderful you collect antique roses! I have an image

in my head of you driving along a dusty road and pulling over in front of a

ramshackle abandoned farmhouse, where you lovingly dig up a rose bush that's

been left by the owner and place it safely in the back of your car.

Glad to have you,

Charna Ethier

Providence Perfume Co.

http://www.providenceperfume.com

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