Hello my dawlinks! It's your Yenta, and once again I've been shlepping my cookies around, but this time I went abroad to the homeland. I still have family in Pinsk (Russia) and we've been in contact for quite a while so I finally picked up and went to see them. Oy! The joy it brung to mine heart.
Most of my relatives still live the "simple" life of farming. Not so simple, kindeleh, I should tell you. Up at the crack of the moon setting before the "cock-a-doodle-you've got to be kidding", slopping and sludging and shlepping and drudging ... and that's just to get dressed for the morning chores BEFORE coffee!
The cows had to be milked; yes your Yenta knows how to do that. The eggs had to be hunted; always a fun thing to do when your younger. The sheep needed shearing; my timing was bad on this one.... And then of course it was time to do some churning. I was one of the youngest people in the family so I was elected to do a few extra things. I also have most of my teeth and hair thanks to modern science and good hygiene.
Forget teeth for a moment, let's talk hair. That adornment that sits atop of the head that is often teased, dried, sprayed, primped, colored, permed, conditioned, cut, shaved, rolled, twisted, braided, brushed, combed, flattened, ironed, and greased. It's a wonder it's lasted as long as it has!
And if, by chance, you see a few strands in the drain, there's a complete melt down and question as to 'why'. There are other reasons for hair falling out. Natural shedding season, illness, medication, age, malnutrition/stress, stress/stress, just to name a few. The point is, whether man or woman, our reaction is usually the same… surprise and anger!
May I remind you, your hair doesn't "make" you be "you". It's an adornment, nothing more. One more thing to spend money on, nothing more. More time in the bathroom, nothing more. It doesn't make you smarter, prettier or more handsome, more athletic, or bring in radio-free Europe. It's in constant need of grooming, bugs get caught in it, fashions change so your hair needs to change with them, it's a costly endeavor. And why do I bring this to your attention? Tanta Petzel.
The story goes that Tanta Petzel had long beautiful hair down to her feet. Pristine, flowing, light brown locks, beautifully groomed, and she was proud of it. Instead of wearing her hair up as she was supposed to as all the other girls did in Shul, Petzel wore hers free but no one said anything; that's how beautiful it was; not even the Rabbi, who was smitten with her.
I'm sorry to say, Tanta Petzel had taken ill with cancer at a young age and her beautiful hair became brittle and fell out by the handfuls. She was afraid the Rabbi would be disappointed so she stopped attending Shul. He was very upset by this and went by her home one evening asking her parents permission to see her. When her father brought her out of her room her head was covered with a handkerchief which the Rabbi asked her to remove.
She cried vehemently, begging him not to make her do this, but he insisted upon it. Once she did, he went to her, kissed her head and told her how beautiful she was. It wasn't her hair that made her beautiful, my dawlinks, he told her, it was she herself.
Of course it took time for her to believe him, and they married. Tanta Petzel had gotten better with the Rabbi's care and love and lived to a ripe old age. The farm I was on belonged to them, which they handed down generation to generation.
My point is simple. We are bombarded by ads from the time we're born telling us it's the aesthetics that make us beautiful when in fact it's not true! Our beauty comes from within. Your true heart, your true self, your true nature is what makes you glow brighter than the stars, burn hotter than the sun, and churns hearts into buttermilk at your smile.
Shine on my dawlinks, it couldn't hurt!
Your
Yenta
__________________
Yenta Tellabenta is truly a 'creation' for outreach and education with Lumigrate.com through storytelling and reinforcement of key concepts related to body, mind, spirit. Written by a very talented and somewhat mysterious younger wise woman who found her way to Lumigrate the summer of 2009, we hope you enjoy having your own Yenta with us at Lumigrate! Yenta (meaning 'town gossip' or 'connector') has a dedicated Forum at Lumigrate at http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/health-issuesdis-eases/fibro... and can also be found on facebook.
Comments
Aah, Yenta, churning hearts into buttermilk you are! What a wonderful story, I enjoyed reading it; I thought I'd write a comment to tell you so and provide a link to a topic I wrote a while back on Lumigrate in the hormone/thyroid area which gives some detail to support what you have said about hair loss being a sign of the state of health in the body.
www.lumigrate.com/forum/low-thyroid-hormone-reverse-t3-free-t3-symptoms-and-what-do [3]
Again, you made such an excellent point and through a thoroughly enjoyable story, what a fun gift to those who come to Lumigrate to learn.
WMS
"There is no one to blame. There is simply taking action!"........Wm. Marcus Spurlock, MD Dr. Spurlock presently works in Dallas, TX treating people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Bio-Identical Hormone Deficiences and Environmental Illnesses. He has been doing this work exclusively for the last 9 years. In the fall of 2011 he opened a new health center; please visit his website, which is where he posts education beyond what is sprinkled at Lumigrate. http://www.renewedvitalitymd.com/ [4] Through a total body approach, the treatments he and his team provide are 85-90% successful in returning patients to their previous health potential. You can see his complete vitae in Lumigrate's forum "About Our Writers" (link: http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/my-vitae-wm-marcus-spurlock-m... [5]), and the majority of his contributions on Lumigrate are in the FMS/CFS/CPain section, where you'll see a forum which includes his name: http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/health-issuesdis-eases/fibro... [6].
Dr Dawlink,
Please excuse the time it's taken me to comment back. Esther needed me in New York and travelink with my laptop these days through the airport is difficult enough with all the meshugas (craziness) with their fancy x-ray machines, searches, etc. It's enough to make your hair fall out! Stress, Libling, stress!
So let me ask you something bubeleh, this thyroid thing... I get blood work done every four months. It includes a thyroid check (you never know), but now I'm told there's only one lab that runs this thyroid test correctly ... Oy! It's enough to drive a Yenta meshuge (crazy)! So...? Tell me, ...what am I to do? My hair isn't falling out but what if the test isn't being done correctly?
See? Even your Yenta needs help now and again. It couldn't hurt!
Your
Yenta
Yenta Tellabenta is truly a 'creation' for outreach and education with Lumigrate.com through storytelling and reinforcement of key concepts related to body, mind, spirit. Written by a very talented and somewhat mysterious younger wise woman who found her way to Lumigrate the summer of 2009, we hope you enjoy having your own Yenta with us at Lumigrate! Yenta (meaning 'town gossip' or 'connector') has a dedicated Forum at Lumigrate at http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/health-issuesdis-eases/fibro... [1] and can also be found on facebook.
Dear Dawlink Yenta,
There are many main stream laboratories that check the thyroid hormone tests correctly. I use Quest and Lab Corp routinely with no problems. The real issue here is that the comprehensive testing is ordered and a knowledgeable doctor interprets the data. The thyroid panel I order is as follows:
1. Free T3
2. Free T4
3. TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
4. Reverse T3
5. Anti-Thyroglobulin Antibodies
6. Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies
When these are interpreted correctly, a good decision may be made as to proper therapy for that patient.
I wish you continued good health and a beautiful adornment atop of your beautiful person! It's a sign that you are healthy inside too!
Yours truly, partners in inner beauty,
Dr. Spurlock
"There is no one to blame. There is simply taking action!"........Wm. Marcus Spurlock, MD Dr. Spurlock presently works in Dallas, TX treating people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Bio-Identical Hormone Deficiences and Environmental Illnesses. He has been doing this work exclusively for the last 9 years. In the fall of 2011 he opened a new health center; please visit his website, which is where he posts education beyond what is sprinkled at Lumigrate. http://www.renewedvitalitymd.com/ [4] Through a total body approach, the treatments he and his team provide are 85-90% successful in returning patients to their previous health potential. You can see his complete vitae in Lumigrate's forum "About Our Writers" (link: http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/my-vitae-wm-marcus-spurlock-m... [5]), and the majority of his contributions on Lumigrate are in the FMS/CFS/CPain section, where you'll see a forum which includes his name: http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/health-issuesdis-eases/fibro... [6].
What a lovely exchange! I thought I'd quickly insert, for those who might want to see more from Dr Spurlock, as there is a "conversation" he has with Dr Jim Kennedy and Gary King, RPh, the following link:
www.lumigrate.com/forum/thyroid-hormone-supplementation-t3t4-hows-it-made [13]
It's a topic that started with a real-life question I had talking with a thyroid-knowledgeable conventional RN in Colorado and goes from there. It hought it was one of Lumigrate's GRATEst educational conversation 'strings'. This, however, with our Darlinks, above, is certainly GRATE and FUN! Enjoy, all who read, and thanks if you take the time to pass the link or information in print along to someone and help others learn what might help them a LOT! (Particularly if it's a provider who then picks up the ball from there and can affect the treatment of all that come for advise and treatment after!, though in reality, there's nothing more assured than telling someone who might have a thyroid condition about this type of information, they'll take matters into their own hands, go to their provider and then it just naturally 'goes from there' related to education of the providers who can so benefit from this! In my opinion, naturally.) ~~ Mardy
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [14] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
Dr Dawlink and Mardy,
Shana dank (thank you). So it's gut (good) to know my doktor (doctor) is on top of his game and speaks to his mamele (sweet little mother), such a mensch (good person). I'm going to gather it's either shedding season for me or it's just simply that I'm an alter kaker (old geezer) and that's why my hair is thinning.
Gut gezunt unt glik (good health and happiness)!
Your
Yenta
Yenta Tellabenta is truly a 'creation' for outreach and education with Lumigrate.com through storytelling and reinforcement of key concepts related to body, mind, spirit. Written by a very talented and somewhat mysterious younger wise woman who found her way to Lumigrate the summer of 2009, we hope you enjoy having your own Yenta with us at Lumigrate! Yenta (meaning 'town gossip' or 'connector') has a dedicated Forum at Lumigrate at http://www.lumigrate.com/forums/health-issuesdis-eases/fibro... [1] and can also be found on facebook.