{Interesting places}

1. Praque Isle - Erie, PA
2. Lake Superior - Upper Peninsular, MI
3. Covered Bridges - Ashtabula County, OH
4. Hocking Hills - OH 

"Hand of Hope" (Shared on Facebook)

A picture began circulating in November. It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "Picture of the Decade." It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the U.S. paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it.

The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.

The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life."

Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person" Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful. Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible....and hey, pass it on! The world needs to see this one!

Biopsy - Source: WebMD

What Is a Biopsy?

A biopsy is a sample of tissue taken from the body in order to examine it more closely. Usually, a doctor recommends a biopsy when an initial test suggests an area of tissue in the body isn't normal.

Doctors may call an area of abnormal tissue a lesion or mass. These are general words, used to emphasize the unknown nature of the tissue. The suspicious area may be noticed during a physical examination, or inside the body on an imaging test.

Why Are Biopsies Done?

Biopsies are most often done to look forcancer. But biopsies can help identify many other conditions, including infections and autoimmune disorders like lupus.

A biopsy might be recommended whenever there is an important medical question the biopsy could help answer. Here are just a few examples:

• A mammogram shows a lump or mass, indicating the possibility of breast cancer.
• A mole on the skin has changed shape recently and melanoma is possible.
• A person has chronic hepatitis and it's important to know if cirrhosis is present.

In some cases, a biopsy of normal-appearing tissue may be done. This can help check for cancer spread or rejection of a transplanted organ, for example.

In most cases, a biopsy is done to diagnose a problem and/or to determine the best therapy option.

Types of Biopsies

There are many different kinds of biopsies. Nearly all of them involve using a sharp tool to remove a small amount of tissue. If the biopsy will be on the skin or other sensitive area, numbing medicine is applied first.

Here are some types of biopsies:

• Needle biopsy. Most biopsies are needle biopsies, meaning a needle is used to access the suspicious tissue.
• CT-guided biopsy. A person rests in a CT-scanner; the scanner's images help doctors determine the exact position of the needle in the targeted tissue.
• Ultrasound-guided biopsy. An ultrasound scanner helps a doctor direct the needle into the lesion.
• Bone biopsy. A bone biopsy (to look for cancer of the bones) usually requires orthopaedic surgery.
• Bone marrow biopsy. A large needle is used to enter the pelvis bone to collect bone marrow. This detects blood cancers like leukemia or lymphoma.
• Liver biopsy. A needle is injected into the liver through the skin on the belly, capturing liver tissue.
• Kidney biopsy. Similar to a liver biopsy, a needle is injected through the skin on the back, into the kidney.
• Aspiration biopsy. A needle withdraws material out of a mass. This simple procedure is also called fine-needle aspiration.
• Prostate biopsy. Multiple needle biopsies are taken at one time from the prostate gland. To reach the prostate, a probe is inserted into the rectum.
• Skin biopsy. A punch biopsy is the main biopsy method. It uses a circular blade to get a cylindrical sample of skin tissue.
• Surgical biopsy. Either open or laparoscopic surgery may be necessary to obtain a biopsy of hard-to-reach tissue. Either a piece of tissue or the whole lump of tissue may be removed.

What to Expect From Your Biopsy

Biopsies vary greatly according to how difficult the tissue is to obtain. The medical term for this is "invasiveness."

A minimally invasive biopsy (for example, most skin biopsies) may be done during the same visit the lesion is discovered, in the doctor's office. A small injection of numbing medicine can make the procedure almost painless.

More invasive biopsies may be done in a hospital or a specialized doctor's office. You would make a separate appointment for the biopsy. In most cases, sedating and pain relief medicines are given, reducing any discomfort. You likely won't be able to drive after receiving these medicines.

You may feel sore at the area of the biopsy for a few days. Your doctor can prescribe appropriate pain relief medicines if you have significant pain from the biopsy.

What Happens After the Biopsy?

After the tissue is collected and preserved, it's delivered to a pathologist. Pathologists are doctors who specialize in diagnosing conditions based on tissue samples and other tests. (In some cases, the doctor collecting the sample can diagnose the condition.)

A pathologist examines the biopsy tissue under a microscope. By noting the tissue cells' type, shape, and internal activity, in many cases a pathologist can diagnose the problem.

The time it takes to get results from a biopsy can vary. During a surgery, a pathologist may read a biopsy and report back to a surgeon in a few minutes. Final, highly accurate conclusions on biopsies often take a week or longer. You will probably follow up with your regular doctor to discuss the biopsy results.

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/what-is-a-biopsy

[One-day trip to Falling Water]

44302  >> Point Brugg Cafe >> Fallingwater >> La Casa Narcisi Winery or IKEA >> 44302


Driving Distance:  Approx. 350 miles 

Intineraries:

Breakfast 
Point Brugge Cafe
401 Hastings Street, Point Breeze, Pittsburgh, PA


Destination 1
Fallingwater 
1491 Mill Run Rd, Mill Run, PA 15464


Destination 2/ Dinner
 La Casa Narcisi Winery
4578 Gibsonia Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044
or
Destination 2/Dinner
IKEA Pittsburgh
2001 Park Manor Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15205


Other Restaurants in Pittsburgh:


Crepes Parisiennes
Shadyside
732 Filbert St. Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Oakland

207 S. Craig St. Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Primanti Bros.
The almost famous sandwiches.


Wholey's Fish Market
Seafood market and restaurant in Strip District.


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All Questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome and appreciated :)

Art in the Square 2011

Thanks to everyone who came out in 100+ degrees to support Bethany and I.  We greatly appreciate it :)

CLE Patio Week

Downtown Cleveland Patio Restaurant Week


Gourmet Prix-Fixe Menus
$15 Lunches & $30 Dinners
September 12 - 18, 2011

My first large painting

Just so happy that it is finished and looking good.  

48 x 48 Acrylic on Canvas