In My Shoes: Artistic Talent Put to Use

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Artistic Talent Put to Use

Fiona and I spent the day working on creating and wrapping baskets for the CLASS (Children's Liver Association for Support Services) annual fund raiser. Fiona did an amazing job arranging the various donated items in baskets. Can't wait until the TEA. Fiona was asked to be the guest speaker and she is thinking about it. It would be nice for others to hear her story. It is always so much fun enjoying a wonderful get together while raffling off the baskets and enjoying a wonderful fashion show to raise money for CLASS. This luncheon is usually outstanding. This is an all volunteer organization that provides support to families who have children with liver disease. I was directed to this organization when Fiona was first born. It is really nice to have contact with people who understand liver disease.

http://classkids.org/

In reading this, if you are interesting in attending our wonderful charity event the invitation is below. click on invitation to see in larger form.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Biliary Atresia

Biliary atresia is a condition in which the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine are not normal. These ducts can be injured, blocked, or missing. When the ducts that carry bile out of the liver are closed, bile backs up and damages liver tissue. In time the liver can develop scarring or cirrhosis. The gallbladder may also be abnormal or missing. The cause of Biliary Atresia is unknown. It occurs in one infant in every 15,000 live births. It is a serious disease which requires immediate surgical and medical treatment.

Arteriovenous Malformations AVMS

I have been diagnosed with AVMS in my lungs do to my liver disease. These have caused me to have 2 lung bleeds which were very scary. I still have more AVMS and they are causing me breathing problems. Below is an explanation of what the AVMs are and a picture of what is happening in my lungs.

Arteries and veins are part of the human cardiovascular system. Normally, the arteries in the vascular system carry oxygen-rich blood at a relatively high pressure. Structurally, arteries divide and sub-divide repeatedly, eventually forming a sponge-like capillary bed. Blood moves through the capillaries, giving up oxygen and taking up waste products from the surrounding cells. Capillaries successively join together, one upon the other, to form the veins that carry blood away at a relatively low pressure. The heart acts to pump blood from the low pressure veins to the high pressure arteries.
If the capillary bed is thought of as a sponge, then an AVM is the rough equivalent of jamming a tangle of flexible soda straws from artery to vein through that sponge. On arteriogram films AVM formation often resemble a tangle of spaghetti noodles. This tangle of blood vessels forms a relatively direct connection between high pressure arteries and low pressure veins.
The result is a collection of blood vessels with abnormal connections and no capillaries. This collection, often called a nidus, can be extremely fragile and prone to bleeding.