PLEASE Read. Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Your Help is Needed!

My friend's 19 month old granddaughter needs your help. Her name is Alexis Harding. Here is her story.

I am 19 months old and I have a seizure disorder which has not yet been diagnosed. I started having seizures at 24hrs old, I am hypotonic, developmentaly delayed and also failure to thrive. My seizures are a variety of different ones. My head and eyes deviate to the right or left and I have clusters which last sometimes for hours. I also have staring and drop seizures. After I have a seizure I cannnot use my right arm sometimes for minutes, sometimes for days. I have been on 8 meds that have not worked and the ketogenic diet. The meds that failed to work are phenobarb, lamictal, topimax, kepra ,clonopin, clobazam, acth and trileptal. I am currently taking 3 of these meds all at once to try and get some control on the seizures without any success. Because of my size and age the doctors are limited on what they can give me. My seizures used to come once in a while but the older I get the worse they get. I am having anywhere from 5 to 30 seizures a day for periods of 4 to 5 days in a row. Sometimes they will stop for a few days for whatever reason and then they will start again. I have been hospitalized once a month since I was born, this month being the worst I have been in the hospital 16 out of 24 days so far. I have had 6 MRI's, a spect scan, pet scan, spinal tap and tons of genetic testing all of which has come back normal. I have been through weeks of video EEG's which have showed spikes coming from the left side of my brain and they have captured 3 of the 5 types of seizures I have. If anyone has any information that might help us find out what is wrong with me please comment or email us. Please help my Mommy and Daddy help me.

How You Can Help

First, if you do have an answer or any helpful information her email address is alexisharding01@yahoo.com

Second, leave your supportive and encouraging comments and prayers in the comment section below. Her parents and grandparents will appreciate it.

Finally, share this story with others. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone... You can click on the share button and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter, etc. Also, you could post her story in a blog post of your own.


Thank you so much for taking the time to help this child.

Six Tricks to Double Your Calorie Burn

For more Health and Fitness videos visit Oldmanblurts YouTube.

Fun, Exercise, and a Healthy Picnic

As the cool morning breeze blows gently, I enjoy my morning exercise routine. I notice a couple of leaves have started to change colors and realize Labor Day is just around the corner. These are the first signs that summer is coming to a close. It will not be long before autumn is upon us however there is still time for summertime fun in the sun. For me, Labor Day means a chance to enjoy a healthy picnic in the park. Yes, I said healthy. I am not talking about chips, potato salad, macaroni salad, fried chicken and beer. I know, that all sounds good to me too, in moderation. We are living a healthy lifestyle now, right? I am talking about making some healthy choices that are satisfying, filling and delicious and a day filled with lots of play time to get in some exercise. Here are some tips for healthy picnicking.

Plan to get there early to make sure you get a picnic table and start the day off with some exercise. Bring a Frisbee®, baseball gloves, softball, kick ball and/or a soccer ball to enjoy running around and playing some games. You can also have races and play games like tug of war, tag and red rover if your gang is large enough.

Choose healthy foods and snacks to bring. Set out a spread of healthy appetizers. This can include celery sticks, carrot sticks, broccoli, cucumbers, mushrooms, fat free dip, whole wheat crackers, cheese chunks, nuts and fruit.

If you are going to be cooking out, add some color to your grill and make shish kabobs with boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized chunks. Cut red and green bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and any other veggies you like into 1” x 1” pieces. I marinate the chicken and veggies in separate zip lock bags overnight. They should be marinated for at least an hour. I usually use a store bought low-fat marinade but you can use your favorite. Next, kabob them on a skewer and place on the grill, turn every now and then until the chicken is thoroughly cooked or about 45 minutes. The chicken should not have any pink on the inside.

Other options for the meal can include veggie burgers, low-fat hot dogs, grilled corn and baked potatoes. You can have sandwiches made with lean roast beef, turkey and/or chicken on whole wheat bread or buns. Be sure to have all the fixings to put on them like lettuce, tomato, onions, peppers, bean sprouts, relish and mustard.

For drinks bring water and iced tea made with a sugar substitute and/or lemon. If you must have alcohol, opt for wine instead of beer and stay away from sugar filled drinks like daiquiris and margaritas. Again, remember the key to our success is moderation.

For dessert have watermelon and other fruits available. Stay away from desserts filled with sugar or use a sugar substitute when baking. Make an angel food cake with strawberries or blueberries as toppings.

Finish the day with a leisurely stroll or a bicycle ride through the park or maybe a game of kick ball.

It is possible to have a picnic filled with healthy foods and exercise. It is a lifestyle change that we are trying to achieve. We are not on a diet; a diet is only the foods that we consume. It can be healthy or unhealthy depending on the choices that we make. We can achieve the weight loss we are seeking. It only takes our willingness to make the healthy choices in our lives. I am on my way to a happier and healthier me. You can do it as well. Just commit yourself to your goals. I am sure you can achieve success. God Bless and enjoy your Labor Day holiday.

This is the article I wrote for The Henry County Times originally published on August 26, 2009.