Jeanne, Withania (W. somnifera)is a herb specific for fatigue states due to bleeding...it is high in iron, and has a tonic effect generally. Try 3-6g of dried root divided into several daily teas. May be useful until you are feeling stronger. The fruit of the Chaste Tree (Vitex) is used. This is a very effective menopausal herb if taken for a prolonged (more than a month)_period. DO NOT take this herb with any HRT therapies your doctor may prescribe such as progestrin.Also DO NOT take Dong Quai if you are bleeding heavily, as this is sometimes found in health food store menopausal "blends", as is contraindicated for such. For hot flushes Sage is very good, especially if night sweats acompany them, if you are unable to attend an herbalist, just a handful of fresh leaves in a teacup, add hotwater and steep 10 mins, then drink as required. 3-4 cups/day should help. Depending on your case presentation, other herbs to be entertained may include; St John's Wort, Helonias Root, Wild yam, Black Cohosh, Ladies mantle, Shatavari, Oats, Motherwort, Licorice, Rehmannia. Of theses herbs, only 4-6 would be given at any one time depending on your case evaluation, history and hormone test results. John.

they definitely sell topsoil around here...by the bag or by the truckload...it sure looks pretty but it's definitely garbage. don't throw things at me though...because i just used some in my mom's yard. her soil was too rich for the type of garden she wanted...xeric. she had added so much compost over the years..i just knew the heads of all of her echinacea would be flopping over in no time! so...i had to basically cut the quality of her soil a bit. sad..huh? i added only 6 cubic feet...i'm not sure if it will make a difference or not..but i wasn't going to add compost! when i put in my raised beds, i ordered something called planter's mix. i think it was a 70% topsoil 30% compost mix...and i STILL had to add TONS and TONS of compost and manure to get that soil fertile enough to grow good plants. the soil was horribly hydrophobic too! anyway..in horticulture class..my professor warned everyone against "topsoil." he said it has no organic matter and will not support plants on it's own. in my soil class...we learned that silt makes great soil! so edie...just start adding compost and you'll be happy with your soil in no time!

I think (hope) doctors today have the mindset of sparing what organs they can. I've read/heard arguments on both sides of the story. Here's some info from the wall street journal health journal: Cutting Less More doctors are challenging the convention of removing the cervix during a hysterectomy. Here's why: * Pap smears have sharply reduced the incidence of cervical cancer. * Sparing the cervix reduces the risk of bladder damage. * Some doctors say it may improve sexual function. Some 600,000 hysterectomies are performed in the U.S. every year, making it the second-most common women's surgery after Caesarean section. It is done to remove cancers of the uterus or cervix, or more commonly to treat a painful condition called endometriosis or because of noncancerous uterine growths called fibroids. Prior to 1940, nearly all hysterectomies preserved the cervix because it was easier and safer given the lack of antibiotics and blood banks. But by the 1960s, removing the cervix, viewed as a cancer preventative at a time when Pap smears were still fairly new, became standard. Now the tide appears to be turning. In 2006, 9.7% of U.S. inpatient hysterectomies, which account for more than 90% of the procedures, preserved the cervix, compared with just 1.7% a decade earlier, according to federal data. ------- Just sharing that info, not saying they are right. It's something anyone considering a hysterectomy should think about. I'm just thankful that we have alternatives to an actual hysterectomy these days. tina

I agree its annoying. I also agree that I do love cats, and there are also feral cat colonies here and there. What I haven't seen mentioned is that there are leash laws, and by and large, those laws DO INCLUDE CATS. I know for a fact that my state (Tennessee) does have a statewide leash law and it does include cats. It's probably true as well that most people in TN aren't aware of that fact. I'll go one further and speculate that most people in southern states with a lot of rural area aren't aware their own states probably have the same law. You need to check your state leash law and see if it includes cats first off. Then its not just a matter of "inconveniencing" anyone. Then it becomes a matter of law. Now can you get someone to enforce this? (probably not). I will say however that there are a lot of people out there - specifically cat owners and lovers who let their pets run free and aren't fully aware of the consequences. Feral cats perpetuate FIV and feline leukemia. They can pass this on to the roaming family cat, who in turn can pass it on to her mates at the local groomer or vet. In addition, and trust me, I know this for a fact, there are people out there who go out of their WAY to trap and turn in roaming annoying cats who wander onto their property. When I worked at the shelter, there was one older lady who went out of her way to rent a live-trap monthly and bring in every stray cat she could catch (often baited with tuna). THAT wasn't illegal - but the roaming cat was. By the way, the other day, a contractor doing some work for us told me, "Oh I'm so sorry, but we let your cat out of the garage accidently." My response? "Umm... what cat? we don't have one." Apparently we've had a cat take up residence under our house. Lately sometimes at night, I can hear a good bit of screeching and yowling. I fear for the fellow or gal because I've only recently caught glimpses of him and we have no idea what he's up to in the neighborhood or what he's running into. We don't have feral cat colonies in our residential neighborhood, so I suspect he's someone's roaming pet who has decided he likes our basement garage. I've also seen him slip through the gate of my back yard. That's not a good idea for him since I have Boo and Ginger who roam at will back there (2 large dogs). That is not an end I want to witness.