Blood Clots & Flying: New Guidelines Issued

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Blood normally flows through the legs by muscle contraction via movement
of the legs. During long periods of immobility, blood clots deep within
the veins of the legs causing swelling, stiffness and discomfort. The veins dilate
and blood pools and the pooling is that potential danger.
(image: innermostsecrets.com)

The American College of Chest Physicians have updated their guidelines for developing blood clots while flying. The organization's most controversial finding refutes that only people flying economy class have a greater chance of experiencing the potentially deadly condition.

In a USA Today report, Kate Hanni of FlyersRights.org says that's a bit disingenuous. It's simply easier to get up and move around in business and first class. She was on a flight where seats were so close together that she could not cross her legs because the person in front of her had reclined the chair. She said she was completely immobilized.

Dr. John Torres, health reporter for 9News Colorado, adds that flyers who have window seats tend to to develop blood clots because they are embarrassed to ask people next to them to move and therefore don't get out of their seat as much.

The common advice is to stay hydrated, get up an move around the cabin and do leg exercises at one's seat. It is when passengers sit without moving for long periods of time that can cause blood to clot in legs, also knows as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

The 2012 guidelines cover multiple potential causes for blood clots. The section regarding air travel indicates those at high risk are:

• Persons who had recent surgery or a broken bone
• People with active cancer.
• Pregnant women or women on birth control pills
• The elderly
• Those with limited mobility
• Those who have previously had blood clots
• The very tall who crammed into a seat where they can't move much
• The very short who have to sit in an odd position because the seat is too long and legs can't easily flex
• Obesity (but it is argued that if this is cause or the obesity tends to make people less mobile)

High risk passengers should talk to their doctor and see if blood thinners are recommended to use before flying.

Symptoms for blood clots in the leg:

• If one leg, but not the other, becomes sore and swollen
• If one but not the other feels heavy and may be red
• Getting very short breath and chest pains that last for more than 15 minutes

Click HERE to view the full article on USAToday.com.

Limiting Weight of Carry-On Bags for Safety

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(photo credit: USA Today)

One of the effects of the common practice of charging for checked-bags by the airlines are heavier and increased number of carry-on bags. These bags can be dangerous if they fall out of bins and most passengers are unaware that these bins have specific weight limits. If you damage the overhead bin, you'll receive the ire other passengers who can no longer use the bin either.

So far Hawaiian Airlines is the first among domestic carriers in enforcing a 25-pound weight limit for carry-on bags. Among other airlines, US Airways personnel may insist a bag be checked if it exceeds 40 pounds. Don't be surprised if Hawaiian personnel asks you to weigh carry-on bags at check-in or ask you to use the the luggage sizer (or portable luggage scales, if available) at the gate. One time I noticed gate agents walking around the waiting area looking at passenger carry-on bags. They did have the courtesy to announce they would be doing so. However I have not seen this practice recently.

Foreign airlines are not immune either to the practice of limiting the weight of bags brought into the cabin. Some in fact have even more stricter carry-on limits:

• Emirates, 15 pounds
• Lufthansa, 17.5 pounds
• Qantas, 15 pounds
• Virgin Atlantic, 13 pounds

Click HERE to view each airline's carry-on weight limit from AirfareWatchDog.

Heavy carry-on bags presents a liability for the airline, the owner of the bag or the passenger who opens a bin should they be at fault for causing injury to another passenger. Also remember the flight crew is there for your safety and many flight attendants will not stow your bags for you. But on one flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Philadelphia, the flight attendants played what I would call the carry-on bag shuffle as they walked up and down the cabin trying to fit bags or moving them from bin to bin to accommodate the abundance of carry-on bags. Finally for your well-being, no passenger should attempt to bring a bag on board they cannot lift themselves or risk getting injured.

For myself, I try to pack light for short trips so I don't have to check any bags. For longer trips, my carry-on will hold only the valuables and some basic necessities just in case (such as an extra change of clothes) and travel size of some toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush) for long layovers. But with the rising cost of checked-bag fees I don't blame passengers trying to save money especially in these days of rising airfares, fees and fuel.

Slouchy Socks with Cables...

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Lorna's Lace - Gift Bag for Socks

Lorna's Lace - Slouchy Socks with Cables

Lion Brand - Gift Bag for Socks

Lion Brand - Slouchy Socks with Cables

Notes

These are a nice slimmer slouchy type sock. It knitted up quickly and the pattern was easy to follow. I made a matching bag to give the sock in as a present in the same pattern which made it a little more special.

Project info

NameSlouchy Socks with CablesPatternRippled cable slouch socks by LindaCraftKnittingSizeWoman's sizes 6 and 7
Needle and yarn

NeedleUS 6 - 4.0 mmUS 8 - 5.0 mm

YarnLion Brand Wool-Ease Solids, Heathers & TwistsHow much?2 skeins = 394.0 yards (360.3m)ColorwayWood PrintColor familyBrownPurchased atLion Brand

YarnLorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted SolidHow much?2 skeins = 450.0 yards (411.5m)Colorway709 Hermosa PurpleDye lot7377Color familyPurplePurchased atPatricia's Yarns in Hoboken, New Jersey

Slouchy Socks…like we used to wear in the 80's

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Notes

These remind me of the slouchy socks I used to wear in the 80’s. They slouch nicely and the bottom incorporates a reverse stockinette so you are walking on the smooth side making it even more comfy!I did adjust the needle size a little since I thought the foot was too large in circumference.To make them a little more special, my 17 year old son helped me by knitting the little bags in the matching yarn. We rolled the socks and put them in the bags to make a really special sock gift! Who knew I’d be trading knitting tips with my son??? He is a great knitter, fast and very neat consistent stitches. The nice part is it used the left over yarn. Since my family knits as well, I sent the tiny amount of leftover yarn in the bags for possible repair work in the future.

Project info

Name
Slouchy Socks…like we used to wear in the 80'sPattern
Dance All Night Slouch Socks by Erica Jackofsky (Fiddle Knits)Craft
KnittingSize
Woman's Size 7
Needle and yarn

Needle
US 6 - 4.0 mmUS 7 - 4.5 mmUS 8 - 5.0 mm

Yarn
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted SolidHow much?
2 skeins = 450.0 yards (411.5m)Colorway
811 Lincoln Park ZooColor family
PinkPurchased at
Patricia's Yarns in Hoboken, New Jersey

Yarn
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted SolidHow much?
2 skeins = 450.0 yards (411.5m)Colorway
809 MidwayColor family
Blue-greenPurchased at
Patricia's Yarns in Hoboken, New Jersey

Josh's Birthday Scarf and Hat...

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This year for Josh's birthday I decided to knit him something special.  Actually, I decided on four items, a scarf, a hat, a neck-tie and socks.  Since the neck-tie and socks are being made out of a light fingering weight yarn, they are going to take a while to complete so I put my efforts in completing the scarf and hat set for his actual birthday.

Josh picked out the yarn himself when he took me to Vogue Knitting Live!  After looking through every booth of yarn, he decided on a Robin Turner Gourmet Yarns in Llama and Silk.  It is a buttery soft yarn that slides easily on the needles and creates well define stitches.  I enjoyed working with this yarn very much and would like to use it for another project.  I especially like the slight sheen it gives when knitted up.

The Finished Product!

Project info

Name
Josh's Birthday Scarf and HatPattern
Lauren Scarf by Lion Brand Yarn

Needle and yarn

Needle
US 9 - 5.5 mm

Yarn
Robin Turner Gourmet Fibers Silky llamaColorway
22 BrownColor family
BrownPurchased at
Great Balls of Yarn! in West Palm Beach, Florida

Yarn
Robin Turner Gourmet Fibers Silky llamaColorway
19 BlackColor family
BlackPurchased at
Great Balls of Yarn! in West Palm Beach, Florida

Notes

Bubble Scarf pattern from Lion Brand.It knits up quickly and is an easy pattern to follow. Being as it is knitted length-wise, it might be easier to place scraps of yarn to separate the pattern repeat if you have difficulty following patterns over 200+ stitches.I used a Llama and Silk yarn mix which made for a buttery soft scarf with a slight sheen and well defined stitches.Circular Needles 9/5.5mm @ 40” long.The Hat…The hat was an invention of mine for the most part. I used the pattern on the scarf to add accent rows to match the scarf as well as additional patterns in rows to add interest.

Minecrafting...

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GTT Kids Gang

Never in the wildest of my imaginations would I dream that I would be spending hours hunched over my laptop filming a virtual world my son and all his gamer friends built for the upcoming Passion Week project for our church...

Samantha and Qurann sang an amazing song last year, it stayed in
my head for months.  I can remember it being 3 months afterward, doing
my hair in the bathroom humming their song...even right now, I can
hum through the song a year later!!!  Good Job, Guys!!!

Each year our GTT Kid's leader, Kelly Goddard, a truly amazing Kid's Pastor, has the children create a project showcasing the talents and passion that God gave them.  We have Qurann who is a fabulous singer, rapper and a budding star, Kristian who has 'preacher' running through his veins and others who are dancers, singers, artist, all with spectacular gifts God has given them.  Some of the kids are holding a Basketball game for missions to use their special gift as athletes to further the work.  What a fabulous idea!  The ideas are limitless and inspiring to each of us adults who sometimes need to be reminded we need to find ways to use 'our' gifts for the Lord.   It is a pleasure for everyone to see each of our children develop their talents for the Lord's use.

Samuel at his 'command center'.

Sam had tried giving an oration during the last missions trip which he really wasn't thrilled with having to do in front of a large group of people.  At this point in Sam's life, he can be a clown and an extrovert but not usually around strangers...he's a behind the scenes kind of man.  So, this year our family started thinking in advanced as to how Sam could use his talents.  Benjamin, our eldest son, put some 'deep thought' into this issue and came up with the perfect suggestion.  Sam needed to create the Passion Week of Christ in Minecraft, a virtual gaming world, the 21st Century's answer for Legos.  It was the perfect suggestion.  Sam is both creative, has a talent with computers and the fact it used his love of gaming didn't hurt.

Samuel enjoying working on school outside.

...And then, the work began...  Our family started with a storyboard clear back in January, going through the Passion Week of Christ with Sam choosing specific scenes that highlighted the week.  Josh, being the artist in the family, began sketching out the progression of the scenes out on paper while Sam and his gamer friends from the UK, Andrew and Louis, began the clearing and preparation of the actual world.  First came the clearing of a large enough area to accommodate the walls of Jerusalem, then a hill called Golgotha and a Garden called Gethsemane, as time went on, a road to the sea, a warf, boats, a palace, the temple, the upper room and ultimately, the cross, the tomb and the ascension.  The minutes flowed into hours, and the hours flowed into days and the days into weeks and a few months later, we are completing the filming of these young boys epic.

Samuel Gaming a little...

The beautiful part of this story is not just the story of a group of young boy's talents but instead it is the message of our Christ's death and resurrection taken across the pond to the homes of two young men who will forever remember creating this story in MineCraft and one day remembering there is a Saviour who cares enough to die for them.  Isn't that what Passion Week should really be all about?

Sam calls them the 'Delta Crew'.  It's his group of friends and
family that have been building 'BibleCraft'.  This picture
depicts them in their gaming Avatars.  

As we finish the filming of the project, I find myself in tears more often than not.  The lego(ish) figure that represents Christ ministering to the wandering villagers as he walks in on Palm Sunday clear to this little blocky figure hanging on the cross, his resurrection and ascension...and my heart is pricked.  It's a story I've heard from the cradle and it never gets old but something even more special happens when I see these young people consumed in this story and knowing that no one who hears it can come away unchanged.  It causes me to remember, God has His own special ways of touching the life of everyone.

Samuel gaming with his cousins...

May God Bless and Keep You in His Grace,
Lynne

Traveling Tip #1, Earrings...

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Traveling extensively can be somewhat of a challenge.  As a family, we have learned a few tricks to make it easier through the years.  We always roll our clothes, never fold, to avoid wrinkles; when traveling by vehicle, we use tubs and not suitcases to maximize the space; and, the entire family has learned the art of stuffing everything important to us in a single small case to be set by our feet for those extended periods in the truck.  We've also learned a few other helpful items like how pack earrings when you don't want to leave any of them behind.  To some this may seem trivial but when you are on the road and everything familiar is gone, having your favorite earrings for each outfit gives you a sense of continuity...it is possible, you might have to be a woman, to fully understand this...
For me, packing jewelry was always a problem.  Never have I found an effective way to pack my earrings that didn't mean at the end of the journey they were going to be loose, tangled around each other and in danger of falling out when the case is opened.  Even if these are not expensive pieces and just of the costume variety, you still want your jewelry to arrive neatly and undamaged.  If I have found a secure method of transport, it only allowed for a few chosen pieces instead of my whole collection.  How can I make such decisions when they are all so special?  So, I developed my own method which takes no more than a piece of shelf lining and a cloth napkin.  Cheap and effective, a hallmark of our family.  To be honest, even when I can put my earrings on the tree, I tend to keep them in their little roll.  

Myriad of earring on their special tree needing to find a way to 
travel safely and effectively.

After years of traveling and various jewelry roll-ups, bags and satchels, 
the best way I have ever found to carry my earrings with me is still 
the simplest.  A piece of shelf lining (any color will do) works nicely for 
attaching any type of earring from simple studs to fish-hooks.

Simply lay the shelf lining on a piece of cloth...I use one of my cloth napkins, 
and load it with your earrings.  Since there two sizes of tiny squares on the shelf 
lining, it works for even the smaller backs to your studs, just make sure you put 
the post through the small square so the backs won't pull through.  


Another Tip is to put your dangles on the bottom so they can hang off the 
edge and stay neater when you roll-up the cloth.

Once all earrings are added, simply roll-up and tuck in your suit case or makup
case.  Your earrings won't get tanged or fall out and they stay neatly in place
until time to be worn.  

Happy Travelling!!!
May God Bless and Keep You in His Grace,Lynne