Sad Holidays

I lost my husband on September 8. He missed his birthday on September 30. Then he missed our 61st anniversary which would have been October 8. Now he will not be here for Thanksgiving. But I think the hardest will be Christmas without him. I am dreading Christmas this year. I know we celebrate Jesus Birthday and Jesus is the Reason for the Season, but that does not help the big hole my husband left in my home and heart. It is hard to explain to anyone just how empty the house is or how lonely it is. I am so glad he is in Heaven as he is going to have the best Christmas ever and he is already having a wonderful time with his Savior, Jesus Christ and Father God and our two children who went on before him. He has so many brothers and sisters there too in Heaven. Some were born before him and died and he never got to meet them in his lifetime. But now I know he is with them all.

Crestor May Save Lives

A large study has been done on the use of Crestor, the cholesterol lowering drug. It was found that people with low cholesterol and no big risks for heart disease had dramatically lower rates of heart attacks, death and stroke if they took Crestor. This was reported last Sunday at a conference of the American Heart Association. They were quite excited about this study and that it could prevent heart disease.

It could lead to as many as 7 million more Americans considering taking the cholesterol lowering drugs such as Crestor, Lipitor, Zocor or in the generic form. The study gives the best evidence for using a new test to find people who would not otherwise be considered in need of treatment. Some doctors are urging caution though because there are so few deaths among those who are at low risk of heart attacks and it could cost as much as $9 billion a year to treat all these people. It is something to think about. I don't think I would take them as I am low risk and there are side effects to these drugs and I know people who have had such side effects.

Death

Death comes quickly and unexpectedly many times. Yesterday our daughter-in-law's father suddenly died, age 71. I don't know that he had any warning but he had accepted the Lord Jesus as his savior so now we know that he is in Heaven. That is a great comfort to everyone and the family. Are you ready to die? Do you know where you are going - Heaven or Hell? It's time to be sure. This maybe your last breath you take. There are no guarantees.

Deaths in Town

Another well-known woman has died of cancer at age 70 in our town. Her name was Betty Sankey and she was a bubbling, smiling person who worked part-time in nearly every business in town. Last time I saw her, she was passing out samples of something in the local grocery store. She fought a hard fight the past two years making alot of of trips to Iowa City and they thought they had it whipped for awhile but it came back with a vengeance and now her funeral is tomorrow.

Deadly Virus Linked to Fruit Bat

US and Gabonese scientists say a common type of fruit bat could be the source of an outbreak of the deadly Marburg disease in Africa. The scientists tested more than 1,000 bats caught in caves in Gabon and DR Congo, and found some members of one species were infected with the virus. Outbreaks of the Marburg disease have hit sub-Saharan Africa in the past. Marburg is a contageous disease characterized by sudden bleeding and high fever, often ending in death.

Drug Patch case

$5.5 million was awarded Tuesday to the father of a man who died while wearing a drug patch made by two Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries. The jury said the two companies were both liable in the death of the man in 2003. The Durgesic delivers controlled doses of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. He wore the patch after a car accident for chronic hip pain.