Month: July 2022

2022-07-21T08:01:00

(BPT) – If you enjoy building with wood, why not put your talents to work to spoil your four-legged friend? It’s easier than you think to make something special that will get your favorite pet purring — or their tail wagging!

Need ideas? HGTV personality and skilled carpenter Darren Keefe uses supplies from 84 Lumber to create a combination window seat/daybed with a pull-out doggy trundle bed, transforming an underused space into a fun, cozy nook.

“My client’s canines are part of their family,” said Keefe. “Their dogs are usually at their feet after a long workday, so they gave me a challenge: create a dog bed that’s easily accessible but doesn’t sacrifice interior design. Luckily, there were spaces to the left and right of the fireplace perfect for window seats, a lower bookshelf and concealed dog beds. However, you can easily tackle a standalone version with a couple of tweaks.”

Watch Keefe’s video to see his entire process, from initial sketch through the finished project.

Materials List:

Birch plywood
1” X 2” poplar
18-gauge brad nails
Wood glue
Wood filler
Sanding pads
Pocket screws
2” directional casters
Caulk
Paint

Tools:

Pencil
Measuring tape
Circular saw
Miter saw (optional)
Speed square
Palm sander or sanding block

Step 1: Use pocket screws to join 3/4” birch plywood, milled down to dimensions with a circular saw. Match the existing baseboard at 10” and use 1.5” poplar for the face frame and trim work.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have a large table to work on, purchase a piece of 4’X8’ foam board insulation, lay flat and use as cutting surface. The plywood will have an even surface to rest on, mitigating any pinch of the saw blade in the milling process. Set the plunge depth on the circular saw slightly past 3/4” and the blade will pass through seamlessly without bottoming out.

Step 2: Plywood on its own will naturally sag past 36”, especially with weight on it, so add column-like supports as part of the design. These act as separators for the bookshelf. Then double the plywood at the sides of the structure and top. The face frame will also help with rigidity. If possible, anchor the piece on the existing wall.

Step 3: Use an 18-gauge cordless nail gun and glue to attach the popular face frame, following with wood filler to conceal nail holes.

Step 4: For the doggy bed platform, mill a simple rectangle from 3/4” birch plywood (the dog’s size will inform the overall day bed size). Attach fixed directional wheels to the bottom, allowing the bed to move in and out of its pocket (if you have a smaller dog, drawer slides will work).

Step 5: Frame sides with poplar and use the 10” baseboard as the face of the doggy day bed, allowing it to camouflage itself as part of the existing baseboard. Fill nail holes, then sand, caulk all seams and paint. Finally, add vertical kick-down door stops to anchor the bed so Fido can’t use it as a skateboard.

“After the client picked a fabric, I had a seamstress sew cushions for the window seats and dog beds,” Keefe noted.

If you don’t have space for a doggy trundle bed, here are additional fun project ideas:

Your best friend’s house

Whether you get a kit, follow a template or create your own design, there are many different ways to build your own doghouse. Make sure your doghouse has a floor, and that the structure is raised off the ground to keep it snug and dry. Treated wood is best for the base and floor, as it helps resist moisture. Also, provide more ventilation aside from just the door to keep air flowing in hot weather and to prevent mold.

A perch with a view

Every feline loves to sit and look out the window. Creating a shelf or tray at or just below your windowsill for kitty’s daily birdwatching session is a very simple project. All you need is a flat piece of wood and shelf mounting brackets. Make sure the wood is big enough for your pet to stretch out.

Ready to get started? Visit 84Lumber.com or your nearest location so their experts can help you select materials you’ll need for your project.

2022-07-21T08:01:00

(BPT) – With summer in full swing, it’s time to enjoy more sunshine, warmer temperatures, and extra time with family and friends outdoors. Yet, with so many vacations and barbecues on the books, it’s easy to take a detour from your fitness goals and resolutions (remember those?) for those more ‘fun’ options.

If you want to breathe new life into your exercise goals and find meaningful strategies that help you feel motivated to make health changes all year long, you’re not alone. Katy Neville, Head of Fitness Programming for Amazon Halo, wants to help by sharing her top tips for re-committing to your wellness journey.

Try a program with a path in mind

Working towards a new fitness goal can be exciting, but knowing how to kick off and actually sticking with it can be more challenging. Picking a program that progresses with you each week will help you avoid burnout and stay consistent so you can hit your goals.

Explore programs with themes and specific challenges. For example, Amazon Halo offers 4-week “Beginner Cardio” and “Yoga Foundations” programs. After a month, you’ll have launched into a new movement routine and gained a new sense of confidence to tackle a broader range of classes.

Mix it up while getting outside

Trying something new with your fitness can bring new energy to your day. Research shows that mixing up your routine can increase your motivation and results, according to journal PLOS ONE. Try incorporating a program that uses equipment indoors to help benefit your activities outdoors.

Halo offers a new program, “Ready Set Hike,” that will prepare you for a long successful hiking season. Not only will you be able to flex your muscles indoors, but you will reap the benefits in the warmer weather on the trails. Get excited by creating a list of parks and trails you want to tackle after the program is complete. Workout in your hiking boots for an added challenge!

Prioritize mobility in the hips

Mobility is a big buzz word these days, and for good reason. People live in a sagittal world, meaning everything is forward — you walk forward, move forward, sit forward — and all this movement centers on the hips. Regardless of what your routine looks like, you should be adding time into your week to focus on hip mobility. That will keep your body healthy and mobile for the long run. The Halo Movement Health feature allows members to measure their mobility and stability, and then offers a personalized set of corrective exercises, which is a really valuable jumping off point as you focus on making mobility a priority.

Stay motivated while traveling

Traveling doesn’t mean you should shelf your fitness goals. No matter how small your suitcase, you have room for a mini-band. Bringing this mini-band on the road is a physical reminder of your goals and an easy way to add resistance into your routine while on the road.

Bodyweight-only exercises can become routine, but when you add the resistance from a band, you’ll not only take your workout up a notch, you’ll achieve more burn in less time. Halo offers tons of effective body weight workouts including options from Aaptiv, Orangetheory Fitness, and their own Halo coaches. With tons of options that are under 20 minutes, you can sneak in a workout between your vacation adventures.

Propel your results with live feedback

Using real time heart rate feedback during a workout has been shown to increase motivation and result in higher levels of exertion, according to the journal Frontiers in Psychology. This can be done by using a heart rate monitor or fitness device that pairs with your exercise program of choice. Try syncing Halo with some of your favorite fitness devices and services, like Tonal, MapMyRun, and Echelon, to view your live heart rate as an overlay in real time.

“I hope these tips will reenergize your mindset and inspire you to move in new ways so you can look and feel your best,” said Neville.

2022-07-21T09:31:00

This project is typically straightforward and simple to complete, making it the ideal solution for people looking for a home improvement project they can do themselves or hire a handyman or contractor to do in as little as one day. While electric fireplaces can go in virtually any room, here are some tips for easy installation and the best result:

Select location: Windows and furniture placement often help dictate where an electric fireplace should go. Keep in mind, choosing a wall that doesn’t receive direct sunlight reduces glare. Notice sunlight throughout the day to help determine the best location for installation.

Electricity access: Make sure that you have access to electricity to power your new fireplace. You can choose to either simply plug in your fireplace to a standard outlet or hire a professional to hard-wire it directly.

Check codes: As with any home improvement project, you’ll need to ensure compliance with local building codes. Contact your city or township to get the most recent regulations. Verify codes and read all fireplace installation instructions before you start your project so you avoid any issues.

Whether it’s in a family room, basement, bedroom, bathroom or another space, a wall-mounted electric fireplace brings function and fashion to your home. Visit HeatnGlo.com to learn more about electric fireplaces and get additional expert advice on installation.

2022-07-19T07:33:00

(BPT) – Imagine constantly feeling dizzy, tired and out of breath. Imagine having episodes of pain so bad that you can’t drive or work. Imagine learning that the cause of these symptoms is that your red blood cells are shaped differently, meaning they die earlier and cause you to experience a multitude of health issues.

For Shirley Miller, this isn’t her imagination, it’s her reality. At age three she was diagnosed with sickle cell disease (SCD), a group of inherited blood disorders. For much of her life, she has managed the complications that often come with the disease. Now, she is more hopeful than ever there will be effective advanced treatments, and eventually, a cure.

Because of SCD, the body’s red blood cells, which are normally round and flexible, develop into crescent shapes and do not bend or move easily. This can block blood flow to the rest of the body and lead to serious problems, including stroke, eye issues, infections and pain crises, which is uncontrolled pain that causes distress.

More than 100,000 people in the United States and 20 million worldwide live with SCD, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Yet until recently, treatment options have been limited. And while a blood and bone marrow transplant offers a cure, most patients with SCD are either too old to have one, or they do not have a relative who is enough of a genetic match to be a donor.

These days, though, there’s good news for people living with SCD: Research has greatly expanded, leading not only to new therapies, but offering hope for cures that can be made available to many more patients.

Traci Mondoro, Ph.D., a blood researcher at NHLBI, said her institute — part of the National Institutes of Health — is on the frontlines of this work. “We’re leading and supporting research and clinical trials to find accessible cures for SCD,” she said. But that does not mean people with the disease have to suffer in the meantime. “They can work with their health care team to determine a treatment plan to reduce symptoms and manage the condition,” Mondoro explained. “And they can also see if participating in a clinical trial is right for them.”

Miller agreed, noting that working with her doctor and attending public SCD meetings led her to an effective treatment that helped change her life. But, she noted, “I know that what helps me may not work for someone else. That’s why it’s so critical for patients to explore the different therapy options.”

Here are some common ones, including several that were recently approved by the FDA:

• Hydroxyurea is an oral medicine that can reduce or prevent several SCD complications, such as acute chest syndrome, a need for blood transfusions and pain events.
• Voxelotor treats SCD in adults and children age 4 and older. The oral medicine prevents red blood cells from forming the sickle shape and binding together. This may decrease the destruction of some red blood cells, lowering the risk for anemia and improving blood flow.
• Crizanlizumab-tmca reduces the number of pain crises experienced by adults and children age 16 and older. Given through an IV, the medicine helps prevent blood cells from sticking to blood vessel walls and causing blood flow blockage, inflammation and pain crises. In addition, L-glutamine has been shown to lower the number of pain crises in people ages 5 and older. Over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, can be used to treat mild to moderate pain, but for severe pain, providers may prescribe stronger medicines called opioids.
• Penicillin has been shown to help children with SCD. Taking it twice a day can reduce the chance of having a severe infection in the bloodstream.
• Transfusions can treat and prevent certain SCD complications. Acute transfusions treat complications that cause severe anemia. Red blood cell transfusions increase the number of red blood cells and provide normal red blood cells that are more flexible than red blood cells with sickle hemoglobin. Regular or ongoing blood transfusions may help lower the chances of another stroke in people who have had an acute stroke.

On the horizon: genetic therapies

Researchers at the NHLBI are exploring ways genetic therapies may help treat or even cure SCD.

“Researchers take blood or bone marrow from a patient and modify their stem cells in a laboratory using genetic therapies,” Mondoro explained. “We are hopeful that in the future, new therapies will be available to help everyone with SCD.”

For now, if you have SCD, these questions can help guide your conversation with your health care team:

• How can I manage pain?
• Which treatments are best for me?
• How is this treatment administered?
• How often do I need this treatment?
• What are the side effects?
• Will this treatment cure me of SCD? Are there other treatments to consider?

For more information and resources about SCD and other blood diseases and disorders, visit the NHLBI’s Blood Diseases and Disorders Education Program at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/blood.

2022-07-19T09:01:00

(BPT) – Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common, complex, treatment-resistant and deadliest type of brain cancer with 13,400 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year. On GBM Awareness Day on July 20, it’s important to raise public awareness of this devastating disease and honor individuals who have lost their lives to or are currently living with GBM. Further, GBM Awareness Day represents an opportunity to build momentum for and increase visibility of research being conducted to bring life-improving and life-saving treatments to patients with GBM. While significant progress is being made, there is still more to be done to conquer and cure GBM.

For patients or their loved ones with GBM, the impact and urgency to discover and develop new treatment options is significant. But brain cancer can’t wait. Check out these tips to learn more about GBM and how you or a loved one can take action today.

1. Understanding the effect of GBM

GBM is a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor and GBM patients can experience numerous neurological complications including headaches, seizures, changes in mood, mental function, speech, vision and sensory abilities. This life-threatening disease has no cure and carries a five-year survival rate of only 6.8%.

The most harrowing aspect of GBM is that tumor recurrence is almost inevitable after initial treatment, typically at or near the original location. For patients with a recurrent GBM, no standard of care exists. Average survival after the first recurrence is eight months and after the second recurrence is three to four months.

2. Learn about available treatment options

Current therapies for GBM, including surgery (when possible), chemotherapy and radiation therapy, are debilitating strategies that are not curative. The goal of surgery is to remove as much of the tumor as possible without damaging the surrounding normal brain tissue needed for neurological function. This can be challenging given the complexity and invasiveness of the tumor growth, leading to some parts of the cancer remaining in the brain.

To date, external beam radiation therapy is one of the few treatment approaches that has been shown to prolong the life of GBM patients, but only for a short amount of time. However, this radiation can lead to high-toxicity and recurrence of cancer cells.

3. Connect with your community for support

Patient advocacy groups such as the National Brain Tumor Society, Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research & Information, and End Brain Cancer Initiative offer disease education, clinical trial guidance and support to GBM patients. Advocacy groups also raise funds that support new GBM treatment research and give the GBM community a voice in national public health policy changes.

A community of people living with, caring for or grieving someone with GBM is only a few clicks away on social media. Online platforms allow people affected by GBM to find support, connect with other patients, and share their own personal stories.

4. Talk to your doctor about clinical trials

Patients who volunteer in clinical trials can access treatments unavailable elsewhere, but it’s important to know as much as possible about the potential risks and benefits before deciding to participate.

Plus Therapeutics is evaluating an innovative, targeted radiotherapeutic, ¹⁸⁶RNL, in the U.S. National Institutes of Health-supported ReSPECT-GBM Phase 1/2a clinical trial. This ¹⁸⁶RNL drug candidate features high radiation doses delivered directly to the GBM tumor (sparing surrounding healthy tissue and cells) via a single, minimally invasive surgical procedure performed during a short hospital visit. Data collected to date from the trial have shown that ¹⁸⁶RNL has potential to be a safe, effective and convenient treatment option for GBM patients and clinicians.

If you believe a clinical trial might be a good fit for you or a loved one, talk to your doctor and learn more at https://www.respect-trials.com/enrollment/.