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Toddler And Dog With Same Brain Condition Find A Friend In Each Other... Hydrocephalus

Dylan Lipton-Lesser is eager to walk his new friend, a 9-month-old rescue dog named Frank.

Dylan, 2, and Frank, a Chihuahua-dachshund mix, met two weeks ago. They were introduced because they both have hydrocephalus, a condition where excessive fluid accumulates in the brain and sometimes causes the skull to expand, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Dylan, who was featured on The Huffington Post last month when a video of him testing out his new hearing aids went viral, has had 15 brain surgeries, his mother, India Lipton, told HuffPost. Therefore, he's spent a lot of time at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University.

That's how he met Frank, whose owner, Stacy Metz is an administrative assistant in the Department of Neurosurgery, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Metz adopted Frank last August, thanks to the Richmond Animal League (RAL), the organization that had placed the puppy with a foster family after he suffered a seizure at 8 weeks old, putting him at risk for euthanasia, according to the Times-Dispatch.

"We really didn't hesitate [to adopt Frank] because we are fully aware of the condition," Metz told HuffPost. "We wanted the little guy to get a chance on life."

When Dylan's family found out about Frank through a friend, Lipton immediately reached out to Metz. On Feb. 8, the two boys met at the RAL.

Read More Here...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/20/dylan-lipton-lesser-frank-the-dog_n_4822726.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

The 9 Essential Habits Of Mentally Strong People

In 1914, Thomas Edison's lab burned down, and years' worth of his work was destroyed. This could easily be described as the worst thing to happen to Edison, but the inventor instead chose to see it as an energizing opportunity that forced him to rebuild and re-examine much of his work. Edison reportedly said at the time, "Thank goodness all our mistakes were burned up. Now we can start again fresh."

"In a world that we don't control, tolerance is obviously an asset," Ryan Holiday, author of the forthcoming The Obstacle Is The Way, told The Huffington Post. "But the ability to find energy and power from what we don't control is an immense competitive advantage."

He's talking about mental strength, a difficult-to-define psychological concept that encompasses emotional intelligence, grit, resilience, self-control, mental toughness and mindfulness. It's something that Edison had in spades, and it's the reason that some people are able to overcome any obstacle, while others crumble at life's daily challenges and frustrations.

The ability to cope with difficult emotions and situations is a significant predictor of our success and happiness. The most capable individuals in this way are able to turn any obstacle into a source of growth and opportunity. And while much has been made of what mentally strong people avoid doing -- things like dwelling on the past, resenting the success of others and feeling sorry for themselves -- what do they actually do? What tactics do they use to overcome adversity time and time again?

"Things that we think are obstacles are actually opportunities to do something," says Holiday. "[To] be rewarded in some way that we never would have expected, provided that we address and don't shirk from that obstacle."

Here are 9 essential habits and practices of mentally strong people that can help you get through any challenge or hardship.

Read more here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/18/the-9-essential-qualitie_n_4760403.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

7 Things You Shouldn't Say To Someone With Anxiety

If you have ever suffered from severe anxiety, you’re probably overly familiar with the control it can have over your life. And you’re not alone -- it affects approximately 40 million adult Americans per year.

Anxiety and panic disorders can cause ceaseless feelings of fear and uncertainty -- and with that suffering often comes comments that are more hurtful than helpful. According to Scott Bea, clinical psychologist and assistant professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, while it usually comes from a heartfelt place, a lack of understanding from others can make working through a panic attack incredibly challenging.

Read More Here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/17/things-not-to-say-to-some_n_4781182.html?1392652358&utm_hp_ref=healthy-living#es_share_ended

For all the dads

For All The Dads - http://huff.to/1glvlVy

Join In...Awareness is key

Rare Disease Day USA February 28, 2014

Handprints Across America

Please help us show the impact of Rare Disease Day across the nation. We invite you to print out this flier with the Rare Disease Day logo and submit a photo of yourself, someone else or a group of people holding it.  The purpose is to show people observing Rare Disease Day in a variety of settings across the nation.  (If you would prefer, you can purchase a Rare Disease Day T-shirt to wear instead of holding the flier.)

Optional:  This year, we are inviting those who submit photos to include very brief (no more than 100 words) text with them.  This isn’t required but is an option for anyone who wishes to add text to the photo.

We will post all submissions in our “Handprints Across America Gallery.” View what has already been submitted.  We’ll also select one to feature each week on the Rare Disease Day US homepage.

- See more at: http://rarediseaseday.us/take-action-now/handprints-across-america/#sthash.4KNYnYHj.dpuf

More here: http://rarediseaseday.us/take-action-now/handprints-across-america/

Why Are You Always Cold? A Doctor Explains

Katelyn Heindel is always cold.

“In the summertime when it’s 80 degrees, I’m walking around saying I’m freezing,” the 28-year-old told weather.com. “I feel like it’s negative 80 degrees on my hands and feet.” 

Her hands and feet feel frozen so often, she said it got to the point where she was wasting time at work trying to warm them up. Her husband insisted she go to the doctor to get the issue checked out.

The problem: Her body’s natural process of vasoconstriction, or the shunting of blood away from extremities in cold environments, was going haywire, making her feel extreme cold, even pain.

Read more here  (copy and paste to your browser):http://www.weather.com/health/why-women-feel-colder-men-20140204

TED Talks: Elliot Krane: The mystery of chronic pain

We think of pain as a symptom, but there are cases where the nervous system develops feedback loops and pain becomes a terrifying disease in itself. Starting with the story of a girl whose sprained wrist turned into a nightmare, Elliot Krane talks about the complex mystery of chronic pain, and reviews the facts we're just learning about how it works and how to treat it.


Read and watch more here(copy and paste to your browser): http://www.ted.com/talks/elliot_krane_the_mystery_of_chronic_pain.html