BT Calgary Blogs

Remember this face.  He’s Mathue.  He’s one of the dudes on this year’s “The Bachelorette” (Monday nights, on “Citytv”)…….

Oh, did I mention that he’s gonna be Jillian’s pick? 

Yep.  You heard it here first.  A bold prediction after the first show of the season?  Maybe.  BUT…note that our own Jill Belland isn’t bold enough to pick her WINNER after the first episode.  It takes a real “expertise” when it comes to all things “Bachelor / Bachelorette” to lay out such a prediction….Keep it locked on “The Bachelorette” – Monday nights to watch it all unfold.

Now, here’s your chance to win !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    On our website:  www.breakfasttelevision.ca  goto “Connect with BT” — drop us a line with your contact info, and put “ABC” in the subject line….you’ll be automatically entered to win.

Up for grabs this week:  2 DOUBLE PASSES to the new Disney/Pixar movie ‘UP’ for the advanced screening next Wednesday (May 27th)….remember – you can’t win if you aren’t a member !!!

Fibromyalgia is not a psychiatric disease. It’s not a muscle disease. Doctors now know it’s a disease of the pain processing centre of the brain. In fact, there are now guidelines that any doctor can get a hold of, to get a clear definition of what this disease is all about. And finally, there’s a medication that is specifically indicated for the treatment of fibromyalgia. It’s been around for years, and most patients are already on it, but if they’re not, it can help.

Here’s the story.

Rochelle Callaway takes 8 prescriptions a day. It’s an effort to manage the excruciating pain she feels constantly.

“If you’ve ever had a bad flu where you ache all over and you feel fatigue – that’s what you feel like everyday.”

That’s because Callaway has fibromyalgia. And Doctor Robert Hauptman says it’s a disease of the pain processing system in the brain, not a psychiatric disorder.

“Once a person has fibromyalgia they develop this fairly widespread  and extensive pain associated with fatigue, insomnia and cognitive changes as well.”

Fibromyalgia is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed because it presents with up to 50 different symptoms. For Callaway it took 2 years to get a diagnosis, but once she had it, she was relieved because at least she wasn’t losing her mind.

“I didn’t know why I was having all this pain,” says Callaway, “and they couldn’t seem to find any answers for the pain.”

But now that Callaway has a diagnosis, she’s on numerous medications that help… including Lyrica. It’s a drug that has been available for years for other conditions, that is now specifically prescribed for fibromyalgia.

“These people experience pain different from you and me,” explains Dr. Hauptman, “so something that may cause you to feel  mildly painful will cause them to have a severe pain reaction and one of the things this drug does is take that down.”

And it does so with few side effects.

“A bit of dizziness, some fatigue, some weight gain can happen as well – most occur in the first week – but can be modified if you start with  a low dose of the medication,” says Dr. Hauptman.

Callaway says it has made a difference in her quality of life.
“It’s helped with the brain fog and helps manage the pain so I can sleep better at night.”

For more information on the disease visit the website

www.mefmaction.net

Good morning Bachelorette fans!

I came in on a holiday to watch the premiere and it was absolutely worth it.  Le happy sigh.  I’m so excited for this season!  Jill has some great guys to choose from.  Awkward moments and hot guys a plenty.

I have picked the 5 bachelors I think will be front runners for Jill’s heart.  I’m sticking with the first three I picked last week.  Jake the pilot is sweet, sincere and seems like he would treat Jill like a queen.  There is something very charismatic about Mike the baseball guy.  I think Wes will be in the running in it but I’m worried that he might be a player.  Getting the red flag “Graham Season 4″ player vibe from Wes.  I might swap Wes out for Mike the cutie pie break dancer.

I’m adding Kiptyn and Ed to the bunch.  They are both attractive and unaffected.  Like them both.   

Watch BT every Tuesday morning for the full morning after review!

Phil Hellmuth is a World Champion poker player and I actually won a hand against him when cameras weren’t rolling!

Kind of. 

Ok I would have won the hand had I not folded early.  Regardless, it was fun to play with the big boys.  And don’t let the tantrums fool you, Phil is a great guy with an excellent sense of humour.

He even brought his mom to watch him play at the Canadian Open Poker Tournament at the Stampede Casino this weekend.  How sweet is that?

Greetings, Blog-Club Members !!!

Have you told your ”significant others” – friends – neighbours and co-workers about the Blog Club???

Have you told them it’s as simple as hopping online to: “btcalgary.ca” and then sending an email to “Connect with BT” (with your name, ph. # and address)??

Well, that’s just what CYNTHIA C. did last month, and now she’s the proud owner of:

>>>>A “BT Toque” — a “Citytv” water bottle…AND a Michael Buble CD….<<<<

How ya like me now???

It’s simple…send your email….get entered to win — on the MOST WINNINGEST BLOG on BT !!!

Are you ready for the BACHELORETTE??  It kicks off on Monday (May 18th) on Citytv — and it promises to be a gooder.  Be sure to tune-in — get in on the “ground floor”….you don’t wanna have to join the show a few episodes in !!!!!!!!!

It’s the BEST TV on TV !!

Also — remember — if you’re looking for something to do TONIGHT — why not make your way down to the Saddledome….kind of a big deal, as the NEW YORK TITANS are in town, to go “toe to toe” with our CALGARY ROUGHNECKS for Lacrosse supremacy…..get your tix at ticketmaster !!!  Can’t think of a more fun Friday night….grab your friends….head on down….nachos….a couple of ’sodas’ and some hot Lacrosse action.

Other than that — here’s to a SAFE and FUN longweekend….

We’ll see ya TUESDAY on Breakfast Television.

-A

Thank you to everyone who submitted their camping horror stories. It was a tough decision but here are this weeks winners.

Bass Pro Shops Deep Fryer / Steamer – Winner David Baltais

Deep fry all your favourite foods right on your camp site. Fry everything from fish to turkeys. Feeling healthy, it converts into a steamer! Highly recommend you don’t indulge in any wobbly pops before using this bad boy.

Here is David’s camping nightmare

My family and I used to go camping for 2 weeks every year in Algonquin park, Ontario. One year we arrived at our camp site late in the evening and had to set up in the dark. My dad backed in the small apache pop-up trailer in what looked like an ideal spot. That night we got a severe rainstorm. When we finally awoke, we realized we were barricaded in. We had apparently set up the trailer on a small incline, and the rain storm caused our trailer to slide a few feet down an embankment resting the door up against a tree. We quickly realized that our portable home didn’t come with an emergency exit.

Coleman Portable Deep Fryer – Winner Bev Hall

This fryer may be small, but it’s powerful. The 6 quart basket can hold up to one pound of food. Sure you won;r be frying a turkey in this, but it’s small and convenient!

Bev’s camping nightmare:

My worst camping trip would be my Grade 6 outdoor field trip to Banff. It was a 4 day adventure and on the second day we left the camp ground for an all day hike, when we returned to the camp ground we were faced with one less tent. While we were hiking a bear decided to shred our tent and eat a sizable amount of toothpaste – even though we had all been worned of the dangers of leaving food in the tent at the tender age of twelve who would have thought that bears liked toothpaste. All our sleeping gear and clothing was strewn around and we were left to clean the mess up and spend the rest of our 5 day trip bunking with other class mates.

Lesson learned. Bears like toothpaste.

Coleman Hot Water on Demand – Winner Edward Pothier

No more hand washing or doing dishes with cold water! Coleman’s Instant Hot Water on Demand will warn ice cold water in seconds. It also comes with an attachment so you can have a shower! While the unit does not heat up the water enough for hot beverages it does make it warm enough for many other uses.

Edward’s camping nightmare:

My worst camping experience was a grade 9 school camp out. We where at a camp ground at the base of Castle Mountain, to hike up to the old fire look out location the next day. We set up our tents on wooden platforms. That night the sky opened up to huge down pour. In no time we were flooded out of our tent. Sleeping bags soaked, we retreated to a shelter close by. Hanging the sleeping bags up to dry and stop the wind, no sleep that night. Thankfully there was a stove to add some comfort. A soggy and cold hike in the morning. This was the worst camping trip ever…….

Coleman Drip Coffee Maker – Winner Danielle Critch

his handy device makes coffee just like you would have at home. Plop the coffee maker onto a cooking stove, fill it with water and grounds and wait for the magic to happen. Drip coffee with no grounds! Who would have thought!

Here is Danielle’s camping nightmare:

My worst camping story, thats easy. About 9 years ago my boyfriend at the time, my 2 children and my self went out camping in Pipestone park near Grande Prairie. I decided I would chop some wood for the fire. Now here lies the problem. I have carpal tunnel and my hands go numb when I hold a heavy object in my hands for to long. Well not thinking I am chopping away and everything goes great for the first 10 minutes. so after what felt like the 100th time i lifted the ax i had my hand on the log and brought the ax up and then nothing. I did not feel the ax and the next thing i know I look at my finger and it was white then it started bleeding. after that I do not remember anything for the rest of the weekend due to the fact i was in shock and my now ex, being the silly guy he is, did not want to leave and take me to the hospital, my children thought i was going to die. Not the most pleasant camping trip to say the least.

Pick up your new Camping gear here at Citytv between 8:00 and 5:00pm Monday – Friday! bring photo ID! Prizes must be picked up within 7 days…or I get to keep them!!! Whoahahahahaha!

This story made me think. When was my last tetanus shot? I think it was about 9 years ago. Guess I”m due. But I’m pregant so I asked the doctor, is it safe to get a shot now? Dr. Macdonald says, it’s not a problem. But she recommends to get it after I have the baby. Now, for those of you who are gardeners or home improvement types, you should get one right away if you’re due! If you can’t remember when your last shot was, call your health care professional and ask them to check your records. Or, if there’s no way to trace it back, it’s okay to get it early. In fact, if you turn up at emerge with a bad cut, and you haven’t had a shot in 5 or 6 years, you’ll get a tetanus shot anyway.

Here’s the story.

Linda Ciuffreda is getting ready to get into her garden.

“I’m one of those lazy gardeners. I get something that’s in full bloom, water when I have to, I’m so good with that.”

And it’s gardeners and home improvement types who should really be thinking about whether their tetanus is up to date.

“Tetanus is an organism typically found in soil or animal feces and it’s everywhere throughout the world,” explains Doctor Judy Macdonald.
“It’s usually in spore form and can enter our bodies through little cuts in our hands or even if you don’t have obvious cuts, it can get through cracks in the skin  and cause serious disease, in fact, tetanus can be fatal.”

So when you’re getting your hands dirty this weekend or you’re starting that home improvement project, make sure you’re careful when using tools that can either cut or puncture the skin. And if you do get a wound, clean it immediately.
The standard symptoms of tetanus have lead to the term “lock jaw.”

Doctor Macdonald says, “you can get muscle spasms especially of the jaw and neck muscles just where muscles go into tight spasms and it can also interfere with breathing – so that’s the part that makes it fatal.”

But tetanus is not that common because most canadians have been vaccinated against it. The trick now, is to get that booster every 10 years to keep our immunity up to date.

“In Canada most people would have gotten their last tetanus shot in grade 9,” explains Macdonald, “and unless they’ve been good at keeping up with that, they’re due for another dose.”

Ciuffreda thinks she’s probably due for her booster and plans on getting one soon.

“There’s a clinic not too far way, I’ll walk in and see what they can do for me there.”

Just because you camp in a tent doesn’t mean you can’t have the luxuries of staying in an RV! I’ve scoured Calgary stores to find some unique camping gadgets to make “roughing it” a little easier! The best part is…we’re giving them away!

Watch the segment, then add a comment here on my blog! Tell me about your worst camping experience! We’re giving away nearly $1000 worth of gadgets! Good chance you can take one home!

Contest closes Noon today!

Special thanks to Canadian Tire (HunterHorn Drive), and Bass Pro Shops.

Sleep in a tent, but feel like you are in an RV!

It’s an annual tradition for many Calgary families, head out to the mountains to go camping on May Long Weekend. You heading out? Why not take some luxury camping gadgets with you!

I’ll be on Breakfast Television Thursday morning showing off how to camp in the lap of luxury! Just because you’re in a tent, doesn’t mean you can’t have the comforts of home. Some of these have to be seen to be believed! Starbucks anyone?

Make sure to tune in to find out how to win!

I”ve done stories before on laser treatments for this kind of thing, like Thermage, and was mildly impressed. But this treatment seems different. More consistent improvement with less risk. But it ain’t cheap, and wow are you going to look like hell the next day! But hey, it’s all about long term payoff! And the before and after photos I”ve seen are amazing.

Here’s the story.

Lee Kap is getting a new treatment called “fractional resurfacing.”
She hopes it will get rid of the acne scarring that has bothered her since she was 13.

“It was terrible, it would be like someone who’s been overweight all their life, you look in the mirror and that’s the first thing you see, you’re so self conscious.”

But this treatment should help, says Dermatologist, Doctor Greg Storwick.
It’s a much safer option than the “CO2″ treatments that were available in the past.

“We learned we don’t have to take all the skin down, just a bit of it – the amount varies on the patient and what we’re trying to achieve – anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of the skin and we do it by poking little microholes into the skin.”

Then the laser adds heat.

Doctor Storwick explains, “heat contracts the collagen so you get tightening  and you get resurfacing on the skin.”

But let’s be clear, this is not a painless procedure.
Patients need a topical analgesic applied to their faces to numb them. And they’ll wake up the next day with a very swollen face.

There’s quite a bit of heat added to your skin and that produces swelling, says Storwick, so you need a good week off.

Patients will see results right away – but they’ll see see the best results in a few months.

Doctor Storwick says, “it takes about 3 weeks for the pink to settle down and really 3 months for the collagen remodelling to happen that’s where the real money comes in.”

Speaking of money, this procedure costs anywhere from 12 to 24 hundred dollars depending on what areas are being treated. But the results should last.

“This is one of those procedures that will last because we’re truly changing the collagen,” says Storwick, “it won’t go back – it just doesn’t happen.” 

And that’s exactly what Kapp is hoping for.

——-

SIDETHOUGHT: I saw Lee Kap right after she had the procedure done. It was pretty incredible. Her scarring was gone. I wonder what she’ll look like in 3 months?!