Stuck

Hi Everyone,

I know I haven't been the greatest blogger lately. It really not that I have been busy but more that I haven't been in the mood to blog. Lately I have been feeling like I lost myself and I don't know who I am anymore. I have always been a confident person and I still portray that when I am around others but sometimes I am unsure of who I am. I don't feel like this is a negative thing, I just feel like I am changing. I know that everyone feels this way sometimes, and I feel like once again I am ramblings. Part of me feels like its hard to write on this blog because I am changing and I'm not sure what to write about or what direction I want this blog to take. I feel like I am stuck and I don't know where I am going.
I feel like I am trapped in a box and I can't get out. I know that there is a way out, but I can't seem to find it. I feel stuck and uncreative, and when that changes then I will be able to post again. I need to find that spark again.
I'm sorry and will post as soon as I get my spark back.

Harry Potter!

Heyy Everyone!
I saw Harry Potter yesterday! I liked it, I thought it was much better then the fifth movie. They left out stuff, as usual, but over all I enjoyed it. I don't want to say to much because I don't want to give anything away.

What did you think of the movie?

I have been busy this past week with summer school and my friend is here from out of town. I will try to post again soon. I always mean to post and then I forget to, its a bit of an issue.

I hope everyone is having an amazing summer. (I personally would like it to be a bit hotter.)

Love,

Belle

Summer School

Hi Everyone,
I decided to join Mary's Summer School once again. I had a lot of fun doing it last year so why not do it again. It is actually perfect posting it today, as I am starting actual summer school today. I'm taking an extra credit in order to lighten my load for next year.

I really want to do the homework where you go to the library and take out a CD for everyday of the week, but my local library will not be open until Tuesday. So I will have to wait until then to get my CDs.



Genetic Disease:

This year in biology we did an entire unit on genetics and it was actually my favourite part of genetics. I loved doing punnet squares and working with pedigrees. It was very interesting to see how genes are passed down through generations. I want to share a genetic disease with you that after researching about and reading the stories of those who are affected by the disease really touched my heart.

SCID is often called Bubble Boy Disease due to David Vetter. He was a boy in the 70s who lived in a plastic bubble because he was affected by this disease. The disease affects the immune system.



What is SCID?
- A primary immunodeficiency (a state in which the immune system’s ability to fight infectious disease is compromised or absent) due to a defect in a gene.
- A severe defect in both the T- & B-lymphocyte (a type of white blood cell) systems.
- Also known as “bubble boy syndrome”.
- SCID can be successfully treated early. Otherwise it can be fatal within the first year of life
- Rare disease
- Most Common SCID is X-SCID

Signs and Symptoms:
- Signs of SCID include an increased susceptibility to infection (more infections than usual). I.e. A baby with SCID may have recurrent bacterial, viral, or fungal infections that are much more serious and less responsive to treatment.

- Numerous, serious, and/or life-threatening infections that are not easily treated and do not respond to medications (as they would in children without SCID), including the following:
o pneumonia - infection of the lungs.
o meningitis - infection of the brain.
o sepsis - infection in the bloodstream.
- other infections, including the following:
o chronic skin infections
o yeast infections in the mouth and diaper area
o diarrhea
o infection of the liver, skin, or ear


Reasons For Malfunction
X SCID
The mutation occurs on the IL2RG gene
The gene codes for a protein essential to the immune system
The protein aids in development of Lymphocytes (an immune system cell)
Lymphocytes protect against invaders, regulate immune system and make antibodies.
If a body is lacking Lymphocytes it makes it impossible to defend it against infections.

ADA SCID
Spontaneous mutation
Lack of enzyme that removes toxins

Pattern Of inheritance
X SCID
Sex Linked recessive disease
Affects more males
Females can be carriers of the disease
In order for females to be infected with the disease both X chromosomes must have the defect.
ADA SCID
Affects males and females equally
It has an autosomal inheritance pattern



There are a few treatments for SCID. They include bone marrow transplant and an experimental treatment of Gene Therapy.
If you would like more information about SCID check out this website.

If you would like to read about a child who suffers from SCID visit this blog and this one.



Summer School has allowed for many hallway moments! Why is it that the best laughs always happen when your sitting around in the hallway?

I hope you all are having an amazing summer.
Love,
Belle

101

Hey Everyone,

So I have had this post planned for a while. I knew that I always wanted to go back and reflect on my blog after one hundred posts. This is actually post one hundred and one. I wasn't quite ready to release it week so I did a different post. But one hundred and one will do just as well as one hundred. I can not believe that I have made it this far. Before starting this post I thought a lot about what I wanted to say, and I feel like in true me style, it will be a bunch of rambling and I will never really get to a point, so I am going to apologize in advanced for that. I thought about doing something really special for my 100th post, but I ended up deciding to reflex on my blog over the past couple of years.

Before starting this post I went back and reread many of my posts over the past two years now. Reading some of my very first posts makes me cringe. I will not delete them, as they are very much a part of this blog and have helped it become what is it today. That being said, there are many posts that I am very proud of, and I would like all of my posts to be at that level, which lately I do not feel like they are. It is kind of fun and interesting to look back over the past two years because you begin to see patterns with in my posting. I always start posting more around January and it slowly starts to die down and around April, May and June you get my "I'm sorry, I've been busy, I'm such a bad blogger" posts. Then summer roles around and I am back to posting regularly.

This blog has been a growing experience for me, it has become a part of who I am. This blog in many ways is me, though out the posts my interests, thoughts and feeling can be seen. For those readers who have been reading my blog for a while now, maybe you can see some of the changes not only with in my blog but within me. I honestly don't know what the future holds for my blog, but as of now I plan continuing it. I do not know if that will change when I leave for university in a year or so, but right now I do not think that it will. My blog is my escape from the real world. I started it back near the end of grade nine which seems hard to believe. I have changed so much since then.


I am a big believer in goals. I set them for myself all the time, and some I treat almost like wishes in the fact that I don't tell anyone about them. Part of it I know, is my fear of failure. I work so hard to try and reach my goals and to end in failure is heart breaking, however it is a part of life, that I have come to accept. I have however reached one goal and that was to stick with this blog. When I started it, I said I am not going to give up on this blog after a 5 posts, but I am going to stick with it. 100 posts later, I think that I can safely say that I have done that. I am very proud of myself. In my profile/About Me section I wrote that I wanted to carve a space for myself out here in the blogging world, I truly think that I have done that. It may sound weird but this blog does feel like home. I thought about maybe changing my header or my background but I have decided against it because I feel that the way they are now truly reflects me and my blog. The blue is close to the colour of my room, and it reminds me of ice and skating and I just really love the header.

Belle is not my real name, and I have debated about reveling it or not. I personally don't want to mostly because I like writing under another name, its just fun. Belle really has nothing to do with my real name at all, (I'll give you this it starts with a J).

When I started I didn't tell anyone about my blog because I wanted it to a be a space completely my own, without the fear of being judged. This is still true today, with the exception of my best friend B. I am sure that if one of my good friends read this they would probably think that it sounds a lot like me, and if they asked if I had a blog I wouldn't deny it. However they have never asked.

I think that one of the coolest things about blogging is getting read people's blogs from all over the world and having them read mine. I can get inspiration from real people all around the globe, I love that. Blogs are so easily accessible and peoples personalities shine through that it makes them a pleasure to read. I love getting comments from people with blogs that I didn't know where out there, and going and reading their blog. A lot of inspiration for my blog, my clothes, and my life comes from the blogs that I read. There are so many smart, funny and talented people out there.

I started this blog for so many reasons and I continue it for so many others. I truly enjoy it.

I have had a steady amount of readers for almost 2 years now, and I would like to thank all of you for reading and commenting on my blog. It means so much to me, and is what helps to keep this blog going. I love to know that others are interested in what I have to say. So thank you.

For all of you of you who read that entire post all I can say is WOW and THANK YOU! I tried to edit I swear! My last few posts have been very text heavy and my next post will have many more pictures, I promise.
Thanks to all my readers again!
Have an amazing week.
Love,
Belle