Ho ho ho. I got a merry f***ing Christmas present from the internet - the 'Win 7 Antivirus 2012' virus. I have no idea hwo I got it or why my Anti-virus software didn't block it. I wasn't on any kind of a dodgy site, so my best guess is I accidentally clicked on an ad on Facebook that dropped this bomb on me. Regardless, the damage was done and I couldn't do squat on my computer. All of my shortcuts (e.g. Windows Explorer, Task Manager, Windows Firewall, Internet Explorer, etc.) only took me to the a pop-up from the stupid virus who kept telling me my computer is infected and I should purchase the full version of 'Win 7 Antivirus 2012.' Gotta hand it to them, as it looks almost official. If it weren't for that fact that I hadn't downloaded any Windows updates and that it broke everything on my computer, I may have almost believed it was a real Microsoft product.
Since I had difficulty openning anything, I had to open Task Manager by the menu item from Ctrl-Alt-Del. As I looked at the things that were running, sorted by either CPU or memory usage, I noticed one program, ihv.exe, that looked suspicious. Looking at its properties, it was described as a Profiler Script, created right about the time all this shit started happenned. It was located under C:/Users/Diana/AppData/Local. I killed the two instances of ihv.exe running in Task Manager, removed the file, and emptied the Recycle bin. This stopped the virus pop-up but all of my shortcuts were hosed. Instead of repointing everything, I restored my system to yesterday's configuration through Control Panel -> Recovery. This fixed all of the short cut problems and now everything seems to be working fine. I'm running the McAfee virus scan now as a check, but hopefully that took care of it.
Btw, Microsoft has a forum answer here on how to remove it also: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-security/how-do-i-remove-win-7-anti-virus-2012/5957f0ae-a956-43d8-821b-2e2ea226859f. I didn't read it all, but there's a lot of info there that may help you too.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
A Trip to the ER
On November 29th I removed a Mirena IUD that I've had in for almost a year. Two days later, I started my period, and few days later, it started getting really heavy. So heavy I could barely keep up with the flow. I worked from home for couple of days because of this. I called the doctor on the 8th day after the removal and they said heavy bleeding was normal. Two days later, I called again and got the same response, but was told I could come in to get blood pressure checked if I would like. This was Friday. By end of the day, I could barely vaccuum a whole room without having to sit back down again. I was told the bleeding would last 7-10 days. It was the 9th day of bleeding so I thought I'd give it another day to see how it goes, so I didn't go in.
On the 10th day, a Saturday, I could barely stay standing for a minute. I couldn't possibly fathom how it was 'normal' to lose so much blood. I got hold of the on-call doctor at my practice who urged me to go to the ER given how much blood I had lost, and the fact that I feel faint. My dad is still here with me, so he took me to the ER at Bartlett Regional Hospital, the only ER in Juneau. He drove me to the doors, got a wheelchair and wheeled me in. I thought I'd be there a while so I grabbed couple of books before going... but I couldn't be bothered to change so I went in my PJ's. I could also barely manage to brush my teeth. I had to sit while brushing.
By the time the nurses wheeled me into the ER I was scared and emotional. I started crying, but sent my dad home since Millie needed to be walked and looked after. Once in ER, the docs checked my heart rate, which was high. Apparently this is the first sign of significant blood loss since your heart has to pump harder to get the blood around. The next sign is low blood pressure, but mine was still normal. Then death... yikes.
The ER nurses hooked me up to an IV to thicken my blood and lower my heart rate. They then took my blood to measure my hematocrit, or percentage of actual red blood cells in my blood. This number generally hovers around 40% for women, and mine was 18! I lost over half of my red blood cells. I was then told by the ER doctor that a transfusion was absolutely necessary. If I don't, it would take months to recover that much red blood cells naturally, and I would remain ill until then and remain at risk of dying. I initialy resisted the idea based of fears of complications with transfusions that existed in the past. However, after some reassurance of the improved screening process these days, I consented to the treatment.
Although the doctor was able to treat the symptom, no one knew why I bled out so abnormally. An x-ray and pelvic exam showed everything was normal. I am also relatively healthy. Their best guess was that somehow my hormones got seriously out of whack so they gave me a small dose of progesterone, the same hormones that were in the Mirena IUD.
I got my first pack of blood in the ER. As I sat in the ER getting treated, all I could do was cry. I blame it on the whacked hormones, but I could not stop. The slightest thing, such as worrying about whether my dog was happy, would set me into tears. I did not want my dad to see me this way so I asked the nurse to let him know how I was doing. However, my boss at work did come to visit me, and she was very supportive and understanding. She stayed until I was admitted to the hospital, where I got a proper room with a comfy bed, window, TV, and private bath.
By the time I was admitted, I'd finished receiving my first pack of blood and felt slightly better. It was dinner time by now so I got a nice meal of fried chicken and mash. Then two more packets of blood, which took until 1am or so to go through. Dad stopped by a bit later on, and I spent the evening watching TV or reading. I tried to sleep, but the nurses kept coming in every hour to check my vitals. I finally got uninterrupted sleep at 2, but was woken around 5.
It seems the progersterone I received finally kicked in and slowed the bleeding on the second day. Another set of blood tests showed I was still anemic, so the doc ordered another round of transfusion. I spent the morning watching men's figure skating, and rest of the day watching Law & Order reruns. Despite the circumstances, it was kind of nice being in the hospital. There was no way I could relax at home with Millie running around. The nurses were also at my beck and call at the push of a button. Since I was hooked up to the IV and needed help with every little thing, I kept pushng the button. They would come on the speaker and ask what they could do for me. Often it was one of, "I need to go to the bathroom", "my IV is beeping", "can you close the door please?"
I was released from the hospital about 4:30 on Sunday. I felt pretty good, as I was told I would be. The effect of a transfusion is immediate. I was given a prescription of progesterone to stop the bleeding, but by Monday the bleeding had nearly stopped so I never took any of it.
That night I took a much needed shower. Once out though, my lips started itching and swelling. I called the doc, who suggested taking benadryl. The itching subsided by swelling didn't. I slept fine that night, but soon as I woke up the next day I broke out into hives all over and my mouth area swelled. I felt a bit of swelling in my throat that scared me. A dose of benadryl helped. I went in to see my usual doc later that day and found out a reaction to transfusion can happen up to 48 hours after. They were naturally concerned about the swelling I experienced in my throat, so they prescribed some steroids to keep handy just in case. They urged me to take one that day, and to take the rest as needed. I took couple more benadryls before going to bed.
By Tuesday my bleeding had stopped and I was no longer reacting to anything. I felt fine. Fortunately I was working from home this week to do an online training course. I got out a little early this week, and by Wednesday, I was out taking Millie for a walk. Today I did my usual four mile walk with her and dad, and did just fine. I feel as fine as ever.
It's hard to believe just a week ago I was nearly on my death bed. If it weren't for all of those people who donate blood, I may not be here right now. To all of you who donate, thank you for saving my life and of others like me who may not have survived without it.
On the 10th day, a Saturday, I could barely stay standing for a minute. I couldn't possibly fathom how it was 'normal' to lose so much blood. I got hold of the on-call doctor at my practice who urged me to go to the ER given how much blood I had lost, and the fact that I feel faint. My dad is still here with me, so he took me to the ER at Bartlett Regional Hospital, the only ER in Juneau. He drove me to the doors, got a wheelchair and wheeled me in. I thought I'd be there a while so I grabbed couple of books before going... but I couldn't be bothered to change so I went in my PJ's. I could also barely manage to brush my teeth. I had to sit while brushing.
By the time the nurses wheeled me into the ER I was scared and emotional. I started crying, but sent my dad home since Millie needed to be walked and looked after. Once in ER, the docs checked my heart rate, which was high. Apparently this is the first sign of significant blood loss since your heart has to pump harder to get the blood around. The next sign is low blood pressure, but mine was still normal. Then death... yikes.
The ER nurses hooked me up to an IV to thicken my blood and lower my heart rate. They then took my blood to measure my hematocrit, or percentage of actual red blood cells in my blood. This number generally hovers around 40% for women, and mine was 18! I lost over half of my red blood cells. I was then told by the ER doctor that a transfusion was absolutely necessary. If I don't, it would take months to recover that much red blood cells naturally, and I would remain ill until then and remain at risk of dying. I initialy resisted the idea based of fears of complications with transfusions that existed in the past. However, after some reassurance of the improved screening process these days, I consented to the treatment.
Although the doctor was able to treat the symptom, no one knew why I bled out so abnormally. An x-ray and pelvic exam showed everything was normal. I am also relatively healthy. Their best guess was that somehow my hormones got seriously out of whack so they gave me a small dose of progesterone, the same hormones that were in the Mirena IUD.
I got my first pack of blood in the ER. As I sat in the ER getting treated, all I could do was cry. I blame it on the whacked hormones, but I could not stop. The slightest thing, such as worrying about whether my dog was happy, would set me into tears. I did not want my dad to see me this way so I asked the nurse to let him know how I was doing. However, my boss at work did come to visit me, and she was very supportive and understanding. She stayed until I was admitted to the hospital, where I got a proper room with a comfy bed, window, TV, and private bath.
By the time I was admitted, I'd finished receiving my first pack of blood and felt slightly better. It was dinner time by now so I got a nice meal of fried chicken and mash. Then two more packets of blood, which took until 1am or so to go through. Dad stopped by a bit later on, and I spent the evening watching TV or reading. I tried to sleep, but the nurses kept coming in every hour to check my vitals. I finally got uninterrupted sleep at 2, but was woken around 5.
It seems the progersterone I received finally kicked in and slowed the bleeding on the second day. Another set of blood tests showed I was still anemic, so the doc ordered another round of transfusion. I spent the morning watching men's figure skating, and rest of the day watching Law & Order reruns. Despite the circumstances, it was kind of nice being in the hospital. There was no way I could relax at home with Millie running around. The nurses were also at my beck and call at the push of a button. Since I was hooked up to the IV and needed help with every little thing, I kept pushng the button. They would come on the speaker and ask what they could do for me. Often it was one of, "I need to go to the bathroom", "my IV is beeping", "can you close the door please?"
I was released from the hospital about 4:30 on Sunday. I felt pretty good, as I was told I would be. The effect of a transfusion is immediate. I was given a prescription of progesterone to stop the bleeding, but by Monday the bleeding had nearly stopped so I never took any of it.
That night I took a much needed shower. Once out though, my lips started itching and swelling. I called the doc, who suggested taking benadryl. The itching subsided by swelling didn't. I slept fine that night, but soon as I woke up the next day I broke out into hives all over and my mouth area swelled. I felt a bit of swelling in my throat that scared me. A dose of benadryl helped. I went in to see my usual doc later that day and found out a reaction to transfusion can happen up to 48 hours after. They were naturally concerned about the swelling I experienced in my throat, so they prescribed some steroids to keep handy just in case. They urged me to take one that day, and to take the rest as needed. I took couple more benadryls before going to bed.
By Tuesday my bleeding had stopped and I was no longer reacting to anything. I felt fine. Fortunately I was working from home this week to do an online training course. I got out a little early this week, and by Wednesday, I was out taking Millie for a walk. Today I did my usual four mile walk with her and dad, and did just fine. I feel as fine as ever.
It's hard to believe just a week ago I was nearly on my death bed. If it weren't for all of those people who donate blood, I may not be here right now. To all of you who donate, thank you for saving my life and of others like me who may not have survived without it.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Snow Plow Nightmare
I was so excited about all the beauty and fun the snow brings I had almost forgotten about the downside of so much snow. My back has been aching from shoveling so much snow. If you have a home, the best thing to do is invest in a snow blower, or if you have a large area to clear, a quad with a plow. If you rent, rent a place that includes snow removal and garage if you can. I have neither though. If you live in a small home like me and park on the street, you could be pretty screwed. I had been shoveling snow every day, and I managed to get my car dug out only couple days ago. Well, this morning I found out that the stupid public works had plowed all the snow up against my car and buried it in!!! I was furious and upset. I literally cried because I was so upset. The pile of snow was also wet and heavy. It took me and my dad nearly 2.5 hours to dig the car out again. I was not happy. But much thanks to my dad who was very patient and helpful. I'm really glad he's fit for a 61 yr old.
The Juneau Empire ran this article on snow removal and other winter things. They say don't put the snow back in the streets. Well, I already have a huge mound in front and back of my car. Just where exactly do they expect people to put the snow? If they don't have a better place to put the snow than up against people's cars, they shouldn't plow. People were getting through just fine. What they should've done with this much snow is just remove it. There is no where else to put it. At some point they will put up notices to get people to move their cars so they can remove it. However, if they keep burying people's cars in, they won't be able to move their cars!!! I'm still not sure where they expect people to move their cars to. All the streets around the neighborhood will be full of snow.
Mr. Duncan from public works kindly put his e-mail address in the above article. I made sure he got a piece of my mind. So far I got a quick apology from him and an offer to look into what went on in my street. I'm glad that he seems to care, unlike the moron who actually plowed the street. I wrote back with my street address and am now waiting to hear back. I heard from my neighbor that it's not uncommon for the city to plow the snow right back onto the cars, but I hope they will rethink what they will doing in the future. In the meantime, I will be looking for a new place to live. If I don't find a place with off street parking and snow removal service by next fall, I'm outta here.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Winter Activities
 |
| Mendenhall Recreation Area Trails |
Eagle Crest - Downhill and cross-country ski trails
List of Cross-country Ski Trails
Equipment Rentals at Foggy Mountain Shop
Juneau Nordic Ski Club - Information on trails, gears, etc.
Avalanche Safety
Avalanche Advisory
I don't have my snowshoes yet, so I took my Dad to Mendenhall Glacier Recreational Area today. (I usually park at the Forest Service off of Back Loop Rd.) He really enjoyed it. It was really beautiful there today with all of the snowfall we've been getting. We had to walk on ski tracks, but snowshoe would have helped us stay off the tracks.
As soon as I get snowshoes, I'd like to try to head up Spaulding Meadows or Auke Nu trail. I don't think my dad is quite fit enough to make it to the top (I may struggle as well since I'm not used to snowshoeing), so I'll have to break him in little by little.
The Basin Road is also a nice place to walk or ski in the winter. It is convenient to folks who are downtown and do not want to drive anywhere. We went there yesterday and enjoyed it, but when we went today, they had closed off the bridge to the road. There were many construction equipment lying around, so I think they are planning to do something. I hope it is not going to be closed all winter.
I also would like to get up on Eagle Crest. I really miss snowboarding. Kinda tough to get out there these days though because Millie can't go snowboarding with me. If I'm out there all day she can't get a walk.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Winter & Dad are Here!
 |
| Mendenhall Glacier |
Another bit of news I have is a bit of a switcheroo in the household. My husband is now back in England for the forseeable future, so my dad decided he is going to come here for the winter to keep me company. He is retired and seems to have nothing better to do for the winter, so might as well I guess. He's agreed to take Millie for walks on days I work, and I am really glad for that because I hated walking Millie in the dark. Ever since day light savings time ended, it has been dark by the time I got off work, and I expect it will be that way until March or so.
My dad and I haven't been all that close since he was away most of my life. We get along alright, but we've never spent more than a few days together. I do know we're both pretty set in our ways. It'll be a challenge, but I think we'll be ok. It'll be a good opportunity for us to spend some quality time together. I plan to drag him out on my days off for walks, snowshoeing, and skiing. He's looking forward to it all too - the opportunity to be outdoors and get fit. Today is day 1 of 134 days together.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Martial Arts in Juneau
When I knew the rainy season was approaching, I looked into possibly getting back into martial arts. Although I have yet to do so, I have found the following options for training in town:
Juneau Aiki Dojo
Aikido taught by Sensei Chris Keller. Offers class 7-8:30 pm most nights in downtown. $80/month.
Tang Soo Do
Korean style karate taught by Micheal Ban. They do not have a website, but they offer classes Tuesday and Thursday nights from 7-9pm in the Mendenhall Mall in the valley. They also have an informal session on Saturdays. One of Micheal's blackbelt also teaches in downtown on Tuesday and Thursdays from 4:45-6:30. Show up at the Mendenhall Mall when class is in session to find out more. $35/month.
Juneau Shotokan Karate
Traditional Japanese style karate. Classes offered couple times a week in dojo near the airport. $52.50/month.
Jade Dragon Alaska
Kung Fu and Taichi. They only offer private lessons though.
Juneau Aiki Dojo
Aikido taught by Sensei Chris Keller. Offers class 7-8:30 pm most nights in downtown. $80/month.
Tang Soo Do
Korean style karate taught by Micheal Ban. They do not have a website, but they offer classes Tuesday and Thursday nights from 7-9pm in the Mendenhall Mall in the valley. They also have an informal session on Saturdays. One of Micheal's blackbelt also teaches in downtown on Tuesday and Thursdays from 4:45-6:30. Show up at the Mendenhall Mall when class is in session to find out more. $35/month.
Juneau Shotokan Karate
Traditional Japanese style karate. Classes offered couple times a week in dojo near the airport. $52.50/month.
Jade Dragon Alaska
Kung Fu and Taichi. They only offer private lessons though.
Fall in Juneau
Well, it's that time of year that I have been dreading - Juneau's rainy season. It already rained more than I would have liked during Spring and Summer. Now into it's most wettest season, it rains every day. There is about a 10 minutes window most days where the sun peeks out from under the clouds and a hint of blue sky can be seen. I look out the window with hopes of a clear sky for my evening walk with Millie. It's a teaser though, so I go home, put on my rain gear, and head out to Sandy Beach for about an hour in the rain. On the weekends, I've stuck to well known trails that are likely to be least muddy - Salmon Creek (up to the power house) or Brotherhood Bridge Trail. Both are about 4 miles, long enough for a rainy day. There are many trails I have yet to hit in Juneau, but I'm not too keen to explore in this kind of weather. Besides, many of the ones that gain elevation are probably muddy and not too safe or fun right now.
I'll be honest, this whole rain thing is a bit difficult for me. I had enjoyed my time here until now because I had been able to explore new trails. Now that excitement of exploration is gone, for now, there is little else to keep me entertained. To make matters worse, I managed to get a business trip back home end of September, and I took a week off to spend time with friends and family. This only made me miss them more once I got back.
I'll be honest, this whole rain thing is a bit difficult for me. I had enjoyed my time here until now because I had been able to explore new trails. Now that excitement of exploration is gone, for now, there is little else to keep me entertained. To make matters worse, I managed to get a business trip back home end of September, and I took a week off to spend time with friends and family. This only made me miss them more once I got back.
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