Happy New Year. After eating my second piece of yummy apple pie tonight, I realized that I had already broken my resolution to not have more than one piece of dessert, at least in the same hour. Oh well. I'm sure I am not alone.

It is cold and snowy, here in Eastern Ontario. I have ducks and chickens, two ponies and four alpacas on my little farm and they are a lot more work in the winter. We don't have a water source at the barn (yet) so I carry jugs of water out there at least three times a day depending on the temperature outside. My biceps might look like Arnold Schwartzneggers before spring arrives. Or Madonna's.

Tomorrow, I am going to try to card and spin some alpaca fibre for the first time. This should be interesting as I have 10 thumbs. Ok, I exaggerate. I have five. Having never spun anything before, it might make for an entertaining afternoon and might spawn some new and colorful language.

If you or a loved one are contemplating a hysterectomy, this weeks article might be helpful. I had a hysterectomy when I was in my early thirties and while it solved the problem (endometriosis) I have somewhat suffered the consequences of the removal of my uterus and one ovary. My surgery was over 25 years ago. Today, alternative treatments are available that might have eliminated the need to have such a radical, permanent procedure. And like all things in life, knowing what I know now, I might have put up with the symptoms. We all know that hindsight is always 20/20 so I don't beat myself up over it, but if my experience which prompted me to write this article helps you make a decision that is right for you, then it was worth it.

Here's the latest article from the Gynecology site at BellaOnline.com.

Hysterectomy - Making an Informed Decision
Careful consideration should be given when making the choice to have a hysterectomy. It's much more complicated than just removing what may seem a rather troublesome organ. Get the facts before undergoing what may be a life-altering procedure.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art283.asp

Please visit gynecology.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Gynecology.

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I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Linda Reid, Gynecology Editor
http://gynecology.bellaonline.com

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