Desert Messenger

18 www.DesertMessenger.com November 18, 2020 Speaking of leaky blood vessels Nancy's Kitchen County Landfill Transfer Station now on Winter Hours The Quartzsite Transfer Station is now on their WINTER hours. They are open Sunday thru Wednes- day, 7:30am to 2:30pm. Dump your trash for free at the Transfer Station. Please cover your load. For more info call the Main landfill 928- 916-1253 or Main office at 928-854- 9152. The transfer station is locat- ed north of Town, just off Hwy. 95, near the Sewer Treatment Plant. By Jackie Deal The information in this article comes from NPR's partnership with Kaiser Health News. Did you know that you have more than 60,000 miles of blood vessels? That's veins, arteries and capillar- ies, the teeny, tiny end twigs on the vascular branches. 60,000 miles. Good Grief, that's almost 30 around trips from Sutherlin, Oregon to Quartzsite, Arizona! These 60,000 miles of vessels are lined with en- dothelial cells. Dr. William Li, a vascular biologist, compares this lining to a "freshly resurfaced ice skating rink before a hockey game on which the players and pucks glide smoothly along. When the Corona virus damages the inside of the blood vessel and shreds the lin- ing, that's like the ice after a hockey game; you wind up with a situation that is really untenable for blood flow." Sticky, damaged ice slows down pucks. And sticky, damaged endothelial cells slow the blood flow which leads to…..clots. Endothelial cells have some very important jobs: they help prevent clotting, control blood pressure, reg- ulate oxidative stress (more about that later) and "fend off pathogens." (That's germs, including the Corona virus.) Some research indicates that blood thinners may improve outcomes in COVID-19 patients. (Now don't rush out and buy rat poison (blood thinner) unless you want to end up with the dead rats.) Other treat- ments are also being studied that may help protect endothelial cells from the coronavirus. "Is that the end-all be-all to treating COVID-19? I absolutely don't think so. There's so many aspects of the disease that we still don't understand," says Dr. Seheult of the medical education website called Med Cram. The most severe effects seem to be on "patients who are obese, people who have large BMIs, people who have Type 2 diabetes and with high blood pressure. Over time, all of those conditions can cause inflam- mation and damage to the lining of blood vessels," Dr. Seheult says, "including a harmful chemical im- balance known as oxidative stress." "The endothelial cells get leaky, so instead of being like Saran Wrap, it turns into a sieve and then it allows fluid from the bloodstream to accu- mulate in the airspaces," Harvard's Dr. Libby says. Those airspaces are in your lungs and instead of having air they then have fluid. If think- ing of the epithelial lining of your blood vessels like a hockey skating rink didn't compute with you try the saran wrap analogy. A nice smooth slippery lining that helps the blood flow compared to a sieve that allows fluid from the blood to leak out and fill up your lungs. Doctors who treat COVID-19 are now keenly aware that complica- tions such as strokes and heart prob- lems can appear, even after a pa- tient gets better and their breathing improves. The Angiogenesis Foun- dation's Dr. Li puts it this way: "The virus enters your body and it leaves your body. You might or might not have gotten sick. But is that leaving behind a trashed vascular system?" Good question! Will it take years to know? Another good question. Should we do all we can to protect ourselves and our neighbors? The most important question! Disclaimer: This is not meant to treat, cure, heal or diagnose any type of illness or disease as it is for informational purposes only. BEEF & BROCCOLI ON RICE 1 cup low sodium beef broth 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup coconut sugar, (I use)l honey 1 Tablespoon sesame oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 pounds lean round sirloin steak, sliced thin 2 tablespoons cornstarch 4 tablespoons of sauce from slow cooker 1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite- sized florets Directions 1. Inside the crockpot, whisk to- gether beef broth, soy sauce, coco- nut sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. 2. Place slices of beef in the liquid and toss to coat. 3. Cover with lid and cook on low heat for 5 hours. When done, whisk together cornstarch and the sauce from inside slow cooker in small bowl. Pour into crock pot and stir to mix well. Add the broccoli over the beef and sauce. Gently stir to combine. Cover with lid and cook 30 minutes to cook broccoli and thicken sauce. Serve on a bed of steamed rice. Sites to see around Quartzsite THERE IS A LOT OF HISTORY in this area, from the pioneers and settlers who came here and settled into the town that is now Quartzsite; to prospectors and ranchers, whose decedents still live in the town. CELIA'S RAINBOW GARDENS Located at the north end of Quartzsite Town Park on Plymouth Rd. This 20 acre section is a beauti- ful nature trail with several special areas along the trails. It includes a miniature pioneer village, a min- ing display, rock and gem pavilion, veterans' area, and much more. It's a work in progress started by Paul & Joanne Winer, the parents of Ce- lia Anne Winer, an 8-year old who died in 1994. The volunteer project has become one of the most visited parts of the area. Be sure to take your camera to capture your own memories of the flora and fauna while walking the trails. BOUSE FISHERMAN The Bouse Fisherman is an Inta- glio also known as a geoglyph or earth figure. These very large earth figures were created many years ago by American Indians. The fisherman was first spotted in 1932 on the des- ert floor when George Palmer, a pi- lot, saw an enormous human figure with outstretched hands. In 1984, the Colorado River Indian Tribes sponsored a flight which led to a second discovery of the Bouse Fish- erman. Bouse residents and others collected money and installed posts and a cable fence around the site. A bronze plaque was set into a stone pillar to commemorate the site hop- ing for preservation for all. To get there - North out of Quartzsite on Highway 95 for 5.4 miles, then turn right on Plomosa Road. 6 miles up the road look for fences on your left. Inside the far- thest fence you will find the Rock Alignment and 1.3 miles farther up the road you come to a second "sce- nic view parking" sign. Park and follow path up the hill to see the In- taglios. GPS coordinates for Bouse Fisherman: N33.4745 W114.0557. 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