Well, it has taken me some time to get this up and running, mostly because other things crowded out the time necessary. Today I am applying for freelance writing jobs. I went to the gym as usual and worked out. Then home to shower, etc…I am making artisan bread today, which is rising as I type. The other activity besides applying for jobs is more straightening of the house….With Nickolas moving back home, and the necessity of moving stuff around, I have created a work space for myself and an official guest room. I am still finishing the details….but it is nice to see progress in a physical sense. This applying for jobs is rather depressing, as I write cover letters and send them away…I rarely hear anything back. No visible progress…
Last week I wrote articles for my portfolio as a writer…I think I will share one here. Hope all of you enjoy this.
Writing Sample: AP Style Sickle Cell Drug
New Drug Reduces Pain for Sickle Cell Anemia Sufferers
Endari is the first drug in over 20 years to gain FDA approval to help Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) patients. Developed by Emmaus Laboratories, Endari has been on the market since July of this year (2017).
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disease that results from one base change in the patient’s DNA code. This results in an amino acid change to the hemoglobin protein. Hemoglobin is the protein that is in our red blood cells (RBC) that carries oxygen to all our cells throughout our bodies. This one amino acid change causes the RBCs to “sickle” or form the characteristic crescent shape when the person with SCA undergoes stress. The sickle-shaped cells get stuck in capillaries because they are not as flexible as the normal jelly-donut shaped RBC. These clogged capillaries cause bruising and other problems for the SCA sufferer.
Sickle cell anemia affects 100,000 people in the United States and 25 million people world-wide. The trait is a genetic advantage against malaria, which is why evolutionary biologists believe it is still so prevalent.
Endari’s active ingredient is L-glutamine, an amino acid. Researchers have found sickle RBCs are more susceptible to oxidative damage than normal RBCs. What this means is that as the RBCs bring oxygen to tissues and carry away waste gases and other compounds, the sickle RBCs become more damaged by the waste compounds than non-sickle RBCs. L-glutamine has been found to improve the ability of NAD+ to convert to NADH in aerobic glycolysis; it also helps the cell neutralize reactive oxygen species.
Wanda Gourgis participated in the clinical trials for Endari years ago. Endari have made her SCA episodes less painful and less frequent. Wanda’s daughter, Juanita inherited the disease. She works as a swimming coach and life guard while attending nursing school. The pair says they are still celebrating. Endari has given them another tool to cope with SCA.
Sources:
AARP The Magazine/Real Possibilities
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/208587s000lbl.pdf
http://www.drugdevelopment-technology.com/projects/endari-for-the-treatment-of-sickle-cell-disease/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3937982/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/623427
https://www.openanesthesia.org/aba_aerobic_vs/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutathione_peroxidase
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