I’m SO ExCiTeD – Are U?
“I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it
I’m about to lose control and I think I like it
I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it
And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know I want you…”
The above are the lyrics from one of the biggest hits produced and performed.by the Pointer Sisters. These words express how excited I am about launching, MY SHOW, MY THOUGHTS, featuring Jeff Brisbin https://www.spreaker.com/user/10697139/my-show-my-thoughts-karen-kiki-jeff-brisb and Marcus Ruggiero https://www.spreaker.com/user/10697139/my-show-my-thoughts-with-karen-kiki-marc4-8-19.
The concept of this podcast is similar in the approach of all the shows on newclevelandradio.net. I want to offer the listeners opportunities to hear, see, and participate in new prospects. I believe we empower ourselves and others by offering information in a manner that is casual. Do not tell me to do something but share new experiences and allow me to chose if this is the correct path in the journey I am forging. Even if it’s not, taking a detour once in a while provides us with the beauty we may have missed if we had not turned right or left.
Please keep listening and downloading and when you do follow the trail that will empower you to be happy.
It’s MY SHOW Talking About…
Are you a musician, comedian, artist, or talented in another form and want to be noticed? Beginning today, Friday, April 5th I will be doing a one-woman show talking about music and other art forms. Each segment I will select one artist and today it will be Jeff Brisbin – surprise! Jeff is an accomplished musician, songwriter, composer, and producer. He is known in the Capital District of New York State and plays almost daily in the Saratoga Springs area. Jeff’s musical tour is THE NEVERENDING TOUR. I welcome you to follow Jeff’s music and here is a link for more info on Jeff Brisbin.
To Touch or Not To Touch – that is the question!
I am asking because I am confused! When is friendly too friendly? In the past, family, friends, neighbors, and newly acquainted individuals hugged, touched, and even kissed, without sexual intent or disrespect of invading space. Most of the baby boomers were brought up in an environment was touch appropriate; it was for comfort, appreciation, as well as a common form of communication. I am not disavowing that some of these connections may go array whether intentionally or with intent. However, when did we get so sensitive to expect that a kiss on the head, hand, the cheek is something more than a mere gesture of respect or showing appreciation. Why is it ‘OK’ for men to hug and tap each other on the shoulder but when a man treats a female equally it is considered too personal and display sexually desire?.
I do not want to live in a world where people are afraid to touch each other or share a conversation that may each work and innuendo is scrutinized. The “ME TOO MOVEMENT” has does a wonderful thing by bringing inappropriate behavior to the forefront; however, it has destroyed what is natural in the human species, connection. I am not defending or accusing anyone of poor behavior while we must begin to understand that not everything communicated is in “poor or inappropriate taste,” we should be cognizant of what is acceptable in a human connection.
I have shared this previously, I have been molested by a member of the medical community, the therapy taught me to how to get through the remnant of that encounter while learning to trust my instincts while still welcoming appropriate touch and speech when making a connection. Do we want to live in a world of “Hands Off?” If so, when will experience the warmth of another human soul?
It is no JOKE – The Cleveland Indians Win!
Did you get fooled yesterday? April 1st, also known as April Fools Day was just another day for me, and for that I was glad. No pepper in my sugar, or a Whoopi cushion on my chair, and for that, I was grateful at the end of the day. The Cleveland Indian’s did not disappoint; they pulled out a win on their home opener, and that was icing on the cake. The only trick or surprise that may have occurred is that both my husband and I experienced dueling migraines, and I have been experiencing the after effects since 4 a.m. this morning. As I sit here and sip on a cup of coffee, I am wondering if I will be taking a nap soon.
For those of you that have dealt with SAD over the last couple of months, I am sure you are enjoying a long period of daylight at the end of the day, making it feel like you have a few more hours to accomplish and/or enjoy life a little more. Despite the increase in migraines, the light into the evening hours does bring a little upward curl to my lips. It can be the smallest specks in our life that trigger the cortisol hormone that spreads happiness.
Upon awakening at 4 a.m. this morning I completed reading, “Great Things, A Novel” by K. Adrian Zonneville (aka Charlie Wiener). I stalled while reading this book, and I did not want it to come to an end. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I connect with the characters that this magnificent author develops and pens. I am anxiously awaiting, Wednesday, April 10th when Charlie begins his podcast here at newclevelandradio.net. Not only will we discuss his books, but we will invite you to participate either call in at 440-922-6431 during the live broadcast or email us with your comments that we will share and discuss.
The first quarter of 2019 may be behind us, but the best is yet to come because I believe that taking a step forward will propel me and if I can make a move, so can you!
Sharing is Caring especially when it comes to AUTISM
The following is something I read on Facebook today, although I do not know this mother personally, I understand her story all to well. I believe her story, as I have seen this all too familiar scenario played out due to ignorance as well as unawareness to our special needs community. Our communities are not comprised of all perfectly “normal” human specimens. In fact, the quote that normal is only a setting on a washing machine or dryer is very true. As we are all snowflakes, not one of us is identical to another, we all have our quirks.
When will we learn to be tolerant, accepting, and encompass the diversities we encounter on a daily basis? When trusted medical doctors, nurses, and other healthcare officials cannot be trusted, it is time to change the system. Approximately 17 years ago a Psychiatrist at the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation, informed my son (who was 11 at the 
time), my husband and myself, that he (our son) should give up his dreams and passion for baseball. She told him his dreams were too lofty and that he was destined to living in a half-way house and performing menial jobs.
As parents, we refused to listen, and we argued with her that she was wrong despite a complete case study she provided us with to prove her point. Today, not only did my son graduate high school with a 3.0+ GPA, attend college and receive a BS in Business Management, he has also been an Autism Advocate, and for over a year he has worked with the Cleveland Indians and has accepted two advancements. He is living his passionate dream despite the ignorance of a “trusted” professional. If we had listened and given into her diagnosis (not the one of our son’s neurologist) we would have not only ruined our son’s life but destroyed much of ours as well.
Anyone who knows someone on the spectrum most likely has a similar story, and we must continue to bring the REAL SPECTRUM AWARE to light. April may be Autism Awareness Month, but for the one out of sixty-four and their families, Autism Awareness must be every day. #IGNORANCENOTACCEPTED! #webothhavesonsbythenameofAlex
APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS/ACCEPTANCE MONTH
Why this is so important to me and many of my very dear friends…
Our story that changed me forever…
June 2015 Alex had a horrible sinus infection. He was in terrible pain, but because his verbal skills are limited, he did not know how to express how he was feeling. All he knew is he needed relief from the pain. He ended up hitting himself which resulted in 2 black eyes. As my poor “Gentle Giant” baby was lying in bed that night, his eye started to bleed. Although I was very skeptical on how he would be treated there I knew (thought) he needed to go to the hospital where they would give him something to make him feel better. And that my friends is where Alex and my Horrific Nightmare Began…
Before this, I think we kind of lived in a bubble. Beachwood is kind of a small town where most people know each other. So most people knew Alex for the funny, smart, fun loving, Gentle Giant he is. On top of that, he attended an Autism School. So acceptance in the community was just part of our world. Never did I imagine he would go to a hospital 10 minutes away from our house where the minute he came through the doors, he was treated like a monster.
All these doctors saw was a 6’4” man with 2 black eyes not happy. They didn’t care that he was not happy because he was in pain. When I told them he had autism, they actually said to me “We have never had anyone here with autism before” I called Bullshit on them. “Really? 1 in 64 and he is your first?”
They put him in 4 point restraints and sedated him. They would not treat his sinus infection even though I insisted. I stayed with him 24/7. I slept in a metal folding chair and only left for a couple each night when someone I trusted at the time would come so I could shower. I heard and saw everything that went on. I would tell them he is in pain. I would beg them to give him something for his pain. They would say “He is sedated he doesn’t feel anything” I could see he was in pain. They didn’t care. To them, he wasn’t a person. He got pneumonia and ended up on a ventilator. This went on for 3 WEEKS! I fought with them, I yelled they DIDN’T CARE!! I tried telling them what a wonderful boy he is. THEY DIDN’T CARE!! To them he was a very large disabled “monster” The doctors would talk around me. Like I wasn’t there. They told me if he got out they wanted to send him to a mental hospital. They treated him like a crazy monster. They didn’t care; I was his mother and legal guardian. They acted like I knew nothing about him. They didn’t believe anything I told them. Me and others that saw him never said the words but knew he was going to die there. They were going to kill 
him. I begged for him to get transferred out of there. I thought of ways to sneak him out. Finally, after 3 weeks, they sent him by ambulance to the main Clinic where after 2 more weeks they were able to get him off the ventilator. He was left immobile. They wanted to send him to rehab, and I said “NO. NO MORE. I WILL DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO HAVE HIM REHAB AT HOME!”
Thank God Alex has the Fershtman determination and hard work ethic. It took a while but he had to learn to walk and feed himself again. And most importantly he had to learn to TRUST again.
He had nightmares from this experience. I slept with him every night for 1 year. I still have nightmares. And unlike Alex, I have not learned to trust again.
You know how they say “Once you are in Hell nothing else frightens you” It is true. I was there and I do not get intimidated by anything anymore. Alex and I are both fighters. We are survivors. If we made it through Hell we can make it through anything!
Even making this move. I knew it was the best thing for both of us but I thought the transition might be a little hard for him. However, I knew we would get through it. If we survived our horrific nightmare we would survive transition issues. Thankfully he has been so happy here since day one! I promise This will NEVER HAPPEN TO ALEX AGAIN! I WILL DO ANYTHING AND I REALLY MEAN ANYTHING TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN’T!! And I also promise I will make sure everybody will always treat him as the sweet, loving funny person he is!
AND WE AS A COMMUNITY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT HAPPENED TO ALEX NEVER EVER HAPPENS TO ANYONE AGAIN!!! 
REMEMBER, PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT NEEDS ARE STILL PEOPLE AND DESERVE TO BE TREATED AS PEOPLE!!! NOBODY’S LIFE IS WORTHLESS BECAUSE THEY HAVE ANY KIND OF SPECIAL NEEDS!!!
And I don’t care who you are if I hear you say otherwise I will call you out on it every time!!!
THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT SO PLEASE DON’T MAKE IT ONE!
THIS IS A STATEMENT ABOUT PEOPLE PERIOD!!!
AND A STATEMENT ABOUT AUTISM AWARENESS AND ACCEPTANCE!!
ps. I cannot promise that this is my only Autism Post this month… so Buckle Your Seatbelts Kids!!
***Annette Scott & Sandi Fershtman – thank you for sharing and now let’s home we can touch the hearts of humanity (and medical professionals) to understand that Autism touches us all!
Could a, Would a, Should a – Follow the Path 2 Day!
Good morning world, it is Saturday, March 30th, just two days before April 1st, also known as April Fools Day! Well, I don’t plan to fool you or anyone else, what I am planning to do is to fully continue living my life and appreciate each sunrise and sunset even if it is Cloudy & Grey. As I look at the various messages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram I am reminded that we only have one life to live and that is now in the present. We can think of the could a’s, should a’s and would a’s but that would mean something else would have transpired and we cannot guarantee that is the result we would want. However today we can choose the path and take the journey of life and see where it leads. 
Remember every path as curves, turns, ups and downs, the obstacles are what gives us the strength to sort through these challenges.
Coffee and Cars with Katie the Carlady 3_28_19
Thank you, Mike Brickman, for joining Coffee and Cars with Katie the Carlady, tonight, Thursday, March 28th. You are an inspiration of a man who provides integrity in business. Newclevelandradio.net salutes you and we welcome our listeners and followers to check out your amazing services.
Mike has been wrenching on cars and growing a successful business for years and years. He provided. informational tips and more in tonight’s podcast.
Check out his business at https://suburbancarandtruck.com/
17309 S. Miles Rd, Cleveland Ohio 44128 Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri: 8:30am – 6pm Wednesday: 8:30am – 8pm Sat – Sun: Closed Phone 216-662-2102, Fax: 216-662-1911
Email: jackie@suburbancarandtruck.com
https://www.spreaker.com/user/10697139/coffee-and-cars-with-katie-the-carlady3-28-19
Health Issue Update – I AM ME!
I am so Empowered to 
. Earlier today I shared a health issue, and I took control, some in my life wanted to feel sorry for themselves if this health issue were to disturb theirs. I refused to let them control something that was not theirs. Not that I wanted to be ill, but if I were, it was for me to own, not them.
I pushed myself to find answers and hold my medical team hostage to explain how my medical file states one thing, an aortic embolism, while a previous conversation with this team advised me I was “OK.” I needed to know for myself what “OK” meant and means. I now have an answer.
Yes, I have an embolism which is so very small in size. In fact, I was informed if I had not gone for a complete cardio work-up last year it would never have been noticed. When having this conversation today, I was advised many people live with tiny embolism that never change in size or cause difficulty. In fact, most do not even know they have them unless a CT Scan catches it.
I was advised, to and enjoy life while keeping my blood pressure low, to avoid smoking (not an issue here) and to maintain a healthy diet and exercise moderately. The doctor’s nurse explained to me my February/March work up is excellent, and my cholesterol levels are ideal. She apologized for the confusion in the report, but she said the aorta has a tiny bulge and medically for follow up it is identified as an embolism, not to scare me which it did, but because it is what it is. Not all embolisms enlarge however yearly follow up is advised.
So today I am ME and I look forward to spending more time with U.
Empower Your Heart
Modern technology can be an asset as well as a traumatic hinderance in our lives. Many of you may have opted to view your medical records that include results of blood work, x-rays, CAT Scans, and other medical tests. Too often these results are viewable prior to any communication with your physician. So what do we do, we Google the information to become knowledgeable. However, sometimes that knowledge is frightening and misinterpreted by either your cognitive abilities resulting in an over-anxious thought process.
Well, this all happened to me this week. Let me explain! When I was 13 or 14 years old, I was diagnosed with a heart murmur. Initially, it was a reason for concern (my parent’s). However, my medical team finally confirmed it was a normal heart murmur, whatever that means. Within a year I was be
ing seen by a specialist at the University of Minnesota, C. Walton Lillehei, he was one of Dr. Christian Barnard’s teachers. Dr. Lillehei had me scheduled for a heart cath and minutes before I was wheeled into surgery, he canceled the procedure. He told my parents to take me home, and live a normal life. He suggested weight and stress reduction, although I was not overweight at the time. We will not talk about stress.
As the years passed, I experienced twinges of pain always to be diagnosed as something unrelated such as migraine, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, and a variety of maladies that could contribute to heart issues but most likely were benign. Approximately twenty years ago I was rediagnosed with mitral valve prolapse but was once again to note it and ignore it. (What the hell do I do with that information?)
Last year, my current cardiologist informed me that I do have an enlarged heart but tests again were benign, and he suggested a retest this year. I had the Scan in February and weeks after I got a call that I had no change and it was advised to scan again in one year. Yesterday, MY UH Health Chart popped up with a message…” Dr. wanted us to let you know that your aortic aneurysm is Stable. He would like to repeat CT of the chest in one year.”
AORTIC ANEURYSM, what the Hell? No one ever mentioned this in the past. When, How, Why and What Now. Well, I hope to know more tomorrow, my proactive mind and body told me to make an appointment with my doctor and discuss treatments and prevention from stable to unstable. My maternal grandmother died from a stroke and my mother died from complications from a stroke, and my paternal grandmother, aunt, uncle, and my dad all had cardiac issues.
Life is full of surprises however, we must make every attempt to reduce the medical issues we can control. I am once again am reviewing the dietary plan that I allowed to go haywire over the winter and increase my exercise program although it should not be strenuous. I plan on living life to the fullest in the healthiest way I can! I AM EMPOWERED! B U B ME.
Supporting Each Other in Harmony
Well, it has been a whirlwind around here both in the house of the HALE family as well as newclevelandradio.net. March is birthday month for both my husband and me, and I am exactly three weeks older than him almost to the minute. Richard (my husband of thirty-five years,) is my best friend. When you spend 35 years with someone as intimately as we have there are days when you hate (ok, dislike) the person you love. We both have had our share of those days, but love in our case does conquer all!
In addition to birthday’s many of you know I have been battling the migraine issues again, and I am awaiting an appointment with a neurologist in April. Not that I have wanted to wish March away but leaving the winter behind and finally getting the opportunity to find some answers for my headaches I will be glad to say good-bye to March (Madness.)
April looks exciting to me as the Cleveland Indians return on April 1st, for another fun season. Although I am hoping for a winning one, I just enjoy the boys of summer, and I will not get into the politics of the game and players! So let’s play ball! Peanuts anyone?
In addition to baseball, newclevelandradio.net will be introducing a new show with local musician, comedian, and writer, Charlie Wiener. Charlies is my favorite writer, and I am excited to say we will be discussing his books, his characters, who they truly are or are not and ask you our followers to read, listen and participate.
Also in the month to come, CARE NOTES with Doug Wilber from Cherished Companions returns. New episodes on home care for the elderly, special needs, or even good old everyday assistance. We have touched on this message in the past with so many of us living a fair distance from our loved ones, or unable to assist, businesses like Cherished Companions are a necessity, but they tend to do it as an award-winning organization.
Senior Moments will be returning as well, no official date has been set, but I understand Bradley and Heather Greene have a lot of new topics to cover as well as hear what is important to you.
My life is a blessing despite my migraines. I am working with a variety of very interesting people, and every show delivers a message of hope with smiles, hugs, and friendship. If we cannot provide a hand in person, we hope we are doing so virtually.
Our podcasts are now available on Spotify if you search the name of the podcast it will pop up for you or go to the page of the show to follow the link. https://newclevelandradio.net/podcast-replays/
Happy Spring and let’s continue to support each other in harmony!
D5 Creation