HIV Longevity Still Fighting…

3Apr/12Off

Secret to Getting Fit

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


That's right folks ... You've always known that there was a secret to getting and staying fit and healthy. Today I am going to reveal this coveted secret and leak to you the hidden key to fitness success with health that no one else will share with you.

What the bleep?? you might be screaming right now. But the funny thing is, that is honestly all there is to it! Sure you can [...]

31Mar/12Off

PEP Talk From the Grave

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


My dad taught me countless things. On a daily basis I relate more than a dozen things that I do that came directly from his teachings. He helped me to mold the base of loyalty and creativity that became the grown up me. Among the manifold things he guided me on, he impressed three things into me more than anything else. Those three things [...]

20Mar/12Off

Life Balance

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Balancing the different pieces of your life is a surefire way to improve and become successful. I strive to improve aspects of my life and therefore build a better balance. This goes back to a few previous articles I wrote about kaizen, and constantly working to improve yourself on a daily basis.

One popular method of working on your balance is called [...]

9Mar/12Off

Hemophilia Days on Capitol Hill

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


March is National Hemophilia Awareness Month. Groups like the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) http://www.hemophilia.org and the Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) http://hemophiliafed.org/ spend countless hours working diligently all year long to ensure that legislative action is kept up with and followed through to protect the hemophilia community’s rights and needs. Once a year, the NHF [...]

24Feb/12Off

Give an Inch

Posted by Guest Blogger


I’ve struggled for a few weeks with whether to write this. I’m not sure whether this about Christianity, my personal faith, charity, or Al Pacino. I still don’t know, but I’ve started writing, so here we go. The Thursday before Valentine’s Day, sometime during the mid-morning I decided that I was going to buy my wife something. This was kind of unusual because, although I’ve got a great marriage, we don’t usually [...]

23Feb/12Off

Shoes of a Hemophiliac

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

We often hear statements like, "Oh yeah ... Well you should try walking in my shoes..." Today, I'd like to offer my shoes and allow you to see through the eyes of a hemophiliac. Let's start off by explaining what the heck hemophilia is. Hemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder in which your blood does not clot normally or properly. It is carried in the X chromosome, and is called an X-linked genetic disorder. Cutting through all of the obfuscation, it essentially means that I inherited a factor VIII (factor-8) deficiency from my mother, who was a carrier. Dumbing (is that even a word?) it down even further, it means that unlike average boys and girls, if I get bruised or cut, I will not stop bleeding without medical assistance.

[...]
22Feb/12Off

Learning How to Live After Cancer

Posted by Guest Blogger


About five years ago, I was preparing to celebrate my son's first birthday in July of 2007. Two days prior to his birthday, I received news that rocked my world and flipped it upside down. I was positive for breast cancer at age 30. It was invasive and aggressive. I was also told that it was a gene that had caused it. I am BRCA 1 positive. After picking myself up off of the floor, we got to work on starting to formulate a plan of action. First was a bi-lateral mastectomy. After the surgery, I went to Shady Grove Fertility in order to harvest eggs just in case I was not able to conceive after chemo, which was about a 50/50 chance. I had to give myself shots in the stomach twice a day, while trying to heal from my mastectomy. I was then told [...]


20Feb/12Off

Sunrises and Sunsets

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Do you take the time to stop and smell the sunrise? I know most folks say "roses," but I'm more of a sunrise kind of fella. My ride to work takes 61 or more minutes, yet I don't complain and it flies by. One of the main reasons for this is because I have [...]


19Feb/12Off

Longevity, Life, and Joy

Posted by Guest Blogger


For as long as I can remember I have heard people talk about getting to a ripe old age or wanting to live forever. We as a humanity have for the most part, believed that is what we should do, as if we should do anything to postpone death.

It has come to my attention that the fear of [...]


16Feb/12Off

A Quarter Century and Counting

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


A quarter of a century is exactly how long ago that I found out that I was HIV positive. I'm really not sure when I contracted the virus, but I do know that I was told in our den by my mom and dad on Saturday [...]


14Feb/12Off

Giving Back

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Heart Shape

It is sort of fitting to have an article about [...]


10Feb/12Off

On the Art of Living: Time to Cook

Posted by Guest Blogger


I walked through the grocery store last week, taking my time to select the ingredients for the Hamburger Rolls (recipe on BayvsKitchen) I had planned. I had taken a day off of work and was expecting company for lunch. This particular lunch was going to be comprised of some items that required cooking, chopping, coating, seasoning, and blending in careful quantities. Such a great perk of cooking is that if you can pull it off, you can dine on whatever you want.

They say that the family that prays together stays together. I say that [...]


9Feb/12Off

Creating Life with In Vitro Fertilization

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Let's talk babies! More specifically, let's talk about engineered babies who are created through in vitro fertilization (IVF). My wife, Kristine, and I went through a scientific process called IVF to have our two beautiful children. We actually did ICSI (pronounced: ick-see); which stands for [...]


6Feb/12Off

The War of the Body

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


In many of my previous posts I have talked about the war of the body. I've even posted some information about it. Today's Secret article is going to breakdown my idea and how it has helped me.

After all of these peaceful and loving blog entries, let me step out on a limb and discuss [...]


5Feb/12Off

Kotowaza – Japanese Proverbs

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


As you all know, I refer to kaizen on a regular basis. Kaizen is a Japanese word that means daily improvement. I strive on a daily basis to improve myself. Today, I'd like to introduce you to another Japanese word ... Kotowaza. Essentially, kotowaza translates to "proverb." I am fascinated with Japanese philosophy and one of the main things I gain from the Japanese is [...]


29Jan/12Off

Hobbies and Extracurricular Activities

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


Let's kick this bad boy off with one of my favorite quotes:

“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.”
—Amelia Earhart

Most of my blog articles about living longer have been about fitness, healthier living, mental toughness, medication, and other related subjects. One longevity subject that is often overlooked is [...]


27Jan/12Off

Take a Cold Shower

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


I take a Scottish Shower every day. You're probably asking yourself, What the heck is a Scottish Shower? Well ... That is a very good question. Essentially it is the act of finishing a hot shower with a cold water shower. As you might guess the effect is IMMEDIATE and POWERFUL. Even in a tired state, I instantly wake and feel super energized. Many people believe that [...]


26Jan/12Off

Can a Joke be a Form of Bullying?

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


I think about this question from time-to-time and have come to the conclusion that sometimes a joke is a form of bullying. Obviously mental bullying can be harder on a person than physical at times. I mean come on … We all know that some jokes can and do hurt feelings. With that in mind, doesn’t it become a [...]


25Jan/12Off

How to Create Your Own Blog

Posted by Vaughn Ripley

Several times a week I am asked two questions:

What is a blog?
How can I make my own blog?

So, I thought I would take a break from the deadly serious subject of [...]


22Jan/12Off

My Wife is a Sexy Beast

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


I'm not looking for brownie points ... I'm not in Dutch with the wife (see: Raising Arizona) ... I am just a man, who is absolutely, totally, and madly in love with the most perfect human being that I know.

So ... This blog article is dedicated (and long overdue) to the most magical person in my life. My darling soul mate ... My better half ... Kristine Marie.

My Soul Mate

I don't always notice her hair cut ... I ain't that kind of man... Don’t get me wrong, I am a [...]


21Jan/12Off

Stress (fancy word for life)

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


After all of the posts in the secret article thread, I figured it was time to tackle stress. It’s also a very good time to bring it up, considering our last post was about living longer. One thing we didn’t discuss during that article was managing your stress levels. The main reason for this [...]


17Jan/12Off

What Are You Grateful For?

Posted by Vaughn Ripley


I know that this topic has been covered by most inspirational authors and in hundreds of books and magazine articles. Alas, I have my own take on it, and I wanted to share my belief about one of the strongest subjects I know about [...]