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Are Your Kids Hooked on Prescription Drugs?

Information on and natural remedies for the treatment of children"s medical conditions.

While most parents worry about their children falling under the influence of illegal street drugs, few probably lose sleep over the effects caused from doctor-prescribed medications, used to treat every ailment from ADD to weight loss in children. Studies show that American children receive three times the drug treatments for common medical conditions than European children, according to a report recently published in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health.

There are several cultural differences that may be correlated to the significantly higher amount of kids on medication. Differences in diagnostic testing may be linked to higher rates of medication, as well as a greater number of child psychiatrists in the United States versus Europe. Heavy direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising is also widely accepted and touted in the United States, subsequently leading many to seek out �quick fix� approaches at the doctor�s office.

In mainstream North American culture, medications are generally not viewed negatively, but rather almost as impulse purchases rather than researched decisions-- often taken without proper supervision or weighing the short and long-term side effects and contraindications.

However, perhaps parents should carefully think over the possible side effects and cautions before signing their child up to a potentially life-long dependence on prescriptions. Particularly in cases of suspected ADD/ADHD in children � disorders without a concrete diagnostic test available � conventional treatment may not fully address the underlying causes and issues, but rather just suppress the problem. Parents should also consider the many herbal and homeopathic remedies which can help maintain harmony, health and systemic balance in the brain and nervous system, without side effects or sedation.

While there is a place for conventional medicine, it should not be viewed as the only solution... and more people need to recognize that taking a proactive approach to wellness can prevent ailments from developing or worsening.

In combination with a healthy lifestyle, natural remedies can help maintain healthy consistent behavior, clear focus, and optimum performance by providing a sound platform to support wellness and vitality.

How has BrightSpark helped others?

"I just want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Native Remedies. Let me first start by saying that, never having a brother, I thought that our son"s behavior was that of a "typical boy". We have a boy now 4 1/2 and a daughter 3 1/2. What really sparked us to start looking at ... the differences in behavior towards activities such as coloring and making puzzles, detailed oriented vs. short spurts of attention... The idea of giving our growing child a pharmaceutical drug was just not an option for us, so Native Remedies was "truly a blessing". We started our son on BrightSpark and Focus Formula, and within 7 - 10 days there was such a difference in our son: he was able to sit through an entire family meal (huge for us), his appetite improved, his sleep improved (he was always restless), and he was able to verbalize an emotion pertaining towards a song (I cried - he had never done this in the past). We have since made changes in food choices, scheduling of daily routines, and now include MindSoothe Jr., which has helped us all out. I now see our son take the time to think about what he wants to express, and that makes my heart sing. Thank you all so much." - Renee J., USA

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Some minor linkage

Better post something.

I enjoy The Birds.
This one came up today. The main page has that comic now, but it doesn"t seem to have a permanent URL, unfortunately. So to keep pointing at the comic I"m referring to even after the next comic posts, I"m forced to link the png image.

Greg Laden points to some nifty technology. This kind of research is the sort of thing that"s going to end up saving what"s left of our sorry arses. I hope.

US ranks last of 19 industrialized nations on preventable deaths. Around a hundred thousand extra people die in the US each year from such preventable causes - assuming the US could manage to have healthcare like any of the top three on the list, which would seem to be impossible.


[I"ve been ridiculously busy for the last several weeks (which is why no posts). Sleep is something I am snatching when I can fit it in. I have plenty of material cued up for when I have time to write it, whenever that is. Probably not for a few more weeks, the way things are going. I"m supposedly on vacation, but I"ve been working like crazy. Yes, I"m a lazy, evil, selfish atheist.]

Saving Lives, One Rectum at a Time

Mostly, it"s good to be back at work. I enjoy what I do, and sometimes, I even feel competant doing it! I still get really tired at times, but that could easily just be the sleep problems from the prednisone.

One of the things that I like about my job is that people know that I"m willing and able to help, especially with clinical problems.

One of the byproducts of that is the attendings page me for stuff. Like, "I"m starting a c-hyst here, known accreta, are you free to give me a hand?". Or things like, "My lady with myasthenia gravis is too fatigued to continue pushing. I don"t do forceps. Can you come help her out?"; there"s also the ever popular, "My patient is in labor, 8cm dilated, baby"s breech. She"s refusing a c-section. Can you come help me out?". I think that people page me because they know I"ll come. Surely the attending doing the c-hyst doesn"t need me, not really; the myasthenia gravis lady is probably deliverable with a vacuum , and in a multipara who"s 8cm dilated and breech, as long as you don"t let the baby fall on the floor, you"re unlikely to cause problems. I"m only a year out of residency (ok, 11 months), and I"m not arrogant enough to think that I"m so good that they really need me. These people have all been docs for longer than I have.

At the same time, it does feel good to be wanted. My first two days back at work were quiet. Almost too quiet. Nobody paged me at all. Then it started again on Wednesday. On Wednesday, I got paged to teach a resident how to repair a fourth degree laceration.

In obstetric terms, a fourth degree laceration extends from the vagina, across the perineum and into the anus/rectum (depending on size). It"s a significant injury. I will say that (especially now, with the UC), I"d rather have a c-section than a 4th degree laceration. Because we do fewer operative vaginal deliveries, they"re fairly rare. They"re also relatively unpredictable.

Teaching residents at times like these is dificult. You usually can"t stop and explain the anatomy, because the patient is bleeding from their very large laceration. It"s also critical that the repair be done correctly, to minimize the risk of fistulization, non-healing, and anal incontinence.

So, I go to L&D, which is a 15 minute walk from my lab. I talk to the resident briefly about what happened, and we go in and assess the laceration together. She examins the patient, and the laceration (which had been described as a "minimal fourth") extends 3cm into the rectum. Given the amount of blood loss, we don"t have time to go over the whole repair beforehand. And this is a 2nd year resident, who hasn"t done or seen 4th degree repairs yet.

But I remembered that she needs to do this, and I don"t. Some residents graduate from residency without repairing a 4th degree. If those residents go out to practice in the boonies where there aren"t other gynecologists to call for consults, it"s a problem.

So, I had her start. I directed her, with pointing and whispering, to carefully place a 4-0 vicryl submucosal suture line all along the rectal mucosa, out to the anal verge. She had a hard time imagining what I was trying to get her to do at first, and although I threw 2 of those sutures, she did get it.

The next step is to reapproximate the fibers of the internal anal sphincter (IAS). This is done with more 4-0 vicryl, and placed very gently and delicately in the space between the rectum and anus and the external anal sphincter (EAS). The IAS consists of fibers of smooth muscle, and is much less defined than the EAS. Repair doesn"t necesarily improve IAS function (although it is probably better than no repair), but the real goal of bringing those fibers together is to avoid fistulization. So, on each side, the resident (after a very brief demonstration) brought the correct tissue together.

Next? The EAS. This is not a terribly difficult repair. It can be done in an overlapping or end-to-end fashion, but the goal is to unite the ends of the sphincter capsule. Muscle itself doesn"t heal when torn. It will, however, scar together when reunited, which will restore function. The goal of the sphincter repair is to allow the sphincter (which is circular before the injury) to heal in a circle that will have adequate muscle strength to maintain continence. I find that although I feel like the continence results for an overlapping repair are better, at the time of delivery, it can be difficult to accomplish. The sphincter actually retracts deep into the tissue of the perineum, and because of swelling and other problems, I find that an end-to-end repair is more practical. Having said that, I usually will attempt an overlapping repair (the preferred repair of the colorectal surgeons), which is accomplished with a series of vertical mattress sutures of 2-0 vicryl. In this patient, we attempted an overlapping repair, but converted to end-to-end when the tissue was too swollen and injured to allow enough manipulation.

At this point, the laceration resembles any "normal" second degree laceration, and is repaired in the usual fasion, with a crown stitch that reunites the torn bulbocavernosus muscles. Some sources will suggest that the surgeon identify the fascia of the rectovaginal septum and reunite it to the perineal body at this point. I was taught to try, but the rectovaginal septum is often very attenuated after childbirth. And, practically, I don"t know that I"ve ever seen anybody really accomplish that maneuver immediately postpartum. If you can do it at the time of a posterior repair, though, it"s pretty slick.

The resident did a fantastic job with minimal direction. The postoperative rectal exam felt almost normal. You could feel the suture line, you could not feel any stitches, and there was even some tone in the sphincter. All good things. I think she"ll be just fine.

And to be honest, I feel very pleased with my use of the teaching opportunity. I didn"t freak out and "show" the resident how to do it. I taught her how to do it, even though I was leaning over the patient"s knee, rapidly acquiring a backache as the resident sat comfortably on a stool to do the repair (that"s the way it"s supposed to be. When you operate, you have to operate in a comfortable position, otherwise your discomfort becomes a distraction. Besides, comfortable is smoothe, and smoothe is fast, and fast is good).

So, all in all, I think that my week"s been a success. Even if that repair were the only thing I"d done all week, I still would think it"s been a success.

(Picture stolen from www.aafp.org Gotta love those family docs!)

Chew Your Food at Least 100 Times

Alternative Medicine: The importance of chewing Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA Those over 40 remember our elders telling us to chew each bite 100 times. There was a phrase, "drink your solids and eat your liquids ...
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Real Herbal Remedies for Snoring

As with many ailments and conditions, you can be rest assured there"s a herbal remedy available for those with a storing problem, and I can assure you, snoring is indeed a problem.

Not only can it be extremely annoying for your partner, but it can also disrupt your own sleep. In the vast majority of cases, severe snoring occurs when a person sleeps on their back, has nasal congestion, is obese, or perhaps because of sleeping pill abuse. In fact, caffeine and alcohol are also known to cause people to snore.

Contrary to what many people believe, storing can be a serious problem, and for that reason, there are nowadays several remedies available for the condition. While some of these remedies have shown themselves to be exceptional, others simply don"t work at all.

Generally speaking, the main problem concerning home remedies is that they only target a very small area in terms of the actual problem. For example, one remedy may focus on nasal congestion, while another may target the throat. However, in order to tackle the problem effectively, you need to know exactly what"s causing it in the first place.

Of course, from a herbal point of view, it"s recommended that you follow an all natural approach, and one which may very well require certain lifestyle changes. Once you have managed to adopt such an approach, then you can progress to a stage where you begin actually using the various herbs.

Interestingly enough, Ginger is widely accepted to be the best herb available for treating snoring problems. Essentially, this works by encouraging for the secretion of saliva, which in turn then helps to soothe the throat. It has also been noted that if you include honey, the results of the Ginger are even more noticeable, not to mention the fact that Ginger and honey are also known to cure common colds.

Wild Yam is also a very popular herb in terms of treating snoring problems. This is because it works in much the same way as vitamin C, in that it also helps to soothe the throat. If you believe that your snoring is related to a sinus problem, then you may want to consider using one of the herbal nasal sprays which are also known to help stop snoring, in that they can effectively open the nasal passages.

Unlike many over-the-counter treatments which one can get, herbal remedies tend to work better simply because they focus on treating the actual cause of the problem, rather than only the snoring itself. As such, herbal remedies aim to deliver long term results, and of course, because they are 100% natural, there"s no need to concern yourself with potential side effects.

About the Author
Daniel has spent his career helping people uncover the truth. Visit Daniel"s latest website that explores the wholesale candle supplies and various making soy candles that will help you locate and benefit from the best values we found from vendors and suppliers around the world.

Alternative Medicine Programs are Growing in Cleveland

Cleveland Clinic"s alternative medicine programs growing Akron Beacon Journal - Akron,OH,USABROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio - When it opened in 2004, the Cleveland Clinic"s alternative medicine clinic had just a few patients. But ...
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Mice, two sides of a coin?

The news titled "Mice get Nobel Prize" made me think, well, what a creature they are, or what have humans made them to be.
Might be, there are different social classes of mice too, just like humans, born with a destiny.

While some are born in labs, properly taken care of, kept in clean environments and provided with good food, though at a cost of repeated poking and jabbing, they enjoy their life, however long decided by their Godfather, the gray haired scientist.
Others are just street rats, to be sneered upon. Kill on sight is the only sentence handed down to them, through their successive generations. Now, the technology also has also decided to be with humans, and mice are having the run of their life.

A new hi tech way of killing mice has been brought into market.
No more sleepless nights dedicated to the little pesky creature.

This is complete with infrared beams, remember all those hollywood heroes, who countered these red beams with so dexterity, mice must get their hands on all of those DVDs, if they need t survive in this cruel world, infested with humans touting all their gadgets against poor helpless mice.

Did somebody say animal rights, well, we are as humane as Hitler, even getting inspired from him to choose the Last Mile. Pesky rodents would be killed, or rather put to sleep, in a gas chamber, unarguably the most painless method available (???????).

May Almighty bless their Souls.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/New_hi-tech_way_to_kill_the_mouse/articleshow/2450872.cms

http://healthismoney.blogspot.com/

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( "I"m Home!" a Dog"s Never Ending Love Story ) about pet past lives and pet animal reincarnation

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Facebook Be a fan of I"m Home! Official Page Site

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Contact information:
Brent Atwater
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NC Phone: 910.692.5206
ATL Phone: 404.242.9022
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Update on the Tom Cruise and Scientology

Over at Slate Michael Crowley wrote a piece called L. Ron Hubbard - Scientology"s esteemed founder, posted Friday, July 15, 2005:

Our summer of Tom Cruise"s madness and Katie Holmes" creepy path toward zombie bridedom has been a useful reminder of how truly strange Scientology is. By now those interested in the Cruise-Holmes saga may be passingly familiar with the church"s creation myth, in which an evil, intergalactic warlord named Xenu kidnaps billions of alien life forms, chains them near Earth"s volcanoes, and blows them up with nuclear weapons. Strange as Scientology"s pseudo-theology may be, though, it"s not as entertaining as the life story of the church"s founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

Continue reading his life story.....

His motive was money and it became available by starting a religion.

It seems that Scientology try to strengthen their credibility by recruiting celebrities like Tom Cruise, Kirstie Alley, John Travolta, Isaac Hayes, Bart Simpsons and others.

I am glad that Shields fired back at Cruise after he suggested her vitamins instead of drugs and therapy to cure her depression.

Nobody will take drugs with pleasure, but drugs can correct chemical imbalances when needed, - vitamins won"t do that.

Do we really need to take nutritional supplements?

Do we really need to take nutritional supplements? I think the answer to this question is �yes�.

Many people take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement as an insurance policy � just in case the diet is not quite right, but there seems to be mounting evidence that people are often short of nutrients, such as iron, magnesium and zinc. This may not be enough to bring about the classic deficiency illnesses, such as scurvy and goitre, but a lot of people feel less than well a lot of the time. May be a good all round nutritional supplement is not just an insurance policy but also a necessity for some people.

Children�s requirements are different to adults not only in terms of taste(!) but alos in terms of the strength of different nutrients. Women past menopausal age are advised to take a multivitamin supplement that doesn�t contain extra iron.

Meat And Cancer

Red and Processed Meat Increases Risk of Prostate Cancer
Meat consumption increases the risk of prostate cancer, according to a recent study looking at more than 175,000 men as part of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. The men who consumed the most red meat had a 30 percent increased risk of cancer, compared with those who consumed the least. Processed red meat was associated with a 10 percent increased risk of prostate cancer with every 10 grams (about one-third of an ounce) of increased intake. Researchers also investigated cooking method and content of heme iron and nitrites and nitrates for the various types of meat consumed. Heme iron intake, nitrite and nitrate consumption, and grilling and barbecuing all were associated with higher risk.
Sinha R, Park Y, Graubard BI, et al. Meat and meat-related compounds and risk of prostate cancer in a large prospective cohort study in the United States. Am J Epidemiol. Advance access published October 6, 2009. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwp280.

For information about nutrition and health, please visit www.pcrm.org/.

How To-88: "How to Soothe Irritated Eyes with Potato Slices"

How to Soothe Irritated Eyes with Potato Slices

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Allergy season can be brutal on the eyes. If your eyes ere burning,itchy and irritated there is an old homemade remedy that just might help you. Apply raw potatoes to relieve puffy or red eyes(for crying).

Steps

1. Wash potato and cut two thin slices.
   
2. Find a comfortable seat,close your eyes and place one slice on each eye lid.
   
3. Leave the potato slices on your eye lids for about 10 minutes and relax.
   
4. Keep your eyes closed until you remove the potato slices.
   
5. Wash eyes with cool water and pat dry with a clean towel.

Tips

• Try using a potato that"s been in the refrigerator the coolness of the potato will feel great.
  
• Your eyes may begin to tear,keep them closed until the tearing stops.
  
• This is an alternative medicine, and may not work for everyone; always consult with your doctor.
  
• If your symptoms do not improve, consult your doctor.

Things You"ll Need

• A raw potato

Related wikiHows

• How to Relieve Itching from the Chicken Pox with Oats
  
• How to Choose Vitamins and Supplements to Prevent Flu
  
• How to Stop the Summer Time Itch
  
• How to Make Cold Healing Tea

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world"s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Soothe Irritated Eyes with Potato Slices. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Sometimes You Need to Talk to A Human (or Lost Luggage)

I just got back from my course in Maine at 3am this morning (it"s now 9pm). They lost my luggage (or perhaps, it would be more accurate to say lost track of, since I had 3 connecting flights and got rerouted around them due to some mechanical difficulties).

This is not an anti-airline rant. I"m actually quite pleased with 3 of the 4 airlines that have been involved in my travels. I will never fly US AIR again, but that"s another story.

So, my ticket read as follows: Bangor to NY Laguardia (US Air); NY Laguardia (LGA) to Washington Dulles (IAD) (United) and Dulles to Home (United). I usually fly Northwest (who happens to have a direct flight from Maine to home) but booked my tickets too late to get that flight.

Anyway, due to mechanical problems on the LGA to IAD flight, I got rerouted on a direct flight to Home. Yay! Airline error in my favor! Except the flight left 2 hours late (due to air traffic overload... this happens every time I fly through LGA and so, in the future, I will be avoiding that airport like the plauge. No flight ever leaves on time (except possibly the first flight in the morning) from that airport.) The direct flight to home was on American Airlines. So, I was directed to claim my bags and recheck them with American.

So, while I was waiting for my bags, I was informed that the (delayed due to mechanical failure) flight"s already taken off, and that my bags will be joining me at home, or if it"s convienient, I can pick them up at the airport. So, I"m thinking, ok, whatever..

As it turns out, the flight combo actually beats me home (mostlly due to air traffic problems at LGA), but my bags aren"t on it. The problem here is that I leave for a job interview tomorrow night. It would be good if I had clothes to interview in. I suspect they won"t be happy if I show up in capri cargos (2 sizes too big) and a stained t-shirt (which are all the clean clothes I"ve got left!).

AA has a website you can check your bag"s status. However, it always says "your luggage has not been found". You get the same response when you call their automated hotline. However, if you manage to make it far enough through the phone tree to talk to an actual agent, they will transfer you to an actual human being in the baggage department. That human being must have supernatural powers, because she can tell you where your luggage is. She was able to figure out that my bags have actually made it to my Home City and will be joining me at my home tomorrow morning!

Overall, I give United and American kudos for actually trying to make me happy. US AIR now charges $2 for a glass of water on its flights, and they hire the rudest weirdest ticket agents and flight attendants, so they"re off my list. I try to avoid American, too, because the checked bag fee annoys me. But in this instance, they were helpful.

The moral of this story? Sometimes you need to talk to a human being.

(image credit)

How To-79: "How to Implement Organic Baby Care Methods"

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit



Are you interested in making organic choices for your baby or toddler but not sure where to begin? Making small changes to remove unnecessary toxins from your baby"s environment can have a big impact on your baby"s well-being. Here are some steps to help you ease your way into an organic lifestyle with your little one.

Steps

1. Understand the labels. Making organic choices is simple when you know how to read the labels. Don"t be confused by fancy marketing terms such as "all natural", "hypoallergenic" or "no growth hormones". Organic is the only term that is regulated.
2. Choose a product that is certified organic. This means the manufacturer has taken extra precautions to ensure the product can bear the seal of approval. In the US certified organics contain no pesticides, antibiotics, fertilizers, growth hormones, food additives, fertilizers or sewage sludge.
3. Start with your baby"s food. Choose organic milk or formula and then expand to cereal, produce and meat. This will hep you avoid genetically modified foods, growth hormones and chemical additives.
4. Get rid of chemical-based baby skin care products. Approximately 60% of what goes on your baby"s skin is absorbed into the bloodstream within minutes. Read the labels of all lotions, shampoos and body care products. Replace products with unfamiliar chemicals for those made from food or plant based ingredients.
5. Choose diapering products free of chlorine, fragrances and pesticides. In most cases your baby has a diaper on 24 hours a day, its . Explore the many options available in cloth diapers, flushables and chlorine-free disposables and choose the one that fits your lifestyle.
6. Assess your baby"s sleep environment. Your baby spends a lot of time in the bed those first few months. Incorporate organic cotton, wool or bamboo materials in the selection of your baby"s crib sheet, mattress or mattress topper to prevent your baby from inhaling noxious chemicals during sleep.
7. Do an inventory of your baby"s clothing. Remove polyester, fleece and clothing made with heavy, starchy fabric finishes. Pure cotton is a healthier alternative and organic cotton is even healthier because it is free of potentially carcinogenic pesticides. Hemp and bamboo fabrics don"t involve the use of pesticides and are also healthy alternatives.
8. Learn about the materials that go in your baby"s mouth. Soon there will be non-toxic and organic versions of everything. What you need depends on your baby"s development stage. Baby bottles, pacifiers, teethers, toys and furniture can all be made of natural, non-toxic materials which are better for your baby.

Tips

• Pace yourself and start with the areas that come in closest contact with your baby for the longest periods of time.Trying to make too many changes at once can be overwhelming and expensive.
• Save more by making items from your baby"s layette. Clothing, bedding, diaper bags and toys can all be handcrafted with a little guidance and talent.

Warnings

• Introduce foods one at a time in order to identify potential allergic reactions.
• Avoid using skin care products on babies less than six months old. Always spot test for allergic reactions.
• The above is not intended as medical advice or to replace the information given by a health care provider.

Related wikiHows

• How to Know Which Essential Oils Are Safe for Babies

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world"s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Implement Organic Baby Care Methods. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Immune Boost Special Offer

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Doctor as Patient

So, I"m having a somewhat interesting experience right now. I ended up in the hospital. This was only partially my fault.

So, I"ve posted elsewhere about my ulcerative colitis. Mostly not a problem, except I"ve gained 40-50lbs on the prednisone I take for it. Or... took for it. So, given the weight gain, and the fact that every time I"ve gained a few pounds on it, I"ve been completely unsuccessful at loosing it, and because of the acne, I tapered and stopped my prednisone. 6 weeks ago. It went perfectly fine until 4 weeks ago. And although I"d started to get sick 4 weeks ago, I sort of figured that it might just get better (this really has never happened to me... but hope springs eternal!). And then, Monday, after having slept 40 of 48 hours this weekend, I realized something was really wrong. So I restarted my prednisone and made a gastroenterology appointment. They could get me in in 6 weeks. Um.. yay? So, I tried to keep on keeping on. Then tuesday night, I started having more abdominal pain and vomitting. Not tolerating even fluids orally is probably unsustainable in someone who has copious bloody diarrhea. I"m a doctor, there are some things I know. So after 6 hours of playing the rest for a few minutes, then try to drink, then vomitt, then rest gaime, I decided I"d go to the Emergency Department.

I figured I"d be in for some iv fluids, labs, some iv antiemetics, and then gone in time enough to make it to work on Wednesday morning. In fact, I came in saying, "I don"t want to be admitted, I"m here so that I will be able to make it to work tomorrow morning. " I did get some labs, some iv antiemetics, a ct scan which I don"t think I needed, and a couple of liters of normal saline (iv fluids) and some potassium. They admitted me, but only after giving me iv dilaudid and then convincing me to let them admit me. I do believe the ED doc, the hospitalist, and the gi on call were plotting against me this way. I feel as though tolerating the oral ct scan contrast was an adequate test of my ability to tolerate po. They say they will let me go tomorrow.

Some interesting observations:
1) the woman next to me in the ED was there for a chf exacerbation and had just eaten a ribeye steak, and had a blood sugar of ~500.
2) Lidocaine really does help when people are putting in IV"s, especially those that are 18 gage or larger.
3) I wasn"t super sick, but I was the sickest person (not counting the kids waiting for the children"s hospital ED) in the waiting room. There were many drunk people and some with complaints that should have been taken care of as an outpatient.
4) I can"t get a doctors appt as a new patient for 6+ weeks with a PCP. Faster if I torture myself by using my physician status to sneak in, which I refuse to do. So, maybe if some of the people who use the ED as their PCP could get an appointment with someone they wouldn"t be in the ED. Of course, if they had established care when they should have, they would have a PCP by now.
5) Screaming, "You F&*king c*&t" is not a good way to get more pain medicine faster.
5) The hospitalist docs are nice. So are the nurses. So are the gi guys. They seem competent.
6) I think that dietary depts across the country are not designed to work well. I"m ordered for a low residue diet, but still, every day they offer me all sorts of salad and non-low residue things. If I didn"t know what I shouldn"t be eating (no salads, desserts ad lib, veggies and fruits should be cooked except bananas which are fair game), I would have a hard time.
7) My patients who complain about once or twice daily fragmin can suck it up. It"s not that bad, and it"s a damn site better than a dvt.
8) Although it feels like a disaster to call in sick to work, it really isn"t, esp if you"re really sick.
9) Good friends will feed the cats and bring pajamas and computers and movies
10) My siblings are more helpful than I have any right to expect.



More soon....

Putting the �Care� Back in Health Care

The Doctors� Prescription for Healthy Living / Volume 9, Number 4

by Jeanne Ringe

Reprinted with Permission

Click here to download this article in PDF format

The FDA�s decision to keep Vioxx� and Celebrex� on the market was applauded by many who are dependent on these drugs. For patients with fibromyalgia, arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are lifesavers�but at what cost?

There is no question they provide much-needed relief from the agony of living with chronic pain, but the relief lasts only until it�s time for the next pill. Long-term use can alleviate pain, but it can also create plenty of collateral damage in the body.

CASE STUDY�NSAIDs� TOXICITY

Dr. Alberto Pe�a of Sanoviv Medical Institute, an integrative medicine hospital just south of San Diego, says he has seen plenty of evidence of NSAIDs� toxicity.

Earlier this year, doctors at Sanoviv were concerned about high levels of proteins in the urine of a fibromyalgia patient, a clear indication of kidney trouble. She presented with chronic pain, exhaustion and swelling in her legs. After the Complete Health Assessment, Sanoviv�s threeday intensive functional and diagnostic testing, a team evaluated her medical condition, and prescribed a course of treatment that improved her condition and got her off the NSAIDs. What had they found? The NSAIDs had actually caused more problems for her than they had solved. Once she went off them and improved her diet, her kidney problems and edema disappeared, and the 31-year-old went home healthier, happier and pain-free.

Dr. Pe�a says he is seeing more and more young patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. He attributes it to poor diet, stress and overuse of NSAIDs. �If you eat tons of bread, soda, and animal fat, then take NSAIDs, your body will lose its ability to produce its own anti-inflammatory prostaglandins,� Pe�a says. But easing people off NSAIDs is not the complete answer. �You have to address the fundamentals of the case�what may really be the cause of the disease,� he adds.

THE SANOVIV SOLUTION

Sanoviv offers its patients (or �guests�) a healthy alternative to dependency on drugs like Vioxx, Celebrex, and other pain relievers.

Each guest is assigned a doctor, a dentist and a psychologist. Together, they monitor progress and make adjustments to the treatment plan. This holistic approach to caring for patients is at the core of the Sanoviv philosophy: to treat the person as an individual, with a genetic, an environmental, and a physical life story.

In addition to complementary medical treatments, plus a healthful (and as this reporter can attest, delicious) diet, the program includes gentle exercise, cleansing (colon hydrotherapy), massage and other therapeutic bodywork, and classes on nutrition, wellness and stress management. For $100 additional per day, a companion can share the room, meals and classes.

The beautiful oceanfront rooms, with nontoxic furnishings and organic cotton linens, ultra-purified water in all the taps, and professional, friendly staff and doctors, make Sanoviv a shining example of what good medical care can and should be in the twenty-first century.

Olive Leaf As Alternative Medicine

Olive Leaf As Alternative Medicine

Olive leaf has been used as an alternative medicine since the times of Prophet Ezekiel. It is derived from the evergreen olive tree around the Mediterranean. Olive leaf is a potent natural antibiotic to fight viruses, bacteria, fungi and yeasts.

1. It is an effective treatment for shingles and skin infections.
2. It reduces bad cholesterol.
3. It can lower high blood pressure.
4. It is used to treat hyperglycaemia and diabetes.
5. It is effective for colds, flu, herpes, throat infections, ear infections and eye infections.
6. It boosts the immune system and can help chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers.

Olive leaf can be taken as capsules, tea or tincture. To get the desired benefits at least 500mg of olive leaf is recommended on a daily basis. It is safe to be taken over a long period. Olive leaf does not have the side effects such as thrush or diarrhoea associated with some synthetic antibiotics. However, pregnant or nursing women should avoid taking olive leaf as an alternative medicine.

Announcement

1 month from today, I shall be in Aspen for a conference on why and how I should be a researcher when I grow up. 1 month and 4 days from today, I shall be whitewater rafting in the rockies. YAY!

Catnip As Alternative Medicine

Catnip As Alternative Medicine

Catnip is an alternative medicine that is used to treat various ailments in human and cats. It is a member of the mint family. This herb is also wonderful for babies and children.

1. It is a remedy for gastrointestinal distress such as colic.
2. It is used to calm and induce sleep in children and babies.
3. It is a treatment for insomnia, stress and anxiety.
4. It is a remedy for colds, migraines, tension headache, toothaches and fever,
5. It stimulates sweating.
6. It is a treatment for hyperactivity in children.
7. It is a muscle relaxant to treat spasms.
8. It helps to prevent premature birth and miscarriage.
9. It eases morning sickness.

Catnip is generally taken as a tea or an infusion. It is a safe herb and does not show any contraindications. However, it is not recommended for use by pregnant women. Excessive consumption could lead to diarrhea or vomiting. It is often used together with other herbs such as elder, cayenne, yarrow and saffron. It is more often employed for use on cats. Catnip remains less known as an alternative for human use today.

What is EECP?

What Is EECP?

Enhanced External Counter-pulsation (EECP) is a non-surgical therapy for angina, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other conditions involving poor circulation.

A Natural Bypass

If you"ve been diagnosed with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetic neuropathy, or another circulatory disorder, you could benefit from a non-surgical therapy called EECP.

This therapy is sometimes referred to as a "natural bypass" because it enhances the body"s ability to create new pathways for blood flow around clogged arteries. EECP greatly accelerates the formation of tiny blood vessels called collaterals, helping restore healthy circulation to organs and tissues that have been deprived of blood and oxygen.

How Does EECP Work?

During an EECP treatment, you lie on a bed wearing a series of adjustable cuffs around your calves, lower thighs, and upper thighs. The cuffs are inflated in sequence, placing pressure on the legs that assists blood flow from the lower limbs to the heart. The inflation of the cuffs is timed to occur so that increased blood flow is delivered to the heart at the precise moment it is relaxing. Then, just before the heart pumps, the cuffs deflate, reducing resistance and decreasing the heart"s workload.

A treatment session lasts about one hour, during which you can read, listen to music, or relax comfortably. Most patients undergo 35 one-hour sessions, once or twice a day, over the course

EECP Relieves Angina Pain

EECP was developed at Harvard University almost 50 years ago as a therapy for angina, the squeezing chest pain that occurs when the heart is not getting enough oxygen. This most common symptom of coronary artery disease can be extremely disabling, interfering with the ability to work, exercise, or enjoy social activities.

By encouraging the formation of collaterals around blockages in the coronary arteries, EECP enhances the heart"s supply of oxygen and reduces chest pain. Several studies conducted at leading university medical centers have shown that patients who undergo a course of EECP experience significant benefits:

-They have fewer episodes of angina
-The episodes of angina are less intense
-They need less anti-angina medication
-They can walk farther without experiencing angina
-They can resume work and enjoy more social activities

Unlike drugs that are prescribed for angina, EECP is completely safe and without side effects. And unlike angioplasty and bypass surgery �X highly invasive surgical interventions that are used to clear or circumvent blockages in the arteries �X EECP can be done on an outpatient basis and requires no post-treatment recovery period. EECP"s benefits in heart disease are now so well recognized that Medicare reimburses for it.

Many patients undergo EECP after suffering a heart attack or enduring one or even several surgeries for coronary artery disease. In some cases, EECP is their only option. Yet this non-invasive therapy is so safe and effective that it should be considered as a first-line treatment for angina, not just a last resort after surgery has been ruled out.

For a growing number of patients, opting for EECP before consenting to a potentially dangerous surgical procedure is an obvious decision. In less time than it takes to recover from bypass surgery, these patients can complete a full course of EECP and begin enjoying an active, pain-free life.

What Other Conditions Benefit From EECP?

EECP isn"t just a powerful therapy for angina. Virtually any condition in which poor circulation is a contributing factor can benefit from EECP Here is just a partial list:

Congestive heart failure
Diabetic neuropathy
Erectile dysfunction
Hypertension
Kidney disease
Memory disorders
Peripheral vascular disease
Parkinsons disease
Vision problems
Research Studies & Demonstarted Results

Angina
An international study group evaluated EECP"s effectiveness for patients with chronic stable angina at seven medical centers. After treatment, 85 percent of patients experienced a significant improvement in their angina symptoms, and 83 percent showed a measurable increase in blood flow to the heart. Exercise capacity also improved significantly. American Journal of Cardiology, 2002; 89(7): 822-4.

DIABETES

Researchers from Harvard Medical School studied EECP"s effects on angina in diabetic patients with or without congestive heart failure. EECP was equally effective in both groups: on average, 70 percent of patients experienced a significant reduction in the severity of their angina. The number of angina episodes per week decreased by an average of 10 percent. Nitroglycerin use also declined. Abstract #689-P, 62nd Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, San Francisco, California, June 15, 2002.

Eye Disease

German researchers studied the effects of EECP on blood flow to the eyes in elderly patients with diagnosed coronary artery disease. They measured blood flow through the ophthalmic artery, a major vessel that provides two-third"s of the retina"s blood supply. After EECP, patients experienced an average improvement of 11.4 percent in blood flow through the ophthalmic artery. Graefe"s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. 2001; 239(80); 599-602.

For a referal to a center with EECP, please contact the Alternative Medicine Referral Network at 1-800-498-5640.

Behe-ind the Madness

You"re transported back to the auditorium where this all started. Nate Black is there, doing something on Infophile"s computer. Noticing you, he says, "Ah, you"re back. Find out anything that might help us?"

"Yes," you say. "I think I"ve figured out who"s behind this all, though I don"t know if we can do anything about it."

"Really? I"ve been doing some tests, and I have a theory on it myself. What did you come up with?"

"From what I"ve found out," you say, "it seems that Michael Behe and the Discovery Institue are behind this. They"ve loosed the boundaries of reality tonight to advance their goals of getting creationism accepted."

"Hmm, interesting. And how did they do it?"

"I can"t say," you reply.

"Yes, that is a tough point. All of history up to tonight is perfectly consistent with our scientific understanding of reality. And then it diverges completely. Odd, to say the least. With everything we know, this absolutely should not be happening, Discovery Institute or not."

"You said you had a theory, though. What is it?" you ask.

Black replies, "Quite simply, that this isn"t happening. To be honest, the hypothesis that I"m hallucinating or having a very lucid dream seems a lot more likely than that reality has come unhinged."

"Well, I know I"m conscious here, so I can"t just be part of your hallucination, can I?"

"I could say the same to you. Maybe you"re just part of my dream saying you"re conscious. It"s impossible to make that distinction to be honest. Either way, what do you think? You still think this is actually a plot by the Discovery Institute?"

"Yes, it"s probably them."

"It might be a dream..."

Healthy Living & Lifestyle: Health Coaching: Invest in Your Future- Stop Sabotaging Your Life

Healthy Living & Lifestyle: Health Coaching: Invest in Your Future- Stop Sabotaging Your Life

"I ought to, I should do, I don"t know how to. If only there were more time- less pressure, less stress, I"m too tired to try, I just can"t do this anymore, why is this necessary?"
These are explanations, justifications and comments that indicate you are still in the "victim" mode of your circumstances rather than taking charge of them. Now is the time to choose to become more disciplined and to move through your comments to better health or disease management. Healthy living for a healthy future is an investment you can"t afford not to make.

It"s time to use YOUR mind over YOUR matter!!! Let your Soul"s energy direct your Spirit"s housing! It"s your future!! This is not just about your weight loss, or a diet, or a diet plan, it"s about a commitment to healthy living and creating a healthy lifestyle.

As a medical intuitive and distant energy healer, I deal with alternative emergency medicine cases, sports medicine injuries and lots of disorders and disease in day-to-day life. Each presents is own health circumstances to overcome. Addressing physical problems and determining the underlying emotional and mental contributions that direct the body to manifest the disease or life issues is one set of problems, having acquired health conditions is another. Sometimes a client"s current "mind set", lack of knowledge, or lack of "get up and go", sabotages their personal welfare and puts their life and health at risk, or on hold.

Years ago you went to the gym an instructor guided you. Then came personal trainers, and now it"s a health coach, life coach or life purpose coach. All of these health care professionals are trained to help individuals take charge of their health. Today it"s a holistic (mind, body, and spirit) approach to wellness ie improving existing health conditions, life issues and your personal routine. This broader approach to coaching creates and promotes a healthier life and lifestyle and hopefully prevents and keeps future health and life issues at bay.

Before a personal trainer was a luxury, today health care management is a great investment in your future. A well-planned healthy life management program is complementary to and integrative with your physician"s treatment and regime. Major corporations are encouraging and educating employees to have a better way of life, which is a win-win situation for both. It saves employee "sick days", and the employer"s large insurance costs.

Good intentions and intermittent actions don"t always culminate in change. Even when you are educated and given the tools to change your life, a health coach works with you over a period of time to see that you don"t slip into the past "automatic pilot" life patterns and mindsets that manifested your original issues or undermines your current progression. By choosing and living positive attitudes and health behaviors, you maximize the health benefits of your goals, and you create lifestyle patterns that support and encourage well-being.

It boils down to the basic fact that you learn to use YOUR mind over YOUR matter and to use your Soul"s energy to discipline and maintain your Spirit"s housing The combination of your steadfast commitment and a health coach who is there to give you nudgies, encouragement and guidance when needed, can make the difference between a wanna-be-well victim of your health issues, and an individual who does the best with what they are given, and lives their life to the Max!

Contact Information:
Brent Atwater
Health Coach
Medical Intuitive,
Distant Energy Healing
ATL, GA Phone: 404.242.9022 USA
NC Phone: 910.692.5206 USA
Website: http://www.brentatwater.com/
Email: mailto:Brent@BrentAtwater.com

Natural is not necessarily safe

The nations have become increasingly health-conscious but also vulnerable to "quick fixes." We are turning more and more to so-called "natural" remedies, including some dangerous supplements.

Everyone knows that pharmaceuticals can be harmful in overdose, but the whole herbal industry is based upon the absurd notion that the complex cocktail of chemicals in any herb can be presumed safe because it is natural.

I consider it ridiculous to claim that any herbal supplements that can be bought by anyone of any intelligence to use in any dosage for any purpose, and that are also marketed as "safe because natural", should be held to less rigorous standards of safety than pharmaceuticals requiring a prescription and usually used under medical supervision.

I find that chemicals used to treat anything are serious, regardless of the source.

For example, is the pill I"m taking really 10mg or 20, or maybe only 5? What is the variance in each pill? What if the strength of the active ingredients in tabletd varies so widely within a package that it is theoretically possible for someone to get no active ingredients, or get an overdose of the active ingredients?

Also a supplement can be bought right off the shelf or over the internet with no guidance whatsoever.

Ephedra is a "natural" product that was used as a natural weight-loss supplement, and marketed without any scientific data about safety. Ephedra was banned by the FDA. They found that it is not necessarily the case that anything present in nature must be healthy.

More information online at: Health-Facts-And-Fears.com

We also have Senokot, a potentially harmful Senna-based laxative being promoted as a "natural" treatment for "sluggishness" and with the implication that anyone will feel better for taking some..

More information:

Supplements Associated with Illnesses and Injuries

Harmful Effects of Herbs

Is There A Negative Side To Green Tea Dieting?

American and Chinese researchers have been studying Green Tea and how it effects the levels of Cholesterol. Views are still mixed as there seems to be pros and cons for both sides of the research.

There was a recent case study completed where 200 men and women with an average age of 55. All participants have mild to moderately high levels of Cholesterol. When the study began, researchers told them to not change anything in their daily routines. Eat the same, walk the same etc. After 12 weeks the researches concluded that out of the 200 people who participated in this case study, the ones who were chosen to consume Green Tea has lost 15% of there cholesterol levels.

It has never been explained in detail exactly how green tea effects the levels of cholesterol but certain components found in green tea have proven to play a key role in excreting cholesterol from the body.

Th researchers stated in a later report that the first group of participants did not lose cholesterol as a result of drinking green tea. So let me get this right, first you provide proof that they did, and now you say they didn"t! Did I read that right? How much did you pay for your education again??

The medical community really frustrates me at times. It seems that anything organic does not get the support it should get. Here is an example of what I am talking about.

When my oldest was 3, he got the worse case of chicken pox I have ever seen. There was not one square inch of him that was not infected. This boy was in so much pain from being so itchy that we took him to the hospital 3 times to try and find something that could help him. 3 trips later, nothing was prescribed.

Finally a family member recommended for us to try the extract from an Aloe Vera plant. Once I found one to buy, I applied it to my son and with in 15 minuets he had stopped crying, and he was no longer itchy.

When my other son who was 6 months old got the chicken pox right after his old brother, we took him to the hospital to make sure he was going to be ok. Children under the age of 1 can have serious side effects and complications having chicken pox so young, we wanted to be sure. I told the nurse what had happened with our oldest boy when he got it and what finally worked to help him and her response was, I know that stuff works well! I asked why we were not told about it before, her response was, we are not allowed to recommend organic types of medicine. So what, let the kid suffer???

So you can clearly see that the opinion of some doctors is swayed by the opinion of the pharmaceutical companies. I guess if it is not supported by the big pharmaceutical companies then it can"t be good for you right?

About the Author:

Just because Green Tea Dieting is new to some of us, does not mean that it does not help. Brook lost sixty eight pounds in 5 months using Wu-Yi Green tea and she looks amazing. If you want to read how Brook did it, read this post - Lose Weight Quick with Wu-Yi Green Tea Dieting

Gout Treated with Alternative Medicine

The name of the disease is not what concerns the person who treats the patient holistically, for they are looking at the dis-ease in the patient, not the gout. Gout is a manifestation of the dis-ease in the patient, treating the presenting symptoms with drugs for the inflammation and pain may well relieve the symptoms temporarily, but it"s not treating the cause of the condition.

So what is the cause of gout? One might be told that some families have a predisposition to gout, and you may be told that some foods exacerbate the condition, and that"s about all that can be done if you are treated conventionally, you will also be given some prescription drugs to alleviate your pain, and to reduce inflammation. If you do nothing else to correct the cause of your gout, then it"s very unlikely you will see any improvement in your health.

You may say that since you have been taking a certain drug that you haven"t had any gout attacks, and as far as you are concerned not much else matters. Unfortunately the prescription drugs have only palliated your condition, and with constant ingestion of anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers your gouty condition will continue to develop behind the scenes, and your general health will deteriorate as a result of the drugs you are taking.

Alternative medicine, depending on what modality you have chosen, would firstly want to overhaul your diet, for a diet rich in purine foods would certainly exacerbate the condition, and may even be solely responsible for your gout.

Foods high in purines and are therefore to be avoided: Meat gravies, stocks, organ meats, shellfish, anchovies, sardines, herrings, mussels, mushrooms and asparagus. Alcohol, particularly beer is high in purines, and for that reason must be avoided. Any alcohol taken should be followed by copius amounts of water to avoid dehydration and consequent uric acid build-up. Meat, white flour, sugar, poultry, dried beans, fish, oatmeal,cauliflower, spinach and peas are moderately high in purines, and may need to be avoided.

The ideal diet should contain lots of organic fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and a very important dietary addition is wheat grass. Fruits, vegetables and juices assist the excretion of uric acid, and foods that neutralize uric acid are strawberries, cherries, and celery juice, also drink lots of filtered water. Many people have found that the addidition of cherry juice to their diet has prevented further gout attacks.

You may be given herbs or homeopathic remedies for your condition, however a change in your dietary habits may be all that is needed to improve your health. What a simple answer to what could remain a lifetime problem if you may no effort to change your eating habits. If you wish to rid yourself of your gout, alternative medicine can certainly help you.

Colleen Redman � Copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved

About the Author
Colleen Redman,webmaster and publisher of http://www.goutyjoint.com,this site offers many articles and tips for treating gout with alternative medicine.

The Teaching Hospital

I decided that I could no longer keep that previous piece of self-pitty as my first post. So here"s a different one!

So, I saw my gastroenterologist (GI for short) today. She"s nice. She"s a first year fellow in the GI program here, and I can tell that she feels uncertain, because she never tells me what she thinks is going on. She leaves that to the attending, who"s also nice, and appears old enough to be extremely learned. She takes an excellent history and does a thorough exam, surprising me by localizing tenderness I didn"t even know I had. She has a fairly good bedside manner, although, since I"ve been in training a couple of years longer than she has, I can tell when her level of anxiety/stress/concern/whatever affects her bedside manner. I can also tell that it threw her off when she said, "How are you?" and I said, "I"ve been better...". Which is true. If I"d realized she meant it as a conversational piece only, I would have obliged and said, "fine". :) So, anyway, I have an ok, although not great rapport with my GI doc.

Feeling a little frustrated today (partly because I still don"t feel too well in general, although resting all weekend did at least give me the energy to work today), I was considering transferring my care to a different gastroenterologist at the BigPrivateHospitalDownTheStreet (or BPH). Thinking about this lead me to think about why it is I see a GI fellow at a teaching clinic. I guess the reasons there are several fold.

1. Probably the least important reason: When I was sick in May and having a hard time getting the workup done through my internists office, I paged the on-call gi fellow (now graduated), and he really helped me out. I could have, at that point, requested to be taken care of by the GI at BPH, and nobody would have blamed me. But seeing as I got such good care so quickly, I feel like the GI division values taking good care of patients. I"ve also seen them take really good care of my patients, and that counts for something, too.

2. The more important reason: I feel like it"s all of our responsibilities to help train doctors, and that since all of society benefits from having trained doctors around, the responsibility to participate in their training should not only be borne by the poor who have no other choice. After all, we all benefit from having a constant supply of well trained doctors around. Also, I have benefitted directly from people"s willingness to be my patient. The patient who I did my first c-section on, the patient I did my first forceps on, all of the patients after that; many of whom have had other choices or could have said to the attending, "can someone more experienced assist you?", have all contributed to my education in a direct way. I feel like I owe it to them to be as accomodating as all of my attendings have been for me. Add in the fact that ulcerative colitis is uncommon in this patient population, and I am my GI doc"s first UC patient, and it"s almost like I feel like it will benefit me to have docs trained to treat UC.

So, that"s why I get my ulcerative colitis treated in the gi fellows" teaching clinic. Now... at what point do I bring it up with GI doc about the fact that I overheard her and the attending talking about putting me on Imuran (more potent immunosuppresive, used to be used commonly for transplants, also known as azathioprine) after this flare is over? I could tell that they didn"t want to worry me, because they said, "This is your third flare on Asacol, we"ll have to talk about a better long term plan when you"re feeling better..."

Pragmatism

If you would press me I would have to admit to being a pragmatic. It is, if you will, my preferred philosophy of science. Pragmatism in a nutshell simply says that if a theory is good at predicting the world as we perceive it and if it is useful in the sense that it allows us to create new technologies, then we will accept that theory and use it as if it was true.

Sometimes pragmatic theories are false even though they are pragmatic. Take Newtonian physics for example. Newton"s laws can explain an almost limitless amount of experimental observations. The only problem is that it is false. Experiments which are designed so that one outcome would support Newton"s theory and the other outcome Einstein"s theory shows clearly that the latter set of laws provide you with the more accurate predictions. Yet, because they are so practical, we still use Newton"s much less confusing laws for a lot of approximations. So in this case we say that because Newton"s laws works really well for almost any calculations we don"t care that they are not really true.

What then are we to make of the completely absurd and mind twisting theories of quantum physics, dark energy and the like? These theories, may I remind you, shape the foundation of most new technologies today, and the accuracy of predictions derived from quantum physics is equivalent to measuring the width of the United States with an error margin of about the width of a human hair!!! However, quantum physics also predicts that if there is a cat in a box (Schr�dinger"s cat, see above), it can be dead and alive at the same time!? To me this sounds like nonsense. I have certainly never seen a cat that is both dead and alive and if someone would say to me that they had seen such a cat I would feel obliged to call a mental institution. In my opinion, the only sensible conclusion is to say that, yes these are absurd theories, but they are indeed incredibly practical, so lets just use them as if they were true until we find something better (if we ever will that is).

I don"t think that I am contradicting myself when I say that I also believe and care about what is true in an objective sense. Being a pragmatist, I think, is a progressive way of thinking. After all, if a theory was true in the objective sense then all predictions derived from that theory would also have to be true. To put it another way, the most practical theory of all would be the one that got it right�

I am personally hoping that some day a theory that I can understand and which does not make my head hurt, will come and replace quantum physics, dark energy and other similar theories. But for now I will accept these theories because of the fact that they are practical.

Vegetarian Competition

To coincide with National Vegetarian Week 2009 the Vegetarian Society is launching a brand new Seasonal Recipe Competition for Young People. To enter, students just need to submit a starter, main course or pudding and its theme should be based on one of the four seasons. The recipe should be suitable for a small group of people, the two winners will receive either places on a �Cordon Vert Kids in the Kitchen course or Kenwood smoothie makers. The closing date for entries is July 17th. To find out more details go to www.vegsoc.org

Good things!

First, an aside. I really need to update my links and things. It may not happen for a while. If I get time while I"m on call on Tuesday, I"ll do it then. To all the people whose blogs I mean to link to, I"m sorry!

I"m going to take a break from my usual whining and talk about something fun for a change. Or, maybe several fun things.

First of all, I have my first date in... almost a year today. :) She"s a critical care fellow. We met in the ICU. I"m nervous, but excited.

Next, I"m the ultrasound fellow for the month of March. I do miss the adrenaline rush of labor and delivery. I have to admit, emergent c-sections really are my favorite surgery; it takes 30min-1 hour (that"s about the extent of my attention span), there"s the aformentioned adrenaline rush, the outcome is good 90-95% of the time, and at the end, you get a baby! Right now, though, there is something sort of calming and restful about ultrasound. I spend all day in a dark room, talking to patients. I"m not responsible for their care, so most of the time, I get to say, "Want to listen to the baby"s heart beat?" or "Oh, look, the toes!", or "I think your baby"s sucking his or her thumb!" or "Do you want to know if you"re having a girl or a boy? Congratulations, it"s a boy (or girl)!".

So, mostly it"s a nice opportunity to kind of catch my breath. If I were a heart, this would be my compensatory pause after a PAC. I still work from 7am-7pm (Ultrasound is a 9-5 rotation but I have to work on all sorts of research and teaching things), plus call, and I try to put in 8 hours on either Saturday or Sunday to try to get some extra stuff done. But the level of stress related to the work I"m doing now is so much lower. The worst thing I ever have to do on this rotation is talk about birth defects to parents. Which, admittedly, is pretty tough, but its a different kind of tough.

The funny thing is, as a resident, I always thought that ultrasound would be my least favorite part of my job. You know, difficult, boring, etc. Well, it is difficult. I am learning to take pictures of heart valves on a heart that is moving (both beating and because the baby is moving) and about the size of the last digit on my index finger (or smaller, sometimes). I"m not very good at it yet, but I"m realizing that the challenge makes it fun. Watching the squiriming little fetus is fun. Also, ultrasound plays to my strengths.

As far as doctors go, I"m not super gifted. My surgical skills lie somewhere between adequate and good, but I don"t have particularly gifted hands. I"m not the kind of person who can memorize Harrison"s Principles of Internal Medicine, either. I frequently have to look up med doses. I"m the poster child for the fact that you don"t have to be brilliant to be a doctor. I"m also not all that good with people. I mean, I"m fair. My social skills are better than those of say... a slime mold or an iguana. I just don"t really know what to say to patients a lot of the time, and I"m sure I come off as awkward. Having said that, I do have some strengths. What I"m good at is spatial relationships and pattern recognition. Ultrasound is all about spatial relationships and pattern recognition (oh, and cute pictures for the parents, I always forget the cute pictures!). I"m not great at ultrasound right now, but I"m learning, and I think that one day, I could be really good at it. I"m starting to be a little good, I think, because US has started to page me when one of their sonographers is sick or the MFM attending covering ultrasound isn"t around. So, that"s fun, because right now, I"m on the part of the learning curve where I"ve started to know a bit about what I"m doing, and I get better almost every day. That"s a very rewarding slope to be on.

The other nice thing is that fellowship is a little bit of a break from what I find the hardest thing about medical training. Usually, once you start to get comfortable in a role (3rd year med student, sub-intern, intern, etc.) it is then time to move on to the next role. So the amount of time that you spend just feeling comfortable and ok in your role is really very small while you"re in training. That"s stressful, but probably necesarry to make medical training as short as possible. Anyway, I"ve come to the point where I am starting to feel comfortable with my role as a fellow. The really good part? I have 2+ more years where I get to feel comfortable in this role. I like that.

So, life is good. I hope life is good with everybody else today, too.

This would be the "anti-harlot" platform

Back from vacation. Leaving again soon. No time to blog, but I"ll make some.

Thanks to Archpundit, I"ve found out that John Bambenek is running for school board. This is the same John Bambenek that recently published an anti-feminist screed in the Daily Illini. When asked to produce evidence for some of the ridiculous claims he made, he quoted a conservative think tank"s unscientific "study," then distorted the research of nine actual scientists.

Bambenek complained in the DI earlier this year that UIUC doesn"t teach creationism in its science classes. That"s not particularly surprising; crystal healing isn"t taught at medical schools, either. To be fair, he has said that creationism will not be part of his platform, which he hasn"t decided on yet. On the other hand, if he pushes his religious ideology into the schools, I don"t care if it was part of the platform he ran on or not.

Not surprisingly, Bambenek is against any sex ed other than demanding celibacy. In an absolutely stunning display of boneheadedness, he also seems to be against the HPV/cervical cancer vaccine. How someone can be against something that can have such horrifying consequences yet is so easy to prevent (or at least protect against) is simply beyond me.

Couldn"t we just put lead in the water? It would be so much more efficient.

UPDATE I: Run! The feminists are invading. Err, um, that is I mean to say: Greetings, Feministingers!

UPDATE II: OK, to be fair, Mr. Bambenek comments that he isn"t against the HPV/cervical cancer vaccine, just against calling it a "cervical cancer vaccine." Frankly, I think it"s a distinction without a difference, since no one really cares much about HPV infection itself, but rather about the fact that it causes cancer. I bet if you asked random people on the street if they would get an "HPV vaccine," they"d give you a blank look. If you asked them if they would get a "cervical cancer vaccine," they"d answer in the affirmative. "Vaccine against the virus that causes cervical cancer" is a bit of a mouthful, anyway.

BRRRR!

I"m trying to work up the energy/courage to go outside and jog, but the windchill out there is 2 F right now, so it"s difficult! I would just skip, except it"s Sunday, which is one of the easiest days for me to find the time to exercise!




(image credit)

Stupid fucking Republicans

Atrios pointed out recently a comment by Andrew Sullivan made shortly after Sept. 11:

The middle part of the country - the great red zone that voted for Bush - is clearly ready for war. The decadent Left in its enclaves on the coasts is not dead - and may well mount what amounts to a fifth column.

I won"t even comment on Sullivan"s hawkishness and his claims that people against Gulf War II were "objectively pro-Saddam." But when he said "decadent Left" my irony meter went into the red zone and started shaking and spewing smoke. I"m sorry Andrew, but you don"t get to get caught in an HIV+ barebacking scandal and still get to insult anyone by calling them "decadent."

The moral high ground called. It wants you to stop tracking mud everywhere.

I CAn Only Handle One Diet Change Right Now - What Should I do?

Here"s some great advice from Helen Tite:

I Can Only Handle One Diet Change Right Now. What Should I Do?

1. Add just one fruit or veggie serving daily. Get comfortable with that, then add an extra serving until you reach 8 to 10 a day.

2. Eat at least two servings of a fruit or veggie at every meal.

3. Resolve never to supersize your food portions- unless you want to supersize your clothes.

4. Make eating purposeful, not mindless. Whenever you put food in your mouth, peel it, unwrap it, plate it, and sit. Engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.

5. Start eating a big breakfast. It helps you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.

6. Make sure your plate is half veggies and/or fruit at both lunch and dinner.

Copyright 2008 Helen Tite ww.thecore.uk.net

Stroke

At stroke indium evolution is given [by] anticoagulant ( for example heparin), but this drug was not given if already happened completed stroke.
Anticoagulant also usually is not given to high blood pressure patient and have never been given kepda patient with haemorrhage of brain because will add risk the happening of haemorrhage into brain.
Last research indicates that other paralysis and symptom can be prevented or cured [by] if functioning certain drug breaks blood clot ( for example streptokinase or chain plasminogen) given during 3 hour(clock after incidence [of] stroke.
Soon is done inspection to determine that its(the cause is blood clot and non haemorrhage, which cannot be overcome with blood clot destroyer drug.
At completed stroke, some brain chains has died improve;repairs blood stream to daerh will not can return its(the function. In consequence usually is not done surgery.
But lifting of cork after light stroke or transient ischemic attack, can lessen risk the happening of stroke in the future.
To lessen pembengkakan and accentual in brain at patient stroke acute, usually is given mannitol or corticosteroid.
Patient stroke a real weight possibly requires respirator to maintain exhalation which adekuat.
Given special notice to function of urinary bladder, alimentary canal and skin ( to prevent incidence [of] hurt in skin because emphasis).
Disparity accompanying stroke ( for example heart-failure, not regular heart rhythm, high blood pressure and infection of lung) must be cured.
After raid stroke, usually happened alteration of mood ( especially depression), which able to be overcome with psychical drugs or therapy.

REHABILITATION
Intensive rehabilitation can assist patient to learn overcomes kelumpuhan/kecacatan because disparity function of some of brain chains.
Part of other brain sometime can replace previous function implemented by part of brain experiencing damage.
Rehabilitation soon is started after blood pressure, pulse and exhalation of stable patient.
Done practice to maintain muscle strength, prevents muscle contraction and hurt because emphasis ( effect lies down too stripper) and practice runs and talks.