Seven Reasons Health Care Reform Could Implode

Posted By Dave Racer

1.  Abortion. Actually, this one works both ways. Word is that President Obama promised Planned Parenthood there would be an avenue in the outcome for funding of abortions. This could be explicit (tax funding and specific language) or implicit (allowed to be covered under health plan endorsed by and receiving subsidies from government). There are 40 strong pro-life Democrats who do not want to vote for any reform that funds abortions.

2.  Immigration. A hot issue all across the country. The liberals want everyone covered (every resident). Blue Dog Democrats and those who are vulnerable, as well as sane GOP lawmakers want specific language about this. They want a prohibition on any requirement or allowance for health insurance or health plan coverage for illegal immigrants.

3.  Medicare de-funding or reimbursement reductions. America’s seasoned citizens are smart. They know when Congress is messing with Medicare. And they take no prisoners. Yet, President Obama and his Congressional colleagues know they can’t produce “revenue neutral” reform without tapping into Medicare Advantage, and forcing down reimbursements for physicians and other medical providers.

4.  Taxes. Call them what you wish, but when an insurance mandate forces the uninsured to buy insurance, it is a tax. But that isn’t all. Senator Baucus wants to tax insurance companies, medical device manufacturers, Pharma, and providers. Those costs get passed on to patients – many of which earn far less than $250,000 a year. Oops. Another promise discarded.

5.  Public Option (government health plan). Liberals demand it. Liberals demand it. The bill, we are told, cannot pass with this option in it, but liberals demand it. Cong. Pelosi says it is back in play. Conservative Democrats protest loudly, because it will cost them reelection. Isn’t it fun to watch politicians squirm? (Senate Finance Nixed it Tuesday.)

6.  Parochial Interests. Or you might, say special interests. But we all have special interests. Mine, for instance, is liberty and the ability to afford to live. But there are so many competing interests, and they all understand what is at stake. The most important is, of course, voters, and they are watching.

7.  Politics. Above all other things, the US health care system is driven by politics. You might think it’s the insurance companies, Pharma, physicians, employers, hospitals, and so forth. It’s not. For those in power it’s about getting reelected. It’s about power. The survival instincts of those in power outweigh all other considerations. That is, if “We the People” play our role correctly.

Thanks to Dave Racer for his insights…  You can reach Dave at Alethos Press LLC [dgracer@comcast.net]

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Martins Pick-H1N1Producer-Baxter

Hello Readers,

Here’s a Video from another Blogger about the Vaccine That’s supposed to keep you  SAFE???

This is about the manufacture of the miracle drug, BAXTER.

This might scare the S**T out of you PLEASE, PLEASE! look at all the videos & read the authors blog.

Here’s  the link to the site;  Click Here!

Here’s the disturbing Videos:  Watch Here !

And Here (In French)

Here are some other interesting bites of News & Relates articles.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Doctor says FLU VACCINE will cause 60,000 deaths in France alone
• QUICK POST: H1N1 vaccine trials – no “red flags” so far
• Swine flu vaccine could have major medical side effects
• White House Panel: 90,000 Could Die in U.S. From Swine Flu

Worry about the spread of H1N1 has been mounting as schools reopen for the fall term. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimate that nearly 2 million Americans have already been infected with swine flu, though only 522 have died. Most of the victims in a pandemic would be children and young adults. The panel’s report calls for intensified tracking efforts, along with precautionary measures that could limit exposure, such as ensuring that infected people get refunds to sporting events.

The above article is from “White House Panel” site.

From What I know & have seen, there is no way I’m taking that

vaccine. I may regret it.

What clinical tests have been conducted and don’t forget the almighty FDA? What’s there take on this issue?

Would sign a contract you haven’t read or drink something you have no clue of on what it is ???

Don’t be s DAMN fool without looking into to it and getting the hard facts!!

Well, That’s my take on this issue. This blog may show my fear of  the FLU. Really I’m more scared of the vaccine.

Thanks for reading   Martin….

News Flash: Concussions Aren't Good For NFL Players

Yes, it’s true. A new study provides data that football players smashing their heads into other players isn’t really good for them.

Duh.

Study Indicates Higher Rate of Dementia in Former N.F.L. Players – NYTimes.com.

A study commissioned by the National Football League reports that Alzheimer’s disease or similar memory-related diseases appear to have been diagnosed in the league’s former players vastly more often than in the national population — including a rate of 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49.

The N.F.L. has long denied the existence of reliable data about cognitive decline among its players. These numbers would become the league’s first public affirmation of any connection.

The findings could ring loud at all levels of football, including youth and college programs, which often take cues from the N.F.L. on safety policies and whose players emulate their professional heroes. Hundreds of on-field concussions are sustained at every level each week, with many going undiagnosed and untreated; few concussions are as well known as that of Tim Tebow, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Florida, who was hospitalized after a blow to the head in a game last Saturday.

Bathroom Medicine Cabinet: Do You Have One? Do You Need One?

Everyone loves a good bathroom cabinet. There are so many things they are good: holding towels, toiletries, and other fancy things. Bathroom cabinets can be wall mounted or freestanding on the floor. Sometimes they have special purposes, sometimes they are more for general use cabinet. This is done as a bathroom medicine cabinet in almost every bathroom since the 70s.

A good bathMedicine cabinet is essential. The primary objective of a bathroom medicine cabinet is the medicine to keep behind the mirror. This keeps the medicine safe from moisture and children, but easily accessible when needed. These are great in any bathroom. I know some that have a guest bathroom medicine cabinet full of toiletries. This gave me a feeling of welcome and made the house I went to all that extra comfort.

An election is whether itbe one, two or three doors on the bathroom medicine cabinet. Of course, everyone will have the advantage to place, but the doors any more, it usually takes more space. However, this is a good choice for many homeowners. Sometimes the heart is not open, open but both of the other pieces. I had in my home, which has recently been a huge mirror with a center corner medicine cabinet on each side of the huge mirror.

Another choice is whether youLight or no light. The lights are in many places in the vicinity of the bathroom medicine cabinet. On my, I have a number of large bulbs at the top of the mirror. My mother has a series of small light bulbs on both sides of the bathroom medicine cabinet. I have a neighbor who installed their own bathroom mirror and consists of a single, beautiful light in the center-top of the mirror in the bathroom. This is obviously a decision best adapted to your personal taste.

OfOf course, if you are a cabinet of choice is the material and color always an option. The choice will depend on the manufacturer and your personal choice. Many people prefer a surface that corresponds to the rest of her bathroom, other people choose a finish that will accent other aspects of the bathroom. This is obviously a choice best made by the personal choice of a bathroom medicine cabinet.

These can be found at nearly any hardware store andMost home decor stores, almost all the specialties of the kitchen and bath stores have a variety of pick and choose from. It's always the Internet, which has the market, things can not help but notice ever opened. But these are fragile and difficult, I suggest a good insight into the costs and its break policy. Better safe than sorry.

It is clear, offer a lot of bathroom medicine cabinet in the way of convenienceand security. You will also receive a good portion of decor for the bathroom. For added security, you can create a locking cabinet that all of medicine and protect you think of people who will otherwise harm you. So, take one of the better products available for your bathroom and select a bathroom medicine cabinet.

Water on the moon/Stargate Universe/We are all made of germs

Image via Stargate Universe blog

Ok first of all I have to get out my excitement about Stargate Universe, the third show in the Stargate TV franchise. The 2-hour series debut will hit your screen this Friday at 9pm (8pm Central) on SyFy. io9 posted a fairly revealing clip from it today. Don’t get me wrong, no real spoilers there, just a good idea of the vibe and overall tone of the show. This series will be a much more serious take on the Stargate saga. I’m thinking it’s going to end up taking on a similar mood to Battlestar Galactica.

Ok now that’s out of my system….

I’m sure you’ve seen the headlines about how water was discovered on the moon recently by NASA’s mineral mapper instrument aboard India’s Chandrayaan-1 probe launched in 2008. First of all, this does NOT mean that water is swirling around on the surface of the moon. The moon has no atmosphere and therefore water can’t even exist in a liquid state at all. What’s happening is that the incoming solar rays are reacting with the material on the surface to create a thin layer of hydroxyl (OH) and normal water (H2O) in the very top milimeter or so of regolith. This layer is so thin that it would amount to 1 liter of water per ton of surface soil. That’s a VERY small amount, but it’s a lot more than we ever thought would be there. What does this all mean for the future of human exploration on the moon? Read this Universe Today article to find out.

Here is a great Daily Galaxy article about something that I had honestly never even heard or known before. I hadn’t the slightest clue that there are more bacteria/microbes in our bodies than there are actual human cells. That’s to say that if you counted the number of human cells and the number of microbial/bacterial cells in your body, there would be more bacteria/microbes. In fact it’s utterly awe-inspiring (and slightly terrifying) to think that some of the species if bacteria actually don’t exist anywhere else outside our bodies, and that we could NOT survive without them. Essentially they’re as important as any organ. We’re literally more germ than we are human, and it couldn’t exist any other way. Of course, we look more like us because human cells are MUCH bigger than bacteria cells. The crazy thing, as the article points out, is that doctors still don’t know anything about most of these bugs that live inside us. But they’re trying to change that.

Is SPIDER VENOM the new way of treating Erectile Dysfunction?

FRIDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) —

Scientists may have discovered a NEW WAY of treating erectile dysfunction; which is defined as  consistent inability to achieve and maintain an erection to the point of orgasm. Research shows that using the venom of a deadly spider, like the bite from the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer) causes a painful erection that can last for many hours and later lead to impotence, researchers from the United States and Brazil noted.

In general, I don’t think that this is a safe alternative way of treating this disorder…HOPEFULLY, further research will provide a better understanding of  this study.

On Health Care-US

Intention is good, but it is doubtful whether the insured will really reap the benefits is a moot question.In India, there is a system where employers go in for insurance schemes for their employees with private companies.The process looks very simple, but the companies wiggle out of commitment quoting some clause or other.If service is bad in a private sector, I am afraid, it shall be worse in a cooperative system.Cooperative systems are found to be fount of corruption in India.
There is also no guarantee that the Insurance giants shall not gain entry through back door,which is exactly the insurance companies
s wanted.“>

Who could it be now?

Another day, another knock at my door I don’t answer. I’m starting to think that my landlord and rental agency are as clueless about eviction as I am. It seems odd that they would try to approach me in person when I have not received so much as a phone message from them in about a month and I have received no eviction-related documents since my three-day pay-or-vacate notice. There have been no notes left on my door, which is even more confusing. I live in a condominium with no on-site manager. Why would someone drive all the way out here unannounced without leaving a note? The pay-or-vacate notice was left on my door, but that is all.

I can only assume it is someone who wants to talk to me about eviction. This person knocks on my door persistently, and does not approach my neighbors’ condos. Whoever he is, he is here to see me. The only reason anyone stops by my place uninvited is to get something from me. I tell myself sometimes that I will answer my phone next time a debt collector calls, and I told myself tonight that I will answer the door the next time this happens. But I probably won’t. If I had an income I might have more confidence in this matter, but as of now I don’t.

Today I drank a Diet Rock Star, a drink that can wake the dead. I hoped that by drinking it I would find the energy to pack and clean out my place a little, but I was fast asleep an hour later. I have barely moved on paring down my belongings. I have also stopped applying for jobs. I have reached the pinnacle of my exhaustion. I’m becoming more fearful that there is something very wrong with me health-wise. I have only mentioned some of my chronic health issues here, and it’s not something I really care to get into yet, but I started showing signs of illness around ten years old. I have been diagnosed with a couple of problems, but my diagnoses do not explain many other symptoms I have. I’m definitely not a hypochondriac, even though I have often been treated as such. My symptoms are visible, undeniable, and run in my family, but my medical tests are always negative or inconclusive. These issues only add to my overwhelming fatigue. Despite having a father who was a doctor, I have never had proper, consistent healthcare. My parents never took me to doctors, even when at age 12 I became violently ill and developed vertigo and intrusive pulsatile tinnitus, the latter of which I still have to this day. I still get vertigo on occasion, too, but never to the degree I had it in childhood. There were multiple occasions when I had to crawl because I couldn’t walk without vomiting or falling. I haven’t had an incident like that in about 11 years (knock on wood). By the time I was old enough to go to doctors regularly on my own, I had been disowned by PsychoDad and didn’t have a job that offered health insurance. I finally got good health insurance just in time for my Cancer Scare of ‘06, but I lost my job six months after the surgery that left me scarred and hormonally wonky, for lack of a better term. It wasn’t cancer, fortunately, but no one knew that so my stress levels extremely high. Not that knowing would have changed much. It still would have been stressful and life-altering.

One of my biggest personality flaws is that I don’t ask anyone for the help I need until it’s too late. I had this problem in college and graduate school. I have had this problem at jobs. I’m doing it again right now and I don’t know how to stop it. I seem to have personal drama going on all the time, and I will struggle, struggle, and struggle with school or work all the while thinking “I can do this!” and by the time I realize that I can’t it’s too late. I’ve been asked in several situations “Why didn’t you tell me there was a problem? Why didn’t you ask for help?” My response is always “I really thought I could handle it.” But sometimes I can’t. My awareness of this personality flaw hasn’t stopped me from doing it time and time again. I guess I don’t know where the line is between self-sufficiency and foolishness. I can’t stop all of the drama, but I should be able to improve the way I cope.

BARBITURAT

Asam Barbiturat adalah zat induk barbital-barbital yang sendirinya tidak bersisat hipnotik. Sifat ini baru nampak jika atom-atom hydrogen pada atom C 5 dari inti pirimidinnya digantikan oleh gugusan alkil atau aril.

Barbital-barbital semuanya bersifat lipofil, sukar larut dalam air tetapi mudah dalam pelarut-pelarut non polar seperti minyak, kloroform dan sebagainya. Sifat lipofil ini dimiliki oleh kebanyakan obat yang mampu menekan ssp. Dengan meningkatnya sifat lipofil ini, misaInya dengan mengganti atom oksigen pada atom C 2 menjadi atom belerang, maka efeknya dan lama kerjanya dipercepat, dan seringkali daya hipnotiknya diperkuat pula.

Secara kimia, barbiturat merupakan derivat asam barbiturat. Asam barbiturat merupakan hasil reaksi kondensasi antara urea dengan asam malonat.

Adapun rumus beberapa turunan asam barbiturat, antara lain : Penggolongan barbiturat disesuaikan dengan lama kerjanya, yaitu:

Nama

Substituen pada

BM

1

R1

R2

Barbital, veronal

-

Etil

etil

184,19

Fenobarbital, luminal

-

Etil

fenil

232,23

Butetal, soneril

-

Etil

n-butil

212,24

Pentobarbital, nembutal

-

Etil

1-metil butil

224,27

Allobarbital, alurat

-

Alil

alil

208,21

Aprobarbital, alurat

-

Alil

isopropil

210,23

Metarbital, gemonil

Metil

Etil

etil

198,22

Mefobarbital prominal

Metil

Etil

fenil

246,2

• Barbiturat kerja panjang

Contohnya: Fenobarbital digunakan dalam pengobatan kejang

• Barbiturat kerja singkat

Contohnya: Pentobarbital, Sekobarbital, dan Amobarbital yang efektif sebagai sedatif dan hipnotik

• Barbiturat kerja sangat singkat

Contohnya: Tiopental, yang digunakan untuk induksi intravena anestesia.

Analisis kualitatif pada barbiturat dapat dilakukan dengan menggunakan beberapa pereaksi umum dan spesifik sebagai berikut :

Pereaksi

Hasil Reaksi

Vanillin

Zwikker (campuran CuSO4 dan piridin)

Biuret (CuSO4 + NaOH)

Iodoform

Xanthydrol

Formaldehida

Buchi-Parlia

Resorsinol

Merkuri

Warna

Warna, endapan

Warna

Endapan, bau

Endapan

Warna

Endapan, kristal

Warna

Endapan

Metode penetapan kadar barbiturat dapat dilakukan dengan beberapa cara, antara lain :

Metode spektrofotometri untuk tablet

Pengukuran absorbansi barbiturat pada daerah ultraviolet dapat dilakukan dengan beberapa cara. Barbiturat dapat dilarutkan dalam basa kuat dan pengukuran dilakukan pada A max 255 nm. Metode ini spesifik jika spektra dari senyawa penganggu tidak peka terhadap perubahan pH. Pengukuran pada 260 nm lebih baik karena menghilangkan gangguan yang disebabkan oleh hasil peruraiannya.

Metode kolorimetri dengan garam kobalt

Reaksi parri dapat digunakan sebagai dasar analisis kuantitatif.

Metode asidi-alkalimetri

Semua barbiturat dapat ditetapkan sebagai asam berbasa satu. Titrasi dalam air dihindarkan karena sifat keasamannya yang lemah dan kelarutannya dalam air yang kecil. Oleh karena itu titrasi dilakukan dengan pelarut campuran air-alkohol.

Titrasi yang paling cocok untuk barbiturat dilakukan dalam suasana bebas air. Natrium barbiturat juga dapat ditetapkan secara TBA.

Metode argentometri

Dalam suasana basa barbiturat dengan perak nitrat membentuk garam yang tak larut. Reaksi yang terjadi tergantung suasana larutannya. Penetapan kadar secara potensiometri akan didapat hasil yang lebih tepat dan teliti, dengan elektroda baku perak-perak klorida dan elektroda penunjuk perak.

Modifikasi dari metode Budde telah dilakukan oleh Schulek dan Rozsa dengan melarutkan sampel dalam larutan Natrium Tetraborat 5% dan dititrasi dengan perak nitrat 0,1 N dengan menggunakan indikator kalium kromat. Reaksi pada metode modifikasi ini hanya terjadi pada barbiturat yang kedua atom nitrogennya tidak tersubtitusi, seperti Barbital.

Metode bromometri untuk gugus yang tidak jenuh

Beberapa barbiturat mempunyai substituen pada kedudukan 5 yang merupakan gugus yang tidak jenuh, seperti dial. Gugus ini dapat dititrasi kuantitatif dengan brom.

Oxygen-sensitive enzyme key to 'cut and paste' of genes

LONDON: An oxygen-sensitive enzyme has been found to play a key role in how genes create the many different proteins that make up our bodies.The finding shows that the enzyme, termed Jmjd6, directly intervenes in the process in which the DNA of our genes is “cut and pasted” into instructions for the creation of specific proteins.The discovery, reported in this week’s Science by a team led by scientists from Oxford University and Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, opens up a new area of molecular research into conditions such as heart disease and cancer.

“Previous work from Oxford has shown that some of these enzymes, called oxygenases, affect which genes are expressed in response to low levels of oxygen. What we have now found is that they also regulate the specific form this expression takes” to give the different proteins that make up everything from heart cells to tumours,” said Professor Chris Schofield of Oxford University’s Department of Chemistry, one of the authors of the paper.

Genes, stored in the form of DNA, are converted into proteins by a “middleman molecule” called Messenger Ribonucleic Acid ‘mRNA’.

Courtesy: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health-Science/Science/Oxygen-sensitive-enzyme-key-to-cut-and-paste-of-genes/articleshow/4736854.cms

The tinnitus

Many people suffer from ringing, whistles, crackling in the ears. These sounds are continually called “tinnitus” by scientists. Their persistence because they are very disabling.
What’s more unpleasant, more annoying than hearing all day long (even at night) the noise in the ears? These invaders, they leave no breathing space, which leads inexorably insomnia, fatigue, depression, or depression.

Tinnitus is very diverse in their manifestations. They may involve one or both ears, giving you the impression that they invade your cranium.
They are from diverse backgrounds. They can be caused by illness or other circumstances “external” hard to identify.
The medical causes are, for example, infections, tumors, ear infections, circulatory problems, deafness, etc..
The causes “outside”, for example, age, Wax, dental problems, trauma, stress, prolonged or repeated exposure to decibel too high, etc..
This last question in particular, is that more and more young people suffer from tinnitus. The sonos nightclubs, mp3 players, stereos in cars are a major threat for young ears. The state seems to have been some concern by asking manufacturers to curb their devices. But there is still some way to go before everything is perfect. Youth education must be priority: too few are aware of the risks!

This diversity of possible causes that it is not always easy to diagnose and find the right cure.
Many tracks are exploited in recent years.
Traditional medicine can provide solutions in specific cases when the causes are medical. In treating the disease at the origin of tinnitus, they may disappear. Sometimes a simple hearing aid can also be mitigated significantly.

When the causes are not precisely defined, can be used, sometimes successfully, to natural medicine. The hardest part is finding the cure for everyone. There are so many different tinnitus that what may work for one person may not work for another.
The homeopathy, relaxation therapy, aromatherapy, relaxation, acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, yoga, mesotherapy, osteopathy – tracks are exploited and sometimes produce good results.
Finally, a healthy and balanced diet can help reduce problems caused by tinnitus. Healthier, your body will be better able to fight them. Avoid caffeine, tobacco, decrease your intake of salt, sugar, saturated fat; privileges certain vitamins such as vitamin A (eg carrots), B3 (eg oysters), D (fish, sun), E (soybean for example), trace elements (magnesium, manganese, iodine).

Of course, it is important that you consult a specialist before choosing a particular treatment.
Do not you despair. There is certainly a therapy that matches your type of tinnitus. It is for you to find it using all possible avenues to try to rid yourself of that haunting sound, haunting spoiling your life.

Problems with Schizophrenia Comic

See this comic.

What’s the problem? The claim that the schizophrenic aren’t more dangerous. Actually, people with delusions are significantly more likely than those without to engage in physical assault – and the problem is that it’s very difficult to predict when they’ll do so.

Obviously, given ’sane’ individuals can be very violent too, and if a given schizophrenic has no history of violent reactions there’s really no reason to think they’ll suddenly start. But all else being equal, they’re a greater danger to others than they’d otherwise be.

I’m not even going to touch the discussion of what the causes of schizophrenia are – that topic requires more work than is suitable for this post.

Medicine- Day 11

Today, I lead a journal club discussion on the use of dabigatran vs warfarin in afib patients at risk of experiencing a stroke. My journal CONSORT assessment is available at my e-portfolio for viewing. There was a good discussion that happened after the paper presented. Some interesting questions were brought up that lead to interesting ideas.

Below is the CONSORT assessment on the trial assessed:
Dabigatran versus Warfarin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Didactics on DVT/PE:

• DVT- virchow’s triad : (1) abnormalities of blood flow ( afib, obestity, bed rest, tumor), (2) abnormalities of clotting ( estrogen, preg, malignancy, thrombocytosis- platelet only, myloproliferative disorder – increased WBC and others) (3) abnormaliities of surfaces in contact with blood ( vasuclar injury, trauma)
• for temporary DVT risk that can be resolved: bridging warfarin therapy can last 3 to 6 months
• heparin tx for DVT: (1) 1 mg/kg BID enoxaparin or 1.5 mg /kg daily enoxaparin  (2) 175 units/kg daily for tinazparin (3) dalteparin : mostly for prophlaxis and surgery
• (1) enoxaparin: more cardiac (2) tinzaparin : least renaly affected (3) dalteparin: mostly prophylaxis & surgery
• LMWH: antiXa: antiIIa (2:1- 4:1); no aPTT monitoring, sc only; longer action–> pk stable- less binding; reversible
• UFH: iv or sc ; irreversible; half life: 30 min to 2 1/2 hour ( short)
• aPTT monitoring : q6 h, then daily when PTT stable
• LMWH monitoring: anti-Xa
• UFH switch to LMWH–> wait 12 hour ( based on half life)
• no IM heparin–> cause hemotoma ( bruising)
• heparin: ( large dose) affect Xa & IIa directly; ( small dose) affect Xa, indirectly inhibit IIa
• DVT Prevention: (1) enoxaparin 30 mg BID or 40 mg daily (2) dalteparin 2500-5000 daily for surgery (3) 15 units/ g tinzaparin
• venography: use contrast dye–> anaphylactic rx sometimes
• HIT type 1: happens in 1st several days; moniroting –> don’t D/C  heparin
• HIT type 2: happens between day 5 to 14–> d/c heparin ; don’t switch to LMWH
• PE: Dx by VQ scan–> breath in –> check where blood perfuses to –> X ray to see if blood stops somewhere–? ventolation perfusion
• PE: tx in hospital, not for outpatient therapy
• vit K: take orally, given quickly–> anaphylactic rxn ( SOB, flushing)
• INR more than 5, no bleed: skip dose
• INR 5-9 , no bleed:  vit K 0.5- 2.5 mg orally
• INR more than 9, no bleed: vit K 5-10 mg orally
• DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy)–> clot & bleed at the same time; trigger: infection/malignancy; increase INR; increase aPTT; decrease pH; Clot in microvascular area ( brain, kidney, etc); don’t tx with anticoagulant; tx cause, fluid replacement, sx management; controversy on the use of heparin and fibrinolytic for management

FMI:

• topiramate = aka the stupid drug
• potassium: KCl elixir and Slow K ( 8mmol KCl) are available at the hospital
• K-Dur  ( 20 mmol KCl) is not available at the hospital

CSHP Clinical Symposium

It has been a few years since my last CSHP clinical symposium. From what I remember from my last encounter, the material flew right over my head. It was very different this time. I felt that I understood the material and was eager to implement it in real practice.

• ALLHAT: 1/3 black patients; 7 years old trial
• BB: usually not 1st line in HTN management, no mortality benefit
• ACCOMPLISH- 11,000 pt at high risk for HTN; CCB outperformed thiazides ( more peripheral edema in CCB; more hypotension in thiazide group; no difference in adverse events); 18% pt had less than 60ml/min GFR~ impaired diuretic efficacy; HCT inferior in bp effect in 24 hr post therapy; chlorthalidone ( half life : 12 hours) –> longer half life than HCTZ; chlorthalidone is twice as potent as HCTZ and they are non-interchangeable
• risk factors for thiazide induced hyponatremia: lean women, elderly
• controlled hypokalemia doesn’t correlate with controlled hyponatremia
• low salt diet may be more effective than initiating therapy? sustained difference?
• Aliskiren- direct renin inhibitor
• Olmesartan–> most potent ARB
• Predialysis solution may interfere with home glucose monitoring–> give false high reading
• intermetant IP–> concentration dependent antibiotic curve
• continuous IP–> time dependent antbiotics
• COPD: nicotine replacement has best cessation rate for COPD smokers
• inhaled anticholingerics doesn’t increase all cause morality ( meta-analysis: JAMA 2008)

The Mayo Brothers

Photo Courtesy of: mayoclinic.org

Thanks to everyone who voted in my poll yesterday.  I hope to do more polls each week to help me choose a hero that you as viewers appreciate.

William and Charles Mayo, along with their father William Worrall Mayo founded the world-famous Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

The Mayo brothers were born just four years apart.  William was born first in 1861, followed by Charles in 1865.  They were two of five children.  In 1845, their father came to the USA from England and settled as a county doctor in Rochester.  They went to school at Rochester Training School and at home, their mother botany and astronomy.  Their father taught them about chemistry, anatomy, and laboratory studies.  They both went on to medical school.

In 1889 St. Mary’s Hospital opened and asked the Mayo brothers to be a part of their hospital and in 1903, naming their part the Mayo Clinic.

William and Charles were part of the Army in WWI and kept medics up on the latest technology and care ideas.  They did this through designing courses for the members of the medical corps.

They divided their time between Rochester and Washington, so that one brother would be at each location since the Mayo Clinic was a very busy place during WWI.

After the war, they continued to practice medicine up until their 60’s.  They both passed away in 1939 within a few months of each other.

Without the Mayo Brothers, our medical knowledge in the USA would not be nearly as far as it is, nor would the ability to save people.  The Mayo Clinic has done wonderful things for my family and for that reason, the Mayo Brothers can be considered heroes in my book.

The Mayo Clinic is ranked the #2 hospital in the US in 2009.  People from all over the world come to the Mayo Clinic for care.  The Mayo Clinic is dedicated to providing the best care to every patient, every day.

For more history and information on the Mayo Clinic go to : http://www.mayoclinic.org/tradition-heritage/

Paralysis, Assisted Suicide, and Dementia Dilemma

Hope for those who are paralyzed is now brighter:

‘Scientists have made paralyzed rats run again by using a new technique that could one day have wheelchair-bound people walking, reports AFP. Rats, whose spinal cords had been severed, ran when scientists applied electrical charges and drugs. “In some cases they actually walked with more consistent locomotive patterns than non-injured animals,” said one researcher.

‘With electrical charges sent directly to the animal’s spines, the rats were able to run both forward and backward on a treadmill, even though no signal was coming from the brain to the spine—implying “the spinal network is almost capable of cognitive processing,” said a researcher. It’s the first time science has been able to restore nearly normal motor function to a paralyzed animal. Human tests are about four years away.’ —Mat Probasco Source: AFP

Meanwhile, British officials have pressured Swiss politicians to battle “suicide tourism”. Assisted suicide is currently legal in Switzerland. A Swiss clinic named Digitas runs this kind of operation where some 115 Britons have died. SOURCE: Independent

Guess what’s the downside of rising life expectancy. Give up?
It will lead to a dramatic increase in the number of people stricken by Alzheimer’s disease, HealthDay News reports, mostly in the developing world.
An Alzheimer’s Disease International official also mentioned that economic globalization and globalizing dementia epidemic are related.
So which would you prefer? Rising life expectancy with dementia or the reverse?

And the Neurological Saga Continues...

Bear with me.  I can barely see.  This post may be a mess.

I went to see Non-Arsey Neuro who was most accommodating.  He fit me in after I telephoned him this morning.  I tried to mumble all of the information I wished to convey to him within our app. 20-25 minutes together–mostly about (what I believe to be) my fried hypothalamus.

He questioned me being on my Stims.  I retorted, and didn’t quite get to the point of begging him not to take me off them.  That is because he didn’t say he wanted me off them.  However, I did state how important they were to me, how much they have helped me, and that I have never had problems with them before.

We also touched upon my ACs but not so much.  I made a brief mention that my current ones did great things for my Bipolar.  Therefore, I was very happy with them.

The course of action from this point.  A continued, “Wait and See?” Realistically, this makes sense.  Non-Arsey Neuro can not simply snap his fingers and make this go away any more than I can.  However, as I stated and wanted, a much needed MRI Scan.  I’ve only had one and that was several years ago.  This situation obviously necessitates it.  Also, we are going to toss in another EEG for fun? They’re tremendously unreliable but why not.

It appears that I was entirely correct about my arrhythmia, although I received a bit more of a surprise? My resting pulse was 120 which is kind of high (as per my noted arrhythmia–I’ve been feeling my heart bouncing around ever since this tonic-clonic happened.)  120bpm as a resting heart rate can basically send you close to Tachycardia Land, but at least my pulse is consistent.  Not so bad there, at least?

The “surprise?” Indeed! My blood pressure.  My blood pressure has always been within the normal range; never high, never low.  It can vary with people, but a “typical” measurement that gets shouted out a lot is 120/80.  Gee.  Guess what mine was?

150/100.

Hello! So.  It appears that wee PA has a bit of “Tachycardia” and “Hypertension” going on? I mean, WTF??? I did not expect any issues with high blood pressure.  However, why should I be surprised at anything anymore? I mean, this is all about my ANS and still, my damn, nuked hypothalamus that controls so much of your ANS and yes, blah, blah, blah…everything that I have hypothesized?

“Hypo”thesized?

“Hypo”thalamo”-pothethesized?

I honestly don’t know what to say anymore.  I don’t know if there IS anything I can say anymore! At least from a scientific, medical, research perspective.  I don’t know if there’s anything left out there.  I think I may have exhausted both the literature and myself! So what now?

As above, I’m not putting much, if any, money on the EEG.  The MRI? Will it actually show something? Will it show anything? Will it show nothing? As in, my hypothalamus is gone altogether! I no longer have one! My hippocampus? Hippocampal sclerosis? Has my hippocampus been nuked, too? Eroded to the point of extinction? *rolls eyes*

Seriously, though.  Have we gotten to the point where we are looking at Anatomical structure that has then resulted in Physiological change this marked and distinct (not to mention pretty, fucking ugly.)  I don’t want to start getting worried or scared but I’m running out of plausible explanations here.  Well, those too, but now possible and actual remedies.

How long am I supposed to remain so goddamn debilitated and how the hell do I get better???  If you do have Epilepsy, can one single seizure in your life destroy you? Have I tipped some kind of scale with my increase in seizures, the different and new types over the past year and half, that my brain is now seriously damaged? Like, seriously damaged!

I’ve suffered previous head trauma, albeit slight.  Is that a factor? I suffered from high fevers as a child, although no mention of Febrile Seizures.  However, there have been studies suggesting one of the Herpes Virii that is linked to MTLE (Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.)  Just about everyone in the world has it lying dormant in their bodies, and it is extremely common for babies to contract the infection.  MTLE is the big banger for hippocampal sclerosis!

I know, it sounds like I’m spinning my wheels a lot with this one.  I know.  You could “easily say,” or tell me: “PA, don’t jump to conclusions!” I agree with you.  However, I’m tired, I’m frustrated and I’m sick.  I’m also at a crossroad.  No, worse.  I’m in a sort of “No Man’s Land,” regarding this and I am debilitated.  I can’t function.

Perhaps if I least knew why, or had some kind of answer, anything…  Perhaps then I’d be able to handle this situation somehow. Perhaps in a better way.  Perhaps.

Alzheimer's Cases Could Double Every 20 Years

According to a new report, the number of people with dementia globally is estimated to nearly double every 20 years.

From CNN:

Much of the growth will be fueled by longer life spans and population growth, especially in developing nations.

“Over the next 20 years, the numbers of people with dementia are anticipated to increase by 40 percent in Europe, 63 percent in North America, 77 percent in the southern Latin America … and 89 percent in the developed Asia Pacific countries,” the report said.

“In comparison, the percentage increase is expected to be 117 percent in East Asia, 107 percent in South Asia, 134-146 percent in the rest of Latin America, and 125 percent in North Africa and the Middle East.”

By 2010, an estimated 35.6 million people around the world will be living with dementia. The number is expected to hit 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050.

One in seven Americans age 71 and older, or about 3.4 million, have dementia, according to the National Institutes of Health. In this age group, 2.4 million people have Alzheimer’s disease, NIH research has shown. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The Joy Is In The Journey

For students at Glasgow, this weekend has marked the official beginning of term.

On the weekend that I moved in, my parents got lost. That’s mostly what I remember. They were driving from Newcastle to Glasgow in a two-seater van that was crammed full of all my possessions, and I was getting a bus from Newcastle and then changing onto a train at Edinburgh, and, when I called them from Edinburgh, they were lost. They claim it was the sat nav’s fault. I claim that it’s not rocket science to figure out that if you’re in England and you’re driving to Scotland, following the signs for The South is the wrong way. That was two years ago (and, no, we’re no closer to resolving that particular argument). It was my fourth year at university, my second shot at being a fresher, and the beginning of my first week as a medical student.

I’ve been trying to write down a bit of what I’ve learned and most want to pass on, but I’ve found that the most important things can best be summed up by the title of this post, and like this:

*

When you start on your journey to Ithaca,
then pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
Do not fear the Lestrygonians
and the Cyclopes and the angry Poseidon.
You will never meet such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your body and your spirit.
You will never meet the Lestrygonians,
the Cyclopes and the fierce Poseidon,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not raise them up before you.

Then pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many,
that you will enter ports seen for the first time
with such pleasure, with such joy!
Stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and corals, amber and ebony,
and pleasurable perfumes of all kinds,
buy as many pleasurable perfumes as you can;
visit hosts of Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from those who have knowledge.

Always keep Ithaca fixed in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for long years;
and even to anchor at the isle when you are old,
rich with all that you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would never have taken the road.
But she has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not defrauded you.
With the great wisdom you have gained, with so much experience,
you must surely have understood by then what Ithacas mean.

(KP Kavafis, translated by Rae Dalven)

Hopsital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 15th September 2009

Well, i did not go to college on Monday coz i was having kinda a bad hangover…heh….so i finally decided to go to college today today with lotsa fuckin cough.all were kinda scared and shit!!!lolz…..even the teacher excused me……Mom told me to totally go to the hospital…..so i went to vedant’s apartment to ask him to drop me off at naidu hosspital near the station.no help though…abhimanyu and anshul must have been kittens in their last lives i believe…you should have looked at the look on their faces when i was coughing the crap outta me..lolz totally….and the funny part is that Vedant gave me a lecture on swine flu…haha..(but sala he didn’t help…).So anyways, me and my room-mate, Prashant (VI) made our way to the Naidu Hospital. Kinda flashy hospital….they made a colorful pandal , as if for some celebration..and there were scary doctors in white…i hoped i just didnt get any injections administered..A doctor soon attended to me…it’s funny they never took any throat swab from me but they sure gave me Tamiflu capsules along with some other medicines and also told me to bed rest for 10 days…well, i guess that means a good break from college..haha..so i guess 10 days break starts today……not… (my mom keeps on pestering me about my medicines and study..phew!!!)

Cure tinnitus using treatments

Today, More than 40 million people are said to be affected by tinnitus. Tinnitus is normally felt by the swishing sound felt in the ears. The hearing system will be affected by this horrifying disorder. It is nothing but a tumor which is formed by building a wax in the ears. Tinnitus is generally a combination of many diseases that tend to affect the hearing system.

There is no proper evidence for the cause of tinnitus.Sooner or later, you can overcome the problem of tinnitus. Inner ear, outer ear and middle ear are the regions affected more by tinnitus.

The symptom of ear tinnitus underlies on all the above medical conditions.  In  order to cure tinnitus, the patients has to undergo a complete medical examination.It is good to take Kidney function, blood pressure, drug intake and allergies test along with tinnitus treatments. There are various symptom management methods for curing tinnitus. It is better to take multidisciplinary approach in your tinnitus treatments.

You can feel bone stiffness in your eardrum which is an effect of tinnitus.  Meniere and Tympanic membrane are some of the symptoms associated with tinnitus.Some of the drugs used for tinnitus relief are Quinine and aspirin.

Tinnitus therapy make use of tinnitus treatment drugs.Anti-depressants, anticonvulsants, anesthetics, anti-anxiety and antihistamines are some of the tinnitus treatment drugs. The natural treatments can be used to avoid the effects of drugs.

The herbal treatments available in the natural remedies are very useful for curing tinnitus. The alternate treatments for tinnitus are homeopathic remedies, herbal preparations and vitamin regimens.

Some of the tinnitus relief methods are acupuncture, cranio-sacral therapy, hypnosis and magnets.  Massage therapy and energy-works can be considered to get tinnitus cure.The fact is that the tinnitus treatments are not same for all the people. It is better to know the tinnitus causes before taking a treatment.

There are several aspects of tinnitus which has to be noted for getting the tinnitus cures. Some of the vitamins available for tinnitus treatments are lecithin, niacin, zinc, and magnesium.

Ode To Mr. Fingerprint

We can’t figure it out, exactly.  There isn’t one thing that we can point to and say, “Yeah!  That’s were everything became too much.”

But somewhere along the way, this little adventure piled up and reduced both of us to tears.  How the Army manages to organize itself enough to go around the world killing people – unless through excessive paperwork – still mystifies me.  But I can say that if they just stuck to the paperwork – threatened to attack the terrorists with administrative paperwork – world peace would be ho-hum news. 

“We give up!  We recant!  Never mind all that Allah stuff!  We’re Americans now.  Look, look, we’re buying Hummers and we all have flat-screen T.V. in our camel-skin tents with only CNN and Disney channels on them.”

I will say this:  With exception of the laudable fingerprint dude, I have never been to an Army office and gotten done what I came there to do on my first attempt.  Never.  And, for the guy to do my fingerprints that day, he had to overlook 2 reasons to send me away. 

If I’d had a trophy, I would have given it to him.  I DID sing his praises; describing his feat in a halting, emotional, too-grateful voice.

“I….I….I just want to let you know that.  *AHEM!*  Sorry, something in my throat.  Some sort of lump.  Anyway….”

Corpulent man in too-short square tie knit by kids in Taiwan R.O.C. funded by Wal-Mart stares dully, shifting slightly in his creaking office chair.

“You’re the first, EVER, to give me what I came to get on my very first attempt!  It’s a record.  Over the past 6 months, in dozens – maybe hundreds – of office visits my wife and I have needed to make just so I can do a job, you’re the first to not send me away on my first request.”

“Huh.  That’s good.  Fill out an I.C.E. card, alright?”

“What’s that?”

“A card.  You know, a card.  Tell ‘em how I’m doin’.  Let ‘em know I set you up.”

Right.  I.C.E. card.  I took that thing home, spent 45 minutes filling it up with love and gratitude toward the first man EVER to spare me making 2+ trips just to get a simple administrative task done.

Then I realized it would take another trip to that office to put the card in the guy’s box.

And I shredded the thing.

The Importance of Seizure Observer Accounts

I can not stress this enough: It is of the utmost importance to obtain an observer account, with as much information as possible, if you have a seizure (provided an observer is there.)  Most people with Epilepsy already know this.  However, if you are an observer, here are some things that you should definitely know.

Time the event.  Seizure duration periods can indicate any possible risks to the individual’s health.  Make as many observations regarding the person: What did they do? What did they look like? What did they say, if anything? Were they responsive or unresponsive to anything you might have said?

Then, if EMS was called, how long did it take for them to arrive? It is still also important to continue observing the person that is having the seizure at this point.  Are they still seizing? If so, the same as above.  If not, what is now happening? How is the person? How are they feeling, acting, responding? Are you still keeping an eye on the clock? What time is it now? When EMS arrives, make notes on what they do as well.

I know.  That is a lot to take in! It can be very hard to do.  I know this because I have had to go over my seizure events with several “observers.”  Several times! It makes me feel like a pest.  However, it is important.

To give you an example of how difficult this can be, let me tell you how I have now garnered a bit more information that may make a bit more sense to do with my (first) tonic-clonic seizure.  This happened on September 02, 2009.  I spoke to my friend J. today, who was my “observer.”  J. has seen me seize before.  Even though this was an entirely new situation, it still demonstrates how things can be “missed,” or “forgotten,” and why accuracy is so important.

Now, don’t be scared as this was all very confusing! It happened very fast! Unfortunately, that is how some seizures do occur.

Initially, I had a problem with the “logistics,” shall we say, of how I got from our table to where I ended up on the ground.  There was some distance involved.  You see, people who have tonic-clonic seizures do not “fly out of their chairs!” No.  At least I have never heard or read of such a case.  Typically, they fall to the ground.  Well, more than “typically.”  They just do.

Apparently, I did not do that! J. originally told me I did.  Well, not that I “flew out of my chair.”  Just that I “fell to the ground.”  Hence, me being rather confuzzled.

I’ve been sort of laughing all day about it, even though it is not funny at all! *laughing* I’m sorry.  I’m getting a bit punchy, perhaps, from still being on “Bed Rest.”  The damn tonic-clonic has made me so ill, I can not leave my home! Which I do believe is completely abnormal, but see the rest of my blog regarding all of that.  Also, I am getting a visual of myself, and I know my own seizure history, so I am finding it even more amusing.  Still, seizures are not funny! You got that?

So, what did I do? I very calmly sat up from my chair, pushed it back, and stood up from the table.  I turned around, and took about a step or two, and then laid down on the ground.

Then…I…EXPLODED! *laughing again*

I’m sorry.  I started this post on a very serious note.  Seizure accounts, and their accuracy are extremely important.

J. also initially told me that the time he tried to track, was app. 5 minutes.  Now, the story is what? Somewhere between 5-10 minutes?

Alright, all silliness aside, let’s review what happened here.  Also, bear in mind that I have no memory of any of this.

We have, with all certainty, confirmed that it was impossible for me to do some acrobatic, arabesque from a plastic, patio chair.  Yes.

Me getting up in my nonchalant manner, going for what appeared be such a casual (albeit brief) stroll, then a nap(?) was a Complex Partial Seizure.  Presumably.  This is because I looked completely aware and awake, fully functional, but oh, no.  Au contraire.  Wee PA was completely unconscious.  Depending upon what you may read and where, some folks say that you may retain some consciousness during a Complex Partial.  Me? Oh, dear.  Not one iota with any that I’ve had.  At least that I recall… *rolls eyes*

Sorry, terrible one there.  I’ll try to keep myself under wraps from here on in.

Rather interesting? A different story, now.  At first I was told that I had no prior seizure events and immediately had the tonic-clonic.  tonic-clonic seizures are classified as, or called “Generalized” seizures because they effect your entire brain.  The neuronal activity or discharges occur everywhere.  Complex Partials (as well as Simple Partials) are called “Partial” seizures in that, they affect only certain areas of the brain.  However, in this case (my case), the Complex Partial led directly to a tonic-clonic.  That is completely your basic, textbook Epilepsy!

It was another thing that was on my mind.  Yes, you can have a tonic-clonic without any prior Partial seizures but it struck me as a little odd.  I have such a huge history of Simple Partial and Complex Partial Seizures! Why was there no preceding Partial?

Well, apparently there was.  Or there is a high suspicion of one.  Although, it was extremely brief! So much so, that I didn’t even know it happened! For both the Complex Partial and the tonic-clonic, I was unconscious (you’re always unconscious for a tonic-clonic.)  That’s why observer accounts are that important.  Now I can tell Non-Arsey Neuro that instead of one seizure that night, you can pretty much bet I had two!

Time Marches On.....

I passed out at work last night. They called the ambulance, took me to the ER and of course my BP was to high as usual and I’m dehydrated. The protien level in my urine sample is still off the chart which they say gives them concern on my kidneys. I finally convinced them I was ok and 7 hours later I was released. I know my BP is out of control, thats what happens when you can’t afford medicine. My meds total run $478.00 for a months supply, that with 4 of the 8 being on the Walmarts $4.00 list even. That is just for my Blood Pressure meds, water pills, gastric reflux meds, and my digestive meds. I couldn’t afford Bipolar meds even if I was on them. 

Tuesday was a very bad day for me. I tried calling everyone to have someone to talk to, but everyone was to busy to talk to me. All I wanted to do was cut the hell out of myself because I had no one to talk to, I even stopped at Lowes and bought new blades just for that purpose. I was 80 miles from where I started out at that morning and as I was driving back all I could do is cry as I drove. I was in hell all because the room I was to rent wouldn’t be ready for another 2 weeks and I couldn’t find anything else in my price range. I was devestated by this, plus the fact I had to take the morning off from work to do this costing me money I couldn’t afford to lose.

I have come to the realazation of why I like my Tiger so much (my truck). She is my safety net. I know if I don’t have a place to see that night that I have her to fall back on. She is kind of like my security blanket. I have stuff in storage, the back seats are still full, but I know I can always sleep in the front by reclining the seat, covering up with my blanket, and I don’t even need a pillow. LOL. Thank you Larry (for not taking Tiger), and thank you Tiger for giving me that security. 

I’ve been trying to find odd and ends jobs for my day off or even the few hours I get off in the afternoon. I don’t like the feeling of not having the security of money. I skip the family meals at work because I can’t afford to buy myself groceries, that would mean going back to the hotel, being hungry and not having anything to grab even if I wanted it. I’ve lost 15lbs in 3 weeks. I know it’s not the right way to go about things as one meal is better then none, but I can’t help the way I feel. I have 2 weeks to go before I get my first paycheck. YeeHaw!!!!!! LOL.

My birthday is coming up, I’ll be 38 but I feel 108. This year has taken a toll on me like I have never felt before. Sure I’ve had major bad years filled with abuse, neglect, and need, but I have never had a year where I was so abused by myself as I have been this year. It saddens me to know I’ve let myself go this far into the bad side of things.

Till another day…..

Hypomania and The Reality of Medicine

*NOTE* Please do not confuse my writing of hypomania vs mania, mania is full blown and offers nothing good, only destruction of yourself and others.

Its too bad, in this day and age, the “condition” called hypomania gets such a bad wrap. Hypomania to the untrained person, who hears it first, is something of a medical condition. A state where a person can be labeled erratic, energetic, dysfunctional, crazy or what have you. When the person acts in the ways these labels go, its hard to believe otherwise. But deep down inside any bipolar person, this state of hypomania exists and offers so much hope.

Hypomania is not for the faint of heart. Only the mentally strong and capable should follow the advice I later give. Are you strong enough? How close are you to god? Ask these questions first and really take some time to think about them. With careful evaluation, these questions will give you the right answers to pursue whatever path God intended.

So the funny thing is, the ones who dismiss hypomania most, are so called doctors. AND to give them even less credit, they are many times just “normal” people. Sure ‘educated’ in the poison of medicine, but normal nonetheless. How can such people, such doctors, really understand what mania is? Do they think just by observing, they then know the truth?

The fact is, and in my heart what I firmly believe: those doctors have no idea. They have over inflated egos, full of ripe education based on statistics and merit but no soul. A body cannot live without the mind, and a human is not a person without a soul.

How is it then, that these doctors come to tell you: you are depressed, you are manic, you are bipolar, you are crazy, you are ____________ (insert disposition here). WHEN in all reality, they make their diagnosis based on past education in comparison to a person’s actions. Is that merit? Is that accurate? OR is that just a sham? Actions say one thing, but any MD doctor, no matter how educated or level of experience, CANNOT or WONT diagnose a person based on that person’s self-drive, personal ability, and reality.

Confusing? Let me simplfy: A doctor cannot jump in your head, hear your thoughts, see what you see, feel what you feel. And in that is the importance. NO matter HOW good his diagnosis, he is NOT you!

To state blankly: “normal” people do not understand what depression or mania really is. They assume each, to be a separate problem. Cured only with the aid of pills and doctors. Neither party, at times, cares enough to detail the issue for themselves to make a better decision. Instead doctors throw you containers of pills, and you take them hoping they will do what they say and have less side affects than you fear.

Did I mention that many anti-depressant drugs side affects are symptoms IDENTICAL to those found in depression?!? What the heck kind of cure is that? It may cure the memory loss, but you still feel slugish. It may cure the lack of energy, but you still lack self-esteem. The WORST part is many of these “anti-depressives” have a MAJOR possible sideaffect: suicide!

Now tell me, why in the world would a depressed person, already low in the world’s surroundings, would want to take medicine that has the RISK of killing them!? Seriously have a good listen to any of those depression commercials. It really doesn’t make sense. And all it takes is some thought, some research and some generalizations to realize, that medicine was NEVER meant to help you at all..

That medicine was meant to appear as a cure. A magic pill, you take, do nothing, and get better. The reality? You take it, a symptom will go away, may come back or you get OTHER symptoms. What does that mean? You go back for MORE medicine! The pharmaceutical industry knows this, sadly this is what they are based upon. Just like most businesses: Taking advantage of the consumer. They are taking advantage of regular people, by the thousands possibly millions into thinking they offer the cure.

Its an endless cycle, and sadly its a deadly one too. More people die from many of these symptoms which synthetic medicine provides as side affects. How? Where are the statistics to back this up? Sorry but that is where YOU, any interested individual, whether bipolar normal or what have you, take responsibility of finding. I am not here to sway anyones opinion. I am not here to make your choice. I am only here to inform. Knowledge is power. And power used wisely can benefit mankind.

Oriental Medicine limited to avoid diversity?

I’ve made it clear before that I believe, based on IQ tests and their accomplishments, that Orientals are a smart bunch. I am not a doctor, but I have a decent level of trust in Eastern medicine. They aren’t like the African shamans. They are legitimate doctors who understand how the body works. I am not saying that Eastern medicine is superior to Western medicine, but they could each be used.

There’s no reason to conclude that Orientals know nothing better than we do. I would agree that Western medicine is superior in many ways, but not universally.

In 1997, the United States Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus statement on acupuncture that concluded: “There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture’s value to expand its use into conventional medicine and to encourage further studies of its physiology and clinical value.”

The consensus group also noted the relative safety of acupuncture compared to certain other medical interventions. They stated that deciding when to use it in clinical practice depends on multiple factors, including “characteristics of the patient, clinical experience, potential for harm, and information from colleagues and the medical literature.”

I know several people who swear by acupuncture and other Oriental medical practices, and I am not talking about hippies who just like anything non-Western.

So why isn’t Oriental Medicine more commonly studied in our medical schools? I suspect it has to do with diversity. If we use Oriental medicine, why not African and American Indian voodoo? It would be racist not to kill patients by trying to cure AIDS with a prayer and holy water of the San bushmen.

As soon as the gates to anything non-American will be opened just a little, we’ll get a flood of voodoo into our hospitals. After all, who can admit that Orientals know more than Bushmen?

Innovative Medicines Initiative: putting Europe at the forefront of biopharmaceutical innovation

Imaging biomarkers for anticancer drug development, new tools for target validation to improve drug efficacy (oncology), molecular biomarkers to accelerate cancer therapy development and refining of patient care.

These are but a few of the new calls for proposals announced by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) – the public-private partnership between the European Commission and the European pharmaceutical industry, represented by EFPIA. Proposals are expected to be launched end of Octobe

r.With these topics, IMI aims to accelerate the discovery and development of new medicines in the field of cancer, inflammatory and infectious disease.

The funding available for the 2nd call will be €156.3 million, with €76.8 million provided by the European Commission and €79.5 million expected to be provided in kind from EFPIA member companies. IMI also introduced also its newly-appointed Executive Director, Michel Goldman, who will officially take up his post on 16 September.

The EU Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potočnik underlined the achievements and major advances of the initiative: ”IMI is our response to the need of improving Europe’s attractiveness for pharmaceutical R&D and to ensure that results from fundamental research can be rapidly translated into new innovative treatments. We should see results from this exciting new research mechanism very soon and hereby that new innovative medicines should reach European patients faster.”

Addressing the media at the event, Arthur J. Higgins, CEO of Bayer HealthCare and President of EFPIA, praised the collaboration between the industry and Commission: “The IMI is a clear statement that Europe intends to be at the forefront of biopharmaceutical innovation. By accelerating and optimizing R&D processes we are trying to remove bottlenecks in the drug development process. For this reason, we have already invested € 246 million – including € 136 million from industry – in the successful proposals to date. The greatest success of this initiative has been in bringing together normally competing pharmaceutical companies with academic stakeholders in an unparalleled effort to accelerate the discovery of innovative medicines.”

The newly-appointed Executive Director, Professor Michel Goldman, said: “I am very pleased to be joining IMI at such an exciting moment in its development. On the basis of my previous experience in public-private partnerships, my first priority will be to strengthen the bridges between academia and industry in the interest of patients”.

Michel Goldman’s appointment as IMI’s new Executive Director is an important step towards IMI’s complete autonomy from the European Commission and EFPIA.

The new research topics have been approved by the IMI Board, after extensive consultation between various stakeholders; including the IMI scientific committee, Member states representatives, the European commission and pharmaceutical companies that are members of EFPIA. All of which are committed to collaborate with public and private organization to address these issues more efficiently.

The total IMI budget for the period 2008-2017 is €2 billion (1 billion from the European Community and 1 billion from the industry).

The 1st call of proposals of IMI was launched in April 2008. 134 proposals were submitted of which 15 have been selected to receive € 246 million.

Paul and the H1N1 Virus

20The law was added so that then trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Romans 5:20-6:2

Our pastor at church spoke on these verses a few weeks ago and I was struck by his words as he spelled it out for us. He said, “Where there is sin, there is grace. Where there is much sin, there is much grace. As sin increases, grace increases as well to cover the sin.” I immediately started thinking about it.

In that case, shouldn’t we sin more so that we’ll recieve more of God’s wonderful grace? That’s the rhetorical question Paul poses here as well, and one that has been debated through the ages. “Absolutely not!” cries Paul, “It’s literally untinkable.” As I pondered these verses, a new image came to mind.

Korea these days is incredibly concerned with the H1N1 virus and prevention of the spread of swine flu.

They are so concerned in fact, that they take preventative measures that often go above and beyond what most would consider logical. In the airport, all incoming passengers are screened for fevers. People returning from trips abroad are asked to stay home for seven days “just in case” they picked up the virus and don’t know it yet. My school has added hand sanitizers and soaps all over the school and tests teachers temperatures every day before work. If any teacher or student shows any sign of fever, they are asked to stay away from school for seven days to get over it and avoid spread of the flu. Additionally, many famous festivals that have become staple events in certain cities in Korea have been canceled for fear of spreading H1N1.

For as much as Korea is concerned with H1N1, do we ourselves have any room in our spiritual lives to not be equally concerned with humanity’s own original virus: sin?

Let’s read those verses again with a slightly different perspective:

20Medicine was invented so that disease wouldn’t increase. But where disease increased, vaccines increased all the more, 21so that, just as viruses once reigned in our mortal bodies, so also immunity and white blood cells might now reign through increasingly good health practices.

1What shall we say then? Shall we go on trying to get sick so that our antibodies might increase? Of course not! We strive for preventative medicine to protect our bodies, how can we continue to offer our bodies to disease?

Think about the irony of those words. But every time you have a disease, there’s a risk that disease might kill you. How then, can we intentionally get sick?

Koreans, with all their preventative measures against H1N1 would say you’d be crazy to go and intentionally try to catch the virus to develop immunity. Can we as Christians also say it would be equally as crazy to go out and sin just to recieve grace? The apostle Paul certainly thinks so.

On being House MD

Dear readers, you tell me…

WHAT WOULD YOU THINK IF THE LAZIEST GRAPHIC DESIGNER IN THE UNIVERSE BECAME (after years of hard work & studying until wee hours) THE FEMALE VERSION OF GREGORY HOUSE MD? CRISTINA YANG? MEREDITH GREY? ERIC FOREMAN?

I think working at the kids’ Oncology Department has opened my eyes to the human Medicine as well. And so I am deep in medical thoughts. There is a university offering medical studies 10mins by feet away from my place and in front of the hospital where I am visting the kids. Basically, I am SURROUNDED by medical world.

Damn. I have something to think about while I am trying to handle Bio & Chem revisions & Graphic Design stuff…this year is gonna be a hell of fun! O_o

Btw…hello, Greg!

Greg House, my eternal love. Haha! Click on the photo to get to the source.

Hmmmm.

HMMMMMM.

Hm. Hello, Meredith!

Meredith Grey. Credits to RadioTimes.com

Hmmmmmmmm…

Hmmmmmmmm.

HMMMMM….

Mind me, I always need to have some role models and inspirative people, even if they are just characters from medical series (I LOVE medical series. My mother knows that she can’t utter a word if I am watching anything medicine related, otherways I become very grumpy & start sending all world to hell).

Looking at House & Meredith Grey makes me think deeply. Aferall, I will be revising Biology & Chemistry ANYWAY, so why not give a shot to ALL mad possibilities? With exception of Pharmacy, there is too much Maths & Physics that just don’t reside in my brain.

*

And on a completely different note, I am adding these two awesome bloggers to my blogroll where I will be stalking them regularly:

• The Haute Pursuit
• La Mimi

Make sure you check them out, they are both super chic! I am currently stalking the Haute Pursuit blog because the fashion I see there is like from my wildest fashion dreamworld! What an inspiration!

And now I think I am off to color my hair blue-black. I am angry at my boyfriend for certain reasons and I feel like doing something DRASTIC. Ha!

*evil laugh probably followed by a sad whine later on after seeing the hair…*

"Swine flu?" No, thank God, but it was one hell of a cold.

Mark this day of September 13, 2009 as a day for celebration in my humble life! Today, I have finally reacquired about 2/3 of my sense of taste back and I’m ready to eat! I forced myself to go to the grocery store today so I could pick up some savory tidbits to further entice my tasty buds into complete rehabilitation. I started small with some a lack (late afternoon snack) consisting of french bread, brie, basil leaves, tomatoes, olive oil and fresh-cracked pepper. DELICIOUS! See below and restrain from drooling on your keyboard…

YUM!

On the dinner menu for tonight will be a delectable chicken broth poached salmon with fresh dill, garlic sauteed baby string beans, smart balance® buttered sweet potatoes and some cheap inexpensive chardonnay, yes, alcohol and antibiotics! Life is GOOD!

I initially lost my sense of taste due to the fact that I’ve been contaminated with some sort of super virus since last Monday. I know what you’re thinking, “swine flu?” No, thank God, but it was one hell of a cold. I even managed to infect my beloved, seemingly from sheer eye contact and I’ll probably get fired from work due to the amount of days  I was out. I could’ve went on a mini vacation. Here are my super huge, obnoxiously pink antibiotic pills that smell a lot like natural gas, weird.

These puppies will kill anything that sets itself within a 5 foot radius of my being. Bring it on close-talkers! You annoy me anyway.

Cheers!

Wisdom Centre In The Brain?

The nature of wisdom has long been the domain of philosophers, but University of California at San Diego neuroscientists Thomas Meeksand Dilip Jeste have thrown their hats into the ring with the likes of Plato and Kant. They analyzed decades of research and found that the multitude of characteristics associated with wisdom—including social decision making and control of emotions—may be accounted for by a surprisingly small number of brain regions: a putative wisdom network. One brain area, the anterior cingulate cortex, detects conflicts and makes decisions. Psychologists at Stanford University recently found that activity in this part of the brain predicts how we balance short- and long-term rewards. But wisdom is about more than just cold calculation. “Instincts and emotions are also critical,” says Jeste. So areas of the brain responsible for emotions, such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, play a role as well. A recent study from Caltech and the University of Iowa found that damage to this area made people less susceptible to guilt and could lead to poorer social decision making. As Meeks and Jeste continue developing their model of wisdom in the brain, they plan to study the distribution of wisdom in the general population and examine brain-damaged individuals to confirm the regions involved.

[Via http://mohdjamil.wordpress.com]

Why do gecko tails hop around when they drop off?

Here is a great article from Wired.com and shows tbe potential of video analysis in science. It’s a great topic for Indonesia, too!

Here’s a quote from researcher Anthony Russell of the University of Calgary, trying to explain the randomness of the tail movements:

“The tail is buying the animal that shed it some time to get away,” Russell said. If the tail simply moved rhythmically back and forth, predators would quickly recognize a pattern and realize they’d been duped. Unpredictable tail movements keep predators occupied longer, and in some cases, they may even allow the tail itself to escape.

“Leopard geckos store fat in their tail, and a lot of their resources are tied up in there,” Russell said. “The tail may move far enough away that it actually evades the predator, so that the owner can come back and eat its own tail to recoup some of the resources.”

If you want more, head on over to Wired for the full article.

Think about how this topic relates to Option E: Neurobiology and Behaviour.

How could this research lead to progress in treating spinal injuries?

And take care not to tread on a gecko on the way home…

[Via http://sciencevideos.wordpress.com]

Discovery of antibodies could lead to AIDS vaccine

Team from Scripps helped identify potent new weapons

By Scott LaFee, Union-Tribune Staff Writer

September 4, 2009

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla have helped identify two rare and potent human antibodies against HIV,  the virus that causes AIDS.

Their discovery could finally reveal a chink in the armor of the deadly virus and lead to development of an effective, broad-based AIDS vaccine.

The research will be published in today’s edition of the journal Science. The Scripps team worked with those from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and biotechnology companies Theraclone Sciences in Seattle and Monogram Biosciences in San Francisco.

Before this latest announcement, only five of these pathogen-busting proteins — called broadly neutralizing antibodies, or bNAbs — had been pinpointed in people. The last finding came more than a decade ago.

Although analysis of the new antibodies is still in its earliest stages, the preliminary findings suggest dramatic potential.

Read the whole story.

[Via http://slafee.wordpress.com]

Did you know you are Running on Empty?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Energize You Now Ezine

Learn to Breathe and Grow Rich Today

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Did you know you are Running on Empty?

 

The holiday stresses are just around the corner. Are you ready? Join me for the Breathe and Grow Rich Seminar, Saturday, September 12.   Fly in on Friday, join us for a group dinner and fly out Saturday evening or Sunday morning, recharged, regenerated and be responsive once more to the flow of Life.

Learn how you can win in 2010.

Stress Proof your body and Supercharge your Health, Wealth and Harmony at the Breathe and Grow Rich Seminar.  Don’t wait…this is your last chance to sign up before the seats are gone!  Register today for the Breathe and Grow Rich Seminar.   Register today for the Breathe and Grow Rich Seminar.  http://tinyurl.com/mkek3c

———————

Date: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2009

Place: Fort Worth, Texas

Time: 9 AM to 5 PM

Location: DFW Airport Marriott

———————

Remember, the wise words:

“We change the world not by what we say or do, but as a consequence of what we have become.”- David R. Hawkins: Psychiatrist, spiritual author, and lecturer

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply.  Willing is not enough; we must do.”- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

[Via http://intuitiveparenting.wordpress.com]

Genetics in Social Media

It seems more and more genetics societies start using web 2.0 tools in order to reach people more easily. As an example, here is the Twitter account of the American Society of Human Genetics.

And Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei wrote about the web 2.0 tools Human Genome Organization (HUGO) is using  such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

It’s a good direction. I hope they have clear strategies for using social media.

[Via http://scienceroll.com]

Protect your kids with bacteria!

Our society tends to be germ-phobic.  And we have good reasons.  In the past most of the things that killed people were infections; infected wounds led to loss of limbs and lives, and epidemic diseases like fevers and plagues have swept through societies killing untold millions.  Plus today we face a new wave of antibiotic resistant diseases created through the overuse, improper use, and abuse of antibiotics such as MRSA.

But many scientists and doctors, myself included, feel that our germ phobia has gone too far.  The hygiene hypothesis states that exposure to bacteria both good and bad is necessary to develop a properly functioning immune system.  The hygiene hypothesis is one attempt to make sense of the sky-rocketing rates of allergies and auto-immune diseases in children.  Keeping children excessively clean does not give their bodies and immune system sufficient exposure, and thus education to learn to function normally.

The role of good bacteria in the maintenance of health is becoming increasingly understood.  New studies are showing that every exposed part of our body, every square inch of our skin, and our digestive tract from our mouth to our rectum are home to a huge diversity of bacteria.  In fact the Human Biome project is setting out to map the genetic code of bacteria that live with us in a similar way the Human Genome project set out to map our genetic code. Far from being simply passengers we are gaining greater and greater understanding that bacteria are necessary for our health and well-being.  They protect us from pathogenic (‘bad’) bacteria and parasites, help us digest food, and help our immune system to function properly.  If you are interested in learning more about the role of good bacteria, here is an interesting article, and here is a TED talk on it (see my post on TED).

A recent study published last month in the scientific journal Pediatrics has shown that using probiotic supplements (‘good’ bacteria) can dramatically reduce the chance that your children will get the cold or flu.  And with tremendous concern over Swine Flu this year, using natural methods to strengthen our immunity can alleviate fear and help keep us healthy.

In the double-blind, placebo-controlled study 326 kids aged 3-5 were assigned to take either placebo, a single strain probiotic (containing 1 type of bacteria; L. acidophilus) or a double strain probiotic (containing L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium) twice a day for 6 months.

The results were dramatic.  Compared to kids on placebo (not taking probiotics), kids taking probiotics:

• Fever incidence – 53% less for kids taking the single strain, 72.7% less for kids taking the double strain
• Coughing incidence – 41.4% less with the single strain, 62.1% less with the double strain
• Runny nose incidence – 282.% less with the single strain, 58.8% less with the double strain
• Duration of fever, coughing and runny nose were decreased 32% with the single strain, and 48% with the double strain
• Need for antibiotics was reduced by 68.4% with the single strain, and 84.2% with the double strain
• Days absent from day care were reduced by 31.8% with the single strain, and 27.7% with the double strain

Bottom line:  Giving your kids a quality multi-strain probiotic with at least 10 billion cfu (colony forming units) every day as was done in the study can reduce their risk of getting a fever, cough, and runny nose by about 2/3.  If they get a cold it would be reduced in duration by ½.  Their need for antibiotics would be reduced almost 85% and the number of days they would need to miss day care would be reduced by 1/3.

This is a huge benefit for a generally moderately priced supplement that is virtually without side effects.  While many supplements are as good over the counter as through practitioners, probiotics are one supplement I do highly recommend you purchase from a practitioner.  Studies have shown that many over the counter probiotics are poorly manufactured and do not contain the levels of beneficial bacteria stated on the label, and some even were found to be contaminated with harmful bacteria.  The practitioner brands Naturopathic doctors use as well as other practitioners tend to be a little more expensive but are produced with very stringent quality control, making them safe and therapeutically effective.

If you would like to look up the study yourself it is:

Pediatrics. 2009 Aug;124(2):e172-9. Epub 2009 Jul 27. Probiotic effects on cold and influenza-like symptom incidence and duration in children. Leyer GJ, Li S, Mubasher ME, Reifer C, Ouwehand AC.

[Via http://drtimgerstmar.wordpress.com]

The Masks We Wear

It’s way past midnight when she comes in, half-drunk, high on drugs and screeching in pain. We’ve seen tons of people like her before, and most of the staff don’t bat an eyelid. She is, in all ways, your typical Friday night patient. The only thing that makes  me wince is a quick glance at her age. All of a fragile, vulnerable 17, younger than anyone I know. I’m new enough at this that some things still hit a raw nerve.

I look over her records. Pretty impressive for someone that age. Along with multiple hospital admissions for various alcohol-related problems, she’s also had several terminations of pregnancy and run-ins with the law. They’re starting earlier and earlier these days.

She’s writhing in bed, a shivering, shaking, incoherent mess. Her eyes are tearing up, the thick eyeliner and mascara running in unsightly miniature rivers down her heavily powdered cheeks. Her hair, a bizzarre shade of white-yellow, reeks of sweat and smoke and beer. Her arms and legs are cold and clammy, the scars of previous self-harm episodes still evident. She is painfully thin, so tiny curled up in a fetal position, that it’s easy enough to spot her as the child she is and not the woman she is trying so hard to be.

Her boyfriend, a hulking, scowling giant, is trying to intimidate me into giving her something for the pain. He looks at least 40. If things were what they should be in this world, he would be jailed for paedophilia. We quickly and efficiently evacuate him.

She clutches her tummy and screams in agony. Out of breath but determined, she begs me, between shrieks and tears, to put her out of her misery. I examine her, as carefully and professionally as I can, and maybe it is the cool, impartial touch of a sober person, or maybe it is the imposing presence of Nurse No-Nonsense behind me, but she soon falls silent. Her eyes, though, hunted and hurting, never leave my face. “Help me,” she pleads through parched and cracking lips. “Help me, doctor. Please help me.”

I try to forget all that is wrong with her, all the things she stands for, all the things I disapprove of. And I try instead to remember that we have done this to her- this society I have helped to create and am still contributing to.

I see her again in the morning after the pain is well over. She is sitting in bed playing with her phone and the mask is back on. Impassive, expressionless, vacant, she barely glances at me when I ask her how she is.

I think of the girl with the terrified eyes, the eloquent pleas, the pale thin hands gripping mine as if I was the only thing keeping her from a fate she dared not imagine, and I wonder where she went.

Feels like we lost her in a sea of make-up and careless friends and older men’s embraces.

[Via http://feetupdancing.wordpress.com]

Obamacare Is On The Ropes, Let’s End The Fight

(The President is getting desperate.

Despite whatever his teleprompter tells him to say tonight, it’s time for America to put it’s collective foot down and tell him NO!And it is much easier to do than most people think.)

The battle over health care reform is quickly coming to a close.

And just as in a boxing match, we have our opponent on the ropes, and now is the time to deliver the knockout.

There are two groups who, without their support, the health care reform bill is DOA.

The first are three Republican Senators who are “on the fence.”

Contact them and let them know that if they don’t land on our side of the fence, we will put them out …Read the rest of this entry

[Via http://papundits.wordpress.com]

The complexities of sexual identity - The Simenya controversy

(adapted from BBC Sport)

It may be thought that determining if someone is a man or woman would be as simple as looking to see if they have breasts and a vagina or a penis.

But in reality it is far more complex.

Even someone’s external genitalia can be “ambiguous”. For example, the clitoris may be enlarged so that it looks like a small penis or a female’s labia may be fused, resembling a scrotum.

There are also chromosomal and hormonal variations and conditions which medics will test for.

The South African athlete will be assessed and tested by a group of doctors, including an endocrinologist, a gynaecologist, an internal medicine expert, an expert on gender and a psychologist.

They will look at her external genitalia, but they will also look at hormone levels and her chromosomal make-up.

Hormone levels

There are also particular conditions they will check for, including congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

This is a condition in which the body produces more androgen, a type of male hormone.

If a girl has it, she will usually have normal internal female reproductive organs, but may not have periods and may have a male appearance.

This, and a number of other conditions, are recognised by the IAAF as potentially giving some advantage but are accepted.

There are other conditions, including polycystic ovaries and androgen producing tumours, where a woman can have higher than normal levels of testosterone which are not thought to offer any advantage to athletes.

In addition, there is a condition called androgen insensitivity syndrome where someone may have internal and undescended testes – and high levels of testosterone – but look like a woman and have a vagina and a uterus.

Rare

Professor Adam Balen, a specialist at Leeds General Infirmary, said: “This is an extremely complicated area.

“The reality is that the difference between males and females with respect to strength is based upon hormones.

“So if you have high levels of testosterone, you are more likely to have better muscle strength.”

Such conditions are rare. Around one in 20,000 UK children is born with some kind of sexual development disorder.

However rates can vary around the world, usually because of genetic variations.

[Via http://afyanet.wordpress.com]

Medical Reform - My View

We’ve recently been having discussions with a variety of people and reading and listening to a number of public statements on health care.  I have read the four-page table of contents and parts of the 1018 page  Dingle House bill as it existed about a week ago.  It is heavy going but interesting.  It has three divisions, Affordable Health Care Choices, Medicare and Medicaid Improvements, Public Health and Workforce Development.  It does not reflect the ideas presented below.

I have reached some conclusions that make sense to me.  I am a registered Republican but for some time I have felt disconnected from what the party has become.  What follows below is apolitical.

The Need

The fundamental point is that everyone needs to be covered by some form of medical insurance.  It is a moral issue.  When it comes to illegal aliens there is some wiggle room, but since they already get medical care in emergency rooms, we might as well include them too, at lower cost.

Some say that we don’t need medical reform because anyone can get emergency room care.  However, emergency rooms are not a substitute for appropriate medical care. In the first place they are too expensive for many of services they provide.  Doctors’ offices and urgent care clinics are the most appropriate and economical place for much of what goes on in emergency rooms.  Secondly, preventive medical care is what people need, and nobody goes to the ER to deal with obesity or high blood pressure until it is too late.  The nation’s medical costs will be reduced if we develop more universal preventive care practices.  And we will feel better.

I have heard that the death rate for children under one year in Europe is 4 per thousand while in the US it is 6.3 per thousand.  Although there are differences in the standards of measurement, it says something about the quality of our health care.  We can do better, and part of the solution is better preventive medicine.

The Public Option

I believe we can and should expand Medicare as the “public option”.  For the most part, people on Medicare are satisfied with the service they receive.  The fact that Medicare is “running out of money” is due to a number of causes including the aging of the population, fraud, and the high cost of medical care in general.   We absolutely need to fix the fraud problem.  The aging of the population is an actuarial problem that we just have to accept.  The high of medical care is discussed below. It looks like the “pay as you go” approach will not work for Medicare and so we will have to accept substantial support from the government (your taxes) as is done in other countries. Our schools don’t pay for themselves, and neither do our libraries.

Consider the United States Post Office.  It provides excellent service.  The fact that you can use a competing service at lower cost in some cases may be that they can at least theoretically tailor their service to minimize their costs, while only the Post Office is legally required to provide economical service to everyone no matter where they may live.

In effect, the US Post Office is the “public option” for mail delivery, with UPS, Fedex, etc., playing the role of independent providers.  The analogy soon breaks down, but it does provide a starting point for discussion.  The point is that they are an example of public and private service providers that successfully co-exist and compete with each other.

We would need to charge a reasonable price for the “Public Option”, which will allow private insurers to compete. They may not make money at the same level as they do now, and that’s why they are lobbying so intensively, and apparently, successfully so far.

We would need to subsidize those who cannot afford it.  Of course this is a tricky issue, and one which will need fine tuning along the way.

Another tricky issue is how to handle people in marginal categories such as illegal aliens, people who have not yet gotten green cards, those who have, and so forth.  I think that is a matter, while extremely controversial, can be worked out and must be worked out.  It cannot be allowed to divert us from the overall goal.

Insurance providers should be required to accept clients with preexisting conditions, and should be prevented from dropping patients with poor medical histories.  Portability would be a feature of all future insurance coverage.

There are many details to be worked out, and that is, in part, why the proposed bills have so many pages.  We have to rely on our legislators and their staffs to get it right, or at least close to the mark.

The Cost of Medical Care

The high cost of medicine, is to a certain extent, a separate issue.  Two reasons for the high cost seem to be 1) Our current fee-for-services approach to medicine, and 2) The lack of tort reform.

The fee-for-services approach, which pays a doctor for each test or procedure performed, provides an incentive to provide services that might be only marginally necessary, especially when justified on the basis of defensive medicine as a result of lack of tort reform, in which some settlements are allowed to be unreasonably large.

The Mayo and Cleveland Clinics operate at low cost and provide excellent medical care and service.  They operate as multi-specialty clinics and the doctors are on salary.  That doesn’t mean they are not well-paid.  They are rewarded for the quality of the care and service they provide, and not the number of procedures they perform.  Can we extend that model?  I think we have to. Not every multi-specialty clinic would have to be a center of excellence as the Mayo and Cleveland are, but the others could provide excellent care with the doctors appropriately rewarded.

Tort reform would require bucking the lawyers’ lobby, and our legislators are primarily lawyers.  I don’t have a high expectation of solving that problem anytime soon, but it is needed.

The high cost of medicine cannot be allowed to divert us from the goal of acceptable health care for all. High medical costs are a problem that requires a solution, but we can’t do everything at once.

I am not qualified to comment on the effect of medical care reform on our national budget and deficit.  We can probably agree that we have spent much more than the cost of medical reform on activities that have returned significantly less value. Regardless of the cost, it is something that must be done.

The Need for Leadership

Achieving the goal will take the kind of Presidential leadership we have not seen in many years.  At a minimum, Barack Obama will have to bring his own party into line, and hopefully convince many others that it is time to “do the right thing”.  As journalist and commentator Bill Moyers said on Bill Maher’s “Real Time”, it’s a moral issue.  “We need to care about each other.”  If Obama is beholden to insurance companies and/or pharmaceutical companies, he will have to cut himself loose and take the political consequences.  It could cost him a second term, but it might instead make his place in history.

[Via http://jfistere.wordpress.com]