I discovered the new Journal of Participatory Medicine in a guest post on E-Patients.net written by John Sharp of the Cleveland Clinic.
Now comes the Journal of Participatory Medicine to fill a gap in journals which acknowledge the active role of the patient in current medical practice. While other journals publish articles on patient participation in health care and social media, but a single journal devoted to this topic will be a welcome addition and make the topic more officially sanctioned as a valid field of medical study. The editorial board is very impressive and lends an important boost to this new journal.
The Society for Participatory Medicine is a growing organization devoted to promoting the concept of participatory medicine by and among patients, caregivers and their medical teams and to promote clinical transparency among patients and their physicians through the exchange of information, via conferences, as well through the distribution of correspondence and other written materials.
I would love to take active part in the first steps either myself or with my team on Webicina.com.
With the new NanoCut technology developed by researchers at the Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT) in Jena, Germany it is possible to drill holes only a millionth of a millimetre in diameter and thus may revolutionize gene therapy.
The NanoCut technology was developed by Wolfgang Fritzsche of the IPHT and Karten Koenig from the Saar-Universität, Germany. Their innovation already received the award ‘Research Highlight of the Year 2007′ by the British journal Nature Nanotechnology and has been praised by the industry journal ‘Nano Letters’.
Because the NanoCut procedure has succeeded in bundling the energy of a laser to the point of the size of individual human chromosomes, this new technology is most important to medicine and makes it possible to target specific areas of genetic material that carry a genetic defect and switch them off.
Fritzsche notes ‘We can mark the nanoparticles in such a way that they can be bound to a certain place on a chromosome. This would allow areas of genes that are carrying a genetic defect to be selected and then removed. Fritzsche’s method also has other advantages. He says ‘We can also work simultaneously and choose different places on the genes where we can attach the nanoparticles. Most importantly, the rest of the chromosome remains completely unchanged by the procedures.’
The surge of dementia information in the news recently should come as little surprise, with the aging population and increased scrutiny the health of our seniors is placed under. Yes we know more people are developing brain dysfunctions like dementia and we still do not have much to do to effectively treat it, so prevention becomes the key factor. First it has to be said that many theories have been postulated and many ideas proven wrong as to the true cause of dementia. What we do know is that certain people with certain behaviors have a much lower incidence of developing dementia.
The most important thing to do is (and you’ve heard this before) to eat a nutritious diet containing primarily whole raw fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats that are as free as possible of herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, etc. And again, this diet cannot be provided by a fast food chain. The healthy fats part probably will need to be supplemented with a clean source of omega 3 fatty acid as it is hard these days to consume enough of the right foods to create our ideal fatty acid balance. The whole, raw fruits and vegetables part is also very important because while we need these carbohydrates in our diets what is damaging to our brains (and the rest of our bodies) is the surge of insulin that accompanies the processed sugars and high levels of carbohydrates unbalanced with proteins and fats.
This eating plan has been discussed before; getting closer to nature in our diet will have far reaching benefits to every cell of our bodies and the earth around us. The next thing that we can do is to exercise regularly, both our bodies and our minds. The body exercise is simple, moving our bodies creates reactions that improve our body composition regulate our hormones including insulin and reduce our stress levels. Challenging our minds with reading, puzzles and thought provoking conversation helps to keep us sharp by constantly forming new neural connections and re-firing existing ones extending the plasticity of our brains.
Some of the other factors associated with dementia involve heavy metals in the body; specifically aluminum and mercury. Admittedly the correlations between metals and dementia is controversial but if there is even a small chance of a link, maybe finding a safer deodorant than one containing aluminum, and would check out alternatives for amalgam dental fillings, as well as the flu shot.
So now when we read the headlines about the coming surge of dementia we can understand what we can do to give us the best possible chance of a clear minded life as we age. We do not have to feel scared by the headlines implying that dementia is completely unavoidable. Eat right, exercise your body and mind, and avoid toxins, especially metals, develop a supplement program that includes Omega 3 oils and antioxidants, and know that you are doing your best to protect yourself.
The Minnesota Vikings have taken the early lead in the NFC North this year after an undefeated September campaign. Not only are the Vikings 3 – 0 on the field this month, state and federal court rulings–most recently from the Eighth Circuit–have effectively prevented the NFL from enforcing its four-game suspension of Vikings’ defensive linemen Pat and Kevin Williams (no relation).
In 2008, the Williamses tested positive for bumetanide, a diuretic specifically banned by the League. The players admitted taking a dietary supplement, StarCaps, which (though not disclosed on the label!) contained bumetanide. As part of its collective bargaining agreement with the NFL, the Players Association accepted the League’s draconian drug policy, which holds players strictly liable for any substances they ingest. Tough luck, right?
Well, not exactly . . .
It turns out the League knew StarCaps contained bumetanide in 2006 but did not bother to inform the players of that discovery. Instead, the League sent out a memo forbidding the players from making “endorsements or other business relationships” with Balanced Health Products, the distributor of StarCaps (which has since been recalled). The Players Association–not the NFL–then sent a memo to all agents warning that players were prohibited from endorsing or using any of the company’s products. Whether or not the players had constructive knowledge that StarCaps contained a banned substance, an arbitrator for the NFL denied their appeal noting that strict liability is, well, strict.
Undeterred by this logic, the Williamses promptly sued the NFL. Going with the kitchen sink approach, they alleged an astonishing array of torts, some more ridiculous than others, including breach of fiduciary duty, violation of public policy, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among others. A state court judge issued a temporary restraining order, which gave both sides time to huddle up.
Procedurally, this case has now taken more twists and turns than Adrian Peterson in the open field, but here are some highlights. The NFL removed the case to federal court, and the Players Association sued the NFL on behalf of the players, alleging breach of contract and seeking to vacate the suspensions. The federal judge agreed with the NFL that federal law governing collective bargaining agreements preempted the players’ common law claims. He also refused to vacate the suspensions and dismissed the breach of contract claim. Game over, right?
Well, not exactly . . .
In a legal maneuver as timely and accurate as Brett Favre’s Hail Mary pass on Sunday, the players amended their complaint to allege violations of two Minnesota statutes governing consumable products and drug testing in the workplace. It turns out the good people of Minnesota do not allow employers in their state to discipline employees for a positive drug test without verifying the result. (Sounds reasonable to me! Did these folks really elect a professional wrestler as their governor?)
The Vikings must have dialed up the right play. Having dismissed the federal claims, the federal judge declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the state law claims, and left intact the temporary restraining order–allowing the Williamses to finish the 2008 season. This ruling satisfied exactly none of the parties and everybody appealed. The Eighth Circuit fixed its stamp of approval though, affirming the ruling in all respects earlier this month.
Facing fourth-and-long, the NFL called its last time out. The League has apparently not decided whether to seek a rehearing before the entire Eighth Circuit, but it met a Friday deadline to ask for more time. The upshot is that, barring such an en banc rehearing (or, God forbid, Supreme Court intervention), the fate of the Vikings’ defensive line rests with a Minnesota state court judge, who had already announced he will not rule on the case until after the 2009 season. Any chance that judge is a Vikings fan?
Nothing like home field advantage . . .
– Nathan McGregor
Additional Links:
On StarCaps, league points finger in the wrong direction
NFL has few options in Williams case
NFL to appeal on ruling that Vikings’ ‘Williams Wall’ can play all season
NFL confident it can beat Minnesota Vikings’ Williamses on their home turf
Starcaps case is a blow to NFL drug policy
NFL Players Union Hopes to Resolve StarCaps Case Outside of Court
StarCaps Ruling Could Give Vikings Unfair Advantage
An article in the October issue of Pediatrics raises more questions than it answers. Boston medical researchers took a look at bad reactions children and teens had to prescribed medicines over a ten year period, 1995 – 2005.
According to the abstract, the researchers used data from the National Center for Health Statistics, which collects information on patient visits tooutpatient clinics and emergency departments throughout theUnited States. They then estimatedthe national incidence of adverse drug events (ADEs) requiring medical treatment (including hospitalizations),described the pediatric population seeking care for ADEs, andcharacterized the events in terms of patient symptoms and medicationsimplicated.
The authors found that out of nearly 600,000 annual ADE-related visits to clinics and hospitals, children aged O to 4 had the highest incidence of medical visits connected to adverse drug events. The most common symptoms these children had were dermatologic conditions (presumably rashes and such) and gastrointestinal symptoms. The most frequent medicinal culprits in these cases were antimicrobial agents (antibiotics), central nervous system agents and hormones. The latter two increased in frequency among older children, ages 5-11 and 12-18.
Two questions come to mind here:
(1) Medical personnel use antibiotics to treat a variety of illnesses, some of which may or may not be bacterially-caused. A doctor may start a child on antibiotics for what looks like strep throat, for example, before the culture results even come back. So if that suspected strep throat is actually a virus of another stripe that includes nausea, how would a researcher know whether the stomach upset is related to an adverse reaction to the drug taken or the virus itself?
(2) The incidence of increased ADEs due to prescribed hormones include clinic visits and/or hospitalizations of teenagers who are taking birth control pills. This is according to an Associated Press story about this study, which CBSNews.com published today. According to the AP story, “Bad reactions to these pills included menstrual problems, nausea and vomiting,” But what if a teen gets a contraceptive prescription primarily to regulate periods or to counter other menstrual cycle irregularities that already include nausea, cramping, etc? How would a researcher parse that info to separate the ADEs from the symptoms that may already be occurring?
Just my restless mind grabbing onto an interesting study on this Monday morning. You can read the study abstract at the Pediatrics website. You can also take a look at the AP story on CBSNews.com on the study and decide for yourself.
Hundreds of people lined up for free medical care in Houston on Saturday morning.
Yesterday in Houston nearly 2000 folks came to Reliant Stadium for, in some cases, desperately needed medical treatment. Shamefully, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the country. The story is particularly ugly in Houston where 1 in 3 adults are uninsured.
Dr. Oz who runs the free health clinic compared the number of uninsured, untreated people as a national disaster comparable to that of Hurricane Katrina. According to him, Houston and the rest of Texas, a health care Katrina happens everyday.
Despite the shameful statistics on the lack of health coverage, our elected U.S. Republican lawmakers John Cornyn, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and in my case, John Culberson (Houston-7), continue to wage war against health care reform. As with Katrina while the world watched, Republicans showed they were not in the least bit concerned about the hurricane’s victims, some of whom horribly drowned and others who, to this very day, are displaced. Republican behavior with health care reform is exactly the same. The message: Let ‘em eat Advil or drop dead. It ain’t our problem. Me and mine are just fine.
When not running free health clinics Dr. Oz is a professor of cardiac medicine at Columbia University. He also hosts a TV show about health issues at 3:00 p.m., M-F. Needless to say, the doctor’s show is very popular.
“It hit me by surprise ten years ago. I woke up with a huge racket in my head and permanent whistling. Those background noises didn’t vanish; I wake up and sleep with voices and noises in my head as if I was renting beneath a terribly noisy neighbors. I visited all kinds of physicians but they were helpless since they had no idea about these symptoms; all that they said “You need to find ways to live with; there is nothing we can do to relieve your case.” It is always depressing when physicians say that they are helpless after lengthy consultations. It dawned on me that my physicians are not treating the causes but are trying to manage the consequences; they fear that I might behave like fools, become a nutcase, or worse a serial killer. What I really miss is my right for silence when I need it; I miss hearing nature’s cacophonies and birds singing. I am being told that progress in that field is on the way and that I need to be patient two more years” testified one of those ” acouphenes ” from the Greek roots “akourin” (hearing) and “phai nestai” (appear to).
Are you hearing a mower running while everyone is napping quietly? Has Archangel Gabriel visited you and is ordering you around? Those suffering of acouphenes call these loud background noises “ghost noises”. Physicians are not agreed on the main causes for these symptoms and the patients have to wait two more years for experiments to confirm the causes and the appropriate treatments.
Have you saved $5,000 with no chance for re-imbursement? Then, you might check in a health institution in Marseille (France) for a thorough check up where half a dozen of various specialized physicians will ponder on the results, including psychologists and psychoanalysts. This research institute is called “Institue Mediterraneen de recherche et de traitment des acouphenes”. You check in before dawn; four more acouphene patients are of the group; the nurses take blood samples (just to pile up the account), then the patients chat in the presence of a “specialist” and share experiences of their ailments and troubles. In the next 4 hours the patients undergo a dozen tests such as audited evoked potentials, audiogram, then an acoustic oto-emissions, electrocardiogram, echo Doppler of the carotids, radiographies of the head and the neck, then MRI of a few parts of the body and on. Next the patients are interviewed by an osteopath (for jaws anomalies), a psychiatrist (for psychic balance). Finally two physicians evaluate the results and suggest treatments.
What kinds of treatments are offered? It spans the gamut from removing excess wax, to hearing prosthesis or anything to compensate for loss of hearing. One of the treatments is to tone down or reduce the level or frequency of noises instances; the loss of hearing is stimulated by listening to a CD within the deficient audition frequency so that the audition brain has time to re-organize and be ready to capture the appropriate frequency level.
The second treatment is to normalize the influx of glutamate (transmitter of signals from the cilia in the cochlea to the brain nerves).
The third treatment is to appease the brain with magnetic induction so that to interfere with aberrant cortical activities. The patient wears a magnetic helmet that targets the auditory brain; acute depressive patients or suffering from chronic hallucinatory pains are also treated with magnetic fields.
The fourth treatment is used in the USA since 1960 and enjoying acceptance in Europe. It is called the neuro-feedback technique and intended to re-organize the auditory brain. The electro-encephalogram machine registers the cerebral activity; then the patient views the activity chart and modifies the tracing using a cursor up or down. It is one of the psychophysical techniques where the subject equilibrates the external signal to his perceived senses. Still, I have no idea how this can treat the patient except by assuming that the brain will undergo a better re-organization by two ways interactions.
The fifth treatment is the radical cochlear implant that sends signals to electrically stimulate the brain and decrease the acouphenes. Electrodes are planted in the head by the auditory brain and linked to box under the skin.
Whatever are the causes it all boils down to hearing loss in addition to whatever troubles and discomforts you may be suffering.
Note: There is increased rate of cases of dizziness symptoms; people over 50 are debilitated by cases named “labyrinthine” that affect the fluid in the inner ear. Either the fluid is infected with an accumulation of crystals or dirt that hampers its normal flow in the cochlea or the cilia in the cochlea have degraded by hardening or deterioration. Patients suffer for a week and are treated to dizziness pills until the infection goes away; the symptom recurs within 6 months and there are no cures for the causes.
Last month the Post-licensure safety study for Gardasil (the HPV vaccine) was released. The study focused on the reports of adverse events as reported to the VAERS database by the manufacturer, doctors and patients or caregivers. Much has been made by detractors of the vaccine about the serious alleged side effects that have struck young women given the course of injections. These allegations have been supported by referring to the VAERS database itself so if they are valid they should be upheld by this study.
Of the 12,424 reports that VAERS received in the 2.5 year period following implementation of the vaccine, 772 (6.2%) were classified as “serious”, the total number of vaccine doses distributed in this period was 23 million. The category of “serious” was defined according to the FDA regulatory definition of an adverse event that “is life threatening; results in death, permanent disability, congenital anomaly, hospitalization, or prolonged hospitalization; or necessitates medical or surgical intervention to preclude one of these outcomes”.
It must be noted at this point that the VAERS database cannot determine causality, the events reported merely have to occur after vaccination takes place. Therefore anything that happens to a patient in this time frame that someone thinks might be related to the vaccine may be entered. I point this out only to remind that while we may be looking at vaccine safety life does go on, accidents happen and co-incidences occur. The point of a study such as this is to determine if these events are occuring at a frequency higher than what we would expect in the normal population. In other words, is there really a correlation between these events and the vaccine or is is simply a statistical fluke.
The study looked into each type of adverse report in detail and attempted to answer the above question, does the rate of reporting exceed that which would be expected in the general population? In almost all cases the answer appears to be “No”, the exceptions to this were reports of syncope (fainting) and venous thromboembolic events (blood clots), this finding will certainly be followed up in future studies. Curiously one of he more prominent adverse effects that has been concerning many on both sides of the debate, Guillain-Barre´ Syndrome was not found to occur more than expected.
Guillain-Barre´ Syndrome is an auto-immune condition that can be brought on by vaccines but also by normal infections. The syndrome is caused when the immune system is stimulated by an antigen but then starts to target the body’s own nervous system, it usually exhibits as an ascending paralysis noted by weakness in the legs that spreads to the upper limbs and the face along with complete loss of deep tendon reflexes. As vaccines are made to induce an immune reaction the link between vaccines and the syndrome is biologically plausible and not controversial in the medical community.
The study concludes favourably but cautiously, as scientific studies are wont to do:
Vaccination with qHPV has the potential to decrease the global morbidity and
mortality of HPV-associated diseases, including cervical cancer. After hepatitis B vaccine, which can prevent liver cancer, qHPV is only the second vaccine licensed with an indication to prevent cancer. The postlicensure safety profile presented here is broadly consistent with safety data from prelicensure trials. Because VAERS data must be interpreted cautiously and cannot generally be used to infer causal associations between vaccines and AEFIs, postlicensure monitoring will continue, and identified signals may be
evaluated using epidemiologic observational studies.
The full study can be found here, a summary of the study here and a comprehensive discussion of the study here.
New technologies are giving the blind hope for the future. Read the entire article here.There are approximately, 160 million people are affected by blindness or neat-blindness.
Barbara Campbell, 56, of New York, just went through a procedure to help her to see again after being blind for 20 years. She has electrodes implanted in her eye and she has to wear a camera on her nose. So far, after the operation, she can differentiate light and dark colored objects like she couldn’t before.
The camera is attached to glasses. Whatever the camera see is sent to a video processor Barbara wears at her waist. The processor tells the 60 electrodes in the artifical retina to send messages to the brain, based on brightness, contrast, and contours. Bright lights come in flashes, and silhouettes can be detected.
A blind man sees–University of Southern California
Links:
http://artificialretina.energy.gov/
http://health.howstuffworks.com/artificial-vision1.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/health/research/27eye.html?_r=1&hp
FAIRFIELD, IOWA — University Receives $1 Million NIH Grant for Mind-Body Medicine Research
The National Institutes of Health recently awarded a grant of $500,000 per year for two years for research on the Transcendental Meditation® technique in the treatment of coronary heart disease in African Americans.
The research is a collaboration between Maharishi University of Management Research Institute’s Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention and Columbia University Medical School in New York.
The funding comes from the American Recovery and Investment Act, via the NIH-National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
About 21,000 applications were submitted to NIH for these specific funds, with just 3% receiving grants.
“This recent achievement continues to place MUM Research Institute and its research on the Transcendental Meditation technique and Maharishi Vedic MedicineSM programs in an elite category in academic medicine,” said project director Robert Schneider, M.D., F.A.C.C., and dean of the Maharishi College of Perfect Health.
The research will compare the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation with and without the Transcendental Meditation program, especially after a heart attack. The study will utilize positron emission tomography (PET) to image and quantify changes in heart disease in the patients.
The Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention team includes Sanford Nidich, EdD, Carolyn King, PhD, Maxwell Rainforth, PhD, John Salerno, PhD, Marilyn Ungaro, Laura Alcorn, and Linda Heaton.
Tongabezi is a small, owner-operated luxury lodge on the banks of the Zambezi River. There are five gorgeous chalets set on the river, and five open-fronted houses built into the landscape, some with trees growing through them, creatively using the natural environment to make stunning rooms. Each one has its own butler to take care of every need.
Tongabezi
Sindabezi, a sister property, is located on a private island in the Zambezi, about a five-minute boat ride from Tongabezi and fifteen kilometers upstream from the Victoria Falls. The more remote camp has five open-sided chalets under thatched roofs. Activities at both properties include drives in the Mosi-o-Tunya National Park, trips to the Victoria Falls, game drives in Mosi-o-Tunya Park, village visits, canoeing, guided bush walks with picnics on local islands. The romantic San Pan dinners are served on a pontoon floating in the river.
What They Are Doing
Education
Tongabezi owners Vanessa and Ben Parker originally started the Tujutane School for the staff and owners’ children but now has 170 local kids at primary level. The school is self-financing and is run by Vanessa, who employs personnel, does fund-raising and everything needed to run the school. Tongabezi provides logistical support, such as electricity and housing for visiting teachers. The school over fifteen people.
Tujatane School
Medicine
Tongabezi supports the USAID/SHARE AIDS program. It has an internally appointed staff welfare committee that, among other things, assists staff who are HIV-positive. Tongabezi gives the committee a monthly donation that it can spend at its discretion, and it is currently helping at least four HIV-positive staff members with treatment. Tongabezi sends several staff to Share AIDS programs, where they learn about AIDS in the workplace and receive training in counseling.
Other
Tongabezi has several smaller projects that include helping staff with soft and interest-free loans to purchase and develop land. As a result, at least twelve staff members now have plots of land in Livingstone.
So I realized I haven’t had anything really to post. But I’ve got some life updates. First, I got a Dog! He’s name is Joey. Second, I’ve lost weight. Ok only three pounds, but I’m not gaining. And the new medicine is working amazingly with the pain. My pain scale stays now at a 1 0r 0. It used to be 5 or 6. And third, I made a B in my copyright law class.
I’m also trying to figure out where I fit in anymore. I thought about this after being invited to go to the “gay” club tonight. I put it in quotations cause mostly gay men and straight women are there. It’s not a place I like cause of the lack of people my type. But what is my type? It used to be gay women. But I shy away from them now. More cause everyone I pick is a crazy bitch. I used to think of my world as the “Lesbian” world. But the more and more I think about that it’s never where I fit in.
When I was coming out, I thought about getting a tattoo. More specifically a gay one. But I finally decided that wasn’t something I wanted permanently on my body. Funny it wasn’t cause I didn’t like women, but it never fit me. Now I have five tattoos, so it being on me forever isn’t the problem.
Something about being lesbian has never just fit me, but it is the one family that I understand. I am building a family of brothers and that’s great. But I’m not quite male and not quite lesbian. Where do I fit?
I just ran across this on another website. It’s a column I wrote for Indiana Policy Review a couple of years ago that seems more appropriate than ever now.
A Short History of Health Care: Let Doctors Be Doctors By Andrew Horning
Healthcare is an odd business in that it has always been both expensive and unpleasant. Until the 1920s, the average doctor couldn’t even help with the average ailment. While medicine then included a range of arts like phrenology, acupuncture, homeopathy and allopathy it really was a coin-toss whether you’d be saved or killed by a doctor’s work.
Then the 20’s brought insulin, sulfa, other “miracle” drugs and sterile fields that meant, for the first time, that healthcare actually worked more often than not. From there, doctors, scientists and medical engineers really took off; rapid advancements increased life expectancies and decreased suffering. And because of increasing effectiveness and supply, healthcare was even becoming cheaper in real cost-benefit terms.
However, politicians had nothing at all to do with this, and that was apparently a problem. Teddy Roosevelt proposed a German-style, cradle-to-grave “socialized” healthcare system, but it was assailed as “the Prussian Menace” in those anti-German years before WWI, and Teddy’s scheme died. Even so, politicians wanting to seem compassionate started promoting socialized healthcare. The July 1919 issue of the Insurance Monitor made this prescient assertion: “The opportunities for fraud upset all statistical calculations. . . . Health and sickness are vague terms open to endless construction. Death is clearly defined, but to say what shall constitute such loss of health as will justify insurance compensation is no easy task.”
No matter. Between The Revenue Act of 1939’s health-related tax breaks, and 1943, when the War Labor Board excluded employer-paid health insurance from its wage freeze, American politicians charged into health care on their favorite horse, income tax.
In a nutshell, here’s what happened: Tax breaks for employer-paid health insurance meant that health insurance became a part of employment, and insurance became an integral part of healthcare. This inserted middlemen, which of course made everything more expensive. But who cared? The tax-subsidized, payroll-deducted cost was invisible enough that Americans started using insurance to pay for routine visits, dental checkups, eyeglasses and even plastic surgery. Group insurance offered large corporations better plans than small companies could muster, giving large corporations even greater advantages in hiring and competition than corporate laws already gave them. This also meant that the poor, or worse, the self employed, were even further distanced from the rich and incorporated in a very serious way. Obviously this created problems, but politicians never admit error, do they?
Four days before Tax Day, 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower established the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, giving government even more direct control over some of humanity’s most precious commodities. More political money and power meant more reasons for businesses to make campaign contributions and lobby. Of course, politicians at every level of government have used healthcare policy to reward their friends and punish their enemies. That’s their stock in trade.
Now tax money and policy is sifted and sorted through political appointees, immortal bureaucracies and defense-contract-style arrangements to feed a dwindling number of profit-starved insurance companies who then deny your claim. Doctors hire legions of workers to manage the regulatory, litigative, and insurance paperwork hassles; or leave private practice to become an employee within a clerically staffed healthcare corporation. So healthcare is still both expensive and unpleasant. But now it’s only because politicians, not doctors, are practicing medicine. Our healthcare injustices and vital statistics have decayed into an embarrassment at just the time when technology should make healthcare cheap, effective and available to all.
It is hard to imagine what politicians could have done to make our healthcare situation any worse. Yet, according to a July 2006 Harris Poll, Americans rate the issue of healthcare well-behind Iraq, the economy, immigration and even gas prices. Even more strangely, most people now think we must, to some degree and by some unspecified method, “socialize” healthcare just as Europe, Canada and other nations are now scrambling back toward free market reforms. What are we thinking?
Let politicians have their way with Iraq, the Colts and toll roads. Let them run lotteries and practice voodoo. But please, let doctors do healthcare at last; they’ve earned the right.
Blame it on my lack of a classical education, but it was only a couple of years ago I realized that the word ‘hysteria’ is a feminist issue. It comes via the Greek μήτρα for ‘uterus’, hence υστερία. The ancients believed that psychological-based problems (as opposed to physical ailments) only affected women, and therefore had their source in the womb.
…in Greco-Roman medical literature hysteria was believed to develop when the female reproductive system was inactive or ungratified—Bandini et al.
All this had passed me by, and I had never made the connection. I’d quite happily describe certain male colleagues as ‘hysterical’ without implying I thought they were female, or indeed that the quality was particularly feminine. It was quite a surprise to me that certain people felt very strongly about this, and I was saddened at the subsequent reduction of available vocabulary.
Queen Fragg and her mighty state of hysteria
However, a paper in J Sex Med caught the eye of one of our Faculty just recently, in which the whole basis of hysteria (in the sense of a diagnostic entity of neurosis) has switched sides, so to speak. (I’ll update with the link to the evaluation when it goes live.) By examining testosterone levels and looking for associations with psychopathologies in men seeking treatment for sexual dysfunction, Bandini et al. found that depression and anxiety were negatively correlated with testosterone levels. Of course: real men don’t cry, after all.
But strikingly,
histrionic/hysterical traits were strongly and positively associated with elevated T[estosterone]
(Higher testosterone was also associated, unsurprisingly, with better self-reported sexual function, higher blood flow in the penis and cough bigger balls.)
So what they are saying is that certain supposedly (by the ancients, at least) feminine characteristics, to which men were obviously immune (not having a womb), in fact have their source in uniquely male anatomy, turning the accepted (and vaguely misogynistic) wisdom on its head. ’Better’ sexual function (which I assume means ‘more of it’), and higher social dominance and mate-seeking behaviour all correlate with histrionic/hysterical traits. From an evolutionary perspective, the authors speculate that these could all be markers, or signals, of hormonal quality. Hysteria ex orchida.
I’m now envisaging flouncing out of particularly tiresome meetings claiming my hormones are making me do it. More seriously, this possibly means I can go go back to using ‘hysterical’ without my feminist credentials slipping—at least as long as I carry a copy of this paper around with me. Besides, nobody really cares about etymology anymore, do they?
——
Bandini, E., Corona, G., Ricca, V., Fisher, A., Lotti, F., Sforza, A., Faravelli, C., Forti, G., Mannucci, E., & Maggi, M. (2009). Hysterical Traits Are Not from the Uterus but from the Testis: A Study in Men with Sexual Dysfunction Journal of Sexual Medicine, 6 (8), 2321-2331 DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01322.x
I know, I know. I have been M.I.A. Please forgive me.
Number One Hubby went out of town last week – so you know what that means, right? Right.
Kids got sick and I had the busiest week I have had in India since I have been here.
So, M.I.A. means Mother in Action.
While I was wallowing in the abyss of runny noses, doctors visits, and sleepless nights, number one hubby went to the U.S. and had slurpees and homemade breakfast. He ate authentic Mexican food with most of our family and drove his own car. It is fall in Virginia, so he also saw leaves changing and went outside without dripping sweat. He won’t admit it – but I think he actually had a cheeseburger, too. Bastard.
Do I sound a wee bit bitter?
I don’t mean to. Really, I don’t. I am not bitter. Because number one hubby is a smart hubby too. He brought back my favorite brand of microwave popcorn and gummy bears and teddy grahams and real American marshmallows. Plus he flew on 3 red-eye flights in 6 days. All the while, making sure our son’s hershey kisses didn’t melt. He had big tasks at hand and he skillfully maneuvered thru all of them.
But it was an insane week. I have so much to tell you I hardly know where to begin. But this week is crazy too. Now, I am sick – see – Murphy’s Law in full force- and have w.a.y. t.o.o. m.u.c.h. going on. This week might be sparse too. But I will be back with some amazing stories! I promise! But before I go (again), here is a quick story.
Just so you can appreciate the chaos of last week – here is a sampling of how the week went. We have a fabulous doctor – if you live in Delhi and need a good family doctor – email me. She is GREAT. Bear started off the week with a double ear infection. So our great doctor prescribed antibiotics. I am very careful here where I get my medicine. So, I sent my driver with the prescription to the Apollo hospital pharmacy to get the antibiotic and ear drops. It is not exactly around the corner. It took him (quite) a while.
He came back with the medicine. Perfect. I was very thankful I did not have to sit in traffic. Bear could come home and relax and rest. However, there was exactly enough medicine for one and a half days. Bear just happened to need 10 days worth. Remember, I am no math major – but that does not a.d.d. u.p. – not even with a calculator.
So the next day, I sent the driver back with the same prescription to get more. Yes, you read that right. I got to keep the prescription. They do not take it at the pharmacy. Again, thankful I do not have to sit in traffic. Again, not enough medicine comes home. I know, I know – if it happens once, shame on them – if it happens twice – shame on me. Shame on me.
Poor Kahn, back again – in traffic – to the pharmacy. This time with very specific instructions to get enough medicine.
As I am sure you can tell, this didn’t really mess up my week at all. It was poor Kahn who went back and forth in traffic. But it is an example of how difficult it can be to accomplish small tasks here. I am also amazed by how the pharmacies work in India. I had the same prescription filled three different times. And, truth be told, I probably didn’t even need a prescription. You can get almost any medication you want here – with or without doctors orders.
Ukrainian law prohibiting unmarried couples from adopting children bars Elton John and longtime partner David Furnish from adopting 14-month-old, HIV-stricken child.
PCs and iPhones with text-to-speech applications for speech-impaired denied coverage by Medicare and private health insurers due to other non-medical uses.
Delaware appeals for en banc hearing after three-judge panel from Third Circuit reverses district court on sports betting law.
Native American group petitions Supreme Court to resolve whether Washington Redskins is defamatory.
Music publishers seeking to acquire more money from iTunes resulting from downloads of movies and TV shows as well as 30-second song samples.
Facebook says goodbye to Beacon advertising system as part of settlement of class-action lawsuit.
American Needle, Inc. appeals to Supreme Court over NFL’s exclusive licensing agreement with Reebok.
Another Second Life lawsuit–virtual sex toy maker Eros LLC files class-action lawsuit against creators for enabling virtual counterfeiting of products.
Mind Hacks just had a great little roundup of fake pharmaceutical products; the inevitable satirical backlash of a medical industry like ours.
Despondex is a drug for the chronically chipper. The video is fantastic:
Most of us know someone who could use a dose of Havidol.
Panexa mocks the proliferation of drugs (and side effects), readily dispensed.
And one of the first ones I remember seeing years ago:
And although it was not in the article, one of my all time favorite medical mockeries remains Steve Martin’s “Side Effects,” published in the New Yorker in 1998 (a must-read if you haven’t seen it)
For centuries green tea has held on strong to its reputation as an effective and trustworthy beverage packed with health benefits. Now researchers in Hong Kong have found new evidence that green tea may be good for our bones also.
//
// Previous studies suggest that chemicals found in green tea can prevent heart disease and cancer, but this is the first time scientists looked into how these chemicals can prevent and treat osteoporosis.
Dr Ping Chung Leung and colleagues from the Institute of Chinese medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong conducted a study to identify the chemicals that may help strengthen bones by stimulating their formation and slowing the process of weakening them.
Chemicals in green tea examined
In a laboratory experiment, the scientists exposed a group of cultured osteoblast-like rat cells to three main chemical ingredients found in green tea for several days.
The chemicals were epigallocatechin (EGC), gallocatechin (GC), and gallocatechin gallate (GCG).
The scientists observed that the ingredient EGC in green tea boosted the level of a key enzyme that promotes bone growth by nearly 79 percent.
In addition, they found that EGC increased the density of bone minerals in the cells. Bone mineralization makes the bones stronger, thereby reducing the risk of pain and fracture.
Another aspect highlighted by the study was that the activity of osteoclasts that weakens and breaks down bones was lowered by the high concentrations of ECG. (ECG=a test that records the electrical activity of the heart, shows abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias or dysrhythmias), and detects heart muscle damage.)
Also, the researches noted that components of green tea did not have any toxic effects on the bone cells.
The researchers concluded that, “The tea catechins, EGC in particular, had positive effects on bone metabolism through a double process of promoting osteoblastic activity and inhibiting osteoclast differentiations.”
Further research needed for concrete conclusions
Although green tea is packed with health benefits, experts feel there is a need for more research to establish its benefits for osteoporosis patients.
Claire Bowring of the National Osteoporosis Society states, “Some of these studies have suggested tea may have a positive effect on bone health but more research is needed before we can make any conclusions about actual benefits for people with osteoporosis.
“Large scale clinical trials could help to determine if there is any fracture prevention benefits of these chemicals found in tea.”
The findings are published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Other health benefits of green tea
Green tea is known to heal and prevent processes that cater to diseases like cancer, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, infections, impaired immune functions, and cardiovascular diseases.
The benefits of green tea also involve improving the cholesterol rate in the body and hinder the formation of blood clots in wounds.
Next, drinking of green tea cleanses the human body of toxins that usually lead to a lot of health problems. It provides a wondrous feeling of relaxation and energy.
When used either complementary to conventional medicine or as an alternative therapy this herbal compound has helped many patients in their battle against cancer. DNTCRC’s Herbal Compound is a treatment which consists of a pure natural herbs and must be taken with a low acidic diet and a high intake of water.
Holistic and Ayurveda therapies have been used for years as alternative treatments for cancer and other diseases. Medical associations are now beginning to accept that many holistic treatment are beneficial to patients and are providing to have positive results even where conventional medicine fails.
Treatment at DNTCRC
Initially, thorough examination of patient’s medical reports is done to determine the disease status. The medical history, type of the treatment availed and the medicines administered are also considered in determining the protocol for treatment. Duration of the treatment depends on the disease status and response to the medication. Depending on the response the patient is advised to take specific supportive therapy also.
Dr. Nandlal Tiwari Cancer Research Centre
Sector No.2, Bungalow No. 13,
Malviya Nagar, Jaipur-302017,
Rajasthan (India)
Phone: +91-0141-2521385
Fax: 91-0141-2521224
Website : www.cancermedi.com
E-Mail: info@cancermedi.com
Scientists have found a gene which can be activated to cure colour blindness. The scientists performed the gene therapy on colour blind monkeys and were able to bring red and green back into their vision.
Colour Blind: There are several forms of colour blindness. The most common form is inherited red/green colour blindness, caused by a mutation on the X chromosome.
The European Planck telescope has beamed back its first images of space. It is currently surveying for traces of radiation that was dispersed shortly after the Big Bang.
Oh Say Do You See: Planck always points away from the Sun and rotates once per minute. As it rotates, it gathers precise thermal readings from an area of the universe. These strips are then pieced together.
A tufted puffin was sighted at the Oare Marshes near Faversham, England. Birdwatchers are now migrating there to get a look at this rare Pacific seabird.
For the Non-Birders: I know I get many birders coming through here, so I know they can explain this better than I, but…a lifer is the first ever time that a birder sees a species of bird.
Cool Creature
A markhor with a huge set of horns
The Markhor or Capra falconeri is a goat-antelope found in the Karakoram region of the Himalaya. Himalayas. They can be found as high as 3,500 meters above sea level. Males will fight terribly on the high mountain crags by wrestling with their horns until one falls. They can weigh up to 200 lbs. Unfortunately, they are classified as being endangered in the wild.
Feature Story: Scientific Certainty…
…or lack thereof. There are some scientific facts which we hold to be absolutely immutable. In fact, they are often called scientific laws. For example: the Law of Gravity, the Heisenberg Uncertainty, the Laws of Thermodynamics, the Theory of Evolution. That’s how it is. End of story. No ifs ands or buts. It was proved using the Scientific Method, remember? You know, good ol’ observe, hypothesize, experiment, conclude, and repeat. Right?
Not quite.
I know, I know. We learned all of that in high school, and most of it is dead wrong.
Let’s pretend we are performing an experiment. We see emission lines of the hydrogen atom and make a hypothesis that these refer to energy levels of electrons as they move around the atom. After some experimentation, our hypothesis seems to hold up. The calculations match up with our original beliefs, so we publish a paper regarding our conclusions and everybody thinks that this is the way atoms are oriented: a positive core with negative electrons orbiting the center in fixed orbits like the solar system. This is a valid conclusion based on our data, but unfortunately, ultimately incorrect (sorry Bohr). So what went wrong?
Time for a little logic lesson. Suppose a natural phenomenon P is observed and based on this, you make hypothesis H which you will use to predict another phenomenon (Q) (H->Q). You perform experiments after this. If “not Q” is observed then your hypothesis H is disproved -(H->Q)=(-Q->-H). That is the law of contraposition in logic-speak. However, if Q is actually observed, one cannot be truly sure if H is the correct explanation. This is not a logical rule. For example, what if we missed the additional condition K which was present at both our observation and experimentation states? This is considered a limitation of applicability. Or, there could be a hypothesis Y which also explains P and Q. So, in reality, there is nothing that is scientifically proven. All of the laws and rules we learned are simply well tested hypothesis which are robust (are true under a wide variety of assumptions).
The Cosmic Perspective
Certainly not typical.
Now that I just completely blew your minds, I am going to stress why this should be taught more often. We were all taught that these rules and laws in middle/high school. As a result, we only see the world through these laws. Well, most of us anyway. A few rebels saw past the visors and pioneered brilliant new research. Take Einstein, Heisenberg, Darwin, Galileo, or almost any scientist who made a quantum leap and made a ground breaking new discovery. Their ideas will have been mocked, ridiculed, and decried in their time and later found to be well-tested (I can’t use true, now can I?).
We are teaching youngsters never to question what they are told. Just imagine medieval scholars: “What’s that Jimmyus of Axelbrook? You think that certain pairs of physical properties, like position and momentum, cannot both be known to arbitrary precision. Well, that’s just dumb. We all know that they can be measured. I can measure how fast this ball is going and where it is whenever I want!” Perhaps that is a bit transparent for this day in age, but it is essentially still ongoing. Should kids learn these laws and theories. Most definitely. These ideas are well tested and help us understand many natural phenomena under certain conditions. That being said, we need to teach students, not indoctrinate them. Science is not a fixed field of study, and that is what makes it so fun and interesting. New advances which turn the current ideas on their heads happen almost daily on some level. We don’t need to teach them to think out of the box. There is no box!
Depression Increases Cancer Patients’ Risk of Dying – this is the title of an article on the American Cancer Society website by David Sampson, Director, Medical & Scientific Communications. It relates to a study by Jillian Satin, MA, of the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada, and her colleagues who analyzed all of the studies to date they could identify related to the topic.
Jillian Satin says: “We found an increased risk of death in patients who report more depressive symptoms than others and also in patients who have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder compared to patients who have not.”
The article goes on to say: “The investigators note that the actual risk of death associated with depression in cancer patients is still small, so patients should not feel that they must maintain a positive attitude to beat their disease. Nevertheless, the study indicates that it is important for physicians to regularly screen cancer patients for depression and to provide appropriate treatments.”
As a cancer survivor with a history of undiagnosed depression, I know how important it was for me to be treated for depression when I was going through chemotherapy and thought my life was over. Fortunately I was able to work through depression and negative thinking with the help of a psychiatrist at UBC. She offered me drugs which I refused, and instead I opted for a course in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Along with other tools, I was able to turn my life around and regain my health. I still have bouts of depression from time to time, but they are short lived compared to the bouts I had before CBT.
I know people with cancer who say they don’t believe in positive thinking, and health care providers who say patients should not have to “think positive”. I agree that pretending to be positive when you’re feeling stressed or depressed is not a wise thing to do. However, I believe I would have died long ago if I hadn’t managed to convert my negative thinking and depression into positive thinking and hope, so that I would live to see my children grow up.
The key is to do the work to get rid of negative thoughts and depression. CBT has been proven to be an effective way to control depression, but it takes a willingness to work on it and requires an element of support, as it is very difficult to do this alone.
I know how hard it is to be in the depths of depression; I’ve been there, with thoughts of being so miserable I wanted my life to end. Usually what happened to break that cycle was for me to find something else to focus on, and force myself to put time and effort into getting busy with that. Gradually I could feel myself in a bit of an upward spiral and with sheer determination I would climb up out of the deep, dark, pit where I had previously seen myself trapped. It was helpful to find something to work towards and to think about besides the bottom of that pit.
When I hear people say “I don’t believe in positive thinking” it makes me cringe, because I would not want to go back to that state where I was such a negative thinker. My life has improved 100% since I learned to see things in a different light and focus on positive thoughts every day.
I ask the question “What do you want more of in your life?” If the answer is love, peace, and joy, then I encourage people to do what it takes to reach out for those things which bring happiness.
Cancer is a cruel disease, but it can also teach us some valuable lessons. My experience has taught me to live one day at a time, and to pay attention to the good things in life. I have many positive emotions which feel so much better than the negative emotions I used to spend time with. Now when those negative emotions appear, I am able to process them and let them go, so they can be replaced with love, compassion, and forgiveness for me as well as for others.
But here’s what they put in email to sell pills like viagra:
Order now and drill her tonight! Once your body gets such power stimulus as our products provide? You get stallion power and eagerness. All girls need it, all girls want it from you. Give it to her and be her King!
Why, they are mixing metaphors! What is going on in Canada!
(That is, this is so over the top it doesn’t need philosophical analysis.)
At the University of Warwick scientists have started using the Xbox 360 in a new way. When you think of Xbox 360 you often think about games like Halo, Gears of War and maybe xbox live.
But the scientists have started using xbox 360 to fight heart diseases. Dr Simon Scarle a former software engineer from Rare says that the capability of the parallel processing in the xbox 360’s gpu is a great way to model the electric signals that go through damaged heart cells. The gpu works with different chemical levels within a cell instead of showing great graphics as it normally does.
The research could be even more advanced if there were more development tools for this really important work for the xbox 360. If they could connect the consoles to xbox live they could calculate a lot more and quicker. Just hope Microsoft or anyone making development tools for the xbox is up for it and continue to develop the tools needed.
The xbox 360 could use the spare power to calculate the cells even when you are playing games on the xbox. The more use you got of a 360 the better I would say.
The IBM Roadrunner supercomputer, the world’s fastest computer at the moment in the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, uses the same technology as Sony’s PlayStation 3, so home gaming entertainment systems are having a lot of power these days.
durrrrrr
. . .mmmmmmmmm.. . .
thank you, nurse.
(hic) (burp) (hic)
abandon ship
an now 4 mi nex impreshun gojira!
cathouse
cats with class
cup o’kitty 3
dis mi sid of fenz
don’t declaw
don’t worry
free at last
from hell’s heart
haids!
u de uglist cat i evr saw
zombie kittens
when there’s no tuna
you offend me.
yes
hi wuz saf!
hello kitty
hey
hay dog
how many licks
i iz starvn
i dun kar anymoar
i dunno ’bout you
i givz u dis
JUMP
KISZ DIS.
MST3K
nope
i rilly hatz comn owt da stargatz
interesting. . .
strategic studies
please
yer next, biatch
resiztnc iz futil
science lesson 1
oh my god
kangaroo rats
organized crime
i luvz u mommi
identity theft
derz a tare n mi bare
Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 9:12, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” It was a stinging rebuke to the self-righteous laymen of Judaism, and a striking reminder of Christ’s purpose in coming to call, not the righteous, but sinners to repentance (v. 13). The parabolic statement of the “physician” and the “sick” was easily understood by Christ’s audience then and now. Sick people need physicians to heal them. People who are well do not.
Interestingly enough, contemporary evangelicalism might be losing their grip on this timeless truth. What was once a clear understanding of the role and purpose of medicine in a biblical worldview has now been replaced with a troublesome mixture of pragmatic humanism. Those are hefty words, so let’s see if the issue we are approaching can bear the weight.
Medicine, simply defined, is a substance used in treating disease. No one disagrees on that. For our purposes here, we may even go so far as to say that it can be understood and used to prevent disease (thus including vitamins, minerals, etc. in the defintion).
Birth control, simply defined, is a substance that is used to prevent pregnancy. No one disagrees on that either.
This leads one to believe, however, that pregnancy is then a disease, since it is treated (i.e. prevented) with the help of medicine!
The problems (both philosophical and theological) with that conclusion should be quite obvious. As Christians, we know that pregnancy is not a product of the Fall, nor is it a precursor to death in the form of sickness or disease — therefore its prevention is not a proper ends for medicine. For those outside of the Christian worldview, the idea that pregnancy is something other than “health” is the very argument that is being used promote the morality of abortion. If we begin treating pregnancy as if it is a disease that women are to be protected from, we will very quickly come to the kind of rhetoric used by Professor Eileen McDonagh where she argues “that a fetus is, in effect, a criminal — a “powerful intruder” guilty of “kidnapping” a woman and holding her hostage for nine months — and thus could be dispatched like any violent assailant.”
In layman’s terms, medicine is meant to declare war on disease within our bodies; and the physician’s role of healing is meant to treat sickness. So the questions that we are then confronted with is, what is the picture we get in Scripture of the state of pregnancy? Is the conception of an image-bearer of the Triune God a disease? It is a sickness? Is the unification of egg and sperm a product of the Fall?
As Paul might say, “By no means!” Pregnancy in Scripture is anything but disease-ridden; rather it is life-giving! The testimony of our Createdness echoes the undeniable truth that women were, in a very real sense, meant to conceive and bear children! God fashioned Eve (and all her daughters after her) in such a way that they provide the perfect conditions for life to spring forth — in health, not in sickness. The curse of the Fall has indeed led to pain and sorrow in childbirth, but make no doubt, the conception and birth of a child is not part of the curse; in fact, the birth of One child in particular was the very remedy for it!
Away then with treating pregnancy as a product of the Fall! Away with treating what God calls a “gift” and a “heritage” from Him as we would treat a virus and disease! Away with using the gift of medicine to reject the gift of children as if children were the curse and contraception the remedy! My dear brothers and sisters, know ye not that “only the sick need a physician”…?
There is a balm in Gilead To make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead To heal the sin sick soul.
Our ultimate sickness, friends, is borne out of sin, and our only and ultimate cure is the healing touch of the Great Physician. There is, indeed, a balm in Gilead — and His name is Jesus Christ. May He show us today what he calls well and what he calls sick, and may we seek to be made well in Him.
So it’s come to this: as I struggle to keep up in a declining industry in a declining economy at an advancing age, I’ve turned to offering my body up for medical research in return for $40 now and another $10 a month each time I call in and tell them I’m still alive.
I guess it’s not as bad as selling my plasma or a pre-owned kidney. I’ve volunteered to receive an anti-shingles vaccine that’s already been proven safe and/or effective for populations over age 60 and now the drug company wants to see if 50-somethings can survive it as well. It’s all above board and totally without risk, I’ve been assured by the Internet. Because it’s a double-blind study, I actually have only a 50% chance of receiving the real vaccine, but a 100% chance of receiving the money and feeling vaguely cheap and a little woozy only an hour or so after the procedure.
I arrive at the office park medical facility and fill out the requisite paperwork. No, I’ve never had cancer, diabetes, polio, HIV, hepatitis, cardio-pulmonary obstruction or a desire to do this before. Yes, I’m willing to pretend to read 12 pages of fine-print risks and sign at several different spots that I won’t sue if anything goes wrong. I finish the form and wait to be summoned from the lobby. A pink card left in the chair next to mine suggests “next time you have low back pain or spasms, please call.” They’re also interested in testing those who are “constantly running to the bathroom,” have decreased sexual desire, and abdominal bloating. But I have to complete this study first before I can aspire to those conditions and another $40.
When my Jennifer calls me back (seems there are several that work in this office), she reviews my paperwork and asks basically the same questions over again. I guess they’re trying to trip up anybody who claimed to have jaundice in the waiting room but has suddenly pinked-up when personally confronted. She takes my temperature, then explains how I need to keep track of any side effects I might encounter. For the first five days, I’ll need to watch the site of the vaccine and measure the size of any redness or swelling with the ruler they’ve printed across the bottom of the log. “If it’s over three inches, just check the box that says ‘3+’”, she says. I’m starting to worry a little. “The swelling might be over three inches high?” I ask. Fortunately, that’s a stupid question. The swollen area, if there is one, would be measured in width, not height.
Jennifer leaves again for a few minutes and promises that when she returns I’ll be taken to the lab for my blood to be drawn and to have the vaccine administered. Shortly after she leaves, I hear a god-awful pounding noise coming through the wall – blow after blow after blow. Are they also testing here for how people respond to physical beatings? I don’t hear any cries, so I figure they’re either cleaning a throw rug or trying a vaccine that keeps subjects from feeling the pain of an aggravated assault.
I’m finally escorted to the actual lab where an older lady in scrubs is prepping for my blood work. Apparently Jennifer, hot young babe that she is, handles only the interviews and doesn’t have to do any of the dirty work. The older lady – I don’t care what her name is, but I’ll call her Mona – asks which arm I’d like to have the blood drawn from and which will get the vaccine injection. I offer up the right arm for the blood draw. She takes a look at my extended arm and calls out to Jennifer, “Oh, look how good his vein is.” Jennifer comes over to check me out. She agrees it’s a really fine vein, and I figure that may be the last come-on I’ll ever get from a young lady 30 years my junior. “Yeah, I work out,” I say.
Off to my left, there inexplicably sits a small green brain. It’s probably not a real brain, because it’s just lying out in the open air and doesn’t smell bad. (I assume disembodied brains left unpreserved would smell, but I’m not a medical professional like these people, so maybe they know better). It’s about the size that would fit into an alligator, I’d say, but then realize it wouldn’t have to be the same color as the animal it came from. Maybe a dog brain. Finally I make the connection that it’s sitting next to a couple of rubber balls, and realize it’s meant to be that thing you squeeze on to make your veins pop out. I’m disappointed I won’t be able to squeeze the green brain. I so wanted my adventure in medical experimentation to be interactive.
Mona sticks my right arm to draw the blood. I wince a little and she apologizes. “Oops, did that hurt?” Yes. We repeat the same ritual on the upper left arm, where the vaccine is placed. I get a blue wrap-around tape holding down a cotton swab where the blood was drawn and a simple bandage at the site of the vaccine. Apparently, that’s it and I’m free to go.
“Don’t forget to call me,” says Jennifer as I rise to leave. Turns out she’s not into veiny guys, she just has to report to the drug company on my progress.
I take my symptom log, my $40 check and my bruised limbs and self-esteem, and head out into the parking lot and my uncertain medical future. It’s back to the office to study up on the coming annual health insurance sign-up.
Diaton tonometer is present at XXVII COngress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons ESCRS Meeting held in Barcelona, Spain. Tonmeter presentation can be seen at booth E6 ont he main floor.
more information can be found at http://www.TonometerDiaton.com
Diaton tonometer at ESCRS Barcelona Spain 2009
From the recent BiCOM press release:
BiCOM has been in business for 18 years and has managed to build a solid brand around this new and unique transpalpebral tonometry technology which allows to determine intraocular pressure (IOP) through the EYELID http://www.tonometerdiaton.com . Traspalpebral (Diaton) Tonometry clientele consists of optometrists and ophthalmologists, military, nursing homes, hospitals, emergency rooms, general medical practitioners and family physicians, as well as some referred patients requiring day or night eye pressure monitoring.
In an interview with Roman Iospa, Chief Executive of BiCOM said, – “We plan to grow Diaton tonometer sales through our broader expansion internationally and continue to gain greater penetration of the market nationally, mainly due to greater awareness and an invaluable addition of new talent with new contacts and years of experience from market leading companies such as Alcon (NYSE:ACL), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT), Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), CIBA Vision, Novartis (NYSE:NVS), Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK), Bausch & Lomb, Advanced Medical Optics, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Allergan (NYSE:AGN) just to name a few…”
“Our transpalpebral (through the eyelid) Diaton tonometry is unique, effective and is irreplaceable in various situations where any other corneal tonometry methods (Goldmann, Tonopen, Air puff) simply can not be used”. Transpalpebral approach is ideal for patients with corneal concerns like conjunctivitis, cornea pathology, keratitis, keratocone, keratoplastik, edema, erosion, high degree of ametropy or astigmatism, keratoprosthesis, or acquiring IOP following laser refractive (LASIK, LASEK, PRK) and other corneal surgeries, “Diaton tonometer has a number of indisputable advantages of measuring through the upper lid and over the sclera (no contact with cornea) without need of anesthetic drops, making the IOP measuring process handy and economical for the doctor and comfortable for the patient,” Mr. Iospa said.
Patients in general medicine have many conditions and many drug related problems; therefore, it is important to prioritize these problems so that the most important ones are solved first.
FMI:
CK- level that represents muscle breakdown. This is not necessarily heart specific.( i.e. Troponin levels are taken for cardiac specific problems)
wait at least 48 hours before pneumonia step down from iv to oral if the patient is hemodynamically stable
We know this number is a moving target and depending on who states it and where the numbers come from it varies from 36 to 47 million people without insurance in the U.S. No matter the number, what’s important is the breakdown of TYPES of uninsured. Better to understand what needs to be fixed in our health care “system”.
From Senator James Risch, R-Idaho:
One of the many factors leading to health care reform has been a concern for the uninsured. While it is important we find ways to help those who need and want health insurance but cannot afford it, we must take our time to engage in deliberate and careful discussions to ensure any plan we develop covers them and meets a host of other priorities as well.
The national news reminds us daily that there are some 47 million uninsured people or about 15-16% of our population, but what they do not tell you is who these people really are. The chart here shows there are many who choose not to be covered, those not legally eligible and some who have other available options. The percentage of the truly uninsured is far smaller and we should focus our attention on their needs.
NursingSchools.net has put together a list of the 100 blog posts you should read before going to medical school. The posts are divided into 8 categories, including: Getting In, Getting Started, Financing School, Advice from Med Students, Getting through School, Residency, Your Education, Testing, Life After Med School. The list covers a huge variety of topics like how to write an admission essay, money saving tips, how to maintain a social life, and (my personal favorite) a guide to not being a pre-med douchebag.
I’m honored to be included on the list at number 48 for a post I wrote over the summer reflecting on my first year of school. I’m happy enough that anyone just reads this site, let alone sees fit to include it on a list like this one. I wish I had a resource like this when I first applied to medical schools. Information from college advisors is useful, but it really helps to hear things from the students’ perspectives.
Actually.. Lower back pain is an enormous health and economic problem in the U.S. Annually Americans spend $50 billion on lower back problems. New research shows there’s natural drug free and effective help for those with chronic lower back pain.. Yoga. “Spine” A Journal that was published stated that a group of people who suffered from lower back pain who regularly practiced yoga – they had less pain, improved function, and a better mood. The $400,000 study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (Bit pricey..) 3 Years/90 People – half of them were randomly assigned to study Iyengar style yoga and half received conventional medical therapy. The ones practicing yoga took 90 minute classes for two times a week lasting 24 weeks, working in postures chosen to relieve chronic low-back pain. The team followed on with the researched participants both during the trial and six months after the medical therapy/yoga classes ended. The results were dramatic – The yoga group had far less pain, less functional disability and less depressed when they had been compared with the control group. “These were statistically significant and clinically important changes that were maintained six months after the intervention (yoga),” Dr. Williams stated.
A much greater proportion of yoga subjects reported improvements in their conditions through and after both 12 and 24 weeks of taking yoga classes. Whenever anyone participants in the yoga group had pain.. It was often less intense. “There was also a clinically important trend for the yoga group to reduce their pain medication usage compared to the control group,” the authors of the study concluded.
Today we are closer than we have ever been in our country’s history to passing national health reform.
As President Obama said in his speech last weekend, “We’ve never been this close. We’ve never had such broad agreement on what needs to be done.”
It’s because we’re this close that opponents of reform are getting nervous, and are trying to slow our momentum. Unfortunately for them, their diversionary tactics are not working. Our voices of reform are much stronger.
Raise your voice in support of health reform. Dial 1-800-828-0498 and ask to speak to your Members of Congress.
For talking points and to tell us how the call went, click here:
I was going to save this one for Miranda but I’m in the library right now and thought I’d take a little study break.
Hi everyone! My new obsession at Grinnell is becoming a peer counselor at the Sexual Health Information Center. I’ve been working really hard on my application, so I figured I might share it with you all. That way if I don’t get it (ewwwww) I will have SOMETHING to show for it:
(I’m not posting the questions, but most of them you can figure out.)
1.As a result of having experienced several badly-executed sexual health classes in high school, I am familiar with examples of how not to approach sexual health education For instance, the classes I attended have all been centered on heterosexual issues, usually skirting the topic of gay sex entirely. Classes were entirely fact based, with homework assignments requiring students only to fill in the blank with one or two word answers. The lack of discussion was counter-productive. My goal, should I become a peer counselor, would be to foster as much open discussion as possible. Students can be educated about sexual health only when they’re asked to think about the issues and consider them in personal terms. I think this is in line with Grinnell’s approach to education (both academic and social) in general.
Although I have never participated in a program as a counselor or peer educator I have some experience communicating ideas of sexual health education reform through my contributions to the blog Women’s Glib (http:// www.womensglib.wordpress.com). This experience has proven quite useful in forcing to me to think about how best to communicate about sexual topics.
The blog, started by my good friend, has become quite successful in a short time. It has received attention from feminist authors ( such as Jessica Valenti, and the bloggers for “Feministe”) The blog was also recently featured in Mother Jones magazine. Connections to these resources could be extremely beneficial to SHIC.
2.I am interested in becoming a peer counselor because I have become interested in exploring the field of public health as a career. I firmly believe that health and medicine are important social issues, and that everyone should have access to information on these subjects. My interest is partly due to an eye-opening experience this summer, attending an amazingly successful sexual health class which took a very different approach than classes I had attended previously. Student participation made all the difference. When teenagers opened up to each other the fear and the stigma of “the sex talk” disappeared. We even got to a point, as a class, when we were debating heavy ethical issues passionately and quite comfortably. I think that peer counseling helps create a much more laid back atmosphere in an otherwise notoriously uncomfortable (though it mustn’t be) situation.
Before I found out about SHIC, I had been planning my own sexual health education club for Grinnell. It was my intention to partner with a local hospital and high school and have Grinnell college students teach sexual health classes to teenagers in the community. When I heard about SHIC, it seemed like an obvious choice for me. I would love to gain experience as a peer counselor, helping students at Grinnell first and then to taking my knowledge to the community. Perhaps at some point later on SHIC can expand to the community level.
Another project I would like to pursue is to create an SHIC blog, with as much sexual health information on it as possible, as well as discussions about health education reform, etc. This could be in conjunction with Women’s Glib, or stand on its own. The internet is too good of a resource to neglect, and SHIC could probably benefit from utilizing it if it has not already.
(Skipping 3 because it’s about my schedule. Boring.)
4.Confidentiality is obviously of the utmost importance for an organization like SHIC. Without the promise of confidentiality, no one would come for help. Confidentiality is the basis of trust and respect between counselors and students, values which SHIC could not exist without. I see confidentiality as somewhat black and white. Anything that is said in the SHIC stays in the SHIC. Obviously, I will adhere to any SHIC or Grinnell College rules about reporting violence or any other kind of sexual misconduct, but ultimately I believe that as adults, we are all entitled to make our own decisions.
5.I think I am a strong candidate for a peer counselor position because I am a very open and talkative person. I would imagine that my primary role as a counselor is to listen and assess, but I think I can make people very comfortable with talking about whatever they need to discuss. I welcome new people quite well, and really love to discuss sexual health. This, I think, shows in most of my conversations on the topic. I think my biggest weakness is the fact that I wouldn’t ever want to give people advice or information that they don’t want to hear. This is obviously something I would have to do, and I’m fully prepared to deal with that. With time it may get easier, but it can be pretty heart breaking sometimes to be the bearer of bad news. My only method of compensating for this is to grit my teeth and deal with it in as sensitive a manner as possible. This weakness should really only affect my comfort level, not whomever I am counseling.
6.I think the hardest counseling session would be with someone who is unwilling to make their own decisions, and unwilling to divulge important information. A counseling session should, in my opinion, be a dialogue. When it is one sided it is impossible to tell how effective a counselor you are. A counselor’s job is not to make decisions for their peers, but to talk things through, listen, and aid the student being counseled in his or her decision making. I would assume that that as a counselor, my primary goal would be to aid my peer in the whatever way he or she needs, within reason. If that means, talking about stuff other than sexual health to break the ice a little, or listening to them vent about their relationships, so be it. I would also try to stimulate the conversation by asking the student to come in with a list of possible solutions, or questions he or she might have to get things moving.
7.I think that the most important thing to learn about sexual health is that it should in no way be a taboo topic! Obviously all the facts about STIs and birth control methods etc. should be available. However, I think discussing the societal aspects of sexual health is equally important. Lastly, I think it is absolutely necessary to convey the idea that sex is fun, and you are supposed to feel good when engaging in any sort of sexual behavior. Sex should not be a commodity under any circumstances. These values are absolutely necessary to pass on to anyone who is willing to listen.
To be honest, I’m very proud of this university course (this is the first of its kind that is launched at a medical school) and now I’m ready to launch the 3rd semester. The new semester will be centered around a new structure (see below) and a new form of slideshows (Prezi.com). And I’m happy to announce that the whole course will get a brand new website in January where I will publish the content and other details as well.
Here is the new structure:
1st week:
Web 2.0: An introduction into a world of possibilities
Web 2.0 in medicine: Practical examples, an overview of the whole course
2nd week:
The medical blogosphere (why to blog; success stories, advantages; examples)
From the first comment to blog carnivals: Step by step (how to start and maintain a medical blog)
3rd week:
How to be up-to-date in your field of interest? (RSS, Google Alerts, online journals and clinical cases)
Microblogging: The realm of Twitter and the medical implications
4th week:
Everything you have to know about Wikipedia (how and why students and doctors should use it)
The world of medical wikis (how wikis work and how many wikis we know)
5th week:
Physicians in Social Media (Tiromed, Biowizard, ResearchGate, Facebook…)
The world of e-patients (Patientslikeme, D-Life, iMedix and many more)
6th week:
Second Life: Virtual medicine I. (the advantages and dangers of the virtual world)
Second Life: Virtual medicine II. (medical exercises and education)
7th week:
Managing a medical practice online (hospitals in social media, Jay Parkinson; American Well and many more)
A new way of collaboration: Google Docs (how to write a document online)
8th week:
Podcasts and medical videos (how and why medical professionals should use these; some examples)
Education 2.0: medical resources (Youtube, QuizMD, Clinical Cases and Images, Twitter, Flickr and more)
9th week:
Medical search engines (personalized searches, Scienceroll Search, how to use Pubmed)
The Google phenomenon (Google Docs, Health, Calendar, Alerts, etc.)
10th week:
The dangers of web 2.0 (reputation, HIPAA, Honcode, anonymous bloggers and credibility issues)
Future: is there a web 3.0? (Semantic searches and the role of web in the future of medicine)
If you’re looking for something quite different, this is it. Oxygen by Carol Cassella is an interesting medical-legal tale told from the perspective of a practicing anesthesiologist. In this story, Dr. Marie Heaton is the anesthesiologist who tells the mother of a young girl going into surgery, “I’m going to keep her very safe for you.” Then the child dies on the operating table mid-procedure.
The death begins the unraveling of the doctor’s life professionally and emotionally, as she faces a civil suit and perhaps even criminal sanctions. Cassella (an English literature major at Duke before completing medical school) is excellent at creating tension to the point where lights seem to dim as you move further along in this living nightmare.
The reader relates fully with Dr. Heaton because she’s apparently made no major mistakes (she may have cut one minor corner) yet faces horrendous consequences because a child is dead. Dr. Heaton also begins to see that the friends and colleagues who’ve pledged to stand beside her begin to drop away. At the end, she may have only her Texas-based family members to rely upon; and faint hopes of a miraculous exoneration.
I will not say any more about the plot except to note that it is set in Seattle, a place Cassella brings to life whether or not you’ve visited Pike Place Market. Ironically, Dr. Horton and her fellow doctors have moved to Seattle for its scenery, which they rarely see due to 14-hour workdays.
For a first-time novelist, Cassella’s style is smooth and easy: “The freeway dumps us into a nest of prewar bungalows huddling below the glass and metal giants of downtown (Houston). The houses are painted in the vivid Easter egg yellows and blues and lavenders my mother always associated with the Mexican barrios that percolate up through the soul of all Texas cities like boiling springs, their mariachis… and Spanish seared into our cultural palate.”
I have just two reservations about the telling of this story. The first is that life becomes such a harsh struggle so quickly for the main character that some may find it too depressing to hold their interest. Second, the Seattle hospital that Dr. Heaton works at never seemed real… Those who know hospitals may find that something seems to be missing.
Despite these two points, I’m glad I read this one-of-a-kind novel. I’m a fan of stories where the ending has not been revealed fifty, seventy-five or one hundred pages before it comes… This one also comes with a bit of an epilogue which is a pleasant surprise.
“Where will the future lead us?” is now yesterday’s question; “Where are we now?” is more appropriate. Everyday new technological advancements invade our lives. The majority of these new technologies are like spam mail, but a significant number of others are actually worth the praise.
The lasted in medical technology comes from a US company, Wicab, who recently developed the BrainPort Vision System. The latter is the first of its kind and it is designed to aid the visually impaired see through stimulation in the tongue.
Sounds crazy, no? Almost like tasting an image.
Check out the article by the UK’s Guardian @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/sep/04/blind-soldier-see-with-tongue.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second oldest child, she was given the name Crooked Arrow by her
great grandfather at birth. Crooked Arrow is a gifted Intuitive Anatomical Health Practitioner, as well as a
Spiritual Counselor and Tribal Medicine Woman, who has devoted her time and energy into helping others.
Her sensitivity and ability to understand the signs around us, enables her to consult on Body, Mind and
Spirit. From a technical and certification aspect, Crooked Arrow has a Master’s Degree in Herbalism, and a
Ph.D. in Natural Nutrition as well as an extensive background in massage, polarity and aroma therapies.
She is the founder of the Mustard Seed Medicine Council. She has won numerous awards for her poetry
and was recently among the finalist in the Red Bull Art of Can 2008 Exhibitions. She is a crafter and a
recycle artist using junk mail to create beautiful works of art. I have known Mother Crooked Arrow for quite some time now. We met on .Ning social network groups. We actually belonged to many of the same groups including the two I created. From the moment I met her, I thought she was a very fascinating person and I was mediately captivated by her personality and the way that she walked her talk as a medicine warrior. She is a very charismatic person, people are just drawn to her. Then she told me I was her spiritual daughter. That is another story that I will discuss some other time. She is a Mother, a Grandmother, an Artist, a Healer, an Author and a Light Worker. She is not only my friend, but also my spiritual mother. She has helped me through the worst ordeal of my life and continues to do so. Something very similar to what happened to her also happened to me. The dark side always looks for ways of stopping light workers from accomplishing their life’s purpose, targeting them through what they fear the most.
Mother Crooked Arrow’s art work:
For more information on how to view and purchase these lovely works of art:
I highly recommend these books, once you start reading them you will not want to put them down. This is my review on all the books I have read so far by Mother Crooked Arrow. See for yourself how these books can transform your life. You will never see things as you did before.
EARTH WALK
I have several of my spiritual mother’s Mother Crooked Arrow’s books and one that I just received recently
is Earth Walk. In her own words:
Earth Walk was inspired by the the warnings given by the Elder Brother’s of the Kogi Tribe, to the
rest of the world. The Earth Walk information is not just written for the adult population. This
inspirational book will be a great aide to troubled teenagers as well as distraught adults. Most
teenagers today are faced with an overwhelming variety of options, which can cause some mental
and emotional disturbances. As we have all noticed this can result in drug and/or alcohol abuse,
sexual promiscuity and suicide. With so much confusion building in some teenagers minds, there
is very little room left for self-esteem. People of all ages are searching for harmony in their troubled
lives. Some unfortunately die before they ever find it. Others live a very painful or destructive life.
The Earth Walk information is a means for obtaining a balance that brings with it peace of mind.
There are many ways to use this unique combination of information. You can use it to help give you
daily inspiration or as a weekly, monthly or even quarterly guide as to how to walk in harmony with
mother earth with peace of mind. Within the past 20 years or more people have been trying to find ways to once again reclaim the spiritual harmony that their ancestors once shared with the other creatures of this planet. Now with the illustrations and inspirational words of Earth Walk, we can learn to become more balanced in this stressful world we live in and learn once again to walk the Earth in harmony.
My review on the book: The book is well written and illistrated to the point that it can be even understood by children and young people. It explains the medicine wheel with the different animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms by category, and a detailed explanation of each one and their spiritual meanings. It can be used
as a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly guide to help you find balance in your life. It help us love and appreciate nature in all its forms. And it can be used as an oracle to give you information on the past, present or future.
In 2002, she created the box, the printed out cards, created a small workbook where a person could journal their work with the cards. If you are interested in acquiring this tool that will help you on your path to enlightenment just get in touch with Crooked Arrow on Surviving Earth Changes:
http://survivingearthchanges.ning.com/profile/CrookedArrow
And Mother Crooked Arrow will be creating new tools to bring awareness and to help you create balance in your life and help you to your road to enlightenment based on her books, keep yourself informed on her new really cool tools. Visit her page on a regular basis for regular updates:
My review on this book: The first Medicine Wheel coloring book was designed for kids but also can be used by young people and adults as well. There is a detailed explanation of how the earth was created by “Great Spirit” in the native traditional way. It gives children a futuristic story of what will happen to our planet if we do not change our ways and how the cleansing will come about and what will happen on the planet and why this will happen. She gives this account in the present tense as if it has already happened. This book is prophetic because the earth changes have already started because of our greed and selfishness and the destruction of our natural resources and of all God’s creation. Mother Earth is a living entity and she will no longer tolerated that we continue to kill her and all life on the planet. It explains the medicine wheel with the different animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms by category, and a detailed explanation of each one and their spiritual meanings. This book also can be used as an oracle to give you information on the past, present or future.
More information on how to purchase this book contact Crooked Arrow:
My Review on this book: Mother Crooked Arrow wrote this illustated coloring book for children of all ages and dedicated it to her grandson Rain Cloud so he could grow up to love and cherish the tree and plants around him. This book explains to children that trees have spirits too and that by destroying our environment and nature we are actually destroying ourselves. The book contains pictures for children to color, it explains also the different kinds of trees by state, it has quizes to help them think for themselves about what they learned from the book regarding the different trees and how they are used by man today. It is an interactive book where the child not only learns but also makes the child think on what they can do to actively participate to help save the environment.
More information on how to purchase this book contact Crooked Arrow:
SONG IN MY HEART
Written by Mother Crooked Arrow and her son Hawk, this book is written for children and was dedicated to her grandson White Eagle so he could grow up caring for the planet and all creatures.
It tell the story of the lives of the survivors of the earth changes who have learned to live in harmony and love with each other, mother earth and all of nature. There is nothing left of the old civilizations that once damaged the earth except for these survivors, all is left is ruins and ashes. The book also talks about a very special and psychic little boy called Wenchenka who was born after the earth changes. He was so in harmony and attuned with nature that he has learned to communicate with the nature spirits, with other creatures and listen to their stories regarding life before and after the earth changes. The pictures in the book can be used also as a book for young children. Great book, a must read for all ages.
It is Mother Crooked Arrow’s hope that all these books bring awareness and will help us love Mother Earth and all God’s creation on the planet and that we will do our part to stop the destruction of our natural resources and to save the planet before it is too late.
More information on how to purchase this book contact Crooked Arrow:
I also highly recommend these ebooks, once you start reading them you will not want to put them down. “The Whispering Desert”, “The Enlightened”, and “The Medicine Warrior Workbook” for your guidance. See for yourself how these books can transform your life. You will never in see things in the same light as you did before.
The Whispering Desert
The Whispering Desert is a fascinating account of Crooked Arrow’s life in the dessert and the incredible people and experiences she had. It is the continuation of her previous book the Enlightenment. Just like her other book the Enlightenment, it is a book filled with psychic phenomena that you will not be able to put down once you start reading it. As you read her story, you feel that you are actually there, as Crooked Arrow gives such a detailed account of her paranormal experiences that you feel that you are living it through her eyes.
If you do not believe in nature spirits, ghosts, higher beings or in UFO’s, this book will make you a believer. How freaky is it to have your house and car disappear. This is an amazing book that will fill your imagination with wonder. I read it and could not put it down until I finished it. I highly
recommend all her books as she is a wonderful writer, you will not regret giving yourself these wonderful gifts.
http://www.portalsofspirit.com/EBOOKS.htm
THE ENLIGHTENMENT
My review on the book: The Enlightenment, Crooked Arrow writes a detailed account of her mystical experiences as a child and then as an adult. It is a very touching and inspiring writing of her life’s story that will jump-start your imagination as you relive her story with her. You will be moved to tears as you read her experiences as a child and later as an adult with her family and the fascinating people she meets along the way. You will also read how the dark side tried to stop her from accomplishing her life’s purpose. I could not put this book down, it is just one of those books. I assure you that you will not be able to put this book down and will most likely plan, as I have done, to reread it again.
For more information on how to purchase this ebook visit:
http://www.portalsofspirit.com/EBOOKS.htm
Ancient Wisdoms, Ancient Connections, The Medicine Warrior Workbook
Excerpt from The Medicine Warrior Workshop Ebook by Mother Crooked Arrow:
This sacred Medicine Warrior Path is not an easy road to walk. One begins this sacred commitment
by being completely honest with oneself. The warrior does this through self examination. The true
Medicine Warrior Way is a journey filled with a continual awakening of spirit to its highest
achievements. It is the path of balance and uniformity. It is a road where one learns that spirit is
one’s true purpose. That the mind is the builder of one’s life, while the body is the facilitator of what
the mind and the spirit have manifested in the physical. We are truly body, mind and spirit. The
Medicine Warrior Way is one of continual protection of children, our elders, animals, plants, the
earth and the sacred old ways.
My Review on the book: Ancient Wisdoms, Ancient Connections, The Medicine Warrior Workbook tell the story of how the Ancient Ones visited a traditional medicine woman and showed her the sacred ways of The Medicine Warrior Path. It is also a guidebook that helps you take a good look at yourself and your inner/outer worlds. It helps you think about the changes that you need to make within, so that a positive transformation will reflect in your life.
Mother Crooked Arrow gives you guidelines based on her own experiences, so that you can figure out for yourself what are the changes you need to make, so it reflects in your world and the lives of those you come in contact with. She doesn’t do the work for you, but gives you the formula so that you can figure out the answers on your own.
I highly recommend this book so that you can also take the journey of “The Medicine Warrior” its is helping me me balance my life and walk the path of the medicine warrior.
You can buy all her ebooks at : http://www.portalsofspirit.com/EBOOKS.htm
If you are interested in an assortment of topics, please take the time to visit the Portals of Spirit website at: http://www.portalsofspirit.com/EBOOKS.htm
More of Crooked Arrows books:
The Enlightenment
The Whispering Desert
A Tree for Health
The First Medicine Wheel Coloring Book
Not His-story, Not Her-story, But Another story
Will you Listen
The L.O.O.P
Restoring Tribal Pride
How?
Also by Crooked Arrow and Her son, Night Hawk:
A Song in My Heart
The Nomians
For more information regarding these books visit Surviving Earth Changes and contact Crooked Arrow through the site:
http://survivingearthchanges.ning.com/
or visit Portals of Spirit where some of these books are in .pdf format are for sale:
http://www.portalsofspirit.com/EBOOKS.htm
When the earth is ravaged and the animals are dying, a new tribe of people shall come unto the earth from many colors, classes, creeds, and who by their actions and deeds shall make the earth green again. They will be known as the warriors of the Rainbow — Old Native American Prophecy
About Me
My Spiritual name is Rainbow Warrior Mariah:
I am not an author or have a University degree, however it is my life purpose to serve the Creator, and spread the love by bringing awareness to what is going on in the world and to help you awaken before the upcoming earth changes. I am just a spiritual seeker trying to find my life purpose and share the love and light with others. And I wrote some articles and created some videos to bring awareness on the planet. My purpose is to help others awaken, working at the same time on my own karma. And I consider myself a medicine and rainbow warrior in the making.
I have created two spiritual sites called God’s Helping Angels and Surviving Earth Changes to bring awareness and to help people awaken and smell the coffee before its too late. I also created them to encourage people to leave their comfort zones and help each other grow spiritually for the upcoming earth changes so they will be prepared and help others also survive. Join us today and help us make the changes before the upcoming earth changes.
My youtube videos to create awareness of the problems of our world and the destruction of our planet:
Stop Animal Cruelty – Be Their Voices
Become the voice of the innocent who scream in pain because of the cruelty of mankind and who cannot defend themselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWBDfJvk7X0
More youtube videos to create awareness of the problems of our world and the destruction of our planet:
If I could speak, I would tell you
Stop Euthanasing of healthy animals In Memory Of Steve Robert (The Crocodile Hunter) Irwin The idea that killing animals for institutional reasons would be called ?euthanasia? at all is deeply troubling.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD7ap5h0Do4
Help Us – Endangered Species
More than 8,400 plant species and nearly 8,500 animal species around the globe are threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a nongovernmental
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl66ofSNLGQ
We are the World – In Memory of Michael Jackson
May His Humanitarian Legacy Live On
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo9R36PZjvg
Voices, I am a Survivor
IN MEMORY OF MY COWORKER MELISSA MCDONALD WHO DIED AS A RESULT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. SHE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AND HER LIFE AND DEATH WILL BE NOT BE IN VAIN. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: IN MEMORY OF MELISSA MACDONALD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIcEFAscF1M
Let History Never Repeat Itself
Genocide and Slavery in the Americas and their consequences today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edDBTNOcWSg
Return to Innocence –Enigma
Child Sexual Abuse – Only through awareness and action can we heal the world Do you hear their voices??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YBEGBBUzwc
When you Love the Least of These
Homelessness-In memory of my heroe Mother Theresa of Calcuta. These are the ones that society has forgotten.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smg4YhFzoVQ
PRO LIFE-GIVE ME A CHANCE – I DESERVE TO LIVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlxhmkLUoQI
Peace on Earth (music by U2) – A peace starts with us making the changes one person at a time until it causes a ripple effect that will bring peace to the whole world
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v_mve9Nq8M
More youtube videos to create awareness of the problems of our world and the destruction of our planet:
