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Archive for April, 2008
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I’ve been doing some research on pregnancy and diabetes. It seems that the American Association of Diabetes no longer discourages women who are diabetic from thinking about becoming pregnant.
You should know that there are still higher risks for babies of mothers who have diabetes. But, you can still have a healthy pregnancy and baby if you are fastidious in your care. Close monitoring of your glucose levels, careful diet habits, and excersise, much like mothers without diabetes can give your baby a great chance at healthy development.
<Great Informational Site!
I found an interesting online magazine dedicated to women who are diabetic or have the tendency to diabetes and are also pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant. It is called Diabetic Mommy. www.diabeticmommy.com/ The site is not ran by a professional nor does it offer medical advice for treatments, as stated on the front page.
Still, from what I have seen, this is a wonderful resource for women who need information on pregnancy and diabetes. It offers a wealth of support for any diabetic mommy (or mommy to be!).
I am still in the process of searching for great sites, but so far this is the only site I have found that is not an offshoot of a site like the American Diabetes Association site, the Mayo Clinic, Web MD, or MSNBC. This is not to say there are not more, perhaps smaller sites or forums. I promise to root out as many as possible!
For more information, here are a few links to the larger medical sites.
Coming soon I want to talk more about depression, diabetes, and pregnancy. These conditions all go hand in hand, especially with hormones at their peak right now. I plan to share my own experiences with these issues. It is going to be an interesting ride for the next 8 months, hopefully you all have your seat belts on.
The main focus of pregnancy posts will always be on diabetes. When I take the glucose tests in the future, I will be taking my camera along with me. Who knows, maybe I’ll even take a video recorder and you can watch my face as I chug that nasty brew!
Warning: If you believe in God then you might find these thoughts contrary to your beliefs.
Another Warning: If you don’t believe in God then you might find these thoughts contrary to your beliefs.
There are some events that make us question humanity in general, like Josef Fritzl, who held his own daughter captive for 20 plus years, fathered seven children by her, killed one and then raised three of them as his grandchildren. We shake our collective heads and wonder why people have taken to shooting at high schools and colleges across our nation. The latest shooting early Wednesday morning, April 30, 2008, at Florida Atlantic University has the school on lockdown. These are horrible events, but for most of us, they are distant.
However, there are some events, much smaller in scope, that never make the news, but they are events that shake us to our very core. They shake us to the point that we end up questioning and challenging beliefs that we have held on to for years.
For me, my mother’s Alzheimer’s disease was that event. Up to that point I considered myself to be a strong, creative, independent woman. I knew what I believed and although I had faced difficulties in my life, I was crystal clear about issues of faith. I was so clear that I found it hard to understand why others weren’t as clear as I. Maybe I was even a little harsh (in my thoughts) towards those who didn’t have their beliefs all together in a neat little package.
But an interesting thing happened. As I watched my mother decline through the various stages of the disease; I realized that I had absolutely no control. I didn’t have any before that either, but her decline just made it more evident. More than that, I realized that whoever was in control (it was God for me) could just do whatever He wanted, whenever He wanted and how ever He wanted. THAT was not a good feeling for me. It was a very long journey and in this case, I think the journey was as important as the destination. So, here is what I learned by questioning.
God (or whoever you have your faith in) must be big enough and wise enough to handle your questions.
In the end, for me, pain must have a greater purpose (thus my writing of this blog).
What you believe about pain, suffering and death really impacts how you live.
The only faith that can’t be shaken is faith that has already been shaken
As Alzheimer’s patients decline, perhaps, the inner/spiritual world is all they really have.
So, what do you think? Do your spirituality, faith and beliefs play any role in your perspective? Share your thoughts and your journey. Leave a comment here or send me a private note.
We’ve always been told to lessen our exposure to the sun in order to lower our risk of developing skin cancer.
However, according to The Arthritic Association, avoiding the sun totally can lead to arthritis.
That makes sense became sunshine is necessary for the body to produce Vitamin D. Vitamin D is then necessary for the absorption of calcium for general bone health.
Which reminds me to take my calcium supplements and spend sometime in the sun each morning! It’s summer around here and most days are sunshiny.
The national arthritis charity warns that sunshine is crucial for the body to produce vitamin D which is required to ward off degenerative conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis.
Earlier this year, James E Dowd, an American rheumatologist, published details of his use of vitamin D in treating arthritic patients. However, The Arthritic Association states that supplementation alone is not the answer.
“The body needs sunshine in order to synthesise the vitamin D required for optimum health,” explains The Arthritic Association’s John Wedlake-Griffiths. “Although you could take a vitamin D supplement, it’s easy to overdose, and that can be counter-productive. So moderate exposure to sunlight is better – for example, earlier or later in the day, for short periods of time.”
I really think that it won’t be difficult to get enough exposure to the sun, enough against arthritis and not too much as to risk skin cancer. Morning persons won’t have a problem at all as it is best to catch the sun early in the morning.
Of course, we have to remember the supplementation of Vitamin D-Calcium combo will always be not enough. We gotta drag ourselves out of bed early and catch some some good sunlight. Yeah, right. I am definitely speaking for myself. Ha ha!
Source: Nursing in Practice
The Arthritis Association, is by the way UK’s organization promoting natural arthritis treatment and remedies.
The Arthritic Association aims to relieve the suffering and pain of arthritis by natural methods.
Our Home Treatment Programme, developed by Charles de Coti-Marsh, is a natural, drug free way to treat arthritis, based on a 3-stage recovery process.
The Programme offers an easy to follow holistic approach to managing your own health. A lessening of arthritic symptoms can be realistically achieved within 4 months.
Believed to be an effective natural treatment for most forms of arthritis, the Home Treatment is essentially a self-care programme: the patient’s motivation, pro-activity and willingness to investigate every aspect of the treatment are crucial.
Visit The Arthritic Association for more information on natural arthritis treatments.
The Mayo Clinic lists 11 alternative cancer therapies, three of which are exercise, yoga and Tai Chi. Per the Mayo Clinic: “Alternative cancer treatments won’t play any role in curing your cancer, but they may help you cope with signs and symptoms caused by cancer and cancer treatments. Common signs and symptoms such as anxiety, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, difficulty sleeping, and stress may be lessened by alternative treatments. ”
What’s Yoga? Yoga is a mind and body therapy that includes gentle stretches, breathing practices, and progressive deep relaxation. Visit the Yoga Center site for information on the many types of yoga.
What’s Tai Chi? A form of exercise that utilizes slow gentle movements and deep relaxed breathing. A weight bearing exercise it builds strength, muscle tone, improves circulation, balance, flexibility, posture, coordination and range of motion. For more information on Tai Chi and cancer and limited research studies see the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center site. While there are only minimal differences between yoga and Tai Chi; Tai Chi is also a martial art.
Exercise:
You may be able to continue with the same exercise plan you had before your diagnosis. Aerobic exercise not only oxygenates the blood and makes you feel good but it gives the immune system a boost. However keep in mind that many cancer patients suffer from CRF, (Cancer Related Fatigue), during and after treatment. This sort of fatigue is not relieved by sleep. In addition to pacing yourself, getting plenty of rest and monitoring your nutrition, exercise can begin at a slower pace, building up stamina as you increase your daily and weekly goals.
Consider some of these suggestions to begin to work up to walking 30 minutes a day.
One of the side effects of beginning any exercise regime is personal empowerment. You have more control over your body and what’s going on as you increase your sense of well being. Exercise not only strengthens your body but also your mind. Keep a journal and concentrate not on how far you think you have to go, but on how far you have come. Before long that five or ten minutes a day will have doubled or tripled.
The American Cancer Society’ s recommendations for regular exercise begins with a warning to discuss your exercise regime with your doctor, as some treatments and therapies may put you at risk (low blood counts, nausea and vomiting, certain medications that make you susceptible to sunburn, etc.).
Currently the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in collaboration with the Rehabilitation Medicine Department at the National Institute of Health Clinical Center is recruiting adult cancer survivors for a clinical trial, Exercise Study for Cancer Survivors. Specifically the study will be targeting Tai Chi and its effectiveness on psychological health, stress and general well being.
The Washington Post. com, April 18, 2008. Exercise Fights Cancer Fatigue. “…researchers found that exercise is more effective at combating cancer-related fatigue than the usual care provided to patients. ”
ScienceDaily, March 2, 2008. Low-intensity Exercise Reduces Fatigue Symptoms By 65 Percent, Study Finds. ” Sedentary people who regularly complain of fatigue can increase their energy levels by 20 percent and decrease their fatigue by 65 percent by engaging in regular, low intensity exercise, according to a new University of Georgia study. ”
ScienceDaily, October 29, 2007. Walking Prevents Bone Loss Caused From Prostate Cancer Treatment Study Shows. “Exercise may reduce, and even reverse, bone loss caused by hormone and radiation therapies used in the treatment of localized prostate cancer, thereby decreasing the potential risk of bone fractures and improving quality of life for these men, according to a new study. ”
MSNBC.com, June 16, 2006. Yoga Can Ease Cancer Treatment Side Effects. “Women going through treatment for breast cancer felt better when they tried yoga, according to one of the first scientific studies of its kind.”
Dana-Farber Press Release, July 13, 2006. Moderate Exercise Improves Survival Rates for Colon Cancer Survivors. “People who have been treated for colon cancer can substantially reduce the risk that the disease will return and improve their overall chance of survival by engaging in regular exercise, according to new research by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists.”
Battling Books:
Sunrise Tai Chi:Awaken, Heal and Strengthen Your Mind, Body and Spirit by Ramel Rones and David Silver (2007).
Healing Yoga for People Living With Cancer by Lisa Holtby (2004).
The Breast Cancer Survivor’s Fitness Plan by Carolyn M. Kaelin, Francesca Coltrera, Josie Gardiner, and Joy Prouty (2006)
Cancer Fitness:Exercise Programs for Patients and Survivors by Anna L. Schwartz and Lance Armstrong (2004)
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)
It sounds so final.
It sounds cruel.
It sounds like death.
Do not resuscitate (DNR) order is a part of advanced medical directives allowed by federal law passed in 1991, expanding the notion of patient autonomy to situations in which they may not be able to make crucial medical decisions due to incapacitation. It instructs medical personnel not to perform life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or other procedures to restart the heart or breathing once they have ceased. By law, the DNR directive must be offered as an option to patients by health providers in, and in some states, out of a hospital setting. Once signed, the DNR directive must be placed in the in the patient’s chart. (Encyclopedia of Surgery: A guide for Patients and Caregivers)
My true confession; yesterday, I talked about the fact that we fall into the trap of not talking about end of life issues with the hopes that they will just go away. I understand that quite well.
My mom had a stroke and went directly from the hospital to a long term care facility for rehabilitation. After it became evident that she would not be returning home, we had to complete paperwork for her to become a permanent resident of the long term care facility. One of the forms that was to be completed asked what should or should not be done in case of heart failure. In short, they wanted to know if they were to perform. The core question was resuscitate or let her….die?
I slipped the form out of pile of papers, hoping that they wouldn’t notice. I knew what I thought was the right thing to do, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. So, I put my proverbial hands over my ears and went along my merry way. A couple of days later, I got a call advising me that they needed the form. Honestly, I avoided them for about another week, but they wouldn’t let it go. Finally, I completed the form and returned it. I felt sick. I felt like had, in essence, signed my mother’s life away…literally. I cried for days….
It’s a personal decision, so I won’t tell you what you should or should not do. What I will say, is that you have to at least think about it. If your loved one has not already made a decision regarding this important issue, then you, as the caregiver, must at least give it some attention. And believe me; it’s better to think about it in “good” times. It’s much more difficult and complicated when you are in an emergency room, hospital room or long term care facility with medical personnel on one side and family members on the other all looking to you for a decision.
So, don’t ignore this difficult issue. Ignoring it isn’t going to help the situation, nor will it just go away. So, take time now, friend. Think about, ponder and consider this very difficult decision.
Chemists in China have identified substances in some of their ant species that may be able to fight against arthritis and other diseases (i.e. hepatitis, etc).
Apparently in China, ants has been used for centuries as a healthy ingredient in food or drink, against various conditions such as arthritis and hepatitis.
In the new study, Zhi-Hong Jiang and colleagues analyzed extracts from a particular species of Chinese medicinal ant (Polyrhacis lamellidens) commonly used in folk medicine.
The researchers identified at least two polyketides, potent natural products also found in plants, fungi and bacteria that have shown promise in studies by others for fighting arthritis, bacterial infections, and a variety of other diseases.
The researchers suspect that the health benefit from ants may be due to the anti-inflammatory or anti-pain properties of the substances found in ants.
However, the exact chemicals or compounds responsible for such health benefits are yet to be known.
Find more details from Science Daily.
Findings of the above study will appear in the April 25 issue of American Chemical Society’s Journal of Natural Products — in an article entitled “Bicyclic Polyketide Lactones from Chinese Medicinal Ants, Polyrhacis lamellidens”.
In this particular research, the said Chinese medicinal ant specie is Polyrhacis lamellidens. When I searched the web, only Polyrhachis lamellidens from the Japanese Ant Image Database.
Original Reference
Smith, F. (1874) Descriptions of new species of Tenthredinidae, Ichneumonidae, Chrysididae, Formicidae, &c. of Japan. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London (4) 7: 373-409.
DescriptionTotal length of workers around 7-8 mm. Body bicolored; head, legs and gaster black; mesosoma and petiole reddish brown. Dorsal surface of mesosoma flattened, dorsolateral edges carinate. Pronotum with a pair of forwardly-directed spines.
Mesonotum with a pair of backwardly curved spines. Propodeal spines long, their apices curved. Dorsolateral margins of propodeum carinate. Petiole with a pair of long, hooked spines.
Hmmm…seems the same as the Chinese specie used in the above study.
Well, the interesting ending remains to be seen. Really interesting. 
Now that you understand clinical trials, let’s see what new cancer initiatives are in progress right now.
Clinical Study Results.org is an excellent site for finding out what is going on with drug company research and provides clinical study results in a “reader friendly standardized format” to make the results for many marketed pharmaceuticals more transparent. ”
Now Recruiting:
News:
April 15, 2008 the National Cancer Institute posts the positive results of a five year study of adenoma prevention with Celecoxib. Celecoxib Reduces Risk of Precancerous Colorectal Polyps: Five-Year Results of APC Trial.
ScienceDaily, April 8, 2008. Randomized Clinical Trial Results on Preoperative Chemotherapy in Early Breast Cancer. “Eight cycles of preoperative chemotherapy was no better than six cycles in women with early breast cancer who had responded to two initial cycles, according to data from a randomized controlled trial.”
Battling Books:
Informed Consent: The Consumer’s Guide to the Risks and Benefits of Volunteering for Clinical Trials by Deborah Borfitz (2002)
Surviving Terminal Cancer: Clinical Trials, Drug Cocktails and Other Treatments Your Oncologist Won’t Tell You About by Ben A. Williams. (2002)
In nutrition circles, one often hears “eat fiber, it’s good for you”. But fiber is a carbohydrate and those are supposed to be bad, or at least severely limited. What gives?
The resolution to this dilemma lies in examining more closely just what fiber is and what it does for you.
Fiber is, it’s true, a type of carbohydrate. That is, fiber compounds are composed of molecules whose chief elements are carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in combination. But there is a key difference between fiber and other types of carbohydrate: it doesn’t break down during digestion.
Both simple sugars (simple carbs) and starches (complex carbs) are broken down by digestive enzymes, releasing energy the body uses for an infinite variety of vital processes. Fiber is not, at least not much. That simple difference leads to a number of beneficial effects.
Insoluble fiber, by definition, does not dissolve in water. As such, it moves through the digestive system where it helps increase the bulk of stools. That helps prevent constipation. It also moves through the intestines relatively fast, which generates signals to the brain that you’re full. In that way, it discourages overeating and the accompanying excess consumption of calories.
Insoluble fiber is contained in whole-wheat flour and wheat bran, many types of nut and several vegetables that contribute ‘roughage’ to the diet.
Soluble fiber, by contrast, does dissolve in water and so forms a type of gel that makes its way through the digestive system. As a result it helps regulate blood glucose levels. On route it helps cleanse the tract of bacteria.
Soluble fiber is part of a wide variety of foods, including oats and barley, carrots and peas, apples and citrus fruit, and beans.
A high fiber diet helps decrease the odds of heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol (the undesirable type).
It slows the absorption of sugar contained in food consumed, which helps smooth out any spikes. That helps improve a number called the Glycemic Index, one key to a healthy diet according to some diet programs such as the South Beach Diet.
Controlling blood glucose levels has another beneficial effect, according to many studies. Insulin levels are related to blood glucose levels. Excess glucose over long periods increases the odds of acquiring Type 2 diabetes. A high fiber diet can help decrease those odds.
Since fiber is not broken down, it adds bulk without calories. That contributes to a feeling of fullness and satiation without the accompanying potential for storing excess calories as fat. Thus, it contributes mightily to any weight loss program.
There is no official RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for fiber as there is for many other nutritional components. But official sources put the desirable amount at roughly 25 grams per day. The average consumption is often much lower, around 15 grams per day.
One study of over 500 subjects conducted at the University of Massachusetts Medical School over one year showed that those who consumed 22 grams or more were 63% less likely to have high CRP levels. High CRP (C-reactive protein) is linked with higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Like any aspect of diet and nutrition, the value of fiber can be (and sometimes is) overstated. But numerous studies agree that a high fiber diet has definite benefits. As with any proposed change in diet, consulting your physician first is wise.
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… you probably think they don’t affect you, because you only pick up your prescriptions at the local pharmacy, or get samples from your doctor….
But you would be wrong. Counterfeit drugs may be found in your own medicine cabinet — and you have no way of knowing they are counterfeit.
Surprised? I was too — and because I too often have to be so cynical in my work — I never should have been so surprised. Why? Because so much of healthcare is about money. And counterfeiting is all about money — making it for the perpetrators, and saving it for those who have to pay, whether that’s a pharmacy or a health insurer. And who’s money and lives is it costing? Ours, because we are the patients.
I had heard of counterfeit drugs — but like so many, I pretty much dismissed any negative effect on my life. But it turns out that hundreds of thousands of us have taken them without knowing it, and across the globe, thousands of people have died. Yes. Died.
Drugs become counterfeit in a number of ways. They may be manufactured intentionally to be fake, often in other countries, then imported into the legal American or Canadian drug supplies. We know this happened recently with Heparin — and patients died.
And, too, you may be one of the thousands of patients who have purchased counterfeit Lipitor or been given Procrit after chemo…
Or, they may be adulterated after they were manufactured. Katherine Eban, author of Dangerous Doses, describes this phenomenon in detail, and it’s frightening. In particular, any liquid medicine that will be infused (think chemo) or swallowed can be watered down, or even replaced, then sold back into the drug supply. Unsuspecting patients, plus their doctors and pharmacists, may not know the drug has been watered down. Yes, patients die.
Sometimes they are simply stolen from distributor’s warehouses. Then the problem becomes one of storage. Drugs that are meant to be kept in dark places get stored in sunny locations, or drugs that are meant to be kept cold get stored in hot buildings… and then, of course, they are sold back into the legal drug supply. It’s like keeping raw chicken on a warm kitchen counter for days or weeks or even months. Ugh.
And don’t even get me started on what the FDA is ignoring about all this… or what the legal pharm manufacturers and distributors are doing to make sure their backsides are covered, while patients continue to be harmed and die….
A new website has been put online to help us track the latest in counterfeit drug news, so you may want to take a look and check back on occasion, www.NoToFakes.com. There is general information about counterfeiting of all kinds of products. Pharmaceutical counterfeiting is only a corner of that dark world… but perhaps the most deadly.
This kind of topic always makes me wonder what horror anyone can think of next. I’m just not diabolical enough, I guess.
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