On Sunday evening, I ended up with a really bad stomach bug.  I’m sure all of my followers- that’s right all 2 of you- have really missed my playfully sarcastic take on the meaning of life.  I’d snort derisively, but my ribs still hurt from other Olympic-maneuvers over the past several days.  You’re welcome.   While I lay in my semi-conscious, tortured and contorted throes of self-pity, I had little to do but once again ponder the absurdity of my situation.  This is a recurring theme in my writings and my life, as it seems an inescapable conclusion that life is riddled with the bizarre.  We are ever constantly presented with situations in which we must make ludicrous decisions between options that will bring us to the same end.  For instance, it was not the first time I had been violently ill with stomach symptoms.  I once had to have my gallbladder out, and I knew it couldn’t be worse than that.  I also knew what I was supposed to do.  I followed all of the instructions I had previously received.  I still ended up on the floor from dehydration.  I had a choice: go the the ER or stay home and keep trying.  If I went to the ER, I would likely end up  in a waiting room until I passed out there or worse.  The privilege would cost me dearly, and I would likely be told to continue what I was already doing.  Been there, done that.  I decided to stay in the comfort of my own floor.

The day after I got sick, my dad started getting symptoms.  I panicked.  I still couldn’t even hold down an anti-nausea pill.  He complained of being nauseous and  having stomach pains.  We called the VA and the doctor told him this bug was going around.  She told him to stay home for a week.  I shook my head.  A week!  I have a few friends who will come check on dad while I am at work, but I could never take a whole week off!  I get a whole point taken off of my evaluation for staying home when I’m sick just for taking one or two days off.  Here is another absurd decision.  We are told to be courteous to our coworkers and not to get everyone else sick, but we are then penalized when we stay home ill.  As soon as I could emulate a good likeness of Homo Erectus, I went back to work.  I cannot afford to lose my job.  When my boss stops penalizing me for staying home when I am sick, I will reevaluate my options.

Luckily, my dad was only sick with mild symptoms for one night.  The best the VA can guess is that he had some sort of sympathy illness.  All is right with the world or as right as the world will let it be.

Sequencing project will map DNA of up to 100,000 patients

Monday 10 December 2012 – from Cancer Research UK

A new £100m project will map the DNA of up to 100,000 patients with cancer and other rare diseases.

The large-scale mapping initiative will take place in England over the next three to five years and is intended to lay the foundations for a revolution in NHS treatment.

The genetic data will help researchers to develop new drugs and tests that could help save thousands of lives.

Britain should “push the boundaries” and become the first country to introduce genetic sequencing to its mainstream health service, according to the prime minister David Cameron.

He said: “Britain has often led the world in scientific breakthroughs and medical innovations, from the first CT scan and test-tube baby through to decoding DNA. By unlocking the power of DNA data, the NHS will lead the global race for better tests, better drugs and above all better care.We are turning an important scientific breakthrough into a potentially life-saving reality for NHS patients across the country.”

He added: “If we get this right, we could transform how we diagnose and treat our most complex diseases not only here but across the world, while enabling our best scientists to discover the next wonder drug or breakthrough technology.”

Dr Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, welcomed the plans: “This work will uncover a wealth of new information which doctors and scientists will use to learn more about the biology of the disease and to develop new ways to prevent, diagnose and effectively treat cancer.

“We’re very excited about personalised medicine – some targeted treatments, such as imatinib, a drug for chronic myeloid leukaemia are already helping to treat patients more effectively – and we’re working hard, with many others – to develop new treatments, and to ensure the NHS can effectively deliver a more personalised cancer treatment service.”

He added: “We hope that this vital investment, together with other measures, such as continued support to diagnose cancers earlier, when treatment is more likely to be successful, will be an important step towards saving more lives from cancer, sooner.

“But, it will be some time before everyone with the disease will be able to have treatment based on the genetic make-up of their cancer.”

The NHS already analyses single genes in cancer tests to determine the chances of particular patients having side-effects from treatment.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, the government’s chief medical officer, explained: “At the moment, these tests focus on diseases caused by changes in a single gene.

“This funding opens up the possibility of being able to look at the three billion DNA pieces in each of us so we can get a greater understanding of the complex relationship between our genes and lifestyle.”

The £100m earmarked from the project, which stems from existing NHS budgets, will be spent on training genetic scientists, mapping patients’s DNA, and creating systems for handling the information.

The Human Genome Project, which made an initial ‘rough draft’ of the human genetic sequence in 2011, cost approximately £500m.

But technological advances have cut costs dramatically, meaning the procedure can now be performed for under £1,000 per person, and officials believe the new £100m DNA mapping investment could reduce prices further still.

All patients will be asked for permission before their DNA is sequenced, with all subsequent data anonymised before it is stored.

Alongside the DNA mapping announcement, the government also allocated £100m of new science funding in the Autumn Statement to the life sciences sector.

The money will help build research capabilities for synthetic biology, facilities for manufacturing cell and biological medicines such as antibodies and vaccines.

Science minister David Willetts said: “Life sciences is one of the most truly international sectors – so if we are to continue to be a world player and compete in the global race we must do everything we can to support it.

“In the past year, our initiatives have attracted more than £1 billion of private sector investment to the UK. We can see clear evidence the UK is succeeding in creating the right environment to attract global investment to our shores and continue to be world leader in life sciences.”

Related articles

• DNA of 100,000 people to be mapped for NHS (guardian.co.uk)
• DNA mapping for cancer patients (bbc.co.uk)

Some people have CA19-9 numbers in the thousands! Just goes to show you how early detection can help save your life, or just save you from extreme suffering or surgeries. I know that I am so very lucky to have doctors who actually cared enough to do their jobs well. That’s not always the case.

Unfortunately there are doctors out there who are just slacking by until retirement. If you ever feel your doctor isn’t hearing you, or helping you with small issues that you’ve learned to live with please find a new doctor. Please! I’ve been there. I know it makes sense to just believe in your doctor. After all he or she is the one who went to school for a hundred years to learn all the doctory things. They should know, right?

But only you know your body, and you know it better than your doctor. Trust yourself. Trust your instincts (yes, you have them), and believe that you deserve a better way of life than you may currently be living. I used to suffer with little health problems and tell my doctor about them at each visit, but I got the feeling that he just didn’t think they we problematic enough to treat. Or the treatments that he suggested made no change to my health. When that doc planned to retire, I went back to my old doc. And a few short months later they found the tumor in my liver.

What if that doc had never retired?

How scary is that?

Schedule an appointment for a full body physical at the beginning of the new year. Really pay attention to how your doctor treats you and your concerns. If you don’t feel satisfied, please find another doctor. Do not question that decision ever! You know what is right for you. Believe in that and you will find yourself in a better position for good health.

Now these are NOT my Lungs, but it shows a good representation of my lungs.

The little White lines in the Black Area are what we are Concerned with, like the Branches of a Tree or Bush. Those are the little tubes that the AIR transfers to the Lungs. It was in one of those areas of branching that had a Fuzzy Area, on My Scan…

I am Happy to Report that Area has gotten Smaller…But a few New Bright Areas have Shown -Up and Some have Disappeared. I told the Doctor that it was like Wack-a Mole….he had No Idea what I was talking about.

Anyway I was asking a few Questions that this young Doctor could not Answer, so he went and got the Resident. And we started a Discussion about treatment and other Options. I seems there are a Few out there. The one I was thinking about (Steam Cleaning the Lungs), the Resident told was Not Practical in my Case.

They still do Lung Removal also Lung Reduction…also he knew of a Research Study going on now Between the Hospitals for a New Type of  Lung Reduction Procedure…

The Lung Removal Partial or the Whole thing, is Standard I guess. The Surgical reduction and the New Gluing, is done on both sides at the Top of the Lungs.

The Reduction of the Lung Capacity makes the Most Sense for me. I am Not to Crazy about the Gluing in that 2 out of 3 will get the Procedure for the Duration of the Study. The 3rd will Not Know till the End of the Study, then if they want to have it done….Well I think I would rather have the Surgical reduction and that way I know…

First Off it is Not the First time I have been told that I have Large Lungs. Not just Physical Size but Volume and Capacity. This may be due to Heredity or from Swimming from an Early Age.

But according to the Resident, I am a Prim Candidate for it. By cutting or gluing Off the Top Cone Portion of the Lung it Optimizes the Lung Function by using more of the transfer Area. We only use about 20% of the Air we Breath In, turns into Oxygen.

The same as if you have a Two Room Apt. your cooling with an Air-Conditioner and it works hard doing it. If you shut the door between the rooms it keeps one room Cool and the Unit does not work that Hard…

I still have a Few Tests after the First of the Year…Plus the Moving…

With GOD’s Help I’ll get through this….

The nursing lodge staff want to watch him carefully for a week and I’ve been advised not to take him out, so that’s fine. I mean, I haven’t been taking him out lately anyway, because it is so difficult to lift him and all that. I rang and spoke to him and he said, “Maybe I should just step in front of a truck!” and I reprimanded him but of course who can blame him for feeling like this.

click for source

So I am rather pleased that the courts have stopped the autopsy after all with modern imaging techniques like CAT scans and Magnetic Resonance Imaging  enable forensic examination without mutilation. I may seem like a small thing to some people but if the grief of a family can be eased, even a little by such a small thing then why should it will be denied?

With respect comrades

]]> http://healthinessbox.com/2012/11/28/renal-failure-or-kidney-failure-formerly-called-renal-insufficiency/ Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:29:12 +0000 Rogers Tahir http://healthinessbox.com/2012/11/28/renal-failure-or-kidney-failure-formerly-called-renal-insufficiency/ Renal Failure or Kidney Failure (formerly called renal insufficiency) is a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood. The kidneys, which serve as the body’s natural filtration system, gradually lose their ability to remove fluids and waste products (urea) from the bloodstream. They also fail to regulate certain chemicals in the bloodstream, and deposit protein into the urine. Renal failure or Kidney Failure is also described as a decrease in Glomerular Filtration Rate. Biochemically, an Elevated Serum Creatinine Level typically detects renal failure.

Causes of Renal Failure or Kidney Failure

• Diabetes.   Kidney Disease is not common during the first ten years of diabetes, if diabetes is not well controlled, excess sugar (glucose) can accumulate in the blood. Glucose can damage the glomeruli. The risk of chronic kidney failure is higher among patients with Diabetes Type I. Kidney Disease more commonly occurs between years 15 to 25 after diagnosis of diabetes.
  

  Chronic Renal Failure

• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure).  High Blood Pressure can damage the glomeruli. The kidneys can become stressed and ultimately sustain permanent damage from blood pushing through them at an excessive level of pressure over a long period.
• Obstructed urine flow.  Blocked Urine Flow increases pressure on the kidneys, and undermines their function. Possible causes include an enlarged prostate, kidney stones, or a tumor.
• Kidney Diseases. Polycystic Kidney Disease, Pyelonephritis, or Glomerulonephritis can result in Kidney Failure.
• Kidney Artery Stenosis.  The Renal Artery narrows or is blocked before it enters the kidney.
• Certain Toxins. Fuels, solvents, and lead can lead to Kidney Failure. Even some types of jewelry have toxins, which can lead to chronic kidney failure.
  

  Chronic Renal Failure

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosis.  The bodies own immune system attacks the kidneys as though they were foreign tissue.
• Malaria and Yellow Fever
• Some Medications. Overuse of drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen.
• Drug Abuse. Use of drugs such as heroin or cocaine can result in Kidney Failure.
• Injury to Kidneys

Symptoms of Renal Failure or Kidney Failure

• Anemia
• Sudden change in bodyweight
• Protein in urine
• More frequent urination, especially at night
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue and weakness
  

  Chronic Kidney Failure Symptoms

• Sleep problems
• Changes in urine output
• Decreased mental sharpness
• Muscle twitches and cramps
• Hiccups
• Swelling of the feet and ankles
• Persistent itching
• Chest pain, if fluid accumulates around the lining of the heart
• Shortness of breath, if fluid accumulates in the lungs
• High blood pressure (hypertension) that’s difficult to control

Diagnosis of Kidney Failure

• Blood Test will assess the levels of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid, phosphate, sodium, and potassium in the blood.
• Urine samples will also be collected, usually over a 24-hour period, to assess protein loss.
• X Ray, MRI, Computed Tomography Scan, Ultrasound, Renal Biopsy, and/or Arteriogram of the kidneys may be employed to determine the cause of kidney failure and level of remaining kidney function.
• X Rays and Ultrasound of the bladder and/or ureters may also be taken.

Treatment of Kidney Failure

1. 1   Physician will work to slow or control the disease or condition that is causing Kidney Failure.

• People with Chronic Kidney Failure may experience worsening high blood pressure. Your doctor may recommend medications to lower your blood pressure.
• People with chronic kidney failure often experience high levels of bad cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease. Statins may be recommended to lower Cholesterol.
• Anemia Treatment.  Physician may recommend supplements of the hormone erythropoietin, sometimes with added iron.
• Medications called diuretics can help maintain the balance of fluids in your body.
• Physician may prescribe calcium and vitamin D supplements to prevent weak bones and lower your risk of fracture.
• To reduce the load on kidneys, physician may recommend eating less protein in diet.

1. 2   Chronic kidney failure is an irreversible condition. Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis, or Kidney Transplantation is employed to replace the lost function of the kidneys

• Hemodialysis. Hemodialysis Patients have need of treatment three times a week, for an average of three to four hours per dialysis “run” depending on the type of dialyzer used and their current physical condition. The treatment involves circulating the patient’s blood outside of the body through an extracorporeal circuit (ECC), or dialysis circuit.
• Peritoneal dialysis. the patient’s peritoneum, or lining of the abdomen, acts as a blood filter. A catheter is surgically inserted into the patient’s abdomen. During treatment, the catheter is used to fill the abdominal cavity with dialysate. Waste products and excess fluids move from the patient’s blood-stream into the dialysate solution. After a waiting period of six to 24 hours, depending on the treatment method used, the waste-filled dialysate is drained from the abdomen, and replaced with clean dialysate.
• Kidney Transplant. Kidney transplantation involves surgically attaching a functioning kidney, or graft, from an organ donor  to a patient . When the new kidney is transplanted, the patient’s existing, diseased kidneys may or may not be removed, depending on the circumstances surrounding the kidney failure.

Related articles

• Kidney Disease (healthinessbox.com)
• ‘Artificial artery’ saves mother with kidney failure (telegraph.co.uk)

Consequently I’ve spent my entire life typing with my left index finger. My right index finger controlled the Shift key. I wrote my7 120+ page Masater’s thesis using my lefgt index finger, and spent nearly 30 years pounding out calalogs using the lonely digit.

Last Monday the unthinkable happened. I injured my left arm, making typing with my left hand impossible. It is a temporay situatuon, and in a few days tthings will be back to normak.

In the mean time I havebto type with my untrained right indez finger. I miss my left indes finger more than a love sick YC?G misses the boyfriend who just dumped her. Please get well soon.

http://www.sensorysociety.org/ssp/wiki/Anosmia/

According to MedIndia.net, there are two kind of loss of the sense of smell: 1) hyposimia, when the loss is partial and 2) ‘specific anosmia’, when people can’t smell a particular odor – which is usually genetically-related.

But what implications could this loss have on people? Amongst the most common consequences we can mention the patients’ complain of consequently losing their sense of taste (ageusia) and of not enjoying food as much as they did before. ‘They can perceive saly, sweet, sour, and bitter substances, but flavour discrimination which a function of olfaction is not possible’ (MedIndia.net).

What makes the sense of smell possible is a special lining in the posterior portion of the nose called the olfactory epithelium. Starting from this lining, signals ar carried via nerves to the brain which translates the scents into actual feelings and emotions. Given the importance of nerves, the potential damage to them may result in anosmia, as the brain may no longer be able to receive those inputs.

http://www.sensorysociety.org/ssp/wiki/Anosmia/

Normal aging might have an impact on your sense of smell, which may result in anosmia. Although this issue is more common than you may think, there are no specific treatments to cure it although the specific causes may be treated.

So why don’t you try to ask your partner, friend, child to play a game with you? Pick a few different scents and try to name them and see how you get on with that, it’s a great way to train your nose, test it and have fun

References:

• MedIndia.net: http://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/anosmia.htm
• Sensory Society: http://www.sensorysociety.org/ssp/wiki/Anosmia/
• Anosmia Foundation: http://www.anosmiafoundation.com/suffer.shtml

Written by: Carlotta Zorzi

I wanted to make a exception just this one time and talk about something which truly touched me. Its too late to be inspired to be a doctor (I wouldn’t honestly be able to become a doctor anyways- I can’t stand the site of blood- never- not even my own) but the story does inspire and help in putting a little more faith in humanity.

To start- its not a story; Its a real inspiration piece which I read on Yahoo today. While searching for juicy gossip (did u know Channing Tatum is the sexiest man alive! Yum yum) I came across this beautiful story titled the ‘$5 doctor’.

Russell Dohner, the ‘doctor’ in question is a 87 year old practicing family physician who, in this darn age of money making medical practitioners (no pun intended- but I mean it word by word you money menders!) has decided to stay true to the code of conduct of the profession. As the article points, “The Only thing which changed after his 60 year of medical practice is that the fee to visit him went up from $2.00 to $5.00. Its unbelievable how this man has managed to be untouched by the ritualistic ideologies of the modern day doctors.

Since we are at the topic, I want to touch the very reason why anything about doctors trickles my inner-most hater glands (you think nothing of this sort exits! Think again- they just haven’t been discovered in you). It all began when my then 4 month old developed acid reflex. Now Acid Reflex is a very common condition which develops in babies and generally goes away on its own once they are able to sit up straight. But my baby had a ordeal in her fate. She got this and I honestly din’t know why my innocent beautiful and otherwise cheerful baby suddenly one day decided to start throwing up all of a sudden. I took her to the local emergency room and they told me it was a stomach virus which would go away on its on. They told me to wait on it and let it pass. But guess what! It din’t! because it was never a stomach virus. My poor child went through the same cycle- drink-cry-throwup-cry some more- repeat for about 3 days when I decided to take her back into the emergency(I called the doctor office up btw- and they told me to take her to the emergency). Again the same story, they would keep me there for 4 hours, run blood tests and send me home with the ‘Stomach Virus‘ story. I was frustrated seeing my baby in this much pain and trouble. The highlight of the ordeal was when the next day (day 5) around noon she went into a seizure. Seeing my child’s eyes roll up into her head and her frail body limp in my arms took the very life out of my heart (I can’t stop the tears in my eyes right now- putting the experience into words is harder than I thought). 911 was called and we were taken to the emergency room again. When we got there, I was informed that all this time- there was no pediatrician in the facility to attend to a baby! Really! I had been coming here for the past week and no one bothered to tell me about it! (and mind you- we live in the DC Suburbs- I am not in a small town). Anyways- we were then transferred to the nearest hospital (9 miles away) which had a pediatric ward. The doctor there was wonderful! He spoke to me to 5 minutes and was able to tell me that my poor baby had acid reflux and since no one attended to her throwing-up for the past 5 days- she had gone down to developing serious dehydration which had bought down her sodium levels to critical numbers- this is what caused the seizure. He put her on IV and said all would be well- the seizure was once in a lifetime affair and there was nothing to worry about. But he wanted baby and me to be transferred to a nearby children’s hospital to gauge the gastric conditions and see for certain that everything was fine in there and that the doses being suggested are fine. There was nothing in this speech which suggested ‘trouble’. We were transferred that night to the children’s hospital  I told my husband to get some sleep and I would be with the baby. We were due to be released the next day so me and Shagun (the baby) would get some sleep as well. Little did I know what was coming…..

We get to the hospital and are put into the ward. Shagun gets some monitors strapped on to her and the nurse tells me that they are nothing but just to monitor her heart beats. The IV’s go on (to bring her sodium to normal) and we are given some covers to call it a night. For the first time in 5 days I see my baby smiling and playing and its a relief. 2 hours into my sleep I see a commotion in the room. I open my eyes to a group of residents hovering over my frighted child who is in insane tears. I run to them and ask them what wrong and they tell me that on the outside monitor (mirroring the one inside the room) they saw Shagun’s heart skip a beat twice. They are certain she is receding and needs to be examined. I am given no time to react and we are wheeled into the IICU (its more intensive then the ICU). Monitors up- more IV’s put in, much to the pain of my child who hardly has energy left to let out a cry when they plug the needles in. The next thing I know- they want CT scans and MRI’s done on her brain to see whats going on since she had a seizure before. The next 2 hours are spent wheeling from the CT scan room to the MRI scan and finally to a full body x-ray. I ask one of the doctors what these scans are going to do to my child in the long run- she smiles sheepishly and says “I can’t really comment on that”. By the end of all this- my poor child is so tired that she decides to fall asleep even though she is being transferred from one machine to another. By then my husband is there and I practically crash to the ground in agony and disbelief. Guess what happens next!- we have a team of neurosurgeons in the room. We are told that Shagun’s brain has retained some water which could prove fatal to my child. One of the female doctor kneels next to me and says “I don’t want to get your hopes too high. It seems that the baby’s brain is not shunting out the liquid which it should be doing on its own, so we might have to put a shunt into her brain which would end in her kidney- thus doing the work of shunting out the liquid. You could be looking at a physically handicapped child for the rest of her life”.

I cannot honestly tell you how devastated I was. Two hours ago- I was planning a ride back home with a prescription of a reflex medicine, and here I am, 2 hours later – considering possibilities of loosing my baby. A serious looking doctor comes in and says he wants to perform a brain tap and a spinal tap to make sure its not meningitis effecting my baby. I look at him puzzled and ask him how is it possible. He just wants to do it. I unwillingly say yes and my baby is strapped on by force by two nurses and a resident while a doctor inserts a huge needle into her back. If the pain wasn’t enough to kill her, she looks at me with her big black eyes and just utters a ‘Maa’ before giving in into the force. Next comes a fresh group of residents; all inquisitive, ready to test on the lab rat. My poor child is sedated and then another needle goes into her brain from which the fluid is pulled out. I am sitting through all this and thinking- Why am I allowing this- this should’t be happening. The moment they get done, I am completely on the floor crying my heart out for my poor child. I ask my husband to close the door to the room and not let anyone in till I am not ready. I walk up to my child who manages to pass me a smile even under those heavy drugs. I feel the pain and hold her close. Her both hands have swollen because of the IV’s and are deemed non-worthy of holding the IV needle anymore, so her legs have started serving the purpose.

I honestly cannot tell you what that moment did to me. If there was a doctor or a nurse in front of myeyes at that point- I would have pushed them out of the window. That was when I decided to put my foot down. I knew from looking into my daughters eyes- that she was fine. The doctors had not let me breast feed her since being bought to the hospital telling me that she was getting the nutrients from the saline. But they din’t see her dry lips, they din’t see her desperate eyes. I stormed out of the room asking my husband to keep a watch and got hold of the next doctor I saw with his collar. I told him I needed to see the doctor presiding over my daughter’s case. I was hastily pointed out to a spectacled gentleman standing at the end of the doorway. I walked up to him to be greeted by another set of doctors who told me they were discussing my daughter’s case and needed another set of brain taps and a detailed MRI again. That was enough to piss the living light out of me. I started talking at the loudest I could and told them if they lay one hand on my child after this- I would physically push the needle through them with my bare hands. I don’t think they were used to be spoken this way and just kept blinking at me. I also demanded for the IV’s to be removed because I wanted to breast feed my child. I asked them for a dose of the acid reflux to be administered and that she taken of any and every medication they were putting in her body through the IV. They told me it was impossible and that my daughter would die. In the meantime, my husband called the doctor who had initially seen our baby and told us it was a reflex. He was filled in with the details and sounded surprised. He offered to come in to the hospital immediately and speak to the doctors there about his opinions.

Now, I have done my fair share of science classes. Being a avid reader and coming from a extended family of doctors, I knew that Seizures are a common thing to happen when the body is low on sodium and also the body tends to retain water and other fluids while coming back from sodium malnutrition. This is common defense mechanism of the body in-case the sodium deficiency comes in again. The body will cease this fluid retention process once it is out of the shock mode- which could take a couple of days at the minimum. I knew that the reason her brain was holding the water could be because of this as well. I shared my thoughts with the doctors and they seemed to be taken-a-back with this opinion. I asked them why this was not considered before and why a second set of MRI’s was needed. I was never given a clear answer. The doctor from the other hospital who had offered to help came in and shared my concerns. Guess what! Shagun was removed from IV’s and I was asked to start breast-feeding. She was administered the acid-reflex medicine and it was decided that she and I would be under observation for the next two days to monitor if there was improvement.

2 days were a long time. It barely took her 8 hours of regular breast milk which she wanted every hour and sucked to get back to her chirpy self. My Baby came back and passed all her tests (neurological and physical) with A+. The head of Neurosurgery came in during our last hours in the hospital and looked quizzed about why it had taken his team so long to figure out that the best medicine was a regular dose of over-the-counter acid reflex pills and a bottle of mother’s milk.

While walking out of the hospital two days later I met with the lady doctor who had told me my child would be  mentally and physically impaired for the rest of her life. I walked up to her and held Shagun to her face and said- “See I defeated your team of MD’s and MBBS’s with a little common logic! She didn’t look very happy but hey! I don’t give a fuck!! I swear to god but Shagun farted in her face!

In all my baby was put through SHIT!! they billed the insurance for $45,000 and what came out of it? An Acid-Reflex? Medicine today has become a trade- a darn trade it is. Everyone is in to make money.

Everyone- but Dr Dohner. Reading his story made me reconsider my experience and put back some faith into this profession. Getting up at 6 am everyday- every single day diligently to serve his community and town and being there without any selfish motive makes him worth a applaud. Read on the story- Its worth the few minutes spent

All I can say in the end of- And a doctor he became - A real doctor.

The Article can be found here- http://news.yahoo.com/5-doctor-practices-medicine-bygone-era-180340207–finance.html

Long story short- I lost my appendix last week! Well, technically it was taken from me.
(You can see my appendix HERE)

Good news: I don’t have appendicitis!
Bad news: I still had to have surgery.

It all ‘started’ Friday morning where I had an appointment at the Family Doctor, where my mother made an appointment for me because of the stomach pain I’d been complaining about, because she was worried and tired of no answers. I thoroughly expressed my unhappiness about the appointment- stating they wouldn’t be able to solve anything regarding my stomach- as no one had as of yet. Turns out my family dr. thought it was serious enough she wanted to send me to the ER in case I had appendicitis. Ugh… so much for going to work on Friday!

So I went to the ER nearest my house upon recommendation of my family doc- who called them to let them know I was coming. My symptoms were severe cramping, sharp pains in the lower right quadrant of my stomach etc. So I went to there, and from there it kind of becomes a blur. I was pretty nauseous, and I guess I was dry heaving a lot. It got so bad that I actually stopped breathing twice, and was turning purple. I don’t really remember that part that well- other than the fact that it hurt my face and my stomach terribly and that I couldn’t breathe. It got pretty hectic from there, they ended up putting a breathing mask on me, and using some of the equipment behind the bed in the ER to keep me breathing. I’ve never actually seen that stuff used! Once they stabilized me from the nausea/ lack of vomiting,  they did blood tests, exams, the whole work up- told me I looked good and sent me home on medicine for my headache/stomach- Reglan and Benadryl   [On a side note- my family and I have come to the conclusion that no matter how small my medical ailment may be, that from now on I have to stay within my system of doctors (UCH-University of Colorado Hospital) rather than choosing other places over convenience. It's the only thing that makes sense, given the complication, complexity, and frankly uniqueness of my conditions.] ANYWAYS- So I went home, as usual, with no answer. Just temporarily medicated to mask whatever problems I was presenting. I suppose, with me having lupus, the docs just chalked it up to another piece of the disease-not feeling well. I went home- and went straight to bed, as I had had an incredibly tiring day that not only did I feel was wasted, but I stopped breathing twice and the doctors barely noticed. I pretty much felt like I didn’t matter or belong in the ER with my stomach pains.

Turns out, the next day (Saturday) I woke up, feeling even worse. Terrible pains in my stomach, to the point where it hurt to breathe. So my dad drove me to the correct hospital (UCH @ Denver-30 min drive south) Saturday evening after I was sick and in pain all day long. I threw up the entire way to the hospital, and when I got there- they actually got me back and to a room quicker than I’ve ever experienced in that ER.  When I presented to the ER my BP and heart rate were high and my oxygen was low- in the 70′s. They immediately started me on dillaudid, phenergan, and oxygen. From there, I don’t remember a lot… just being in pain, getting scans, and being ‘admitted’ to the hospital, but there were no rooms so I was somewhere in the back of the ER for a day or two. At some point I got a room, I’d say by Monday or Tuesday, but I was really sick so I have a hard time remembering. There were a lot of doctors coming in in groups (teaching hospital) doing exams on me, and I do remember they said my appendix looked perfect in the CT Scans. I couldn’t have cared any less if it was my appendix or not… all I knew was that it hurt very bad, it was making me very sick, and they needed to figure it out. So thats what I told them. Day after day. They told me the only abnormality they saw was some ‘stranding‘ on my right ovary, which could indicate a number of things- most likely not severe. Problem was, they cannot use IV contrast in CT scans for me, because I’m allergic. So they cannot see very specifically into my abdomen. 

Eventually, the doctors, rheumatologists, and surgeons, came to some sort of weird internal struggle on whether they should do surgery on me or not. It seemed to me that just about everyone wanted me to have surgery- except the surgeons! Strange, I know. But I guess they were worried they would go in, and not find anything wrong, and then just cause me additional trouble (for ‘no reason’) regarding healing from the surgery due to my medications and Lupus. After a few back and forths between the surgery team, the primary care team, the rheumatology team, and a big ‘push’ from my dad- the chief surgeon came in my room one morning and said he’d do the surgery as an ‘exploratory appendectomy’, where they take out my appendix (regardless of it’s condition, and then look for any obvious further problems) as long as I knew and understood the consequences.

I was to the point where I was so tired of the pain, I didn’t care if they took out all my organs… I just wanted them to fix it. And I KNEW they would see something wrong if they looked inside. So a little after 9pm on Tuesday night…. they did the laproscopic surgery with 4 holes- two in my belly button, and two more about three inches below the one before.(You can see my appendix HERE)

The outcome was a relatively unremarkable appendix, and about 20 cc’s of bloody material from a suspected large hemorraghic cyst on my ovary that hard ruptured and caused bleeding into my open abdomen. Most of the blood had been absorbed into my body, but this was frankly too much and too gunky (gross- I’m sorry I know) to be absorbed into my body. So there was the source of all my pain! Apparently I’d had a large hemorraghic (blood filled) cyst that had cause the ‘stranding’ on my ovary and then at some point ruptured- leaving all this free fluid and cyst leftovers that needed to be cleaned out of my open abdominal cavity. (Note: normally there should be no fluid in your abdomen- outside of your organs!). It is very rare that a cyst ruptures and leaves remnants (especially so much blood) in the abdomen…so this was not even on the doctors mind’s as an option to consider to be causing my sickness.

OF COURSE it’s rare. Rare should be my new middle name.

I got out of the hospital on Thursday afternoon, feeling relatively well. My pre-surgery was gone instantaneously after the surgery was completed! And all that’s left now is the post- surgical incision pain, etc… but that is manageable :)

So, ultimately, I feel lucky that the doctors went in and did the (what turned out to be necessary) surgery- and I wasn’t left suffering for weeks longer.

Even though this particular ailment had nothing to do with my SLE Lupus, I’m surprised how much it came up in the Thanks to my dad’s stern push- and my rheumatologists’ fighting for me, knowing me as a patient- I am at home and recovering well!

I even have a picture of my appendix! (I was lucky enough to convince the docs to take a picture of it!). You can see my appendix HERE. Haha, of course I would ask for a picture of my organs. Hey… if they are going to take it out I might as well see it! I will make sure it is a linked photo though, so you have the option to click it. Until then, xoxo

—Becca

Related articles

• Lupus continued (garyskeete.wordpress.com)
• Putting Together a Lupus Treatment Team (everydayhealth.com)

Cannabinoid concentrated oil in the final stages of evaporation

by Jeff Ditchfield

Cancer free! This is the story (in his own words) of one of our cancer suffering friends
——–

My name’s Dave, it’s not my real name, I’m a 39 year old married family man with an 8 year old boy and twin girls.

I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in August 2008, with a tumour the size of an apple. During 2008 and November 2009 I took many conventional therapies.

I had Chemotherapy in tablet form which was combined with Radiotherapy at the same time. As the weeks went by the side effects of the chemotherapy increased and it was hard to take the tablets knowing that they would make me feel worse. The radiotherapy burnt me so badly that my skin blackened and I could no longer walk, my skin looked like the skin on a well cooked crispy duck!

I recovered from these treatments and the tumour reduced to the size of a pea. As it had reduced I could now have a procedure called Pappillion, this was a clinical trial and involved my tumour being zapped by a device which was inserted in my rectum. I endured three sessions and it was very, very painful.

Three months later and my tumour was growing again.

I now suffered another intrusive surgery called a THAMES, this involved them again going up my rectum but this time with a laser scalpel to cut the tumour away, after this operation I was informed that I should have a colostomy operation. After this painful operation I was subjected to more bouts of chemotherapy and after the third I felt as if I was dying and at the time death would have been a welcome release.

Over time I recovered and regular CT scans showed that I was cancer free until one scan showed hotspots on my lungs, three on the left lung and two on the right, I was gutted!

I had the bottom of my left lung removed, a biopsy found that it was bowel cancer that had spread to my lungs. I started to research other treatments for my condition and started to read about Rick Simpson and his cancer curing oil.

It was round this time that I was very lucky to be put in touch with a man who could provide the oil in the UK and I arranged to meet with him, after asking me many questions he gave me a syringe full of oil. Under his guidance I took a small blob and swallowed it.

The first effects could be felt within an hour, I felt the tightness and pain leave my chest and ribs and I could breathe more deeply and easily. I then began to feel a warm sensation and started to feel very stoned.

I took the oil daily in small amounts, four times a day and slowly increased the dose up to a gram a day.

At my next meeting with my Oncologist to discuss my latest scan results he informed me that the tumours on my right lung had reduced, I was lost for words.

My wife asked him if he knew anything about cannabinoids or the endocannabinoid system and neither of us were impressed by his answer or his negative attitude.

My new Guardian Angels again supplied me with another syringe of oil and I continued with the treatment.

The oil also had a very positive effect on my anxiety and I did not feel at all anxious when I was taking it. I also managed to gain the weight I had lost from the chemotherapy, the oil gave me my appetite back and I went from 9 stone to a healthy 12.

Then came the news I’d been praying for , my wife and I attended the appointment with my Oncologist and he commented on how well and healthy I looked, he seemed particulary pleased that I had put some weight on.

After reading through my file he said “the hotspots have reduced further on both sides” we queried him and he answered “ Yes, they’re no longer showing up on the CT scan!” again we sought clarification “Yes I’m sure”.

He showed us the scans on his PC and he started to read out various test results and my wife asked him to speak in plain language, despite this request he continued with the medical jargon and again had to be told to speak plainly.

My wife finally lost patience and asked him bluntly “if there are no hotspots showing anywhere does that mean he no longer has cancer?”, after a moments contemplation he answered “at this moment in time, you are cancer free”

I thought I’d misheard, “Sorry what was that?” My wife could see my confusion and she said “You’re cancer free love” I was in a total head spin! I couldn’t believe it, I was overwhelmed by feelings and I was welling up.

Due to the shock, I just sat there, I couldn’t take it all in and it was up to my wife to ask the Oncologist “Well, what happened?”

“It’s the surgery” the Doctor said. My wife responded saying that the surgery was many months ago and that the operation was on my left lung, there was no operation on the right lung.

My wife is a very determined lady so she kept pressing, “So again, how come he’s now cancer free?, it isn’t down to any surgery”

This Doctor has been against my use of the cannabis oil since I started on it a few months ago and every time I’ve brought the subject up he’s never wanted to discuss it but I was still shocked when he said “ Well in my professional opinion it’s down to surgery”

My wife and I both knew what had got rid of the cancer and it wasn’t surgery but the doctor was making it quite clear that we were at the end of our appointment so we left, my parting words were “Cannabinoids, research them”

The oil has helped me so much, it has saved my life and if that isn’t amazing enough there have been other positive effects. I used to suffer terribly with anxiety and with the oil I am not anxious at all, it’s enabled me to be relaxed in busy public places which is something that doesn’t normally happen.

I’d also say that I feel more ‘balanced’ it’s enabled me to put on weight, I had fantastic pain relief and it solved my insomnia, it’s amazing.

Yet despite all this my Oncologist isn’t interested, I feel totally let down by him and his attitude, he wasn’t pleased or excited by my results and infact he appeared lost and out of his depth. This was also the first time I’d seen him without a Nurse present, it’s never happened before, was he deliberately keeping the Nurse away from what I had to say?

I am going to request copies of my scans and test reults and I’ll give copies to Jeff

I’ve been reading up about the new strains of cannabis that are high in CBD, I’m still learning new things everyday about cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system, it’s a fascinating plant.

The oil I was given was high in THC and 60 grams of this oil cured my lung cancer, I knew the oil was mostly THC because the first few doses felt quite ‘trippy’ with some mild psychedelic moments. I’ve never actually felt a highness like that before just from cannabis, it seemed more like LSD or mushrooms but it was all very positive and I feel that it was an important part of my cure. I don’t want to sound evangelical or too over the top but the highs helped me find the real me and they really lifted my depression.

10 grams of cannabis oil

I also want to thank my wife, who is my rock. She’s seen me sit in every corner of our home crying and now she sees me with the kids, helping around the home, even cut the lawn! It’s time for her now .I would also like to thank you guys for reading and sending me positive vibes, this along with a complete diet change has been a huge factor too!

Abdomin

Abdomen extends from below your chest to your groin. Abdomen contains many other important organs, pain in the abdomen can come from any one of them. Severe pain does not always mean a serious problem, nor does mild pain mean a problem is not serious. Abdominal Pain in most of the patients can be diagnosed and treated successfully.

Causes of Abdominal Pain

1. 1 Non-Abdominal Causes

• Pneumonia
• Heart Attack
• Pleurisy (Irritation of the Lining around the Lungs)
• Blood Clots to The Lungs

1. 2 Abdominal or chest wall pain

• Shingles
• Inflammation Of The Rib Cartilages
• Injury
• Nerve Irritation
• Hernias
• Scars
  

  Abdomen

1. 3 Inflammatory conditions of the upper abdomen

• Duodenal Ulcer or Gastric Ulcer
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
• Gastritis
• Pancreatitis
• Cholecystitis
• Choledocholithiasis
• Hepatitis
• Colitis

1. 4 Functional problems of the abdomen

• Non-ulcer dyspepsia
• Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction
• Functional abdominal pain
• Irritable bowel syndrome

1. 5 Cancers of the upper abdomen

• Liver Cancer
• Bile Duct Or Gall Bladder Cancer
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Stomach Cancer
• Cancer Of The Immune Cells

1. 6 Vascular problems
   

   Abdominal Anatomy

• Mesenteric vascular insufficiency
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm

1. 7 Inflammatory conditions in the mid-and lower abdomen

• Infections Of The Small Bowel Or Crohn’s Disease
• Infection Or Inflammation Of The Colon
• Inflammation Of Pouches that form in the Colon
• Appendicitis

1. 8 Bowel obstruction

• Adhesions
• Tumor
• Inflammation
• Colon Cancer

1. 9 Urinary tract problems

• Kidney stones
• Urinary tract infections (kidneys, bladder)
• Tumors of the kidneys or bladder

1.10 Pelvic problems in women

• Ovarian cysts or cancer
• Infection of the tubes
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Fibroid tumors of the uterus
• Malignant tumors of the uterus or cervix
• Endometriosis
• Adhesions (scars)

Diagnosis of Abdominal Pain

Actual source of abdominal pain can be traced by an experienced Physician from the history alone 80 to 90% cases. Abdominal pain is analyzed with particular emphasis on six features:

• Onset
• Progression
•  Migration
• Character
•  Intensity
• Localization

For emergency center patients with acute abdominal pain, initial lab tests may include a CBC with differential, electrolytes (i.e. sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous), serum chemistries (e.g. bicarbonate, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, serum glucose, amylase and lipase), liver function tests (ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin), urinalysis, and possibly coagulation labs and a pregnancy test. Blood may also be necessary for typing and cross matching, depending upon the clinical situation. an electrocardiogram may be considered as myocardial ischemia can present as isolated abdominal pain. Other Tests may include X- Rays, CT scan, MRI, Ultrasound or Endoscopy.

Treatment of Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain without fever, vomiting, vaginal bleeding, passing out, chest pain, or other serious symptoms often gets better without special treatment. The patient’s treatment will depend on what the doctor thinks is causing the abdominal pain. The patient may be advised not to eat anything, in order to carryout tests and further deterioration in condition. Pain relievers may also be given immediately in cases of severe pain.

I am still undecided. I can have the full open repair where I’m opened up and my aorta is repaired surgically. This means about 2 weeks in hospital and 3 months recovery. It has a higher risk of me (to be brutal) pegging out on the operating table. But it also means hopefully a complete permanent repair.

Or I can have EVAR (endovascular aneurysm repair). This is almost keyhole surgery. They insert a stent into my aorta by going in through the femoral arteryin my groin. Less chance of me pegging out. Less time in hospital and less recovery time. BUT … I will need constant annual check-ups plus there is more chance of later complications such as stent migration or infection amongst others.

STENTS

But all this may be irrelevant depending on the CT scan results. An EVAR is not suitable for all and it may be the full operation or nowt.

And the scan? Well that was easy. I did have tummy pains but we arrived on time for my 10:45 appointment. I was duly called in to the CT scan room. It was luckily an open scan (the pic I’ve put up is pretty much identical to my one.) I didn’t even need to strip off. Just no jewellery allowed. I could even keep my tee-shirt on.

Very much like the one I had.

They put an i.v into my arm after I laid on the rather comfy table. Then hands above my head and the scan started. Through once and told to hold my breath then through again as they injected (remotely) iodine into me. This was a strange although not unpleasant feeling. All of a sudden my neck, throat and shoulders felt really warm. Back through again as I held my breath and that was it. I had to wait outside for 10 minutes before they took the i.v. out, in case of reactions, Raven informed me. But that was it. Line out and off home.

Now an anxious wait for the next meeting with the Surgeon….eeeek!

ARGHHH!