2011年12月29日星期四

Medical fees fixed for seven treatments

As early as this summer, medical fees for treatment of seven diseases will be fixed and covered by the national health insurance scheme, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Monday.

The seven treatments are cataract surgery, hemorrhoids treatment, tonsil removal, caesarian section, hysterectomy, appendectomy and herniotomy. The program will be applied to local clinics and small hospitals from as early as July next year and extended to general hospitals or top-tier teaching hospitals by July 2013.

Regardless of the severity of the symptoms and the level of treatment, the patients will have to pay the prefixed fees, the Ministry said. The program will lower patients’ medical fees as doctors will be less likely to carry out unnecessary treatments, the ministry said.

The precise fixed fees will be determined based on current average medical fees for such treatments, calculated from figures filed by doctors.

2011年12月28日星期三

Colorectal Surgeons Border on Negligence in Cases of Anal Cancer

It’s long past time for the specialty of colorectal surgeons and even gastroenterologists to come up to current standards when it comes to dealing with anal cancer.

Bleeding hemorrhoids is more often than not the simple and initial diagnosis given to patients who ultimately will have anal cancer. A prescription is usually provided for a steroid cream to reduce not only the inflammation but accompanying itching as well.

This is the wrong approach to be taking with any patient until it is clear that HPV or anal cancer has been ruled out. The application of a steroid only reduces the immune response and can potentiate the progression of HPV. This can lead to the progression of precancerous lesions and existing precancerous lesions to invasive cancer.

This scenario is far from unusual. “Blog for a Cure” is a website which contains a subsection specifically for anal cancer patients. The story described above has been reiterated on this site far too many times to be considered acceptable and the fact is, the longer it takes for a correct diagnosis, the more in jeopardy the patient is of losing their life to metastatic disease.

Anal cancer, if caught early, is treated with radiation and chemotherapy and has a very high cure rate. Obviously this only decreases if a correct diagnosis is prolonged.

Every colorectal surgeon who encounters a patient with bleeding hemorrhoids should perform an HPV test to rule out the possibility of HPV and potential anal cancer. This is not much different from the cervical Pap tests which women receive and certainly is not a drain on the office to obtain the required supplies necessary to perform the test.

A positive test can alert the physician that this patient needs close follow-up and can allow for early diagnosis should any precancerous lesions develop. As a two-time survivor of anal cancer now living in Florida, I find it quite frustrating that I must fly to New York to a colorectal surgeon who is not only familiar with the anal Pap test but also with high resolution anoscopy or HRA.

HRA is a simple in-office procedure which examines the anal canal.

2011年12月27日星期二

An evolution in guidelines for research on chimps

Chimps are about 96 percent genetically identical to humans, and like us they are self-aware enough to recognize themselves in a mirror.

But physically, we show some remarkable differences. They don't get the same kind of heart disease humans get. They develop some of the brain abnormalities associated with Alzheimer's disease, but not others. And despite being more sexually promiscuous than humans, they don't get the same sexually transmitted diseases.

They heal better than we do and don't get sleep apnea, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, or acne. They aren't vulnerable to cancers of the breast, lung, stomach, pancreas, colon, ovaries, or prostate.

Physician-scientist Ajit Varki says these differences can be as informative as the similarities. With new restrictions expected soon on the use of chimpanzees in research, he and other scientists spoke about some types of research not mentioned in a new report, which they hope will continue or even increase.

The changes are expected to follow an Institute of Medicine report, released earlier this month, that stressed that biomedical research should be necessary, behavioral studies should be noninvasive, and animals should be housed and cared for appropriately. It was hailed as a positive step by animal-welfare advocates, such as the American Anti-Vivisection Society in Jenkintown. (According to the society's Sue Leary, there are currently no research chimpanzees in Philadelphia.)

The report said that most current research on chimpanzees is unnecessary. In response, the National Institutes of Health has called for a moratorium on new grants for chimp research until the agency can implement IOM's recommendations. But the new guidelines are not specific enough for scientists to predict which research projects will get the ax.

Some types of research should actually increase, said Varki, including studies that monitor the health of chimpanzees in research centers and sanctuaries. These, he said, can be conducted as part of the chimps' health care and can potentially benefit chimps, since they suffer their own unique set of health problems.

His bottom line is that scientists shouldn't do anything to a chimp they wouldn't be able to do ethically to a human. Researchers, he said, should consider invasiveness as well as any potential benefit to the chimps. Those criteria were not mentioned with regard to biomedical studies.

Varki said there is also a great deal we can learn through autopsy, and yet many sanctuary-housed chimps are incinerated when they die. Sanctuaries are not funded for autopsies or providing samples taken during routine medical care. "It's a lost opportunity to learn about them and us," he said.

Our opportunity to study chimps is also winding down. They are no longer imported for government-funded research. Research chimps are not bred in captivity, and, according to one estimate, will die out by 2037. Chimps in the wild are endangered, and may disappear as well.

Until that time, there is much that can be learned about ourselves from studying chimp behavior, said Emory University psychobiologist William Hopkins. Our evolutionary cousins are helping us understand the nature of our own language, culture, self-awareness, and social relationships. Studying chimps is helping us understand what makes us human.

"They exhibit abilities that other animals don't, so they occupy this unique niche in terms of information about how the brain works and how cognition evolved," Hopkins said.

He also sees no ethical problems with the behavioral work he is involved in at Yerkes National Primate Center, near Atlanta. Some of the studies involve brain scanning, but chimps can't sit still in a scanner without sedation. While darts are sometimes used to anesthetize dangerous animals, Hopkins said workers at Yerkes have trained chimps to accept getting a shot. That limits stress, which improves the accuracy of the scanning.

He is now investigating a form of nonverbal communication called joint attention, which happens when an individual looks at something and others follow his gaze. About 75 percent of chimps do this readily and the remaining 25 percent do not, he said. Genetic studies show those failing to follow another's gaze tend to have an altered form of a gene that codes for a hormone called vasopressin, implicated in bonding and social behaviors.

He also has found that chimps have varied and complex personalities. Some are more extroverted than others, some are more conscientious, and some are more neurotic, said Hopkins. "There are Woody Allens of the chimp world," he said.

He said he believed that the new guidelines might have little effect on behavioral research, and that they were more likely to restrict invasive biomedical studies.

Whether such studies will continue may hinge more on the potential benefit to human health. The IOM panelists were divided over the use of chimps to study Hepatitis C vaccines. The disease kills people, and chimp research may advance the search for a vaccine. But the process - infecting healthy chimps and subjecting them to liver biopsies - is not something any scientist would do to humans.

Regardless of how NIH decides to go on this, there's an unmistakable trend away from invasive research. "Seventy years ago chimps were sent off into space, given lethal doses of radiation, or infected with leprosy or TB," Varki said. "That kind of thing is fading away."

Some of this change comes from our understanding of evolution. "Chimpanzees are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom," said NIH Director Francis Collins. The connection between evolution and animal rights was an underlying theme in the film Planet of the Apes, in which two chimp scientists became enlightened about human rights as they recognized an evolutionary relationship between themselves and human beings. Now we seem to be moving in the same direction.

2011年12月26日星期一

An evolution in guidelines for research on chimps

Chimps are about 96 percent genetically identical to humans, and like us they are self-aware enough to recognize themselves in a mirror.

But physically, we show some remarkable differences. They don't get the same kind of heart disease humans get. They develop some of the brain abnormalities associated with Alzheimer's disease, but not others. And despite being more sexually promiscuous than humans, they don't get the same sexually transmitted diseases.

They heal better than we do and don't get sleep apnea, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, or acne. They aren't vulnerable to cancers of the breast, lung, stomach, pancreas, colon, ovaries, or prostate.

Physician-scientist Ajit Varki says these differences can be as informative as the similarities. With new restrictions expected soon on the use of chimpanzees in research, he and other scientists spoke about some types of research not mentioned in a new report, which they hope will continue or even increase.

The changes are expected to follow an Institute of Medicine report, released earlier this month, that stressed that biomedical research should be necessary, behavioral studies should be noninvasive, and animals should be housed and cared for appropriately. It was hailed as a positive step by animal-welfare advocates, such as the American Anti-Vivisection Society in Jenkintown. (According to the society's Sue Leary, there are currently no research chimpanzees in Philadelphia.)

The report said that most current research on chimpanzees is unnecessary. In response, the National Institutes of Health has called for a moratorium on new grants for chimp research until the agency can implement IOM's recommendations. But the new guidelines are not specific enough for scientists to predict which research projects will get the ax.

Some types of research should actually increase, said Varki, including studies that monitor the health of chimpanzees in research centers and sanctuaries. These, he said, can be conducted as part of the chimps' health care and can potentially benefit chimps, since they suffer their own unique set of health problems.

His bottom line is that scientists shouldn't do anything to a chimp they wouldn't be able to do ethically to a human. Researchers, he said, should consider invasiveness as well as any potential benefit to the chimps. Those criteria were not mentioned with regard to biomedical studies.

Varki said there is also a great deal we can learn through autopsy, and yet many sanctuary-housed chimps are incinerated when they die. Sanctuaries are not funded for autopsies or providing samples taken during routine medical care. "It's a lost opportunity to learn about them and us," he said.

Our opportunity to study chimps is also winding down. They are no longer imported for government-funded research. Research chimps are not bred in captivity, and, according to one estimate, will die out by 2037. Chimps in the wild are endangered, and may disappear as well.

Until that time, there is much that can be learned about ourselves from studying chimp behavior, said Emory University psychobiologist William Hopkins. Our evolutionary cousins are helping us understand the nature of our own language, culture, self-awareness, and social relationships. Studying chimps is helping us understand what makes us human.

"They exhibit abilities that other animals don't, so they occupy this unique niche in terms of information about how the brain works and how cognition evolved," Hopkins said.

He also sees no ethical problems with the behavioral work he is involved in at Yerkes National Primate Center, near Atlanta. Some of the studies involve brain scanning, but chimps can't sit still in a scanner without sedation. While darts are sometimes used to anesthetize dangerous animals, Hopkins said workers at Yerkes have trained chimps to accept getting a shot. That limits stress, which improves the accuracy of the scanning.

He is now investigating a form of nonverbal communication called joint attention, which happens when an individual looks at something and others follow his gaze. About 75 percent of chimps do this readily and the remaining 25 percent do not, he said. Genetic studies show those failing to follow another's gaze tend to have an altered form of a gene that codes for a hormone called vasopressin, implicated in bonding and social behaviors.

He also has found that chimps have varied and complex personalities. Some are more extroverted than others, some are more conscientious, and some are more neurotic, said Hopkins. "There are Woody Allens of the chimp world," he said.

He said he believed that the new guidelines might have little effect on behavioral research, and that they were more likely to restrict invasive biomedical studies.

Whether such studies will continue may hinge more on the potential benefit to human health. The IOM panelists were divided over the use of chimps to study Hepatitis C vaccines. The disease kills people, and chimp research may advance the search for a vaccine. But the process - infecting healthy chimps and subjecting them to liver biopsies - is not something any scientist would do to humans.

Regardless of how NIH decides to go on this, there's an unmistakable trend away from invasive research. "Seventy years ago chimps were sent off into space, given lethal doses of radiation, or infected with leprosy or TB," Varki said. "That kind of thing is fading away."

Some of this change comes from our understanding of evolution. "Chimpanzees are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom," said NIH Director Francis Collins. The connection between evolution and animal rights was an underlying theme in the film Planet of the Apes, in which two chimp scientists became enlightened about human rights as they recognized an evolutionary relationship between themselves and human beings. Now we seem to be moving in the same direction.

2011年12月25日星期日

Scenes We Love: Clark Griswold Explodes with Christmas Cheer

Scenes We Love: Clark Griswold Explodes with Christmas Cheer
There will always be a special place in my heart for Jeremiah Chechik’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. In my adult life, I have made it a Christmas eve tradition to rival any sappy joy-filled movie you may watch with your family. Whether I’m hundreds of miles from home or right next to close friends and family, this movie reminds me of the best Christmas years of my own life. Large family gatherings, plenty of food and yes, plenty of Auxillary Nuclear power-required mishaps. There is no Christmas like a Griswold Family Christmas. And to celebrate this love, our weekly Scenes We Love entry takes a look at one of Clark Griswold’s most iconic and explosive moments.

It’s been a hard fought year for Clark, played by Chevy Chase, the “last great family man” who spends his days creating preservatives to keep your cereal fresh and crunchy, all in hopes of delivering his family a wonderful gift with his big fat bonus check. He’s made his plans, including putting down a $7,500 deposit on a ridiculous pool, all that remains is to receive a check in the mail. But Clark’s boss, as played by the ever grumpy Brian Doyle-Murray, has other plans. Instead of a big fat check, and just after his prized Christmas tree has gone up in flames, Clark receives something far less valuable. And it sends him into one of cinema’s most memorable, somehow PG-13 rated tirades. It was a more innocent time then.

In a film like this, one filled with mishaps and holiday shenanigans including plenty of physical comedy, it’s important to have some sort of plot device that creates tension beyond Clark’s mother-in-law’s hemorrhoids. The bonus check does just that, creates a bit of rising tension that ultimately pays off with a heroic gesture from the unrefined Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid). It’s also a great example of Chevy Chase’s comedic timing and effortless delivery. Few actors were as good in their time as Chevy was in his.

It’s the breaking point between the rising first two acts and the somewhat action-heavy third act climax. And it’s memorably hilarious to see Clark absolutely lose his shit. In a movie filled with unforgettable moments, this one has the most immediate and uproarious kick.

It was a tough choice, this one. Coming into the holiday season, there was no doubt in my mind that we’d have to share a scene from Christmas Vacation. And with so many from which to chose, it was hard to narrow it down. As an example of that, I’d like to cheat and give you a bonus clip that involves a sled and some high-grade cooking wax. Later dudes…

2011年12月22日星期四

Practical Surgical Treatments For Hemorrhoids

You have several variations and severity stages of hemorrhoids requiring different hemorrhoid treatment. For victims where the hemorrhoids are intense enough, surgical operations could very well be the most appropriate option for treatment of hemorrhoids. Having said that, what is reckoned to be intense for one individual probably won’t appear quite so intense for another. Typically, if the anal opening is totally covered up with hemorroids that is considered to be intense. Strictly speaking though, thrombosed hemorrhoids as well hemrhoid treatment as bleeding hemorrhoids are generally occasions where you may possibly look into a hemorrhoid treatment involving surgical operations.

Not all the hemorrhoid treatment surgery prospects are the same. In fact quite a few of them are rather uncomfortablel.In addition to that they may take a considerably long time to heal. Luckily, a few of the more modern options aren’t as painful, but they’re ordinarily more beneficial as a treatment option to overcome hemorrhoids. If you’re checking out surgical operations as a hemorrhoid treatment method then you are most certainly striving to figure out what variations of surgical operations are available to you. This short article was published to supply you an overview of the individual variations of surgical operations that you can benefit from to overcome hemorrhoids.

Rubber Band Ligation is a widely chosen method of hemorrhoid surgical operations . A tiny rubber band approximately 1 millimeter in diameter is pressed over the root of the hemorrhoid by a specialized kind of gadget . The rubber band blocks the oxygen supply to the hemorrhoid. In just about a week hemorrhoid relief give or take the hemorrhoid dries up and drops off leading to a scar.

You may want to look into laser surgery. Laser surgery consists of the use of a laser to zap the hemorrhoid off. The surgical treatment needs a reasonably short time so this means you can go back home that day. it is an out patient hemorrhoid treatment. Laser surgical operations is not going to hold the common concerns connected facts about hemorrhoids with surgical operations , specially bleeding because the laser beam cauterizes the resulting injury.

A Stapled Hemmorhoidectomy is a relatively well recognised variation of hemorrhoid surgery . This variation of medical operation helps stop hemorrhoids from bleeding which in the long run relieves a lot of the pressure induced by the clotted blood. This operation is usually utilized on prolapsed hemorrhoids but it performs for any variation of bleeding hemorrhoid. This solution involves stapling the hemorrhoid.

Hemorrhoidal Artery Ligation Operation sometimes known as HAL is a modernday variation of hemorrhoid treatment facts about hemorrhoids that involves surgical operations. This procedure is becoming more popular operation doesn’t bring about significant pain. Effectively the approach consists of locating all the arteries that’re supplying the hemorroid with blood. Once the arteries are identified they are stitched to choke off the supply of blood to the hemorrhoid. For this reason the hemorrhoid dries up and falls off The only thing that remains is a scar.

2011年12月21日星期三

$2 Million Dollar Delayed Diagsonis of Cancer Verdict Awarded to Lawrence County Woman

On Monday night after a six day trial in front of the Honorable Dominick Motto, it only took a jury two and a half hours to award a $2Million verdict to a 32 year old nurse and mother of three small children. It was proven that in May of 2008, after experiencing what she thought was hemorrhoidal bleeding, Sarah Bargas went to see Ann Blakeley, D.O. at her office, Hemorrhoid Care, P.C. At that first visit Dr. Blakeley performed an anoscopy and diagnosed Sarah with hemorrhoids. She then recommended treatment with an “IRC” machine (infrared coagulation machine) in which a wand of light is applied to the base of a hemorrhoid, without ordering any further testing.

Reocrds show that Dr. Blakeley saw Sarah four more times in sixteen months with no relief of Sarah’s symptoms, each time diagnosing her with hemorrhoids and failing to order further testing. In July, 2009, Sarah finally self-referred to a specialist who found that she had Stage III rectal cancer with positive lymph nodes. What followed for her was a grueling course of radiation and chemotherapy, followed by major surgery, followed by more high-dose chemotherapy.

Sarah Bargas was represented by medical malpractice attorneys, Deborah Maliver, M.D., J.D., and Christine Biancheria, Esq. “This was a clear case of medical malpractice,” said Dr. Maliver, who, in addition to being an attorney, is a board-certified internal medicine doctor. “As a physician, if you see an adult patient with rectal bleeding, endocopy tests, either a flexible sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy must always be performed. The risk of cancer is too great to not look. Multiple very strict guidelines have been devised by the American Gastroenterology Association, the ASGE, as well as numerous other medical and surgical organizations mandating that all rectal bleeding in and adult be evaluated this way. This case was one in which these strict rules were inexplicably broken, to the detriment of a wonderful young wife and mother.”

The jury found Dr. Blakeley was negligent. They determined that the delay in diagnosis of cancer made it more likely that Sarah would require extensive, painful therapies for her cancer and that her chance of dying of cancer was increased by Dr. Blakeley’s negligent delay. The total award was $2 million. The jury awarded $75,000 for past medical expenses, $1 million eight hundred twenty five thousand for her pain, suffering and mental distress, and Trever Bargas, her husband, was awarded $100,000 for loss of consortium.

2011年12月20日星期二

What Are Piles? What Causes Piles?

Piles are hemorrhoids that become inflamed. Hemorrhoids are masses, clumps, cushions of tissue in the anal canal - they are full of blood vessels, support tissue, muscle and elastic fibers. Although hemorrhoids are thought of as unpleasant inflammations, we all have them. It is when the hemorrhoidal cushions become too big (inflamed) that people have problems - when this happens they are called piles or pathological hemorrhoids. Put simply, "piles" are the swollen ones that cause pain and problems, hemorrhoids can refer to the swollen ones (pathological hemorrhoids) or just the normal structure. However, in most cases these days, piles and hemorrhoids have virtually the same meaning.

Piles can be of various sizes and can be internal ones (inside the anus) or external ones (outside the anus). Typically, internal piles occur from 2 to 4cm above the opening of the anus. External piles (perianal hematoma) occur on the outside edge of the anus. The internal ones are much more common.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, symptomatic hemorrhoids affect at least half the US population at some time in their lives, and approximately 5% of all adults have piles at any given time.

According to the National Health Service (NHS, UK), piles affect between 4% to 25% of the UK adult population. They are more common among adults aged between 45 and 65 years, as well as pregnant females.

Males and females are equally susceptible to developing hemorrhoids.

In the vast majority of cases, piles are effectively treated with OTC medications, a good fluid intake, and by following a diet high in fiber. In severe cases the piles may have to be surgically removed. Approximately 10% of patients who go and see their doctor about piles eventually have to undergo surgery.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary:

Hemorrhoids are "A varicose condition of the external hemorrhoidal veins causing painful swellings at the anus."

Internal Hemorrhoids are "Dilated veins beneath the mucous membrane within the sphincter."

External Hemorrhoids are "dilated veins forming tumors at the outer side of the external sphincter."

2011年12月19日星期一

Doable Surgical Operations For Hemorrhoids

You have different variants and intensity stages of hemorrhoids requiring different types of hemorrhoid treatment. For victims where the hemorrhoids are troublesome enough, medical procedures will be the most suitable possibility for treatment of hemorrhoids. . What is thought of as troublesome for one person probably won’t be thought of as hemorrhoid relief quite so troublesome for another. Commonly, if the outside of the anus is utterly covered up with hemorroids that is certainly thought of as troublesome. Specifically , thrombosed hemorrhoids and also bleeding hemorrhoids are commonly instances whereby you might choose to consider a hemorrhoid treatment involving medical procedures.

Supposing that you are contemplating medical procedures to overcome your hemorrhoids you have hemorrhoid remedy a number of possibilities to choose between. Some possibilities can be rather painful but a few of the latest methods perform pretty well but tend not to be so painful. Be sure you read through the rest of this review and learn about what differing variants of medical procedures are at hand for hemorrhoid treatment.

Rubber Band Ligation is a commonly utilized type of hemorrhoid medical procedures . A tiny rubber band somewhere around 1 mm in diameter is fitted over the root of the hemorrhoid by a specialised kind of gun . The rubber band cuts off the the flow of blood to the hemorrhoid. Inside approximately a few days give or take the hemorrhoid shrinks up and falls off causing a scar.

You could consider laser surgery treatment. Laser surgery consists of making use of a laser light to burn the hemorrhoid off. The operation requires a considerably short time and so you can go back home that day. That is, it should be an out patient hemorrhoid treatment. Laser medical procedures doesn’t hold the usual threats pertaining to medical procedures , and in particular bleeding mainly because the lazer gun cauterizes the wound.

A Stapled Hemmorhoidectomy is a relatively widely recognized type of hemorrhoid surgery treatment . This type of operation can help stop hemorrhoids from bleeding which consequently minimizes most of the hemorrhoid remedies pressure induced by the blood clots. This process is usually made use of on prolapsed hemorrhoids but it will work pretty well for any type of bleeding hemorrhoid. The process involves stapling the hemorrhoid.

A newer type of hemorrhoid surgery treatment consists of finding all external hemorrhoids the problematic arteries which supply blood to the hemorrhoid afterwards stitching them with the intention to cut off the flow of blood to the hemorrhoid. As soon as the blood supply is blocked the hemorrhoid dries out and drops off, leaving a scar. This solution is given the name HALO which is short for Hemorrhoidal Artery Ligation Operation. This solution is quite often given the name HAL which is short for Hemorrhoidal Artery Ligation. This solution is widely used considering that it is relatively painless.

2011年12月18日星期日

Discomforts of pregnancy can be minimized

The major physical and hormonal changes a woman undergoes during pregnancy can often come with unpleasant side effects, including morning sickness, sleeplessness, or aches and pain during certain activities.

But there is relief to be had, says Dr. Dean Bloch, who is a member of Health Quest Medical Practice’s Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as chief of OB/GYN at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck.

Even simple changes to diet, increasing fluid intake, supplementing with certain vitamins and other natural methods may make a major impact on how a woman feels during her pregnancy.

“We don’t fully understand” the cause of nausea during pregnancy, Bloch says, but “the single most important thing that works is time,” since morning sickness typically abates after the first trimester.

Bloch tells sufferers to eat small, frequent meals and to listen to what their body requires — eating the foods that seem appealing, avoiding the ones that don’t.

Many women, such as Hyde Park resident Amanda Verven, found they crave carbs to quench nausea.

During her first pregnancy, Verven would need to eat Saltine crackers first thing in the morning, even before getting out of bed, in order to keep her morning sickness at bay. Now pregnant with her second child, the 25-year-old Verven has not experienced the same degree of nausea, and she finds she doesn’t need to snack as often, though she does wake up in the middle of the night to eat a bowl of cereal.

For other treatment options, Bloch says Sea Bands, which are wristbands that hit an acupuncture point called PC 6, can help. So can a variety of forms of ginger, including ginger ale, which should be sipped flat and at room temperature.

Do keep drinking fluids to keep hydrated while avoiding too much sugar and artificial colors. (Try unsweetened coconut water, suggests our expert.) Most of the time morning sickness isn’t a cause for concern, but do contact your doctor or midwife if you feel very ill or if your urine is dark, which can signal dehydration.

It’s no surprise a pregnant woman finds herself tired, says our expert, since pregnancy is such a physical event.

“Listen to your body,” Bloch said. “If you are tired, sleep. Have proper nutrition and hydration,” which will provide additional energy.

The first two to three months of pregnancy are particularly fatiguing, so take heart in knowing you may have more energy after the first trimester, although that may not always be the case. Poughkeepsie resident Vanessa O’Keefe, now pregnant with her second child, says that she finds herself much more tired during this pregnancy, mostly because of the demands of caring for her first child, Cole.

“I am a stay at home mom who is chasing a toddler around all day. That would even make a non-pregnant person tired!” O’Keefe said.

2011年12月15日星期四

Men lack value as revenue builders

A few years ago, I wrote and complained about men not getting equal time on television. It seemed like everything on the screen concerned the weaker sex and a secretly embarrassing tendency to develop feminine itch.

If it wasn’t two very attractive young women calmly discussing an itch, then it was one woman squirming on a chair in a business meeting wishing she’d used Preparation H for her hemorrhoids. Me too. Wishing she had, that is. That way, I wouldn’t have had to watch her squirm.

All this is bad enough, but then add in what must be the bottomless billion-dollar market for sanitary products, and it becomes obvious: men aren’t much value as consumers. Maybe one of the reasons is: Men don’t have a hydraulic system that falls apart every 28 days.

The truth is, if a tractor hydraulic system worked the way that feminine insides worked, we’d fix it. Women, however, have been saddled since time began with what has to be considered kind of a primitive way to lay an egg.

Even chickens could be accused of having a better life. I suppose all this is going to fall by the wayside once the new pill that stretches their 28 days out to three months comes out. Pretty quickly, we’ll be seeing those ads, one would suppose.

What men need is to go bald every 28 days, because male baldness is the only real market that industry has targeted, and it isn’t big enough to really compete with anything women need.

Maybe if the old male prostate went creaky and wept some noxious emissions that required periodical mopping up, we’d be more on the minds of the advertising geniuses, and could get equal air time. We’re not salesworthy, bottom line.

Admittedly, there was a furious burst of advertising activity a while back when Viagra came out, but it didn’t last too long, not even when their competition came out with something that they said was better.

How could something that increases erectile function be better? That’s like saying someone is “more pregnant.” Better in this case seems kind of irrelevant. The bottom line is: seven Viagra pills are consumed every second in the USA, according to something I read that pulled sales figures together and divided it by the number of men in this country. Some guy somewhere must be using eight.

Maybe what men need to do is concentrate on the things that we do well, like having heart attacks.

We could work on having one once a month. That’d give Madison Avenue a good working goal.

“Men! That monthly heart attack got you down? Does it make you feel ‘not so masculine? Buy our new Kotex cholesterol pads.”

The ad could go on to say: “No other cholesterol-absorbing pad will give you the assurance you need to go out there and eat greasy fried food and drink beer every night.”

Now that’s an ad. Men would jump at something like that. “I can’t be having a heart attack,” the man gasped as the early responders hit him with 40,000 volts, “I’ve been on the pad.”

It’s generally agreed that men don’t go to the doctor enough. Maybe Madison Avenue could do something about that by advertising an In-Home Cholesterol Test, or an In-Home Baldness Test. These tests would show you, even when you’re still in your twenties, whether or not you’re going to develop some of these reasons to go see your physician.

In the back of one of the magazines to which I subscribe is an advertisement that is trying to compete with women. It says: “Hernia appliances for comfort! You too can enjoy heavenly comfort night and day and at work or play! 13 million men know. Ask for our free book.”

Free book? What the hell do we need a free book for? Women’s sanitary napkins don’t advertise a free book, and that particular design and insertion problem is considerably more complicated that a bulge somewhere below your belly button.

You see, right there is the problem: Men with hernias are stupider than women with menstrual abilities. I’m truly shocked by this insinuation. I watch women parade around on television all night with high-tech bras that look like they’d need an engineering manual.

They don’t need a book, and they’re trying to assemble this gadget around not one but two bulges.

Men have to have a book to cover one little one? What would such a book say? This is the front? This is the back? What about before there was a book. Did men run around with this hernia thing on backwards, wondering why it didn’t work? Why they didn’t feel so fresh?

So here’s the deal: For every feminine ad, I want a masculine one. Everytime I see a push-up bra, I want some guy with a big beer belly parading around in his underwear.

2011年12月14日星期三

Common misconceptions about treatments for hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are actually present in all individuals whether healthy or not. They are the vascular cushions which surround the general area of the rectum and anus.

The term hemorrhoids is associated with the symptoms when this part of the body becomes enlarged, inflamed, thrombosed or prolapsed.

Many people have them without suffering from any symptoms, and therefore these may be safely left alone. Treatment is usually required for those whose hemorrhoidal symptoms such as excruciating throbbing pain affect quality of life and daily living.

There are many traditional remedies and non-surgical treatments for hemorrhoids. However, if none of these work, surgical procedures may be required as a last resort.

Below are some misconceptions about hemorrhoids treatment and the truth behind each:

Misconception No. 1. All surgical procedures for hemorrhoids are very painful. Due to this reputation of a painful operation, advances in hemorrhoid surgery have focused on making it less painful. One such operation is stapled hemorrhoidectomy. Using a specially designed, single-use stapler instrument, hemorrhoids are excised and the anus repaired from the inside. The end-result is that the surgical wound is inside, and no wound is visible outside the anus. Scientific studies have proven that this is less painful than traditional surgery.

Another advanced surgical technique is transarterial hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD). Using a Doppler ultrasound, the blood vessel supplying the hemorrhoid is identified and ligated with stitches. Deprived of its blood supply, the hemorrhoid then shrinks and shrivels. Again there is no wound outside and is therefore almost painless.

Misconception No. 2. Another more common misconception about surgery for hemorrhoids is that it can cause fecal incontinence, or the inability to control farting or defecation. Again this is not true. When hemorrhoid surgery is done properly, incontinence won’t develop.

All surgical procedures for hemorrhoids, however, whether traditional or innovative, may sometimes develop complications such as bleeding, infection and stricture. It is important therefore to see practitioners with real expertise in performing such procedures when seeking treatment.

For effective hemorrhoid relief and treatment, MEDICard, a leading HMO company, recently opened its Colorectal Specialists Clinic, a first in the HMO industry.

Located at the MEDICard Lifestyle Center at the corner of Paseo and Buendia streets in Makati City, the clinic offers the latest technology and expertise in colorectal health care.

This specialist clinic provides comprehensive, advanced and efficient care to wide range of colorectal conditions. Its expertise is in the management of colorectal cancer, diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and other benign disorders like hemorrhoids, fissures, fistulae, polyps, constipation, fecal incontinence, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and other colorectal problems.

“Many people with common colorectal problems like hemorrhoids do not know where to go to,” said MEDICard president Dr. Nicky Montoya.

“We felt there was a niche for this new type of ‘convenience’ clinic where people can meet the specialists but not in the usual hospital clinic setting. Here, patients can avail themselves of experts’ straightforward advice, cutting-edge diagnostic services, and same-day colorectal procedures using the latest technology. There will be no hospitalization and the procedure will be more cost-effective and affordable,” Montoya added.

2011年12月13日星期二

Discovering Surgical Systems For Hemorrhoids And Their Risks

Given that you feel that you could are afflicted with hemorrhoids you’re with out a doubt resolved to educate yourself on what your potential hemorrhoid treatment plans are. As perhaps you might have guessed, there are all sorts of hemorrhoid treatment alternate options . In the event that you are afflicted with hemorrhoids which are not awfully critical you can probably get them remedied with one of the several numerous hemorrhoid treatment doityourself solutions. But, if you are afflicted with critical hemorrhoids, meaning, thrombosed hemorrhoids andor hemorrhoids that have begun to bleed you really should take a look at surgical treatment as a hemorrhoid treatment option.

This content examines the various distinct hemorrhoid cures that involve surgical treatment . A lot off the dated types of surgical treatment are awfully painful and are also known to take a great deal of time to get better. Alternatively, most of the more contemporary types of surgical treatment are not quite hemorrhoid relief as painful but they’re also pretty valuable in curing hemorrhoids. If you are thinking about surgical treatment for a hemorrhoid home remedy make sure youead through the rest of this content to educate yourself on what cures open to you.

Of the several forms of hemorrhoid surgical treatment available, Rubber Band Ligation is among the most popular. With this method of surgical operation a rubber band somewhere around 1/25inch is forced firmly over the base of the hemorrhoid. The arteries that make up hemorrhoid eventually shrivel up and drop off due to the fact the the flow of blood to them is block. It in most cases takes about 1 week for the hemorrhoid to vanish.

Laser surgiical removal is another method for the elimination of hemorrhoids. A special sort of laser device is aimed and fired straight right into the hemorrhoid. Resultantly the hemorrhoid is essentially burnt off of the surface of the anus . This procedure is normally executed without necessitating admission to the hospital. What’s more the expected risks of surgical treatment most notably bleeding are minimized primarily because the injury is hemorrhoids treatment cauterized at the same time.

A Stapled Hemmorhoidectomy is a relatively well known type of hemorrhoid medical operation . This type of operation is utilized to stop hemorrhoids from bleeding which in hemorrhoidal tissue the long facts about hemorrhoids run alleviates most of the pressure brought on by the clotting blood. This method is primarily utilised on prolapsed hemorrhoids but it performs fairly well for any type of bleeding hemorrhoid. This solution calls for stapling the hemorrhoid with a specially designed circular staple.

A newer type of hemorrhoid medical operation entails finding all the arteries which are supplying blood flow to the hemorrhoid afterwards stitching them so that it will block the blood supply to the hemorrhoid. Given that the supply of blood is stopped the hemorrhoid dries up and drops off, leaving a tiny scar. This technique is medically known as HALO which hemorrhoid relief stands for Hemorrhoidal Artery Ligation Operation. It is at times medically known as HAL which stands for Hemorrhoidal Artery Ligation. It is popular simply because it is relatively painless.

2011年12月12日星期一

All The Things You Have To Know About Thrombosed Hemorrhoids

Thrombosed hemorrhoids are in a nutshell, hemorrhoids where the problematic arteries embody blood which has clotted. The explanation of thrombosis is: the enlargement of a blood clot inside of a problematic vein. This formation prevents the flow of blood through the problematic vein, thus stopping the supply of oxygen and various other necessary stuff such as lactic acid. In the event that a thrombosed hemorrhoid incurs extreme pressure it will possibly pop open. If it does, the anus will start bleeding and at that point the hemorroid is considered a bleeding hemorrhoid.

If you suspect that you could have thrombosed hemorrhoids then you can inspect your anus by making use of a mirror. Look and see if you can identify Try to identify any bulbs right on your anus, specifically bulbs having a bluish tint. They are usually somewhat hard whenever you touch them. They will also trigger severe pain and itching. Acutally Even if you’re unable to see any lumps on your anus you might just have hemorrhoids anyways. Many hemorrhoids won’t be right on the anus , they are inside of the rectal canal. internal hemorrhoids can not be found on the anus. Besides that, they don’t normally produce pain or itching which means they’re ordinarily really tough to find.

What you really do not want is a nasty case of hemorrhoids that got infected, particularly internal hemorrhoids. If you have external hemorrhoids, then you’re aware of how awfully uncomfortable they can be. . cure for hemorrhoids They may well get infected and that might intensify the issue significantly. Even so, you should be able to pretty easily locate infections right on your anus so then you can get it cleared up comparatively easy. Internal infections alternatively are dangerous. Not only are they highly tricky to identify, they’re tricky to clear up. Internal infections may turn into blood poisoning which might be fatal.

Just a little investigation on the Internet for hemorrhoid treatment options will probably provide numerous distinct types of hemorrhoid treatment techniques. cause of hemorrhoids For more serious circumstances you might wish to look into surgery. In most instances however, your body system can clear up the disorder itself with A little of attention from you. Good hygiene, good eating habits and regular exercising are one of the most efficient hemorrhoid treatment solutions attainable to clear up your hemorrhoids and to help avoid future hemorrhoids. Make sure you keep your anal region nice and clean as that is a hemorrhoid treatment . Use topical antiseptics on it regularly Eat a great deal of fiber, specially fresh fruits and veggies which have numerous vitamins in them. Walk a couple of miles everyday or persue a sport that needs strenuous physical movement. Drink a great deal of fluids but stay clear of alcohol. You could apply topical creams and salves to your anus to help lessen the pain and itching connected to them. Just recognize that these are temporary relief as opposed to being hemorrhoid treatment cures. Not even surgery is a hemorrhoid treatment that can permanently remedy hemorroids. The only way you can definitely heal hemorrhoids is by changing your lifestyle.

2011年12月11日星期日

Common misconceptions about treatments for hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are actually present in all individuals whether healthy or not. They are the vascular cushions which surround the general area of the rectum and anus. The term we call hemorrhoids is associated with the symptoms when this part of the body becomes enlarged, inflamed, thrombosed or prolapsed.

Many people have them without suffering from any symptoms, and therefore these may be safely left alone. Treatment is usually required for those whose hemorrhoidal symptoms such as excruciating throbbing pain affect quality of life and daily living. There are many traditional remedies and non-surgical treatments for hemorrhoids. However, if none of these work, surgical procedures maybe required as a last resort. Below are some misconceptions about hemorrhoids treatment and the truth behind each.

Misconception No. 1. All surgical procedures for hemorrhoids are very painful. Due to this reputation of a painful operation, advances in hemorrhoid surgery have focused on making it less painful. One such operation is stapled hemorrhoidectomy. Using a specially-designed, single-use stapler instrument the hemorrhoids are excised and the anus repaired from the inside. The end result is that the surgical wound is inside, and no wound is visible outside the anus. Scientific studies have proven that this is less painful than traditional surgery.

Another advanced surgical technique is transarterial hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD). Using a Doppler ultrasound, the blood vessel supplying the hemorrhoid is identified and ligated with stitches. Deprived of its blood supply, the hemorrhoid then shrinks and shrivels. Again there is no wound outside and is therefore almost painless.

Misconception No. 2. Another more common misconception about surgery for hemorrhoids is that it can cause fecal incontinence, or the inability to control farting or defecation. Again this is not true. When hemorrhoid surgery is done properly, incontinence won’t develop.

All surgical procedures for hemorrhoids, however, whether traditional or innovative, may sometimes develop complications such as bleeding, infection and stricture. It is important therefore to see practitioners with real expertise in performing such procedures when seeking treatment.

For effective hemorrhoid relief and treatment, MEDICard, a leading HMO company, has recently opened its Colorectal Specialists Clinic, a first in the HMO industry. Located at the MEDICard Lifestyle Center at the corner of Paseo and Buendia St, Makati, the clinic offers the latest technology and expertise in colorectal healthcare.

2011年12月8日星期四

Surgery is not the Only Option for Hemorrhoids

A recent survey has revealed that more than 11 million people in US alone have Hemorrhoids or Hemroids. They are most common in people of age group 35-65. They can happen to anyone; men, women, and even children in some extreme cases.

If the question “What causes Hemorrhoids?” has been lingering around your mind, here are some of the Causes of Hemorrhoids that prone people to having them:

If one suffers from Hemorrhoids, it is recommended not to ignore them at their initial stage and seek timely treatment. They generally worsen over time and rarely tend to disappear on their own except in few cases where they disappear in pregnant women after childbirth.

Good news for Hemorrhoids sufferers is that most of these Hemorrhoids do not require surgery. Surgery is mainly considered for severe Hemorrhoids only. It is usually the last option when other over-the-counter treatments, herbal remedies and natural therapies do not work.

For those who are looking for Hemorrhoids Relief can also opt for analgesic or anti-inflammatory Hemorrhoid Relief Ointment or lotion. There are various natural formulas available in the market that can help ease off the discomfort caused by Hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoidectomy is the surgery that is used to cure the problem with stubborn Hemorrhoids. A scalpel or laser is used to get rid of these skin tags. Those with less pain threshold can go for stapled surgery as well, which is a comparatively less painful option. Infrared coagulation, banding ligation, injection and cauterization are the other options that can be considered.

The most important thing about treating the Hemorrhoids is to seek timely treatment. There are multiple options available and one can choose from curative and symptomatic treatment.

For those who undergo surgery, they should take care of everything that can keep these hemorrhoids from coming back. Following a fiber-rich diet and the intake of ample fluid can help reduce the chances of constipation and ultimately the stress on rectal muscles which is among the main causes of Hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids are known to plague mankind for centuries. If a person suffers from them, they should be aware of the fact that hemorrhoidectomy is not the only option available. Making just a few lifestyle changes and dietary modifications can greatly help reduce and ease the symptoms and the disease.

About Help for Hemorrhoids:

Help for Hemorrhoids is a one-stop information for every aspect of usually less talked about disease, Hemorrhoids. Also called Hemroids or piles, it affects a lot of people across the globe. People tend to shy away from this disease however one has to take it head on to win over it. And its curable both with and without surgery.

2011年12月7日星期三

Girl Talk: Pooping Is A Feminist Issue

Mary and I were sitting on her couch, laughing. “But wait, no seriously, is pooping a  feminist issue? Why aren’t we talking about this?” I asked.

It was funny, if only because there was some truth in the (often female) phenomenon of “holding it in.” There’s this prevalent idea that girls don’t poop.

“Ugh. I hate that part of dating,” Mary said. “ I can remember holding it in all weekend, waiting until we got to a restaurant or somewhere!”

I knew this move all too well. I wondered, Is this every woman’s secret?

“30 Rock’”s Jenna Maroney put it well: “Love is wearing makeup to bed and going downstairs to the Burger King to poop.”

But that’s where the women pooping conversation always seems to end — with a joke. I’ve yet to see real scatological discourse in the lady-blog-o-sphere.

Sure, it’s hard to talk about human excrement or flatulence without jokes — nothing is funnier than that which is uncomfortable — but talking with Mary, it started to seem like a real issue.

I brought the topic up again, with my group of female friends.

“Ohhhhh, the poop thing,” Cecilia replied, the rest joining in with a chorus of nods.

Everyone knew exactly what I was talking about. Soon we were discussing the other silent agreement that goes hand-in-hand with the idea that girls don’t poop — the girls don’t fart rule.

“I never fart around my boyfriends,” Cecilia confessed. “But one day, studying in the library with my college boyfriend, I fell asleep. All of a sudden there was this loud sound — BAM! — I had woken myself up with a fart.”

Cecilia’s face fell in her hands at the memory. She was mortified at the time. Consoling her, the boyfriend said, “I don’t get it, I mean you fart in your sleep all the time!”

I learned this lesson in my own relationships. If you hold it in, it will come out in your sleep. This goes for anything you repress — poop, gas, or psychological issues.

Instead of feeling comforted by the female poop camaraderie, I felt awful that so many wonderful women were all too familiar with the feeling of “holding it in.” I wondered if my friends were representative of how many women related to the secret pain of abstaining from going. How many women had experienced the bubbling, the cramping, the pregnant bloat, all while pretending that everything was fine! Okay! Sexy, even! All for the sake of a man?

Why do we feel the need to keep up this facade that we are poop-free, gas-less creatures? Why are we so ashamed?

According to Dr. Jack Morin in his book Anal Health and Pleasure, “holding it in” is not okay. Ignoring bathroom calls can cause serious damage to your internal sphincter — the muscle whose job is to relax, allowing for quick and easy bowel movements. Ignoring the need to go causes the internal sphincter to stop relaxing entirely. Once this occurs, according to Dr. Morin, almost every bowel movement requires straining and pushing, which is unnatural and unhealthy. Holding in gas also brings an unhealthy tension. With each come painful side effects; constipation, hemorrhoids, anal fissures and blood clots.

The mention of hemorrhoids encouraged Dana to start talking. She revealed how she tried to sneak away for poops around her boyfriend, a magazine hid slyly under her arm.

“I know you’re pooping!” he would yell.

Later, when she tried to nonchalantly go to the bathroom with some preparation H for her ailing ass, he called out, “I know you are putting that cream on your butt!”

I loved Dana for sharing this with the group. This sort of open-ness we have with each other is awesome.

But what about our “open-ness” with guys on this topic? Here’s where the double standard comes in. My boyfriends have openly passed gas, pooped freely — one even documented his feces via cell phone pictures.

Sarah had a similar story.

“One day my husband was in the bathroom and he yelled, ‘Oh my God, come see this poop!’” she recalled. “I was like, ‘Do I want to be the uncomfortable one with poop?’ I decided no. So I went. I looked. I was like, ‘Yeah, honey, that is a big one.’”

Is this what liberation looks like? While women are sneaking off to Burger King in secret to drop the kids off at the pool, men are bragging to anyone who will listen about the length, girth, initial scent, and lingering smell of their daily deposit.

The more I read Dr. Morin’s book, the more I became convinced guys were being robust in order to hide something, not a fear of farting or pooping, but a fear of their butts being pleasure centers. According to the Dr. Morin, “Men, straight, gay or bi, might find that anal eroticism brings up homophobia.”

Surely there must be somewhere in between allowing the butt to be a sensual part of the body and a functional one from which wastes are expelled.

But among those of us ladies who have this problem of “repressing” ourselves, I say we take to the streets: “Hey-Hey, Ho-Ho, Poop-Shaming has got to go!“ Okay, maybe not. But we could start talking about it more openly. If not with the men in our lives, at least with each other.

2011年12月6日星期二

Readers ask questions about fiber, frequent night-time urination

The health benefits of a diet high in fiber include lower cholesterol, decreased risk of heart disease and even reduced risk for certain cancers. A diet high in fiber also reduces the symptoms of constipation, hemorrhoids and irritable bowel syndrome.

Fiber is found in plant-based foods and can be either soluble or insoluble. Soluble fiber (found in oat bran, barley and many fruits and vegetables) dissolves in water and can be absorbed into the blood stream. Because it is absorbed into the blood stream, soluble fiber can lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol by as much as 7 percent. Soluble fiber also helps to stabilize blood sugar. Insoluble dietary fiber (found primarily in wheat bran and legumes) helps to promote bowel regularity and digestive health.

Unfortunately, fiber intake in the United States averages less than 15 grams/person/day. This is much less than the recommended intake of 21-25 grams/day for women and 30-38 grams/day for men. Foods rich in fiber include raspberries, lentils, black beans, pinto beans, green peas and oats. Be wary of whole wheat bread as the processing of the bread eliminates most of the fiber. Cereals can be a good source of fiber; however, you need to learn to read the labels and avoid the excessive amounts of sugar that are added to many cereals.

Dr. Catherine Stallworth, Integrative Medicine Specialist at Nashville Medical Group and Medical Director of Life Therapies Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at Baptist Hospital
Aging often increases urge to go

I am writing about the same problem that is affecting two people. I’m a 58-year-old female, the other person is a 75-year-old male acquaintance. We both drink water all day and go to the restroom an average of four to five times. The problem is at night. We are up six-plus times with a full bladder — about every hour or so, which is leaving us both very unrested and extremely dehydrated by morning. Neither of us are diabetic; I'm only slightly overweight (20 pounds), he’s at normal weight. The only medication I'm taking is an acid reducer for acid reflux at bedtime; I don’t think he's taking any meds.

Waking up to urinate at night, or nocturia, is a common problem among older adults. In general, we tend to make more urine at night, because we’re lying down and the blood flow to the kidney is better. As we get older, our bladders lose some of their stretch, or compliance, which means that they may hold less urine and/or start to feel full quicker. This (along with other issues associated with aging, such as benign enlargement of the prostate in men or relaxation of the pelvic muscles in women) is why older people often have to wake up to use the restroom at night. A urologist can recommend medical or behavioral treatments to help lessen or resolve this problem.

Medical Advice Disclaimer: Doctors’ responses — based only on information from reader-submitted questions and not from physical examinations — are for educational purposes and should not be considered to govern your medical situation. If you believe this column includes information related to a condition you, a family member or someone under your care or guardianship is encountering, contact your physician or a qualified health-care provider for direct consultation.

2011年12月5日星期一

CONTOURS: EDD DE 1101 I

There are so many metaphors for being unemployed. My preference is a burial scenario. You are being buried and the earth keeps getting piled upon you deeper and deeper until you eventually stop trying to dig your way out. It becomes your early grave. Might as well just stay in there. When the economy eventually does improve, 43% of those 13.9 million long-term unemployed Americans may very likely remain buried as the new sidewalks of hope are poured right over them. The new armies with stars and dollar signs in their eyes will blindly stagger along going in and out of gold-plated doors, making their way around the Monopoly board until the next recession—roughly every ten years.

You know what I’d rather write about? Listening to Ryan Adams play an acoustic version of “Wasted Years” by Iron Maiden. Then I listened to Iron Maiden’s original. Now I’m listening to the Dead Kennedys’ “Holiday in Cambodia.” There’s one we all know and love. They’ve actually got some nice tunes that seem like they could be the soundtrack for the class warfare that’s being talked about.

That’s right, class warfare. It was relevant back then and it’s relevant again now. The Republicans don’t like the term because it insults their friends, the millionaires and billionaires, the supposed “job creators.”

As to the music, it’s actually relevant, too, because the late-seventies was when the middle class began to notice that their line on the graph was flattening out while the line for the top tier was dramatically turning upward. What the current economy reveals is that the fiscal practices and policies begun in the late-seventies have severely weakened the base upon which capitalism depends: an economically-viable majority…as opposed to an unstable, vulnerable majority, which is what we have now.

The concept of class warfare becomes relevant whenever the gap between the top and the bottom becomes too wide. Historically, Americans have always been able to tolerate dramatic and obvious divisions between classes. And the lower and middle classes have usually been willing to go along with the status quo, or at least, they’ve been forced to go along with it. Until it becomes unsustainable, which is what we are seeing now. You know things are bad when the usually comfortable white people are out protesting! Americans can tolerate it when the poverty divisions are along racial lines, but sadly, when enough white people start to fall to the bottom, that’s when you start to see a fundamental shift.

Generally, large numbers of people of any color protesting makes people at the top very nervous. Interestingly, Republicans have been quick to accuse Democrats of waging class warfare when it is suggested that the top economic tiers pay more in taxes. But by definition, class warfare isn’t waged from the bottom. Class warfare is what the top, in collaboration with the politicians they bought, have been waging against the bottom for the last thirty years. And for another musical reference, this is why disco gave way to angry punk rock.

2011年12月4日星期日

Oh (fake) Christmas tree

I’ve decided there are two kinds of people in this world – pro-artificial Christmas trees and anti-fake trees. For the first part of my life, I was pro, then I turned and joined the ranks of the anti. Now, I’m back with the pro.
When I was growing up, the Kehoe family, as far as I knew, was the only family in town that had an artificial tree. My mother made the great decision to go “green” before it was popular. She always was cutting edge.

My mom’s decision was not out of concern for the environment, or to save a tree. It was out of necessity.
See, she still had visions of my dad nailing a Christmas tree to our living room wall (which, by the way, is plaster).

She had just gotten home from the hospital after giving birth to her fourth child. She spent her days washing diapers (no disposable), sterilizing bottles, and chasing after 3 older children who were barely out of diapers themselves. Yet, on this particular day leading up to Christmas, she found herself abandoning diapers, bottles and children to hold the tree while my dad nailed it to the wall.

My dad was a great man in many, many ways. He was not a great handyman. So, that fateful year, when he picked out a tree with a “crooked spine,” as my mom says, it had nightmare written all over it.

He first tried securing the tree by putting it in a bucket of cement. And to think that didn’t work. Then came out the hammer and nails. When my mom saw my dad’s friend coming up the walk, she thought she was saved from this Christmas nightmare. She was wrong. He came to our house to tell my dad about his hemorrhoids. This is not a lie. He also brought along one of those donut things people suffering from hemorrhoids sit on. And there he sat, watching this Christmas magic unfold.

The real miracle of this day is not that the tree finally found an upright spot in the corner of the living room – after hours and hours of my mom holding it steady while my dad hammered the needles off of it. No, the real miracle is that my mom didn’t shove that donut thing down my dad’s friend’s throat.

That was more than 50 years ago, yet my mother tells this story like it happened yesterday – with much of the anger she felt that very day.

After my dad died, my mother did everything she could to protect her children from the hurts and frustrations that this world can sometimes bring. The best way to shield her three boys, come Christmas time, was to buy an artificial tree. She figured they were too young to be exposed to such a losing endeavor as to put up a real tree.
So, off we went to Sears Garden Center. We bought the tree that would stand in our living room for more than 20 years. I was pretty young, so it’s the only tree I remember. Artificial meant nothing to me. It’s just what I knew to symbolize Christmas.

When I got married, my husband was a staunch anti. I just assumed we would get a fake tree. No way. In fact, he got the biggest tree he could find. If I recall, it took up most of the living room floor space, and required approximately 50 strands of light to adequately light it. It was obscene.

During the early years of our family life, when Kaitlyn and Tommy were very young, getting a tree was a fun adventure. When my kids were old enough to realize they couldn’t stand each other, getting a tree was something I absolutely dreaded. Finally, with the arrival of Matthew, I had an excuse to stay home while my husband and older kids argued over which tree to bring home.

But the frustrations of a real tree didn’t end with the purchase, of course. My husband was experienced enough to check “the spine” before purchasing, so putting the tree up usually wasn’t a problem. Except the year, when Tommy was just a few months old, the tree fell -- right after I had picked him up from the blanket he was playing on – right under the tree. Talk about divine intervention. There was no intervention, however, when my sister and I got stuck in the doorway trying to get the tree out to the porch. Lucy and Ethel could have learned a thing or two from that scenario.

2011年12月1日星期四

What To Do With Painful Hemorrhoids Symptoms

Hemorrhoids may take place if pressure in the veins that are located in the anus increases. You can have either external or internal hemorrhoids, depending on the location of your hemorrhoid.

Hemorrhoids are very typical condition impacting millions of people worldwide. Hemorrhoids can often cause very bothersome and painful symptoms. If they don't, you may notice their existence by having blood spots on the toilet paper while wiping your backside.

The causes of this condition can be due to overly straining to have a bowel movement, pregnancy, or obesity. This is due to increased pressure within the walls of the anus to assist with pushing out stool.

Also, if you are constipated this will most definitely increase straining. Diarrhea, on the other hand, can increase irritation of your hemorrhoids causing itching and/or pain. These are the most usual symptoms of hemorrhoids.

Since blood can indicate also some more severe condition, such as cancer, it might be a good idea to see a doctor in order to eliminate such a possibility. He is going to make all the necessary tests to ascertain whether you have hemorrhoids or some additional medical condition.

If the diagnose is that you have hemorrhoids, there are countless home remedies for hemorrhoids you can easily use. These consist of having a high fiber diet, such as eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, and remaining well-hydrated. Additionally, a proper amount of physical exercise can help.

After bowel movements you need to use soft or moistened toilet paper. Just remember not to wipe too hard. Make sure that the paper is not perfumed or dyed since this can cause increased irritation to the affected location.

Over the counter pain relievers might assist to reduce symptoms as well. Some find that utilizing ice will aid to lessen the inflammation. Sitting in water that is as warm as you can stand will help to ease symptoms as well.

When it comes to your undergarments, you really should use cotton since it is not so irritating. Avoid prolonged sittings. This causes pressure to your anus which in turn advances the occurrence of hemorrhoids.

In some cases even surgery is needed. However, this should be used only if your condition is so severe that nothing else is working. The most common medical treatment is a rubber band ligation where the blood flow into the hemorrhoid is prevented with a rubber band. Eventually the hemorrhoid will shrink and die of.

In summary, if you notice any blood after bowel movements, you really should contact to your doctor to leave out the possibility of cancer. On the other hand, if you have hemorrhoids, there are many natural methods to get rid of them. In the most serious cases, medical procedure might be the only choice.