When it comes to home remedies we all have one or two that seem to work. Most of us have also tried ones recommended to us that didn't do anything.
To sort out which ones will help you, the AARP just came out with a list of 10 home remedies that have some scientific proof that they actually work as advertised.
The first one is honey. It's not just a sweetener, but can also help keep a cough under control.
Recent studies have found that honey can suppress coughs in children at the same rate or maybe even slightly better than over the counter cough preparations containing dextromethorphan.
Other studies have shown that honey might work the same in adults, but probably not as well as it does in children. The next time a cough hits, try a teaspoon or two of honey to get it under control. Do not give honey to children less than 1 year old.
Next is liquid dish soap. This type of soap is formulated to get rid of grease and oil. Poison ivy and poison oak act on your skin by depositing an oily chemical which can be hard to clean off. Liquid dish soap can help get that itchy, rash causing oil off, preventing it from spreading.
Then the AARP looked at tart cherry juice. We are not talking about Bing or black cherry juice, but their less-sweet cousin. This juice has anti-inflammatory properties which can help with muscle soreness after exercise, arthritis and gout.
One study found that taking a tablespoon of tart cherry juice concentrate twice a day for four months cut the frequency of gout attacks in half, and one third of those of those taking the juice remained gout attack free.
Baby shampoo can also help in more ways than most think. It can be used to treat eyelids that have become red, itchy and crusty. This condition, known as blepharitis, comes about because of bacteria that gets into the edge of the eyelid. Baby shampoo, diluted with an equal amount of water and gently rubbed along closed eyelid and eyelashes for one minute twice a day, can help get the eyelid back to feeling better.
Witch hazel is a natural anti-inflammatory and has also been used to tighten the skin. It's also one of the main ingredients in hemorrhoid pads. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it can relieve mild itching and irritation from hemorrhoids. You can use it by moistening a pad and applying that to inflamed hemorrhoidal tissue.
Most of us have ginger in our houses to use as a spice. Ginger can also be used to get nausea or motion sickness under control. Studies have shown that 1 gram of ginger just before surgery can reduce nausea and vomiting afterwards. Just make sure your surgeon knows you are doing this. Small amounts of fresh or powdered ginger works better than taking a larger dose.
For motion sickness purposes, one to two pieces of crystallized ginger should help get that under control. Too much can cause an upset stomach, so don't take more than 2 grams at a time.
Water, something most of us take for granted, might help keep you from getting a cold this winter. A 2005 study found that participants who gargled with tap water had fewer respiratory infections than those that didn't gargle during a cold and flu season.
If you've ever gotten a canker sore, you know just how miserable they can make you feel. Milk of magnesia dabbed on the mouth sore can give you some temporary relief. It won't heal the sore, but it will allow you to eat and drink without as much pain. One expert recommends you dab the canker sore first with a mixture of half water, half hydrogen peroxide, then apply the milk of magnesia.
Most women also realize that cranberry juice seems to help keep bladder infections at bay. This juice won't treat infections that are already present, but does seem to keep them from coming on in the first place. Experts recommend a 500mg dose twice a day, with the precaution that if you are already on a blood thinner, like warfarin (Coumadin), Plavix or aspirin, you need to be careful. Cranberry juice and pills can also thin your blood and combining that with these medicines can lead to bleeding.
Perhaps the strangest home remedy is the "off label" use for Vicks VapoRub. Menthol rubs are frequently used to help someone who's sick with a cold or upper respiratory infection breathe easier. But it can also help get rid of toenail fungus. A small study found that 15 of 18 participants that applied Vicks VapoRub once a day to the affected toenails either had a partial or complete elimination of the fungus. Cleaning the nail with a white vinegar soaked cotton ball before applying the menthol rub might help.
The next time you're looking around your pantry, take a look at some of the things you already have on hand that could help keep you and your family healthy.
2011年11月9日星期三
2011年11月8日星期二
Local woman, son survive cancer during pregnancy
Franklin County resident Amy Hanley found out she had colorectal cancer while pregnant with her fourth child.
Hanley and 14-month-old Joshua are happy and healthy these days, but Hanley has started talking about going through chemotherapy treatments while pregnant to give hope to women who might find themselves in a similar situation.
She’s also written a book called “Surrender: Pregnant with Cancer.”
“There is hope. Being pregnant and having cancer at the same time isn’t hopeless,” Hanley said.
In fall 2009, Hanley found out she was pregnant, and she started bleeding from her rectum, she said.
Pregnant women sometimes develop hemorrhoids, and Hanley thought the bleeding may have come from that condition, she said.
“I lost the baby in November, but the bleeding continued,” she said. “It was because of the pregnancy that I became symptomatic, but it was only after I lost the baby that I went to the doctor.”
She couldn’t immediately see a doctor, and by the time the appointment came around, Hanley was pregnant again, she said. Doctors found a mass inside Hanley’s colon that — once biopsied — they diagnosed as cancer.
Surgeons cut the cancerous tumor away, but later found the disease had moved to a lymph node, and she would need to go through chemotherapy, Hanley said.
Cancer during pregnancy is rare, with about one in 1,000 pregnant women getting the disease, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Breast cancer is the most common cancer during pregnancy.
Several doctors warned her that trying to keep the pregnancy going would put her life in danger and urged her to have an abortion, she said.
“I knew that God had the power to save me and the baby. I didn’t know that he would, but I knew that he could,” she said.
Hanley found a doctor who had seen pregnant women with breast cancer — and their unborn babies — survive chemotherapy, and he agreed to treat her, she said.
“He did say, ‘I will not make you any promises about the baby,’ ” she said.
Although cancer treatments are dangerous to developing fetuses in the first trimester, the placenta acts like a shield during the second and third trimesters — blocking much of the harmful chemotherapy drugs, said Bobby Hanley, Amy Hanley’s husband.
Pregnancy and chemotherapy took their toll, and Amy Hanley spent weeks curled up on the couch, trying to recover and worrying about her family.
“Everybody believed I was going to die,” Amy Hanley said.
But as the chemotherapy continued, and her pre-natal checkups showed a steadily-growing baby, Amy Hanley started becoming more active and playing with her children.
It was a matter of reorganizing her priorities, she said.
“The things that were really important, I had the energy to do it,” she said. “I just didn’t worry about the clutter.”
Amy Hanley had a C-section and gave birth to a healthy baby, Joshua, on Aug. 28.
She still had painful radiation treatments to endure, but she decided she could do anything for her children, she said.
“One of the biggest things I learned was to live without fear,” she said. “I learned how to find something good every single day.”
The family’s story has garnered a lot of attention, said Bobby Hanley.
“I’m just glad to have my wife alive, glad to have my baby boy healthy,” he said.
Bobby Hanley recently read an account of a pregnant woman with cancer who died three days after her child was born.
“That brought a lot of those feelings back that I had hidden away for sometime,” he said.
If the woman had access to the same information or doctors his wife knew, maybe she would have lived, he said.
“There’s a lot of information in the medical field that’s not as up-to-date as it should be,” he said.
The Hanley family is set on giving back and makes care packages for chemotherapy patients, Amy Hanley said.
Hanley and 14-month-old Joshua are happy and healthy these days, but Hanley has started talking about going through chemotherapy treatments while pregnant to give hope to women who might find themselves in a similar situation.
She’s also written a book called “Surrender: Pregnant with Cancer.”
“There is hope. Being pregnant and having cancer at the same time isn’t hopeless,” Hanley said.
In fall 2009, Hanley found out she was pregnant, and she started bleeding from her rectum, she said.
Pregnant women sometimes develop hemorrhoids, and Hanley thought the bleeding may have come from that condition, she said.
“I lost the baby in November, but the bleeding continued,” she said. “It was because of the pregnancy that I became symptomatic, but it was only after I lost the baby that I went to the doctor.”
She couldn’t immediately see a doctor, and by the time the appointment came around, Hanley was pregnant again, she said. Doctors found a mass inside Hanley’s colon that — once biopsied — they diagnosed as cancer.
Surgeons cut the cancerous tumor away, but later found the disease had moved to a lymph node, and she would need to go through chemotherapy, Hanley said.
Cancer during pregnancy is rare, with about one in 1,000 pregnant women getting the disease, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Breast cancer is the most common cancer during pregnancy.
Several doctors warned her that trying to keep the pregnancy going would put her life in danger and urged her to have an abortion, she said.
“I knew that God had the power to save me and the baby. I didn’t know that he would, but I knew that he could,” she said.
Hanley found a doctor who had seen pregnant women with breast cancer — and their unborn babies — survive chemotherapy, and he agreed to treat her, she said.
“He did say, ‘I will not make you any promises about the baby,’ ” she said.
Although cancer treatments are dangerous to developing fetuses in the first trimester, the placenta acts like a shield during the second and third trimesters — blocking much of the harmful chemotherapy drugs, said Bobby Hanley, Amy Hanley’s husband.
Pregnancy and chemotherapy took their toll, and Amy Hanley spent weeks curled up on the couch, trying to recover and worrying about her family.
“Everybody believed I was going to die,” Amy Hanley said.
But as the chemotherapy continued, and her pre-natal checkups showed a steadily-growing baby, Amy Hanley started becoming more active and playing with her children.
It was a matter of reorganizing her priorities, she said.
“The things that were really important, I had the energy to do it,” she said. “I just didn’t worry about the clutter.”
Amy Hanley had a C-section and gave birth to a healthy baby, Joshua, on Aug. 28.
She still had painful radiation treatments to endure, but she decided she could do anything for her children, she said.
“One of the biggest things I learned was to live without fear,” she said. “I learned how to find something good every single day.”
The family’s story has garnered a lot of attention, said Bobby Hanley.
“I’m just glad to have my wife alive, glad to have my baby boy healthy,” he said.
Bobby Hanley recently read an account of a pregnant woman with cancer who died three days after her child was born.
“That brought a lot of those feelings back that I had hidden away for sometime,” he said.
If the woman had access to the same information or doctors his wife knew, maybe she would have lived, he said.
“There’s a lot of information in the medical field that’s not as up-to-date as it should be,” he said.
The Hanley family is set on giving back and makes care packages for chemotherapy patients, Amy Hanley said.
2011年11月7日星期一
Latest Treatments for Colorectal Diseases
Building on that commitment, patients can now take advantage of specialized treatments and procedures for diseases of the colon, rectum and anus, which were previously unavailable in the area, close to home.
Board-certified colon and rectal surgeon Peter M. Kaye, M.D., joined Ramapo Valley Surgical Associates one year ago. With his arrival came the availability of new, minimally invasive techniques that treat a wide range of colorectal disorders. Minimally invasive colorectal surgery offers many benefits to patients — compared to an open surgical approach — including less pain, minimal scarring, shorter hospital stays and faster return to normal activities. Dr. Kaye will work out of Good Samaritan Hospital, one of three facilities that are part of The Bon Secours Charity Health System.
Patients who require colon surgery often face a long and difficult recovery because the traditional, open method is highly invasive. In most cases, surgeons are required to make a long incision, and the average, required hospital stay generally lasts a week or more.
Dr. Kaye also brings unique expertise in performing laparoscopic colon resection, an alternative to an open operation that has revolutionized abdominal surgery. The technique is used to remove diseased sections of the colon that can result from colon cancer, polyps, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal polyps, ulcerative colitis or large bowel obstruction.
“Laparoscopic colon resection requires a very steep learning curve. It’s technically a difficult surgery to perform,” notes Dr. Kaye.
According to the American College of Surgeons, fewer than 10% of all colon resections are done using this approach. During a laparoscopic colon resection, Dr. Kaye uses tiny incisions to introduce a camera and surgical instruments into the patient’s abdominal cavity. The high-powered camera lens transmits magnified images of the patient’s internal organs to a television monitor, which Dr. Kaye uses to help carefully guide him through the procedure as he removes the diseased section of the colon. Because the surgery is minimally invasive, patients have less pain and recover much faster than with traditional colon resection surgery. Laparoscopic colon resection takes more time to perform than an open method, but patients reap the benefits of less trauma to the body and minimal effects from surgery on their immune systems. They also require a shorter hospital stay, resume normal, daily activities sooner, and can often return to work earlier. Recent studies have found laparoscopic colon resection to be equivalent to the traditional open procedure in the treatment of colon cancer, while offering all the benefits of a laparoscopic approach.
In addition to his expertise as a colorectal surgeon, Dr. Kaye also diagnoses, treats and manages common disorders such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and other related inflammatory conditions of the small and large intestine, diverticular diseases, functional intestinal diseases, and a variety of anorectal diseases — including hemorrhoids and anal fissures.
Board-certified colon and rectal surgeon Peter M. Kaye, M.D., joined Ramapo Valley Surgical Associates one year ago. With his arrival came the availability of new, minimally invasive techniques that treat a wide range of colorectal disorders. Minimally invasive colorectal surgery offers many benefits to patients — compared to an open surgical approach — including less pain, minimal scarring, shorter hospital stays and faster return to normal activities. Dr. Kaye will work out of Good Samaritan Hospital, one of three facilities that are part of The Bon Secours Charity Health System.
Patients who require colon surgery often face a long and difficult recovery because the traditional, open method is highly invasive. In most cases, surgeons are required to make a long incision, and the average, required hospital stay generally lasts a week or more.
Dr. Kaye also brings unique expertise in performing laparoscopic colon resection, an alternative to an open operation that has revolutionized abdominal surgery. The technique is used to remove diseased sections of the colon that can result from colon cancer, polyps, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal polyps, ulcerative colitis or large bowel obstruction.
“Laparoscopic colon resection requires a very steep learning curve. It’s technically a difficult surgery to perform,” notes Dr. Kaye.
According to the American College of Surgeons, fewer than 10% of all colon resections are done using this approach. During a laparoscopic colon resection, Dr. Kaye uses tiny incisions to introduce a camera and surgical instruments into the patient’s abdominal cavity. The high-powered camera lens transmits magnified images of the patient’s internal organs to a television monitor, which Dr. Kaye uses to help carefully guide him through the procedure as he removes the diseased section of the colon. Because the surgery is minimally invasive, patients have less pain and recover much faster than with traditional colon resection surgery. Laparoscopic colon resection takes more time to perform than an open method, but patients reap the benefits of less trauma to the body and minimal effects from surgery on their immune systems. They also require a shorter hospital stay, resume normal, daily activities sooner, and can often return to work earlier. Recent studies have found laparoscopic colon resection to be equivalent to the traditional open procedure in the treatment of colon cancer, while offering all the benefits of a laparoscopic approach.
In addition to his expertise as a colorectal surgeon, Dr. Kaye also diagnoses, treats and manages common disorders such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and other related inflammatory conditions of the small and large intestine, diverticular diseases, functional intestinal diseases, and a variety of anorectal diseases — including hemorrhoids and anal fissures.
2011年11月6日星期日
Giant, inflatable colon does more than bring laughs
A 40-foot-long giant colon has converged on West Edmonton Mall, in an effort to let people know that colon health is sort of a laughing matter.
The inflatable colon, a free exhibit from the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada, is complete with designs of various colon-specific illnesses such as polyps, Crohn’s disease, hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis and, most importantly, cancer. The CCAC wants to de-stigmatize the colon with creativity and humour. The colon will be on display until Sunday, Nov. 6.
“There’s this thing about anything below the belt,” said Ronald Basdeo, the exhibit manager. “So when you have this larger-than-life exhibit, you get through to people better. You walk in and there’s a hemorrhoid bigger than you.”
Uneasy laughter and apprehension are everywhere at the exhibit. Walking through a giant colon isn’t exactly the way any patron planned on spending his or her weekend, but on its first day, heavy foot traffic kept the exhibit busy, with some people taking the tour two or three times.
More than 250,000 Canadians have taken the Giant Colon Tour since 2009.
David Moores, 63, said the colon reminded him to schedule his next appointment, an appointment he keeps every five years following a scare in 2003.
“My brother had colon cancer,” said Moores. “His doctor in Calgary insisted that I go. It took him two to three years to talk me into it. He [the doctor] asked if he had any siblings, and my brother said, ‘I have one brother.’ ”
Moores’s experience isn’t an uncommon one. According to Basdeo, too many Canadians go without screening due to embarrassment.
Moores said the thought of a colonoscopy kept him from seeing his doctor, even in the face of cancer. When Moores finally was talked into going, he turned out to be OK, but he sees the error of his ways.
“For the sake of a half hour, the relief of knowing is worth it,” said Moores, noting the ease of the procedure. “I had it done in Fort McMurray. The doctor said, ‘Hello, Mr. Moores,’ put the intravenous in my hand, and the next thing I know, it’s over.”
Moores’s brother recovered from colon cancer, which has a cure rate of over 90 per cent when caught early.
Every year, about 22,500 Canadians are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and 9,100 are dying from it, Basdeo said. Fewer would be in that position if the Fecal Immunochemical Test were more widely used, rather than the Fecal Occult Blood Test, he said.
“It’s giving a lot of false positives and negatives,” said Basdeo.
Both tests look at blood in stool samples, but the immunochemical test, which right now is used only in some B.C. cities, has a much higher sensitivity and specificity for abnormalities, the CCAC believes.
The giant colon is leased for $12,500 per day, $18,000 for two days and $24,000 for three days. The CCAC uses revenues for lobbying efforts and expanding the tour. With two giant colons already on tour, a third is in development, at a cost of $75,000.
Take a virtual tour of the exhibit.
The inflatable colon, a free exhibit from the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada, is complete with designs of various colon-specific illnesses such as polyps, Crohn’s disease, hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis and, most importantly, cancer. The CCAC wants to de-stigmatize the colon with creativity and humour. The colon will be on display until Sunday, Nov. 6.
“There’s this thing about anything below the belt,” said Ronald Basdeo, the exhibit manager. “So when you have this larger-than-life exhibit, you get through to people better. You walk in and there’s a hemorrhoid bigger than you.”
Uneasy laughter and apprehension are everywhere at the exhibit. Walking through a giant colon isn’t exactly the way any patron planned on spending his or her weekend, but on its first day, heavy foot traffic kept the exhibit busy, with some people taking the tour two or three times.
More than 250,000 Canadians have taken the Giant Colon Tour since 2009.
David Moores, 63, said the colon reminded him to schedule his next appointment, an appointment he keeps every five years following a scare in 2003.
“My brother had colon cancer,” said Moores. “His doctor in Calgary insisted that I go. It took him two to three years to talk me into it. He [the doctor] asked if he had any siblings, and my brother said, ‘I have one brother.’ ”
Moores’s experience isn’t an uncommon one. According to Basdeo, too many Canadians go without screening due to embarrassment.
Moores said the thought of a colonoscopy kept him from seeing his doctor, even in the face of cancer. When Moores finally was talked into going, he turned out to be OK, but he sees the error of his ways.
“For the sake of a half hour, the relief of knowing is worth it,” said Moores, noting the ease of the procedure. “I had it done in Fort McMurray. The doctor said, ‘Hello, Mr. Moores,’ put the intravenous in my hand, and the next thing I know, it’s over.”
Moores’s brother recovered from colon cancer, which has a cure rate of over 90 per cent when caught early.
Every year, about 22,500 Canadians are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and 9,100 are dying from it, Basdeo said. Fewer would be in that position if the Fecal Immunochemical Test were more widely used, rather than the Fecal Occult Blood Test, he said.
“It’s giving a lot of false positives and negatives,” said Basdeo.
Both tests look at blood in stool samples, but the immunochemical test, which right now is used only in some B.C. cities, has a much higher sensitivity and specificity for abnormalities, the CCAC believes.
The giant colon is leased for $12,500 per day, $18,000 for two days and $24,000 for three days. The CCAC uses revenues for lobbying efforts and expanding the tour. With two giant colons already on tour, a third is in development, at a cost of $75,000.
Take a virtual tour of the exhibit.
2011年11月3日星期四
Nebraska gets new supply of lethal injection drug
Nebraska prison officials have obtained a new supply of one of the three drugs used in Nebraska's lethal-injection protocol, meaning the state can resume executions.
Immediately after the announcement was made Thursday, Attorney General Jon Bruning said his office had asked the Nebraska Supreme Court to set an execution date for death-row inmate Michael Ryan, convicted of killing James Thimm during a ritualistic torture at a farm near Rulo in 1985.
The Department of Correctional Services said it paid $5,411 for 485 grams of sodium thiopental Oct. 25 to NAARI, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Switzerland.
The supply includes two batches (42 grams and 443 grams) with expiration dates of May 2013 and December 2013, respectively. Samples were tested and confirmed to be sodium thiopental by an independent U.S. laboratory.
"With the receipt of this chemical ... DCS stands ready to fulfill its statutory obligation with regard to capital punishment," director Robert Houston said.
The Department of Correctional Services had been without an approved supply of sodium thiopental since the Drug Enforcement Administration declared Nebraska illegally had imported the drug from an Indian company earlier this year.
Corrections officials said in December they had paid $2,056 to Kayem Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd. of India for 500 grams of sodium thiopental. The drug has been in short supply since last year, when the only U.S. manufacturer, Hospira Inc., said it was ending production because of death-penalty opposition overseas.
The Journal Star reported earlier that court documents show a lawyer with correctional services was told via an email message from the DEA that Nebraska's DEA registration did not allow it to import controlled substances.
The state then obtained an import license from the DEA on May 25.
A lawyer for death-row inmate Carey Dean Moore challenged the legality of a supply of a lethal injection drug the state bought from Kayem. Moore had been scheduled to be executed June 14, but the state Supreme Court issued a stay of execution while the lawyer, Jerry Soucie of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy, challenged the purchase in Douglas County District Court.
Aside from the now-moot challenge to the India drug purchase, Soucie is challenging Nebraska's lethal injection law, passed in 2009 after the state's high court ruled death in the electric chair amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
He said lawmakers unconstitutionally allowed correctional services to set a lethal injection protocol and exceeded their authority by passing a law that changed Moore's sentence from death by electrocution to lethal injection.
Soucie also said Bruning's office continued to push for an execution date for Moore even though it knew -- but did not publicize -- that it could not use the drug it bought from Kayem.
Soucie since has amended his appeal, saying, among other things, that Moore was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment by being allowed to believe he might die on June 14. He also said Moore might have been denied his right of due process.
That challenge is pending.
Dave Cookson, chief deputy attorney general, said earlier that his office contacted officials in the U.S. Department of Justice and both sides agreed the state would apply for the proper import license and seek a new supply of the drug.
He also said the state could have had a supply of the needed drug by June 14.
Moore, 53, has been on death row since 1980, sentenced to die for killing Omaha cab drivers Maynard D. Helgeland and Reuel Eugene Van Ness during botched robberies in 1979.
The state has not executed an inmate since Robert Williams died in the electric chair in 1997.
A federal lawsuit filed in Arizona challenged the use of the drugs from overseas suppliers, saying they may be substandard and could lead to problems during executions. Late last month, the U.S. Justice Department ordered Arizona not to use its supply of sodium thiopental because it had been obtained illegally from Great Britain.
Immediately after the announcement was made Thursday, Attorney General Jon Bruning said his office had asked the Nebraska Supreme Court to set an execution date for death-row inmate Michael Ryan, convicted of killing James Thimm during a ritualistic torture at a farm near Rulo in 1985.
The Department of Correctional Services said it paid $5,411 for 485 grams of sodium thiopental Oct. 25 to NAARI, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Switzerland.
The supply includes two batches (42 grams and 443 grams) with expiration dates of May 2013 and December 2013, respectively. Samples were tested and confirmed to be sodium thiopental by an independent U.S. laboratory.
"With the receipt of this chemical ... DCS stands ready to fulfill its statutory obligation with regard to capital punishment," director Robert Houston said.
The Department of Correctional Services had been without an approved supply of sodium thiopental since the Drug Enforcement Administration declared Nebraska illegally had imported the drug from an Indian company earlier this year.
Corrections officials said in December they had paid $2,056 to Kayem Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd. of India for 500 grams of sodium thiopental. The drug has been in short supply since last year, when the only U.S. manufacturer, Hospira Inc., said it was ending production because of death-penalty opposition overseas.
The Journal Star reported earlier that court documents show a lawyer with correctional services was told via an email message from the DEA that Nebraska's DEA registration did not allow it to import controlled substances.
The state then obtained an import license from the DEA on May 25.
A lawyer for death-row inmate Carey Dean Moore challenged the legality of a supply of a lethal injection drug the state bought from Kayem. Moore had been scheduled to be executed June 14, but the state Supreme Court issued a stay of execution while the lawyer, Jerry Soucie of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy, challenged the purchase in Douglas County District Court.
Aside from the now-moot challenge to the India drug purchase, Soucie is challenging Nebraska's lethal injection law, passed in 2009 after the state's high court ruled death in the electric chair amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
He said lawmakers unconstitutionally allowed correctional services to set a lethal injection protocol and exceeded their authority by passing a law that changed Moore's sentence from death by electrocution to lethal injection.
Soucie also said Bruning's office continued to push for an execution date for Moore even though it knew -- but did not publicize -- that it could not use the drug it bought from Kayem.
Soucie since has amended his appeal, saying, among other things, that Moore was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment by being allowed to believe he might die on June 14. He also said Moore might have been denied his right of due process.
That challenge is pending.
Dave Cookson, chief deputy attorney general, said earlier that his office contacted officials in the U.S. Department of Justice and both sides agreed the state would apply for the proper import license and seek a new supply of the drug.
He also said the state could have had a supply of the needed drug by June 14.
Moore, 53, has been on death row since 1980, sentenced to die for killing Omaha cab drivers Maynard D. Helgeland and Reuel Eugene Van Ness during botched robberies in 1979.
The state has not executed an inmate since Robert Williams died in the electric chair in 1997.
A federal lawsuit filed in Arizona challenged the use of the drugs from overseas suppliers, saying they may be substandard and could lead to problems during executions. Late last month, the U.S. Justice Department ordered Arizona not to use its supply of sodium thiopental because it had been obtained illegally from Great Britain.
2011年11月2日星期三
Detroit firefighter honored for rescuing family
Like most heroes, Sgt. Dennis Dooley, 46, of the Detroit Fire Department doesn't like being called one.
It doesn't matter that he was recently awarded the department's Meritorious Medallion Award for saving the lives of six people who would have perished in their home had he not nearly broken their front door down.
It doesn't matter that he was not on duty when he came upon the fire and thus wasn't wearing any protective gear when he ran up the smoke-filled stairs to awaken the family, who were already unresponsive due to smoke inhalation.
It doesn't matter that upon meeting Sgt. Dooley at Ladder 8, Engine 27 on W. Fort Street, he does not acknowledge the 4-inch-long burn on the side of his face until you ask outright, because it's all in a day's work.
And it doesn't matter that everybody who works alongside him here at the firehouse — this band of brothers who run into burning buildings for a living — say he's a unsung hero, most notably his chief Mike Cleland, who grabs Dooley by the shoulder as he attempts to skirt by unnoticed to tell you "Good man, here. We're sure proud of him."
In his personal life, Dooley is the kind of guy who moved into his sister's house for a few weeks so that she could tend to her dying husband. Says a sister-in-law: "He's wonderful guy and very much hates the spotlight on him."
Of course, knowing this was all the more reason for his fellow firefighters to rib him during the interview.
Just as he was answering a question, a voice broadcast on the intercom: "Sgt. Dooley, your wife is on the phone. She wants know when you want her to bring the medication for your hemorrhoids."
In fact, he only did the interview because his childhood buddy, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge David Allen, goaded him into it. For his part, Allen, (who comes from a family of Detroit cops and firefighters and knows whereof he speaks) says: "I have had many accomplishments, accolades and awards in my own life and career, but I'm not quite sure I measure up to his quiet integrity and bravery. He is one of my great heroes, and I hope my kids measure up to his example."
While Dooley says saving six lives was "nothing more than a kick in the door," Joe Peacross, Mary Allen, Lakysha Allen, Ahmad Cooper, Kijuanna Richardson and Khalil Warr would beg to differ.
All of them were asleep on May 1, a Sunday morning in their two-family flat on 1551 Military St. on the city's southwest side. Dooley was on his way to work, sitting at the light at Vernor and Livernois, just looking at the sky.
Firefighters are "always looking," he says, because after you've carried a limp child in your arms out of a fire, you are always looking. It's ingrained."
When he discovered the back of the house was engulfed in flames, Dooley started pounding on the front door with both fists. No sooner had he gotten everybody out when the entire first floor of the dwelling was leveled.
Days after the fire, the survivors came to the fire house to thank Dooley. TV cameras were rolling. They were calling him "Angel Dooley."
Dooley rolls his eyes. "I'm no angel, trust me. The only reason they were saved is because of the grace of God. I just get to be part of that grace."
He's not the hero, he says. His wife Annabel is. Because while he's been fighting fires for the last 21 years, she's been raising their five kids: three boys and two girls ranging in age from 22 to 3 years old.
He's not the hero, he says.
"All of these guys are," he says, with a wave of the hand. "I know when I go into a fire, I know that if something bad were to happen, there's a whole crew of guys that will come in and get me. I can say that about guys all over the city."
Dooley would prefer us to settle on a hero among heroes. Sorry Dennis, but your buddy Judge Allen knows better: "In a world full of bad news and in need of a hero," he said, "here we have one right under our nose."
It doesn't matter that he was recently awarded the department's Meritorious Medallion Award for saving the lives of six people who would have perished in their home had he not nearly broken their front door down.
It doesn't matter that he was not on duty when he came upon the fire and thus wasn't wearing any protective gear when he ran up the smoke-filled stairs to awaken the family, who were already unresponsive due to smoke inhalation.
It doesn't matter that upon meeting Sgt. Dooley at Ladder 8, Engine 27 on W. Fort Street, he does not acknowledge the 4-inch-long burn on the side of his face until you ask outright, because it's all in a day's work.
And it doesn't matter that everybody who works alongside him here at the firehouse — this band of brothers who run into burning buildings for a living — say he's a unsung hero, most notably his chief Mike Cleland, who grabs Dooley by the shoulder as he attempts to skirt by unnoticed to tell you "Good man, here. We're sure proud of him."
In his personal life, Dooley is the kind of guy who moved into his sister's house for a few weeks so that she could tend to her dying husband. Says a sister-in-law: "He's wonderful guy and very much hates the spotlight on him."
Of course, knowing this was all the more reason for his fellow firefighters to rib him during the interview.
Just as he was answering a question, a voice broadcast on the intercom: "Sgt. Dooley, your wife is on the phone. She wants know when you want her to bring the medication for your hemorrhoids."
In fact, he only did the interview because his childhood buddy, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge David Allen, goaded him into it. For his part, Allen, (who comes from a family of Detroit cops and firefighters and knows whereof he speaks) says: "I have had many accomplishments, accolades and awards in my own life and career, but I'm not quite sure I measure up to his quiet integrity and bravery. He is one of my great heroes, and I hope my kids measure up to his example."
While Dooley says saving six lives was "nothing more than a kick in the door," Joe Peacross, Mary Allen, Lakysha Allen, Ahmad Cooper, Kijuanna Richardson and Khalil Warr would beg to differ.
All of them were asleep on May 1, a Sunday morning in their two-family flat on 1551 Military St. on the city's southwest side. Dooley was on his way to work, sitting at the light at Vernor and Livernois, just looking at the sky.
Firefighters are "always looking," he says, because after you've carried a limp child in your arms out of a fire, you are always looking. It's ingrained."
When he discovered the back of the house was engulfed in flames, Dooley started pounding on the front door with both fists. No sooner had he gotten everybody out when the entire first floor of the dwelling was leveled.
Days after the fire, the survivors came to the fire house to thank Dooley. TV cameras were rolling. They were calling him "Angel Dooley."
Dooley rolls his eyes. "I'm no angel, trust me. The only reason they were saved is because of the grace of God. I just get to be part of that grace."
He's not the hero, he says. His wife Annabel is. Because while he's been fighting fires for the last 21 years, she's been raising their five kids: three boys and two girls ranging in age from 22 to 3 years old.
He's not the hero, he says.
"All of these guys are," he says, with a wave of the hand. "I know when I go into a fire, I know that if something bad were to happen, there's a whole crew of guys that will come in and get me. I can say that about guys all over the city."
Dooley would prefer us to settle on a hero among heroes. Sorry Dennis, but your buddy Judge Allen knows better: "In a world full of bad news and in need of a hero," he said, "here we have one right under our nose."
2011年11月1日星期二
Blackstrap molasses can help give relief from hemorrhoids
I tried numerous OTC remedies to ease my inflamed hemorrhoids, to no avail. I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that surgery was the only answer left.
I was in absolute misery until I found a testimonial about blackstrap molasses for hemorrhoids in “The People’s Pharmacy” column and decided to give it a try. As crazy as it sounds, I take 2 teaspoons a day, and the improvement has been amazing and immediate.
It has been three weeks, and the problem is 95 percent better. The bleeding has stopped, and the pain is gone. This is so astounding I had to encourage others to try it.
We have heard from many readers who have found taking a spoonful of blackstrap molasses helps hemorrhoid symptoms. Blackstrap molasses results from the third boiling of cane syrup to extract the sugar and contains residual minerals, such as manganese, copper, iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. One of these, or perhaps the combination, might be responsible for the benefits you have observed.
Two teaspoons contain 32 calories from 8 grams of carbohydrates.
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago, and my doctor started me on metformin. At first it caused horrible diarrheTaking the drug with food lessened that problem a bit.
Now I find that the constant burning in my throat and chest is unbearable. Even the Nexium I take doesn’t help.
My short-term memory is deteriorating. Could metformin be responsible? Are there any natural approaches that might help with my blood sugar control and my heartburn?
Metformin is a very useful medication to control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, flatulence and indigestion are fairly common side effects. They usually fade after several months of use, so if your heartburn has just started, you should contact your doctor promptly.
Metformin and Nexium (esomeprazole) can interfere with the absorption of vitamin B-12. Over time, the level of this vitamin could become low enough to affect memory. Ask your doctor to check your B-12 level so that you will know if you should take a supplement.
You recently wrote that sea salt has no iodine, but there are brands on the market that are iodized. I use Hain Iodized Sea Salt, and I also have seen Morton Iodized Sea Salt. I trust this is a better choice than regular salt.
Thank you for alerting us to these brands of iodized sea salt. When you use one of them, you don’t have to worry about too little iodine in the diet causing goiter. Most commercial sea salt has very little iodine, raising the concern about thyroid health and goiter.
I had high triglycerides until I read about taking1/4 teaspoon a day of cinnamon. My triglycerides have been perfect ever since. Sugar is the culprit in high triglycerides.
Other readers also have found that cinnamon can help control triglycerides. Cinnamon blunts the rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin after a meal.
I was in absolute misery until I found a testimonial about blackstrap molasses for hemorrhoids in “The People’s Pharmacy” column and decided to give it a try. As crazy as it sounds, I take 2 teaspoons a day, and the improvement has been amazing and immediate.
It has been three weeks, and the problem is 95 percent better. The bleeding has stopped, and the pain is gone. This is so astounding I had to encourage others to try it.
We have heard from many readers who have found taking a spoonful of blackstrap molasses helps hemorrhoid symptoms. Blackstrap molasses results from the third boiling of cane syrup to extract the sugar and contains residual minerals, such as manganese, copper, iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. One of these, or perhaps the combination, might be responsible for the benefits you have observed.
Two teaspoons contain 32 calories from 8 grams of carbohydrates.
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago, and my doctor started me on metformin. At first it caused horrible diarrheTaking the drug with food lessened that problem a bit.
Now I find that the constant burning in my throat and chest is unbearable. Even the Nexium I take doesn’t help.
My short-term memory is deteriorating. Could metformin be responsible? Are there any natural approaches that might help with my blood sugar control and my heartburn?
Metformin is a very useful medication to control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, flatulence and indigestion are fairly common side effects. They usually fade after several months of use, so if your heartburn has just started, you should contact your doctor promptly.
Metformin and Nexium (esomeprazole) can interfere with the absorption of vitamin B-12. Over time, the level of this vitamin could become low enough to affect memory. Ask your doctor to check your B-12 level so that you will know if you should take a supplement.
You recently wrote that sea salt has no iodine, but there are brands on the market that are iodized. I use Hain Iodized Sea Salt, and I also have seen Morton Iodized Sea Salt. I trust this is a better choice than regular salt.
Thank you for alerting us to these brands of iodized sea salt. When you use one of them, you don’t have to worry about too little iodine in the diet causing goiter. Most commercial sea salt has very little iodine, raising the concern about thyroid health and goiter.
I had high triglycerides until I read about taking1/4 teaspoon a day of cinnamon. My triglycerides have been perfect ever since. Sugar is the culprit in high triglycerides.
Other readers also have found that cinnamon can help control triglycerides. Cinnamon blunts the rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin after a meal.
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