Health care...a commodity

Okay, our current health system has many problems that definitely need addressed i.e. unable to get insurance due to having a chronic/lifelong ailment, but lets fix the problem instead of creating a new plan loaded with problems of it's own like penalizing the small business man when he starts to expand past 25 employees.

From my stand point...Obama's health plan... It 's a failed system that shortchanges doctors and interferes with the private contract between the doctor and the patient. This is a good summary of an article in one of the ENT magazines I was sent...

As it is currently...

...If you treat a Medicare patient, and the patient says, "times are tough, can you forget the copay, you can't do that," he said. "That's illegal because it's considered fraud. Also, if the patient wants to give you $20 more because the payment for your services is not adequate, you can't accept it. They kick you our of the Medicare system for two years. Wen you tell the public that, they say, "You gotta be kidding me! Why should there be coercion?"

So we should...Allow the purchase of health insurance across state lines. you allow tax credits-Whenever you pay for your insurance comes back to you as a credit, not a deduction. You allow private contracting between patients and physicians without penalty. You allow individual ownership of a policy and enhanced medical savings accounts. Get people off of Medicaid. Get rid of the program. Give Medicaid recipients a voucher and allow them to buy health insurance just like the people in the federal employees' health benefit program.

Anyway, food for thought.

Oh, I was chatting with a fellow resident who went to capital hill to hear all the latest...

If Obama sticks around, in 15 years we'll have a single payer system where everyone will be on the government insurance. Yes, a repeat of all the rest of the world. I say, if you love it that much Mr. Obama, put yourself on the system with the rest of your comrades. I just can't wait till my gas is free.

CHILDREN ARE NOT ACCESSORIES!

Listen up you wanna-be's Angelina Jolie's So, did any of the women or men listen to the Lords voice this past month? I hope I wasn't the only one that picked up on how selfish parents are these days. All in all, I interpreted the several talks as focusing on how we are all about self gratification. Forgetting that now we are adults and it isn't about us anymore. I'm guilty of it, and maybe that is why I picked up on it so much this last conference. However, I know I'm not the only one. As I look around and talk to other people and see how their children are stunted in their mental and thus scholastic, and spiritual souls. I was once told that being LDS, Catholic etc. was a fear, and guilt based religion. I say, there should be guilt and shame which drives us to be better! If that hasn't occurred, then you won't change. Questions we should ask ourselves... 1) Are you as a parent doing at least the bare minimum of Family home evening, family prayer, and scripture study? 2) If your child is struggling to progress scholastically, have you and your spouse dropped all of the selfish time sucking items (i.e. TV remote), and focused on how your child can progress (i.e. help patiently with homework)? 3) Did you listen to the voice of the lord in prayer and fasting for inspiration on how to make your children spiritually great? As they said in conference, there is a direct coorelation between quality time and quantity of time. If you don't have quantity, then there are not opportunities created for quality. So, set aside the selfish desire to excel in the professional world, turn off the "boob tube", and nurture the children whom so desperately need parents to spend that time with them. Since they obviously can learn more than what is taught in school, take time to teach them. They will remember it forever as "the fact my daddy taught me". Teach them now before they think they know it all. Be the example a parent desires their child to be. If your child is talking back, destructive, rude, etc. Where did he/she learn it from? From those he/she admires...YOU! Stepping down now from my soap box.

Spank or not to spank

My question is, not if, but how much. You see, Debbie would go along with this article full heartedly. I say, for the most part, she's right. As I have experienced, it isn't wise to use corporal punishment on a emotional basis. For the most part, it's used in the heat of pinacled anger from the parent who's had enough. I should know, when my patience runs out, I pop like a balloon. Typical for a surgeon I guess. After a few still small voices, aside from Deb's, it has been recommended that I not spank on a whim. I haven't spanked my kids in months. Nor have I had to. I mean what I say, and I apply what I mean. I let them know when they are getting close to the line and warn them about crossing the line. If it's done on purpose, then I act. If I don't act you see, that just tells the little boundry pushing child that it's actually okay to push the boundary a few times before recourse happens. At thier age, if there is nothing to fear, then there is nothing to respect. If there is nothing to respect then their innate selfishness abounds and everyone around that brat suffers. So, I say, use corporal punishment wisely and not as a constant means of punishment, but as an end after all has been tried and failed. Just keep the golden rule in hand and teach them! Just like in conference two weeks ago. There was so much said on teaching the child in the home, not just spiritual, but academics. They talked about all the other learning preocesses that come about by exposure t o two loving parents. Study: Spanking Kids Leads to More Aggressive Behavior By ALICE PARK Alice Park – Mon Apr 12, 1:50 am ET Disciplining young children is one of the key jobs of any parent - most people would have no trouble agreeing with that. But whether or not that discipline should include spanking or other forms of corporal punishment is a far trickier issue. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not endorse spanking for any reason, citing its lack of long-term effectiveness as a behavior-changing tactic. Instead the AAP supports strategies such as "time-outs" when children misbehave, which focus on getting kids to reflect on their behavior and the consequences of their actions. Still, as many parents can attest, few responses bring about the immediate interruption of a full-blown tantrum like a swift whack to the bottom. (See pictures of the evolution of the college dorm.) Now researchers at Tulane University provide the strongest evidence yet against the use of spanking: of the nearly 2,500 youngsters in the study, those who were spanked more frequently at age 3 were more likely to be aggressive by age 5. The research supports earlier work on the pitfalls of corporal punishment, including a study by Duke University researchers that revealed that infants who were spanked at 12 months scored lower on cognitive tests at age 3. "I'm excited by the idea that there is now some nice hard data that can back up clinicians when they share their caution with parents against using corporal punishment," says Dr. Jayne Singer, clinical director of the child and parent program at Children's Hospital Boston, who was not involved in the study. (Read "Should Kids Be Bribed to Do Well in School?") Led by Catherine Taylor, the Tulane study was the first to control simultaneously for variables that are most likely to confound the association between spanking and later aggressive behavior. The researchers accounted for factors such as acts of neglect by the mother, violence or aggression between the parents, maternal stress and depression, the mother's use of alcohol and drugs, and even whether the mother considered abortion while pregnant with the child. Each of these factors contributed to children's aggressive behavior at age 5, but they could not explain all of the violent tendencies at that age. Further, the positive connection between spanking and aggression remained strong, even after these factors had been accounted for. "The odds of a child being more aggressive at age 5 if he had been spanked more than twice in the month before the study began increased by 50%," says Taylor. And because her group also accounted for varying levels of natural aggression in children, the researchers are confident that "it's not just that children who are more aggressive are more likely to be spanked." What the study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, shows is that outside of the most obvious factors that may influence violent behavior in children, spanking remains a strong predictor. "This study controls for the most common risk factors that people tend to think of as being associated with aggression," says Singer. "This adds more credence, more data and more strength to the argument against using corporal punishment." Among the mothers who were studied, nearly half (45.6%) reported no spanking in the previous month; 27.9% reported spanking once or twice; and 26.5% reported spanking more than twice. Compared with children who were not hit, those who were spanked were more likely to be defiant, demand immediate satisfaction of their wants and needs, get frustrated easily, have temper tantrums and lash out physically against others. The reason for that, says Singer, may be that spanking instills fear rather than understanding. Even if a child were to stop his screaming tantrum when spanked, that doesn't mean he understands why he shouldn't be acting out in the first place. What's more, spanking models aggressive behavior as a solution to problems. For children to understand what and why they have done something wrong, it may take repeated efforts on the parent's part, using time-outs - a strategy that typically involves denying the child any attention, praise or interaction with parents for a specified period of time (that is, the parents ignore the child). These quiet times force children to calm down and learn to think about their emotions, rather than acting out on them blindly. Spanking may stop a child from misbehaving in the short term, but it becomes less and less effective with repeated use, according to the AAP; it also makes discipline more difficult as the child gets older and outgrows spanking. As the latest study shows, investing the time early on to teach a child why his behavior is wrong may translate to a more self-aware and in-control youngster in the long run.

Georgia's Congressman is smokin' something!

Par for the course! After viewing this video, it's no wonder why nothing of importance gets done in congress these days. Lazy sacks of useless carbon dioxide emitters. Yes, I am offended that this guy actually is polluting this earth with his huge carbon footprint caused by his oral emissions. But he does make a good point. The island of Guam perhaps would "tip and capsize" if they put additional military personnel on the island, that is, if I was as trippin' on whatever it is he's smokin'. Pass the dubie! Love, Peace, and lets watch Guam capsize!

Here's the link...

Dumb de dump dumb

What is our nutty president & goons doing to all of us!?!

So, Let me get this right. Nanci Pelosy gives a press conference and actually says "we need to pass the bill before we can find out what is in the bill". Yeah, buy it before you try it. That always goes down well! So, we baught it, and now we're trying it and it tastes like Cr*@!

Remember what I said about Brazil's health care? If you want an augmentation and any other non urgent surgery, it's fantastic. Just wait in line and you get what you want. The caveat? DONT GET COMPLICATIONS! That is, unless you want to die by waiting in that line again. You see, in Obamaland he wants this too. In the bill, it was proposed that those with medicare (that part sucked out of your paycheck during your working life), they will pay for your surgery. BUT if you have complications, you're on your own. Kicked to the curb, good luck sucka!

Is that the way we should treat our seniors citizens who busted their butts their entire lives? You decide. And THAT is only the beginning!

Name this disorder

Okay, some clues... The guy is from China. Yes, he lives in a country with government run health care. Funny thing (not so funny thing)is, he didn't have enough money to get his condition appropriately managed. Now, he can't pay the surgical cost to get his jaw removed. Okay... Name this TUMAAAAA.

The fat craze...Striving for less than mediocracy.

So, I was sent this article by a friend. What I want to know is... where has self dignity gone? I get the "I'll do anything to get fame" idea. But, seriously! Playing Russian Rulet and a spouse supporting such behavior? Here's my goal...I will strive for less than mediocracy in the surgical field. Ah, I now feel more respected. Speaking of... reason 111 not to become obese. You will win a tracheostomy tube (breathing through a tubed hole in your neck), to help with your sleep apnea in order to stop your heart from collapsing while you sleep. Uh, that is, if we can get the tube in. Mrs. Obama, I found a place for you to start your campaign.

An obese mother in the US is trying to put on weight in order to become the world's fattest woman.

Donna Simpson, from New Jersey, weighs 273kg (606.6 lbs) but told the Daily Mail newspaper she had her heart set on reaching her goal weight of 1000lb (450kg) in two years.

The 42-year-old already holds the title of the world's fattest mother after giving birth to her daughter in 2007 when she weighed 241kg.

"I'd love to be 1000lb ... it might be hard though, running after my daughter keeps my weight down," Ms Simpson told the Daily Mail.

Ms Simpson, who needs a mobility scooter to go shopping, eats huge amounts of junk food each week and tries to move as little as possible so she doesn't burn off as many calories.

"I do love cakes and sweet things, doughnuts are my favourite," she said.

Ms Simpson said she also loved eating sushi and would often eat 70 big pieces in one go.

Her 49-year-old partner Philippe — who she met on a dating site for plus-size people — was encouraging her to reach her goal, she said.

"I think he'd like it if I was bigger ... he's a real belly man and completely supports me," she said.

To put on enough weight, Ms Simpson will need to eat 12,000 calories a day, which is six times the recommended daily intake for women.

In order to pay for the enormous amounts of food she is eating — her weekly grocery bill is $815 — Ms Simpson makes money by running a website where men pay to watch her consume fast food.

Falling Rock

While on family road trips when a kid, we would relentlessly ask my dad to tell us the story of "Falling Rock". He had an elaborate story on how this native american indian boy was to find the name that fit him. He ended up disappearing. So, THAT is the reason we have so many signs in Colorado to look out for Falling Rock.

Well...Looks like he decided to finally show up, with a BANG.

Rockfall in Glenwood Canyon I-70 closed to all traffic in both directions between Glenwood Springs and Dotsero

GLENWOOD CANYON – Just after midnight, on March 8, a large rockfall incident hit I-70 in Glenwood Canyon , near mile marker 125 just west of Hanging Lake Tunnel. (The rockslide on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2004, was in the same general area, though rocks came from a different location on the hillside.) I-70 is closed in both directions to all traffic at Glenwood (mm 116) and at Dotsero (mm 133). While there is no estimate for a re-open time, Colorado Department of Transportation will blast and break up larger boulders today and continue work to assess when a portion of the roadway may be opened for travel. CDOT will implement emergency contracting procedures and meet with contractors over the next couple of days as crews develop repair plans. It is estimated that this slide brought 20 boulders onto the interstate, ranging in size from 3 feet to10 feet in diameter. The largest is estimated to weigh about 66 tons. The rocks have made holes in the elevated sections of roadway—the largest being in the westbound lanes (closest to the hillside) and measuring 20 feet by 10 feet. Another hole in the lower eastbound lanes measures 6 feet by 6 feet. There are a half a dozen other holes and “dips” in the roadway, as well as areas where rocks are embedded. Most of these repair areas appear to be approximately 5 feet by 5 feet. Rocks are scattered over 100 yards of roadway. Also damaged are three sections (about 120 linear feet) of steel guard rail and 100 linear feet of median barrier. The damage is similar to that resulting from the 2004 rockfall incident. ALTERNATE ROUTES: from westbound I-70: exit at US 40/Empire to State Highway 13 and back to I-70; exit in Silverthorne and take State Highway 9 to US 40 and State Highway 13; exit at Wolcott/State Highway 131 to US 40 and State Highway 13. From eastbound I-70: exit at Rifle/State Highway 13 to US 40 and back to I-70. Travelers may also wish to use US highways 160, 285 and 50 if traveling to destinations south. I-70 is not expected to open any time soon. CDOT appreciates the patience of travelers and want everyone to be assurred that crews are doing everything possible to get the roadway safely open to traffic. Video of the rockfall site can be found at www.cotrip.org

Exercise, keep on sista's!

After just presenting to the fabulous women of women's conference about exercise and nutrition, I read about an added benefit. It is extremely bothersome for those women to age and feel the effects of those blasting flashes of heat, "night sweats, cardiac symptoms, muscle and joint pain, sleeping disorder symptoms, depressive mood, irritability, anxiety, exhaustion, sexual problems, and urinary symptoms" of menopause.

How integral is a good exercise program? See for yourself.

Long-term exercise reduced menopausal symptoms

February 12, 2010

By Sherry Boschert

Postmenopausal women improved their physical fitness and reported reductions in the severity of menopausal symptoms after 12-24 weeks of aerobic exercise in three 70-minute sessions per week.

The 65 women (mean age 50.1 years) rated the severity of menopausal symptoms on the self-administered Menopause Rating Scale questionnaire at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks in the uncontrolled study. The program of aerobic and calisthenic exercise aimed for 75%-80% of maximal heart rate according to the Karvonen method and consisted of 10 minutes of warm-up exercises; 40 minutes of aerobics; 15 minutes of exercise targeting the abdomen, hip, and leg muscles; and 5 minutes for cool-down and stretching.

Participants reported significant decreases in the severity of hot flushes, night sweats, cardiac symptoms, muscle and joint pain, sleeping disorder symptoms, depressive mood, irritability, anxiety, exhaustion, sexual problems, and urinary symptoms between the start and the end of the study, Dr. Selma Karacan of Selcuk University in Konya, Turkey reported in Science & Sports.

Some of the symptoms showed improvement by 12 weeks and further significant improvements by 24 weeks, including vasomotor symptoms, muscle and joint pain, psychological symptoms, and sexual problems. The women reported no significant change in vaginal dryness (Sci. Sports 2009 [doi:10.1016/j.scispo.2009.07.004]).

Significant improvements also were seen in resting heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, flexibility, aerobic power, and the ability to perform sit-ups, push-ups, and right or left hand grips. Body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, and fat weight decreased significantly, with no change in lean body mass values.

The findings support results from previous observational studies of physically active postmenopausal women compared with age-matched, sedentary control women. No randomized controlled trials have looked at the efficacy of exercise in managing hot flushes.

A decline due to safety concerns in recent years in the use of hormone replacement therapy to manage the vasomotor symptoms of menopause adds to the importance of finding that evidence-based lifestyle modifications can help menopausal symptoms. The current study suggests that a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness may help reduce menopausal symptoms, Dr. Karacan concluded.

STOP THE ENERGY DRINKS!!!!

Hello friends, family and countrymen.

The Word of wisdom has once again come through to help us. We all know that it says not to drink hot drinks suggesting black tea and coffee since that was what it was at the time the revelation was given to the prophet Joseph Smith. Many ask why? Well, because it was a commandment. Pretty simple really. If your doctor asks you to stop picking your nose, it's probably for a good reason. If that's not good enough for you, then look into it. It's a DRUG! Drugs have their place don't get me wrong. What do Energy drinks have in them? Drugs and "vitamins".

Just today, there was released a study where Energy drinks are linked to cardiovascular problems that could lead to a heart attack, such as heightened blood pressure, increased platelet clotting, and a hindered blood vessel lining.

Further studies will come out in regards to what exactly it is in the energy drink whether it's the caffeine, taurine, or other ingredients. So keep an eye out for those results.

In a cohort of otherwise fit and healthy subjects, the present study demonstrated endothelial dysfunction and platelet hyperaggregability 1 hour after energy drink consumption, with an associated increase in blood pressure.

The energy drink used in this study contains caffeine, taurine (an amino acid), and glucuronolactone (a glucose metabolite). Additional substances incorporated in the drink include vitamins (B2, -5, -6, -12) along with sweeteners and thickeners. It remains uncertain which of these compounds are responsible for the above findings. Of the individual ingredients, caffeine is the best characterized; however, there are still conflicting results due to variable doses of caffeine used and different techniques used to measure platelet function. While no effect on platelet aggregation, or even improved effects on endothelial function has been observed, it is important to note that there is no evidence to date to support the suggestion that chronic coffee consumption has any impact on cardiovascular events. Taurine is seen in high concentration in platelets. Interestingly, the exact function of taurine in the platelet remains uncertain. Supplemental taurine has been felt to have potential beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system via mediating redox stress. The potential effect of taurine to explain the detrimental effects of energy drink consumption on platelet and endothelial function therefore seems unlikely. No data exist about the impact of glucuronolactone on platelet or endothelial function. As endothelial dysfunction and impaired platelet function are associated with elevated glucose levels, it is possible that glucuronolactone might contribute to the observed detrimental effects of energy drinks.