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:Random thoughts from a Renegade Mom:
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Saturday, November 19, 2005Food banks Reuters.com: "The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Friday to cut $700 million from the food stamp program as part of a broad bill to reduce federal spending by $50 billion, despite objections from antihunger groups. Some 235,000 people would lose food stamp benefits under the House bill, according to one analysis. he majority of these cuts will affect welfare-to-work families who receive non-cash Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) benefits and legal immigrants who have been in this country for more than five years." This Thanksgiving remember families who may not be having a feast. High heating cost this winter and the pending loss of food stamps for our working poor, please give to your local food banks, NOW more than ever. Gina froze in time on 6:59 PM [ | ]
Thursday, November 17, 2005My Lobotomy: NPR oral history I heard a powerful sorry on the radio last night. "my Lobotomy" . You can read more about Howard Dully or listen to his story, in his words, and the voices of others who suffered (and I do mean suffered) from this "medical" procedure. On Jan. 17, 1946, a psychiatrist named Walter Freeman launched a radical new era in the treatment of mental illness in this country. On that day, he performed the first-ever transorbital or "ice-pick" lobotomy in his Washington, D.C., office. Freeman believed that mental illness was related to overactive emotions, and that by cutting the brain he cut away these feelings. Walter Freeman traveled around in the '50s and '60s in a car he called the "lobotomobile", carrying the tools of his trade, icepick and mallet. After 2,500 operations, Freeman performed his final ice-pick lobotomy on a housewife named Helen Mortenson in February 1967. She died of a brain hemorrhage, and Freeman's career was finally over. This is a sad reminder of how we treated our mentally ill. Today there is still misconception and mistreatment of mentally ill in our country, even by those who should be treating them, their doctors. One story is that of a new mother given a transorbital lobotomy for post-partum depression. Lobotomys were given for all types of mental disorders and health problems. From depression to migraines and the results were mixed. Some people had improvements, while a large number had severe complications, including death. Lobotomy NPR Gina froze in time on 1:42 PM [ | ]
Vacations provide mental health benefits for women Vacations provide mental health benefits for women: "Women who take vacations frequently are less likely to become tense, depressed or tired and are more satisfied with their marriages, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wis. The study, published in a recent issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal, found that the odds of depression and tension were higher among women who took vacations only once in two years compared with women who took vacations twice or more per year. In addition, the odds of marital satisfaction decreased as the frequency of vacations decreased. " Well with the turkey day coming up, my posting is going to be light. My MIL feels it is her personal mission when she stays with us to clean the whole time, and usually I'm thankful, but she's been ill and I want her to relax. She has Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, a rare disorder that causes the production of abnormal B-lymphocytes, white blood cells. Her cancer is in remission but she's had an episode this week of Lambert-Eaton syndrome, characterized by muscle weakness. It is a "temporary" form of myasthenia gravis. Any of you who are HOUSE fans will note that the "sick guy" last week had Myasthenia gravis, which made him have trouble breathing. Basically the same thing here with her. So, this means I'm off on deep cleaning in my house, so the MIL will rest. I'll be popping in to try and post, but the house is my first priority...not really a vacation, but hey... Gina froze in time on 7:13 AM [ | ]
Monday, November 14, 2005HIV man "cured""Andrew Stimpson, 25, was diagnosed HIV-positive in 2002 but was found to be negative in October 2003 by Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust."Aids expert Dr Patrick Dixon, from international Aids group Acet, said the case was "very, very unusual". "I've come across many anecdotal reports of this kind of thing happening in Africa, some quite recently, but it's difficult to verify them," he told BBC News 24. "You have to be rock-solid sure that both samples came from the same person, no mix-up in the laboratory, no mistakes in the testing, etc. "This is the first well-documented case." He said the case was important because "inside his immune system is perhaps a key that could allow us to develop some kind of vaccine". I posted in October about the HIV Virus becoming weaker and with this "well documented case" of an immune system fighting off the virus, wow, could we really be on the verge of a cure. That would be great! Gina froze in time on 7:05 PM [ | ]
The powerful effects of light on the adrenal glands Researchers have found in mice that light sparks a cascade of gene activity in the adrenal gland through its effects on the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Located in the brain region called the hypothalamus, the SCN is the seat of the circadian clock, the body's internal clock that regulates the roughly 24-hour cycle of biological processes. But, just as important, these changes also produce a massive surge of Corticosterone, a steroid hormone. This hormone increased as the intensity of the light increased. this hormone plays many different roles in the body, including metabolic responses, antinflammatory immune response and of course our "internal clock". When the light was removed in the experiment, the effects were lost, including the "resetting" of the circadian clock. The researchers conclude that "bright light therapy" might help in a verity of disorder such as SAD, Seasonal affective disorder.
Gina froze in time on 6:49 PM [ | ]
Study says sexual scenes in TV have nearly doubled Study says sexual scenes have nearly doubled - The Boston Globe: "Scenes featuring kissing, fondling, and talk about sex have nearly doubled on television since 1998, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study released yesterday. Among the top 20 watched shows by teens -- which include ''Desperate Housewives,' ''The O.C.,' and ''One Tree Hill' -- 70 percent include sex talk and depictions of sexual behavior, researchers found." This year's study of the 2004-05 television season examined a sampling of a week's programming (1,154 shows) on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, HBO, Lifetime, TNT, USA Network, and a WB and PBS affiliate between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The top-20 shows watched by 12- to 17-year-olds were analyzed separately. Dale Kunkel, a professor of communication at the University of Arizona, helped conduct the study. He said the most compelling finding was that the number of scenes with sexual content in the program sample had risen from 1,930 in 1998 to 3,783 last season. Teen shows averaged 6.7 sex-related scenes per hour. The number of shows depicting or implying sexual intercourse was down to 11 percent of the sample, compared to 14 percent in 2002. But risk and safe-sex messages (including depictions of condom use or consequences like unplanned pregnancy or AIDS) were used in just 14 percent of shows with sexual content, down from 15 percent of shows in 2002. Again, it all boils down to know what your kids are watching and talking to them about it. Parents are incedibly uncomforible talking about sex, and I just don't get it. Sex images are increasing in our society and it's so important to talk about it. And I'm not just talking about teenage sex, I'm also talking about body image. When you have naked people, they are going to be in incredible (really unrealistic) shape, this is how eating disorders start. Gina froze in time on 6:36 PM [ | ]
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The chaotic life of a (exausted) mother of
2 little mosters, I mean children. These are my thoughts on life and the world around me, so I can talk about things other than diapers! Current news, health and women's issues.
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