Mikey's Journal of Medicine

Fw: Fwd: Why . . . Why . . . Why . . .

Drmikey — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:04:02 GMT

----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Mike Thorn To: mikey.thorn@yahoo.com; pufferfish52001@yahoo.com Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 10:32:22 AM Subject: Fwd: Why . . . Why . . . Why . . . >>> On 7/30/2008 at 6:56 AM, in message , Gerald Sullivan wrote: Why dowe press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting dead? Why dobanks charge a fee on 'insufficient funds' when they know there is notenough money? Why doessomeonebelieve you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet? Why dothey use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection? Whydoesn't Tarzan have a beard? Why doesSuperman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolverat him? Why doKamikaze pilots wear helmets? Whoseidea was it to put an 'S' in the word 'lisp'? If people evolved from apes,why are there still apes? Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are alwayswhite? Is thereever a day that mattressesare noton sale? Why dopeople constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something newto eat will have materialized? Why dopeople keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner,then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance? Why isit that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try? How dothose dead bugs get into those enclosed lightfixtures? When weare in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cartthen apologizes for doing so, why do we say, 'It's all right?' Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, 'That really hurt, why don't you watch where you're going?' Why is itthat whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over? Inwinter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when wecomplained about the heat? Howcome you never hear father-in-law jokes? And my FAVORITE...... Thestatistics on sanity is that one out of every four persons is sufferingfrom some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you. ~~~Nowsend this on to your friends and make them smiletoo!~~~ ****Aday without a smile is like a day without sunshine.

Did You Know

Drmikey — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:44:53 GMT

Did you know that an average 80 year old will have slept for ten years.

A biocemist cloning a pet dog

Drmikey — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:04:14 GMT

This article by Bob Grant on February 8, 2008, is about a biochemist cloning a pet dog

A California lady is paying $150,000 to have her dead pit bull cloned by a South Korean company. Before the dog, Booger, died, she preserved an ear tissue. This tissue will be used for the cloning. She wants to have her dog cloned because Booger saved her life when her arm was torn off by another dog.

Another dog was successfully cloned in 2005 by Seoul National University headed by Lee Byeong-chun. In 2004, a person paid $50,000 to have a pet cat cloned.

I think that it is amazing how advanced the technology has become. It is also fascinating how you can clone a pet from a simple tissue of material from the animal. I would have my dog, Dusty, cloned if I had nothing better to do with $150,000. I can think of 150,000 better things to do with $150,000!

The Lowdown on Hydrocodone

Drmikey — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:09:17 GMT

The article I am reviewing from upfront Scholastic News, "The Lowdown on Hydrocodone" can also be found at http://schloastic.com/headsup.

This article talks about hydrocodone, which can be found in Vicoden, Anexsia, Lorcet, and Norco, and its abuse by teenagers. Hydrocodone is a prescribed medicine that treats acute and chronic pain. It is used in many medicines to help relieve pain. If it is mixed with achool or any other drug, it can have a very bad affect on your body.

The good news is that use of illicit drugs has declined in teens since 2001. The bad news is that nearly 1 in 10 high school seniors abused vicodin, which contains hydrcodone, in the past year.

I think it is bad abuse these drugs. God says to have a healthy body.

My Dad's Heart Cath

Drmikey — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:49:21 GMT

My dad began to experience a tightness in his chest and a tingling in his left arm when he was walking on the treadmill. He made an appointment to see his doctor. At this visit, the doctor listened to his heart and referred him to a cardiologist to have a stress test performed the next day.

A stress test is a method for getting the heart up to a certain stress level where the arteries dialate to let more blood through. If the artieries are blocked, they will not dialate properly and it will show up on the EKG. First, the doctor will take the patient's blood pressure and heart rate while at rest. Then they attache sticky elctrodes to the hip, shoulder, and chest. These will monitor the heart. The patient gets on a treadmill and every three minutes they increase the pace and the incline. The test is over when the patient's heart rate gets to a target rate (85% max based on the patient's age) or there is discomfort in their chest or other signs of a problem. My dad did this test and one of his arteries was 99% blocked. He was sent straight to the hospital. They had a room waiting for him.

When he checked in to his room, he was already scheduled for a heart cath at 3:30 that very afternoon. They injected a dye into him so that the vessels would show up better on the film. A tube with a camera was inserted around the groin area to see the clog. Then they used a balloon to stretch the blood vessel. Next they put in a stent (an expanding piece of metal) in the artery. This will hold the artery open for the blood to flow through. They closed up the incision site with a StarClose, which is a vascular closure sytem.

My dad had to have three hours of rest. He had to lay flat on his back and coundm't move his right leg. After three more hours he could sit up and get out of bed. He was released from the hospital the next day, Saturday. Sunday, we went to church together and on Monday he went back to work with a "no heavy lifting" restriction. Tuesday he was permitted to resume his normal activities. They put him on a blood thinnner medication so the blood wouldn't get stuck on the stent. They asked him to slightly modify his diet. My dad believes this blockage might have been caused by his cholesterol medicine (Vytorin).

When he called me on Friday at 12:00 PM, after his stress test, he told me he had to have the heart cath. I was shocked. I prayed. My grandparents took me to the hospital to be with my dad. At 3:00 PM, he left to go have the heart cath. They started it at 3:30. It took just under an hour.

My dad is doing great! I'm glad it is all over and that there was no damage to his heart and he didn't have a heart attack.

Symlin: A New Discovery

Drmikey — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:28:41 GMT

Many diabetics experience blood sugar highs after a meal. It is difficult for insulin alone to lower these peaks, and blood sugar levels may remain above normal and difficult to control. One reason for your blood sugar swings is that your body may be missing or may not have enough of a hormone called amylin. This hormone "is secreted along with insulin by beta cells in response to eating. Amylin helps the body to regulate how quickly nutrients from food are converted into glucose and delivered into the blood, while insulin regulates how quickly the glucose is absorbed by cells. Thus insulin and amylin work together in the process of metabolism." (1)

Symlin is an artifical form of amylin. It was discovered by Garth Cooper, an Oxford scientist. It has been on the market since July 2007, following its approval by the FDA. It is an injectable medicine for adult (not approved for children) both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. Symlin is not a replacement for insulin and should not be mixed with insulin. Symblin may cause a loss of weight. The user must also be careful of severe lows after eating.

This sounds like an interesting discovery. There are people who wear a separate pump for symlin. I think it is smart to wear two pumps, one for insulin and one for symlin. As a Type 1 diabetic, I would do it!

(1) www.childrenwithdiabetes.com

Antarctic First Aid Kit Items

Drmikey — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:08:43 GMT

What I would put in an Antarctic First Aid kit

First aid book
Scissors
CPR barrier shield
Splinter picker forceps
Antibiotic ointment
Antiseptic towelettes
Tincture of Benzoin
Butterfly closure strips
Moleskin (blisters)
Latex gloves
Infectious control bag
Antimicrobial hand wipes
Sterile dressings
Adhesive tape
Bandages
Cotton tip applicators
Extra-Strength Tylenol
Antihistamine
Motrin
Anti-diarrhea medicine
Safety Pins
Splint
Aloe Vera
Sunscreen
Duct Tape
Salt / hydration fluids
Powder for rashes
Athlete's foot powder
Waterproof matches
Thermometer
Scalpel
Dental filling kit

Mississippi First Aid Kit Items

Drmikey — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:02:43 GMT

What I would put in a Mississippi first Aid Kit

First Aid Book
Bandages
CPR barrier shield
Insect repellant
Gauze
Ace bandage
Disinfectant
Sunscreen
Aloe Vera
Neosporin
Lotion for poison ivy/oak
Latex gloves
Water
Salt
Snake bite kit
Ibuprofen
Aspirin
Benadryl
Splint
Light
Tweezers
Scissors
Large cloth for slings
Tarp
Alcohol wipes
Safety pins
Athlete's foot powder

Information on Glaciers

Drmikey — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:54:01 GMT

A glacier is compact frozen snow. Two characteristics are that glaciers are formed form snow and move because of their own weight. There are three classifications of glaciers. The first is continental glaciers or ice caps. The largest ice caps are found in Antarctica and Greenland. Antarctica is almost completely covered and Greenland is 85% covered. The next classification is valley glaciers which are found on mountain ranges on every continent. The last classification is piedmont glaciers. These glaciers form a sheet of ice at the foot of mountain ranges.

Glaciers form when only some of the snow above the snow line melts in the summer. Then it refreezes and another layer of snow falls on it. Then year after year it becomes more and more compact and dense. This process causes it to change into a granular ice called nv.

Glaciers move because of gravity. Sometimes they move on a thin layer of water. Valley glaciers move faster then continental glaciers

Water from the glacier goes penetrates the gaps in the rocks. The water freezes and expands; the rock breaks off, and becomes part of the glacier. This is called plucking or quarrying. There are two ways the rock is used. The first is abrasion, is where the rock acts as a piece of sandpaper. The second is called bulldozing where the glacier is pushing everything in its way.

All sediment of glacier erosion is called drift. The four different types are till, drumlins, glacial erratic, and stratified drift. As the glacier moves and or melts, it leaves behind rock and rock flour that had become a part of it.

When a glacier reaches the ocean, it melts and sediment goes to the ocean floor.

The geology of Antarctica can be found on the internet, at the library, and in encyclopedias.

Arctic Melt

Drmikey — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:11:44 GMT

In the article by Emily Sohn, she presented information that ice is decreasing in the Arctic Ocean. Her three points were that the stronger winds blew some ice out of the Arctic Circle, cleaner air is letting in more sunlght that is melting the ice, and that the warmer water is melting the ice from below. At the end of summer in 2007, the ice was 38% less than the end of summer the previous year. This article is from the website www.sciencenewsforkids.com.

Our Brain

Drmikey — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:12:26 GMT

What is the most complex computer? Is it a Dell? Is it an Apple? No it's your brain! It's weight is less than 3 pounds. It has 12 billion neurons. It has 50 billion supporting glial cells. It controls body functions. Your brain gives you the ability to think, remember, and imagine.

Your brain is divided in half by the longitudinal fissure. The left hemisphere controls language, math, logic and the right side of your body. The right hemisphere controls spatial abilities face recognition, visual imagery, music, and the left side of your body.

Your brain is also divided into four lobes: the parietal lobe, the occipital lobe, the frontal lobe, and the temporal lobe.

The parietal lobe plays important roles in forming sensory information from different senses. The frontal lobe controls conscious thought; if there is damage it can result in mood changes. It also deals with planning, organizing, and problem solving. It controls your personality, behavior, and emotions. The occipital lobe controls sense of sight.

The temporal lobe controls senses of smell and sound, as well as sorting new information. It deals with our short term memory.

Learning about the brain is important because it can help doctors diagnose a problem in the brain.

Phone Interview With Doug Stoup

Drmikey — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:07:22 GMT

On Tuesday, December 18, 2007 my brother, Matt, and I talked to Doug Stoup. Doug is an explorer who is guiding two other men through Antarctica to the South Pole. They are walking and skiing the same route that Ernest Shackleton had planned in 1916. Shackleton was never able to take this route because his ship, The Endurance, was crushed by ice. We were sitting on stools in our kitchen with a speaker phone between us.

To prepare for the call, I listened to his pod casts each day that he had posted, watched a four- part A & E movie about one of Shackleton's trips to the South Pole. I also researched about the climate conditions. Then I prioritized my prepared questions that I wanted to ask him because his battery might run low down.

Before the call I was nervous. It took four tries to connect to Doug because he was late getting to the waypoint. We had a good connection. It was easy to talk to him. He was using solar energy to recharge his Ipod and cell phone. They measure in nautical miles and he told us that there are 16 nautical miles in a degree. They are not using dogs to pull their sleds because dogs, or any animal that is not naturally there, are not allowed in Antarctica. Each man is pulling approximately 240 pounds. They had to gain a lot of weight for this trip because they will use up a lot of calories in the physical exercise and cold climate. They must eat 8,000 calories a day!

Once we were done with our good byes his battery cut out. When it was over, I was glad that I had taken part in that conversation

How Space Effects Your Bones

Drmikey — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:35:05 GMT

People lose bone mass at a normal rate for men of 1% to 2% per year, and women at 3% to 5%. The International Space Station (ISS) crew lost 2.2% to 2.7% bone mass for every month they spent in space. The loss of bone mass can cause fractures and other serious musculoskeletal problems.

The weightlessness, lack of gravity, causes this bone mass loss. The National Osteoporosis Foundation says that at least 25 million people have bone loss and it costs them $18 billion dollars to national health programs.

Researchers have found a drug, zoledronate of the bisphosphonate class of medication, which decreases the amount of bone loss. Another possible solution is a bathroom-like scale that shakes 30 cycles per second that would trick the skeleton to think it was under earth's gravity.

Mikey Thorn's CT Scan article

Drmikey — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:56:01 GMT

There is a debate in the medical community about CT scans as reported by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Some of the dangers are that they are dangerous for children because they are 10% more sensitive to the radiation due to their growth. The amount of radiation given off is the same a s a survivor received from the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. 2% of cancer is caused by CT scans. It is being overused. 20% of CT scans are not needed. Doctors are increasing the frequency of the scans. There is a one in five chance that you will get a CT scan each year. There are 60 million CT scans done a year.

CT scans are good for several reasons. They can eliminate exploratory surgery. They are also a good diagnostic tool. They save lives by finding diseases.

The solutions are to reduce the amount of radiation and reducing the amount of frequency.

I think that CT scans are a good diagnostic tool and they are being overused. I think they should have two or three doctors decide if a person should have a CT scan. All the factors need to be considered.

Hypothermia

Drmikey — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 22:12:08 GMT

Hypothermia is when the body is losing more heat than it can generate. This can happen if you get cold, wet, or caught in bad weather. When your body temperature drops below 95F, your blood vessels will constrict and send your warm blood to your major organs. Your body will do this to keep you alive. Some symptoms of hypothermia are shivering, tingling, feeling cold and numb, tired and anxious, confusion, irritability, stumbling, falling down, and loss of consciousness.

You can help someone with hypothermia by helping them regain their normal body temperature. Get them into warm dry clothes; zip them into a warm dry sleeping bag. Give them warm or hot liquids, fill up water bottles with warm water and put them in the armpits and groin areas. Get them medical attention as soon as possible.

You can avoid hypothermia if you are layered and slowly start removing layers when you get hot and slowly start relayering. Wear a hat and gloves. Eat plenty of food for energy and drink plenty of fluids. Keep moving, and camp early.

The materials you will need to treat hypothermia are warm dry clothes, dry shelter, warm dry sleeping bag, warm liquids, and water bottles.