I am going to try and get ahead and get a number of posts written for here, but right now, I make no promises. Life in my world is on a yo-yo string at the moment. We have been up, then down, then really down, and now we’re back on the way up. Hoping it continues that way, but honestly, I’d also be content for the yo-yo to just stop moving, one way or the other.
So if things flake out here, I am sorry. But even if I do disappear for a while, I promise, I will be back.
I like medical miracles. They remind us that there are depths to the human brain and body that we still don’t understand. I love this story about a former Paralympian who has regained the use of her legs and is now on a pro-cycling team.
On the other hand, I hate medical miracles, because they make too many people think they’ll be the miracle when miracles just do not happen all that often.
I actually think the best part of this story is that Monique was making the best of her life with a disability, not waiting for a miracle.
How did anyone every think these medical gag contracts were legal?
In the form, medical professionals promise not to violate federal law as long as you don’t say mean things about them. Go ahead and break the law and see what the government thinks of your excuse “but she said mean things”.
These forms are often signed under duress- the patient needs medical care. With a decent lawyer, that invalidates most contracts.
And hello, Hippocratic Oath. I don’t know if dentists take it, but if an MD refuses to treat because someone doesn’t sign this contract- that violates professional ethics.
Poll on MSN: Do you think boys should get vaccinations for HPV?
As of 1:11pm on Tuesday, 29% answered: No, the government should stop meddling with our lives.
The current anti-vaccine movement is killing me. Not literally, but it will kill our kids. Vaccines were created to prevent terrible childhood diseases that killed thousands of kids. The government mandates vaccines because the health of future generations is a matter of national importance.
The HPV vaccine prevents CANCER.
Personally, I think the only exceptions allowing people not to get vaccinated should be health ones. (And not the vaccines cause autism BS.)
I’m a huge fan of crowd sourcing. In my own life, I sometimes get so caught up in a problem that I stop seeing it clearly. An outside source, even (especially) one who knows nothing about the problem, can often provide insight that I need to solve it.
And that’s why I love the idea of using a video game to help solve actual scientific puzzles. In less than ten days, doing this in their free time, because they enjoy it, players of the video game Foldit, solved a molecular mystery that had been stumping scientists for over ten years.
Yesterday, a giant sea turtle was returned to the sea, healthy, and apparently happy to be back.
I like this kind of story. Given that endangered species are in general endangered because of humans, it’s nice when we’re also responsible for saving one life.
Granted, the poor thing was probably injured by a boat to begin with, but we don’t know for certain. Surfers brought the turtle to shore and a lot of people worked very hard to save his life. I love that an orthodontist was brought in to put braces on his shell to help close the holes.
I like having a plan, even for things that are years out. I have now been in my current position for a year, so it is time for a career plan.
In another two to three years, I want go to work for an international health organization. Someplace like PATH, which has headquarters in Seattle would be good, though the husband wouldn’t mind if I looked for a company in Oregon or the Bay Area.
That means that I need to join the Associate for Operations Management and get some of their certificates sometime in the next year or so.
Recently the results of the first year of an ongoing study about the effects of providing people with state run healthcare were released. This is run through a lottery that allowed some people who normally wouldn’t be eligible to apply for Medicaid.
Short term findings: Providing health coverage cost the state more. People given coverage accessed preventative care but still used ERs just as often. However, those people took fewer sick days from work and reported greater overall happiness.
It’s a promising start, and I look forward to long term results, when I suspect costs will start to go down.
A major trial of a pill meant to help prevent HIV infection has been halted. Given how rarely drug trials are truly successful, this news isn’t surprising, but it is sad.
Women inAfricararely have options when it comes to protecting themselves from the virus. This pill was hope that they could finally exert some control over their health and the health of their children to be. Sadly, the results show it isn’t working. The women given the real drug and the women given the dummy pill are being infected at the same rate.
On to the next study.
There are a number of controversial threads going on YM this week, but I wanted to talk about this much simpler (and shorter) one. How much is your smile worth?
For people who are really involved in debt payoff, wealth building, net worth, and assets, it can sometimes be hard to remember that we really do need to invest in ourselves. $10,000 is a lot of money. I don’t know anyone who would argue it isn’t. The question is, are you worth it? Is keeping your own teeth and having good dental health worth $10,000? With or without dental insurance?
topics explored in exactly 100 words