Don't you just hate it when someone asks you a question you have no way of answering?
oh well... tough shit!
I had a visitor today.
He was a guy I use to work with. It was nice to see him.
AVM's got a little news today. You can read that below.
good night.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Another Day in the Frontal Lobe
I had to take a little break from some of my more theological reading. I've been trying to read a fairly weighty book called Reign of the Servant Kings. It's a "study of eternal security and the final significance of man." Yeah. After the first chapter my brain felt like it was going to explode. I'm also wading through a book called The Sacred Romance. I'm having a tough time with this one as the writer (John Eldredge) tends to be a little flowery in his writing style - not my thing, but there are a few nuggets of gold here and there.
I guess one aspect of being slightly ADD is that I tend to read multiple books at a time. Strangely, I can do this without losing my train of thought. I purchased an interesting book at Barnes & Noble last weekend called Another Day in the Frontal Lobe by Katrina Furlik, MD. Furlik is one of only 200 women neurosurgeons in the US. She's young, incredibly smart and a very witty writer, too. I read the book in just a couple of days and really enjoyed it.
There were several interesting aspects of the book. I loved the technical aspect of the book. I felt like I was learning something new about an area I knew very little about (the brain). I enjoy all things medical - maybe I should have been a physician - and having been a pharma rep (as well as being married to someone in the pharma industry) I feel well-acquainted with the medical industry. I was also quite amazed at a closer look at the human brain and all that it can do. What an amazing "machine" it is! It surprises me that someone who is so intimate with this incredible gray matter could not believe in SOME type of higher power.
In one of the chapters, Firlik describes 2 patients who both have AVMs or arteriovenous malformations. One type is a "handshake AVM" which is generally not good and called a "handshake" because all the neurosurgeon can offer as you walk out of her office is a "handshake." One of the patients chose to have the operation to remove the mass and didn't fare well (not surprising). Another patient chose to do nothing and live with knowing that it could end her life at any time and did surprisingly well with the mass continuing to grow in her brain. Here's a quote about that that I found very interesting:
"It's clear that the brain can accommodate quite nicely to the overbearing presence of a malformation, but can the mind be trained to accommodate just as well? When inaction is the best action, how do you prevent fear itself from becoming an illness? Does the fear simply wear out, or does it have to be forced out?"
Very provocative, huh? You see if you have to live with something that you know can grow so big that it can take your life at any time, would you be willing to do it or would the FEAR of that growth taking over your brain be a greater disease than the growth itself?
Maybe I live too much in the world of "what if?" sometimes (too much of the time). I'm not very good at resting in the security of God's sovereignty. I tend to be a person of action who likes to take matters in my own hands. I know this is deep-seated for me and goes back to a childhood of living in a totally dysfunctional family. I think I am better at "resting" than I used to be, but I'm still not there and I'm thankful that God isn't finished with me yet. My gray matter has more training.
"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?...So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:27, 34
from....
I guess one aspect of being slightly ADD is that I tend to read multiple books at a time. Strangely, I can do this without losing my train of thought. I purchased an interesting book at Barnes & Noble last weekend called Another Day in the Frontal Lobe by Katrina Furlik, MD. Furlik is one of only 200 women neurosurgeons in the US. She's young, incredibly smart and a very witty writer, too. I read the book in just a couple of days and really enjoyed it.
There were several interesting aspects of the book. I loved the technical aspect of the book. I felt like I was learning something new about an area I knew very little about (the brain). I enjoy all things medical - maybe I should have been a physician - and having been a pharma rep (as well as being married to someone in the pharma industry) I feel well-acquainted with the medical industry. I was also quite amazed at a closer look at the human brain and all that it can do. What an amazing "machine" it is! It surprises me that someone who is so intimate with this incredible gray matter could not believe in SOME type of higher power.
In one of the chapters, Firlik describes 2 patients who both have AVMs or arteriovenous malformations. One type is a "handshake AVM" which is generally not good and called a "handshake" because all the neurosurgeon can offer as you walk out of her office is a "handshake." One of the patients chose to have the operation to remove the mass and didn't fare well (not surprising). Another patient chose to do nothing and live with knowing that it could end her life at any time and did surprisingly well with the mass continuing to grow in her brain. Here's a quote about that that I found very interesting:
"It's clear that the brain can accommodate quite nicely to the overbearing presence of a malformation, but can the mind be trained to accommodate just as well? When inaction is the best action, how do you prevent fear itself from becoming an illness? Does the fear simply wear out, or does it have to be forced out?"
Very provocative, huh? You see if you have to live with something that you know can grow so big that it can take your life at any time, would you be willing to do it or would the FEAR of that growth taking over your brain be a greater disease than the growth itself?
Maybe I live too much in the world of "what if?" sometimes (too much of the time). I'm not very good at resting in the security of God's sovereignty. I tend to be a person of action who likes to take matters in my own hands. I know this is deep-seated for me and goes back to a childhood of living in a totally dysfunctional family. I think I am better at "resting" than I used to be, but I'm still not there and I'm thankful that God isn't finished with me yet. My gray matter has more training.
"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?...So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:27, 34
from....
Cerebrovascular Disease Every Year Could Fill the Rose Bowl 10 Times Over
from...
All the People Affected by Cerebrovascular Disease Every Year Could Fill the Rose Bowl 10 Times Over
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. - The number of people affected by cerebrovascular disease every year could fill one of the nation’s largest sports stadiums, the Rose Bowl, 10 times over, with many celebrity ticket holders. This disease is widespread and when celebrities are affected, this brings greater public awareness to this crucial health issue. In an effort to further raise this awareness, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is focusing on cerebrovascular disease during Neurosurgery Outreach Month, a health awareness month observed annually in August. Neurosurgeons treat cerebrovascular disease through microsurgery, stereotactic surgery, and endovascular techniques.
Stroke is an abrupt interruption of constant blood flow to the brain that causes loss of neurological function. The interruption of blood flow can be caused by a blockage, leading to the more common ischemic stroke, or by bleeding in the brain, leading to the more deadly hemorrhagic stroke. More information is available at: http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/patient_e/stroke1.asp.
A cerebral aneurysm is an area where a blood vessel in the brain weakens, resulting in a bulging or ballooning out of part of the vessel wall. Usually, aneurysms develop at the point where a blood vessel branches, because the “fork” is structurally more vulnerable. More information is available at http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/patient_e/cerebral.asp.
An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a tangle of abnormal and poorly formed blood vessels (arteries and veins), with a higher rate of bleeding than normal vessels. AVMs can irritate the surrounding brain and cause seizures or headaches. The most common and serious side effect of an AVM is a brain hemorrhage. More information is available at http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/patient_e/ArteriovenousMalformations_AVMs.asp.
Celebrities affected by Cerebrovascular Disease in the Last Decade
Actor Robert Guillaume, stroke (1999)
Actress Sharon Stone, cerebral aneurysm (2001)
Game show host Bob Barker, stroke (2002)
Entertainer Dick Clark, stroke (2004)
Rocker Neil Young, cerebral aneurysm (2005)
New England Patriots player Teddy Bruschi, stroke (2005)
Senator Tim Johnston, arteriovenous malformation (2006)
Cerebrovascular Disease Statistics
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Preliminary estimates indicate that 143,497 people in the United States died from cerebrovascular disease in 2005, a decrease of nearly 7 percent from 2004.
Of the more than 700,000 people affected every year, about 500,000 of these are first attacks, and 200,000 are recurrent.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) affects approximately 30,000 Americans every year, with 90 percent of all cases caused by cerebral aneurysms that have ruptured, the latter of which is referred to as aneurysmal SAH.
AVMs affect an estimated 300,000 Americans.
While there aren’t measures one can follow to help prevent cerebral aneurysms, AVMs, and other rarer cerebrovascular conditions, the good news is that there are ways to help prevent stroke.
Stroke Prevention Tips
There are some stroke risk factors such as age, gender, heredity/race and a history of heart disease/stroke that are uncontrollable. However, there are controllable or treatable risk factors which may help prevent a stroke:
If you are a smoker, stop smoking
Maintain a healthy weight
Maintain normal blood pressure and if it is high, seek treatment
Maintain normal blood cholesterol levels through a healthy diet and/or medication if necessary
If you have diabetes, control your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels
If you have a family history of aneurysm or stroke, screening may be advisable
If you are diagnosed with carotid arteriosclerosis, seek treatment
If you are diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, seek treatment
If you have a history of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), seek prompt diagnosis and treatment
Get 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five days a week. Check with your doctor first before starting any exercise program if you have any health problems or have been inactive.
Sixty in-depth neurosurgical topics as well as a variety of downloadable fact sheets are available on the public Web site of the AANS, www.NeurosurgeryToday.org.
www.HealthNewsDigest.com
All the People Affected by Cerebrovascular Disease Every Year Could Fill the Rose Bowl 10 Times Over
 |
Stroke is an abrupt interruption of constant blood flow to the brain that causes loss of neurological function. The interruption of blood flow can be caused by a blockage, leading to the more common ischemic stroke, or by bleeding in the brain, leading to the more deadly hemorrhagic stroke. More information is available at: http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/patient_e/stroke1.asp.
A cerebral aneurysm is an area where a blood vessel in the brain weakens, resulting in a bulging or ballooning out of part of the vessel wall. Usually, aneurysms develop at the point where a blood vessel branches, because the “fork” is structurally more vulnerable. More information is available at http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/patient_e/cerebral.asp.
An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a tangle of abnormal and poorly formed blood vessels (arteries and veins), with a higher rate of bleeding than normal vessels. AVMs can irritate the surrounding brain and cause seizures or headaches. The most common and serious side effect of an AVM is a brain hemorrhage. More information is available at http://www.neurosurgerytoday.org/what/patient_e/ArteriovenousMalformations_AVMs.asp.
Celebrities affected by Cerebrovascular Disease in the Last Decade
Actor Robert Guillaume, stroke (1999)
Actress Sharon Stone, cerebral aneurysm (2001)
Game show host Bob Barker, stroke (2002)
Entertainer Dick Clark, stroke (2004)
Rocker Neil Young, cerebral aneurysm (2005)
New England Patriots player Teddy Bruschi, stroke (2005)
Senator Tim Johnston, arteriovenous malformation (2006)
Cerebrovascular Disease Statistics
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Preliminary estimates indicate that 143,497 people in the United States died from cerebrovascular disease in 2005, a decrease of nearly 7 percent from 2004.
Of the more than 700,000 people affected every year, about 500,000 of these are first attacks, and 200,000 are recurrent.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) affects approximately 30,000 Americans every year, with 90 percent of all cases caused by cerebral aneurysms that have ruptured, the latter of which is referred to as aneurysmal SAH.
AVMs affect an estimated 300,000 Americans.
While there aren’t measures one can follow to help prevent cerebral aneurysms, AVMs, and other rarer cerebrovascular conditions, the good news is that there are ways to help prevent stroke.
Stroke Prevention Tips
There are some stroke risk factors such as age, gender, heredity/race and a history of heart disease/stroke that are uncontrollable. However, there are controllable or treatable risk factors which may help prevent a stroke:
If you are a smoker, stop smoking
Maintain a healthy weight
Maintain normal blood pressure and if it is high, seek treatment
Maintain normal blood cholesterol levels through a healthy diet and/or medication if necessary
If you have diabetes, control your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels
If you have a family history of aneurysm or stroke, screening may be advisable
If you are diagnosed with carotid arteriosclerosis, seek treatment
If you are diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, seek treatment
If you have a history of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), seek prompt diagnosis and treatment
Get 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five days a week. Check with your doctor first before starting any exercise program if you have any health problems or have been inactive.
Sixty in-depth neurosurgical topics as well as a variety of downloadable fact sheets are available on the public Web site of the AANS, www.NeurosurgeryToday.org.
www.HealthNewsDigest.com
Friday, July 25, 2008
Hi guys...
I am havening a real tough day. I can't talk wort a Fu%k.
I really don't like it at all.
Oh well....
I am sleepy too... perhaps after my nap I'll feel better...
you can check out my other blog..
http://hottubnews.blogspot.com/
or hang out here and listen to some music.
I never though of Night Of The Living Dead that way... but hay to each his own.
EMF Unbelievable... thats ok...
one more???
Thats much better than ...Don't Worry, Be Happy
but if you must...
and for you who like to dance... I bring this...
ok time for me to say good by...
Good by.
I really like Margret Weis... If you like Dragons and stuff you will like her too.
I use to have her Email... she is a good person as well.
I really don't like it at all.
Oh well....
I am sleepy too... perhaps after my nap I'll feel better...
you can check out my other blog..
http://hottubnews.blogspot.com/
or hang out here and listen to some music.
I never though of Night Of The Living Dead that way... but hay to each his own.
EMF Unbelievable... thats ok...
one more???
Thats much better than ...Don't Worry, Be Happy
but if you must...
and for you who like to dance... I bring this...
ok time for me to say good by...
Good by.
I really like Margret Weis... If you like Dragons and stuff you will like her too.
I use to have her Email... she is a good person as well.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
So you liked it....
Yea i like him too...
Today I have a headache... not a major one but enough to be uncomfortable.
I am thinking of a nap. We'll see.
in the mean time i give you this...
Iron Maiden!!
Dr Who
and finally...
we have Guns and Roses!
now I think it is bed time for me.
Today I have a headache... not a major one but enough to be uncomfortable.
I am thinking of a nap. We'll see.
in the mean time i give you this...
Iron Maiden!!
Dr Who
and finally...
we have Guns and Roses!
now I think it is bed time for me.
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