MEDICAL MATTERS

[Stanley]

See THIS for a report which I fully endorse! As many of you know I get up early in the morning and always have a sleep of about two hours in the afternoon. Not just a nap in the chair, ragged off, in bed and sleeping like a baby. My rationale for this is based on a long conversation I once had with a young doctor who I gave a lift to once many years ago. He talked so much common sense I took notice of him and one of the gems he imparted was that human beings were designed to have two periods of sleep a day, one during the hours of darkness and one during the day after a meal because digesting the food is the hardest work you ever do. This fitted in well with my life style at the time because I was working cruel hours and had developed the knack of being able to go to sleep at any time whenever I had the chance. I've always said that those 15 minute gonks were the best thing I ever did. (Gonk was army slang for a cat nap....)
So take notice! Have a sleep during the day whenever you have the chance....

[Moh]

Thanks guys. Tiz. my grandmother died from pleuresy. my dad had a very bad chest so I too have inherited it (although smoking for many years did not help).

[Stanley]

My old Doc, Arthur Morrison always said that people with short thick necks were more likely to have respiratory troubles.... He was usually right on medical matters.
Nice to see confirmation of the fact I am doing the right thing when Jack and I go out for our walk in the morning, any other walks or activity is a bonus. (LINK)

[Moh]

In today's Mail it says people who have a nap at lunchtime have lower blood pressure.

[Stanley]

It doesn't surprise me in the least Moh, I have practised cat-napping for years. Another neglected area is the fact that many people are permanently tensed up as they go about during the day. Not a bad plan to to get into the habit of consciously relaxing your neck and shoulders at frequent intervals... Doing this while you are sitting down after a midday meal can soon encourage you to have a nap.

[Tizer]

I wonder if the scientists who did the study considered the possibility that it's really a case of people with average or low blood pressure find it easier to sleep during the day while those with high blood pressure can't. An association is simply that, an association, and it doesn't prove cause and effect.

[Stanley]

I agree Tiz. BP was never a consideration with me, initially it was survival and these days it's simply a life style that suits me. My good BP readings are more a consequence of genes and a thoughtful life style than simply an extra sleep.

[Tizer]

A week ago I mentioned on OG news that we might have to improve our polio vaccines after finding there are still carriers actively shedding the virus. Now there's news of deaths of children in Ukraine from polio where only half the children are fully immunised. The WHO warns the risk of spread is high and the outbreak needs to be stopped quickly. This is one of the bad spin-offs of war zones - dangerous infections can spread out of control.

[Stanley]

And a good example of what can happen if Immunisation policies are relaxed due to the fact that as they are so efficient the disease recedes. Nobody worries about measles these days but it's a horrible disease. I'm old enough to remember when these diseases were rife and a real danger.

[Stanley]

See THIS on the Guardian website for a more than usually informative article on ageing and the use of genes to predict biological as opposed to chronological age. No lurid headlines, just a good sensible report.

[Tizer]

There are lots of newspaper front page headlines this morning suggesting that Alzheimer's Disease could be infectious, passed from person to person via medical instruments or blood transfusions. As usual the news media have blown it up out of proportion. In reality there is a hint that this may occur but we need to do a lot more work to be sure. Even if it is confirmed, this may account for only a tiny proportion of cases and most Alzheimer's may arise internally in the brain for other reasons. I've linked a report on the findings from the American Association for the Advancement of Science which is much more balanced than the news media reports. If you don't read all of it, note the final paragraph:
"Although provocative, the new study cannot answer the question of whether pathogenic amyloid-β "seeds" can be transmitted from person to person through contaminated surgical instruments or blood, Collinge and Soto agree. There is no epidemiological evidence to support that possibility, and any alarm over Alzheimer's infectiousness is premature, they emphasize. Still, "that's something that needs to be investigated," Soto says." [Collinge is the lead author on the paper published in Nature journal; Claudio Soto, is a neuroscientist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.]
LINK

[Stanley]

Thanks for that Tiz, why let the facts spoil a good headline? They are in the business of selling news and fear is a good incentive.... One more thing for the chattering classes to worry about.
I meant to flag THIS up the other day. I think the good doctor Kelley is seeking publicity because his suggestion that starting work before 10AM in the morning is torture is bonkers. Apart from anything else, he shoots himself in the foot when he avers that light wakens us up. The whole of nature wakes up with the light, goes to sleep when it gets dark and if sleepy in between has a rest and a nap. I'm sure there is a problem with people being short of sleep but almost invariably it is self-inflicted. All you have to do is go to bed eight hours before you have to get up. Simple as that.....( if he's right I have been tortured all my life....)

[Tizer]

I'm a bit suspicious about his motives. Dr Paul Kelly is involved in various businesses and writes books, so he has a strong vested interest in promoting his ideas. His `Making Minds book is on sale on Amazon for £110 pounds hardcover, £23 softcover. His details are here: LINK

[Bodger]

I have worked 12 hr. shifts, 8 hr. shifts, with various patterns, ie 4 on 4 off, 6 on 3 off, i recall once doing a 36 hour shift during a chemical plant commission run, i never had a problem sleeping and i slept next to the A628 main road, if you work you sleep !

[Stanley]

Thanks for that Tiz.... Fits in with my impression. Bodge, I think you're right and you get very good at going to sleep on demand, if you don't crack that one you don't survive.
Funnily enough I was watching a programme on ITV 'Tonight' on noise last night and they based much of their conclusion about ill-health on bad quality of sleep caused by noise. The thought that crossed my mind was how do people and animals that live with the roar of large waterfalls survive? Penguins in almost constant howling Arctic gales, animals with incredible hearing? How about me, living with big diesels and steam engines.
I have no doubt that good sleep is vital, whoever said 'Sleep is for wimps' was a dick however I also believe that bad sleeping habits are inside the person's head and that most sleep deprivation is caused by people not giving themselves enough time in bed. My last driving job on the cattle wagons involved doing 40 hours the first two days of the week. On Tuesday night I went to bed and stayed asleep until I woke naturally, usually about 12 hours straight. I never suffered.....

[Stanley]

Hopefully the last appointment at the Eye Clinic this afternoon for a check up on how I have coped with the laser surgery. From my point of view it's OK!

[Moh]

Saw the plastic surgeon yesterday and he 'sacked' me - he was very pleased with the result of the graft.

[PanBiker]

Excellent Moh, glad you are on the mend.

[Cathy]

Hopefully it means that things are back to normal for you Moh

[Wendyf]

Good news Moh.

[Stanley]

Wonderful news Moh! I'm so glad for you....
Now all you have to do is keep away from the medical profession.... That's my resolution after being sacked also by the eye clinic at Burnley yesterday. The consultant told me that there was one further operation they could do on my right eye that could 'possibly' reduce the distortion.... I told him that my view was that it is better to leave well alone as I am perfectly satisfied with my vision. He agreed with me....

[LizG]

Great news for you both.

[Moh]

I do not want to see any more hospitals ...my next appointment is July 2016

[Stanley]

Thanks Liz! I know how Moh feels and she has had a rougher ride than I have.... It's great to have the resources there when you need them but a relief to walk away with a clean bill of health!

[Tripps]

Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge, was graded 'inadequate' yesterday, by the Care Quality Commission, and put into special measures. I suppose the fact that Chief Executive, and the Chief Finance Officer resigned last week was a hint that all was not well.

I spent much of yesterday there, I was there for a long standing check up, and later in the afternoon when Mrs T was sent to A&E. Both experiences were of the highest quality you could wish for. Nothing but efficiency, and kindness throughout.

The campus is absolutely enormous, and still expanding. I still take wrong turns there. It reminds me of one of those futuristic cities from 'Dan Dare' - if anyone still remembers him. One building is impressively modeled on an ocean liner. I think this may be at the root of its difficulties. I think it is too large for anyone to manage it properly. The fact that you can choose your hospital makes things worse I'd guess, as everyone wants to go to the best.