A Christmas Present: HIV Vaccine

An announcement was made that the HIV Vaccine got the OK to proceed to human trials.
This vaccine has been 20 years in the making.

This work is being done at London, Ontario's own Western University here in Canada.

Here is the announcement:



What a great Christmas Present!!

Nurse Phobias & The Grey Cup

My niece is just learning the dangers of what happens when you start to learn about diseases.  She is training to be an esthetician.  They learn some of the same things that we do in nursing.....anatomy and physiology, diseases.......

Here is what she posted on her Facebook wall:

The arrow points to my reply.

I had to laugh because I happen to understand the phobias that develop with that extra knowledge about diseases and germs.

I have even blogged about it.  I have also blogged about my opinion about someone else's careless disregard for contagious diseases when they spread it to others around them.

Which leads me to the reason for this post.

Today is the Grey Cup and last week my husband invited a couple over that he interacts with through his work.

Unfortunately, what he didn't know is that last weekend on their way home from vacation,  she managed to develop an URI.  

When she phoned my husband the day before, I could hear her voice loud and clear over the phone from across the room.

She sounded terrible.  I assumed she was phoning to decline the invite today.

So yesterday afternoon,  when I was making out the grocery shopping list,  my husband mentioned that there were going to be seven of us........

My phobia starts to kick in.  "Your sick friend is coming????"

"Of course!" he states.

But......she sounded so sick!!! She can't be coming ....!!!

"Yes..".  a little more cautious, seeing my horrified face and sensing my phobia kicking into high gear. "They are..."

"Who goes visiting out in public when they are sick????!!!!"  I am starting to get panicky.  My husband is too....he sees what is coming....

 I tell him he has to find a way to "uninvite"  her.  After all, she's HIS sick friend....

So, trying to correct the situation, he emails a polite note to her:


"Sorry you aren't feeling well.  I can understand if you can't come tomorrow.  I can imagine you aren't feeling up to it....you sounded so sick yesterday on the phone.  You will need your rest to get better"

To which she emails back, "Oh no! It sounds worse than it is!!! We will be there!!!"

*SIGH*

So much for beating around the bush and hoping someone gets the hint.

Just to let you know - I won't be downstairs watching the game in the enclosed space of the Mancave.  Nope.   My girlfriend Jan is coming over - and her husband - and she and I will be upstairs watching on the smaller TV in our living room........

The month I was off  work sick last winter with an URI is still fresh in my mind and I am NOT going to expose myself to any bugs if I can help it.  I was traumatized. 

And - thing is - my girlfriend who is also an RN is almost as germophobic as I am.   I am wondering if I should warn her in advance.   It isn't as though she would want to be downstairs watching on the 110 inch theater screen anyway.  In fact, I suspect she will bring her iPad so she can play Angry Birds.

As for the food.....I won't be touching anything downstairs.   I have bought chips in small portion bags so there aren't bowls of shared food.  I will keep a stash of food upstairs so I don't have to go downstairs to get anything.

Why do people insist on going out when they are coughing and hacking and sound like crap?

Sometimes I curse nursing, and wish I were oblivious to those invisible germs out there and then I could be one of those stupid people who goes out and spreads those bugs to everyone in the community with no thought whatsoever.....

*SIGH*

Well, at least I could still laugh about someone else's developing phobia......

I'll let you know if I get sick.

I've already told my husband that if he gets sick.....I won't be his nurse.....

AIDS: Discovered 30 years ago today

I can remember working on the Medical Unit as a brand new nurse years ago.

I recall taking care of several elderly people that had similar symptoms.....very curious grouping of symptoms.   Inexplicably they were wasting away to nothing, becoming weaker and weaker.

We were forever cleaning up their extreme diarrhea, giving medications and administering tests for an off and on fever, swollen lymph glands,  mouth ulcers and skin lesions.    Unsightly bruises spread over their bodies....  and a hacking cough wracked their skinny frames.

Then came the confusion....which made the cleanup impossible.

We looked after these patients in in an era where the medical world had no idea what we were seeing and lax about the proper disposal of needles and no such thing as universal precautions never mind standard precautions.

Once identified, retrospectively we could see that perhaps those patients we had looked after had contracted the disease from the tainted blood supply - blood transfusions given before there was screening for it.

It had spread rapidly throughout the world, striking a histrionic fear in the hearts of everyone, causing those affected to become the new pariahs of society.

Thankfully, we have come a long way since then.

To date, AIDS has killed 25 million persons.

Presently, 33 million are infected - with 2.6 new infections each year.

In our world it is now considered a chronic illness rather than a death sentence. 

Sadly, in Africa, it is not.

Perhaps it is time to concentrate on giving them at least a chance to live - in a world where women don't often have the means to protect themselves, where children are born with it due to the expense and lack of medication for their mothers and education about preventing AIDS is lagging.

No Smoking - or, You're Fired

I'm not a smoker.  Never was.

Oh, well, ok.  I admit, I did smoke a pack of Menthol Mores one night when I was 28.  That was it.

I don't like the smell of cigarettes. 

Certainly smoking has been proven to be unhealthy for you.

However, the latest tendency of businesses in the USA to have a "tobacco-free hiring policy" may cause a lot of ruffled feathers.  Or will it?

Apparently there are hospitals in Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Tennessee that are no longer hiring smokers, and have this requirement clearly stated on their application forms.  Some employers aren't even restricting the rule to new employees - they will fire existing employees if they won't or can't quit.

Not only do they have this as a work policy, but also some will require their workers to actually submit to urine tests to detect nicotine.  Basically, cigarettes are being treated as a narcotic.  Some courts have upheld the employer's rights not to hire based on whether or not you inhale.

What I don't understand is the discrepancy in all of this. 

The tobacco industry is allowed to flourish - but it is the people who have been sucked into the use of tobacco by the widespread cigarette advertising and legality that are the ones that are being penalized.   Yes, there have been penalties and restrictions imposed on the tobacco industry in recent years, but they are the ones with deep pockets - not your average J.Q. Public.

The problem I have with this - once they have banned smoking altogether - what is next? Banning fat people? That would eliminate half of America.  Marginalize anyone using alcohol in their private lives? (I'm talking about a glass of wine in the evening, folks - not blatant alcoholism!)  Perhaps they will attempt to revitalize the Prohibition?  How well did that work??

Hey, I am the last one to like anyone puffing away in my little sphere.  I may even tell you to go elsewhere and smoke.  And  - I certainly don't condone smoking around children or babies.

But I would be the first one to say that personal choices are personal choices in the matter of cigarettes.in one's personal space.
No, they aren't a healthy lifestyle choice.  Yes, they are linked to cancer and other diagnoses such as Emphysema - which cause the health system a lot of money, never mind it's a horrible way to die.

But where does it stop - our employers telling us what our restrictions are in regards to personal liberty?

Is it ok for employers to demand this? Some will dare say that workers should have NO RIGHTS in the workplace. (see the comments section). 

So, if that is the case, when will your employer be telling *you* what you can or can't do in your own house on your own time?

Well, that's reassuring...

I guess I have gone through all that agony for a reason. (previous post)

It has now been found that women who experience hot flashes early in menopause have a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease (11% overall), stroke(17%) and premature death.

Who thought to research this? 

Apparently, the study was done on 60,000 women over the space of 10 years.  Since the leading cause of death in Canadian women is Cardiovascular disease, this might be a reassuring sign for some.

Well, thank goodness. 

There is a positive side to all the discomfort I had been experiencing....

Yay.

Unfortunately, a footnote in all of this, I must admit, is a little disconcerting.  The study relies on the recall of women's memories of symptoms experienced.  

Problem?  It's a known fact that women who are going through menopause have memory problems.

Un-yay.

Bell's Palsy : It can happen to anyone - MD as patient

I remember once taking care of a patient on a L&D unit who had a mysterious ailment.   One side of her face was drooping and her speech was slurred.  The OBs were fluttering around arranging this test and that test, one consult and another, trying to figure out what was going on. 

Turns out, she had Bell's Palsy.  She was eventually discharged, but it initially created quite the flurry on the Labor Delivery Unit.

Undergrad RN has posted the most interesting diagram of the cranial nerves - just so you can pinpoint the ones involved in this ailment. (thank you so much!)

Now, for those who knew of our former Prime Minister Jean Cretien - he is one who suffered from this condition and has for many years lived with the residual effects.   Some other notable cases are Katie Holmes, Pierce Brosnan,  George Clooney, Gordon Lightfoot and  Ralph Nader.

I have been reading a blog of a Canadian Family Practice Resident in Victoria- Dr. Ottematic .....but hadn't been to her blog in a while.    This am when I went over for a visit and a read,  I discovered that she also had joined the ranks with those with Bell's Palsy.

What is interesting, is that she has found it valuable to document her symptoms, treatment and progress in her blog....in which she goes into great detail about cranial nerves and function and even does a video diary.  You really need to go over there and take a read - from MD to Patient - it's a fascinating diary.

Love Story....

This video was made by a Cancer patient in Australia....for his wife's birthday.  He was diagnosed with Colon cancer October 2009.  His prognosis doesn't look good, but he is fighting it with everything he has.   The video was meant for family and friends, but it suddenly went viral and is attracting attention from all over the world.
Here is the news report that tells the story:

 It is a touching tribute of his love for his wife.  He also has a blog "There is a Crack in Everything - That's how the Light gets In".  Check it out.  As a Nurse, it gives me a patient's perspective on having to live with Cancer.   As a human being, it makes me realize that life is so short and sometimes we don't have control over what happens to us - no matter how much we would like to.  It also makes me appreciate what I have - right now.    Life. 
Here is the original video:


Rachel's Birthday Video from Kristian Anderson on Vimeo

Registered Nurse : Her Story, Living with CF

I can't imagine going to school (not just one degree but TWO!) and then working as an RN with this health challenge. She is now working in NICU....her "dream job".......I am so impressed.
Good Luck Katy!

Breathe In, Breathe Out...

This is the link to my blog entry  from June 23 when I first saw the 2 young girls with Cystic Fibrosis singing on America's Got Talent. (Yes I admit to watching it!)  They have great voices which is amazing since we know as nurses what these 2 girls go through with their daily regimen to coexist with CF. Although medicine has advanced to the point where they could have a longer life than in the past...the reality is - they probably won't live into their 30s* - and any infection can bring them to their knees at any time


They impress me.....I have to root for these 2 girls!

GIANT MICROBES

Ha. Cute. Way cuter than the real thing. If you read this am's blog, you will have seen them. Giant Microbes. You can order them online. They come with information about that particular "bug" and their own Petri dish.

If you have friends with a sense of humor or just need an interesting learning tool, here's the best selection I have come across, medically speaking.

Ecoli just isn't so scary anymore:
You can now throw germ free Chickenpox parties.
Yeast Infections can be a cuddly good thing.
And how about those STI's you could give your loved one? - Chlamydia - Gonorrhea or HPV?

and Herpes (the petri dish, the real slide and the plush "toy"version):

 Gangrene - it will set in just when you least expect:
And hospitals would welcome these Giant Microbes:  C-diff  and  MRSA:


The site has photo illustrations of the real thing and the plush "toys" are built to look as close to the real thing as possible. You can Choose your own microbe by the common name or the Scientific Name or Grouping. Pick your Poison.


And - if you didn't like the plush toys - how about a Coffee mug or a Tie or two?



....because we all know how GERMY they are!!!!


ACHOOOOO! Now I have just given you the Common Cold!

Where in the World?

As I was running through all the blogs I follow, one in particular came up this am.

I have to tell you about a gal I met on FB a few months ago in a Canadian forum - she is from Toronto, Canada and she is a Teacher. Trupti is her name. She has a Blog called "Send a Postcard. Save a Life".

She isn't asking for money.

What she asks is - if you are travelling - to send her a postcard from the country you are travelling to - and she will donate $5 for every postcard sent to her favorite charity: NOTHING BUT NETS.

Nothing But Nets distributes mosquito nets to prevent malaria transmission in Africa. Each family in need receives one mosquito net - for every $10. Did you know that Malaria was only eradicated from the U.S.A. in 1951? Did you know that 1500 travelers from the U.S.A. come back with Malaria every year? (the red on the map indicates the areas where Malaria is)

"- Every 45 seconds, a child dies from Malaria, accounting for 20% of all childhood deaths in Africa.
- Non-immune pregnant women are at risk as malaria causes high rates of miscarriage (up to 60% in P. falciparum infection) and maternal death rates of 10–50%.
- Semi-immune pregnant women in areas of high transmission. Malaria can result in miscarriage and low birth weight, especially during the first and second pregnancies. An estimated 200 000 infants die annually as a result of malaria infection during pregnancy.
- Semi-immune HIV-infected pregnant women in stable transmission areas are at increased risk of malaria during all pregnancies. Women with malaria infection of the placenta also have a higher risk of passing HIV infection to their newborns. "

As a student 30 some odd years ago, I was working in a small community hospital near where I lived. I was placed in the ER and this particular night a very sick man came in. No one could figure out what was going on with him. Then, one MD - who came from elsewhere - I am thinking South Africa since we have very many of them in B.C. - recognised the symptoms and had some blood drawn. He was interested in teaching - enough to haul me, a young nursing student, across the hall to the small hospital lab and let me look through the microscope at the blood sample from this patient.

"Take a look" he said - "You may never get to see this again."

He's right. I have taken care of only one other patient with malaria - and that was on a L&D unit - and she was one very sick mom, if you can imagine after reading the above facts from the WHO site.

"263 territories of the world. 263 postcards. $1315. 132 mosquito nets. 132 families saved."

Great Idea. Great cause. And it will only cost you the price of a stamp and the fun of seeing where you went written up in her blog. Check out what countries still "free" to send from - there can't be any repeats - and - get travelling! (But be careful!)

And - omg! - I can't believe that this site is selling these!!!


* Map thanks to NASA, Photo of Malaria thanks to CDC.