I bought James Taylor's album Flag (on vinyl) when it came out in 1979. The last song is a very bluesy number where Taylor expresses a prisoner's wish for sleep as his only escape from incarceration. Somewhere I read that some people doing time will sleep for as much as 20 hours in a day. Having dealt with some pretty substantial chronic pain issues accompanied depression I understand the only place you are really free is in your dreams.
I am the main caregiver for my 88 year old father in law. His propensity to fall asleep is legend in the family.When I first started watching him I thought it might be a sign that his condition wasn't the best. I was reassured that "he has always been like that", that he falls asleep in an instant and can sleep through just about anything.
The Cubans (my in-laws) turn the TV on before they get out of bed and turn it off sometime after 10. Normally when I would dose them during the day, he would be aware of what was on the TV. It's the only thing they do. They don't read. They don't go outside to sit or walk. They don't listen to music. They watch. And they believe most of the reality shows are true to life. Their favorite, Caso Cerrado, must be on separate channels sever times a day because it seems the people are always screaming at each other, making incredible accusations and calling each other things you couldn't say on English television. Well, maybe on MTV.
Lately, Papi has been asleep every time I see. I've had to wake him up for every medication, for every meal, for a shower or just to change out of his pajamas. And whenever I open the door to go in I hear James Taylor singing Sleep Come Free Me.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Who's your daddy?
One of the books I'm currently reading is Mapping Human History by Steve Olson. A few pages ago I ran across the statement that according to geneticists almost one in ten of us were fathered by someone other than the name on the birth certificate. If you're a first or a last child, the chance that it is you rises to 25%.
This seems like a perfect case of unintended consequences. Many of us are swabbing our cheeks and sending material off to be sequenced into the Human Genome Project. Scientists are hoping to identify genetic markers or causes to various diseases, characteristics and possibly behaviors. When there is a haploid difference we run into what is called the "non paternity event"; i.e., the genealogy we've recorded doesn't match the genetics in the lab.
Most of us are pretty certain who our mothers are. Most mothers are absolutely sure who are mothers are. It seems that the number of mothers who are absolutely certain who our fathers are may not be as high as we supposed.
This seems like a perfect case of unintended consequences. Many of us are swabbing our cheeks and sending material off to be sequenced into the Human Genome Project. Scientists are hoping to identify genetic markers or causes to various diseases, characteristics and possibly behaviors. When there is a haploid difference we run into what is called the "non paternity event"; i.e., the genealogy we've recorded doesn't match the genetics in the lab.
Most of us are pretty certain who our mothers are. Most mothers are absolutely sure who are mothers are. It seems that the number of mothers who are absolutely certain who our fathers are may not be as high as we supposed.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Cosmetic Surgery
Yesterday I watched a fascinating documentary, Frontline Medicine, which explored some of the amazing breakthroughs that have been made in saving and rebuilding lives. Part of the program followed a young man who had burned his entire face off in an accident. He is one of the few that has received the still very experimental face transplant. Cosmetic surgery has developed incredibly in working with the wounded warriors and others who have suffered horrible disfigurement.
The other side of that coin is the amount of totally elective cosmetic surgery people have sought out to make themselves more attractive. At one end is the use of tools like Botox which I described in a posting called "BroTox". The other side is the use of implants and surgery to make breasts, buttocks and genitalia bigger, smaller or just different. I guess it is sexist on my part that I feel that men pursuing this are more narcissistic than women struggling to fit societies ideals. I find them both equally foolish, but I can understand the pressure on women much more than that on men.
It was just a coincidence that later yesterday evening I ran into another interesting item while reading Asimov's Guide to the Bible. During the second and third centuries BC, Hellenism was all the rage in Jerusalem. Those who wanted to be considered erudite and having a certain amount of status pursued and indulged in everything Greek. On of those things was Gymnasium. With a lower case "g" gymnasium in that part of High School that smelled of sweat and athletic energy. With the uppercase "G" Gymnasium was the social practice of working out, something that was done gymnós; meaning "naked". For the up and coming Jew this was a problem. Circumcision was a definite symbol that labeled you un-Greek.
Cosmetic surgery came to the rescue of pride and ego in the form of an operation to stitch on a false foreskin. For those who could not afford the surgery, there were false foreskins one could wear while gymnós.
The other side of that coin is the amount of totally elective cosmetic surgery people have sought out to make themselves more attractive. At one end is the use of tools like Botox which I described in a posting called "BroTox". The other side is the use of implants and surgery to make breasts, buttocks and genitalia bigger, smaller or just different. I guess it is sexist on my part that I feel that men pursuing this are more narcissistic than women struggling to fit societies ideals. I find them both equally foolish, but I can understand the pressure on women much more than that on men.
It was just a coincidence that later yesterday evening I ran into another interesting item while reading Asimov's Guide to the Bible. During the second and third centuries BC, Hellenism was all the rage in Jerusalem. Those who wanted to be considered erudite and having a certain amount of status pursued and indulged in everything Greek. On of those things was Gymnasium. With a lower case "g" gymnasium in that part of High School that smelled of sweat and athletic energy. With the uppercase "G" Gymnasium was the social practice of working out, something that was done gymnós; meaning "naked". For the up and coming Jew this was a problem. Circumcision was a definite symbol that labeled you un-Greek.
Cosmetic surgery came to the rescue of pride and ego in the form of an operation to stitch on a false foreskin. For those who could not afford the surgery, there were false foreskins one could wear while gymnós.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Progesterone
I have always thought of progesterone as a female hormone. It is used in oral contraceptives to control ovulation. I also knew that progesterone levels skyrocket in women during their pregnancy. There's a reason for this. The increased levels take place during the period when the brain is rapidly developing in the fetus. Progesterone appears to protect and enhance this development.
Progesterone is actually a neurosteroid. It is the only hormone that is created in the brain itself. It is present in both the male and female brains in equal amounts. It is key to the production of nerve cells and synapses in the brain and enhances the flow of blood to brain tissue.
The main killer of people between 20 and 45 is traumatic brain injury - TBI. It happens in automobile accidents, athletic events and assaults. Research at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta has demonstrated that the use of progesterone in the form of an experimental drug "Protect III" can be tremendously effective in treating brain trauma. Doctors can actually see blood return to parts of the brain which showed up as dead in imaging. Stroke damage is being mitigated. Any amount of the brain that can be saved can make an incredible difference in the capacities, capabilities and emotional lives of TBI victims.
In the war in Afghanistan the most lethal weapons of the insurgents are IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades). Death is usually the result of either massive blood loss through amputations or traumatic brain injury. The miracle of progesterone appears to be giving those who suffer TBI a chance they have never had before. Having become aware of the testing at Grady, the military is now funding more research at SAMMC.
Progesterone is actually a neurosteroid. It is the only hormone that is created in the brain itself. It is present in both the male and female brains in equal amounts. It is key to the production of nerve cells and synapses in the brain and enhances the flow of blood to brain tissue.
The main killer of people between 20 and 45 is traumatic brain injury - TBI. It happens in automobile accidents, athletic events and assaults. Research at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta has demonstrated that the use of progesterone in the form of an experimental drug "Protect III" can be tremendously effective in treating brain trauma. Doctors can actually see blood return to parts of the brain which showed up as dead in imaging. Stroke damage is being mitigated. Any amount of the brain that can be saved can make an incredible difference in the capacities, capabilities and emotional lives of TBI victims.
In the war in Afghanistan the most lethal weapons of the insurgents are IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades). Death is usually the result of either massive blood loss through amputations or traumatic brain injury. The miracle of progesterone appears to be giving those who suffer TBI a chance they have never had before. Having become aware of the testing at Grady, the military is now funding more research at SAMMC.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Obama Care
Universal Health Care is the ultimate reactionary hot button. There is a considerable opposition to the new Health Care law, but I have seen little to improve on it. I see lots of calls for rescinding the law, but nobody is proposing something to take its place. By calling the law "Obama Care" they are able to tie in an emotional edge attracting others who know absolutely nothing about health care, but don't like their President.
I certainly think the current laws passed on health care will be sufficient to reform the system or support the high level of professional care we expect in this country. We are, however, better off than we were simply by the fact that we are now bankrupting the system a little more slowly, but we're still bankrupting the system.
Interestingly, none of the "business" advocates have addressed our health care system as an incredible disadvantages for businesses that compete globally. We complaints about taxes and the unreasonable demands workers put forth for wages, but nobody has screamed about the health care issue.
Here it is: GM was spending more to provide health care for their employees than they spent on steel to make cars before their bankruptcy. There are many other companies that share this burden. We expect employers to provide health insurance. In many companies it is the cost of providing health care that keeps them from being able to compete. Small and medium businesses are harder hit because they can't negotiate the deals that the large companies demand from their insurer. So individuals, small businesses and medium businesses subsidize large businesses by picking of the tab for the health care breaks that get passed on.
When we talk about the high cost of American workers, we're talking about health care. In the beginning businesses jumped on the deal taking a full deduction for health care costs while offering this to the employee in lieu of higher wages. Well, the higher wages are long gone and the businesses are now trying to put much of the health care burden back onto the employee as they can.Businesses in most developed nations do not have to consider the cost of health care as part of employee compensation.
I don't know what the final solution might be. It certainly won't be what is on the books now, nor will it be what was on the books before.
Do some research. Get with your HR department and find out what percentage health care is of your employer's operating cost. The Kaiser Foundation estimates the annual employer contribution to an employee's family plan to be over $9000. I don't think that figure will be going down any time soon.
I certainly think the current laws passed on health care will be sufficient to reform the system or support the high level of professional care we expect in this country. We are, however, better off than we were simply by the fact that we are now bankrupting the system a little more slowly, but we're still bankrupting the system.
Interestingly, none of the "business" advocates have addressed our health care system as an incredible disadvantages for businesses that compete globally. We complaints about taxes and the unreasonable demands workers put forth for wages, but nobody has screamed about the health care issue.
Here it is: GM was spending more to provide health care for their employees than they spent on steel to make cars before their bankruptcy. There are many other companies that share this burden. We expect employers to provide health insurance. In many companies it is the cost of providing health care that keeps them from being able to compete. Small and medium businesses are harder hit because they can't negotiate the deals that the large companies demand from their insurer. So individuals, small businesses and medium businesses subsidize large businesses by picking of the tab for the health care breaks that get passed on.
When we talk about the high cost of American workers, we're talking about health care. In the beginning businesses jumped on the deal taking a full deduction for health care costs while offering this to the employee in lieu of higher wages. Well, the higher wages are long gone and the businesses are now trying to put much of the health care burden back onto the employee as they can.Businesses in most developed nations do not have to consider the cost of health care as part of employee compensation.
I don't know what the final solution might be. It certainly won't be what is on the books now, nor will it be what was on the books before.
Do some research. Get with your HR department and find out what percentage health care is of your employer's operating cost. The Kaiser Foundation estimates the annual employer contribution to an employee's family plan to be over $9000. I don't think that figure will be going down any time soon.
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