Sew What’s Up Presents
The Sew What’s New Archive
This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
quilting message board “Sew What’s New,” which was
retired in August 2007. It is being provided by
“Sew What’s Up,”
which serves as the new home for many members of “Sew What’s New.”
From: colojd
Date: 04-26-2007, 09:14 AM (1 of 23)
|
This was just in the news, so thought I would pass it along. It has a lot of information but it appears that some researchers are out there trying to discover the causes of hot flashes and other discomforts: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070424130312.htm |
User: colojd
Member since: 05-03-2002 Total posts: 83 |
From: smessier
Date: 04-26-2007, 07:47 PM (2 of 23)
|
Thanks for the link. There's some interesting information in that article. Sandy |
User: smessier
Member since: 09-03-2004 Total posts: 114 |
From: lendube
Date: 04-26-2007, 09:28 PM (3 of 23)
|
Interesting article but I had to laugh so hard. Since when is three drinks PER MONTH considered moderate drinking???? By that accounting my two glasses of wine PER DAY makes me a hard core alcoholic, wouldn't you think????  Lennie 
|
User: lendube
Member since: 08-06-2006 Total posts: 1548 |
From: PaulineG
Date: 04-26-2007, 10:00 PM (4 of 23)
Well if you must drink from a tankard.
Pauline
|
User: PaulineG
Member since: 09-08-2006 Total posts: 901 |
From: lendube
Date: 04-26-2007, 10:49 PM (5 of 23)
|
You little snot, Pauline! Hic, Lennie , Hic
|
User: lendube
Member since: 08-06-2006 Total posts: 1548 |
From: PaulineG
Date: 04-27-2007, 04:04 AM (6 of 23)
|
Three drinks a month is a ridiculous figure to work with. I can see some patterns emerge with teetotallers or the hard drinkers like Lennie but don't think that 3 drinks a month tells much at all. Does this mean that those surveyed had 1 glass of wine every ten days, three glasses on one social occasion per month or got drunk every Christmas, New Years Eve and birthday (but that it averaged out to three a month over the course of a year). Way too many variables and not enough information for that to be useful. I'd be interested to know if the people who fell into that category had other things in common than their drinking habits. I'm a 1 and a half glasses per month girl myself.
Pauline
|
User: PaulineG
Member since: 09-08-2006 Total posts: 901 |
From: colojd
Date: 04-27-2007, 09:04 AM (7 of 23)
|
Glad that some of you found that interesting as well. It just shows us that despite efforts to learn more, some of the researchers can get off track. I am sure we have all had conflicting information given to us by doctors and it is so frustrating... It is no wonder that they say people are losing faith in conventional medicine. I was listening to the radio the other day, and they said that the public was now saying that too many doctors get kickbacks, trips, cash and other goodies just to promote drugs and tests, instead of practicing healing arts and prescribing things only when necessary. We all need to be as well informed medical consumers as possible. |
User: colojd
Member since: 05-03-2002 Total posts: 83 |
From: JMom
Date: 04-27-2007, 11:45 AM (8 of 23)
|
I work in a medical office, and I have a son who is chronically, miserably ill with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. I do a fair bit of reading and talking and thinking about medicine, homeopathy, naturopathy, etc., etc., Here's my thought of the day: Standard medical and drug testing, such as the 'double blind' testing, are always searching for measurable, objective response to a given drug or treatment. They are desperately trying to discount the 'anecdotal' evidence upon which homeopathy and naturopathy bases its practices. The reason for the double-blind test, in which some people get sugar pills while others get the genuine article, is to find out how much more effective the genuine drug is over a placebo. The fascinating thing, to me, is that the reason they have to do this is that placebos do work some of the time. By the same token, the genuine drug DOESN'T work some of the time. The goal of the testing is to find out if there is a statistically verifiable increase of effectiveness of the drug over the placebo. The problem, though, is that any one person is not a statistic. Any one person can only know if that particular drug works or doesn't work in his own body. There is no statistically verifiable proof that any given drug will definitely work on any ONE person's system. Nor is there any statistically verifiable proof that a sugar pill will NOT work on any one person's body. We can only try, and err. Our evidence of our own responses is anecdotal, and largely ignored. It seems to me then, that if a fancy drug like Methotrexate, which is statistically effective in treating arthritis can totally fail to help one person, it is equally conceivable that Tincture of Orange, or Essence of Barley (I made those up) COULD help, in his particular case, just this once. I would love to find a doctor who could prescribe all those toxic medications created by large, expensive drug companies, and if and when they failed, could also reach into his bag of tricks and say "Well, we could try Tincture of Orange (or whatever). It has helped some people, some of the time, and nothing else is working. Let's think outside the box." Whaddya think? Jennifer |
User: JMom
Member since: 05-25-2006 Total posts: 9 |
From: colojd
Date: 04-27-2007, 03:10 PM (9 of 23)
|
Jennifer, sorry to hear your son has the medical challenges. I think all of us wish that many of these problems that have been around for so long could be cured and eliminated. As you said, it is funny that sometimes the placebo works and the prescribed drugs don't. There is so much to be learned about the mind/body connection, I feel. Researchers often do not want to spend the time and money to solicit people to test their products, so I think all too often, a drug is developed without proper testing and then the doctors are encouraged to give it to their patients and report the results. The drug companies get the patients and their insurance companies to pay for these trials on their drugs. We have a relative who works for a major pharmaceutical company as a lobbyist. She makes a huge salary doing this, and of course this all reflects on keeping drug costs more reasonable. I don't think all naturopathy is perfect either. I just think that more doctors should be willing to take the time to work with a patient and try what might be best for them. But as you know, too many doctors are overbooked in their patient load and there is not enough time for personalized service like this but this is not the patient's problem - it is that doctor taking on more patients than he/she can maybe handle. Guess the best thing is to keep reading books, magazines, newspapers and the internet for the latest information and then insist that the doctor check into the information. |
User: colojd
Member since: 05-03-2002 Total posts: 83 |
From: Sancin
Date: 04-27-2007, 06:30 PM (10 of 23)
|
Jennifer, I agree totally with you about the uniqueness of each individual. My physician does as you wish one would, however he reaches into the bag of tricks first, which I appreciate. Most times, however, he is rushed and more appts are required for followup and explanation. I watched a public TV program the other night on the placebo effect which demonstrated that all drugs and practices (even surgery) are plecebos. This wasn't a surprise to me as my father used to take aspirin to help him sleep. I know enough about biochemistry and pharmacology to know that there is absolutely nothing in aspirin that chemically induces sleep. And I personally use a number of mind body healing techniques with myself and with others. I have witnessed many situations in which profound pain is only controlled by IV morphine and the patient in the next bed in the same situation has pain relieved simply by an intravenous with nothing it. Physical assessment indicates real pain in both before treatment. When I first began to nurse I thought physicians ordering placebos (without patient's knowlege) were labelling the patient as frauds, especially when the placebo worked. Forty years later I have changed my perspective by 180 degrees and now know people can talk themselves, consciously or unconsciously, into healing without any intervention by anyone. That is why I believe in miracles. BUT it isn't easy with the type of socialization we experience. And people have different levels of psychic, cognitive, and emotional strength and belief systems, which take time and considerable effort to change. I am a firm believer in the mind body connection and even how it relates to other sciences. There are some very interesting theories abounding about the connection between the mind body theories and quantum physics. Regarding research - one needs to look at the source of the research, private or public. Much private research is done to develop and support products which produce money. On the other hand, research that comes from universities and is often done to publish or perish. I found when doing graduate work that many research projects were done to support previous primary research. Yet many others I recognized the publish or perish scenerio. From my perspective at the time it was a great time waster filtering through it all. That is not to say that there isn't some valid primary and secondary research. Interesting topic. *~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
|
User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895 
|
From: pretnichols
Date: 04-27-2007, 10:46 PM (11 of 23)
|
Interesting article, but very little to go on for their studies. But they need to do a lot more before they can reach any conclusions.
Peggy
So little time, sew much to do........... |
User: pretnichols
Member since: 10-16-2005 Total posts: 342 |
From: colojd
Date: 04-28-2007, 10:19 AM (12 of 23)
|
Nancy, it was interesting to read your comments, coming from a medical practioner standpoint. I have heard that the new wave of medicine will be helping people heal their own bodies. Your examples of people getting pain relief just by having someone there who is caring and they feel that they are getting potent mediciation shows the mind/body connection. Too often, a doctor will tell a patient "it's all in your head" when they can't pinpoint the cause or treatment. People are made to feel that they are hypochondriacs if they have a complaint that is hard to treat. I had one doctor say that losing weight can fix almost anything. So then a patient feels that they have a medical problem because they gained a few pounds. I've heard that there are studies going on now with cancer patients to see if they can "teach" their body how to heal itself and get well. It will be interesting to see if these techniques can be used in the near future. And as you said, faith healing probably happens everyday but that also is something that is not easily explained. Joyce |
User: colojd
Member since: 05-03-2002 Total posts: 83 |
From: JMom
Date: 04-28-2007, 03:40 PM (13 of 23)
|
Back in the day, we used to depend upon our doctors, and they told us what to do. They were the ones 'in the know' about all medicines, their uses and effects. Nowadays, particularly if one has some unusual condition, it is important to do our own research, and point the doctor in the right direction! Jennifer |
User: JMom
Member since: 05-25-2006 Total posts: 9 |
From: Magot
Date: 04-28-2007, 04:58 PM (14 of 23)
|
Some time ago there was a previous thread which related progesterone as a significant factor in hot flushes - interesting. Nancy, the thing that gets me is that placebo surgery works as efficiently as placebo drugs - give 'em an injection , put 'em under let 'em wake up and tell 'em the surgery went well and people recover. The deciding factor seemed to be the confidence they had in the surgeon who 'performed' the operation. Once again - the body was convinced to heal itself. I am a believer in miracles too - after all my daughters leg grew by 1 cm in 10 minutes while 10 people watched. That'll do it for me! love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626 
|
From: PaulineG
Date: 04-28-2007, 06:48 PM (15 of 23)
|
Placebo surgery .... Pretty easy way to make a few bucks. Maybe I'll give it a try. I wonder if you get a discounted rate.
Pauline
|
User: PaulineG
Member since: 09-08-2006 Total posts: 901 |
From: Sancin
Date: 04-29-2007, 02:41 AM (16 of 23)
|
I wish I could remember the name of the program as no doubt it will be on again. It was part of a series on healing (the rest of which I have not seen) and was labeled as faith healing. The placebo surgery was actually a research experiment, not meant for regular practice and I doubt anyone could get it pass a hospital ethics committee. I was a little concerned as anaesthetics and incisions are not without risks. It was a simple procedure and the surgeons themselves did not know until the patient was 'under' whether they were going to do the 'fake' or real surgery and did not know the patient. Faith healing was the theme but the narrator was an unbeliever who became one when she followed up many different practices and focused on the placebo effect as an answer. The first segment showed Benny Hinn healing services and went on from there after the narrator began to doubt herself. The general summary was that many people believe only an intervention of sorts will heal them, not believing that the body heals itself (or even that death is a form of healing) and thus the intervention does heal them - a form of unconsious mind/body healing. The quantum physics theory link was not discussed in this program but is based VERY simply on a theory that all life is linked from a single cell to the universe by an energy. I think that people who believe in some of the self healing practices need to have a strong sense of self and believe in 'the nature of things'. As many of you know, I taught nursing for many years. The last time we updated our curriculum we decided we needed to include alternate and complementary healing techniques as it was being used much more. As I was the only one who really believed in it and had practiced some I got to teach the course. I am not licenced or certificated in any of the techniques so had many many guest teachers and had students do research projects and presentations. The course was simply called Healing Modalities and it included the traditional surgery and pharmacology. It was one of the most interesting courses I ever developed and taught and I did research the research quite a lot on the scientific basis to many of the practices. It was interesting that the classes were equally split between those that thought the whole thing was 'bunkum' and those that thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. If I had had the time and energy, before I retired, I would loved to have done a research project on the characteristics of who believed what. Personally I believe in some but not all types of healing and thus found the surgery research interesting. We now have a new medical school in Prince George and while I don't believe it has happened yet because they haven't had a graduating class they are planning a similar course for medical students. After I retired the teacher assigned to the 'my' healing course was definitely a non believer (and a former graduate of the our old curriculum) and cut considerable non traditional healing theories. If any of you are interested in more information google a few practices or sites. I find the most valid information comes from sites that are not selling a product or practice thus don't have a vested interest in pushing their believe systems. Beware information that has a lot of people telling their story - which are similar to infomercials. Jennifer, one thing I always told my students was to listen to people who have chronic diseases - you can learn a lot from their experiential learnings. I am not sure about researching first as it may prevent a thorough medical assessment, but definitely ask questions until you are satified with the answer. Unfortunately, there is still the 'God' effect in medical circles, from both the physican and patients perspectives. Also unfortunately there tends to be some who blame the patient for being sick or not feeling well. Exercise and diet do indeed make people feel better and is being proved with each new research to be curative, but it isn't the answer to everything, almost, but not all and it is hard to change habits. There is a difference between curing and healing. Physicians are taught to cure and get frustrated when they can't until they develop, through observation the concept of healing - many never do. 'All in your head': I have developed a number of chronic conditions that may or may not be interrelated. I told my doctor I would love to be told it was all in my head and be sent home! *~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
|
User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895
|
From: Magot
Date: 04-29-2007, 03:12 AM (17 of 23)
|
It was the same program I saw Nancy - fascinating. My SIL is finishing his 3 year course in herbal medicine and has taken many of the same pharmacutical and physiology courses as my daughter studying Biology - it leads for some interesting discussion - Basil's work has a serious grounding and his diagnostic skills include ending people to a doctor when they need to go. He and my daughter though have little confidence in homeopathy, which I have to admit I personally regard as "Snake oil". But even that will have a placebo effect! (yes my son in law the herbalist IS called Basil....my daughter laughed at him for being named after a her... he replied ".but you are called Rosemary?..") love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626
|
From: PaulineG
Date: 04-29-2007, 04:08 AM (18 of 23)
|
Basil and Rosemary .... Tell me that wasn't fated to be. The difference between curing and healing... There's a long and interesting philosophical discussion. Too late at night for me at the moment but I think I could sink my teeth into that one. There is definitely a place for both conventional and natural or holistic medicine but unfortunately most of the participants/practitioners are influenced or tainted by parties with a vested interest on both sides of the fence. Maybe our children or grandchildren will be able to reap the benefits of a truly unbiased system that teaches the benefits of both. Oops - starting to sound like a politician - better stop. Pauline
|
User: PaulineG
Member since: 09-08-2006 Total posts: 901 |
From: Magot
Date: 04-29-2007, 11:23 AM (19 of 23)
|
Basil is maried to Katie though - Rosie is the Sister in law. Mind you, their surname is Moss. Nominative determinism at it's best. ( Rosie was going out with a bloke called Ash and her good friend is called Ferne - it gets worse!)
love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626
|
From: Sancin
Date: 04-29-2007, 04:16 PM (20 of 23)
|
Pauline and Dorothy I agree with the homeopathy comment and the vested interested comment. The whole drug/herbs usage is fraught with controversy. Drug companies are huge and make loads of money - try getting stocks in any of them - but there are some miraculous drugs produced. Those related to immunity and blood pressure control being the most obvious. But exercise, weight loss and meditation have long been shown to lower blood pressure. The herbal immunity control drugs do not tend to work as fast or as effectively as the chemical one, perhaps because our infective agents are more powerful. Plants are one source of drugs, animal and mineral extracts, and chemical synthesis are the other ones I remember without getting out a reference. Unfortunately, many new drugs are only slightly differences from older ones and more expensive. Our provincial pharmacare program is only paying for base drugs. Many of those base drugs have come over the years from herbs. The drug companies lobby the governments (who pay for medications in most parts of Canada) by saying there are no controls for % of incredients, so now herbs are required to be regulated and scientific based research is promoted - something most herbalists cannot afford. Saw a program a few years ago about a biochemist in India collecting substances based on folk practices and analysing them. Some she found are not used in drugs today and yet are powerful. No plecebo effects here. *~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
|
User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895
|
From: Sancin
Date: 04-29-2007, 04:22 PM (21 of 23)
|
Pauline and Dorothy I agree with the homeopathy comment and the vested interested comment. The whole drug/herbs usage is fraught with controversy. Drug companies are huge and make loads of money - try getting stocks in any of them - but there are some miraculous drugs produced. Those related to immunity and blood pressure control being the most obvious. But exercise, weight loss and meditation have long been shown to lower blood pressure. The herbal immunity control drugs do not tend to work as fast or as effectively as the chemical one, perhaps because our infective agents are more powerful. Plants are one source of drugs, animal and mineral extracts, and chemical synthesis are the other ones I remember without getting out a reference. Unfortunately, many new drugs are just slight differences from older ones and more expensive. Our provincial pharmacare program is only paying for base drugs. Many of those base drugs have come over the years from herbs. The drug companies lobby the governments (who pay for medications in most parts of Canada) by saying there are no controls for % of incredients in natural healing products, so now herbs are required to be regulated and scientific based research is promoted - something most herbalists cannot afford. Saw a program a few years ago about a biochemist (?) in India collecting substances based on folk practices and analysing them. Some she found are not used in drugs today and yet are powerful. No plecebo effects here. *~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
|
User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895
|
From: colojd
Date: 04-30-2007, 08:48 AM (22 of 23)
|
I guess in situations like this with "placebo surgery" there is a fine line between having the patient's mind help their body heal, and deception. Misleading someone to think that they had a surgical procedure and all went well seems a little off to me. It would be very bad if this method was used because the doctor could not figure out what was wrong, so went to these lengths to get the patient to stop telling them something was wrong and they wanted to get well. But the flip side is that it does show that once a person's mind has been eased at least of the worry of their condition and they think that they had a successful procedure, then their relief and happiness helps them heal. You can often hear a person say that their doctor kept telling them that their problem was in their head, so they gave up on the doctor and just made it their mission to get themsevles well. I guess this is very similar to the above. I heard last night that tonight (Monday, 4/30/07) on the NBC Nightly News, there will be a piece about the healing through the mind/body connection, so will be interested to see what they have to say. |
User: colojd
Member since: 05-03-2002 Total posts: 83 |
From: Longblades
Date: 05-01-2007, 08:54 AM (23 of 23)
| What a disappointment that article was. I don't fit there at all, not obese, hardly drink (probably less than three drinks a month), don't smoke, not African American. And heat in the torso, head and neck? My toes get hot and sweat pours from me from head to foot. After the flash/sweat I freeze. Caffeine is definitely a contributing cause for me so I have one cup of coffee in the morning and that's it. Maybe now that it is warmer out I will try to cut that out too but all winter it was awfully nice to warm up with coffee each morning. |
User: Longblades
Member since: 07-14-2005 Total posts: 182 |
Visit Sew What’s Up for the latest sewing and quilting tips and discussions.
This page was originally located on Sew What’s New (www.sew-whats-new.com) at http://www.sew-whats-new.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-22205.html
Sew What’s Up is hosted by ZenSoft