I ended my experiement and found that more research is needed:
First of all I should have done a bit more planning. I would have found that it is really 380 miles to visit my brother, not 300 miles. I turned on the GPS in my phone and realized I was wrong. Crap. Not a good way to start.
Then I should have brought more water with me. I brought one little bottle and ended up having to buy water - I hate buying water because of they are all the single serve ones (which should be outlawed as far as I am concerned).
I also have some questions for the FastLane/EZ Pass people. In Massachusetts, they are 15 mph lanes. In New York, they are either 20 mph or 5 mph. There was one toll plaza which alternated 20-5-20-5. Go figure. I have no idea either.
If one wants to go shopping on their drive, one should make sure the stores are open. I stopped at one outlet center because it was right off the highway, I wanted to run one errand and it was almost 1/3 of the way. The store is listed on the outlet center's website but when I got there, there was a little asterisk which said *Coming Soon. There was no asterisk on line. A little truth in advertising, please.
Another helpful tip is to combine potty breaks with refilling the gas tank. Its stupid to make two separate stops.
It doesn't help if you bring yogurt to eat in the car if you do not pack spoons.
The weather should have cooperated better. It snowed from Albany all the way through Syracuse not really sticking but enough to make visibility fairly poor and to have crap being thrown up from the road by the other cars. (And the stupid pedestrian who was standing on the median strip on I-90 at mile post 234 trying to cross in the snow storm, I hope you are okay. I did call 911 for you.)
I found that I needed new wiper blades as they did not clear a round area right in front of the driver's face so I needed to lean right or left, or stretch up or scrunch down to see during the snow.
Oh and on being tired, did I survive. When I arrived, I was exhausted. My right arm and shoulder were fairly tired. It is hard for me to drive with both hands on the steering wheel the whole time. One handed driving seems to work better (except when in the snow). Once I arrived, I was happy not to drive for most of the weekend.
Running around after four kids did tire me out all weekend. My brother made fun of me for going to bed early (brat). But I had fun with the kids too.
The ride home I was very tired and found my husband wasn't feeling well. I rested and then went out for a few essentials. We both went to bed early and feel better, but its snowing very hard so we are going nowhere. A good day to catch up at home and spend some time together.
Before my next trip, I will do more research, bring more food and water, and make sure I have good wipers. I'm not sure how I will do on a longer drive, even without snow.
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Experiment concluded
I survived my experiment. I will analyze my data and figure out my analysis. I have a feeling I will need more research because my back hurts and I need a nap.
Those sneaky hospital costs
A new hot button issue in the world of medical treatment are the sneak hospital costs. Hospitals and insurance companies have negotiated these rates and traditionally they have been covered by insurers. But as patients switch to higher deductible policies they are bearing the brunt of these costs.
On the hospitals side, they claim they warn patients by putting signs up through the facilities where these are charged so patients are warned. But they are not told the amounts until they receive the bill. They also say these fees pay for things like twenty four hour ER stays, research, and teaching.
Medicare allows doctors to charge overhead fees for work performed in buildings owned by hospitals. So I guess this is automatically done for us non Medicare patients.
On their side, insurance companies do negotiate with the hospitals but say they can't change the way hospitals bill. (Sounds like someone might be trying to pass the buck here.)
I can understand hospitals have costs that are not included in the fee to pay to see the doctor. They are in big buildings and they provide additional services than just doctor visits. They are also trying to cover their research costs, etc. While hospitals are there to treat patients who pay the fees to get care, you can't tell me they do not get grants to pay for research which should cover the research costs?
If we get to research costs again, aren't patients also paying for the research costs for the pharma companies by receiving really expensive brand name drugs as well?
I think that this is clearly another issue that shows how badly our healthcare system is messed up and how much more change is needed.
On the hospitals side, they claim they warn patients by putting signs up through the facilities where these are charged so patients are warned. But they are not told the amounts until they receive the bill. They also say these fees pay for things like twenty four hour ER stays, research, and teaching.
Medicare allows doctors to charge overhead fees for work performed in buildings owned by hospitals. So I guess this is automatically done for us non Medicare patients.
On their side, insurance companies do negotiate with the hospitals but say they can't change the way hospitals bill. (Sounds like someone might be trying to pass the buck here.)
I can understand hospitals have costs that are not included in the fee to pay to see the doctor. They are in big buildings and they provide additional services than just doctor visits. They are also trying to cover their research costs, etc. While hospitals are there to treat patients who pay the fees to get care, you can't tell me they do not get grants to pay for research which should cover the research costs?
If we get to research costs again, aren't patients also paying for the research costs for the pharma companies by receiving really expensive brand name drugs as well?
I think that this is clearly another issue that shows how badly our healthcare system is messed up and how much more change is needed.
Stronger cancer drugs
There is a new type of cancer drug being investigated. They are called carboranes:
"Over the past decade, we have seen an increasing interest in using carboranes in drug design," said Mark W. Lee Jr., assistant professor of chemistry in College of Arts and Science. "Carboranes are clusters of three elements — boron, carbon and hydrogen. Carboranes don't fight cancer directly, but they aid in the ability of a drug to bind more tightly to its target, creating a more potent mechanism for destroying the cancer cells.
In the study, Lee and his research team used carboranes to build new drugs designed to shut off a cancer cell's energy production, which is vital for the cell's survival. All cells produce energy through complex, multi-step processes. The key to an effective drug is targeting the process that cancer cells depend on more than healthy cells. By increasing the binding strength of a drug, a smaller dose is required, minimizing side effects and increasing the effectiveness of the therapy. With carboranes, Lee found that the drug is able to bind 10 times more powerfully.
"The reason why these drugs bind stronger to their target is because carboranes exploit a unique and very strong form of hydrogen bonding, the strongest form of interactions for drugs," Lee said."
They have been tested on breast, lung and colon cancer and are very successful. They are also being tested on other forms of cancer. What is significant about their strength is that you can take a smaller dose which will have a stronger effect but will have fewer side effects. I'm all for fewer side effects in life.
Of course more research is needed so it won't be around anytime soon. But I still call this a significant advance.
"Over the past decade, we have seen an increasing interest in using carboranes in drug design," said Mark W. Lee Jr., assistant professor of chemistry in College of Arts and Science. "Carboranes are clusters of three elements — boron, carbon and hydrogen. Carboranes don't fight cancer directly, but they aid in the ability of a drug to bind more tightly to its target, creating a more potent mechanism for destroying the cancer cells.
In the study, Lee and his research team used carboranes to build new drugs designed to shut off a cancer cell's energy production, which is vital for the cell's survival. All cells produce energy through complex, multi-step processes. The key to an effective drug is targeting the process that cancer cells depend on more than healthy cells. By increasing the binding strength of a drug, a smaller dose is required, minimizing side effects and increasing the effectiveness of the therapy. With carboranes, Lee found that the drug is able to bind 10 times more powerfully.
"The reason why these drugs bind stronger to their target is because carboranes exploit a unique and very strong form of hydrogen bonding, the strongest form of interactions for drugs," Lee said."
They have been tested on breast, lung and colon cancer and are very successful. They are also being tested on other forms of cancer. What is significant about their strength is that you can take a smaller dose which will have a stronger effect but will have fewer side effects. I'm all for fewer side effects in life.
Of course more research is needed so it won't be around anytime soon. But I still call this a significant advance.
Every patient is different
Every patient is different. Every patient is different. Every patient is different. Every patient is different. Every patient is different. Every patient is different. Every patient is different. Every patient is different. Every patient is different. Every patient is different. Every patient is different. Every patient is different. Every patient is different.
As you may know from reading my blog that one of the biggest thing that irks me is when someone tells you that their neighbor's cousin's dog walker's sister's friend had the same ailment as you 20 year ago and their treatment protocol was different and they just don't understand why you are getting something different. Its rude. It makes you doubt your own treatment protocol and doctor. And its none of their damn business.
So now this study (because we needed another study) says that 'Individualized Care is Best for Lymphedema Patients'. I didn't go to medical school and I could have told you that.
Living with lymphedema is no fun. I can't wear a watch or bracelet on my left arm - no matter how loose it is. If I do I have to wear a compression sleeve for a week to make my arm feels better. This surprises my doctors. I also have to wear a compression sleeve when I work out or when my arm feels like its acting up - like maybe today I will. I have to do the stupid little lymphedema exercises to help my arm. They are just annoying.
I have a friend who had lymphedema and then lost a lot of weight and it went away. I have another friend who is very thin and has to wear a custom sleeve every day - and has for 17 years. I have a lot of friends who had the same surgery and never got lymphedema. See we are all different.
As you may know from reading my blog that one of the biggest thing that irks me is when someone tells you that their neighbor's cousin's dog walker's sister's friend had the same ailment as you 20 year ago and their treatment protocol was different and they just don't understand why you are getting something different. Its rude. It makes you doubt your own treatment protocol and doctor. And its none of their damn business.
So now this study (because we needed another study) says that 'Individualized Care is Best for Lymphedema Patients'. I didn't go to medical school and I could have told you that.
Living with lymphedema is no fun. I can't wear a watch or bracelet on my left arm - no matter how loose it is. If I do I have to wear a compression sleeve for a week to make my arm feels better. This surprises my doctors. I also have to wear a compression sleeve when I work out or when my arm feels like its acting up - like maybe today I will. I have to do the stupid little lymphedema exercises to help my arm. They are just annoying.
I have a friend who had lymphedema and then lost a lot of weight and it went away. I have another friend who is very thin and has to wear a custom sleeve every day - and has for 17 years. I have a lot of friends who had the same surgery and never got lymphedema. See we are all different.
Blah, blah, exercise more, blah, blah
Right up therer with common medical advice - eat right, stand up straight, floss - is get some exercise. When have they ever told us not to exercise? Exercise is good for all sorts of things - we know this. This is why we had gym class in school and were sent out side to play and went for walks all the time.
There are some downsides to exercise - blisters from badly fitting or the wrong shoes. Or, muscle aches and pains for the days when you might 'over do' things by a tiny bit. Or stretching injuries if you perchance are in the slightly wrong position and end up with a very painful knee (not that I would know this by experience or anything).
But there is another new benefit to exercise - reducing your breast cancer risk. Who would have thought? Duh. Exercise is known to be good for us. But, here's the real story:
"Moderate exercise tied to lower breast cancer risk
...Women who exercise moderately may be less likely than their inactive peers to develop breast cancer after menopause, a study published Monday suggests.
And it did not take a vigorous workout; regular exercise at any intensity level was linked to a lower breast cancer risk, the researchers say.
Still, there are reasons to believe it can, said lead researcher Lauren McCullough, of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
One possible way is indirectly, by reducing body fat, McCullough said in an interview. Excess body fat is related to higher levels of certain hormones, including estrogen, as well as substances known as growth factors, which can feed tumor development.
Researchers found that of more than 3,000 women with and without breast cancer, those who'd exercised during their childbearing years were less likely to develop the cancer after menopause.
The findings, reported in the journal Cancer, add to a number of past studies tying regular exercise to lower breast cancer odds.
But like those past studies, this latest one can only point to a correlation: It does not prove that exercise, itself, is what cut women's breast cancer risk.
But exercise might also have direct effects, McCullough said -- by boosting the immune system or the body's ability to clear cell-damaging "free radicals."
That is all speculation for now.
But, McCullough said, the findings do support the general health recommendation that adults stay active throughout their lives."
So what does this tell us? Speculation is telling the researchers that exercise can lower your breast cancer risk. So before you adopt a mighty exercise plan to reduce your risk of breast cancer, just remember that it is speculation that is driving this.
This also reminds that all these studies that tell us things like eating spinach is good for us - some is based on science and some is based on speculation because there appears to be a correlation. And it always needs more research to prove anything.
There are some downsides to exercise - blisters from badly fitting or the wrong shoes. Or, muscle aches and pains for the days when you might 'over do' things by a tiny bit. Or stretching injuries if you perchance are in the slightly wrong position and end up with a very painful knee (not that I would know this by experience or anything).
But there is another new benefit to exercise - reducing your breast cancer risk. Who would have thought? Duh. Exercise is known to be good for us. But, here's the real story:
"Moderate exercise tied to lower breast cancer risk
...Women who exercise moderately may be less likely than their inactive peers to develop breast cancer after menopause, a study published Monday suggests.
And it did not take a vigorous workout; regular exercise at any intensity level was linked to a lower breast cancer risk, the researchers say.
Still, there are reasons to believe it can, said lead researcher Lauren McCullough, of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
One possible way is indirectly, by reducing body fat, McCullough said in an interview. Excess body fat is related to higher levels of certain hormones, including estrogen, as well as substances known as growth factors, which can feed tumor development.
Researchers found that of more than 3,000 women with and without breast cancer, those who'd exercised during their childbearing years were less likely to develop the cancer after menopause.
The findings, reported in the journal Cancer, add to a number of past studies tying regular exercise to lower breast cancer odds.
But like those past studies, this latest one can only point to a correlation: It does not prove that exercise, itself, is what cut women's breast cancer risk.
But exercise might also have direct effects, McCullough said -- by boosting the immune system or the body's ability to clear cell-damaging "free radicals."
That is all speculation for now.
But, McCullough said, the findings do support the general health recommendation that adults stay active throughout their lives."
So what does this tell us? Speculation is telling the researchers that exercise can lower your breast cancer risk. So before you adopt a mighty exercise plan to reduce your risk of breast cancer, just remember that it is speculation that is driving this.
This also reminds that all these studies that tell us things like eating spinach is good for us - some is based on science and some is based on speculation because there appears to be a correlation. And it always needs more research to prove anything.
Allow me to be a little smug
They didn't need a study to prove it (as if we needed a medical study). I knew this all along. Exercise has now been proven to help breast cancer patients. Go back and read my blog in 2007. You will note I talk about my daily walk. I did go for a daily walk all during treatment - surgery, chemo, radiation. The only time I skipped a day was if I was hospitalized.
Before my diagnosis, I was going for a daily walk anyway. I just saw no reason to stop because of the pesky cancer thing. It was actually a good thing to do. It helped with side effects. It helped with sleeping - physically tiring yourself out lets you sleep better at night. It helped with my mood. All through treatment, no one ever discouraged me from walking. The nurses and doctors were very supportive and encouraged me to continue.
I even belonged to a gym. Before breast cancer, I had hit a certain 'age' that ended in a zero and had decided I should join a gym and do weight bearing exercise as I was now aging. Well, I went to the gym. I looked at the machines and went over to the elliptical or the treadmill. I didn't know how to use the machines. And then my back went bad and all those machines, treadmill, and elliptical managed to make my back hurt.
I have since given up that gym and joined the gym for dilapidated people like me. There are many dilapidated people there - seriously, walkers, oxygen tanks, wheel chairs, prostheses, etc. The gym is run by physical therapists and designed for people with health issues. They work around my problems and I can actually get in a good work out.
One of my issues is lymphedema. In the past, they used to tell women with lymphedema were told - no exercise, not to strain your arm, just do these stupid little exercises to get your lymph system moving and prevent fluid build up in your arm. Then a study came along (of course another study or ten) which said light exercise was beneficial.
[I am training for my body building competition by lifting one pound weights - 2 sets of 15 reps of front and side lifts. Well, its not just my lymphedema problem in my left arm, its my tennis elbow in my right arm that won't go away and whatever weird thing is going on with my shoulder that hamper my chances for a win.]
But I have digressed way too far here, completely off topic in fact. I am a bit smug because I exercised all through breast cancer treatment and now a study proves I was right all along. Now its time for me to hit the gym.
Before my diagnosis, I was going for a daily walk anyway. I just saw no reason to stop because of the pesky cancer thing. It was actually a good thing to do. It helped with side effects. It helped with sleeping - physically tiring yourself out lets you sleep better at night. It helped with my mood. All through treatment, no one ever discouraged me from walking. The nurses and doctors were very supportive and encouraged me to continue.
I even belonged to a gym. Before breast cancer, I had hit a certain 'age' that ended in a zero and had decided I should join a gym and do weight bearing exercise as I was now aging. Well, I went to the gym. I looked at the machines and went over to the elliptical or the treadmill. I didn't know how to use the machines. And then my back went bad and all those machines, treadmill, and elliptical managed to make my back hurt.
I have since given up that gym and joined the gym for dilapidated people like me. There are many dilapidated people there - seriously, walkers, oxygen tanks, wheel chairs, prostheses, etc. The gym is run by physical therapists and designed for people with health issues. They work around my problems and I can actually get in a good work out.
One of my issues is lymphedema. In the past, they used to tell women with lymphedema were told - no exercise, not to strain your arm, just do these stupid little exercises to get your lymph system moving and prevent fluid build up in your arm. Then a study came along (of course another study or ten) which said light exercise was beneficial.
[I am training for my body building competition by lifting one pound weights - 2 sets of 15 reps of front and side lifts. Well, its not just my lymphedema problem in my left arm, its my tennis elbow in my right arm that won't go away and whatever weird thing is going on with my shoulder that hamper my chances for a win.]
But I have digressed way too far here, completely off topic in fact. I am a bit smug because I exercised all through breast cancer treatment and now a study proves I was right all along. Now its time for me to hit the gym.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
