Friday, March 28, 2008

Proposed legislation in Syria

SYRIA: New draft law targets sex traffickers
We want to have the best legislation in the world to counter the issue of trafficking...Most importantly, for the first time the trafficked person will be considered a victim and not punished. We will go after the perpetrators and the causes of trafficking.

Why is this revolutionary?

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Quote

Internal and external are ultimately one. When you no longer perceive the world as hostile, there is no more fear, and when there is no more fear, you think, speak and act differently. Love and compassion arise, and they affect the world.
-Eckhart Tolle


Standing on the shoulders of...


This week I am standing on the shoulders of the U.S. soldiers who testified against the violence and torture they were encouraged to perpetrate in Iraq. It's not easy to speak up against such a strong combination of military power, patriotism and fear. I give so much credit to these soldiers who gave up heroism to speak out against the things they did and saw. I have even stronger appreciation for them because not only are they dealing with strong idealism (from both sides), but they have to come to terms with their own participation in killing people. It's courageous that through the guilt and shame of their involvement, along with the rejection of the hero label, that these soldiers are so vocal against what truly is horrible. Hopefully they will help us to see that the violence and torture perpretrated by U.S. soldiers is not the work of a "few bad seeds". It obviously is deeply entrenched in the U.S. government and military.

Monday, March 24, 2008

More on the Thai Government

Although I chose the Thai government to stand on the shoulders of regarding their policies on drugs, I'm not a fan of most of their work. This is why I am apprehensive about being inspired by any government. When it comes down to it, just about all governments are guilty of some pretty nasty things, and Thailand is no exception. While I admire their stance against the pharmaceutical companies, their record on religious segregation is disgusting. This is why ruling under any religion is dangerous, whether Buddhism, Christianity or Islam. It allows for the oppression and persecution of other religious group in that country.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Standing on the shoulders of...

This week I am standing on the shoulders of the Thai government. It' s pretty rare that I am inspired by any government, but the current one in Thailand has stood their ground in using Compulsory Licensing for drugs. Their actions have been critcized by pharmaceutical companies and by the EU, but Thailand continues to use compulsory licensing to keep down the costs of drugs to its residents.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

My ongoing battle with soda


Speaking of fighting against conglomerates feeding our bodies with toxic substances (as in my last few posts regarding Rx drugs), it has come to my attention recently that I am addicted to soda. I've always known this on some level, but thought it was more mild than it is. Is there such a thing as a mild addiction? Sadly, compared to many Americans, I drink less amounts of soda on a regular basis (I rarely drink more than one per day). However, I just cannot seem to give it up. I think part of this may stem from the lack of mental stimulation at my current job. All I do is sit around and think about not drinking soda (and write in my blog).
I've been thinking about it more and more lately. I need to rid myself of my dependence on soda. it's so bad for me in so many ways.
According to wedmd, I need to do the following to stop drinking soda. My comments italicized.
1. Make up my mind. Okay.
2. Switch to diet soda. Gross!
3. Go Caffeine-free. I've been trying to mindfully reduce my intake of caffeine lately and have discovered that it's pretty hard to find beverages that are caffeine-free (that are not juices, which when I'm looking for something to drink midday, are mostly sugar and too acidic for my bladder).
4. Stock up on alternatives. WedMD recommends milk, cow or soy, to which I say no thank you. I have been trying to drink more water though. I find it's lack of sugar to be unsatisfying at times though. I know that this will change with time (I have done this before), but I'm so impatient.

Okay, so on with step 1, I am making up my mind to stop drinking soda. And I do so while sipping on a bottle of coke. Step 1a for me, throw out rest of coke. You know what, I'm just going to make that step 2. I'm not going to bother with the diet sodas. Why would someone go and wreck perfectly good soda by taking away the sugar? Next step for me is to reduce my caffeine intake. This will be a bit of a challenge for me, but I will continue to do so. Enough about my soda drinking now, I'm going to get some water from the cooler.

On a completely different note, I found this interesting bit about dialects in the U.S.:

Throughout most of the Midwest, from western Pennsylvania, through the Great Plains, to Oregon, the preferred usage is 'pop'. According to a huge survey across America the term 'pop' is a bit more popular with Americans than 'soda' (but only barely).

Ha, New York! That'll teach you to tease me about my use of the term pop (and the way in which I pronounce sooooda)

He He, also this was a footnote to the article:

The Midwestern, or Midland, dialect refers to the speech in an absolutely vast swathe of land whose denizens would contend that they have no accent.


Uh oh, the BBC is onto us...

Monday, March 17, 2008

It's not all puppy dogs and lollipops

In 2007, for the first time in 46 years, the rate of pharmaceutical sales growth has declined. What has caused this decline? (Which by the way is not a decrease in the sales of pharmaceuticals, but a decrease in the growth of sales. It just means the sales are not growing at such a speed as in previous years. Sales are still increasing.). Are people taking less drugs? No. Are the costs of drugs decreasing? No, well sort of. Actually yes and no. According to the AP, the decline was partly due to "branded pharmaceuticals" losing "exclusivity". Because of this a whole wealth of generics were released bringing down the costs of the drugs and taking consumers from the higher priced brand drugs. So, in this respect costs have decreased.

But, it's not all puppy dogs and lollipops. Brand name drugs, especially for rare diseases, are continuing to be a devastating expense. Could you imagine paying hundreds of thousands of dollars every year for a drug necessary to your health? Imagine paying that much money for a drug at dosage higher than needed. Taking more of a drug than is optimal for your health. This stems in part from direct marketing to MD's. Yet another need for advocacy here.

Good thing another book has been written to shed light to even more misgivings of pharmaceutical companies. I'm sure it will fit nicely on bookshelves like mine, ignored by much of the public. From reading the review in the New York Times, it looks like many of the author's allegations are not new (see Marcia Angell's groundbreaking "The Truth About Drug Companies"), but I'm hoping that she reaaserts the problems brought to light by others with more examples and statistics. As far as I am concerned, the more problems are brought to light, the less we can ignore them (as hard as we may try).
There is the rigging of studies, so that to be deemed “effective” a drug need only perform better than a sugar pill. There are the promotional strategies that evade the need for F.D.A. warnings by, say, planting logos for the sexual enhancement drug Viagra and the antidepressant Wellbutrin on Nascar vehicles. There is the co-option of doctors and university researchers by aggressive, payola-dispensing drug company representatives. (from NY Times review of the book)

Although the rate of drugs sales has decreased, the AP reports that the number of drugs covered by Medicare Part D has increased. Indicating an increase in the amount of people enrolling in drug plans. One would hope that insurance companies would help to influence the decrease in drug costs, so they do not have to pay so much. But in reality, a drug that is too expensive for insurance companies is generally not covered by the plan, leaving the individual to bare the entire cost of the drug.

It sounds like Peterson's book does touch on the effects to older Americans. Something to think about when considering the large amounts of drugs that seniors take.
And when the side effects of sleeping pills or antidepressants
mean more elderly people fall down, the solution is not likely to be the
scaling back of such prescriptions. “Instead,” she writes, “the companies have used the statistics on falls to create a new blockbuster pharmaceutical market for drugs they claim will reduce the chances of breaking a bone.” The market for just two of these drugs, Fosamax and Actonel, is expected to be worth $10 billion by 2011.
Hmmm, interesting perspective.


Thursday, March 13, 2008

Standing on the shoulders of...


Every week I try to find a person who inspires me to be compassionate and seek justice. This is easier some weeks than others. I find when I do this, I feel less negative about the world. There are a lot of people who have made a positive impact on the world, whether large or small. When I stand on the shoulders of these people, I commit to continue their spirit of compassion.

This week I stand on the shoulders of
Sister Rugiatu Kanu, a midwife in Sierra Leone. Kanu faces adversity as she delivers babies in a country with one of the highest infant mortality rates. She often works in the absence of electricity, water and medical support. She sees death often, is underpaid and underappreciated, but she continues to be one of very few resources for poor pregnant women and their families.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Must be something in the water....

Apparently we are being drugged through our drinking water. Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals have been found nationally and in New York's reseviors. Time for my sarcastic side to come out. Does this mean that pharma is going to start trying to claim intellectual property rights on drinking water? Pfizer gets a certain region, Merck another, etc. Or better yet, bottle the water and sell it as a "healing tonic". We already pay multiple dollars for bottled water, why not pay $50/month for medicated water?
Alright, enough with the sarcasm, down to the real issue. What are the implications of these findings? Many people are saying that the amounts are so trace, there is not a sustantial impact from them. But, as the article about the situation in NY states, it appears to be affecting marine life. What other ecological effects do these trace amounts have over time? Not too mention, trace or not, there are just some substances I do not want to have in my body.
So, now that the AP has released this information, what do we do with it? The arcticles do point out that water testing procedures do not include testing for pharmaceuticals. It appears that this could be a point for environmental and health advocacy. As we continue to take increasing amounts of presciption drugs over the years, how will this affect our water? Our environment? My solution - we should tell people in upstate New York to quit dumping out their drugs in the toilet. That will solve everything!
As always, the Onion puts it into perspective.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Listening to my body

The human body really is an amazing thing, don't you think? It's a bit sad that we often take our bodies for granted. There are times when I am amazingly in-tune with my body, feel every inch of me from my toes, to my fingers, to the hair folicles on top of my head. In these moments I feel very much alive and connected to the world. At other times, I disconnect from certain parts (or all) of my body, usually in an attempt to avoid pain or uncomfortable feelings. What I am learning about myself is my bodily reactions, whether poor posture or feeling nauseous, are in reaction to an emotion. No, this is not rocket science. I realize this makes perfect sense in concept, but in practice I am always taken aback by my mind-body connection (or disconnection, as it may be at times).
This morning I awoke at my usual time, not by my alarm but by my own body-clock. This was a good thing because I quickly realized that my alarm had not gone off and it was past the time I thought I had set it for. Waking up by my own alarm was much more invigorating than being jolted by the external alarm. Every morning I set out to leave some time for me to do some yoga or tai chi, something I've been skipping out on lately. When I practice a few moves in the morning I stretch as long and tall as I can to feel every part of my body. It's very refreshing to do in the morning. Also, it allows my body to communicate with my brain (or rather my mind allows the body to communicate). I began a yoga class this week after a three month hiatus and realized just how tense my body was. It makes me sit straighter throughout the day and therefore reduces the strain from poor posture.
Well, this morning started off great, I awoke with energy and even made it to work early. Then I went and ruined the positive energy by eating a terrible lunch. From the moment I took the first bite I could just feel the negative effects on my body. It's amazing how quickly my energy was depleted and I felt ill. Being in tune with my body makes me feel these effects much more intensely. You would think I would stop eating such horrible food, but my cravings for such food is in direct opposition to the effects on my body. This is especially so with soda. Oh, how I love my soda! But, with my IC, it has a very negative impact on my bladder (not too mention the rest of my body). The past few weeks have been painful in terms of my IC, due to my increased intake of tea and a recent weekend filled with chocolate and wine. I've been trying to stay away from the previously mentioned foods, which inflame my bladder when taken in great quantities, but I'm struggling. It's amazing how a tender mid-section only lessons my intakes of these substances, it does not eliminate them. I can only hope that my desire to be pain-free and have energy outweighs my cravings for them.
I am striving to be more aware of my body, to listen to what it's telling me. Not only will I be more aware of the junk I'm piling into it, but also I hope to gain a deeper understanding of my physical responses. Why do I feel sick to my stomach when I get angry? Why do I react the way I do in specific situations? I'm just trying to learn all that I can about my body, its responses and the awesomeness of human biology. A professor in one of my undergrad biology classes said in response to a student's question about religion vs. science, we know the structure and functions of the body but that the body came together exactly as it did and functions properly more times than not is beyond any scientist or doctor. We know what we know about ourselves. If we would just listen to what our bodies tell us, we would be happier and healtier overall. This is my mission.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Cochlear Implants - More Information

The NY Times article in my last post got me thinking about the long-term effects of Cochlear Implants. I decided to investigate a bit further. Here are some things I found:

From the FDA - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/cochlear/riskbenefit.html

Most studies suggest benefits to implanting young children - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12075224?dopt=Abstract

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/01/010105075738.htm

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2005/12_01_05.html (Interesting to note that the study was funded in part by a manufacturer of the implants.)

http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=fulltext&file=ORL2006068004237


This topic makes me think of a documentary we watched in the Health Advocacy Program, called the Sound and the Fury. It's a very emotional look at Cochlear Implants and what it means to people who are deaf and to hearing individuals with deaf children.

Health Care in the news today

BBC -
If you thought there was a shortages of nurses and other medical staff in the U.S., you'll be utterly disheartened by the shortages internationally. On the one hand, it's great that doctors and nurses are able to immigrate to more prosperous countries. But, it creates an even greater hardship on their home country's resources. In the U.S. they pay tuition or give subsidies to med students who practice in rural, resource-depleted areas. I cannot imagine this idea not being expanded internationally.

NY Times -
The need for presidential candidates to ponder the futures of Medicare and Medicaid. My suggestion: Can't we just find an independently wealthy do-gooder to be our benefactor?

Very interesting article about Cochlear Implants. It shows support for implanting not only adults, but preferrably young children (as young as 1 month old). I don't know, I'm still a bit skeptical. If someone wants to get the implants themself, great. But, implanting such young children still raises some concerns for me, although I realize the greater ability to learn english at a young age. Have any studies been done to see how these things affect brain functioning and physiology in the long run? On another note, Swiller's book sounds really interesting.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Skiddishness over vaccinating children against STI's

I found this article from the New York Times last week to be an interesting commentary on the fears we have of our children becoming sexual beings. Although the emergence of the vaccine for HPV has questionable beginnings in its development and marketing, it has started conversations surrounding young women and HPV. If nothing else we can use this opportunity to educate both young women and young men about the virus and its progression to cervical cancer. However, the marketing of the vaccine has focused on the prevention of cervical cancer, sidetracking the mode of infection of HPV.

In this article Jan Hoffman focuses on the vaccination of boys for HPV. She states that by 2009 the vaccination will be approved for boys as well. Seen as males are often the unkowing carriers of HPV (which tends to be symptomless in men), the vaccination has been marketed to young women and girls. (As a side, I discovered that HPV can lead to greater illness in men, such as anal or penile cancer. See http://www.cdc.gov/STD/hpv/STDFact-HPV-and-men.htm#whatare. However, it looks like these are much less common than cervical cancer due to HPV in women, so not forced into the public concious as much).

Hoffman's main point is how Merck would go about marketing the vaccine to boys, when there is not the increasing fear of cancer as in girls. Basically, the vaccination of boys against HPV would be for the purpose of preventing the transmission of an STI that can cause cervical cancer in girls. For parents already in denial that kids are having sex earlier than they'd like, to have their son vaccinated for an STI seems even more controversial than vaccinating girls. At least with girls Merck can focus on the prevention of cervical cancer, but the vaccination of boys wakes us up to the nature of transmission of HPV.