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Flu Update

  • A very detailed article came out last week in the New England Journal of Medicine outlining the origins of the swine flu.  They have found that the swine flu is a 4th generation virus from the 1918 strain.  We are in a 90 year pandemic era all originating from 1918 strain, and finally,  “it appears that successive pandemics and pandemic-like events generally appear to be decreasing in severity over time. They say this is probably due to medical and public health advances.”
  • Another article points out that Tamiflu is not all that great and that rushing to be seen at the doctor’s office has contributed to the spread of this virus:

“The most puzzling, and most consistent, point of information in these algorithms was a recommendation to treat virtually everyone with antiviral medicines. The departments of health recommended that patients with even mild URI symptoms and virtually any history of any medical problem, or common contact with anyone who has a medical problem, be prescribed anti-influenza drugs.

On what evidence did the NYC DOH recommend prescription-only antiviral medications for all? Cochrane and other large-scale reviews show that oseltamivir and zanamivir reduce influenza symptoms by roughly one half day to a day compared to placebo, though only when given <48 hours after the illness begins. Unfortunately, the medicines frequently seem to add nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, and cost roughly $100 per prescription. They also only work for those with test-confirmed influenza. The simple use of NSAIDs, it would seem, could rival these agents for symptom control, and without the side effects or cost.

With such a tepid, selective, symptom-only impact, and at such considerable expense, why use them? I asked my local infectious disease specialists this question. Treatment, they said, may reduce complications such as death, pneumonia, or hospitalization.

I looked further. Interestingly, despite the fact that 10,000-20,000 people typically die each year in the U.S. from influenza, antivirals have never been shown to decrease either mortality or critical illness. As for other complications, one meta-analysis of ten trials suggested small reductions in pneumonia and a 1% reduction in hospitalization. But the meta-analysis was retrospective, it used only cherry-picked secondary outcomes, and the studies were hand-selected from a Roche database. And yet this remains the only combined data ever to report any significant benefit on complications. Two much larger reviews have since concluded that the drugs have no appreciable effect on the use of relief medications or subsequent need for antibiotics. “

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Is the Bible filled with contradictions?

Bart Ehrman is a New Testament critic and an agnostic who is doing his best to disprove the Bible’s authenticity.  This is a 1 hour clip from Stand to Reason podcast in which a true New Testament scholar (Ben Witherington) refutes (very easily, I might add) Bart’s attempts at “Jesus Interrupted” (Bart’s newest book title).

Comments? Questions?

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Brown Widow Spiders

Who knew? We found a brown widow spider on the outside of our garage door AND we found one at our kids school!  So they are definitely out and about.  Be aware that when your kids are ‘hunting’ the huge orb spiders that come out in October every year that they could run into one of these.  Has anyone else seen these? brown-widow(link to article from Emegency Medicine Journal)

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healthcare Reform: Of NICE and men

I have not chimed in about the healthcare ‘crisis’ but here is a sobering article from Wall Street Journal pointing out the rationing of care that may occur under the changes that might be voted in.

An article in the Stanford Magazine in November of 2008 pointed out that:

1. over 70% of people were happy with their healthcare

2. CEO of Safeway thinks that we need to consider legislature to make people who smoke and who are overweight must pay more for their healthcare.  He experimented with such a plan within his organization.

3. California’s experience and H. Clinton’s attempts point to the issues not being resolved in one feld swoop, but only through slow incremental changes.

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Flu Update

It has been awhile since I updated the swine flu so here is a summary:

  • There have been over 1 million cases in the U.S.!
  • The mortality rate is similar or lower than typical influenza (about 0.4%)–so DO NOT WORRY if you or your kids get it unless you have shortness of breath, can’t keep anything down, or any major concerns that are alarming–most get symptoms like a common cold
  • The only worry is if a second wave hits and the swine flu mutates to a strain that is more lethal…therefore it is important to get a vaccine or if you come down with the flu then you will have immunity or partial immunity to the next wave
  • Looks like the vaccine may be delayed unfortunately
  • If you go to your doctor and they decide to test you for the flu be aware that the test for the flu can often be falsely negative.
  • Here is a great blog resource that seems to post accurate information
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True Christianity

A good friend of mine just became a Christian! It is so exciting to see someone make the decision to cross the threshold of eternity.

He has been asking A LOT of questions.  What does it mean to be a follower of Christ? Shouldn’t we sell all our possessions and follow Him as the disciples did?

Mike Erre’s sermon attached to this post is titled: The End of Your Rope.  A title from a quote from Dallas Willard who points out that we don’t truly see Him and grow deeper in knowing Him until we are at the end of our ropes.  Speaking from one who has been at the end of the rope, I agree completely.

Please share your thoughts.  I found this sermon to encapsulate the true meaning of being a Christ follower.

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Age old wisdom from Junior Guards

At the end of summer Junior Guards Banquet, the Junior Guard Instructors picked a boy and girl that they felt exemplified being a Junior Guard.  EVERY single one of the instructors said 1 of 3 things about each of these boys and girls.  These boys and girls showed 1 of 3 things that made them stand out among their peers:

  1. They were ENTHUSIASTIC.
  2. They were ALWAYS SMILING.
  3. They ALWAYS said THANK YOU.

Too simple? No. That is ALL it takes!

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Medical Myth #6 (example #1): Placebo’s don’t really work

Medical Myth #6 is the notion that placebo’s don’t work.  The fact is that they work incredibly well, and we all should embrace them as a legitimate means of healing.  Here is our first incredible example—
Hippocrates’ Shadow: Secrets from the House of Medicine (David Newman):
“In 2002 an unusual study from Houstons VA Medical Center was published. It was a study about surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee, a condition that causes pain and disability due to thinning and breakdown of cartilage (the padding) in the joint. Patients occasionally have surgery to shave off the rough edges of the cartilage, or sometimes to wash out the knee joint. There were three groups of patients in the VA study: one group got the cartilage in their knees shaved, another group got their knees washed out, and one got an elaborate act. When the patient arrived in the operating room he was given anesthetic and the surgeon was then handed a sealed envelope telling him which surgery to perform. If the card inside the envelope said placebo, three incisions were made in the skin but nothing surgical was done to the knee joint. In case the patient was able to subconsciously hear or feel, water was splashed to simulate the sounds of the surgical procedure. In addition, the patient was kept in the operating room for the length of an actual surgery, during which the surgeon asked for all instruments and manipulated the knee as if surgery was being done. The operating room staff was sworn to secrecy, and outside the operating room no one was told which surgery the patient had undergone. The study results were shocking to many, including the orthopedic physicians who perform knee surgeries every day: the two real surgeries had been no more effective than the sham surgery. In retrospect, perhaps this should not have been surprising. Osteoarthritis is due to thinning of the knee cartilage, and there never was a good or even very feasible argument for why either of the treatments, shaving or washing, should work; after all, neither cures or reverses the thinning. But what is surprising even in retrospect is that all of the groups showed significant improvement in knee pain and function. In an article about the study and a closely related smaller study by the same researchers, one gentleman who had been enrolled told an interviewer that he was now able to mow his lawn and walk wherever he wanted, and added, The surgery was two years ago and the knee has never bothered me since. Its just like my other knee now.  He was in the placebo surgery group.”

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Happy 4th of July

In honor of our 233rd celebration of our country, please enjoy reading our country’s Declaration of Independence.

 

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
A DECLARATION
By the REPRESENTATIVES of the
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
In GENERAL CONGRESS assembled.

WHEN in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness—-That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security. Such has been the patient Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The History of the Present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public Good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the Accommodation of large Districts of People; unless those People would relinquish the Right of Representation in the Legislature, a Right inestimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only.

He has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the Depository of their public Records, for the sole Purpose of fatiguing them into Compliance with his Measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly Firmness his Invasions on the Rights of the People.

He has refused for a long Time, after such Dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the Dangers of Invasion from without, and Convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that Purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, and Amount and Payment of their Salaries.

He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People, and eat out their Substance.

He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our Legislature.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:

For imposing taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging its Boundaries, so as to render it at once an Example and fit Instrument for introducing the same absolute Rule in these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Powers to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People.

He is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic Insurrections among us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.

Nor have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to extend an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the Circumstances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed to their native Justice and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of Consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace, Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Signed by Order and in Behalf of the Congress,
JOHN HANCOCK, President.

Attest.
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.

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Medical Myth #5: Strep Throat

Another Medical Myth is the diagnosis and treatment of strep throat. Here is a GREAT summary written by Dr. Newman and some very good comments. The excerpts below are from a carefully researched book: Hippocrates’ Shadow by Newman. As always share your thoughts.

How do we diagnosis strep throat?

physical exam: “The signs and symptoms of strep throat have been exhaustively studied, and from this research we know that there are four important markers of strep throat infections: tender lymph nodes, fever, visible pus on the tonsils, and absence of a cough. When patients have all four of these characteristics, the chance that they have a strep throat infection is about 50 percent. But when they have zero, one, or even two of these characteristics, 10 percent or less will have strep throat.”-Hippocrates’ Shadow

throat cultures: “The problem with throat cultures is that they find too much strep. More than 10 percent of schoolchildren (the group at highest risk for strep throat infections), for instance, have live strep bacteria permanently and harmlessly in their throats, so even when there is no infection, a culture will be positive.”

But if we “use the test on a group of schoolchildren that has fewer than three of the four hallmark signs of strep throat. Only 10 percent or less will have a true case of strep throat, therefore no more than 10 percent of them can have positive test results that are right. But we also know that more than 10 percent of those being tested will have positive test results that are wrong (due to the harmless bacteria in their throat). Therefore, a positive test result in this group is mathematically guaranteed to be wrong more often than right. More positive results will be due to harmless bacteria than due to a strep infection. More positive results will be due to harmless bacteria than due to a strep infection.due to harmless bacteria than due to a strep infection. This situation, in which a positive test is more likely to be wrong than right, is very undesirable. We perform the throat culture test because we would like to accurately select the patients who should have antibiotics. But when we test people who have a less than 10 percent chance of strep throat, most of the people who are given antibiotics will be taking an unnecessary drug with potentially serious side effects. Unfortunately, the great majority of patients (schoolchildren and otherwise) that have a throat culture have fewer than three of the hallmark signs of strep throat, and often two, one, or even zero. Therefore most people who are given antibiotics because of a positive culture for strep throat don’t have strep throat.”-Hippocrates’ Shadow

Treatment: Antibiotics appear to do more harm than good? “In a brilliant sequence of six studies, the physicians used placebos and other modern scientific research techniques to examine the impact of antibiotics on the strep throat infection itself, and also on the rate of rheumatic fever that followed it. They published their landmark results for the first time in 1950, and established definitively that treating strep infections with antibiotics had reduced the chances of developing rheumatic fever. While the antibiotics had little impact on the strep throat itself’which seemed to last equally as long and cause symptoms equally severe’rheumatic fever occurred roughly 1 percent of the time after antibiotics were used. In those patients given placebos, it occurred roughly 2 percent of the time. Using antibiotics had cut the rate of rheumatic fever occurrence in half.”-Hippocrates’ Shadow

This is AMAZING to me. We are trained to treat ALL strep throats with antibiotics. But the reason we have been taught to treat with antibiotics (to prevent rheumatic fever) is rare and the antibiotics only reduce the risk of this complication by 1%!!! In fact “today we would likely have to treat more than a million in order to prevent a case of rheumatic fever. This changes things. The basis of treatment for any condition is the presumption that the disease poses more danger than the treatment. But 1 million prescriptions for antibiotics (to prevent one case of rheumatic fever) will cause more than twenty-four hundred potentially fatal allergic reactions…, as well as a hundred thousand cases of diarrhea and a hundred thousand rashes. In addition, long-term rheumatic heart disease is the target that antibiotics aim to prevent, but only a third of rheumatic fever cases result in heart disease. Therefore, the number of antibiotic prescriptions it takes to prevent one heart problem is three times as high as the number it takes to prevent rheumatic fever. To prevent one long-term heart problem it would take 3 million antibiotic prescriptions, and more than seven thousand [life threatening reactions].”-Hippocrates’ Shadow

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Cephalosporins can be prescribed safely for pencillin allergic patients

I have been asked this question weekly for the last 12 years so here are the references to confirm that it is ok to give Cephalosporins in patients allergic to pencillin.

Summary articles:

#1. Journal of Family Practice, February 2006

* The widely quoted cross-allergy risk of 10% between penicillin and cephalosporins is a myth (A).

* Cephalothin, cephalexin, cefadroxil, and cefazolin confer an increased risk of allergic reaction among patients with penicillin allergy (B).

* Cefprozil, cefuroxime, cefpodoxime, ceftazidime, and ceftriaxone do not increase risk of an allergic reaction (B).

Undoubtedly you have patients who say they are allergic to penicillin but have difficulty recalling details of the reactions they experienced. To be safe, we often label these patients as penicillin-allergic without further questioning and withhold not only penicillins but cephalosporins due to concerns about potential cross-reactivity and resultant IgE-mediated, type I reactions. But even for patients truly allergic to penicillin, is the concern over cephalosporins justified? It depends on the specific agent. What is certain is that a blanket dismissal of all cephalosporins is unfounded.

The truth about the myth

Despite myriad studies spanning decades and involving varied patient populations, results have not conclusively established that penicillin allergy increases the risk of an allergic reaction to cephalosporins, compared with the incidence of a primary (and unrelated) cephalosporin allergy.

* Results

True incidence of reactions to cephalosporins

The most frequent reactions to cephalosporins are non-pruritic, non-urticarial rashes, which occur in 1.0% to 2.8% of patients; (4-8) for most, the mechanism is idiopathic and not a contraindication for future use. (38) Retrospective studies suggest a 1% to 3% incidence of immune or allergic reactions to cephalosporins independent of any history of penicillin/amoxicillin allergy. (31) Anaphylactic reactions from cephalosporins are extremely rare, with the risk estimated at 0.0001% to 0.1%. (31,38) A seminal study suggested approximately 0.004% to 0.015% of treatment courses with penicillin results in anaphylaxis. (5,9-11) Several studies suggest that cephalosporin-induced anaphylaxis occurs no more frequently among patients with known penicillin allergy than among those without such allergy. (23,27,38-41)

#2. Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, February 1995


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Judge NOT & love and understand as Jesus would (Matthew 7:1)

As I write this I am STILL recovering from the tongue lashing that I got from a patients wife yesterday.  We were having a congenial discussion about her spouse (the patient), and as I prepared to write orders and discuss the possible diagnoses, she went OFF.  I mentioned that his chronic abdominal cramps may, in the end (IF all the tests continue to come back negative) be entirely from stress.  Well she did NOT like that option at ALL.  “Don’t tell me it is stress! It is NOT stress! I KNOW it is not stress.  There is something wrong with him. That is what the other doctors said….”  She proceeded to sware at me for a good solid 2 minutes which seemed like a lifetime.  I was so frustrated and mad! I just finished a great book on how to be a better doctor, and I continue to try and improve my doctor skills.  In the book that I had just read, the author spoke about what a disservice doctors have done by just ordering more and more tests without getting at the heart of the matter and just talking with the patient.  It is SO frustrating to try to spend the time and show compassion and try and educate the patient to get spit in the face for it.  When you see over and over again that the patient is NOT interested in hearing what you have to say then you become hardened and numb and just give them what they want even if it is not necessary or the best treatment option!

After this very stressful situation, I found from the patients primary doctor that his wife has ‘gone off’ on him many times in the past, but that she is a professing Christian.  Now I was even more frustrated and angry.  I SO wanted to go back in to tell her how angry I am at her behavior.  How dare she act like that and claim to worship my precious Savior.

Now this is where the healing, the importance of fellowship, and the lessons were learned comes in.  I talked it over with one of my colleagues who is a believer.  And he challenged me to not judge her in that way.  OUCH!

He said: 1. just think how tough she would be without Christ and most importantly 2. you have never acted that way??? really never??? we are ALL like this at some time in our lives.  You MUST consider HER situation.  She is frustrated; she is scared; she has been dealing with this without any answers for months….WOW!

Now a day later, I see that God was teaching me a powerful review lesson on forgiveness, understanding, judgment, compassion, love, AND that I MUST continue to strive to love and go against the grain–and communicate with my patients with MORE compassion and understanding!

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How simple is the Christian walk of faith?

Here is a marvelous quote from 2 Christian missionaries who live in Africa about the Christian walk.

“Loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength will take you to the end of yourself, and you will find yourself looking out over a precipice. Only God can keep you from falling. Only faith working through love counts. Let’s never leave the simplicity and purity of devotion to Jesus. All we know when the pressure becomes great is Jesus and Him crucified. We exist by the power of the Cross, safe and secure.”-Rolland and Heidi

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Medical Myth #4: Mammograms

Once again Dr. Newman’s research has found some astounding findings.  Here are some summary statements from his research regarding mammograms:

Roughly 25 percent or more of cancers are missed.
==========

So how often do mammograms produce false positives? The cumulative risk of having a false-positive mammogram in ten years is 50 percent; therefore half of women undergoing regular mammograms for ten years will receive a positive result that is incorrect. Indeed, 97 percent of positive mammograms are false rather than true.

==========

During ten years of mammograms about 20 percent of women, or one in every five, will have a false positive that leads to a biopsy.

==========

For every 10,000 women screened routinely over ten years, it has been estimated that one case of breast cancer is caused by the radiation.
==========

 Having mammograms was of no benefit at all.
==========

 Women were alive and surviving at the same rate whether they had been assigned to receive mammograms or not.
==========

finding cancer earlier may not always be the answer. In the case of breast cancer a large proportion of cancerous lumps, perhaps 25 percent or more, are slow-growing and may therefore never lead

==========

In the case of breast cancer a large proportion of cancerous lumps, perhaps 25 percent or more, are slow-growing and may therefore never lead to serious danger.

==========

That regular breast exams are a better screening tool than mammograms is a suggestion that has been made before, convincingly.

==========

In summary:

mammograms do not appear from the research to have any benefit

regular breast exams are a better screening tool

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Imagine: Using our Minds and Imaginations to Grow Closer to God Part 2

Enjoy sermon #6 in the Animate Series by Greg Boyd

Here is an excellent book that helps with prayer life and using imaginitive exercises to grow closer to God:

Animate Sermon Series by Boyd (This is the link to notes on the Series)

Celebration of Disciplines by Foster (This is an AMAZING book on spiritual disciplines.  It is filled with GREAT quotes from Christian disciples and with practical ways to grow deeper with Christ.  It is a How To on prayer, Bible study, fasting, etc.  Below is an excerpt from the book.)

mediation exercise: “The following is a brief exercise to aid you in “re-collection” that is simply called “palms down, palms up.” Begin by placing your palms down as a symbolic indication of your desire to turn over any concerns you may have to God. Inwardly you may pray, “Lord, I give to you my anger toward John. I release my fear of my dentist appointment this morning. I surrender my anxiety over not having enough money to pay the bills this month. I release my frustration over trying to find a baby-sitter for tonight.” Whatever it is that weighs on your mind or is a concern to you, just say, “palms down.” Release it. You may even feel a certain sense of release in your hands. After several moments of surrender, turn your palms up as a symbol of your desire to receive from the Lord. Perhaps you will pray silently: “Lord, I would like to receive your divine love for John, your peace about the dentist appointment, your patience, your joy.” Whatever you need, you say, “palms up.” Having centered down, spend the remaining moments in complete silence. Do not ask for anything. Allow the Lord to commune with you, to love you.”-Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

Finally I end with a quote from Francisco whose devotion, passion, and focused imagery inspires and transforms our often lifeless faith.  Try starting your day with Jesus WAITING for YOU to take each day as a unique adventure!

“When I wake up every morning, Jesus is waiting for me.”-Francisco

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Imagine: Using our Minds & Imaginations to grow closer to God Part 1

I have placed 1 of the 8 sermon series on this post because it is so important for Christians in the U.S. to come back to the early church practices of prayer, meditation, and using ALL of our sense and especially using our imagination/minds.

As a western physician, my brain is entirely left without a right.  The use of imagery in prayer and in our walk with Him could transform our faith if we took the time to practice these exercises.

As a former atheist, I am quick  to put distance between myself and God when life is going smoothly and to be filled with doubt when life is going rough.  These sermons inspire and challenge all of us to use our minds/imaginations to grow closer to Him.

Animate Sermon Series by Boyd (This is the link to notes on the Series)

As always share with us your thoughts.

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Kingdom Living: Listen & Look for God moments

In Mike Erre’s newest book: Death by Church, he has an important chapter titled: Postures of Incarnation.  We need to show the world the incarnation through out actions.  We need to prayerfully watch and listen for the God moments–those moments every day where God is nudging us to show his love to others.

“I used to hate interuptions to my ministry until I understood that interruptions were my ministry.”-Henri Nouwen

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Medical Myth #3: ACLS

According to Newman in Hippocrates’ Shadow, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (A.C.L.S.) doesn’t work.  This has been my experience as well (there are always those very rare exceptions).  As the discussion of ‘fixing’ healthcare looms, one place to cut costs would be at the end of life.  I am continually amazed by the number of very elderly who do not have Do Not Resuscitate (D.N.R.) orders who arrive to the Emergency Department dead, and we have to try and resuscitate a dead person.  The cost of these end of life measures is astounding.  

“The ACLS method is used on more than a million people every year in the United States, and for millions more around the world.* This is notable in light of a vast body of evidence that all leads to the same conclusion: it doesn’t work.”-Hippocrates’ Shadow