why wy?

Dear friends,

After practicing for over a year in Singapore, I've made the hard decision to relocate to Melbourne to work and live.

I'll be missing family, friends and food.

I'll post details of where I'll be working when everything's confirmed, but in the meantime, there's a wedding to plan!

Really good link to what goes on during spinal surgery. You may need to register for Medscape first, registration is free. Warning: there are pictures of surgical procedures and it may turn your stomach.

Looking at images of sick people actually boosts your immune system, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia.

It sounds like a really neat evolutionary trick to me. If someone is coughing their guts out 2 metres away, then their germs are going to all over you. So your immune system goes to code orange and starts sharpening the battle axes...

From Medscape (registration needed, free)

The message seems to be that vigorous physical activity is associated with a modestly lower risk of cardiovascular disease when compared with activities of moderate intensity. So if you really really push it, you are not at a higher risk of dropping dead or damaging your heart.

"If two people are expending a thousand calories per week, does it matter if they do that by running or by walking?" said lead investigator Dr Andrea Chomistek (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA) in explaining the rationale of the study to heartwire . "We found that there might be some benefit to doing it with vigorous activity such as running, but it doesn't appear to be a very strong benefit. As long as you're burning a certain amount of calories per week, between 600 or 1000 calories per week, it's okay if you do that by walking. You don't necessarily have to go out and run a marathon."

So go out there and exercise at your own pace!

February is awareness month for ovarian cancer. The information that follows has been sent by the Australian Osteopathic Association. Sorry it's long but important. Ovarian cancer is often a silent killer and there are no tests for it so it is crucial that women are aware of the symptoms and seek help early.

About Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

* Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is an international campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer. In 2010 in Australia Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is held in February. Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is also a time when Ovarian Cancer Australia, their volunteers and friends, raise funds for their programs and resources to support women with ovarian cancer and to ensure every woman in Australia knows the symptoms of ovarian cancer.



Who is Ovarian Cancer Australia?

Ovarian Cancer Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation providing support and advocacy for people affected by ovarian cancer, and is the peak body for ovarian cancer awareness and prevention. Our programs are focused in these important areas:



* Promoting awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms in the community – giving Australian women and their healthcare providers a better understanding of the early signs of ovarian cancer

* Providing support networks and resources to women and their families and friends affected by ovarian cancer

* Advocating with medical professionals, government and the media for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer

* We are the only organisation that works with Australian women, their families and friends who have been affected by ovarian cancer



Ovarian Cancer Australia Exists To:

* Save women’s lives by raising awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer

* Support those touched by ovarian cancer

* Be the voice of ovarian cancer awareness and prevention in Australia



How Many Women In Australia Have Ovarian Cancer?

* 1 in 70 Australian women will develop ovarian cancer in their lifetime. Each year, more than 850 Australian women will lose their battle with ovarian cancer – that’s one woman every 11 hours.



What Is The Life Expectancy For A Woman Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer?

* 75% of women are diagnosed in the advanced stages and will not live beyond 5 years. If diagnosed early, the majority of those women will survive. This is why awareness and early detection is so important.



Who Is At Risk Of Developing Ovarian Cancer?

Factors that are considered to increase the risk of ovarian cancer are:



* Age – women over the age of 45 are at greater risk of developing ovarian cancer. However, it affects women of all ages - ovarian cancer has been diagnosed in girls as young as 7.

* Never having taken the contraceptive pill

* Having few or no pregnancies

* A high-fat diet, being overweight and smoking

* A history of cancer in the family, especially ovarian, breast or some bowel cancers (approximately 10% of all ovarian cancer cases are due to an inherited gene fault and these are found in 1 in 500 people in Australia)

* Being of Ashkenazi Jewish descent



Facts About Ovarian Cancer In Australia

* This year, 1500 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer; more than 850 will die from the disease

* There is no reliable early detection test for ovarian cancer

* The majority of Australian women do not know the symptoms of ovarian cancer

* Ovarian cancer is the 6th most common cause of death in Australian women



What Are The Symptoms Of Ovarian Cancer?

The four most frequently reported symptoms from women diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer are:



* Persistent abdominal pain or pelvic (lower abdominal) pain

* A noticeable increase in abdominal size or abdominal bloating

* Needing to rush to the toilet to urinate often or urgently

* Feeling full quickly of finding it difficult to eat



Other symptoms that have been commonly reported by women with ovarian cancer include:

* Vague but persistent stomach upsets such as wind, nausea, heart burn or ingestion

* Vaginal bleeding

* Change in bowel habits

* Weight loss or weight gain

* Excessive fatigue



If these symptoms persist even after prescribed treatment for other more common conditions (for example irritable bowel syndrome), women should ask their GP to consider the possibility of ovarian cancer. Ovarian Cancer Australia provides free symptom diaries to download from their website so that women can track what they are experiencing and be able to better communicate with their GP.



Is There A Test For Ovarian Cancer?

* No! There is NO early detection screening test for ovarian cancer. A Pap smear does NOT detect Ovarian cancer. This is why awareness of the symptoms is critical to Australian women



How Is Ovarian Cancer Diagnosed?

* Ovarian cancer can only be confirmed at the point of surgery. If ovarian cancer is suspected, a GP will recommend tests which can suggest if ovarian cancer is a possibility, these include the CA125 test, and a trans-vaginal ultrasound, but these tests cannot be used to screen for or diagnose ovarian cancer.

How Is It Treated?

* When ovarian cancer is confirmed during surgery, a total hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries on both sides), omentectomy (removal of the fatty tissue that covers the bowels), lymphadenectomy (removal of one or more lymph nodes) may be performed.



Awareness Is The Key To Saving Lives - We Raise Awareness By Promoting:

* Australia’s annual awareness month is February

* 2010 Teal Ribbon Day is Wednesday 24 February

* Teal is the international colour representing ovarian cancer

I'm currently researching how osteopathic treatment can help couples conceive and I turned up this link on the optimal diet and lifestyle for conception.

I haven't found a single source that is the definite authority on boosting fertility but going back to first principles, it makes sense to start at the blood, venous and nerve supply to the reproductive organs and pelvic mechanics. If the body and organs are free to move, they will be able to carry out their function. Freeing restrictions around the T10 to TL region seem to have good results, anecdotally.

This upcoming documentary looks at the lives of 4 babies - different cities, different countries. Looks really interesting!