My New "Medical" Blog

So I finally made another blog, beause I had a lot of people having difficulties with my medical posts on my personal blog, sooooo after a lot of work (because I don't know how to do this kind of stuff very well) and enlisting my sister Sara to design it for me, I have my new PA/medical blog

http://kimsmedicalmeandering.blogspot.com/

I have created a Food Friday Post for today so take a look and enjoy.

Of course we are still keeping our current blog.  Please become followers of my new blog, as I have been getting a lot of feedback from people really liking it, but I want to see who you are!

Thanks everyone!

Til' we meet again! Kim

Philadelphia & New York! Our vacation three weeks ago!

So over my intercession break, Jake and I completed one of our dreams.  We went to New York!  First we flew into Philadelphia and me up with my sister Sara who was living in Cherry Hill NJ.  We had such a good time, Cody and Sara work for Pinacle Security and they just had someone move out of the Pinacle housing and so Jake and I had our OWN apartment!!!! It was a blast.  The first thing we did was go to the Jersey Shore (no I didn't see Snooki???).  I have to say it was one of the very best beach days I have ever had.  I absolutely was in heaven.

Me obviously (self portrait) I do those a lot!

Jake and Cody decided to build a huge hole in the sand (??? don't get it) but it was very successful!  I think they dug this hole for an hour :)

Sara (my sister) who is so cutely pregnant and Cody!

As you can see Jake was full of ENTHUSIASM upon arrival to the beach!!! He loves the beach!

This little guy, WAS MY MOST FAVORITE PART OF THE TRIP (no offense Sara & Cody & Jake).  This is Sara's dog Peanut!  he is awesome and I just love him, I wanted to take him home with me :)

Me again, lets just say I normally don't like swimsuit pictures on my blog, but I want some proof someday that I have not gained myself in body weight in PA school YET!!!  hahahaha  hopefully we can keep it that way (a good 10 lbs or so is fine)

After the Jersey shore, the next day we went to downtown Philadelphia and our first stop was the Betsy Ross House.  If you notice my sister and I wore red, white and blue in honor of our historical tour, yes maybe we are annoying.  Notice that Jake did not dress for the occasion!

Here Jake is making "pretend" homemade food at Betsy's house!  It was funny cuz, this was one of our favorite parts of the house!

Me making a Turkey pot pie in the wood burning oven, ahhhh the joys of modern cooking that we don't have to deal with that :)

Next we went to the oldest inhabited street in the US, "Elfreth's Alley."  It was so charming and I adore old architecture and walking down this historic street was a blast to the past.

So pretty, RIGHT!

Of course the Liberty Bell!

My sister and I in front of Independance Hall, I was so bummed because there were not any more tickets for the day, so I missed out on one of my lifelong dreams, of standing in the same room as John Adams!  But, honestly it was just as lovely on the outside, as I'm sure it is inside.

Next we of course had to get the famous "Philly-cheese-steak" at this cute diner!

Another great attraction we visited was the Ben Franklin Institute.  Of course you have me in front of my favorite museum attraction "The Heart"  you actually walk through the heart on sort of a "little tour."  It was fantastic!!!

Jake and Cody inside the Left Ventricle of the heart, sooooo awesome (notice red & blue and me in white and blue... we are so patriotic!).

Jake playing with small crane!

We attended the Nefertiti Exibit, we were not able to take pictures in the exhibit, so we took pictures in the gift shop. It was so interesting and best of all the Nefertiti exhibit is sponsored by Hilti (Jake's company).

From Philly we then went to NY, NY! First off, I thought SF had a lot of people, NY blows everything out of the water, so amazing!

Then comes my most favorite part of our entire trip, Mary Poppins on Broadway!!! This play was so amazing, I was in love with it the entire time.  Jake was so awesome and bought me tickets to  see it, he absolutely loved it too, HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

This is me trying the world famous Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity.  BTW if you noticed a change in length of my hair from beginning to now, my sister took me to the ghetto's of Philly where I had it done for ultra cheep, the woman who put them in didn't even speak enlish.  This was my anniversary present from Jake!  He's so sweet!  BTW I didn't love the frozen hot chocolate, just OK.

Jake with his TO DIE FOR cheesecake at Seredipity.

Times Square was one of my favorite things, it glows like crazy at night and was so chuck full of people and things that it could almost make you dizzy.  Jake and I sat on some little tables with creme sodas and watched people and looked at the lights and adds for over an hour at 11:00 PM, such an experience.  A bit crazy there, but truly a fun experience. 

We did not do the Statue of Lady tour, so if you look really close at this picture you can see her in the background (very small).

And last but not least the NY, NY Temple.   My friend told me that the temple walls are built again on the inside, so that they do not touch the world in any way.  So the outer walls that you see are not the actual temple walls!

A so concludes our adventure, which was so fully enjoyed!

Two fantastic blog posts; extremely thought provoking!

I do not have anything from myself today as the rigors of school find me almost a basket case :)  But, I wanted to share a link to my sisters blog.  When I read both of these posts I fell in love with them. My sister has a real gift for writing and always has, this is something I lack and I often HATE writing (unless it's blog posts about vaccines or food!).

The first is about our attitudes and our ability and freedom to change them.  I loved this post and absolutely loved how it made me think deeply inside myself and remember that I always have control over any situation (it just might not be how I want it).  That control is my attitude. ENJOY here!


The next post by my sister (Sara), is based on an article written by an LDS San Jose State professor (who is Sara's friends mom).  The article particularily focuses on differentiation between envy and competition.  The actual article is entitled "Toward a More Authentic Sisterhood."  This article addresses LDS women and how to better support, uplift and prize one another. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to read this article and ponder many of it's points.  I especially like Sara's take on it!  ENJOY this post here!

Many days of drought!!!

I know it's been three weeks since I've posted for anyone who is interested.  I was in finals week and then in NY for a week and then my mom was visiting for a week and on top of that, no internet installed in my new house yet! So stay tuned if you like my posts for new ones this week!

TTYS, Kim

The First Vaccine Ever Invented: Smallpox Vaccine

Many people think of vaccination as a modern invention, but the actual concept of vaccination originates in 1798 when the smallpox vaccine was developed.  The virus which combats smallpox was discovered a few years later, is still the exact virus we use in our current vaccine. Other vaccines developed in the early 1900's include vaccines for the Plague, Diphtheria, Pertussis (whooping cough), TB and Tetanus.  Over the years many more vaccines have been developed. There are currently two vaccines (Hep B and HPV) which have the power to combat cancer.

Vaccination is the best, most cost effective, and easiest mode of disease prevention in the entire world!

Today I wanted to write about the history and miraculous outcome of the very first vaccination ever created, THE SMALLPOX VACCINE.

CURRENTLY SMALLPOX IS COMPLETELY ERADICATED WORLD-WIDE; THIS IS DUE TO VACCINATIONS

In the early 1900's 13 million people died from smallpox and it has mortality as high as 80% in children.

                                                                    smallpox 1912
The smallpox virus is one of the largest, most complicated viruses in nature. Smallpox virus has the longest genome of any virus in the world,187 genes, in comparison HIV/AIDS virus only has 10 genes! 

The earliest account of  smallpox"virulation" (i.e. vaccination)  is from as early as 1000 BC in India physicians would take a scab from a smallpox sore and grind it to powder.  The ground powder would then be blown into patients noses. Perhaps of more significance is,  Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was the wife of a Brittish Commissioner serving in the Ottamin Empire of Turkey, when she learned about the ancient practice of virulation, she "vaccinated" her children, then brought the vaccination/concept to her country of origin, Brittian. The "vaccination" was used in the royal family which fueled support from the European public.

The problem with this powder "vaccination" was that 2-3% ended up contracting smallpox from it, and ultimately dying as a result of the illness.  Despite this 2-3%, the use of this "vaccine" reduced contraction of smallpox and therefore the death rate ten fold and determined worth-the-cost.

Edward Anthony Jenner was the creator and inventor of the current vaccine.  He discovered that you could use "cow-pox" instead of "human-pox" (i.e. smallpox), without the 2-3% mortality rate.  This was discovered by following a patient of his whom was a milk maid.  Milk maids, were known to have very beautiful skin.  Their beautiful skin was because these maids never contracted smallpox, therefore they never developed the insidious scarring which results from smallpox.   Jenner found that milk maids  contracted "cow-pox," as a few lesions, only on their hands.  It became apparent to him that exposure to the "cow-pox" created a type of immunity against smallpox.  So Jenner made a vaccine from the cow-pox, eliminating that 2-3% mortality, and vaccinated his own son to prove it's efficacy.

Even though Jenner's smallpox vaccine was developed in the 1790's,  smallpox still raged on, because of production and transportation limitations.

In 1855 the US government mandated that all school age children get vaccinated for small pox, this legislation promoted mass production and access nationwide.

                                     D.A. Henderson with his Presidential Medal of Freedom in July 2002

For a while the last cases of US small pox were in 1949, of 8 people and two died. That was until we utilized mass air-travel.  This travel gave the US access to India and Brazil which had raging epidemics of smallpox.  The CDC calculated how quickly smallpox could spread via air travel,  only 14-21 days to a raging epidemic.  This air-travel dilemma fueled the desire to eliminate the epidemic entirely.  In 1967 Dr. Donald Henderson led a team with the goal to completely eliminate smallpox epidemics worldwide.  WHO workers vaccinated 25 million people but, there were still many un-vaccinated persons.  With a disease that's as infectious as smallpox, you MUST HAVE 98% of the population vaccinated in order to prevent spread.  The next mass vaccination of smallpox was started soon after in Sierra Leone, which had the highest levels of smallpox world wide. Within 9 months small pox was eradicated entirely in Sierra Leone.

WHO officially certified smallpox elimination,  December 1979. This declaration occurred 2 years after the last case of recorded smallpox in a 23 year old man named Ali Maow Maalin from Somalia.   

This eradication included the use 

of over 100 million vaccines worldwide

After many, many years presently the smallpox vaccine is no longer needed or used (except for the Commander in Chief and possibly the militia).  Three vials of the smallpox virus exist, they are held in three, level four, high security facilities and are carefully guarded.

In some states routine vaccinations are not mandatory.  But, please it is my personal opinion which is also shared by the medical community at large, THAT YOU PLEASE VACCINATE, I hope this story proves to be an excellent example of vaccination miracles!

As always remember I am a Physician Assistant student, I am not certified (yet!) and I am not a physician.  The comments on my blog come from lectures I attend in school, personal thoughts and opinions on the subject and other sources.  Before making any health care changes, please talk with your doctor first! Kim :)

Food Friday: Onions

 Arcimboldo's oil painting: Summer

So I have always been interested in onions, because #1 I LOVE them, #2 so many people HATE them, #3 a few women in my ward boil onion skins in water and drink the water when they have a cold and they say the cold goes away within the day, #4 Shreck describes himself as being an onion, and who doesn't want to be more like shreck right (or avoid it???) :)

So as usually I get a lot of my information from one of my favorite books:

Did you know... the thickness of an onion's skin has been used o predict how bad the next winter will be?  Thin skin means a mild winter and thick indicates a rough winter. .... so my fellow Utah friends, grow a few onions in your garden and get a heads up on the winter before it happens and tell all your friends how bad it's going to be and they will think you are so smart!

Onions are members of the lily family... and there are two types: 1. bulb-forming, 2. perennial

The origin of the onion is believed to be in Asia where 5,000 year old onion gardens have been excavated. Pharaohs were buried with onions as a sign of eternity.  The Romans believed the onion could cure any ailment.  During the middle ages onions could be used as currency, and even a FANTASTIC WEDDING GIFT! (wow, hasn't life changed... could imagine getting an onion for your wedding???).

Onions contain a compound called QUERCETINE, A POWERFUL FLAVINOID ANTIOXIDANT. Onions are also an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C & folate.  Phyotochemicals found in onions have shown to reduce the risk of some cancers!

Onions can be used for:

1. CANCER: yellow onions were the fourth highest in anticancer-growth activity.  Onions display moderate levels of cancer-protective activity.
2. LUNG CANCER: Quercetin has been show to have beneficial affects vs. lung cancer.
3. COLON AND LIVER CANCER: strong-tasting (yellow & shallots) do a better job of inhibiting the growth of liver and colon cancer.
4. PROSTATE CANCER: the strongest risk reduction factors for prostate cancer were onions, cereals and grains, beans, fruits and vegetables.
5. HEART HEALTH: (my favorite reason for eating onions, and probably most applicable to you!).  sulfides found in onions decreases blood clotting, and significantly LOWERS YOUR LDL CHOLESTEROL LEVEL. When you decrease the clotting properties of your blood it REDUCES YOUR RISK OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS (narrowing of the arteries by fatty plaque buildup!!), HEAR DISEASE, HEART ATTACK AND STROKE.

A couple months ago I came across an old 1900's custom, which said that onions have the ability to attract germs and sickness from the air.  It went on to say that as far back as 1900 someone with a flu or cold, would put an onion by their bed, and when they wake up the onion would be black. It also relates, that the sickness would be gone or decreased.  In the early 1900's hospitals and homeowners used to put onions in bowls next to patients beds to help absorb bacteria. This long-standing belief, is discredited by many scientists, because they say that virus and bacterial are transmitted via contact, not as much via air particles and that an onion wouldn't have the abilities to, in essence, be a magnet for these air-bound germs.  However, there have been no scientific studies regarding cut onions but it is highly discredited by scientists (http://www.snopes.com/medical/swineflu/onion.asp). 

My cute, Philipino friend in my ward told me that in her culture they boil onion skins in water and drink it when they are sick and she said she is never sick for long. Given what we know about onions, the boiling does not rely on the traveling through the air, it is soaked into the water.

Many high end restaurants never used previously chopped onions.  They always use fresh ones and throw away any left overs, because, not only the smell that fills the fridge, and the proposed belief that they attract a lot of bacteria. This could be a good reason why onions have such thick skin and so many layers, so air does not have access to it!

TIPS FOR NOT CRYING WHILE CUTTING ONIONS:  all methods for reducing the volatility of the sulfide that causes the irritation.

1. Peeling and cutting under running water, 
2. Chopping near a gas flame,
3. Refrigerating onions before chopping, 

Thanks for reading, hope this was helpful.  I am a Physician Assistant Student, I am not certified yet, and I am not a doctor.  Please talk with your doctor before making any lifestyle changes or medication changes.  My blog is often a conglomeration of my opinions, ideas, views, classroom lectures, past knowledge and resources from books, websites and research; not all of it is solid fact or everyone's beliefs and opinions.

The Common Cold

THE COMMON COLD - A.K.A. UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION (URI).  The common cold is CAUSED BY A VIRUS.  They are the MOST FREQUENT human illness.  25 million seeks care for colds/year in the USA and SADLY 30% RESULT IN ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIPTIONS!!!

The CC is actually a HUGE economic burden because it is the most common cause of missing work and school, totaling 500 million per/yr.

CHILDREN UNDER 6 YEARS OF AGE, WILL USUALLY GET 6-8 COLDS PER YEAR. 

CHILDREN WILL OFTEN HAVE ONE COLD PER MONTH SEPT-APRIL

ADULTS WILL USUALLY GET 2-3 COLDS PER YEAR.

......and you may ask..... Why start in September.... Is this because that is when the COLD WEATHER sets in???? Actually... it is scientifically proven that cold weather does not cause or affect a cold, .... IT IS MORE LIKELY DUE TO ATTENDING SCHOOL WITH MANY OTHER LITTLE KIDS, AND WE ALL STAY INSIDE WITH EACH OTHER AND OUR BEST BUDDIES GERMS! But, to give the "weather" hypothesis some credit, it has been shown that more viruses survive LONGER in winter when the indoor humidity is actually quite low.

The ways that URI's are spread, in order are:

1. HAND CONTACT
2. Small Air droplets (coughing, sneezing)
3. Large Air Droplets (this occurs when you get the virus directly on your mucus membranes -i.e. eyes, nasal passages, mouth) 

IT is important to remember two things:  

1. HAND WASHING IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO PREVENT COLDS, this is because of #2..
2. >90% of people have NO VIRUS IN THEIR SALIVA therefore air droplets are less virulent (think of how snot is not saliva and little kids are touching their snotty noses and touching your hands etc....)

it is NORMAL for your snot to start clear and turn white then yellowish-green later.  It can still be a common cold even with green snot.  In fact colored snot (i.e. green) is a NORMAL self-limited phase of the common cold.

THERE IS NO CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD.  ANTIBIOTICS PLAY NO ROLE (note anti -bacterial NOT anti-viral and the CC is VIRAL).

THERE IS A 1 IN 4,000 CHANCE THAT AN ANTIBIOTIC WILL HELP THE COMMON COLD. if you take antibiotics for a cold they will eventually lead to increased resistance and lead to more serious resistance infections.

The best way to PREVENT a common cold is:

1. FREQUENT HAND WASHING (good old soap and water)
2. Do not touch eyes or your nose
3. COUGH OR SNEEZE INTO CROOK OF ARM, OR INTO SHIRT, not hands!!!
4. Vitamin C (200-500 mg daily)

 

Many over the counter medications advertised for colds are good, they mostly just help with the symptoms of the cold, not to cure the cold.  BUT PARENTS USE MEASURING SPOONS WHEN DOSING THE MEDICATIONS, because a basic kitchen T-SPOON from the store is around 2-10 mL, whereas a MEDICAL dosage is based off of a BAKING MEASURING T-SPOON IS, WHICH IS 5 ML. Be careful not to use the "large" spoons, because they are about 15 mL.  The thing to remember is your basic kitchen spoon is extermely variable and you could easily overdose your child by not using BAKING MEASURING SPOONS.