Insights, Blogs & News
A ‘What’ Scan?
“A what scan?” A scanner connoisseur, I added a new scan to my appointment this week. The oral surgeon’s office has a newfangled scanner called a CBCT: Cone Beam Computed Tomography. I’ve had MRIs, CTs, tomography (um, regular??) and now CBCT. It rocks. The CBCT scanner is quick, easy and tunnel-free. It provides standing room only. The best part, it only outputs about 1/100th of the radiation of a traditional CT scan. “Put your chin up against this small cupped rail, stand still, and the two scanner parts will circle around your head. It’ll take about two minutes.” The images […]
Article Discusses the Use of DEET in Insect Repellants
An article published by the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia, The Hazards of Deet, contends DEET is not a safe choice: “DEET is a registered pesticide. DEET is short for N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (also known as N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide). It is a member of the toluene chemical family. Toluene is an organic solvent used in rubber and plastic cements and paint removers. DEET is absorbed through the skin and passes into the blood. The Medical Sciences Bulletin, published by Pharmaceutical Information Associates Ltd. reports, ‘Up to 56% of DEET applied topically penetrates intact human skin and 17% is absorbed into the bloodstream.’ Blood […]
US Centers for Disease Control Follows Fragrance-Free Policy
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been following a fragrance-free policy as part of its “Indoor Environmental Quality Policy” since 2009. This clearly sets the stage for other public institutions to follow suit. The policy has been instituted in all of the CDC’s offices, affecting more than 15,000 employees nationwide. According to this article appearing in the American Chronicle, The goal of the policy is to promote and protect the health and well-being of CDC personnel, contractors, and visitors; to prevent work-related injury and illness, as well as harm and pollution of the environment; and to […]
Secret Millionaire, Marc Paskin, Gives to Woman with Invisible Disability
This is Not a Story About Money, but of a Man Who Learned That Giving Time and Love is Priceless. ABC TV’s hit show, the Secret Millionaire sends millionaires out to experience a life on a very small budget and with the goal of finding amazing organizations doing incredible work in their community. On the show that aired March 13, 2011, San Diego millionaire Marc Paskin embarked on an adventure that taught him some valuable lessons he will never forget. “Marc Paskin came from a poor family and worked his way through college. He used his life savings of a […]
Endocrine Disorders Removed from Social Security List of Impairments
Allsup Explains Impact as SSA Eliminates Endocrine Disorders from its Listing of Impairments for Disability Benefits Diabetes, hypoglycemia and other hormonal imbalances no longer reach “listing-level severity” Belleville, Ill. – June 7, 2011 – Effective today, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will remove endocrine disorders from its Listing of Impairments used to evaluate Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applications. Allsup, the nation’s leading SSDI representation organization, explains what this change could mean to individuals with diabetes, hypoglycemia, thyroid disorders and other endocrine disorders who are unable to work and contemplating filing for SSDI. Generally, people […]
O’ Heart O’ Mine, Tell Me You’re Fine!
“Tick tick tick.” I take it for granted. My ticker, that is. It’s one part of me that, as far as I know, still works as it was designed. Four decades of arthritis has not affected my heart. I’m fortunate. At age seven, four decades ago, attempts were made to figure out what the heck was wrong with me. The first diagnosis was Rheumatic Fever. Because Rheumatic Fever is a condition of the heart, I was told I could no longer run. How wrong they were! I could, and I did, whenever I was out of my mom’s eyesight – […]