Monday, October 31, 2016

Happy Zombie Day

See the transfer to the next generation.
Watch the children accept brain numbing poison from grownups...

Sorry I don't have any fun pics.   I am suffering from some wicked irony fatigue.

Update:  Here you go, even dead people want sugar.
The sweet side of Mexico's Day of the Dead

Fun with Anxiety

My kind of research:

Very British Problems (on Netflix)

See the respiratory infections
See the dental problems.
See the vortex.
While laughing your ass off.

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Trump Nervous Breakdown Watch Starts Now

It is becoming pretty clear that He is not going to win the election.
And it is also pretty obvious that he is acutely infected and septic.

He has planned for a year to be successful on Nov 8.    His brain has set that deadline.   It knows exactly when the reward is due.
He has been riding and enduring the manic symptoms in anticipation of that moment.   His body thinks it's going to be able to rest then.   It's been quietly enduring the accumulating damage until things get better.
Unfortunately for him, that is not going to happen.   Trump TV probably won't even happen.  He apparently doesn't have enough money to subsidize it.
His world will be worse than when he started- he now has all kinds of fires to put out in his businesses and personal life, and his metabolism will just not continue.
It will just shut down and try to recover whether he wants to or not.

It might be something drastic like a heart attack or stroke, but major depression and suicidal tendencies are more likely.
This will be reported as "Hospitalized for Exhaustion".    Think "Wailing on the Floor".

World-Class Snotty Toddler Tantrum in 10-9-8...

Just Sayin

Dear Young Men:
While you are deciding who to vote for, please realize that in the future women will use your choice to determine if you are a viable romantic partner or a predator.

It's a mental shortcut, but we tend to err on the side of caution in those matters.  We don't ignore big red flags.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

From the Archives Again

How to Make a Zombie
Take ordinary person.
Cut into them with a scalpel for some reason.  Introduce some bacteria into their bloodstream.
Then prescribe antibiotics and opiates and a low fat/high carb diet, and tell them to stay out of the sun- all of which will reduce their immune system response.

Wallah.  You have just created a chronically ill perma-patient.

Friday, October 28, 2016

This is Why

These two articles describe the same study.   I think it's fascinating how the titles differ.

Hospital rooms and patients equally likely to transmit pathogens

Study: Dangerous bacteria can end up on nurses' scrubs

Either way, hospitals are saturated with drug resistant microbes and everyone in them has been spreading them around for decades without even realizing it.

Article Roundup

The transition from daylight saving time to standard time leads to depressions
Yes it does.   Dumped me into a funk for a week every year in Seattle.
We don't have it in Arizona, it was one of my reasons to move here. 

EpiPen Rival is Back to Provide a Cheaper Option for Patients Faced with Skyrocketing Costs

Regular dental visits may help prevent pneumonia, 

Vitamin D supplements for pregnant women should be customised to the individual to ensure benefits are felt
Vitamin D supplements are less effective at raising vitamin D levels in pregnant women if they deliver their babies in the winter, have low levels of vitamin D early in pregnancy or gain more weight during pregnancy, a new Southampton study has shown

Vaccination of newborn mice with bacteria suppresses asthma as adults
"It's pretty amazing," said Kearney, a Distinguished Professor in Microbiology in the UAB School of Medicine. "We started doing neonatal immunizations in all three asthma models, and we found that all three were protected against asthma-like symptoms."
The window to achieve protection remains open for only a short time after birth.
"We do not see protection if we immunize the adults," Kearney said. "The exposure has to happen early—in human equivalents, probably within the first two years. The kinds of immune cells that appear early in life appear to change later in life."

Impulsive personality linked to greater risk for early onset of meth use

Sloths aren’t lazy – their slowness is a survival skill

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Not our Imagination

When Gut Bacteria Changes Brain Function
Some researchers believe that the microbiome may play a role in regulating how people think and feel.
Yes, so do a lot of narcoleptics.

Monday, October 24, 2016

Conference Recap

Okay, I'm home.   Didn't realize how much flying would mess with my ears.   Should have, I guess...

I can't really tell you much about the conference, I didn't staff the table, as I had a wicked headache from the flights, and didn't want to snap at anyone (like the Jazz rep, heh).
I didn't attend any of the sessions, except Gina's.  There's always at least one thing in every lecture that makes me want to scream, and I didn't have a wing-man to stop me.

Gina was a shining star though.   Her whole presentation was exquisite.
She had a vendor table that was bright and inviting, and she gave out her Madcap Miss website information and greeted everyone who came through.   (And remembered most of their names!   I wish I could do that.)  By the time Sunday rolled around she had made friends with nearly everyone and convinced a ton of them to come hear her talk about Diet, even though as we know, zombies are addicted to food.   The room was full, and the 200 pamphlets she made flew off the table like they were donuts.

Her presentation was better than I ever could have imagined.  She was so confident and natural, her delightful personality made everyone feel at ease.  She told the story of her family- her mom, herself, and her son-  how they were diagnosed, how they were before gluten/carb restriction, and how they are now.   (with a sprinkling of science thrown in to convince them this is real.)  It was breathtaking.   Literal gasps and tears in the audience.   Including me, and I've lived through it with her...

It was glorious.   She definitely made an impression. The people who were there will never again be able to eat without thinking about orexin.   Cha Ching!

I did meet a couple of zombies I have only known via internet.
Gina's son Glenn, who is just freakin remarkable.  A genius with a heart of gold.
He assisted his mom with the booth and all the AV stuff too.    He's processing the video and when I get the link you can all watch it yourself.

And we went for ketogenic dinner with our friend Sarah, who started the Gluten Free PWN group on Facebook.  I have wanted to meet her and hug her for years.  I couldn't deal with social media.  She changed everything for us.  Exponentially.   I can never thank her enough.


There's really nothing in the world that gives me more anxiety than a narcolepsy conference. 
It kills me to see all the sick people and not be able to help them all personally.   I didn't want to ever attend another one.  I am much better at research and writing and helping us that way, I know that.
But I wanted to see Gina do her thing.  I knew she had what it takes to deal with scary zombies and get the message out there.
And Holy Firecracker Batman-  boy does she.  I'm so glad I was there to see it.

Another dream come true...

Some Pics

Video link soon.



 








Saturday, October 22, 2016

Not Ignoring You

Gina and I are at the Narcolepsy Network conference with her son Glenn.
She's got a vendor table for Madcap Miss, and will be giving her presentation on a Gluten-free/Low-carb diet tomorrow.
Will try to post more later, if the internet is still working.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

ZOMG

The infection in his right nasal sinus is taking over his face.
And look at those eyes.
No wonder he's raving like a lunatic.
He's a sick, sick puppy.

Update:   The people who obsess on such things observed he wasn't sniffing as much this time.
So they went back and noticed it was because he was mouth breathing instead.
Uh huh.  Go figure.

That is not "one weird trick".  That's a symptom of respiratory distress...

Monday, October 17, 2016

Silliness

A rerun from the archives
Sugar makes you sleepy. sugar makes you sad.
Sugar makes you crazy. sugar makes you mad.
Sugar makes you stupid. sugar makes you fat.
But sugar is addictive- so you just ignore all that.
 Ha, I don't remember writing it...

Another Reason to Avoid It

New study links protein in wheat to the inflammation of chronic health conditions
Scientists have discovered that a protein in wheat triggers the inflammation of chronic health conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, and also contributes towards the development of non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.
With past studies commonly focusing on gluten and its impact on digestive health, this new research turns the spotlight onto a different family of proteins found in wheat called amylase-trypsin inhibitors (ATIs). The study shows that the consumption of ATIs can lead to the development of inflammation in tissues beyond the gut, including the lymph nodes, kidneys, spleen and brain. Evidence suggests that ATIs can worsen the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, lupus and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as well as inflammatory bowel disease.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

I Voted

For the Presidential Candidate who understands and believes in our democratic form of government.

And for Legal Weed...  duh.

 

Friday, October 14, 2016

As I was Saying

The shocking pain of American men
In a recently released draft of his paper, which he will present at a Federal Reserve conference in Boston on Friday, Krueger finds that 44 percent of male, prime-age labor force dropouts say they took pain medication the day prior — which is more than twice the rate reported by employed men.
Go figure.
Opioid Pain pills cause spinal nerve damage.

Stop blaming these guys problems on economic displacement- they are are being permanently disabled by their doctors!

So Envious

As an old lady who has had verbal dysfunction since I was a small child-

I would actually give up the rest of my life for one day of the ability to speak clearly and naturally like Barack and Michelle Obama.
To breathe properly, to move my mouth comfortably, to not have tunnel vision, to not hear my words feedbacking in my head, to stay on track.
I would stand in front of a video camera the whole 24 hours and explain all this stuff I have been ruminating on for so long.
And I would die happy for the chance.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Obsessing on Obsession

It's hard not to...

Anyhow, if Trump is such a germophobe that he refuses to shake hands and freaked out when being miked for TV-

Why does he feel compelled to stick his tongue in stranger's mouths?

And for the record- EWWWWW.    I would never want him close enough to breathe on me.     Whatever microbe that is up in his head, it's clearly virulent.  (Made his kids into rat faced monsters.)

See...that's halfway on topic...

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

This and That

DEA drastically cutting Opioid production for 2017
That should solve the problem.   Yep.

Marijuana prison venture is Damian Marley's vision for economic growth
Bob Marley’s youngest son wants to transform a decaying California prison into a medical marijuana manufacturing plant – and revitalize a depressed rural town
Wow.  There's lots of unimaginable headlines these days, but that is a story I never expected.

How human genes affect the microbiome
One particularly interesting finding was the association between genetic variants that determine the presence of lactase in adults and the presence of Bifidobacterium in the gut. Lactase deficiency causes lactose intolerance. 'Surprisingly enough, we found no difference in overall milk intake by individuals with or without the hypolactasia predisposing genotype', says principal investigator Dr. Alexandra Zhernakova. But, for individuals without the functional lactase gene, the numbers of Bifidobacterium increased with a higher consumption of dairy products.
A possible explanation for these results is that Bifidobacterium, which can break down lactose, rescues lactase-deficient individuals from lactose intolerance. 'As the bacterium is ingested through milk, it appears that these individuals can actually continue drinking milk if it causes no complaints', says Zhernakova.
Now that is fascinating.   

Mammograms may not need that painful 'squish'. Should I be relieved or appalled?
It’s hard to believe it took this long for someone to look at whether making mammograms less painful would also make them less useful.
No, it's really not.   

Back to our Regularly Scheduled Insanity

This is the kind of sexism women who want to be doctors deal with in med school

Medical school can be brutal, and it’s making many of us suicidal
Research has found that students may arrive at medical school feeling less burnout and depression than other people of their age. Yet once in medical school, they go on to have greater risk of mental-health problems and suicidal thoughts. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, medical students suffer from depression at rates 15 to 30 percent greater than the general population.
Yo Doctors:
One would think that you would be the people to recognize the fact that tormenting and sleep depriving your very obsessive disciples is unhealthy for them...
Not to mention that this process is self-sustaining because it selects for not the smartest, but the most manic and obedient individuals. 

Monday, October 10, 2016

It's a Feature, not a Bug

Donald Trump Sniff Count:  84

And a fine display of the oppositionally defiant behavior of a snotty toddler.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Missing My Orexin Cells

It sure would be nice to have a functioning metabolism-

Because today I have a real urge for some popcorn and champagne.

Maybe I'll make some Lemonade instead...

Friday, October 7, 2016

Friday Cat Blogging

Is that still a thing?
Because I finally got a picture of her...















She lives in the clump of trees in the wash in my side yard. She had a big, fat kitten with her, but wouldn't let it come out when I was visible.

I put an Arizona Wildcats spinner on one of the branches, I hope she likes it.

Brain Eating Zombie of the Day

Olga Khazan, again.

How Back Pain Took Over the World
Even when you include poor and middle-income countries, low back and neck pain went from ranking 12th as a cause of disability globally in 1990 to ranking fourth in 2015, the most recent year. In most countries, it was the leading cause of disability. DALYs from low back and neck pain increased by more than 17 percent from 2005.
She blames obesity.
I blame Doctors.

Opioid Pain Relievers INCREASE back pain over time by destroying neurons in the spinal cord.
And they promote obesity.
And constipation.   Which causes back pain too.

Every time they prescribe pain pills... people get worse.
And they've been handing out those highly addictive versions like candy for a while now.
It's not at all surprising that this incidence is shooting skyward.

Neck pain comes from bad teeth.
And if you take pain pills for that instead of fixing them, it will get worse too.

Brain Saving Zombies of the Day

Our world is awash in bullshit health claims. These scientists want to train kids to spot them.
Its mission, according to Sir Iain Chalmers, the Cochrane Collaboration co-founder who’s co-leading it, is to teach children to "detect bullshit when bullshit is being presented to them."
Too bad it's in Uganda.
I know a lot of kids who believe a lot of bullshit.
Because doctors tell them to...

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Yo Sleep Doctors

Recent reports of  Steroid therapy ameliorated cataplexy should not be assumed to be evidence of an Autoimmune reaction... this result could also occur in the event of an active Infection.

This therapy obscures the source of the symptoms..
I suggest you check those kids for chronic Strep Throat before you put them on immunosuppressants.

Breakfast of Champions

Caffeine-based compounds show promise against Parkinson's disease

Caffeine consumption in older women seems to reduce risk of dementia

The surprising beauty benefits of caffeine
“Researchers have found that the topical use caffeine has numerous benefits to skin including helping to increase circulation and stimulate hair growth. Additionally, caffeine appears to protect skin damage from exposure to sun,” says Shabir Daya, the health expert at Victoriahealth.com.
Time for a refill...

Monday, October 3, 2016

A Few More for You

Outrageous EpiPen prices lead some people to make their own
The EpiPencil, which costs less than $35, requires just a few parts which someone can easily get themselves, including an auto injector and a syringe. 

Japan's Cliffside Suicide Vigilante
How one man patrols the notorious Tojinbo Cliffs to stop people from jumping to their deaths.

The Breast Has Its Own Microbiome--and the Mix of Bacteria Could Prevent or Encourage Cancer

The pill is linked to depression – and doctors can no longer ignore it 
I am including this article because it details another egregious example of doctors telling women they are imagining things.
Personally though, progestin contraceptives alleviated my cyclical moodiness.  It's one of my favorite drugs...
I am guessing it was because my blood sugar metabolism didn't fluctuate weekly.

The Families That Launch Their Own Autism Studies
Historically, science has scorned single-subject trials, but parents’ at-home experiments with their kids may drive autism research forward.

Thanks to Jamie for this-

Fungus identified as key cause in Crohn's disease
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University found the fungus works with two types of bacteria to cause symptoms of the disease.

I'm telling ya, interactions between infections are going to explain almost everything...