Prostate Cancer, Esophageal Cancer and Chemo

On Prostate Cancer
'A team of American researchers have developed a "risk calculator" that they say is a better tool for predicting a man's odds of developing prostate cancer than prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testing alone.

The calculator -- posted online for use by both patients and physicians -- adds age, race, family history of prostate cancer, prior biopsy findings, and digital rectal exam (DRE) results into the mix alongside PSA levels, to assess a man's risk before having a new biopsy.' (MedicineNet).

On Esophagel Cancer
'The clinical picture of esophageal cancer is changing, and so is the traditionally bleak prognosis for the disease, new research suggests...

[T]he new research shows that with surgical treatment, patients with the malignancy have a much better chance for survival than patients had in the past.' (MedicineNet).

On Chemo
'Because cancer cells may grow and divide more rapidly than normal cells, many anticancer drugs are made to kill growing cells. But certain normal, healthy cells also multiply quickly, and chemotherapy can affect these cells, too. This damage to normal cells causes side effects. The fast-growing, normal cells most likely to be affected are blood cells forming in the bone marrow and cells in the digestive tract (mouth, stomach, intestines, esophagus), reproductive system (sexual organs), and hair follicles. Some anticancer drugs may affect cells of vital organs, such as the heart, kidney, bladder, lungs, and nervous system.' (MedicineNet).

Beta Guard is a good natural choice for those underdoing chemo. It was formulated by the late Dr Arthur Furst, considered to be the father of oral chemotherapy.

How do you treat waiters

I liked this USAToday article so much. Here are some excerpts.

'The purple sorbet in cut glass he was serving tumbled onto the expensive white gown of an obviously rich and important woman. "I watched in slow motion ruining her dress for the evening," Odland says. "I thought I would be shot on sight."

Thirty years have passed, but Odland can't get the stain out of his mind, nor the woman's kind reaction. She was startled, regained composure and, in a reassuring voice, told the teenage Odland, "It's OK. It wasn't your fault." When she left the restaurant, she also left the future Fortune 500 CEO with a life lesson: You can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she treats the waiter...

How others treat the CEO says nothing, they say. But how others treat the waiter is like a magical window into the soul...

Among those 33 rules is only one that Swanson says never fails: "A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, or to others, is not a nice person."...

The Waiter Rule also applies to the way people treat hotel maids, mailroom clerks, bellmen and security guards...

CEOs who blow up at waiters have an ego out of control, Gould says. "They're saying, 'I'm better. I'm smarter.' Those people tend not to be collaborative."...

Holtzman grew up in the coal-mining town of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and in the 1950s saw opportunity as a waiter 90 miles away in the Catskill Mountains, where customers did not tip until the end of the week. When they tipped poorly, he would say: "Sir, will you and your wife be tipping separately?"

"I saw a lot of character, or the lack thereof," says Holtzman, who says he can still carry three dishes in his right hand and two in his left.

"But for some twist of fate in life, they're the waiter and you're the one being waited on," Barnes says.'

True... True...

Fortified Choices

Something struck me last year or the year before when I was reading James 1. It seemed to me that James was talking largely about having a resolute will. Yes, I am talking about the ability to recognise decisive moments and make fortified choices.

Of course, as in all things in life, we ought to be concerned more with the substance of our choices rather than their form. I was talking about something related to this with someone last night. We were talking about "fellowship". I told him that I really believed that fellowship meant REAL fellowship and not merely meeting together. For instance, that people disagree about things is a fact about life, but being reconciled after a disagreement is holy. That is true fellowship. So I say that if two people walk together but they are not in agreement, the form may be right but the substance is wrong.

I find human beings to be rather pathetic creatures. Why are we largely overcome with the desire to live regardless of how sickening and pitiful our circumstances may become? I don't understand why anyone can have a desire to carry on living when the hidden pain, the emotional pain, is absolutely unbearable! Regardless of how dreadful circumstances may become people want to live! At least most people...

Nobody has all the information that they need to make perfect choices. Why then does any person presume to have ALL THE ANSWERS? Why do people believe other people who think that they have all the answers? People are weak! And some think that since people are weak they should then be led by the stronger ones. But what you really have is the weak and pathetic leading the weak and pathetic. One useless idiot defers his power to choose to another useless bastard.

No! It cannot be right that any person should give up their fundamentally ability and opportunity to "choose" to any other person. It's suicide! Why after making so many choices to live would somebody choose to give up their life into the hands of a person who would kill them? And then you thank you "leader" while he is doing that? Why choose to die?

I choose to live. I think the one thing that gives any person dignity is the ability to choose. My belief is that those choices should be founded in the substance of goodness, and not merely have the form of righteousness.

In keeping with my choice to live I seek out ways in which I can keep on living and happily so. In doing this I am finding that despite my weakness and the weaknesses of others, if we engage in good choices together we lead one another. We develop a healthy symbiosis. We become responsible for eachother. We love.

Suddenly life does not seem to be so pathetic anymore. There are reasons to "live". There are reasons to pursue vitality. There are reasons for eat, sleeping, working, playing etc. Life then has meaning.

What I am saying is this: I think life loses any meaning when, given the godly right of choice, a person then gives up that right to another person who would take it. Managing ones own life is hard, but to manage the life of another is even harder. I think a fool of anybody who delights in making decisions for other people. Such a person is not a leader. A real leader will help people make decisions for themselves. Decisions that are good in substance.

That is the way to raise children. That is the way to run a business.

I think a fool of anybody who actually gives up his right to choose to another. Both the leader and the follower are fools. By walking together they will fall into a trap.

I hate people who hate people. I hate people who, under the guise of giving you a good thing, actually give you bullshit. I hate people who would give you a coat only to take away your shoes. I hate people who cannot see the emperor's nakedness. I hate the "flow" of things. I hate shit.

These things and people that I hate are my enemies. I cannot choose to entertain these life-threatening things and people. I am talking about the things that really threatens ones life. Being ignored is a threat to my life. Being misunderstood is a threat to my life. Being robbed or cheated is a threat to my life.

I've got a big sign over my heart that says "Tresspassers will be shot." Any person can endure a little fun and games but the idea of threatening my very life, my emotional well-being, is enough to provoke me to immediate and fortified retaliation. Yes, I will shoot to kill any person who threatens to end my life. I will shoot to kill any person who threaten to take the right to choose away from me.

I want to choose. I want to make my choices. I want to make good choices. My choices are my fortress. Tread carefully around my choices... you have been warned...

I have said much, but I hope you learn to choose...

Special Assignment on Omega-3

"Could Fish Make My Child Smart?" That was last night's topic on Special Assignment. While the results presented on the show concerning Omega 3's benefits children's concentration were inconclusive special assigment did mention the following
(1) Omega-3 needs to be taken in the right proportion with respect to Omega 6
(2) Omega-3 has had outstanding results in reducing the rate of heart disease and in the treatment of people who have suffered from cardiovascular events
(3) Omega-3 has been acknowedged publically by medical authorities as being useful in the lowering the risks of cardiovascular disease and its treatment.
(4) Omega-3 is found in oily fish.
(5) The active 'ingredients' (for want of a better description) are EPA and DHA.
(6) You (most people) need 1 gram of Omega 3 a day.
(7) Omega-3 is essential - if you dont eat it, you won't get it.
(8) Omega-3 is essential for the formation of the brain (but there was a dispute as to whether pregnant mothers actually do need to take it.)
(9) Omega-3 is good for helping those with depression.

Now I am going to tell you stuff that they didnt talk about
(1) A recent Finnish study found that eating mercury-filled fish might actually undo any health-benefits of Omega 3. Salmon are low in mercury since they eat mainly plankton. See Men's Health SA (not 'Wealth' ;-)) April 2006 at page 32. To add to this, Salmon is one of the best sources of Omega-3. But the trick is not to eat the organs but the flesh since the organs is where pollutants gather.
(2) EPA is eicosapentaenoic acid. DHA is docosahexaenoic acid. If you use an 'Omega 3' supplement that does not 'contain'/'produce' these you're wasting your time and money.
(3) Omega-3 oils are high density lipids.
(4) It helps with migraine headaches and other headaches. It is also good for people with inflammatory diseases - not only does it help with arthritis but the symptoms associated with it such as severe pain.
(5) Your best source of Omega-3, aside from getting the best possible fish (like Salmon) available is supplementation... And then you need to make sure you get a good supplement.

I take a good supplement of Omega-3 daily. Any guesses as to where I get it from?

Cortisol reduces fear

'Could a simple hormone "cure" debilitating phobias?

Swiss researchers have found that giving people the stress hormone cortisol shortly before they entered an anxiety-provoking situation actually reduced fear and anxiety.

While promising, the results are too preliminary to warrant a sea change in current treatments, the study authors said.' (Source).

Will noone speak out on my behalf?

Or, will no one speak out on my behalf. Over time, if you put that request in Google this page should come up. As of 04 April 2006 there were no pages.

God will. God does.