Lorna and Aldrin’s Box

Pain Management: Nerve Blocks

Nerve blocks are used for pain treatment and management. There are several different types of nerve blocks that serve different purposes.

Often a group of nerves, called a plexus or ganglion, that causes pain to a specific organ or body region can be blocked with the injection of medication into a specific area of the body. The injection of this nerve-numbing substance is called a nerve block.

How Are Nerve Blocks Used?

Different kinds of nerve blocks are used for different purposes.

• Therapeutic nerve blocks are used to treat painful conditions. Such nerve blocks contain local anesthetic that can be used to control acute pain.
• Diagnostic nerve blocks are used to determine sources of pain. These blocks typically contain an anesthetic with a known duration of relief.
• Prognostic nerve blocks predict the outcomes of given treatments. For example, a nerve block may be performed to determine if more permanent treatments (such as surgery) to block the activity of a nerve would be successful in treating pain.
• Preemptive nerve blocks are meant to prevent subsequent pain from a procedure that can cause problems including phantom limb pain.

Nerve blocks can be used, in some cases, to avoid surgery.

Types of Nerve Blocks

Various areas of pain require different nerve block types. Below are a few of the available nerve blocks, followed in parentheses by some of the parts of the body for which they are used.

• Trigeminal nerve blocks (face)
• Ophthalmic nerve block (eyelids and scalp)
• Supraorbital nerve block (forehead)
• Maxillary nerve block (upper jaw)
• Sphenopalatine nerve block (nose and palate)
• Cervical epidural, thoracic epidural, and lumbar epidural block (neck and back)
• Cervical plexus block and cervical paravertebral block (shoulder and upper neck)
• Brachial plexus block, elbow block, and wrist block (shoulder/arm/hand, elbow, and wrist)
• Subarachnoid block and celiac plexus block (abdomen and pelvis)

Other Nerve Blocks

Other types of nerve blocks include:

• Sympathetic nerve block: A sympathetic nerve block is one that is performed to determine if there is damage to the sympathetic nerve chain. This is a network of nerves extending the length of the spine. These nerves control some of the involuntary functions of the body, such as opening and narrowing blood vessels.
• Stellate ganglion block: This is a type of sympathetic nerve block performed to determine if there is damage to the sympathetic nerve chain supplying the head, neck, chest or arms and if it is the source of pain in those areas. Although used mainly as a diagnostic block, the stellate ganglion block may provide pain relief in excess of the duration of the anesthetic.
• Facet joint block: Also known as a zygapophysial joint block, the facet joint block is performed to determine whether a facet joint is a source of pain. Facet joints are located on the back of the spine, where one vertebra slightly overlaps another. These joints guide and restrict the spines movement.

Side Effects and Risks of Nerve Blocks

• Elevated blood sugars
• Rash
• Itching
• Weight gain
• Extra energy
• Soreness at the site of injection
• Bleeding
• Death (in rare cases)

Although many kinds of nerve blocks exist, this treatment cannot always be used. If your pain isn’t related to pain in a single or small group of nerves, nerve blocks may not be right for you. Your doctor can advise you as to whether this treatment is appropriate for you.

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Westlake Family Health Center.

Researchers tout various benefits of Vitamin E

Knight Ridder

Vitamin E is golden these days.

In the past few months, researchers have reported that the antioxidant vitamin, packed in glistening amber capsules, can protect the heart and blood vessels, help prevent cancer, boost the immune system and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

An estimated 80 million Americans have added E to their daily regimen, and a survey of heart specialists published in June in the American Journal of Cardiology shows that 44 percent of them take antioxidant supplements, mostly vitamin E.

But questions remain.

Who should take vitamin E?

How much should you take?

Should you take the synthetic or natural form?

And what about news reports earlier this year that said taking vitamin E might be harmful?

There are no easy answers to these questions. With studies ongoing, the jury is still out on the specifics of vitamin E usage. We talked to experts to find out the latest.

What we found is that there is no general consensus on dosage, but doctors who recommend it to their patients say 200 to 400 IUs (international units) is a reasonable amount to take each day.

The government’s recommended daily requirement is only 12 IU for women and 15 IU for men.

Researchers have studied the natural and synthetic forms, and although both have shown beneficial results, the experts differ on which is best. The main difference is in the structure of the molecule; synthetic is labeled dl-alpha tocopherol; natural is labeled D-alpha tocopherol.

Dr. Lawrence Machlin, who, before he retired, supervised synthetic vitamin E research at Hoffmann-LaRoche for 20 years, says what is important is that an IU of synthetic is the equivalent of an IU of the natural. ”An IU is basically one milligram of dl-alpha tocopherol, an arbitrary standard set quite a few years ago,” he says.

However, Andreas Papas, a vitamin E researcher and consultant to Archer Daniels Midland, one of the largest manufacturers of natural vitamin E, says the body recognizes a natural supplement more readily.

Both versions are safe to take even in high doses, both researchers say.

Natural sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils - especially soybean oil and sesame seed oil - most nuts, and in lesser amounts, wheat germ and most vegetables. But it is nearly impossible to get the equivalent of one capsule by eating foods rich in vitamin E.

One trade industry report says to get the equivalent of 400 IU from food would require you to drink two quarts of corn oil or eat 22 cups of peanuts.

There is no consensus on who should be taking vitamin E supplements.

Much of the vitamin E research has centered on protecting the heart and blood vessels. Vitamin E attaches itself directly to the LDL or bad cholesterol in the blood, keeping it from attaching to blood vessel walls, the process that leads to hardening of the arteries.

Some experts stop short of recommending it, however.

June’s Mayo Clinic Health Letter says of all the antioxidants - which include vitamin C and beta carotene - vitamin E shows the most promise for protecting the cardiovascular system.

The health letter says there isn’t enough evidence yet to recommend supplements of E to the general population. ”But if you have cardiovascular disease, the benefits of taking vitamin E - no more than 400 IU a day - probably outweigh the risks,” the publication says.

Some doctors do tell their heart patients to take vitamin E, including Dr. Giovanni Campanile, a Boca Raton, Fla., interventional cardiologist, who takes it himself.

”There’s a little controversy about how much is the right dose. The minimum is 400 IU, but there are several new studies that show 600 to 800 may be better,” Campanile says.

Dr. Jonathan R. Jaffe, a Hollywood, Fla., cardiologist with a special interest in preventionb, also recommends it.

”Vitamin E is one of the few (vitamins) where you have very good scientific evidence that it works,” Jaffe says. ”The only issue is how much to take.”

He recommends 800 IU to his heart patients, but agrees there is no consensus on dosage.

As support for his recommendation, Jaffe points to the results of a scientifically controlled, 42-month studybninvolving patients who have heart disease.

The Cambridge Heart Attack Antioxidant Study (CHAOS) represents the first time patients taking vitamin E - either 400 or 800 IU - were compared with patients taking a placebo, a capsule that looked like vitamin E but had no nutritive value.

The 2,002 participants had undergone angiography, a test to look at the coronary arteries, and had been shown to have blockages in those arteries that could lead to a heart attack.

Vitamin E reduced the risk of both fatal and nonfatal heart attacks by 47 percent, and nonfatal heart attacks by 77 percent.

But the study had some puzzling results as well. While the number of heart attacks was reduced, the overall death rate from other cardiovascular causes, such as stroke, was not.

”The reason why vitamin E would decrease the number of heart attacks but not the total number of deaths from heart disease is a complete mystery,” says Dr. Fredric J. Pashkow, who directs cardiac rehabilitation at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

”Further studies are obviously needed,” he says. He suggests 400 IU of vitamin E per day to patients who have had bypass surgery. He tells patients who have had angioplasty or a heart attack the same amount probably will help, but the data are less definite.

Most of the other evidence supporting vitamin E comes from epidemiological studies - data based on responses from people who say they took it. Those studies are not given as much scientific weight as controlled studies.

Naguusap ang mag best friend sa tapat ng Festival Mall…

Berto: Pre, birthday ni misis

Lino: Anong regalo mo?

Berto: Sabi niya, kahit ano raw basta may diamond kasi para siyang diamond kung ikukumpara mo sa lahat ng babae kong nakilala.Siya ang diamond ng buhay ko.

Lino:Sabagay nga napakaganda ng misis mo and born again pa, nakabili ka na ba?, samahan kita dyan sa jewellry shop.

Berto: Di ok na pre, nakabili na ko.

Lino: O anong nabili mo, singsing ba? hikaw? ano ba?

Berto: Hindi, baraha, di ba may diamond yon

hihihihihihihi

The Miracle of Green Tea

"Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one." (Ancient Chinese Proverb)

Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression.  In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years. 

Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.

To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:

• cancer
• rheumatoid arthritis
• high cholesterol levels
• cariovascular disease
• infection

• impaired immune function

What makes green tea so special?

Other Benefits

New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters.   In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.  Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.

Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.

Harmful Effects?

To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine.   However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.   

The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots.  The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet.  In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.

Why don’t other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed.  Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases. 

If God brings you to it,

He will brings you through it

Happy moments, Praise God

Difficult moments, Seek God

Quiet moments, Worship God

                   About two months ago, my officemate Farizia whispered " Ms. Lorns, pwede bang patugtugin mo yong Till There was You ni Piolo Pascual". I was delighted and told her " Gusto mo rin yon, akala ko , ako lang may gusto noon. Di ba maganda? Pati pagkakakanta ni Papa Piolo, very romantic, pinoy na pinoy." Hurriedly, I played "Til There Was You" and there you go… the smiles in our faces.   At that time, Far is planning to take the Accounting board exam. And now that she passed already the board exam. I would like to congratulate her:

Far, ang galing mo…Congratulations…You deserve it…

And the first thing that came to my mind which I did yesterday was…played "Til There Was You of Piolo PAscual"…

               

                Next week will be the start of the school year and all of us are busy preparing for the things needed–books, notebooks, school bags, shoes, uniforms and baon. Aldrin will be in grade six. Gorby in his nursery. And Adrielle, the only rose among the thorns, will be in nursery too. Whenever in bad mood, these three children make my day…I talk to them as if I am one of them. Currently, it’s only Aldrin that is left to me, Gorby and Adrielle live far away.

             Adrielle being the only girl in the trio is actually the most active, the most courageous and the most talkative. A few weeks before they left, I was turning on the computer when she came near me and told me " Mama Lorna, ba’t iba ang configure ng computer mo?" I laughed and told her " Alam mo yong configuration?". She answered "Opo". Another thing that I remember with Adrielle is her eye on beauty. Whenever I have a new picture, I ask her "Adrielle, maganda ba ako dito o bruha ako?" Then she will answer. This angel is also keen with cleanliness and organization. At an early age, she likes everything in proper order. At one instance, she told me, "Mama Lorna, walang takip ang alcohol nyo."

              And as the opening of classes become nearer, I can’t help but get excited with Adrille’s first day of school. Hello…hello…Adrielle

                Last Friday, my sister texted me that they will be online in YM for a good chat with me, Aldrin and whoever is available in the family. I was in the office and doing something but you know, to see Gorby in web cam will help me finish my job easily. And so I succumbed to the temptation of logging in to my YM

                And I saw Gorby…bubbly as ever and had grown up so big. He was eating sinigang with lola and mommy. I don’t have a head set in the office, not even at home. So, slowly, I opened my speakers to hear Gorby reciting a prayer. Oh my, he had grown up. After sevral minutes, Aldrin logged in from the house. That’s one good thing with technology…things are better and easier.

               It may take many  years before I see Gorby again face to face.But surely, technology will kep us closer. Hello…hello… Gorby…

               

                It has been several months since I became busy and I guess sickly. And it’s a relief that one thing I am busy at culminated last Sunday. Before the event, I asked my son Aldrin to watched my presentation. Aldrin is the best person I can relate with–good or bad things I can discuss freely. I was so surprised that my baby is no longer a baby.And my presentation to Aldrin went through this way:

1st take

Lorna: My research…..

Alrin: Ma, tumitigil ka ng matagal, iisipin nila di mo alam ang sinasabi mo. Ulitin mo

2nd take

Lorna: My research…

Aldrin: Ma, naninigas ka, kinakabahan ka. isipin mo wala kang kasama, ulitin mo.

3rd take

Lorna: My research…

Aldrin: Ma, sigurado ka bang tama ang pronunciation mo sa "Diaspora"? Pano mo nalaman na ganoon?

Lorna: Tingnan mo " Dia-spora" para ding "Dia-l" ( just a wild guess)

Aldrin: ok, magpractice ka pa ma, di pa ok.

4th take

Lorna: My resrarch….

Aldrin: Ma, kinakabahan ka pa rin…ulitin mo

Lorna: Aldrin naman, mahigpit ka pa sa teacher kong doctor, ipasama mo na ako ng makatulog na tayo…alas onse na. Shutdown ko na nga ito…(in a hurry to shutdown baka may ipabago pa)

And he satred at me.

How time flies, I guess the best career I have in my life is motherhood. It is the only career that will teach you to love unconditionally

Good Morning!!!

Akalain mo nirerelyeno pala ang gabi. My officemate cooked "relyenong gabi" and gave me some. How nice di ba? Thanks Nimpha, galing mong magluto…sarap…

Good Morning…