MILLIONS of pounds set aside to fund vital drugs for Oxfordshire patients have not been spent.
The 200m Cancer Drugs Fund was introduced by the Government last year to give people who have been denied key drugs on the NHS a last chance to get treatment.
However, just over a year after it was announced, the Oxford Mail can reveal less than a fifth of the money for vital life-extending drugs for dying patients in our area has been spent.
Just 1.6m of 9.3m has been spent by the NHS South Central Strategic Health Authority, which covers Oxfordshire, although the majority of applications have been funded.
Prime Minister David Cameron announced the fund while visiting cancer campaigner Clive Stone, from Eynsham.
At the time Mr Stone, who set up the campaign group Justice for Kidney Patients to pressurise officials to approve funding for more anti-kidney cancer medicines, said it was the ‘right thing to do’.
But Mr Stone said: “This is an appalling state of affairs and it is high time that we insisted on full accountability from our many highly-paid NHS administrators.”
The fund was introduced as a way of combating the so-called ‘postcode lottery’ which sees some Primary Care Trusts turn down applications for life-extending drugs because of regional funding restrictions.
Applications are made by a consultant specialist, who recommends a drug on behalf of the patient.
But a recent survey by Macmillan Cancer Support showed some doctors are unaware the fund exists. Patients reported that they found out about the money after doing their own research on the internet.
Last night an NHS South Central spokesman said: “It is important to remember that alongside the fund, cancer drugs for thousands of local patients are funded through the usual commissioning channels.
“Since April 2011 until the end of November 2011, the South Central fund has received 493 applications of which 416 have been approved, 26 have been declined and the remaining have been withdrawn or are pending a decision.
“Applications are considered by a clinical panel.”
If the money is not used this financial year, the SHA said it ‘expects’ it will be carried forward, but there is no guarantee.
Mr Stone added: “What possible reason could there be for declining applications when the funds are readily available?
2011年12月29日星期四
2011年12月28日星期三
‘Losing my donor has saved my life’
LINDA Joel hit rock bottom earlier this year when her husband Gary left her and took with him the kidney needed to keep her alive.
But the Abingdon mother of five now says losing her donor has saved her life.
The diabetic, 58, realised without the chance of an organ donation she had to lose weight and survive.
And after a gastric bypass operation to shrink her stomach in April, she is now looking forward to a brighter new year after shedding more than a third of her body weight.
She said: “I hit rock bottom and I did get really ill. But there was no turning back for me, it was either lose the weight and get healthy or die within a year.”
Mrs Joel, of Tower Close, has only one working kidney and suffers from heart problems.
The Oxford Mail reported in December 2009 how Mr Joel had pledged to donate the vital organ to his wife, and we reported again in March that the couple had split.
The couple had been together for nine years and were married in Abingdon in 2006.
Mrs Joel had the bypass operation at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford in April and has lost more than eight stone – going from 22 to about 13 stone.
She had to have daily injections for a month afterwards and could not eat solid food for 10 weeks.
She said: “It was really scary. The 10 weeks after I had the operation I just felt like digging a hole and disappearing.”
She is now following a strict diet and is banned from eating unhealthy food. Every day she will typically eat two spoonfuls of cereal for breakfast, a quarter of a tin of soup for lunch, and then a small plateful of food for dinner.
Mr Joel was in the same blood group as his wife, which meant the chance his kidney would be compatible was 70 per cent.
After the split he wrote her a note which read: “Linda, you and I have not been okay for a long time. I have felt the walls closing on me.
“I wish you and your family all the luck in the world but I’m not coming back.”
Last night, she said although she was heartbroken at the time, she was now glad to have broken up with Mr Joel, adding: “I haven’t seen or heard from him from that day.”
Mrs Joel used to be too embarrassed about her weight to exercise but now regularly goes walking and swimming.
The grandmother of 15 still needs a kidney and is on the NHS organ donor register.
But she said losing the weight had given her a lot more time before the situation became critical.
She added: “They told me if I had not lost the weight I would have been dead within six months.”
Mrs Joel, who is still single, said: “I am going to be living the rest of my life healthy and fit and I am going to be a fighter.
“Now I am looking for Mr Right.”
Her daughter Hayley Smith, 35, said the family had not expected her mum to live until Christmas.
She said: “Getting rid of him was the best thing that could have happened to her. You look at her now and she looks like a completely different person.
“We are all so proud of her.”
But the Abingdon mother of five now says losing her donor has saved her life.
The diabetic, 58, realised without the chance of an organ donation she had to lose weight and survive.
And after a gastric bypass operation to shrink her stomach in April, she is now looking forward to a brighter new year after shedding more than a third of her body weight.
She said: “I hit rock bottom and I did get really ill. But there was no turning back for me, it was either lose the weight and get healthy or die within a year.”
Mrs Joel, of Tower Close, has only one working kidney and suffers from heart problems.
The Oxford Mail reported in December 2009 how Mr Joel had pledged to donate the vital organ to his wife, and we reported again in March that the couple had split.
The couple had been together for nine years and were married in Abingdon in 2006.
Mrs Joel had the bypass operation at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford in April and has lost more than eight stone – going from 22 to about 13 stone.
She had to have daily injections for a month afterwards and could not eat solid food for 10 weeks.
She said: “It was really scary. The 10 weeks after I had the operation I just felt like digging a hole and disappearing.”
She is now following a strict diet and is banned from eating unhealthy food. Every day she will typically eat two spoonfuls of cereal for breakfast, a quarter of a tin of soup for lunch, and then a small plateful of food for dinner.
Mr Joel was in the same blood group as his wife, which meant the chance his kidney would be compatible was 70 per cent.
After the split he wrote her a note which read: “Linda, you and I have not been okay for a long time. I have felt the walls closing on me.
“I wish you and your family all the luck in the world but I’m not coming back.”
Last night, she said although she was heartbroken at the time, she was now glad to have broken up with Mr Joel, adding: “I haven’t seen or heard from him from that day.”
Mrs Joel used to be too embarrassed about her weight to exercise but now regularly goes walking and swimming.
The grandmother of 15 still needs a kidney and is on the NHS organ donor register.
But she said losing the weight had given her a lot more time before the situation became critical.
She added: “They told me if I had not lost the weight I would have been dead within six months.”
Mrs Joel, who is still single, said: “I am going to be living the rest of my life healthy and fit and I am going to be a fighter.
“Now I am looking for Mr Right.”
Her daughter Hayley Smith, 35, said the family had not expected her mum to live until Christmas.
She said: “Getting rid of him was the best thing that could have happened to her. You look at her now and she looks like a completely different person.
“We are all so proud of her.”
2011年12月26日星期一
Richmond woman gives kidney to ailing former boss
This year, Susan Preston gave Bruce Dodds a Christmas gift that is changing his life.
Preston donated a kidney to Dodds.
"Her gift means a normal life again," Dodds said.
The living donor kidney transplant surgery took place Dec. 7 at IU Health University Hospital in Indianapolis. Dodds and Preston, both Richmond residents, are well on the mend.
For the first time in three years, food tastes good again to Dodds. His fluid intake is no longer restricted and he is free from dialysis.
"It's pretty amazing for someone not related to our family to make that gift," said Dodds' daughter, Lara Dodds.
Preston's husband, Roger Preston, and her daughters, Jessica McMorrow and Elise Chadwick, were not surprised by Preston's generosity.
"Susan is a make-a-difference kind of person," Roger Preston said.
"I would say my mom was unswerving in her decision (to donate) from Day One," McMorrow said.
Preston feels the Christmas season is the perfect time to celebrate Dodds' renewed life.
"The greatest gift given to us was Jesus," she said. "It almost seemed minuscule (in comparison) to give a kidney. It just seemed so right."
Preston and Dodds became acquainted eight years ago when he became her boss at Earlham College, where she is an administrative assistant. They each have three children and became grandparents at about the same time.
They worked together for five years before Dodds was blindsided by kidney failure from polycystic kidney disease, a genetic disorder causing cysts. It is the most common life-threatening genetic disease, one that often lies dormant for years.
Dodds had been treated for cancer not long before the kidney failure and believes that was his trigger.
His life changed immediately.
The kidneys control about 80 to 85 percent of the body's operating systems, Dodds said. He couldn't work and had to have dialysis three days a week.
"It (dialysis) takes over your life," Dodds said.
Most people, he said, understand that dialysis cleanses the blood because the kidneys can no longer handle that function. What they don't realize, he said, is that dialysis also removes the excess fluid from the body because without working kidneys, urination is not possible.
Each dialysis treatment, Dodds said, is as hard on the body as running a marathon and that body is operating at just 30 percent of its normal energy level.
Roger Preston, who works at Reid Hospital, said there is a misconception that a person can handle dialysis indefinitely.
"It's a Band-Aid on a gaping wound," he said.
"We had no idea it was such a physical hardship," Susan Preston said.
The past three years have been an emotional roller coaster for Dodds and his family. Initially, Dodds' wife, Marilyn, was deemed a match as his kidney donor. But when doctors discovered she had kidney stones, she became ineligible. Dodds said his wife literally cried for two weeks.
Other family members sought to be a match, but they were discovered to have the genetic predisposition to polycystic kidney disease. Dodds was listed as a transplant candidate on state and national databases. He had one near match.
"It's been three years of trying circumstances," Lara Dodds said. "(My father) has gotten through it with great courage and great strength."
Preston donated a kidney to Dodds.
"Her gift means a normal life again," Dodds said.
The living donor kidney transplant surgery took place Dec. 7 at IU Health University Hospital in Indianapolis. Dodds and Preston, both Richmond residents, are well on the mend.
For the first time in three years, food tastes good again to Dodds. His fluid intake is no longer restricted and he is free from dialysis.
"It's pretty amazing for someone not related to our family to make that gift," said Dodds' daughter, Lara Dodds.
Preston's husband, Roger Preston, and her daughters, Jessica McMorrow and Elise Chadwick, were not surprised by Preston's generosity.
"Susan is a make-a-difference kind of person," Roger Preston said.
"I would say my mom was unswerving in her decision (to donate) from Day One," McMorrow said.
Preston feels the Christmas season is the perfect time to celebrate Dodds' renewed life.
"The greatest gift given to us was Jesus," she said. "It almost seemed minuscule (in comparison) to give a kidney. It just seemed so right."
Preston and Dodds became acquainted eight years ago when he became her boss at Earlham College, where she is an administrative assistant. They each have three children and became grandparents at about the same time.
They worked together for five years before Dodds was blindsided by kidney failure from polycystic kidney disease, a genetic disorder causing cysts. It is the most common life-threatening genetic disease, one that often lies dormant for years.
Dodds had been treated for cancer not long before the kidney failure and believes that was his trigger.
His life changed immediately.
The kidneys control about 80 to 85 percent of the body's operating systems, Dodds said. He couldn't work and had to have dialysis three days a week.
"It (dialysis) takes over your life," Dodds said.
Most people, he said, understand that dialysis cleanses the blood because the kidneys can no longer handle that function. What they don't realize, he said, is that dialysis also removes the excess fluid from the body because without working kidneys, urination is not possible.
Each dialysis treatment, Dodds said, is as hard on the body as running a marathon and that body is operating at just 30 percent of its normal energy level.
Roger Preston, who works at Reid Hospital, said there is a misconception that a person can handle dialysis indefinitely.
"It's a Band-Aid on a gaping wound," he said.
"We had no idea it was such a physical hardship," Susan Preston said.
The past three years have been an emotional roller coaster for Dodds and his family. Initially, Dodds' wife, Marilyn, was deemed a match as his kidney donor. But when doctors discovered she had kidney stones, she became ineligible. Dodds said his wife literally cried for two weeks.
Other family members sought to be a match, but they were discovered to have the genetic predisposition to polycystic kidney disease. Dodds was listed as a transplant candidate on state and national databases. He had one near match.
"It's been three years of trying circumstances," Lara Dodds said. "(My father) has gotten through it with great courage and great strength."
2011年12月13日星期二
A desert battle with salt
Drinking water has become an altogether less pleasurable experience for me of late. Gone are the days of gleefully gulping down glass after refreshing glass. Instead, I now find myself scrutinising the sides of bottles and paying over-inflated prices for fancy French and Norwegian brands in restaurants. I have a good friend to thank for this about-turn in my behaviour, for recently developing kidney stones, which the doctor said was due to my friend's excessive sodium intake.
So debilitating, so painful was the experience for my pal that I decided to do some research of my own to ensure I do not fall prey to the same symptoms. I almost wish I hadn't, for I discovered that when it comes to the formation of calcium stones, salt in all its guises is to blame and not merely the table variety we've all come to know and love.
Indeed, bottled water seemed to be a chief culprit, with some brands containing up to 16mg of sodium in just one litre. Compare that with high-end European brands of water with levels in the low single digits and you realise why the price is three times as high.
In my quest for healthy kidneys, that lifestyle change was the hardest and costliest one for me to make. The easiest, however, was cutting back my salt intake in food. I have always had a natural aversion to salt - be it in the form of cured and smoked foods or even a sprinkling on a portion of French fries. It is without doubt the worst taste in the world for me and the thought of one day mistaking salt granules for sugar brings me out in a cold sweat. This dislike has of course led to some embarrassing moments, namely at a recent dinner party where one bold guest asked me whether I had used any seasoning in the cooking process at all.
Admittedly, I am unlikely to come to a sticky end with sodium-induced high blood pressure or calcium deposits in my major organs. If anything, it's more probable I'll be deficient and need to up my intake of the natural mineral.
Either way, and despite my best efforts to avoid it, I feel sure that salt will somehow have the last laugh. For it stands to reason I must be consuming considerable amounts of it in everything from sauces and dressings to soups and cheeses.
Well, so be it. Life is too short to cut out the things you love and I certainly won't be researching the potential harmful side effects of excessive gorging on dark chocolate any time soon.
So debilitating, so painful was the experience for my pal that I decided to do some research of my own to ensure I do not fall prey to the same symptoms. I almost wish I hadn't, for I discovered that when it comes to the formation of calcium stones, salt in all its guises is to blame and not merely the table variety we've all come to know and love.
Indeed, bottled water seemed to be a chief culprit, with some brands containing up to 16mg of sodium in just one litre. Compare that with high-end European brands of water with levels in the low single digits and you realise why the price is three times as high.
In my quest for healthy kidneys, that lifestyle change was the hardest and costliest one for me to make. The easiest, however, was cutting back my salt intake in food. I have always had a natural aversion to salt - be it in the form of cured and smoked foods or even a sprinkling on a portion of French fries. It is without doubt the worst taste in the world for me and the thought of one day mistaking salt granules for sugar brings me out in a cold sweat. This dislike has of course led to some embarrassing moments, namely at a recent dinner party where one bold guest asked me whether I had used any seasoning in the cooking process at all.
Admittedly, I am unlikely to come to a sticky end with sodium-induced high blood pressure or calcium deposits in my major organs. If anything, it's more probable I'll be deficient and need to up my intake of the natural mineral.
Either way, and despite my best efforts to avoid it, I feel sure that salt will somehow have the last laugh. For it stands to reason I must be consuming considerable amounts of it in everything from sauces and dressings to soups and cheeses.
Well, so be it. Life is too short to cut out the things you love and I certainly won't be researching the potential harmful side effects of excessive gorging on dark chocolate any time soon.
2011年11月22日星期二
Rugby Legend Lomu Becomes Ambassador of UNICEF
One more name has now been added to the brand ambassador list of children's charity UNICEF, New Zealand and the name is none other than Rugby legend Jonah Lomu.
Lomu is called the first true global superstar of rugby union and now, he has been appointed as brand ambassador of UNICEF, NZ. Some other popular names which are gems of the organization include Hayley Westenra, Mike McRoberts, Novak Djokovic and Fernando Alonso.
The 36-year-old is quite happy to have the position and he affirmed: "My kids mean the world to me and I'm doing everything I can to give them the best start in life, but there are so many children around the world who are disadvantaged from the time they are born".
He wanted to help children and holds the opinion that there could have been any other best way to support children. Lomu is on dialysis as his kidney transplantation operation failed. This position has given him needed strength to overcome illness as now; it is not only about him but it's about numerous needy children as well.
Quite ecstatic about being brand ambassador, Lomu is in hospital and is recovering from his illness as two weeks ago, his body refused to accept donated kidneys. But, this is not something which would act as hurdle to stop him from working for the charity.
He knows this battle would continue but there is something more important which requires his concentration and time. Earlier, he was not even able to go washroom but now when he knows he has added responsibilities on his shoulders, he has been making continuous efforts. This has led him to walk of his own and he could now also go to washroom of his own.
From giving free polio vaccines to Christmas gifts, Lomu is leaving no stone unturned to make his involvement larger than life in UNICEF.
Lomu is called the first true global superstar of rugby union and now, he has been appointed as brand ambassador of UNICEF, NZ. Some other popular names which are gems of the organization include Hayley Westenra, Mike McRoberts, Novak Djokovic and Fernando Alonso.
The 36-year-old is quite happy to have the position and he affirmed: "My kids mean the world to me and I'm doing everything I can to give them the best start in life, but there are so many children around the world who are disadvantaged from the time they are born".
He wanted to help children and holds the opinion that there could have been any other best way to support children. Lomu is on dialysis as his kidney transplantation operation failed. This position has given him needed strength to overcome illness as now; it is not only about him but it's about numerous needy children as well.
Quite ecstatic about being brand ambassador, Lomu is in hospital and is recovering from his illness as two weeks ago, his body refused to accept donated kidneys. But, this is not something which would act as hurdle to stop him from working for the charity.
He knows this battle would continue but there is something more important which requires his concentration and time. Earlier, he was not even able to go washroom but now when he knows he has added responsibilities on his shoulders, he has been making continuous efforts. This has led him to walk of his own and he could now also go to washroom of his own.
From giving free polio vaccines to Christmas gifts, Lomu is leaving no stone unturned to make his involvement larger than life in UNICEF.
2011年11月16日星期三
Wired for gold
Unlicensed e-waste recyclers in Beijing and migrant workers in Guangdong province's Guiyu town extract gold, silver and other valuable metals from discarded electronic appliances, a business that operates illegally and has significant health risks - but also generates huge profits. Cheng Anqi and Erik Nilsson go undercover to find out more.
Huang Yan coughs as she deposits a large circuit board in a coal stove. Wisps of toxic smoke curl off the board as it softens, blisters then dribbles. Huang describes her health problems as she melts e-waste - discarded electronics like computers and mobile phones - with 12 other migrant workers in an illegal 20-square-meter family-run workshop in Guangdong province's Guiyu town. "Sometimes," the 32-year-old says, "I cough up blood." Huang tries to elaborate but instead wheezes and smiles mournfully.
She earns 30 yuan ($4.73) a day for nine hours spent extracting small but valuable amounts of gold, silver, copper and other substances from used circuit boards.
The woman believes her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney stones are caused by the soot and poisons, including sulfur dioxide, that billow out while she fires circuit boards to melt the metals into extractable goop.
Black market e-waste processing is the economic pillar of Guiyu town in Shantou city. The industry employed more than 80 percent of residents three years ago.
But the global economic downturn has exerted gravity on copper prices since 2008, reducing e-waste recycling's profitability and, in turn, the pollution it expels.
However, people like Huang, who moved from Hunan province to Guiyu's Beilin village to find work 19 years ago, remain sick.
"I was told this was a place where jobs were available, and people without higher education could make money," says Huang, who is raising a family of four.
But her health deteriorated as her finances improved.
She started feeling intense back pains and stomachaches that turned out to be kidney stones.
The Yaohui Hospital in Shantou city warned her family against drinking the water when every member developed kidney stones.
The toxic byproducts of e-waste recycling are dumped into the town's waterways, poisoning the groundwater and wells, Shantou University Medical College cytological analysis professor Huo Xia says. Kidney stones are among the ailments they cause. Greenpeace East Asia reports about 30 percent of migrant workers in Guiyu had them in 2009.
Most residents are migrants lured by the e-waste processing opportunities, while many families with local hukou (residency permits) have made fortunes from e-waste and relocated outside because of the pollution. They employ the migrants to run their businesses in their absences.
Huang says her family buys drinking water from the neighboring areas for 2 or 3 yuan (31-47 US cents) per 3 liters.
"But we must use polluted water for washing vegetables and dishes," she says.
People like Huang say they don't want their children to go through what they have.
The 31-year-old Zheng Shouren, from Jiangxi province, has suffered from chronic bronchitis for two of the five years he has worked as a plastic cutter in an e-waste storehouse.
"I cough a lot every day, and there is a lot of phlegm," he yells, above the screech of a saw that throws up rooster tails of acrid smoke.
"Our boss only drives into town on weekends to check on the business and won't stay long."
Chen Demin quit working as a plastic cutter to escape the toxic haze two years ago to wash the cut fragments.
The 28-year-old extends cracked hands for examination. One peeling fingertip bleeds.
He washes the shards in a solution of lime powder or saltwater to separate different toxic yet valuable substances.
"It's too sad to even look at my hands and too painful to straighten them," Chen says.
"I often wear gloves packed with lotion to keep them from hurting. It's like a toothache in my fingers and palms."
Chen and other Guiyu workers are still laboring despite the drop in market prices for the precious metals they extract.
"The recession will pass," Chen says.
"And business will get better when the price picks up. It's just a matter of time."
Huang Yan coughs as she deposits a large circuit board in a coal stove. Wisps of toxic smoke curl off the board as it softens, blisters then dribbles. Huang describes her health problems as she melts e-waste - discarded electronics like computers and mobile phones - with 12 other migrant workers in an illegal 20-square-meter family-run workshop in Guangdong province's Guiyu town. "Sometimes," the 32-year-old says, "I cough up blood." Huang tries to elaborate but instead wheezes and smiles mournfully.
She earns 30 yuan ($4.73) a day for nine hours spent extracting small but valuable amounts of gold, silver, copper and other substances from used circuit boards.
The woman believes her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney stones are caused by the soot and poisons, including sulfur dioxide, that billow out while she fires circuit boards to melt the metals into extractable goop.
Black market e-waste processing is the economic pillar of Guiyu town in Shantou city. The industry employed more than 80 percent of residents three years ago.
But the global economic downturn has exerted gravity on copper prices since 2008, reducing e-waste recycling's profitability and, in turn, the pollution it expels.
However, people like Huang, who moved from Hunan province to Guiyu's Beilin village to find work 19 years ago, remain sick.
"I was told this was a place where jobs were available, and people without higher education could make money," says Huang, who is raising a family of four.
But her health deteriorated as her finances improved.
She started feeling intense back pains and stomachaches that turned out to be kidney stones.
The Yaohui Hospital in Shantou city warned her family against drinking the water when every member developed kidney stones.
The toxic byproducts of e-waste recycling are dumped into the town's waterways, poisoning the groundwater and wells, Shantou University Medical College cytological analysis professor Huo Xia says. Kidney stones are among the ailments they cause. Greenpeace East Asia reports about 30 percent of migrant workers in Guiyu had them in 2009.
Most residents are migrants lured by the e-waste processing opportunities, while many families with local hukou (residency permits) have made fortunes from e-waste and relocated outside because of the pollution. They employ the migrants to run their businesses in their absences.
Huang says her family buys drinking water from the neighboring areas for 2 or 3 yuan (31-47 US cents) per 3 liters.
"But we must use polluted water for washing vegetables and dishes," she says.
People like Huang say they don't want their children to go through what they have.
The 31-year-old Zheng Shouren, from Jiangxi province, has suffered from chronic bronchitis for two of the five years he has worked as a plastic cutter in an e-waste storehouse.
"I cough a lot every day, and there is a lot of phlegm," he yells, above the screech of a saw that throws up rooster tails of acrid smoke.
"Our boss only drives into town on weekends to check on the business and won't stay long."
Chen Demin quit working as a plastic cutter to escape the toxic haze two years ago to wash the cut fragments.
The 28-year-old extends cracked hands for examination. One peeling fingertip bleeds.
He washes the shards in a solution of lime powder or saltwater to separate different toxic yet valuable substances.
"It's too sad to even look at my hands and too painful to straighten them," Chen says.
"I often wear gloves packed with lotion to keep them from hurting. It's like a toothache in my fingers and palms."
Chen and other Guiyu workers are still laboring despite the drop in market prices for the precious metals they extract.
"The recession will pass," Chen says.
"And business will get better when the price picks up. It's just a matter of time."
2011年10月17日星期一
Your paper probably saved my life
By avidly reading the Grimsby Lincoln News an Orange County man not only has his life but a killer idea for a Halloween costume.
Jim Gauderman has been reading The News for the past five years after he became acquainted with someone from the area. Wanting to learn more about the area, he started subscribing to the paper and has been an avid reader ever since. After becoming ill after a hospital stay to treat a kidney stone, Gauderman was unable to grab the paper, which was piling up in his P.O. box. Having learned about Gauderman’s plight, a friend from Smithville (who Gauderman wanted to remain anonymous) sent him a story from The News on the outbreak of Clostridium difficile at some of Niagara’s hospitals.
Gauderman received the e-mail while in his doctor’s office. He showed his doctor, demanded a stool sample be taken and awaited a diagnosis. Fifteen hours later, Gauderman was diagnosed with C. difficile.
“Your paper probably saved my life,” said Gauderman from California. “That article described exactly what I was experiencing — abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever. The bottom line is, if I hadn’t gotten that e-mail, and I had already lost 20 pounds by then, I was on my way out, I absolutely was. And to the person who sent it to me, by sending that they probably saved my life.”
C. difficile is a bacterium that causes diarrhea and other serious intestinal conditions. It is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitalized patients in the industrialized world.
Gauderman first went to hospital July 26 to pass a kidney stone. He was there for four days and at some point came down with an infection. His time at home was spent dealing with extreme stomach pain, aches and diarrhea. Four days after he left hospital he was right back there, diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. Doctors began pumping him full of antibiotics. The diarrhea was getting worse, up to 15 times a day, and he was getting weaker. The normally active 70-year-old Gauderman was rapidly losing weight.
Doctors tested him for diverticulitis, appendicitis and colon cancer all the while pumping his body with antibiotics. Finally, on Aug. 11, Gauderman was tested for C. difficile and the diagnosis came. An infectious disease doctor was called in and he ordered Gauderman taken off antibiotics immediately.
“They just kept giving me antibiotics, which is like throwing gasoline on a raging fire,” he said. “It’s the worse possible thing. I saw the infectious disease doctor yesterday and he told me from now on I can’t take any antibiotics without first talking to an infectious disease specialist or I will have this again.”
He was then given medication to treat the bacterial infection and after three days, things finally began to improve. He stayed on the medication for 10 days and all was well, for two weeks.
Then the symptoms started to return. He was on medication for another 10 days, only to have C. difficile return for a third time. Gauderman is now taking a double-dose of the medication, which costs $62.50 a pill which is luckily covered by insurance, for 14 days.
“It’s really bad when you have to get diagnosed from a newspaper article 3,000 miles away,” said Gauderman. “But the bottom line is, it’s what made the difference and thanks to you guys, I’m still alive.”
Gauderman also credits the newspaper with his Halloween costume for this year. He plans to dress up in Night of the Living Dead style with a T-shirt reading “Got C. diff?” and “The Diffinator” on the back.
“That story, and the person who sent it to me through your paper, probably saved my life,” he said. “And you know how serious it is, you’ve had death there.”
The Niagara Health System declared an outbreak of Clostridium difficile in May at its St. Catharines General site and in June at Greater Niagara General Hospital in Niagara Falls and its Welland Hospital site. In total, 36 people have died.
Jim Gauderman has been reading The News for the past five years after he became acquainted with someone from the area. Wanting to learn more about the area, he started subscribing to the paper and has been an avid reader ever since. After becoming ill after a hospital stay to treat a kidney stone, Gauderman was unable to grab the paper, which was piling up in his P.O. box. Having learned about Gauderman’s plight, a friend from Smithville (who Gauderman wanted to remain anonymous) sent him a story from The News on the outbreak of Clostridium difficile at some of Niagara’s hospitals.
Gauderman received the e-mail while in his doctor’s office. He showed his doctor, demanded a stool sample be taken and awaited a diagnosis. Fifteen hours later, Gauderman was diagnosed with C. difficile.
“Your paper probably saved my life,” said Gauderman from California. “That article described exactly what I was experiencing — abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever. The bottom line is, if I hadn’t gotten that e-mail, and I had already lost 20 pounds by then, I was on my way out, I absolutely was. And to the person who sent it to me, by sending that they probably saved my life.”
C. difficile is a bacterium that causes diarrhea and other serious intestinal conditions. It is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitalized patients in the industrialized world.
Gauderman first went to hospital July 26 to pass a kidney stone. He was there for four days and at some point came down with an infection. His time at home was spent dealing with extreme stomach pain, aches and diarrhea. Four days after he left hospital he was right back there, diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. Doctors began pumping him full of antibiotics. The diarrhea was getting worse, up to 15 times a day, and he was getting weaker. The normally active 70-year-old Gauderman was rapidly losing weight.
Doctors tested him for diverticulitis, appendicitis and colon cancer all the while pumping his body with antibiotics. Finally, on Aug. 11, Gauderman was tested for C. difficile and the diagnosis came. An infectious disease doctor was called in and he ordered Gauderman taken off antibiotics immediately.
“They just kept giving me antibiotics, which is like throwing gasoline on a raging fire,” he said. “It’s the worse possible thing. I saw the infectious disease doctor yesterday and he told me from now on I can’t take any antibiotics without first talking to an infectious disease specialist or I will have this again.”
He was then given medication to treat the bacterial infection and after three days, things finally began to improve. He stayed on the medication for 10 days and all was well, for two weeks.
Then the symptoms started to return. He was on medication for another 10 days, only to have C. difficile return for a third time. Gauderman is now taking a double-dose of the medication, which costs $62.50 a pill which is luckily covered by insurance, for 14 days.
“It’s really bad when you have to get diagnosed from a newspaper article 3,000 miles away,” said Gauderman. “But the bottom line is, it’s what made the difference and thanks to you guys, I’m still alive.”
Gauderman also credits the newspaper with his Halloween costume for this year. He plans to dress up in Night of the Living Dead style with a T-shirt reading “Got C. diff?” and “The Diffinator” on the back.
“That story, and the person who sent it to me through your paper, probably saved my life,” he said. “And you know how serious it is, you’ve had death there.”
The Niagara Health System declared an outbreak of Clostridium difficile in May at its St. Catharines General site and in June at Greater Niagara General Hospital in Niagara Falls and its Welland Hospital site. In total, 36 people have died.
2011年6月14日星期二
O'Day throws, Harrison better
Darren O'Day climbed on the Yankee Stadium mound and threw to several Rangers' hitters, taking an important step in his recovery.
Manager Ron Washington watched O'Day carefully and said the submariner was "rusty."
"We'll continue to get him out there like we did today," Washington said. "He threw some good pitches, but there was inconsistency. It was nice to see him on the mound."
O'Day said it felt good to throw to hitters and that he feels like his target date of late June (June 26) is still very realistic. He'll throw another bullpen in two days. O'Day said ran harder as well on Tuesday.
"My command was a little off, but that's to be expected," O'Day said. "Overall it was a positive day."
Other notes:
* Maybe LHP Matt Harrison's luck is changing for the better. He anticipates to make his next start as scheduled. Harrison's blister has hardened and is not an issue. And he passed his kidney stone on Monday afternoon. He had the kidney stone in his locker (in a pill bottle) and plans to take it in for testing so maybe he can find out how the stone formed and if there's anything he can do to prevent them in the future.
As for his bruised left triceps, he had it wrapped and has treated it with ice the last few days. He will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday after playing catch on Tuesday.
* Elvis Andrus reiterated that he got the message that Washington was sending by pulling him on Sunday. Andrus knows his focus must be better (more on that on the blog tomorrow). Andrus is in the lineup and batting second.
* Craig Gentry is in tonight's game against lefty CC Sabathia. Washington said he likes the way Gentry is playing and plans to have the right-handed hitter in the lineup against lefties. That's despite Gentry hitting just .148 against lefties this season (4-for-27).
Manager Ron Washington watched O'Day carefully and said the submariner was "rusty."
"We'll continue to get him out there like we did today," Washington said. "He threw some good pitches, but there was inconsistency. It was nice to see him on the mound."
O'Day said it felt good to throw to hitters and that he feels like his target date of late June (June 26) is still very realistic. He'll throw another bullpen in two days. O'Day said ran harder as well on Tuesday.
"My command was a little off, but that's to be expected," O'Day said. "Overall it was a positive day."
Other notes:
* Maybe LHP Matt Harrison's luck is changing for the better. He anticipates to make his next start as scheduled. Harrison's blister has hardened and is not an issue. And he passed his kidney stone on Monday afternoon. He had the kidney stone in his locker (in a pill bottle) and plans to take it in for testing so maybe he can find out how the stone formed and if there's anything he can do to prevent them in the future.
As for his bruised left triceps, he had it wrapped and has treated it with ice the last few days. He will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday after playing catch on Tuesday.
* Elvis Andrus reiterated that he got the message that Washington was sending by pulling him on Sunday. Andrus knows his focus must be better (more on that on the blog tomorrow). Andrus is in the lineup and batting second.
* Craig Gentry is in tonight's game against lefty CC Sabathia. Washington said he likes the way Gentry is playing and plans to have the right-handed hitter in the lineup against lefties. That's despite Gentry hitting just .148 against lefties this season (4-for-27).
2011年4月24日星期日
Alexis Bellino packs a punch in floral bikini with a game of beach volley ball
Alexis Bellino looked to be waving the flag for her home town of Orange County yesterday when she hit an LA beach looking discernibly ‘orange’ herself.
Fortunately, the O.C housewife’s impeccably toned figure overshadowed her generously tanned skin, which may otherwise have left fellow sunbathers averting their gaze.
Alexis left her beloved Orange County to take a 45 minute drive up the coast to Santa Monica with her husband, Jim, and it wasn’t long before she was shedding her designer clothes to reveal an enviably sculpted physique.
Good sport: Alexis Bellino shows off her tanned, toned body as she plays volley ball oGood sport: Real Housewives star Alexis Bellino shows off her tanned, toned body as she plays volley ball on the beach in Santa Monica, California
Good sport: Real Housewives star Alexis Bellino shows off her tanned and impeccably toned body as she plays volley ball on the beach in Santa Monica, LA
On form: Alexis looks sensational in her floral bikini as she goes after the ball
On form: Alexis looks sensational in her floral bikini as she goes after the ball
Dressed in a tiny two-piece floral bikini, the Real Housewives of Orange County star had made every effort to see that her body was thoroughly beach worthy before she left her home that morning.
Alexis has made no secret of her surgically enhanced assets, which include her ample DD breasts, and was not shy to show them off in her bikini as she ran for the ball yesterday.
The 33-year-old has often spoken of her love of botox and self-tanning, which she gets her husband, Jim, to apply for her. But it would seem she may have gone one shade too far this time.
Arm candy: Alexis holds husband Jim's hand as they take a stroll down the beach in Santa Monica
Arm candy: Alexis holds husband Jim's hand as they take a stroll down the beach
The reality TV star’s tangerine-toned complexion has left some critics believing she looked more like Tropical Barbie than a bronzed beach Goddess.
Fortunately, her husband Jim did not seem to mind, and neither did the male admirers who watched on as she ran about the beach chasing her beach ball.
Alexis should also probably be credited for her brave face and big grin as she had complained of abdominal pain just a few days earlier and had been informed by hospital doctors that she was passing a kidney stone.
On Wednesday she tweeted: ‘Woke up this a.m. sweating with pain, drove to ER, and had a kidney stone! What?! Can you believe that? Now it's a waiting game to pass it!’
Fortunately, the O.C housewife’s impeccably toned figure overshadowed her generously tanned skin, which may otherwise have left fellow sunbathers averting their gaze.
Alexis left her beloved Orange County to take a 45 minute drive up the coast to Santa Monica with her husband, Jim, and it wasn’t long before she was shedding her designer clothes to reveal an enviably sculpted physique.
Good sport: Alexis Bellino shows off her tanned, toned body as she plays volley ball oGood sport: Real Housewives star Alexis Bellino shows off her tanned, toned body as she plays volley ball on the beach in Santa Monica, California
Good sport: Real Housewives star Alexis Bellino shows off her tanned and impeccably toned body as she plays volley ball on the beach in Santa Monica, LA
On form: Alexis looks sensational in her floral bikini as she goes after the ball
On form: Alexis looks sensational in her floral bikini as she goes after the ball
Dressed in a tiny two-piece floral bikini, the Real Housewives of Orange County star had made every effort to see that her body was thoroughly beach worthy before she left her home that morning.
Alexis has made no secret of her surgically enhanced assets, which include her ample DD breasts, and was not shy to show them off in her bikini as she ran for the ball yesterday.
The 33-year-old has often spoken of her love of botox and self-tanning, which she gets her husband, Jim, to apply for her. But it would seem she may have gone one shade too far this time.
Arm candy: Alexis holds husband Jim's hand as they take a stroll down the beach in Santa Monica
Arm candy: Alexis holds husband Jim's hand as they take a stroll down the beach
The reality TV star’s tangerine-toned complexion has left some critics believing she looked more like Tropical Barbie than a bronzed beach Goddess.
Fortunately, her husband Jim did not seem to mind, and neither did the male admirers who watched on as she ran about the beach chasing her beach ball.
Alexis should also probably be credited for her brave face and big grin as she had complained of abdominal pain just a few days earlier and had been informed by hospital doctors that she was passing a kidney stone.
On Wednesday she tweeted: ‘Woke up this a.m. sweating with pain, drove to ER, and had a kidney stone! What?! Can you believe that? Now it's a waiting game to pass it!’
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