When terrorism hits home, even from thousands of miles away

Many of us have been shocked by the news of the terrorism and violence that is happening over in India right now. But, since most of us are thousands of miles away, the most we experience are the images on TV or the photos in the newspaper on online.

I was sitting here watching the TV news this evening and the newscasters were talking about the one Canadian who was killed in Mumbai. It was a doctor I used to work with many years ago, Dr. Michael Moss.

I can't describe the shock I felt. I wasn't close with him, he was a coworker who I came in contact with from time to time, so the feeling is truly of shock and disbelief. It turns out he was in the final week of a one month holiday.

Wow.

Who'd have thought it: hair beads can cause fractured skull

You see them everywhere. Little girls with their hair done up with pretty hair accessories, which include the hard plastic beads that come in many different colours and styles. But, surprisingly, those beads can actually cause harm to the skull if the girl falls and bangs her head - and the bead is hit.

It's absolutely not a common problem and not a cause for a "bead ban," but it is very interesting. This article, Hair Beads Spurring Head Trauma in Kids, explains that it is rare, but what makes it a bit scary is that the beads can't be seen when the girls' head is examined by a CT scan, which means it can be missed.

I guess the story here is if a girl (or boy!) presents to an emergency room after falling on the head, if the doctor sees hair beads, he or she should keep in mind that this type of injury is really possible.

Today at Help My Hurt:

Barbara Bush and the “worst pain she ever felt”

Report says this is disturbing - but is it?

Pain is in the eye of the beholder

Today at Seniors Support:

10 tips for when your parents move in

Want to travel this holiday season? Why not?

News for Today:

New Approaches Make Retinal Detachment Highly Treatable

Smoking may worsen rheumatoid arthritis in blacks

Scientists doubt utility of CT scan as heart test

Would you know if you were having a stroke?

It sounds like an easy question, but it's surprising how many people don't know the signs of a stroke.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic studied 400 patients who had had strokes and found that only 42% of them recognized that they were having one. That means more than half did NOT know.

According to a press release issued by the Mayo Clinic, here are the signs you should watch for:

Strokes can happen quickly or can occur over several hours, with the condition continually worsening. The thrombus or clot that is causing the stroke can frequently be dissolved or disintegrated so blood can again flow to the brain. In such cases, immediate treatment can mean the difference between a slight injury and a major disability.

Interestingly only 20.8 percent of the participants knew about such treatment. By use of stents, medications and other technology, physicians can stop a stroke from spreading and greatly limit damage. Stroke symptoms include:

* Sudden numbness, weakness, or paralysis of your face, arm or leg -- usually on one side of the body
* Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech (aphasia)
* Sudden blurred, double or decreased vision
* Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or loss of coordination
* A sudden, severe “bolt out of the blue” headache or an unusual headache, which may be accompanied by a stiff neck, facial pain, pain between your eyes, vomiting or altered consciousness
* Confusion or problems with memory, spatial orientation or perception

So, which category do you fall in?

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Don't forget!

Marijke: Nurse Turned Writer has been nominated as one of the best Canadian blogs. I'd love to see some movement in the voting though. In all fairness, I'm in competition with some pretty cool blogs so I'm not sure how it will go.

If you do like it enough to vote, please make your vote count here!

Would you vote for this blog?

Would you vote for this blog? I would love it if you did.

Marijke: Nurse Turned Writer has been nominated as one of the best Canadian blogs. I'd love to see some movement in the voting though. In all fairness, I'm in competition with some pretty cool blogs so I'm not sure how it will go.

If you do like it enough to vote, please make your vote count here!

Now it's the US's turn for Thanksgiving

We Canadians had our Thanksgiving last month and now it's our American neighbour's turn. It seems to be a much bigger deal in the US and it's quite the event getting families together for some family time and good food.

So, as you all get ready to enjoy the festivities, there are some health-related issues to keep in mind to help keep your celebrations safe and fun. They're a bit random, but all important:

If you have elderly visitors who have limited mobility and/or vision:

• Be sure that all tripping hazards are removed. This would mean


• moving scatter rugs


• fastening down carpet edges


• removing or taping down cords from walking paths


• remove objects from the stairs


• clearing up all spills to prevent slipping

For children:

• keep them away from the cooking area as much as possible


• keep candles, lighters and matches out of reach


• place purses that may contain medications well out of reach


• don't leave glasses with alcohol lying around, even if there's just a little bit left at the bottom


• if you have any dangerous areas like a pool or pond outside, be sure that someone is always aware of where the children are, even if the area is locked off

General tips:

• keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold


• ensure all candles and cigarettes are extinguished properly

Today at Help My Hurt:

Hope for people who have gout

Maybe it is all in your head - but in a very real way

Today at Womb Within:

Women in labor can control their own epidurals

Prenatal test says Down’s - would you believe it?

Today at Seniors Support:

Gift shopping for seniors with special needs

Don’t decrease your sleep as you age - your heart needs it

If your parents lived to be 100…

Information for seniors and about the elderly

A while ago, I proposed an idea for a site that would be full of interesting information and resources for a very important part of our society: Seniors and the elderly. The idea was shot down because they didn't feel that there would be a big enough audience for it.

That's not what I think.

I think that Seniors are becoming more computer-savvy and want to learn more about what's out there and what resources exist for them. They are adding their computers to their world to be able to communicate with families who have moved far away and to learn new things. I think it would be foolish to ignore such a large group of people.

Then, there are the elderly. I divide the two because, to me, the elderly are frailer and need some sort of care. People in this group are less likely to go on the Internet and, in fact, maybe some seniors are looking after an elderly relative. So, we also need a go-to site for people who are looking for ways to help their elderly loved ones.

The result is my new blog/site called Seniors Support. It's still in its infancy, but I know it will do well. There's a huge demand for something like this and I hope to fill it.

Please stop by Seniors Support to check it out. If you think it will be valuable, please send the link on to others who may be able to use the information.

Thank you!