OrganizedWisdom Health Blog

World's Fittest Man Inspires People to Be More Active

These days Dean Karnazes, arguably the world's fittest man, is everywhere.  You may have seen him recently on The David Letterman Show or seen his book called: Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner.

As if his world-record-setting 350-consecutive-mile run last fall wasn't enough, the man who was once rated Sport's Illustrated Women's Sexiest Man Alive, is on a mission to inspire people to be more active which is the message of his just released paperback edition of his book.

"The first thing I would tell people is just find an activity you really enjoy," he says, while running during a recent interview with Knight Ridder Newspapers. "If it's not something you look forward to, something you have some passion about, you're not going to keep it up. If it's walking, just put a credit card in a fanny pack and head out. If you see a Starbucks and want a latte, grab a latte. Make an adventure of it. Talk to people along the way."

Dean Karnazes activity seems to be running.  He has run across Death Valley in 126-degree temperatures. He has run a marathon to the South Pole, where it was minus-40. Seven times he has run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing against teams of 12. (He beat some of them.) He has swum across San Francisco Bay, scaled Half Dome in Yosemite, surfed the gigantic waves off Hawaii, and is a regular and accomplished windsurfer. He's won what is considered the toughest 100-mile footrace in the world.

But Karnazes wants more than records. This 43-year-old father of two wants to inspire. He wants more ordinary men and women to get moving and stay active.

For more information on Dean Karnazes visit his Web site at: http://www.ultramarathonman.com

Wisdom of the Day from Shawn Phillips': Get Informed about Bird Flu

I had a great lunch this past weekend with my friend Shawn Phillips of EAS and Absolution fame. We got on to this very disturbing, yet eye opening, discussion about the Avian Flu. We discussed it's potential impact as well as different attitudes and preparations that different people are taking. The conclusion I reached at the end of the lunch was simple: get informed. There is plenty of information available about what bird flu is, how to prepare, what to ignore, etc. It's just a matter of reading it so you can make the best choice for you and your family.

Many are equating it to the "Year 2000" scare that never occurred, yet other's are saying there are ample warnings to prepare yourself - so why not? Either way, the question is, do you ignore it or do you prepare. The government has a site set up called "PandemicFlu.gov", which includes checklist's for individuals, businesses, schools and so forth to prepare and plan.

Shawn pointed out that now that he's a father, he's going to prepare by stocking up on food, etc. and then worse case scenario, he can have a big barbeque with all the left over food next year or the year after. Definitely got me thinking and searching around to find out more.

My eyes are opened so now we can make the best decision on what to do/not do to prepare. Post feedback and share your thoughts on the avian flu in the comments below.

Dana Reeve's Controversial PBS Documentary, "The New Medicine" Airs Tonight

One of America's most inspiring women, Dana Reeve died of lung cancer on March 6, 2005 just three months after completing her last project: a powerful 2 hour documentary called "The New Medicine" which can be seen on PBS beginning tonight. (Check your local PBS schedule for here for details. )

In her introduction segment of "The New Medicine," Reeve shares this inspiring wisdom as a message to viewers: "Your emotional state has a tremendous amount to do with sickness, health and well-being. For years, my husband and I lived on — and because of — hope. Hope continues to give me the mental strength to carry on."

Host Dana Reeve, who was diagnosed with lung cancer following the death of her husband, Christopher Reeve, THE NEW MEDICINE goes inside medical schools, health care clinics, research institutions and private practices to show physicians on the cutting edge of health care. By paying attention to a person's cultural values and lifestyle, stresses and supports, these doctors acknowledge the important role that patients can and should play in their own healing and health care.

Until recently, scientists viewed the connection between the mind and the body's response to disease with skepticism. Today, thanks to sophisticated new research, the complex biology of mind-body interaction is becoming clearer, and physicians are discovering how something as intangible as hope can help people heal and something as pervasive as stress can sabotage the body's ability to fight infection.

The show is not without its controversy.  From an "Action Alert" being distributed by the Natural Solutions Foundation and making its way around the Internet:

"Deep entanglements of media and business are evidenced in tonight's "The New Medicine" documentary, to air at 9 p.m. EST on PBS. While corporate sponsor Wyeth (NYSE:WYE) benefits through association with the values at the heart of this extraordinary production, behind the scenes the company is attempting to severely undermine natural health through an FDA Citizen's Petition to eliminate natural health options for women, specifically bioidentical hormones. The duplicity has been noted by physicians and women's groups around the nation who are actively organizing to derail this attempt to limit competition at the expense of women's health.

Visit  www.citizens.org and www.HealthFreedomUSA.org for more information and to quickly offer a comment on the subject ot the FDA. 

Charitable Wisdom from Diane Lane: Donate Your Hair

Actress Diane Lane is going to cut off her hair on NBC's Today Show to encourage women to donate their hair to cancer patients in need of wigs.

In order to make the most beautiful, realistic, durable wigs, donated hair must meet these requirements:

• Donated hair must be at least 8 inches long (measured from just above the elastic band of the ponytail to the ends).
• Hair must be unprocessed. It can't be permanently colored, bleached, relaxed, permed, or otherwise chemically treated.
• Hair may be colored with vegetable dyes, rinses and semi-permanent dyes and still be eligible.
• Hair cannot be gray.

Click here to receive your Hair Donation Kit

My niece Syndi is growing her hair out to do the same thing. What a noble and useful cause. It doesn't cost any money - you simply grow out your hair and then chop it off for a great cause for women battling cancer.

“The Katie Couric Effect: Don't be afraid of a Colonoscopy

Most people know by now that Katie Couric became an advocate for colorectal cancer screening after her husband, 42-year old lawyer Jay Monahan, died from the disease in 1998.

Katie has continued to push the importance of the colonoscopy in screening for colon cancer:

"once you hit 40, it's time to start a dialogue about colorectal cancer with your doctor to determine your risk and whether you should begin colonoscopy screening earlier than recommended."

Interestingly, there was a study published in the July 14, 2003 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine that investigated the impact of Couric’s colorectal cancer awareness campaign. Entitled "The Impact of a Celebrity Promotional Campaign on the Use of Colon Cancer Screening", the study concluded that "

"...celebrity involvement in health issues can have a significant effect, even if the celebrity does not suffer from the disease or condition they are publicizing.

An article on About.com describes the study where researchers reviewed the number of colonoscopies performed by 400 gastroenterologists in 22 states.

The number of tests during the 20 months previous to Couric’s televised colonoscopy was compared to the number of tests completed in the 9 months following. Researchers discovered that prior to the awareness campaign on the Today Show, gastroenterologists completed an average of 15 colonoscopies per month. After Couric’s televised test, the number rose to 18.1 per month. Other significant changes include an increase in the percentage of women (from 43.4% to 47.4%) and a decrease in the average age (60.8 years to 59.9 years) of persons undergoing colonoscopy. Researchers conclude that Couric had a significant effect on the public’s willingness to undergo preventive health care for colorectal cancer.

It was noted in the study, however, that while celebrities may have "the best of intentions", there is potential for harm if erroneous or unconfirmed information is passed along to the public.

Help others by posting feedback and sharing your health wisdom in the comments below.

 

Laura Bush's #1 Wisdom Tip To Help Women Prevent Heart Disease: Walk At Least 3 Times A Week

First Lady Laura Bush is on a mission to save America's women from their number-one killer: heart disease.

Working closely with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which is part of the NIH, the National Institutes of Health, the First Lady is educating woman on the best ways to prevent heart disease.

Her health wisdom: make an effort to walk a few times a week and get more exercise.

Laura Bush also advises women to go to your doctor; get your blood pressure taken; make sure you have a diabetes check; find out what your cholesterol is; and then try to have a heart-healthy diet.

"If you just start with the exercise part, once you just make yourself go for a walk a few days a week, you find out that you feel better, and then it's a little bit easier to have a little bit less food, or to pick lower calorie foods and better foods that are better for you. But I really think the exercise piece is the way to get a good start." says the First Lady.

To learn more about woman and heart disease and the Red Dress Project and The Heart Truth Campaign visit the official Web site here.

Breast Cancer Wisdom from Sheryl Crow: Get an Annual Exam & Mammogram

Her Breast Cancer was detected very early using Mammogram

Last month, 44-year old singer Sheryl Crow announced that she has breast cancer. She is only 44.  Sheryl Crow credits her yearly exam with detecting the cancer.  And, according to an interview in a local newspaper with Sheryl Crow's mom Bernice, "she had absolutely no symptoms at all. She went in for a mammogram and the doctors caught the cancer at its earliest stage."

She is doing great but there it is striking to me how many young singers and actresses have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Last year, singer, Kylie Minogue announced she has breast cancer at 36. When singer/actress Olivia Newton-John announced she had breast cancer, she was only 44.  Singer Carly Simon was diagnosed at 53. Melissa Etheridge announced it at 43. Singer Anastacia was diagnosed when she was 29. Actress Cynthia Nixon is not even 40 years old and had breast cancer several years ago.

Alarmingly, an article today on Yahoo News says that younger breast cancer patients more at risk. While the article say "young women under 45 years old diagnosed with early breast cancer have a higher risk of dying from the disease than older patients", they note that "younger women may also ignore a suspicious lump in their breast thinking it is harmless or that they are too young to have breast cancer."

The best form of detection is the annual exam and a mammogram.

Sadly, actress Wendie Jo Sperber, best known for her role on TV's Busom Buddies with Tom Hanks, died from breast cancer a few months ago at 47. Wikipedia has a very very long list of famous people with breast cancer.  While the list includes a lot of women under 50, the good news is that it's a very long list of survivors, likely because of early detection.

If you, your wife, sister or daughter is a woman over 40, make sure you go for that annual exam and mammogram.

Help others by posting feedback and sharing your health wisdom in the comments below.

Don and Deirdre Imus Share Why "Greening The Cleaning" Matters on Larry King Live

If you didn't see The Larry King Show two days ago on CNN, you missed an amazing show featuring a one-hour interview with Don Imus and his wife Deirdre Imus.

We found this show compelling for a few reasons:

First, Don and Deirdre Imus were there to promote their new non-profit line of "Green Friendly" cleaning products cleverly named: Greening the Cleaning.  The program was captivating and inspiring because you could feel Deirdre's passion to help others and educate the public about the health dangers potentially caused by the frequent use of cleaning products that use toxins and chemicals in their formula. 

Every time Larry King would try to change the subject, Deirdre would track the interview right back to the importance of people not using chemical-based cleaning products in their home and about her mission to make sure schools, hospitals and public facilities like airports start using health-safe cleaning products.

"All cleaning products are toxic. They commonly have carcinogens, neurotoxics, endocrine disrupters, hormone disrupters. There's a reason why all of us are sick and especially our children," Deirdre told Mr. King. "So I started with cleaning products and it went down to 2001 in hospitals, taking cleaning products, toxic cleaning products out and replacing them with nontoxic ones. So now we have the retail line since the institutional line has been so successful and we just launched it this past month. And we can't keep it in stock, it's unbelievable."

It is truly amazing to see people giving back and promoting the betterment of the public good by focusing on things that will impact public health in a positive way.  Deirdre was not on TV to make money, not there for fame, not there for herself.  She was there to educate the public about how important things in our daily lives can be to our health. 

The show hit an emotional note when Deirdre talked about the tragic and dramatic increase in cases of Autism in children when a caller asked this question: "My question is, Mr. Imus, will you continue to promote autism awareness? And I do believe there's a link between vaccines and autism."

Deirdre Imus replied: "Oooh, well, first of all Don's wearing a pin from Autism Speaks, which is Suzanne and Bob Wright's organization, to raise awareness and money to get to the bottom of autism. The Green in the Cleaning, all of these things with the environment, global warming, all of these, the planet is sick, our children are sick. I mean, the state of the health of our children is that one out of every 166 kids that are born in this country will develop autism." She continued, "Cancer's still the leading cause of death by disease with children. Asthma is still the leading cause of absenteeism in school with children. Obesity and diabetes is epidemic with children. This is the state of our health of our children. One out of six kids have a learning disability." And then she looked at the camera and said passionately, "What are you doing?"

Together we can share wisdom and create awareness for things in our environment that are causing problems.  Together we can find solutions and make a healthier place for us to live for all of us.  To find out more about Greening the Cleaning click here. To read the full transcript from CNN click here.

Celebrities with Cancer

Surfing the Web the other day we came across a list that stopped us in our tracks.

It's a listing over 150 well known celebrities and public figures who have been diagnosed with cancer. It's one long, saddening, and gut-wrenching list of names in black and white. The list was compiled by Mark Kantrowitz, a testicular cancer survivor.

Names we all know... Melissa Etheridge, Patti LaBelle, Suzanne Somers, Leonard Bernstein, John Wayne, Coretta Scott King, Bob Dole, John Kerry, Bob Marley, Bette Davis, Elizabeth Edwards, Gary Cooper, Ayn Rand, Rudolph Giuliani and on and on.  Many of those are survivors, others who have long ago passed on.

Mark's list hit us hard because it is just another reminder that cancer affects all of us.  Cancer does not respect fame and fortune.  Cancer is something that we must all work together to overcome and fight.  Because the sad truth is, the list we stumbled upon is just a symbolic reminder that there are millions of people who have been and will be impacted by this disease. 

By working together we can make progress and find a cure.  By sharing health wisdom, motivational stories, practical tips, and new information we can find solutions.  Join us in our mission to share and make health wisdom easily available to all.

Uterine Cancer Wisdom from Fran Drescher: Ask about a Trans-vaginal Ultrasound

Her Experience with Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer

Although Fran Drescher is best known as the actress from television's hit show "Nanny", I remember Fran from the movie Hollywood Knights in 1980, the first "R-rated" movie I ever saw (we had just had just had cable TV installed with HBO!). She has become a huge advocate for women's health issues and has the voice to make a difference.

Fran's Health Story

• Fran was living with symptoms of Uterine (also known as Endometrial) Cancer for more than two years, visiting more than eight doctors without a diagnosis.  By the time she was finally properly diagnosed, the cancer had advanced so far that she had to have a radical hysterectomy.
• She has spent the past the six years sharing her important wisdom from personal experience with this devastating cancer.She wrote a book about her experience and did a few blog postings on Yahoo's Blog for Hope.

What Worked

• Emergency surgery was still able to catch it at Stage 1 and she didn't have to have radiation or chemotherapy. She has been given a clean bill of health.

What Didn't Work

• The cancer had advanced so far that she had to have a radical hysterectomy.
• In her blog post, she said "I had staining between periods and cramping after sex, which is actually pretty classic for uterine cancer. But every doctor I went to thought I was perimenopausal, because nothing showed up on my ultrasounds, pelvic exams or blood tests."

What She Would Do Differently Next Time

• Insist on asking her doctor for a trans-vaginal ultrasound. Responding to the controversy that it is not cost effective due to the multitude of benign conditions that constantly appear and dissolve in a woman's reproductive organs, Fran states, "I would rather be told that there is a cyst on my ovary that should be watched then be told nothing at all."

The Test to Ask About

• The trans-vaginal ultrasound. She explains "this imaging test is like putting a set of eyes on the fingers of the doctor giving the manual pelvic. It has a much greater facility to determine the presence of abnormalities and should become a standard diagnostic tool."

Books

• Fran wrote a book on her experience called "Cancer Schmancer".

Articles

• "Five Tests Worth Paying For: Health Insurance Usually Won't Cover Them, But These Tests May Very Well Save Your Life" in the Wall Street Journal
  

Websites

• Johannaslaw.org: She is a big supporter of an education-based bill (HR 1245) targeted at both women and doctors to recognize the early warning symptoms for gynecologic cancer and the tests that are available. 

Going to the Doctor

• Fran listed 15 great wisdom nuggets about going to the doctor, during last years "Blog for Hope" on Yahoo. I'm including a few of the more interesting nuggets below but click here to see the complete list:
  
  • #6. If you are getting a second opinion, or being referred to a specialist, get involved in the transport of your previous test results. Imaging tests come on disc, or film or are digitized and I recommend you pick them up from one place and hand deliver them to the other. The less middle men involved the less opportunity for screw ups. Also have copies of all lab work results and doctor evaluations as well.
  • #7. Prepare a list of questions that you or your loved ones want the doctor to answer. Don't expect to remember everything, you won't, so start your medical "grocery" list immediately and add to it as you think of the questions.
  • #13. Whenever going for a second opinion, and I believe this is an absolute must, go outside of your doctors hospital to get a totally objective opinion . BTW the idea of insulting or upsetting you primary physician is B.S. Any worthwhile doctor will expect it and regardless, it's you body, your health, your life so do it!
  • #14. If you are diagnosed with cancer, your research must be extremely diligent. The internet will point you towards the medical leaders in the field of your particular disease. The same names will come up again and again in research studies and medical reports. These are the doctors you should be talking to. Call any and every important and powerful person you know or know someone who knows. We are all six degrees of separation from someone who can help you get through to a hard to get to specialist.

Help others by posting feedback and sharing your health wisdom in the comments below.