But now researchers at Yale University have come up with yet another use for the ubiquitous little while pill – a possible preventative for liver disease.

The scientists believe the drug can actually inhibit the chemical that triggers inflammation in the organ and the damage that occurs as a result. The liver is a vital organ - it helps break down the body’s nutrients into useable byproducts – but there are a host of things that can damage it, including hepatitis, an overdose of acetaminophen and of course, too much drinking.

But when mice suffering from some of these conditions were given small doses of aspirin, they were less likely to die from their conditions because the drug blocked the receptors in the liver cells that led to the damage.

“This offers the exciting possibility of reducing a lot of pain and suffering in patients with liver diseases, using a new and very practical approach,” reveals study chief Dr. Wajahat Mehal.

“An analysis of 14 studies shows children who attend day care or play groups decrease their risk of developing the most common type of childhood leukemia by 30 percent. The analysis bolsters the theory that children exposed to common infections early in life gain protection from the disease. The research was presented in April 2008 at the Causes and Prevention of Childhood Leukemia conference in London.”

Their theory is that genetics and lack of exposure to germs play a strong role in determining whether a child develops leukemia. We know in places with a lot of kids, there’s more chance of infections spreading. But if kids are kept isolated, their immune systems aren’t challenged early in life, and they may not develop normally. If children also have a genetic predisposition to an overactive immune system, they could be at higher risk for cancer. The reason for this is when their immune systems finally encounter a virus later in life, the cells meant to fight the infection start dividing really fast. This gives them more of a chance to mutate and become cancerous

The New York Times reports that the FDA is going to reconsider the safety of this chemical being used in many everyday products:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/24/dining/24chem.html?_r=1&ref=health

Here is the link to the Government of Canada decision to protect our babies

p.s. Avent now makes their bottles BPA free

So when I was pregnant with my second and third child, I avoided deli meats like the plague!

Then in 2008 Listeria hit the BIG TIME news in Canada.  20 people died!  Maple Leaf foods was directly linked to the outbreak of listeria, and the source was traced back to machinery in their factory being contaminated by the deadly bacteria.

From Wikipedia: What is Listeria?

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium commonly found in soil, stream water, sewage, plants, and food.^[1] Each bacterium is gram-positive and rod-shaped. Listeria are known to be the bacteria responsible for listeriosis, a rare but lethal food-borne infection that has a devastating case fatality rate of 25%^[2] (Salmonella, in comparison, has a less than 1% mortality rate^[3]). They are incredibly hardy and able to grow in temperatures ranging from 4°C (39°F), the temperature of a refrigerator, to 37°C (99°F), the body’s internal temperature^[1]. Furthermore, listerosis’s deadliness can be partially attributed to the infection’s ability to spread to the nervous system and cause meningitis.^[1] Finally, Listeria has a particularly high occurrence rate in newborns because of its ability to infect the fetus by penetrating the endothelial layer of the placenta.^[2]

News Story on CBC.com

Recent News Story on Toronto Star.com

Full list of recalled meat products

“Although vaccination caused a sharp decline in the disease for more than 40 years, whooping cough never fully disappeared.”

“Reported cases of whooping cough have tripled in the United States since 2001.”

The article goes on to say that though most infants are now fully immunized against the disease, the vaccine does not necessarily protect for life.  Research says that another booster shot may be required idealy around 15 years of age.

For the full story click here

March 2001; I’m in night school and I have a small test in my accounting course; no big deal, I’m doing great in the course and not stressed out at all.  But mid test, my stomach starts to HURT.  This ache sort of in the middle of my stomach.  So I ignore it, head home and I feel gross!  So I try to poo (TMI), no luck, have a bath no luck, my stomach pain is getting worse.  So I try to go to bed, hoping it will go away.  My boyfriend comes home from the hockey game, drunk, and passes out on the couch.

Now the pain is getting pretty unbearable, and as I’m lying in bed, a voice in my head says “this is not normal, go to the hospital”.  I had to agree with that little voice.  Well my boyfriend wouldn’t wake up, must have been a good hockey game.  So I did what you probably should NOT do and I drove myself the 15 minutes or so to the hospital!

Stupid nurse in triage was like “did you try taking a Tylenol?”  NO I DIDN”T TAKE A FRIGGIN TYLENOL I NEED SOMETHING STRONGER LADY.  She said to me; “the wait here is at least 6 hours, maybe you should go home take a tylenol and go to bed”………………….I swear I almost did exactly what she said, and I actually walked outside (IN TEARS)…….but I stopped and said to myself, “no way you need to stay”.  So I waited in the waiting room for maybe 1/2 hour in agony, as my pain got worse and shifted down and to the right.  Pretty much beyond myself at that point at hating the triage nurse, I walked directly into the ER and grabbed a passing nurse.  I said to her; “Please help me my pain is getting worse I really need some help!!!”.  Thank GAWD she actually listened to me!  Of course it was my damn APPENDIX ready to burst!  They promptly hooked me up to MORPHINE………..awww sweet relief!  Within 12 hours they took that gangrenous sucker OUT and I was all better!

(While they were in there I should have asked them to take out my gallbladder too, but that will wait until another post)

A few morals of my story:

1.  Listen to your own instincts

2. Unexplained stomach pain especially if it is lower right should be taken very seriously

3.  Listen to your own instincts (worth repeating) and take management of your own health care

Some great information from Wikipedia:

Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. All cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of peritonitisshock.^[1] Reginald Fitz first described acute and chronic appendicitis in 1886,^[2] and it has been recognized as one of the most common causes of severe acute abdominal pain worldwide.