QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"White Roses" Drawn on 25 Aug 2008

The most glorious moments in your life are not the so-called days of success, but rather those days when out of dejection and despair you feel rise in you a challenge to life, and the promise of future accomplishments.

By Gustave Flaubert



Source : quotationsbook.com

People's airbag 'prevents injury'

The head of the firm behind the airbag was on hand to demonstrate it

A Japanese company says it has made an airbag designed to stop elderly people injuring themselves by falling over.

The device is strapped around the body and inflates in 0.1 seconds if it detects it is accelerating towards the ground, the manufacturers say.

The Tokyo-based company, Prop, says the product is designed to cushion a fall using two separate pockets of air.

One pocket will be behind the head and the other around the hips. It does not protect those who fall forward.

The airbag has been unveiled at the International Home Care and Rehabilitation Exhibition in Tokyo.

The president of Prop, Mitsuya Uchida, says it is aimed especially at old people with epilepsy, who are very vulnerable to injury.

Japan has a large elderly population with nearly 30 million people over the age of 65. There is a huge market for products to protect and assist them.

Source : BBC News

WWW.WELLSPHERE.COM


The latest. A unique and most updated kind of health website ever to be launched in our generation now.

Highly recommended health website for everyone to visit. If you are looking for information regarding any health issues under the sky visit wellsphere.com and you will be amazed at how easy and quickly you can find your answers and support from health experts and doctors including health bloggers whose blogs contain extensive information regarding health issues and also provide inspiration and motivation.

I am very proud to be a part of Wellsphere.com.


VISIT WELLSPHERE NOW

WE ARE ALL EQUAL AND IMPORTANT IN GOD'S EYES


It means a great deal to those who are discriminated and oppressed ( particularly people who are disabled/epileptic and are denied of equal rights in life ) to know that they are not alone. And never let anyone tell us that what we are doing is insignificant. A neurologist told me that I am a lone ranger in my epilepsy awareness mission. I was not bothered by his degrading and discriminatory remark at all.

A neurologist studies from books about people with epilepsy. A person with epilepsy studies from life's struggles, hardships, seizures that come with injuries and graduates from the "University of Society" with a degree in Dissentment. We dissent people who look down on us.

GOD made all of us equal. No one is higher than another.

MUM WITH SPECIAL CHILD

A friend of mine, Geok, invited me to join her for lunch with two of her friends recently. At lunch I met Evelyn for the first time. She is a beautiful lady with charisma. She exudes love, grace and positive energies. A friend of hers nicknamed her “ Sunshine “.

Evelyn is a mother of two daughters and a special son. Her 27 year old son, Gerald is a severely mentally disabled person with epilepsy. Gerald experiences seizures every day and also has other numerous medical problems. Evelyn told me, “I have only two choices - to depend on my own strength to bring up my special child and face challenges of life alone or to place my trust in God who is my rock, strength and redeemer”.

Drinking tea I listened to Evelyn recapped one of Gerald’s near death experiences. It was about one and a half years ago when Gerald’s mild epileptic fits developed into a full blown generalized seizure. He had three episodes of generalized seizures that fortnight. There were no warnings showing or indicative of impending seizures.

His eyes rolled up into their sockets and his body became stiff for a while followed by uncontrollable jerking. His face turned blue (he also has a hole in his heart) and his breathing stopped for a little while. He was unconscious. Administering his usual anti epileptic drugs she failed to help Gerald regain consciousness. She and Luz carried Gerald into their car and rushed him to University Hospital. By the time they arrived at the hospital Gerald’s seizures had stopped. He was breathing normally again.

Listening to Evelyn and Gerald’s stories brought tears to my heart. I was very touched by their extraordinary love for each other. Their relationship is truly a fine example of blood is thicker than water. Evelyn is an outstanding role model of a caring and endearing caregiver.

I have a friend who manages a home for people with all kinds of disabilities ranging from epileptic to downs syndrome, autistic to mentally disabled, deaf and blind to cerebral palsy. Mr Samson told me the home was set up in the sixties and was originally meant to be a home for people with epilepsy only. Over the years guardians and parents had left and abandoned their disabled children at the home. Parents pay a minimal monthly sum of money for their disabled children to be taken cared by the home. After paying the initial few payments parents conveniently dump and disown their disabled children by not turning up at the home anymore. The irresponsible and scheming parents used fictitious addresses or moved places to avoid being contacted by staff of the home.

I appeal to parents who intend to abandon their disabled children into charitable homes never to do so. Your disabled children are the most precious gifts from God. You gave them life and they deserve the best in life.

THEY ARE SPECIAL. LOVE THEM WITH ALL YOUR HEARTS, MINDS AND SOULS FOR THEY DID NOT ASK TO BE DISABLED.

TREATING EPILEPSY IN DOGS

Treating epilepsy in dogs can be as frustrating as the disease itself. It requires steady monitoring with bi-weekly blood tests to check the concentration of the drug that has been administered. It also requires monitoring the frequency and severity of epileptic seizures.

Furthermore, seizures happen suddenly and it is crucial for you to closely observe the symptoms during a seizure and report them precisely and in great detail to the veterinarian. This helps in diagnosis and choosing the particular path of treatment. In several cases the threshold of tolerance of owners is often crossed with the regular recurrence of seizures and the time demanded for monitoring an epileptic dog.

Bromide was one of the first drugs used for treating epilepsy in dogs. It was discovered during the Victorian times. It was later dismissed as a feasible treatment because of the psychological problems it induced in humans. Subsequently, veterinarians rediscovered the drug for treating dogs since it was confirmed that the drug did not cause such psychological problems in dogs.

Bromide is blended with either sodium or potassium to form crystals like table salt and packed in capsules for administration. The drug has a long half life and consequently it takes a fair amount of time for it to be passed from the body. The slow acting drug, therefore also has a lag time before the effects of the drug are actually experienced.

With the uncovering of Phenobarbital, bromide has been demoted for use in particular instances of epilepsy where the dog is diabetic. Moreover, bromide was never sanctioned by the FDA and veterinarians had been looking for special permission for its use. Primidone is an additional drug used for treating epilepsy in dogs.

It acts in the same way as Phenobarbital since it gets converted to Phenobarbital in the body. As Phenobarbital is useable in liquid as well as tablet form of wide-ranging potencies, it can be utilised for dogs of all sizes and ages.

Diazepam, the generic name for better recognised drug, Valium, has a limited effect on dogs and looses its potency if administered daily. Although a tranquilizer, it is an effective method of treating a dog while the seizure is in progress. Even so, it is not recommended for preventive treatment.

Newer drugs like Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine and Valproate semisodium, that are now being used more often for human epilepsy may not be appropriate for dogs due to the easy elimination of the drug and the toxicity that they are apt to cause to dogs.

The side effects of drugs for treating epilepsy in dogs, have to be considered in relation to the risks of frequent epileptic canine seizures. Treatment of epilepsy primarily involves anticonvulsants that have a sedative effect. The dog is liable to be lethargic when the drug is administered or when the dosage is increased.

Seizures can be caused by reasons other than epilepsy also. Administration of medication must comply to recommended dosage If the dog does not react to treatment then the most probable cause is in all probability to be found in inappropriate diagnosis, insufficient dosage, wrong choice of drug or resistance to the therapeutic effect of medication.

Source : GOOD-DOG-CARE.COM

Warning of epilepsy drowning risk

Emma Wilkinson Health reporter, BBC News People with epilepsy should take precautions when swimming People with epilepsy are up to 19 times more likely to drown than those in the general population, research suggests. A University College London review of 51 studies from around the world showed 88 deaths where five would be expected, adding many could have been prevented. Taking showers instead of baths and swimming with a friend could save lives in the event of a seizure, suggests the report in Neurology journal. Epilepsy affects around one in every 131 people in the UK. People with the condition are more at risk of accidental death and a higher chance of drowning had been reported, but the risk had never been quantified. Every year a number of patients die in the bath so convincing people to take showers would be life saving Professor Ley Sander, study leader A team at the Institute of Neurology at University College London looked at data from 51 studies from around the world. They compared the number of deaths from drowning with what would be expected in the general population of the country involved. Overall the risk was 19 times higher for people with epilepsy and in England and Wales specifically the increased risk was 15 times higher. Prevention Study leader Professor Ley Sander, who works part-time as an NHS consultant in epilepsy, said he had two patients die from drowning this year alone. The numbers are relatively small but the important thing is that these deaths are preventable. Every year a number of patients die in the bath so convincing people to take showers would be life-saving. He added, "We're not saying that people shouldn't swim but that they need to be aware of the risk and to go with someone who can help if they have problems." Professor Sander also advised telling a lifeguard if swimming at a swimming pool and to swim during quieter sessions so it was easier for the lifeguard to see them. He stressed that those most at risk were the people with "active" epilepsy and who had regular seizures. "We always need to do whatever we can to ensure seizure control," he said. A spokesperson for Epilepsy Action said: "People with epilepsy can enjoy the benefits of taking part in many water activities, but need to take sensible precautions to reduce risk of drowning. Because there is always a possibility that a seizure could happen, it is important not to underestimate the potential risks when in or near water." " My Drowning Experience " by Serene This BBC write up reminds me of my own drowning experience. Unaware that a seizure would happen so untimely when I was swimming in the water of Port Dickson, a beach resort, I almost drowned to death. If not for the swift action of my brother's friend I would be dead thirty years ago. Since that incident that almost took my life I grew to be very phobic of swimming all alone. In fact I hate to be in the sea water for the rest of my life as the water constantly reminds me of potential death at my doorstep. I also dislike swimming all the more because every time I swim in the pool my husband or son will have to be constantly by my side all the time. This gives me a great sense of restriction and insecurity in my life which I dread. I prefer not to swim at all and choose to sit by the side of the pool looking at my husband and son swim or read my favourite book, newspaper or magazine. Apart from swimming I have lots of other interesting and active sports to engage in. I swapped swimming for bowling. In the bowling alleys I get to enjoy bowling on my own very much. At least I won't have to have someone to keep their eyes on me like a hawk. And although I never had proper lessons in bowling I bowled freestyle in my own "Serene" ways. I enjoy a great sense of freedom in this game and always end up being happy with my bowling workout.. Epileptics can still enjoy a great sense of freedom if only they know how to. Explore, Experience and be Exhilarated with all the things we are able to do and achieve in life.