More on the Dystonia Cheerleader

[Her Update Video]





[Real Doctor Video]


Supposedly Desiree is pretty much cured. I've read two different things on this one. She is/was being treated with either chelating agents or hyperbaric oxygen therapy. That's kinda funny since chelating agents are used for treatment of heavy metal poisoning, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used in treating the bends.  Neither of which are a routine treatment for dystonia, according to a small clinic known as Mayo.  


Looks like this is just some big media show to scare people away from vaccines.  Now that is sad. 

Dystonia Cheerleader

[Video Above]


I have to admit this video is pretty disturbing. Although, it makes me a little upset that the video pretty much blames the flu-shot, when in fact we have no idea what caused the dystonia to come about.


According to the Steadman's medical dictionary, dystonia is a syndrome of abnormal muscle contraction that produces repetitive involuntary twisting movements and abnormal posturing of the neck, trunk, face, and extremities. This resource goes on to separate dystonia into different categories saying that many types are genetic, while some can be acquired, metabolic, drug intoxication, or idiopathic.


It could be that her dystonia is genetic and maybe (very unlikely in my opinion but maybe) her immune response to the flu vaccine set off the chain reaction which led to her dystonia.  If this is the case, the actual flu may have been a lot worse.  More than likely her dystonia is idiopathic.  


It's unfortunate to see the media trying to scare people into not getting the flu shot.  This is just following in the wake of the scare mongering that the media and celebrities have been doing with reference to increased autism with vaccines.  The truth is, autism is not linked to vaccines.  If it was, doctors would be the first ones worried about the safety of vaccines.  We have our patients interests in mind and we know that all of this anti-vaccine nonsense is no good for our patients and the population.  Physicians and scientists have been looking at every possibility to find out if this link is real or not.  It's not, period.  We don't know what's causing the drastically rising autism rates in the country.  But believe me when I say that we have some of the best minds in America and the world working on it.  


In short, please go get your vaccine.  Even if our cheerleader friend got dystonia from the vaccine (which I don't think was the case), then your chances of dying while driving your car to the clinic to get the vaccine, statistically out numbers the chance of complications from the flu vaccine.  I am not trying to down play the severity of our cheerleader's illness or anything.  I truly feel sorry for her.  Please remember the flu vaccine and other vaccines are created to help, not to harm.  

Flying

Well, it has been a while since I've been flying.  During Labor Day weekend I went up to Aberdeen to get my seaplane license and I hadn't been flying since that weekend.  It was quite the dry spell.  


Finally last weekend, I took some friends up flying.  I promised them when I got my license over the summer that I would take them up, and I just got around to fulfilling my promise.  Better late than never.  


So, Red-Barn and I drove up to Tea, SD.  At the little airport up there I rented a Cessna 172 and flew down to the amazing Vermillion International Airport.  When we arrived, we picked up two more friends and flew around the river and Vermillion.  Then we decided to fly into Yankton to eat lunch.  It was an amazing day and the pictures that they took were awesome!  Can't wait to go up again!

Test Bombing

Today, I went into taking our 4th microbiology exam feeling a little ill prepared.  As I sat there looking over the notes I had in front of me, I wondered why was I feeling this way.  I feel like I knew the information in front of me pretty well, yet I was not feeling as confident as I usually do right before an exam.  I wondered, is this a bad omen?


Well, my time to wonder about confidence was up.  The exam was beginning and we had to get going.  So I sat down and started the test, about the 3rd question into the exam my bad omen came true.  Unfortunately, I had not studied topic that was needed to do well on this exam.  One topic, parasitology, was taught during for the first microbiology exam and then not lectured on again until this exam.  Unfortunately, those notes were in a binder for the first exam, and I had completely forgotten to get them out to look over them.  Nothing destroys test confidence more than forgetting to look over an entire section of notes.  Needless to say, this exam was not my best performance.  In fact, it took me from the possibility of getting an 'A' in the course to a miracle to get an 'A' (aka: easy to slip into the C from where I am currently).  


It really makes me sad that so much of our future (specialty choice, residency location, etc.) depends on our grades and scores.  Yet, its so easy to make a stupid forgetful mistake and demolish your future.  


I realize this is only one test in microbiology, and overall my residency match probably won't teeter on whether I got an A or a B in the course.  I just hope I don't make a stupid one time mistake when I am taking the USMLE exams, which would destroy my future. 

Funny Motivational Posters

I love these motivational poster spoofs. Some of them are hilarious! This is my favorite one today.

The Virus Video

[Video Above]


As 2nd year medical students, our current curriculum includes Microbiology. I've always been a visual guy myself, and appreciate seeing this cool 3D video of a viral life cycle. While it doesn't exactly get into the detail we need to know (gp120 receptors and RNA vs DNA replication), it is still a pretty cool video and is a great summary for those who don't have a medical/science background.

[Via Kevin MD]

Some Dude

This is an old post on the Day in the Life of an Ambulance Driver blog, but it's a good one.  If you've ever worked in EMS or emergency medicine or as an officer, you'll appreciate this post.

If you ever are on scene of an aggravated assault between guys, "some dude" always came out of no where to beat this guy up.  If you're an officer and ever questioned where a suspect had gotten his drugs, it was always from "some dude."  The truth is "some dude" is a guy who needs to be stopped.  He could destroy life as we know it.

It's worth a read!

“I am far, far older than I appear,” I explain wearily, “but my soul cannot rest until Sumdood has been banished back into the depths. I am trapped on this plane until I have defeated my enemy.”


“Who are you?” the cop hissed, eyes bright with curiosity. And fear.


I have to level with this man. I need him.


“I am one of an ancient and secret order of paramedics,” I level with him. “Even the mention of our existence is forbidden. We live among you, and always we are watching. We have tracked Sumdood for milennia, seeking ever to thwart him in his quest.”


“And what quest is that?”


“The end of civilization as we know it,” I say flatly, meeting his gaze. “We managed to stop him when he sabotaged the bilges on the Ark. He released the first rat that started the Black Plague. He started the flu pandemic of 1918 when he sneezed into an all-you-can eat mutton bar in Madrid.”


“Ask anybody around here where they bought their methamphetamine, heroin or crack,” FP suggests. “What do they all say?”


“Sumdoo
d,” Officer Friendly muses thoughtfully.


“And who is the babydaddy of half the unwed teen mothers around here?” I ask.


“Sumdood.”

“Sumdood was the second gunman on the grassy knoll,” FP informs him.