Cost of Cancer

I know, I should be posting about the spill and whatnot, but I am glad the news decided to pay attention to it again. I'm going to post about something else that affects almost everyone directly and indirectly: cancer.

In a recent analysis published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Cancer Society, it was found that over two million survivors did not get any needed medical services because of rising healthcare costs. Most survivors under 65 were willing to forgo basic medical care because of concerns about prescription costs, actual services costs, mental health, and more. It was found that Hispanic and black cancer patients were more likely to skip prescriptions and dental visits due to cost.

There is hope, however. Groups like the American Cancer Society have many fundraisers to help families in need. Their annual Relay for Life is held all over the country (and many places in the world) to raise lots of funds that stay local. Go to the website to find out when an event is happening in your area.

You can find the article about the analysis here.

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COPDPart 1: An Overview.

This post (or series as it is turning out to be) is dedicated to Wendy.

What is COPD?
COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is actually an umbrella term that refers to a group of lung diseases that block the airways in the lungs. Since these disease block airways and airflow, the simple act of breathing becomes increasingly difficult. The most common of these diseases are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The word chronic means "long-term" and treatment for COPD is usually just to control and minimize the symptoms, not reverse the damage to your lungs.

What is emphysema?
It is a lung disease that causes damage to the air sacs in your lungs. The most common cause is smoking and the damage gets progressively worse over time. Persons with air sacs that are diseased cannot fill their lungs with fresh air, therefor limiting the bodies supply of oxygen. Common symptoms are chronic coughing that does not produce mucus, wheezing, swelling around ankles, and wight loss.

What is chronic bronchitis?
This lung disease actually causes an inflammation of the main airways in your lungs. Smoking causes it and allergies, secondhand smoke, and air pollution make it worse. Some symptoms are coughing with mucus, wheezing, fatigue, and ankle and foot swelling. There is no cure for chronic bronchitis.

The next post in the series will be about how the lungs work to give you a better understanding of how COPD can affect your life.

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Smoking in St. Thomas

I know, multiple posts in a day is a miracle, but this may become habit. Recently I was browsing one of my fave local blogs, the St. Thomas Blog, and there was a post with science (gasp!) showing the drastic decline in heart attacks in one community after a smoking ban was put into effect. The original article Scott got the information from is here. There were a lot of comments really quick on this post and when asked how do we start and what do we do, the next post was this:
Good morning Governor deJongh, Jr.

My name is Scott White and I run the most successful blog (with over 2000 readers per day) in the USVI called “The St. Thomas Blog”. Recently I published an article about banning smoking in restaurants, bars, nightclubs and the work place. You can see that article here: http://www.stthomasblog.com/?p=1528. A new study has revealed that secondhand smoke is much more dangerous than recently thought:

The study, the longest-running of its kind, showed the rate of hospitalized cases dropped 41 percent in the three years after the ban of workplace smoking in Pueblo, Colo., took effect. There was no such drop in two neighboring areas, and researchers believe it’s a clear sign the ban was responsible.

The letter continues on but is really well written.

I am really glad that someone is taking initiative. I lean towards the rules in Florida. I should be allowed to smoke at a bar, but not if there is food. Not for my sake, but just for the sake of everyone else. It is just a polite thing to do. You can always go outside to smoke. It's not that serious... but what do you guys think. Should the VI ban smoking in places?

Playing the devil's advocate here: people like to party when they come here and that, apparently, includes smoking. You could always hang out someplace smoke free. Obviously the patrons at these full smokey places don't mind... But really, what do you think? I know I am getting poll crazy, but there is science in polling. I swear.

Online Surveys & Market Research

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