Medical Blunders

According to researchers at the John Hopkins School of Medicine, fatal mistakes in hospitals and health care facilities are the third leading cause of death in the USA

The following are the five leading causes of death in the USA.

• Heart Disease -- 614,348 deaths per year
• Cancer -- 591,699 deaths per year
• Medical Errors -- 251,454 deaths per year
• Accidents -- 136,053 deaths per year
• Stroke -- 133,103 deaths per year

More than 250,000 Americans die annually from medical mistakes and safety lapses. Perhaps the following examples of actual entries on hospital patient's medical charts could shed some light on this lapse of judgment.

·         Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.

·         The patient refused autopsy.

·         Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.

·         Skin: somewhat pale but present.

·         On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.

·         Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.

·         Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.

·         Since she can’t get pregnant with her husband, I thought you might like to work her up.

·         The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.

·         She is numb from her toes down.

·         Patient was alert and unresponsive.

·         While in ER, she was examined, X-rated and sent home.

·         She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce.

·         Healthy appearing decrepit 69 year-old male, mentally alert but forgetful.

·         Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.

·         The pelvic exam will be done later on the floor.

·         The patient has no previous history of suicides.

·         Occasional, constant, infrequent headaches.

·         Patient’s medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.

·         The skin was moist and dry.

·         Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.

Medical professionals are only human -- they make mistakes just like the rest of us, plus there is also much tension involved in their work that often requires swift action.

May the Force be with you.

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Quote for the Day -- “When we give government the power to make medical decisions for us, we in essence accept that the state owns our bodies.” Ron Paul

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Bret Burquest is the author of 11 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where humor relieves the stress of life.

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Reflexology

Reflexology is an alternative medical procedure which involves the application of appropriate pressure to specific points and areas on the feet, hands, or ears in order to receive a positive effect on a person's organs and physical health.

Reflexologists access these points on the feet and hands (bottom, sides, and top) and the ear (both inside as far as the finger can reach and outside) to positively affect organs and bodily systems.

Reflexologists believe these reflex points correspond to different body organs and systems whereby pressing them has a beneficial effect on the person's organs and general health. For example, reflexology contends that a specific spot in the arch of the foot corresponds to the bladder. When a reflexologist uses fingers or thumbs to apply appropriate pressure to this area, it positively affects bladder functioning.

Although not used to diagnose health disorders, millions of people around the world utilize reflexology to complement other treatments when addressing conditions such as cancer, asthma, diabetes, anxiety, cardiovascular issues, kidneys, sinus cavities and PMS.

Reflexology has grown increasingly popular across Europe and Asia as both a complement to other treatments and as a preventive measure.

For example, in Denmark various companies and municipalities have employed reflexologists since the early '90s. According to several studies, this practice in Denmark has resulted in reduced absenteeism and sick leave. Employees have consistently reported partial or complete improvement in conditions through reflexology, including relief from additional problems related to stress.

Maps of reflex points have been passed among reflexologists worldwide. Although, there is not an agreement among global reflexologists on all aspects, there is a general agreement on the major reflex points. Plus, there is some scientific documentation of linkages between the reflex points and internal organs.

Reflexologists use reflexology diagrams (maps) to represent how the body systems correspond to one another.

For example, reflexology map exists for the feet whereby each foot represents a vertical half of the body -- the left foot corresponds to the left side of the body and all organs found there -- the right foot corresponds to the right side of the body and all organs found there. Since the liver is on the right side of the body, therefore the corresponding reflex area is on the right foot.

Whatever the specific technique, reflexology theory confirms that the reflexologist is working to relieve stress or congestion in the nervous system and balance the body's energy.

Reflexology contends that the blockage of a person's invisible life force (energy field) can be a factor in preventing healing. Reflexologists believe they are able to relieve stress and pain in various parts of the body through the manipulation of the feet or hands.

For example, Reflexology contends that every point on the body has a specific connection with the hands.

• The palms are linked with the nervous system -- to protect your psychological balance, clap your hands to improve the circulation, making you feel better.

• The thumb is linked with the heart and lungs -- if your heartbeat is racing, rub the thumb and pull it. The heartbeat should slow down.

• The forefinger is linked with the colon and stomach -- to relieve abdominal pain or constipation, press the forefinger and rub it for roughly for one minute before pulling it. You should feel improvement in a short while.

• The middle finger is linked with the small intestine, the heart, the respiratory system and blood -- whenever you feel nausea, dizziness or insomnia, stretch out the middle finger and rub it.

• The ring finger is linked with mood -- to deal with depression, massage the finger.

• The small finger is linked with kidneys, neck pain or headache -- massage the finger for relief.

Also, the Third Eye acupressure point (located on the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows) is beneficial for treating eye strain, relieving stress, chronic headaches, improving memory, relieving sinus pain, nasal congestion, calming the mind and emotional imbalances. For the best results, you need to close the eyes, slowly press the point with your middle finger for a few seconds up to one minute and then release.

If you consult five doctors about the same condition, you may get seven different opinions. Personal health is extremely important and highly controversial. Perhaps the best prescription is to proceed with whatever works for you.

On the positive side, there's nothing like a bit of physical pain to take your mind away from emotional problems.

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Quote for the Day -- “There are two means of refuge from the misery of life -- music and cats.” Dr. Albert Schweitzer

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Bret Burquest is the author of 11 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where a placebo can often work miracles.

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An Octagonal Peg

In 2001-2007, I wrote a weekly column that appeared in several newspapers in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. The following piece was a newspaper column published in May of 2005.

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An Octagonal Peg

My great, great, great grandfather came to America from Sweden and settled in Minnesota among the mosquitoes and Chippewa Indians. His surname was Bergqvist. Since most people in the new land had trouble spelling his name, he changed it to Burquest. It didn't do much good though, almost everyone still misspells it.

To my knowledge, everyone named Burquest in America is somehow related to me. My grandfather's brother's son (second cousin?) is named Bret Burquest. My parents, short on originality, thought it was a neat name and gave it to me. The other Bret Burquest is a psychiatrist who resides in North Carolina.

I did an Internet search on my name and found it on 208 websites. About 70 of them are related to Bret the psychiatrist; the rest refer to me. If there's a third Bret Burquest out there somewhere, he's keeping it a secret.

When my four novels were published five years ago, they were listed on amazon.com. Now they're for sale on dozens of websites. Unfortunately, no one reads novels anymore – they're too busy surfing the Internet.

However, the most interesting discovery about tracking my name on the Web was finding some of my newspaper columns reproduced on other websites. Obviously, certain individuals have found my columns on the website for The News (areawidenews.com) and copied/pasted them elsewhere. I started writing weekly columns in February of 2001 – a total of 230 so far. About half of them are now archived on the newspaper website.

In May of 2004, I wrote a column titled Conspiracies in High Places about the connection between the sighting of flying saucers in Washington State in 1947 and the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. This column has been reproduced on many websites, including Wiccanweb.ca (a site supporting Wicca beliefs which include the religion of witchcraft) and VirtuallyStrange.net (a site that includes the latest UFO sightings).

In June of 2004, I wrote a column titled Bilderbergers and Hackensackers detailing the recent meetings of an organization called the Bilderberg Group which is made up of the most influential and wealthiest people on the planet who meet secretly every year to manipulate the world into a one-world governmental system. My column appears on bilderberger.org and other websites that monitor the activities of this nefarious organization.

In September of 2004, I wrote three columns leading up to the 2004 presidential election where I encouraged consideration for third-party candidates. Portions of these columns appeared on various political websites that included feedback from readers. Referring to the author of the column (me), a respondent on badnarik.org, the official site for the Libertarian Party candidate, wrote, "Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The round pegs in square holes. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius." Very perceptive indeed, however I'm more like an octagonal peg in a trapezoidal hole.

In October of 2004, one week before the presidential election, I wrote a column titled Bonesmen and Barbarians about a secret society at Yale University called "Skull and Bones" where George Bush and John Kerry, the two major presidential candidates, each had been selected for membership. It seems our choice for leader of the free world was between two rich guys who belonged to a cult of devil worshippers.

In December of 2004, I wrote a column titled Albert Pike chronicling the life of the infamous Civil War general and supreme leader of the freemasonry movement in the United States. The column is displayed on freemasonrywatch.org, an impressive website that apparently attempts to expose freemasonry as evil.

It's flattering to learn that strangers find my column interesting enough to reproduce them on other websites, even if they skew my ramblings to fit their own point of view. My scattered thoughts and words of wisdom will now be floating around on the Internet in perpetuity, or until we run out of electricity, whichever comes first.

Pushing the human race forward is a heavy task but someone has to do it.

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Quote for the Day -- “Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." H.L. Mencken

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Bret Burquest is the author of 11 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where life is what happens when you can't sleep.

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A Tunnel for Turtles

The U.S. Congress often passes spending bills that contain "earmarks" (added amendments), which are quite often ridiculous pork projects.

"Absolutely, we need earmark reform, and when I am president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely." Barack Obama -- declared in his first debate with John McCain during the presidential cycle of 2008.

When Barack Obama became president he vowed, "You know, the days of just pork coming out of Congress as a strategy -- those days are over."

In February of 2009, President Obama signed the so-called "Stimulus Bill" -- not only did this piece of legislation fail to stimulate the economy, but it also contained many pork projects, including the following

• $3,400,000 to build a tunnel for turtles providing safe passage under a Florida road.

• $8,408 to Florida Atlantic University to test whether mice get drunk after consuming alcohol.

• $389,357 to pay college students in Buffalo, NY, to record their volume of daily marijuana usage and malt liquor drinking.

• $100,000 to a theater, inspired by Che Guevara, in Minnesota to produce socially-conscious puppet shows.

• $1,200,000 for a study of erectile dysfunction in obese men in the San Francisco area.

• $384,949 to Yale University for a study titled "Sexual Conflict, Social Behavior, and the Evolution of Waterfowl Genitalia."

• $600,000 to distribute trees to wealthy Denver neighborhoods.

• $152,000 for a study to prepare lesbians for adoptive parenthood.

• $1,300,000 for signs reading "Project Funded by Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

Perhaps, President Obama was merely making grandiose statements to make himself look good, rather than being honest about his true character and lack of conviction.

"It is a popular delusion that the government wastes vast amounts of money through inefficiency and sloth. Enormous effort and elaborate planning are required to waste this much money.” P.J. O'Rourke

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Quote for the Day -- “I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” Thomas Jefferson

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Bret Burquest is the author of 11 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where more government always means less freedom.

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