Medicine and its related products and regulations

Environmental effects (?) on Human vision:

        One of my friends who is originally from middle east came to America 5
years ago. But, after less than a year, he gradually became near-sighted. His
vision back in his original habitat was normal.  I have asked different
physicians for possible explanations, but none know.  

        One reason (?) may be change in environment, and therefore the
environmental factors acting on organic/sense systems. I suspect changes in
nutrition, geography, health factors, and/or possible psycho-social behavior.
But, I cannot think of how or with what specific mechanisms and/or factors can
environment effect vision to a such great degree to cause near-sightedness.

        If any of you readers know or know some source of help for explaining
this change (medical fact books, individuals, doctors,…), please contact me
by this medium. [p8064...@Edinboro.edu]

If you know of anyone taking, or if you take CARDIZEM or CARDIZEM SR or have a
medical problem where you possibly may someday take this drug, the Marion
Merrell Dow Inc company has a Free Quarterly Newsletter and all you have to do
is call 1-800-235-5433.  Tell the operator you want to be put on their mailing
list for the Free Newsletter CARDISENSE.  If they ask for a four digit code or
combination of numbers and letters, tell them you heard about it over the
Grand Rounds BBS network.  I ordered for myself and asked permission to post
this on the BBS and they said I could.  

The person at the 800 number is only an operator taking names and addresses
and cannot answer any medical questions.,  The Newsletter is said to have
information about health items, travel, tips for exercising gently and
effectively, medical book reviews, articles about this medical problem, etc.  
Since all copies are FREE it couldn’t hurt being put on subscriber list.

I am not affiliated with them at all, I just got letter from them yesterday.

–  
Uucp: …{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!110!325!Judith.Murphy
Internet: Judith.Mur…@f325.n110.z1.fidonet.org

I recently posted a request for any information from either end -users or
developers of medical education software for the Macintosh computer, but I
suspect my message was stopped dead in its tracks by problems on my local BBS.

I work for the University of Manitoba, Computer services and am attempting to
compile a list of software products, videodisc (a front-ends to videodiscs)
and CD_ROMS which might be of interest to the Medical Library at the
University. They are considering the possiblity of a Macintosh lab, equipted
with videodisc and possibly CD-ROM but have been unsucessful in their own
searches in finding material that is of the medical school level. If anyone
out there is either using Mac software in medical education or is aware of any

suitable products please leave me a message or write me at:
Andora Jackson
Microcomputer Resource Centre
Computer Services
138 University Centre
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg,Manitoba
Canada

Thanks! Hope to hear from someone soon!

Andora Jackson

–  
Uucp: …{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!348!202!Andora.Jackson
Internet: Andora.Jack…@f202.n348.z1.fidonet.org

 >From: k…@litsun.epfl.ch ( )

 >Does anybody know any details about chirurgical correction of eye
 >sight problems?
->      What can be cured, success rates, cost, stories of people who went
 >        through such an operation
 > I heard in Russia they have about 10 years experience and in Spain
 >clinics have also built up enough know how.
 >  
 >———————————————————————-
 >Mark Soekarjo                           Living in a postcard

 >postcards to    la maison rose          e-mail to      
 >k…@litsun.epfl.ch
 >                ch. des clos 53
 >                ch-1024 ecublens

You are talking about REFRACTIVE EYE SURGERY. The procedure in Russia is
called RADIAL KERATOTOMY (not the name the Russians gave it – that’s the name
I gave it) and has been used there since 1973. I started it in the States in
1978. It didn’t get to Spain until 1980-81. There are other types of surgery
depending on what sort of refractive eye problem the patient has. Further
details are requested in order to answer your question.

Leo Bores, M.D.

–  
Uucp: …{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!15.25!Leo.Bores
Internet: Leo.Bo…@p25.f15.n114.z1.fidonet.org

I am severely short-sighted, about -9.5 in the left eye and -10.5 in the
right.  Can any of the net.doctors (Leo Bores are you listening?) tell me
whether the two operations (RK and that newer one using lasers) used to
cure short-sightedness would be of any use to me?  I would dearly love to
go without spectacles permanently or at least most of the time, with the
exception of when driving and such like.  Is this a hopeless fantasy?
Is my nose doomed to having a very large, permanent dent in it?

Barbara
b…@cain.anu.edu.au

    I think we have forgotten that we must treat all patients and social
contacts as if they were potential HIV infected.  This a catastrophic thing
folks.  I am willing to be tested if everyone is tested including the
patients.  As far as Mr Helms bill is concerned the punishment should also
extend to the patient who conceals the fact he/she is HIV positive.  
    All this is nonsense though because we just don’t know enough at the
present time.  There has to be a cure out there somewhere.  We in the medical
field have basically taken an oath to treat the ill and to do no harm.  This
should be enough for us but unfortunatally is not in most cases.  We must
support the research being done and try and end this nightmare.  Then the more
responsible of us can deal with the Helms of the world as we should by voting
them out of office and into obscurity where they belong.
    There has been a response by the local Medical Society to the effect that
the incidence of infection of patients by infected health care, (read MD’s
because that is what they are concerned about) is very low.  However that does
not mean a damned thing to the person who is infected.  Let us be realistic
and get on with it and support research so a cure can be found.

–  
Uucp: …{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!396!35!Ken.Bopp
Internet: Ken.B…@f35.n396.z1.fidonet.org

Any advice, dietary or otherwise, for someone suffering
from chronic hepatitis?

  I am hoping someone out there has had an artificial knee that came loose,
and can tell me what it felt like, or a doctor that can give me some hint
of what I might experience.
  I am a 34 year old female that had an artificial knee put in 3.5 years
ago, due to severe arthritis.  Last October, I slipped and fell hard,
partially folding my bad leg under me.  I required arthroscopic surgery
at the time because of troubles with the kneecap, and after that, the
doctor told me that miraculously, the joint looked ok.  In about April,
I started having intermittent pain on the back side of the knee joint
that felt like simple inflammation, and indeed, it is apparently located
just where the hamstrings attach to the leg bones.  However, since that
time, the pain has gone from mild and occassional, to significant and
nearly continuous.  I have been in PT 3 times a week for 7 weeks, have
been taking anti-inflamitories, using ice, heat, rest, massage, etc.
X-rays taken in April did not show any specific signs of loosening, but
my doctor, PT, and I are all starting to get worried.  I’d love to get a
"here’s how it felt to me" response, but am interested in "my neighbor
tells me…" or "most of my patients seem to see…" kinds of stuff too.
  Thanks in advance for your help.

                                        Susanne Gilliam
                                        Radnor, PA

I have recently started reading this group, so please excuse me if this has
been discussed before.  I am interested in any literature and information
on premature labor/delivery and the chances of having it happen more than
once.  Also, how does one determine whether an underlying problem "caused"
the premature labor or would it have happened anyway.

The history is as follows:

First pregnancy went fine.  Labor/delivery normal.  Rh incompatibility.
Rhogam given at 28 weeks and after delivery.

Second pregnancy – at 28 weeks discovered that the antibody D (or antigen??)
showed up in the routine blood test before receiving rhogam.  Ultrasound and
amniocentesis done at 30 weeks.  Everything is ok.  Another ultrasound at
35 weeks and 3 days later, membranes rupture.  Baby became very jaundiced
and anemic.  Was under the lights for 15 days and had a transfusion at
17 days.  He’s doing fine now at 6 months.

My OB is saying that I fall into a High Risk status and should consider not
having any more children.  He will not follow me if I get pregnant again.
I would have to go to the University High Risk Clinic.

So, did the premature labor happen because of the Rh sensitization?  Or
was that just a coincidence?  We know we will have to deal with the
Rh problem regardless, but what about the prematurity?  Thanks.

Laurie Hafner, Weeg Computing Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa  52242
lhaf…@vaxa.weeg.uiowa.edu

Does anybody know any details about chirurgical correction of eye
sight problems?
->   What can be cured, success rates, cost, stories of people who went
        through such an operation
 I heard in Russia they have about 10 years experience and in Spain
clinics have also built up enough know how.

———————————————————————-
Mark Soekarjo                           Living in a postcard

postcards to    la maison rose          e-mail to       k…@litsun.epfl.ch
                ch. des clos 53
                ch-1024 ecublens