Home / All Post

Saturday, 16 April 2016

Princess Health and Governor kills bill that would have encouraged donation of organs and bone marrow; sponsor's primary foe is son of Bevin appointee. Princessiccia

Add Comment
By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

Gov. Matt Bevin has vetoed a bill that would have allowed Kentuckians to take time off of work to be "living donors" or donate bone marrow without risk of losing jobs or income. The bill would have required paid leave of absence for such reasons, and offset the cost to the employer with tax credits.

Rep. Ron Crimm
"I was deeply disappointed," Republican Rep. Ron Crimm, sponsor of the bill, said in a telephone interview. "I thought it was a very good bill."

Crimm, from Louisville, said the Republican governor called him and told him it was a good bill, but that he wasn't accepting anything that would generate a cost to the state.

Bevin said in his veto message, "House Bill 19 is a noble and well-intentioned piece of legislation designed to encourage the generosity of time and financial resources by both individuals and employers. However, the financial costs and administrative burden on the Department of Revenue to implement House Bill 19 far outweigh the limited benefit this legislation can provide."

The Legislative Research Commission's fiscal note on HB 19 says it would cost about $100,000 to set up the system, but future cost would be "minimal." Crimm said he didn't think it would cost that much to set it up and that he told the governor so.

HB19 is modeled after a similar program in Pennsylvania, which allowed LRC staff to look at the fiscal impact of its tax credit as a point of comparison. They found that in a four-year period, Pennsylvania had only three taxpayers claiming a donor credit for a total of $3,505.

"Therefore,staff estimates that the revenue impact of the credit permitted by HB 19 would also be minimal," says the fiscal note. Crimm said, "It's nothing."

Tom Loftus of The Courier-Journal noted that Crimm faces a "stiff primary election" May 17 against Jason Nemes and that Nemes' father, Mike Nemes, a former state representative, is Bevin's deputy labor secretary.

Asked if he thought this might have influenced the governor's veto, Crimm laughed and said, "If that is true, then I'm very, very disappointed that I supported him." Then he said, "I don't think the governor would have done that." But then he said, using what he said is an old "Pennsylvania Dutch" expression, "It wonders me. ... Everybody, one-hundred-percent of the people in the House and the Senate, voted yea on the bill." The legislation passed 95-0 in the 100-member House and 37-0 in the 38-member Senate.

Friday, 15 April 2016

Princess Health and April 15th, Rest Of The Way. Princessiccia

Princess Health and April 15th, Rest Of The Way. Princessiccia

Add Comment
April 15th, Rest Of The Way

I made it through one more day having maintained the integrity of my of my maintenance calorie budget. abstinence from refined sugar and once again I exceeded my water goal.

But it wasn't easy.

The schedule was overbooked from the beginning. It wasn't until I was on the road to the comedy club in my hometown when I was able to take a deep breath--sip on my coffee and get ready for an awesome night of stand-up.

I really enjoyed my sets this evening.

On my way home tonight, I promised myself I would post a quick update and allow the Tweets to take it the rest of the way.

I'm doing just that.

Today's Live-Twitter feed:










































Thank you for reading and your contued support.
Strength,
Sean

Princess Health and Study says proton-pump inhibitors, used to treat heartburn, acid reflux and ulcers, could increase the risk of kidney disease. Princessiccia

Add Comment
webmd.com
Long-term use of commonly prescribed medications called proton-pump inhibitors, used for heartburn, acid reflux or ulcers, could increase the risk of chronic kidney disease, kidney failure or lead to a decrease in kidney function, according to new research  published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

In 2013, about 15 million Americans were prescribed proton-pump inhibitors, but the number of users is likely higher, because many are sold without a prescription, the American Society of Nephrology said in a news release.

Proton-pump inhibitors are sold under the brand names Prevacid, Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix, Aciphex and others. Nexium is one of the top ten drugs prescribed in the U.S., Troy Brown reports for Medscape Medical News.

The study looked at data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and found 173,321 people who used PPIs and 20,270 who took histamine H2 receptor blockers, an alternative class of drugs also used to treat heartburn.

Histamine H2 receptor blockers are sold under the brand names Tagamet, Pepcid, Axid and Zantac

Researchers analyzed the data over five years and found that patients who took PPIs had a 96 percent increased risk of developing kidney failure and a 28 percent increased risk of chronic kidney disease compared to the patients who took the histamine H2 receptor blockers. And those who used PPIs over a long period of time, were at a higher risk of having kidney issues, says the release.

"The findings suggest that long-term use of PPIs may be harmful to the kidneys and should be avoided. PPI use may not only increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease, but may also increase the risk of its progression to complete kidney failure," says the release.

�The results emphasize the importance of limiting PPI use only when it is medically necessary, and also limiting the duration of use to the shortest duration possible,� Dr. Al-Aly, one of the researchers, said in the news release.� A lot of patients start taking PPIs for a medical condition, and they continue much longer than necessary.�

Princess Health and Kentucky is in the bottom 10 states for cancer-preventing HPV vaccination, probably because it has to do with sex. Princessiccia

Add Comment
The human papillomavirus vaccination is nearly 100 percent effective in preventing precancers and noninvasive cervical cancers caused by two strains of the virus, but most parents in Kentucky and the nation are still not getting their adolescents vaccinated.

HPV is a group of more than 150 related viruses, which together are the most common sexually transmitted infections in the U.S.

An estimated 79 million Americans are infected with HPV and about 14 million more become infected each year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while most HPV strains cause no symptoms and go away on their own, 10 percent of HPV infections lead to cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus and throat.

The HPV vaccination was approved by the federal government 10 years ago and is recommended for all adolescent girls and boys 11 and 12 years old. Nationwide, fewer than half of girls and only one-fifth of boys are getting immunized.

Kentucky falls in the bottom 10 states for HPV vaccinations, with 37.5 percent of its girls and 13.3 percent of boys aged 13 to 17 vaccinated as of 2014.

The vaccine can be given to females as old as 26 and males as old as 21, but early vaccination is important. The vaccine is less effective if a person has already been exposed to the virus, because it works to prevent HPV before exposure, and not to treat existing HPV infections or associated diseases. Vaccinating adolescents better protects them before they are likely to become sexually active and exposed to the virus.

And therein lies the key reason health experts say most parents don't get their children vaccinated and health providers are hesitant to push this potentially life-saving vaccine: It has to do with sex, Michael Ollove reports for Stateline.

But guess what? Almost 42 percent of Kentucky's high-school students say they have had sexual intercourse, and almost one-third of them say they are currently sexually active, according to the 2015 Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey. And, almost 10 percent of the state's middle-school students say they have had sex.

Opponents of the vaccine being given to adolescents argue that it encourages them to engage in sex because it removes the fear of contracting HPV, but at least one study shows no increase in sexual activity in girls who have been immunized, Ollove reports.

Health officials often lament that the vaccine wasn't originally sold to the public as an anti-cancer vaccine rather than one to prevent a sexually transmitted disease, Ollove reports.

�It should have been pushed out as an anti-cancer drug,�Walt Orenstein, a professor of medicine at Emory University and the former director of the National Immunization Program at the CDC, told Ollove. �People didn�t understand why their children needed this drug when they were still years away from being sexually active.�

Ollove notes other reasons for low vaccination rates: Health-care providers often don't stress the importance of the vaccine; many don't promote the vaccine because they aren't comfortable talking about sex with their young patients or their parents; and many providers feel the vaccine is not urgent because most adolescents in middle school are not sexually active. Another barrier is that the the HPV vaccine requires three inoculations over several months; the CDC shows a dramatic drop-off between the first and last doses.

Citing Noel Brewer, who does research on immunizations at the University of North Carolina and has studied parental and provider attitudes toward HPV, Ollove writes, "Contrary to what doctors may believe, parents are interested in the vaccine and a strong recommendation from a physician correlates highly with youngsters getting the full course of vaccinations."

Ollove notes that mandatory HPV immunizations have not proven to be successful. �Mandates are a last resort after you�ve built consensus that they are a good thing to do,� Orenstein told him.

Health policy researchers say that "reminder and recall" notices are the best way to keep patients up to date on vaccinations, and yet this is not a common practice, Ollove reports.

Insurance will cover the cost of the HPV vaccine and the Vaccines for Children Program will cover the vaccine at no cost for children who don't have insurance and are younger than 19. Call 800-232-4636 for more details.

The Kentucky Rural Health Association in collaboration with the Kentucky Immunization Program and the state Division of Women's Health will be hosting Kentucky's HPV Summit, "HPV: You ARE the Key!," at the Embassy Suites in Lexington June 21. The cost is $40 until June 1 and $55 afterward. Click here to register.

Thursday, 14 April 2016

Princess Health and April 14th, 2016 Calling An Audible. Princessiccia

Princess Health and April 14th, 2016 Calling An Audible. Princessiccia

Add Comment
April 14th, 2016 Calling An Audible

Keeping it relatively short tonight and getting more sleep. It was a very busy-productive day on many fronts--and proudly, I can say: I maintained the integrity of my weight maintenance calorie budget, I remained abstinent from refined sugar, I exceeded my water goal, grabbed a great workout and was active in spot-support exchanges via text.

The original plan tonight was to have my oldest daughter and her husband over for dinner. I planned on grilling. Instead, time became short--and when a grocery trip was needed before I could start dinner, we called an audible and decided to dine out.

I planned on grilling some really good, lean burgers--and using a sugar free/flour free sprouted grain Ezekiel bun for me. When we changed plans--I decided to still have a burger...if, I could get the restaurant to use my Ezekiel bun instead of theirs.

This was by far the boldest request I've ever made at a restaurant. It was a little easier to do considering this is a place that knows me very well. In fact--in my 500 pound days, this was a frequent spot for me. The staff, especially ownership/management, are all the same as back in the pre-transformation days. I rarely dine there--maybe a few times a year now--but back then, oh my-- at least a few, maybe more, per month. They've witnessed my transformation and they know how important I make what I do--and they've always honored special requests.

Tonight's request was received with enthusiasm. Not only did the owner accommodate my request, she also copied down the information about sugar/flour free Ezekiel and mentioned considering making it available for their customers. That's very cool.

Tomorrow starts a very VERY busy weekend for me. I have a midday speaking engagement for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, a fundraising golf tournament for which I'm on the host/organizing board (and unfortunately can't play in--not that I play--but it's a scramble, so it doesn't matter how horrible I play), a three to five pm location broadcast at a car dealer followed by traveling to my hometown comedy club to open two stand-up comedy shows tomorrow night (and two shows Saturday). I may have stretched my schedule too thin. It will take some exceptional planning and strategic maneuvering to insure my success. We'll see how this unfolds!

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:














































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean

Princess Health and Teens who talk to their parents about sex make the best choices; Clark County will offer parenting classes on sex communication. Princessiccia

Add Comment
In an average Kentucky high school class of 30 students, almost 13 of the teenagers say they have had sexual intercourse at least once, but many of them have never discussed sex with their parents.

And while Kentucky parents may think their children are learning about sex in the classroom because Kentucky mandates sex education, they may not realize that the state has no set curriculum for fact-based, comprehensive sex education, and the only thing required to be taught is abstinence -- an approach that has been proven ineffective, Aaron Yarmuth reports for Leo Weekly in an in-depth article about sex education in the state.

This lack of parent-teen communication about sex has prompted a study in Clark County that will include classes to help parents become more comfortable talking about sex with their children, Whitney Leggett reports for The Winchester Sun.

The classes will be led by Shannon Phelps of Winchester as part of her research to earn a doctorate in interdisciplinary education sciences from the University of Kentucky, Leggett reports. It is funded by a $15,700 grant from the Clark County Community Foundation.

�Because the subject matter is not one that many people are comfortable with, part of the objective is to help increase parents� comfort in discussing sexual health topics so they will be more likely to address those topics with their children,� Phelps told Leggett.

"The overall goals of the program are to increase frequency and quality of parent-child sexual health communication, improve parents� comfort and confidence in their communication with their children about sexual health topics and increase openness of sexual communication between parents and their children," Leggett writes. "Topics will range from abstinence to safe sex, contraception, resisting peer pressure and communicating with potential partners, among others."

Phelps said the six week courses will promote parent-child sexual health communication, which is associated with better sexual health outcomes for young people.

�Research tells us that children, especially adolescents, who have parents who communicate with them about sexual health topics have better sexual health outcomes,� Phelps told Leggett. �That follows logic... Sometimes parents are hesitant to talk to their children for fear that they�ll go and have risky sexual behaviors, but research tells us the opposite.�

Phelps told Leggett that studies show that when parents talk to their children about sex, "it can delay the onset of sexual behaviors and reduce unintended outcomes like sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies," Leggett writes.

For more information email Phelps at shannon.phelps@uky.edu, or call 859-621-1065.

A study published in the Pediatric Journal of the American Medical Association found that nearly one-fourth of youth report that they have not discussed sexual topics with their parents, and even fewer report that they have had meaningful, open conversations with them about this subject. The study attributes this poor communication to parental embarrassment, parents' lack of accurate knowledge of the subject, and poor self-efficacy.

It's a topic that needs discussion in Kentucky because almost 10 percent of the state's middle-school students have had sexual intercourse and almost one-third of its high school students are sexually active, according to the 2015 Kentucky Middle and High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey.  The survey found that overall, 41.7 percent of Kentucky's high school students have had sexual intercourse at least once.

And there is an obvious disconnect related to birth control. Kentucky ranks seventh in teen births, at 39.5 births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19, according to America's Health Rankings. The 2015 YRBS found that 14.5 percent of high school students did not use any birth- control during the last time they had sexual intercourse.

Wednesday, 13 April 2016

Princess Health and April 13th, 2016 As Real As It Gets. Princessiccia

Princess Health and April 13th, 2016 As Real As It Gets. Princessiccia

Add Comment
April 13th, 2016 As Real As It Gets

I feel like I've been in constant catch up mode over the last couple days. I think I typically do well at replying to questions or just saying thank you for a nice compliment, and replying, especially to emails, is very important to me-so it's been exceptionally challenging for me, mentally, to not be able to keep up of late. The outpouring of support after the Today Show segment has been a monumental blessing to me. As it is most of the time, it might take some time--and especially with emails to transformation.road@gmail.com, but I'll reply when I can!

This experience is an opportunity for personal growth. I believe any challenge worth the effort provides numerous opportunities for growth. I'm in that place, it seems. It feels good. It feels right. Rest assured, if you've posted something to my facebook page--or tweeted me, I sincerely appreciate you and the connection you're making.

If you go back in the archives to September 15th, 2008 and read the Day 1 post, you'll find this at the end:
"I look forward to this blog. I believe it will help me stay on track and maybe along the way it will inspire someone else to stay on track."

I've stayed true to this from Day 1. I maintain this daily blog, the MyFitnessPal logging and the accountability Tweets for me. These are "rails" of accountability and support I've installed along my path to help create stability and ultimately, consistency. I had no idea how many would follow along, relate and be affected in a positive way--and this has been a huge--and very unexpected blessing. I'm passionate about sharing what I do and how I do it--and how these things work for me.

While we're all different--and what works for me may not be what will work for you, over the last seven and a half years I've discovered that the mental/emotional and psychological dynamics are where we find the most common ground, regardless of our individual methods of losing weight. That's what makes this blog all-inclusive.

But again, I do it for me and my continued recovery and healthy weight maintenance. Someone recently suggested how I might be addicted to attention--based on all I do in these efforts. Nope! You got the wrong guy! Here's the thing: I'm going to keep on keeping on regardless of how many or who reads this blog. I'm NOT performing here. I'm being as real as it gets--and I never forget those words I wrote on Day 1.

For those who know me personally and the ones who have worked with me through the two exclusive teleconference support groups I co-facilitate with Life Coach Gerri and Kathleen Miles and the ones I've worked with one on one--they know me--they know very well where my heart and passion lives. They know why I do what I do. They've felt my emotion and heard my tears on the telephone line.

I hope you'll continue following along--and I appreciate the measure of accountability and support it provides me--and it is my sincere hope that something I express, at some point--strikes you in a monumental way.

Ultimately, it's all you, my friend. You're the one doing the work and building the fire within you. If this blog--or anything I say or do, provides a spark--and you diligently turn that spark into a burning fire for change--that, to me, is such a beautiful thing. And I know in my heart--you can do this, too. It's in you. You know how I know? Because I'm no different from you. Sure, our personal life circumstances may be wildly different--but when notes are compared on the mental-emotional elements required along the way, we're remarkably the same. I don't have special weight loss and maintenance powers! If I can choose change before change chooses me--I know you can as well.

The Today Show experience was a dream come true. Would I LOVE to do more of that type of thing?? Of course. I feel very confident and calm in that environment. But if an opportunity like that never ever comes along again, as long as I live--I'm happy, right here. And I will continue doing what I do--right here, every day. Because the bottom line is: I must always take care of me and the fundamental elements of my continued recovery and weight maintenance success...and when I do that, when I take care of me, first and foremost--everything else falls into place.

photo IMG_1169_zps3rx2yknm.jpg
This instantly became my favorite picture of mom. There's so much love in her heart and eyes. I wouldn't be where I am today had it not been for this amazing woman. My goodness, I love her so very much.

It was an honor to be inducted into The Joy Fit Club alongside Hope Church. In the picture below, Joy and Hope check out Hope's inspirational bracelet. After our segment was over and we all said goodbye to Joy and other Today Show staff--Hope, her husband Jeremy and I talked for about a half an hour. We concluded that our conversations could have gone on all day. When you get two people together who have experienced a massive transformation in multi-faceted ways, the commonalities seem endless. It was pure pleasure. They're amazing people. I love occasionally featuring other people's blogs--and I've provided the link to Hope's blog on her Facebook page, below the picture. You'll be inspired--I guarantee!
photo thumb_IMG_4310_1024_zpssiqbpexd.jpg
https://m.facebook.com/Healthy-Happy-Hope-612967995522969/

I'm allowing the Tweets to take me the rest of the way tonight. Are we cool? Good deal. :)

Today's Live-Tweet Stream:
















































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)