| Lowdown on the slim down
HOBART -- Having bariatric surgery and then contracting West Nile Virus has made Joan Smith's year fraught with terror. But it could've been a lot different for Smith, a model during The Methodist Hospitals' ReStart Center's fourth annual Weight Loss Showcase and Celebration at Avalon Manor on Saturday. Having just left Hartsfield Village Nursing Home in Munster a week ago after a three-month recuperation, her weight-loss surgery saved her life as she's been planning it. "The doctors told me that if I'd have gone in at 200 pounds more (or the weight she's lost since the surgery), I'd have never left the nursing home," said Smith, who sat stage side with a walker. "I just turned 68, and there's no way I'm ready for that." Each of the nine models showed their pride as they walked the stage.
FDA Approves Nexavar For Patients With Inoperable Liver Cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved Nexavar (sorafenib) for use in patients with a form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma, when the cancer is inoperable. Nexavar was originally approved in 2005 for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer.
"In a randomized clinical trial, the group of patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma who received Nexavar survived 2.8 months longer than the group of patients who didn't receive the drug," said Robert Justice, M.D., director of FDA's division of drug oncology products. "This is an important new treatment option for patients who are fighting this very difficult form of cancer."
According to the National Library of Medicine, hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for 80 to 90 percent of all liver cancers.
How to overcome joint problems and get yourself moving again
Each year, about a half million people in the United States have joint replacement surgery to regain physical function, with a goal of eliminating pain, cane and limp. Hips and knees top the list of joints replaced but other joints, such as shoulders, elbows, ankles, toes and fingers also can undergo replacement. .
A precious gift is given
CUBA -- When some people don't get what they want for Christmas, they may be a little disappointed. When some teens are disappointed they didn't get what they wanted, they are just gonna die.While Ron Lasswell probably won't die if he doesn't get that special Christmas present, his life will change drastically if he does.Ron needs a kidney, and although it won't be in time for Christmas, his daughter-in-law will give him that special gift. .
Break a bone ... not
OSTEOPOROSIS is a disease people often do not know they have until they break a bone. Bone thinning due to osteoporosis affects millions of people around the world. While 80% of those affected are women, men are also at risk, and the disease can strike at any age. Osteoporosis literally means �porous bones� and it is a condition characterised by calcium-depleted bones that become fragile and weak. Between 2-4% of a person�s skeleton is remodelled every year. This means that calcium and other minerals (magnesium, zinc, copper, boron, manganese) leave the bone in a process called resorption and then must be �remodelled� or replaced. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine, and wrist. Any bone can be affected, but of special concern are fractures of the hip and spine.
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