A blog about Health & Wellness, News, and Kern County.
Real Name: Emily Hagedorn Member Since: April 08, 2006 Last Signed In: July 22, 2008 Profile Views: 9440 Blog Views: 44445 Pinpointing health alerts on global map Bakersfield native chronicles eating disorder struggle Medical school in Bakersfield? Trespassing or protecting public health? Tax hikes vs. funds for health care, education Protect yourself against 'seasonal amnesia' Is there anything good about mosquitoes? West Nile problems all over the country First Californian diagnosed with West Nile in 2008 'Access to vital health care is at stake for all Californians' August 06 September 06 October 06 November 06 December 06 January 07 February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 Here's some sites I find useful and interesting: Some fun blogs I like, some health and some random: Got a blog or link to add to this list? Please let me know at ehagedorn@bakersfield.com. 
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This show takes reality TV to a whole new level.
A Dutch television network is launching "The Big Donor," in which a terminally ill woman will pick who to give her kidneys to out of three contestants with kidney problems.
Her choice will be based on the contestants' history, profile and conversations with their families and friends, according to RTE News.
Viewers will also be able to send text messages to her with their opinions.
"BNN (the network) says it wants to...
The U.S. government is undertaking some very ambitious and very controversial medical experiments.
The $50 million, five-year project, which will involve more than 20,000 patients in 11 sites in the United States and Canada, is designed to improve treatment after car accidents, shootings, cardiac arrest and other emergencies, according to a story from the Washington Post.
Since the people who sustain these injuries are often unconscious, they will not be able to give their consent.
...
You may have heard all of these before, but if you haven't or are in need of a refresher, here's 10 steps to better health, courtesy of California First Lady Maria Shriver.
10 steps for parents:
If you eat healthfully, your family will too.
When your family's thirsty, serve water.
Eat fruits and vegetables every day.
Make sure snacks are healthy.
Teach your family about good portion sizes.
Breastfeed your baby.
Be active with your kids.
...
The red smudge in the center of the blue state of California may be more liberal than you think.
A recent study from the Public Health Institute found that 89 percent of Central Valley parents support comprehensive sex ed (abstinence, condoms and birth control) over an abstinence-only approach.
This falls in line with the rest of the state. Over 90 percent of parents in Los Angeles approve of comprehensive sex ed. The Central Valley even scored higher than other stereotypically...
Yoda knew something was up with Anakin Skywalker, and finally someone agrees with him.
Reporting their findings at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting, researchers have determined that the young Darth Vader meets the criteria for borderline personality disorder, right in time for Star Wars' 30th anniversary.
"He's suffering. And he's suffering from a disorder," said Dr. Eric Bui, a psychiatrist in Toulouse, France, and the study's co-author, in a Wired...
Disclaimer: Sexually transmitted diseases are very serious. It's always better to know what you have so you can protect yourself from infecting others. And if you find out you have one, you should tell your partner/partners, so they can be tested.
And not to take away from the toll STDs take on an individual, but here are some comical "alternative inspot e-cards to anonymously inform your partners that they might have been exposed to an STD," courtesy of McSweeny's.
Heck,...
Six people have already accidentally drowned this year.
Help make sure you and your loved ones aren't added to that tally.
The health department, Department of Human Services and the fire department offer the following tips on having a safe Memorial Day and summer.
Home safety:
Always supervise children. Swimming lessons do not replace adult supervision. When children fall into water unexpectedly, they will panic and not remember how to float or swim.
Never...
Photos of the pristine Big Mac dripping with cheese couldn't be true, though that's the image we normally have in our heads when ordering.
This site shows it like it actually is.
Thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm compares advertising photos of the fast-food big hitters — Arby's Beef 'n' Cheddar, KFC's Famous Bowl and Burger King's Whopper, among others — to what you actually get when you plop down a couple bucks at the nearest fast-food counter.
If you have problems staying...
My day started with the bloody diarrhea of the local E. coli outbreak and now I've moved on to menstrual flow.
Talk about an ... ummm ... interesting day.
The first birth-control pill that can halt women's menstrual periods indefinitely won Food and Drug Administration approval today.
Called Lybrel, it is designed to be taken without the placebo or pill-free time interval, according to the FDA news release. Women who use Lybrel would not have a scheduled menstrual period, but will...
OK, let's get graphic.
Following the county health department's theory, the children originally sickened in the recent E. coli outbreak — the two children who were sick before the notorious water slide party — came to the party and used the slide.
They were shedding E. coli bacteria in their feces even if they didn't appear sick.
Perhaps they hadn't cleaned their backsides well enough — we can't know for sure — but some of that bacteria from the feces mixed...
The state's uninsured population are overwhelmingly U.S. citizens and documented residents, according to a UCLA study.
The study, which is part of the California Health Interview Survey, found:
One in five of the 4.8 million Californians who were uninsured at the time they were interviewed in 2005 was an undocumented resident adult.
In addition to the 1,038,000 uninsured undocumented adults, 136,000 undocumented children were also uninsured.
Seventy-five percent of...
The county health department came out Monday with its idea of how E. coli bacteria was spread to nine children and one adult.
Two children contracted the bacteria between April 16 and April 24.
They spread it to the other children by a water slide (see image) at a backyard party on April 26. Water is a good conduit for E. coli.
More children came in contact with the bacteria by playing with the children who would eventually become sick at parties the weekend of...
Vicki Moore awoke on her birthday, May 3, to find banners up, loved ones singing "Happy Birthday" and a Krispy Kreme doughnut brought in from Fresno especially for her.
She enjoyed two strawberry-filled cakes with butter cream icing — her favorite cake — and a private screening of "Dirty Dancing" — her favorite movie — in her living room.
Covering the walls were birthday cards sent to her from friends, family and people who have followed her...
Reporters get inundated with press packets and releases every day.
For example, I just got a release blaming high heel shoes for an increase in urinary tract infections. Don't know the validity of that argument, but I've been surprised before.
David Burger, the entertainment reporter, just shared with me a couple entertainment releases with important public health messages.
The first one is for Sesame Street Live, which is coming to Rabobank Arena May 15 and 16. In the character...
The county Department of Public Health is working to confirm what exactly sickened 12 local children. (Read "Outbreak said to be contained" in Wednesday's Californian.)
Here's a primer on some of the foodborne diseases being talked about.
E. coli enteritis
Cause: eating foods containing the bacteria, not washing your hands after going to the bathroom and then touching people and food.
Risk factors: recent family illness with E. coli, recent family illness with vomiting or...
Location:
10800 Rosslyn Lane,
Bakersfield, CA
If you haven't yet, please read "Unknown illness strikes four" in today's Californian. I'm still following this story, so look for updates over the next few days. Here's the gist: At least one child has been put on dialysis and as many as three others have been hospitalized with symptoms similar to foodborne illnesses. Three of the children are kindergartners in the same class at Ronald Reagan Elementary School. The other is a preschooler at St. Philip the Apostle and is...
I’ve never been to the Kentucky Derby. I’ve never sipped on a bourbon-filled mint julep.
And I don’t even know what’s in burgoo.
For a Kentuckian, these may as well be cardinal sins.
But before you lambaste me for not being true to my roots, let me tell you that I am proud of my home state. My cell phone’s wallpaper bears the image of the “Florence Y’all” water tower in my hometown of Florence, Ky. I graduated from the University of...
The family of Vicki Moore, a Bakersfield mother of two who is battling cancer, is asking local residents to help them celebrate Moore’s birthday.
They want to shower Moore in funny cards for her 37th birthday, which is Thursday, said Beth Cheatwood, Moore’s mother. The cards will make her laugh and show her the support she has.
“She’s done so much better than anybody dared hope,” Cheatwood said. “That’s why this birthday is so...
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