The Girl who was always awake and never slept

Christina Speirs, 22, of New York, exercised almost every single day, taught yoga and stayed in top shape. What she thought was a product of drinking too much water turned out to be a cancerous tumor growing inside her.

‘I had a lot of energy,’ Ms Speirs said. ‘I wasn't sleeping... I was always on the go, I was never tired.’
Ms Speirs thought the high amounts of water she was drinking caused her to wake up often during the night, so she did nothing about it until a medical
exam made a shocking discovery.

Doctors discovered last fall that her blood pressure was high, ‘through the roof’ high, but her potassium levels were low – it stumped them.
‘That really freaked me out because them not knowing what's wrong with me, they're doctors, you know?’ Said Ms Speirs.
After ruling out a heart condition, doctors checked her kidneys at the urging of her mother.
The sonogram stumped doctors as well, it appeared she had one combined kidney, throwing the co-ed into further panic as she was whisked to an MRI.
The MRI showed she had two kidneys, but instead she horrifyingly had a tumor almost the size of a grapefruit growing inside her.
‘I was in complete shock,’ Ms Speirs recalled to ABC, saying she called her parents because she needed surgery. ‘Then, I got so upset honestly. I had no idea where this came from.’

Doctors removed the tumor, stage 2 cancer. Described as adrenal cortical carcinoma, the tumor was growing on her liver – it affects one in several hundred thousand people, Ms Speirs’ doctor told ABC.

She is now cancer-free, but takes medication to stay that way. One of the side effects of the medication happens to be drowsiness – she can’t do hot yoga
anymore, but now she can sleep.

Miracle babies

              

Three years old Kaydence Theriault  and her fellow triplets Taylor and Kaylin were all born with Crouzon Syndrome, which causes a baby's head to become misshapen.Kaydence had the most severe form doctors had ever seen because her skull was shaped like a cloverleaf. The toddler has had to undergone pioneering surgery to prevent her brain from being squashed. 

Most children born with the condition have surgery before they are 18 months old to separate the skull before it fuses but Kaydence's condition was so severe the bones were already joining together, pushing her head into an odd shape at the top and sides, like a three-leaved clover.

Mrs Theriault and her eldest son Jayden, eight, also have Crouzon Syndrome, which Mrs Theriault inherited from her father. But each of them has a milder form and underwent small operations just before they were one. Kaydence on the other hand,needed emergency surgery to open up her skull at two months old, as soon as she was strong enough, so her brain would have room to grow.Three months later, a team of expert surgeons came together at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis to perform a delicate operation to reshape her head. World famous cranio-facial surgery Dr Kenneth Salyer, from Texas, was brought in to help with the surgery, which took place in May 2010 and lasted eight-and-a half hours. Neurosurgeon Dr Ronald Young said: 'The only way to reshape the head is to take that bone apart and put it back together in a different shape and that's what we did.'
The other two of the triplets Taylor and Kaylin, who had a milder form of Crouzon, underwent their surgeries at seven months old and are also doing well.

'We're so happy they can all have a normal life," said the parents. We love those doctors for what they have done for our family.

Healthy eating tips

Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

1: Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating.
2: Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of our food. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
3: Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.
4: Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.
5: Avoid eating at night. Try to eat dinner earlier in the day and then fast for 14-16 hours until breakfast the next morning. Early studies suggest that this simple dietary adjustment—eating only when you’re most active and giving your digestive system a long break each day—may help to regulate weight.

Viagra DOESN'T improve relationships: Men who took the drug said their overall life satisfaction hadn't changed

They have long been hailed as a way to spice things up between the sheets - and boost a flagging relationship.But experts have now warned that erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra aren't the cure-all many men hope they will be.Researchers found that many men said their lives or relationships hadn't improved significantly after taking the drugs.
They reviewed 40 clinical trials of men with impotence to see how taking drugs for it had changed their lives, LiveScience reports.The medication in question was PDE5 inhibitors, which work by relaxing the blood vessels, allowing blood flow for an erection.Viagra is the best known one and other brands include tadalafil (brand name Cialis) and vardenafil (Levitra).Before taking the tablets, men in the clinical trials had said their quality of life and relationships were 'relatively good', but there were issues with sexual satisfaction.

MORE...

Many of these men also had depression symptoms and felt low, the website reports.While the medication did generally increase the men's satisfaction and self-esteem, they didn't report an improvement in their overall life satisfaction or their overall relationship satisfaction.Experts say the study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, highlights the need to highlight psychological issues, and not just the mechanics.Dr Andrew Kramer, a urologist at the University of Maryland Medical Centre, told LiveScience: 'It's simplistic to think that fixing an erection issue would solve relationship issues. Happiness is very complicated, and erections are just one small piece of it... a lot of couples still need additional therapy.'

HOW DOES VIAGRA WORK?

Viagra helps by elevating the levels of the chemical that causes the tissues in the body to relax.The effects on erectile function were discovered accidentally - it was originally developed to improve blood supply to the heart in angina sufferers.It is prescribed for patients such as Mr Aziz, who have restricted blood flow, because it's artery-widening properties mean blood can get to the muscles that need it.However its effect on the arteries can also have negative effects: patients who take the drug may suffer from flushed skin. It can also cause headaches and nausea.
The research paper added that there is 'growing evidence that the negative effects of erectile dysfunction extend beyond the inability to have sex, and impact men’s emotional and psychological well-being.'Treatments that target both physical and psychosocial aspects of ED are likely to be the most effective treatments for men with ED,' the study said.Though erectile dysfunction is more common in older men - around 65 per cent of the over-60s suffer from it - around 40 per cent of men will have suffered from the problem by the age of 40.There are many physical causes for it, explains Dr Arun Ghosh, a GP specialising in sexual health at the Spire Liverpool Hospital.It can be caused by nerve damage from diabetes, or surgery for prostate cancer.Another cause is reduced blood flow due to smoking, raised cholesterol levels or high blood pressure. Common medications such as anti-depressants and blood pressure tablets can also hamper performance, as can stress and even regular cycling.Dr Ghosh says the problem is also closely bound up with flagging libido: ‘A lot of these men are suffering from testosterone deficiency syndrome, due to reaching their 40s and putting on weight around the stomach.‘This causes testosterone levels to drop, resulting in a loss of libido and erectile function. It’s worth asking for a blood test if you hit 40 and start developing these symptoms.
As well as the problem of mechanics, there is a psychological component to erectile dysfunction. ‘If you’ve had a problem even once before, then you’re always going to be worried it will happen again,’ explains Dr Ghosh.‘In fact, one of the main roles of any treatment is to give men a psychological boost. It’s vitally important to use treatment alongside some kind of sexual counselling or therapy, even if the cause is due to something physical such as diabetes.‘A man’s partner will often say: “Don’t worry about it” — but even if he’s trying not to think about his performance, he will think about not thinking about it. And before you know it, performance anxiety has kicked in.‘Anxiety and stress stop the pituitary gland secreting the hormones needed for sex. The body goes into “fight or flight” mode, shutting down all non-essential functions — with sex being one of them.’

How to loose weight 1

Your weight is a balancing act, and calories are part of that equation. Fad diets may promise you that counting carbs or eating a mountain of grapefruit will make the pounds drop off. But when it comes to weight loss, it's calories that count. Weight loss comes down to burning more calories that you take in. You can do that by reducing extra calories from food and beverages and increasing calories burned through physical activity.

Once you understand that equation, you're ready to set your weight-loss goals and make a plan for reaching them. Remember, you don't have to do it alone. Talk to your doctor, family and friends for support. Also, plan smart: Anticipate how you'll handle situations that challenge your resolve and the inevitable minor setbacks.

If you have serious health problems because of your weight, your doctor may suggest weight-loss surgery or medications for you. In this case, you and your doctor will need to thoroughly discuss the potential benefits and the possible risks.

But don't forget the bottom line: The key to successful weight loss is a commitment to making permanent changes in your diet and exercise habits.

Every Young Woman Should Know these important things about Breast Cancer

The advice just isn't the same when you're under 40. Let doctors, advocates, and some very brave survivors enlighten you.

breast-cancer-survivors

When I was 34 I found a lump in my breast, and all I heard was a chorus of "Don't worry!" First from myself: As a health reporter who had covered the topic of breast cancer for this very magazine, I knew that the majority of lumps in women my age were benign. Next from the nurse at my gynecologist's office: "I'm sure it's not cancerous." Then from my boyfriend: "You don't have a family history!" My friends: "It's probably nothing!" And even from a top-notch breast surgeon: "This doesn't feel like cancer to me."

But it was.

And in part because of all that back patting and wait-and-seeing, it took a full 15 months for my lump to be diagnosed, by which time it was Stage 2B, having commandeered a lymph node in my armpit (my ticket for eight rounds of chemotherapy). I now have a nearly 20 percent chance of dying from the disease in the next 10 years—becoming one of the 2,300-plus U.S. women under 45 whose lives are cut short by breast cancer annually. Even three years later, thinking about those 15 months when I now know that cancer was inside me— growing...spreading?—still makes me hyperventilate.

Some experts might say that waiting is prudent, that in general we tend to over-, not underscreen, women for cancer. But if you're a young woman with a lump, you don't care about statistics; you care about your health. After all, every year, for 11,000 American women under 40, that thing that's "probably nothing" turns out to be something.

How can we move forward feeling empowered, not afraid? With facts. Here are eight of the most important ones that every young woman should know.

1. Breast cancer isn't common in young women—but it's deadlier than you think.
The odds you'll get breast cancer by age 40: one in 173. This means you're more likely to receive the diagnosis than win the lottery, but less likely to get breast cancer than die in a motor vehicle accident. (The disease is more common in older women; the lifetime odds are one in eight.) Yet when young women do get cancer, they often get nasty cases. Five-year survival rates for women under 30 with cancer are about 82 percent, compared with 90 percent for those older than 40. Some reasons for the disparity: Young women's breast cancers tend to be the hereditary and/or more aggressive types.

2. It's also harder to spot cancer in young women's breasts.
"We don't have a good way to pick needles out of haystacks when it comes to younger women's breasts," says Ann Partridge, M.D., director of the Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. For women 40 and over, the American Cancer Society recommends annual mammograms because breast cancer begins to be more common around that age and because X-rays can better reveal tumors in older women's breasts. But mammograms don't work as well for young women, who have denser breasts, says former breast surgeon Susan Love, M.D., author of Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book: "On a mammogram, dense breast tissue is white, and breast cancer is white. It's like looking for a polar bear in the snow."

In fact, "in women with the densest breasts, mammograms miss over 60 percent of cancers," adds Thomas Kolb, M.D., a diagnostic radiologist in New York City. But ultrasound scans, a.k.a. sonograms, do find the vast majority of those tumors, he says. What you can do: Pay attention to breast discharge, skin changes, or lumps that persist or grow. If your doctor is uncertain about a lump seen on a mammogram, demand an ultrasound or other diagnostic tests. And get clinical breast exams every one to three years before age 40, and every year after that.

3. Pregnancy can both raise and lower your risk.
You may have heard that having kids and breast-feeding lessens the risk of breast cancer. Actually, once you give birth to your first child, you have a slightly increased risk for developing breast cancer over the next five to 10 years. "One hypothesis is that the hormones that turn your breasts into milk factories may also stimulate dormant cancer cells to grow," explains Dr. Love.

After that 10-year window, though, the cancer-protective benefits of having had a baby can kick in. "Breast cells don't mature until you go through pregnancy and start breast-feeding," says Marc Hurlbert, Ph.D., executive director of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. Mature cells are better able to copy DNA accurately, so there's less chance for a cancer-causing mutation to occur. "Even when a woman is 90, if she never had children, her breast cells will still be immature, which makes them more susceptible to carcinogens," he says. (That's why breast cancer was once called the nuns' disease. Seriously.) What all this means is that if you're pregnant or nursing, you shouldn't write off a change in your breast as just a pregnancy thing—tell your doctor.

"What I Wish I'd Known About Breast Cancer"

These women have all reached the critical five-year survival mark—and they're sharing their hard-won wisdom with you.

"Don't blame yourself.
In my social circle, a lot of people talk about 'the secret'—the idea that you create your own reality. Some even implied that U was the cause of my cancer! That blame-the-victim mentality is destructive." —Mimi Ferraro, 37

"No one is invincible.
I was 21 and returning from studying abroad. I had so many plans for the future, none of which involved breast cancer. Everyone said being young kept me healthy, but it made me ignore the risks young women face." —Liz Stower, 26

"Get your checkups.
My gynecologist found my lump at a regular exam. If i'd skipped the appointment, the cancer would have gone undiscovered for some time. Be proactive about your health: you could save your life." —Latoya Davis Parker, 38

"Know your dad's history.
People are still misinformed about the fact that BRCA gene mutations can be passed down from the father's side. If i had known that, I might have gotten some kind of imaging much sooner." —Sara Nevares, 36

"Demand the best care.
After I found a lump, it took months to get a doctor to refer me for a mammogram. I finally realized we were talking about my life: never settle for medical treatment that is less than you deserve." —Jen Cowell, 35

"It's OK to get angry.
It's also ok to find humor in the situation. In one early appointment, the doctors were feeling my breasts; I started laughing because all I could think was that I hadn't been this awkwardly groped since high school." —Aimée Bariteau, 37

4.There is an Angelina Effect.
From the moment Ms. Jolie published an op-ed in The New York Times this spring on her preventive double mastectomy, doctors and genetic counselors have been inundated. "Our number of calls nearly doubled," says Jennifer Ivanovich, a genetic counselor at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Overall it's been positive. If it gets people to ask more questions about their family history, I'm in favor of that." Peter Beitsch, M.D., president of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, saw a similar spike but notes that fewer than four women in 1,000 have a cancer-related BRCA gene mutation like Jolie did. "For some women the risk is really high," he says, "but for many, my role is to alleviate their fears."

Just how high is your risk? Some familial factors: If you have at least two first-degree relatives (mother, daughter, or sister) who were diagnosed with breast cancer when at least one of them was 50 or younger, or if a male relative had it, or if you have multiple relatives with breast or ovarian cancer, your BRCA mutation odds are elevated, and you should ask your doctor whether you're a candidate for genetic counseling.

The good news: Testing is about to become more affordable. The Supreme Court ruled this summer that companies can't patent naturally occurring genes, so while one companypreviously charged about $4,000 for an analysis of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, you can now get other tests for hundreds of dollars less that cover a wider array of cancer-linked genes, including CDH1, STK11, and PTEN.

That's welcome news to U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), 47, a breast cancer survivor and advocate for better funding and treatment options for women. "When I found out I had the BRCA2 mutation, my first question was, Can I get a second opinion? And they said no: There's only one company that has a patent on this gene and the test for it," recalls Wasserman Schultz, who has been cancer-free for five years. "So I had to make the decision to have a double mastectomy, my ovaries removed, and a total of seven surgeries based on the results of one single test because some company decided it was OK to patent genes that are in every human body." The recent court ruling against gene patenting means, she says, that "other women won't have to make the decisions I did."

5. Young women are getting more mastectomies than they used to—even when they don't need them.
One thing doctors are clear on: Don't assume Angelina's personal decision is right for you. "We've seen a dramatic increase in women under 40 getting mastectomies," says Deborah Axelrod, M.D., director of clinical breast programs and services at the New York University School of Medicine. One study found 56 percent of young women diagnosed with early-stage cancer remove the cancerous breast (versus 38 percent for all women). While it's true certain cancers in young women are aggressive, experts believe some women may also be swayed by fear. "The initial inclination is often 'Oh my gosh! Take my breasts off, take them both off!' " says Dr. Beitsch. The facts: Your odds of surviving breast cancer are often as good whether you're treated with a mastectomy or a lumpectomy with radiation.

For women with BRCA mutations, a bilateral mastectomy might be the best choice. But, says Dr. Love, "It's awful that the best prevention we can offer high-risk women is cutting off normal body parts." Jen Cowell, 35, who opted for a lumpectomy after she was diagnosed five years ago, agrees: "If the only way to prevent testicular cancer was to cut off men's testicles, I don't think society would be as blase about that as they seem to be about mastectomies." Talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of each procedure, and consider getting a second opinion before making your choice.

6. We need more research on younger women (and you can help).
Imagine this: You ask your doctor how treatment will affect your sex life (or memory), and she shrugs and answers, "There isn't any research on that." Ridiculous, right? Happens all the time. Shockingly, the impediment to that research sometimes comes from the breast cancer community, says Wasserman Schultz. When she introduced the EARLY Act, legislation to fund research and education for breast cancer in young women, "some breast cancer organizations opposed the bill because they said it's unnecessary to focus on young women's unique challenges," she says. "I was stunned." (The bill passed in 2010.)

Research is critical. Scientists have made significant progress in treating other cancers when they've been able to conduct large-scale clinical trials; mortality rates for childhood leukemia dropped measurably in the past 40 years due in part to such work. If you're a breast cancer survivor, you can help by volunteering for clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov or breastcancertrials.org. Even 100 percent healthy women can aid research through the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation's website healthofwomenstudy.org.

Funding scientific work is a powerful way to help combat breast cancer, but be wary: "Some organizations put a young woman front and center to say, 'Hey, donate,' while on the back end, they don't contribute to research that directly helps this group," Ivanovich says. Sites like charitynavigator.org can tell you how your dollars are being spent.

7. Babies aren't off the table.
Many patients assume their fertility will be shot after chemo. But "while studies may vary, it seems less than 10 percent of 25-year-old chemo patients experience ovarian failure," says Dr. Beitsch. "At 35, it's about 25 to 35 percent." After that, the pendulum swings: "About three out of four 45-year-olds who go through chemo are pushed into menopause," he says. Fortunately, science is increasingly making it possible for cancer survivors to conceive. If you're diagnosed and want kids someday, do what I did and see fertility specialists to discuss freezing eggs before starting chemo.

8.Your lifestyle matters. Really.
It's easy to feel terrified at the prospect of breast cancer, and there's no one thing you can do to eliminate your risk. But there are small steps you can take: Doctors suggest a varied diet that keeps your body at a healthy weight, since putting on pounds between age 18 and menopause could increase your breast cancer risk as you get older. "You may improve your cancer-prevention odds if you eat healthfully," says Rachel Beller, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. Her advice: Cover half your plate with vegetables at lunch and dinner, and eat fish four times a week in place of meat; get 30 to 35 grams of fiber daily; and keep alcohol to one drink a day, max. Next, start moving: Women who exercise are up to 30 percent less likely than couch potatoes to develop the most common types of breast cancer, research shows. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, divvied up however you like.

As for me, along with gym time and taking it easy at happy hour, I keep pushing for answers. I am a proud participant in six clinical trials (three on my genes, others on my tumor, fertility after chemo, and my implants). After two and a half more years of tamoxifen treatments to try to prevent a recurrence, my fiancé and I will retrieve our children-to-be from frozen storage and move forward with our family plans. Still, research breakthroughs can't come fast enough for me or my sister, who was diagnosed 18 months after I was. For her, for me—for all of us—we need answers now.

The baby saved by her mother's instincts

A mother says she gave birth to a perfectly healthy daughter despite doctors advising her to terminate her pregnancy because the baby was ‘brain damaged’.Liane Stooke, 38, says it was only her mother’s instinct that saved baby Miley, two.Mrs Stooke said: ‘We were told Miley was probably severely brain damaged and wouldn't be able to communicate with or recognise us.
‘It was a terrible decision to have to come to. We agonised over what we should do right up until the last minute.’Mrs Stooke, and her husband Iain, 38, were delighted when they discovered they had conceived their third child.But their joy turned to despair when an MRI scan revealed a shadow on their unborn daughter's brain.
Mrs Stooke said: ‘We were so happy that our two sons would have a little brother or sister.‘It felt awful to see the doctors looking so worried. They immediately ordered another urgent scan.’The repeat scan at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol apparently confirmed Mr and Mrs Stooke's worst fears - their daughter was diagnosed with a condition called holoprosencephaly, meaning she was probably severely brain damaged.
‘The doctors said she might never walk, talk, or recognise our faces,’ said Mrs Stooke, a bank administrator. ‘It was also possible she'd be physically and facially deformed. There were a lot of unknowns.’Although Mrs Stooke was, at 30 weeks pregnant, beyond the normal limit for abortion, doctors advised termination as an option because holoprosencephaly would prevent the child from enjoying a meaningful quality of life.Holoprosencephaly is a condition in which the front part of the brain of an embryo fails to form two hemispheres.The condition varies in severity but about 80 per cent of children with holoprosencephaly have facial abnormalities.

Almost all children with the condition experience developmental delays and many have seizures.Most babies with the condition do not survive infancy.The condition affe
cts about one in 10,000 live-born babies.‘The doctor said it wasn't too late if we wanted to abort the baby - he made it sound almost as if there was no other option,’ said Mrs Stooke.

Making Your Workout Shorter Without Working Out Less

How much time do you spend at the gym? If you're looking to cut those minutes down—like so many of us are—Bay club vice president of fitness and certified personal trainer Jennifer Beaton has some tips for you. After all, she says, "Almost everyone could benefit from getting a more effective workout in less time—and reaching their goals sooner."

Jennifer says you can save minutes—and even, eventually, hours!—using these workout methods:

1: Don't rest so much. "If you can sit down and read the paper between sets, you're likely resting too long," Jennifer says—and wasting your own time. In order to see great results with the same moves—and save time—try "super setting" exercises such as push-ups and squats, so that one muscle group rests while you work another one. You can also switch out resting time with 30 seconds of high-intensity cardio, which can burn more calories and even help in muscle recovery.

2: Forget "steady-state cardio." Don't hop on the treadmill or the elliptical and do the exact same intensity and amount of time every day. "We see many members who do the same 60 minutes of cardio at the same intensity every day for 15 years," Jennifer says. "These individuals no longer see improvements and often start to see declines in overall condition. They would benefit by mixing up their routine, adding intervals and high intensity work."

3: Do dynamic exercises. Instead of heading to the abductor machines or working just your biceps, use movements like squats, lunges, and pull-ups—exercises that use lots of joints and muscle groups. "To get the most bang for your buck, focus on performing movements that recruit as many muscles as possible; those smaller secondary muscles will get plenty of work as they support the larger muscle groups during those movements," Jennifer says.

Skip the hundreds of crunches. "I often see people doing 15 to 20 minutes of crunches in hopes that it'll deliver six-pack abs," Jennifer says. "But their time would be better spent on nutrition, a solid full-body strength routine, and a balanced cardiovascular program."