Archive for September, 2009



My 15 year old son is a mad keen golfer, morning noon and night he has a club in his hand! So you can imagine how awful it was for him to suffer from hay fever. His symptoms started in about April and would carry on until well into July. The very worst symptom was the itchy and streaming eyes, followed by the extreme fatigue. At one point it seemed to be affecting his lungs too. Every morning a packet of tissues left with him for school. I felt so sorry for him. He seemed to be able to manage in the classroom but at home and on the golf course he struggled. Medication had no positive effect, they just made him more tired.

I took him to be allergy tested using Muscle Response Testing. He had a string of allergies to foods, chemicals, and various pollens including flowering tree pollens (our back garden is full of trees), roses, grass and weed pollens. Gradually the Allergy Therapist eliminated them all. After about a seven treatments for different allergies/intolerances he came downstairs one morning and said “It’s gone.” The eyes looked fine, no redness, no runny nose. He had a day at school and an evening on the golf course. No problem. Each day went by and I have to say I thought this is all too good to be true, but no symptoms returned. We are now three and a half months down the line and he has had no sign of a return of these symptoms.

I had had experience of alternative healing therapies with some success before, but never such a dramatic and lasting result as this. This positive outcome for my son led me to train to be an Allergy Testing and Elimination Practitioner.



Hay fever can be miserable. For a start it comes every year. And, although it isn’t serious, it does inconvenience you. Sneezing in spasms in public is embarrassing. Itchy eyes can be wearing. A streaming nose means you need a box of tissues with you at all times. If you constantly scratch your itchy palate with your tongue, people may think you’re a bit weird.

What’s s/he doing, they may ask themselves.

But you can learn to deal with your hay fever easily, inexpensively and yourself. All you need to do is to become a bit of a detective and work out your most common symptoms. That and any relevant environmental conditions that may be the cause of your hay fever.

So let’s take a look at the common homeopathic medicines for hay fever for a variety of symptoms.

Aconite is a very useful and highly effective medicine which will stop your symptoms in their tracks, if they came about after a dry wind. In Europe, dry winds are normally easterly, as they are here in Western Australia. But in eastern Australia, they would be westerly. In north America, the east coast would have dry westerly winds, whereas the west coast will have dry easterly winds.

I remember hearing of a child taken badly with appendicitis after a strong dry wind. Luckily a homeopathic doctor was on hand at the hospital. Aconite was administered, which completely resolved the problem. No surgery was required.

But your symptoms may come on at any time with the main focus on your eyes, which are red, itchy and stream. If this sounds familiar, then the homeopathic medicine Euphrasia is likely to help you.

If your symptoms are a streaming nose, so much so that you stuff tissues up it to try to stop the flow, then the homeopathic medicine Allium cepa is more likely to be the one for you.

An itchy palate, nose and/or throat may cause you to rub your tongue continuously over the affected part, or constantly rub your nose, making it red. You may get some odd looks. The homeopathic medicine Wyethia is going to give you the most relief.

Sneezing in spams not only interferes with your life, but people think you might have something contagious, so tend to avoid you. Help is at hand with a homeopathic medicine called Sabadilla.

Home prescribing homeopathic medicines are available from homeopathic pharmacies, health shops, some pharmacies and online.

Rest assured, that even if you selected the wrong medicine and it does you no good, neither will it do you any harm. Just don’t keep taking it after about six doses, if you get no relief from it.



Aplastic anemia is an uncommon but severe disorder related to blood. This is often a result to an unexplainable failure of the bone marrow to produce enough blood cells. The disease is not contagious but can affect patients of any age.

This condition of the blood affects the red, and spongy cavities inside the bones (also known as bone marrow), where different blood cell types are produced – red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. When the bone marrow is damaged, the blood cell production is slowed down or becomes erratic.

Here are some of the most common symptoms of aplastic anemia:

Fatigue Unexpected bleeding Infections Here are some possible causes of aplastic anemia:

Autoimmune disorder. Lupus, one of the autoimmune disorders, can inflict injuries to the body through attacking the healthy cells inside the bone marrow. Use of medication. Certain types of antibiotics and drugs that have strong formulation of chemicals can cause aplastic anemia. Radiation or chemotherapy treatments. This procedure aims to kill cancerous cells but at the same time, they can also damage the body’s healthy cells. Benzene exposure. This is a known carcinogen and toxic substance that when inhaled or ingested for a long period of time may leave fatal effects on the body. Being aware of any of what might be an aplastic anemia cause can be helpful during the diagnosis process.

To diagnose the disease, the doctor would order a series of blood and bone marrow tests. The results would be positive when the blood has very low levels of all the three types of blood cells; and when the bone marrow has very low production of blood cells.

Treatment options are:

Drug therapies – to build immune system of patients; Bone marrow transplantation – only when there are matched donors; Reduced activities – to decrease symptoms of anemia; Isolation – to prevent occurrences of infections to patients; Antibiotics – to control the infection; and Blood transfusion – transfusion of red blood cells helps correct the disorder.



Leukemia is also known as blood cancer. However, this term is a misnomer because rather than causing cancer in the blood, the cancer is caused in the bone marrow and it affects the white blood cells. These cells are responsible for fighting infections, bacteria and viruses that enter our body. Once the white blood cells are affected, our body gets weakened and is exposed to infections.

There are several types of leukemia and the treatment varies depending on the type. However, the two main types of leukemia are acute leukemia and chronic leukemia. Chronic leukemia is considered to be milder; in other words not all the white blood cells are defective and the progress of the disease is much slower than acute leukemia.

Acute leukemia advances rapidly and all the white blood cells are not normal. However, in some cases it is easier to treat than chronic leukemia.

In the United States, each year thousands of people are diagnosed with acute leukemia. However, it has been seen that a large number of children, mostly around 4 years old, are afflicted more frequently by acute leukemia. The good news is that more and more cases are being cured and there is constant research for new medication and treatment methods.

The cause of acute leukemia is unknown. The only thing that one can say for certain is that some people are at a higher risk of getting the disease than others. People who are exposed to radiations or certain chemicals have the highest chance of contracting the disease. In addition, there is the hereditary factor. It has been seen that children receive the defective gene from their mother and this gene may lead to acute leukemia.

People who have leukemia tend to bruise easily or bleed easily from the nose and gums. In addition to weak immune system, there is a general feeling of fatigue and unexplained weight loss. The disease by itself does not have any specific symptoms.



Back in my outside catering days, I always used to like a challenge. Either I’d contract to produce dishes that were technically difficult for the numbers involved, or else I’d agree to something when I had no idea how I could possibly manage it.

I saw it as a way of constantly raising my game. It exercised my mind (gave me the odd nightmare) and meant that I was forever wresting success from the jaws of failure, arms plunged deep into great mounds of foodstuffs, the air blue with expletives.

Yet, in some ways the hardest thing I ever did was to produce devilled eggs for 120 people. Technically, it couldn’t have been simpler: hard boil eggs, make filling, stuff eggs and serve.

In fact the sheer simplicity of it was the problem. You can use complexity both to mask flaws and as a means of evading issues.

The thing about the eggs was this: they were either right or they were wrong; the shell either came off neatly or the whites looked as if a rat had nibbled them; you either shaved a tiny layer off the rounded base of each half or they skeetered across plates with an alarming propensity to nose-dive onto the floor.

Life is like that. It’s not easy, but it is simple; or at least it can be. What’s the difference, you might ask? The two words are often used more or less interchangeably, but their opposites are not synonyms. The opposite of easy is difficult, whereas the opposite of simple is complex.

We tend to assume that life is complex, but it doesn’t have to be. It is always our response to life and, more specifically, the problems that confront us, that make for the difficulty.

Human beings are easily paralysed by indecision. We have the intellectual capacity to entertain various different thoughts and points of view about a single situation; and we do so more or less simultaneously. Sometimes these thoughts and points of view are not even our own. They’ve been programmed into us, at some point, by a Significant Other. Yet they can clamour so much louder than our own thoughts as to drown them out.

When this happens we waste enormous quantities of time and energy going round in ever decreasing circles before we arrive at a decision. What’s more, that decision may well be the thing we first thought of, but were discouraged from implementing by all the other thoughts and viewpoints that we gave ‘headspace’ to.

Sharon, my little furry canine guru with the big brown eyes is rarely given to indecision. Generally she is a concrete thinker, who quickly weighs up a situation and proceeds to take appropriate action – except when things get truly complicated. As a puppy, when she occasionally visited my Alexander training school, extraordinary events would sometimes faze her.

The Alexander ‘juggling’ sessions were particularly baffling for her – as they would have been for any onlooker. In these sessions students threw juggling balls up into the air, and let them drop to the floor if the balls did not fall directly back down into their hands.

For Sharon it was most problematic. She would observe intently, start towards one ball, then hear another fall and another, until she did not know where to start. Not unlike most humans.

But Sharon has a small mouth and a quick spirit. She isn’t given to “what if’s” and “ah but’s”, so she would act on the two certainties she had: first, that she could only pick up one ball at a time and, second, that she stood to miss out all the way round if she did nothing.

Sharon was well aware of the pitfalls of inaction. Instead she would focus on one ball, swiftly move into action and visit the force of her small, furry personality on that ball.

How many humans are as quick to register that doing nothing can be just as harmful as doing something rash? And why does a quick decision have to be rash?

The point is; life becomes complicated and confusing when we try to chase a number of balls simultaneously. When we focus on one at a time, we stand the best chance of dealing with it effectively and then turning our attention to the next one.

Simplicity is opting for one course of action at any given time and following through.

When you do that, what happens to all the other problems clamouring for your attention? Strange to say, a lot of them seem either to fade away or to resolve themselves.

By opting for a single course of action you sweep away the fertile soil of uncertainty in which anxieties, doubts and problems proliferate. In other words, you simplify things down to manageable proportions.

You may not have it in your power to make life easy, but it’s well within your power to simplify it.

(C) 2005 Annie Kaszina



This is a Catch-22; in attempting to raise awareness on animal abuse issues, animal advocacy groups, the law officials and concerned citizens publicize the details of horrific animal abuse crimes but in our efforts to raise awareness are we actually helping to perpetrate more crimes?

Take the Michael Vick case, a high profile, celebrity, animal cruelty, dog fighting case. It has been publicized to the point that people who never heard of Michael Vick now know who he is and what he’s done. People who never knew the horrors of dog fighting have gotten an education they never anticipated or expected. Now look in the news; story after story on dog fighting. I’m not talking about the large dog fighting rings that have been uncovered because public awareness has been raised, that’s a big positive! What I am talking about are the stories that are surfacing of kids on street corners and alleys and backyards, fighting dogs, 12 and 15 yr olds being arrested. Has this been happening all along or can some of this be attributed to these children emulating a ‘sport’s hero’ and all of the publicity surrounding the story?

What about the dog burnings? There have been two relatively recent, high profile, highly publicized cases involving dogs being doused with an accelerant and set on fire; the DeShawn Brown case in which Mercy, a 10 month old pit bull, was stabbed and set on fire and the Derick Phanord case in which another pit bull, dubbed Maximus, was doused and set on fire, both dogs eventually died due to their injuries. Now we are hearing this happening more and more. Juan Daniels, 20, was arrested in Alabama for ‘allegedly’ beating his family’s dog then setting him on fire after being denied the use of the family car. There’s been a rash of dog burnings in Atlanta, almost a dozen. Originally officials thought this might be attributed to gang activity but now they just don’t know. There have been several other cases as well where dogs were set on fire or had some caustic substance poured on them and no one was ever caught or arrested.

After hearing more and more stories like this I begin to question, in the attempt to raise awareness of animal abuse issues, are these highly publicized accounts actually perpetuating the violence. Are there sick and twisted individuals out there reading these stories and getting their kicks, and getting ideas?

Everyone’s heard of copycat crimes. Someone hears about something someone else has done and for one sick reason or another, they are intrigued or excited and figure they’ll do the same thing themselves. Is this happening with many of these horrific animal abuse crimes or would the people who are doing these things be doing them anyway?

And what about scenes in movies portraying animal abuse and other abuses; do these lead to emulations and copycat crimes?

To be quite honest, in all the research I’ve done, the results are disappointingly inconclusive, one way or another. There’s a great deal of talk and discussion and opinions, but no real evidence to prove or disprove. One of the problems is the lack of a central database on animal abuse, even the FBI does not separately categorize animal abuse crimes, and the lack of reporting of animal abuse. Often this can be attributed to the fact that so many people regard animals as ‘just a dog’ or ‘just a cat’ and give its life very little worth. And as much as animal advocates try to publicize to raise the awareness of the heinousness of animal abuse, there are others that trivialize it, often the very system that advocates are working to show that changes need to come, the legal and judicial system.

They trivialize by not charging abusers, by dismissing charges and by giving such lenient sentences that it sends a message out that ‘it’s no big deal.’ You see such cases and sentences publicized all the time and it doesn’t take a genius to understand the message this sends.

At this point, since there are no hard statistical analyses to back up any hard conclusions, just based on research of what is available I’m going to put forth some hypothesis of what I believe.

FACT — Available animal abuse statistics show a steady rise in animal abuse cases.

HYPOTHESIS — It is impossible to conclude from statistics whether animal abuse is on the rise or, due to increased awareness, reporting is on the rise. There is no doubt that animal advocacy has raised the awareness of these crimes, especially with the finally acknowledged link between animal abuse and other forms of violence.

FACT — There is a spike in ‘like crimes’ reported in the media and to law enforcement after a highly publicized animal abuse crime.

HYPOTHESIS — I believe this is due to dual reasons; the increased awareness in the particular crime makes people more sensitive to it and more apt to report it if they have knowledge of it, and I do believe there is some emulation of the crime. How much to attribute to either cause is debatable and I think depends on the crime itself as well as many other factors.

A person who may have once kicked or lashed out at the family dog in anger may now drag that same dog out, beat it and set it on fire because that image is locked in their subconscious.

In conclusion I believe that as a society we are more desensitized to crime, against people and animals because of the images we are faced with every day; in the news, in movies, on TV. I think there is more of a potential for copycat crimes because of publicity.

In regard to animal abuse, does the publicity perpetuate more animal abuse? I guess my final thoughts on this are that it may perpetuate ‘like crimes’ but the people doing these things are people who were most likely going to be doing ‘something’ anyway, whether now or later. Your normal, average person who does not have these tendencies is not going to all of the sudden decide they are going to get a thrill out of hurting, abusing or killing an animal just because they heard someone else doing it. It is going to be someone who is already morally and empathically deficit, someone who, one way or another, is already on that road.

Is it worth taking the chance? Due to the acknowledged link between animal abuse and interpersonal crimes, and the general leniency of animal abuse laws, I believe it is necessary to, within reasonable limits, do whatever we can to raise public awareness of the heinousness of the crime of animal abuse so that people demand stronger laws and sentences in these cases. Very often, animal abuse is the first step toward even more vicious crimes and at other times it is perpetrated in conjunction with other crimes; child abuse, spousal abuse, etc. If we can raise awareness to animal abuse and make our officials take notice and take action, we may be able to stave off future violence.



The medical terminology for hay fever is “allergic rhinitis” which refers to the primary symptoms of sinus pressure, stuffy nose, and itchy watery eyes. This condition is caused by an allergic reaction due to the pollen released by certain plants and trees typically during the spring, summer, and fall months which is why it is also commonly referred to as “seasonal allergies”.

These allergens become airborne and enter the airways through the nose and mouth causing the immune system to react to this “foreign” matter by releasing histamines which cause the symptoms of hay fever. In some individuals however, hay fever can be experienced year-round due to mold, pet dander, dust mites, as well as pollen.

The Symptoms of Hay Fever or Seasonal Allergies

Individuals typically experience symptoms of fever shortly after they have been exposed to the allergen. These symptoms are very similar to the common cold and include itchy watery eyes, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, itching of the roof of the mouth and throat, and sinus pressure which can cause pain in the facial area.

Sometimes these symptoms can be severe and cause lack of sleep, tiredness, irritability, and in many cases these symptoms also cause people to miss work or school.

Treatments for Hay Fever or Seasonal Allergies

When it comes to the treatment of seasonal allergies, the first step you should take is to try and avoid or limit your exposure to the allergens as much as possible by remaining indoors with windows and doors shut while using air conditioning or an air purifier.

Mild to moderate allergy symptoms can be treated with over the counter medications which include antihistamines and decongestants in the form of nasal sprays, eye drops, liquids, and pills. In frequent or severe cases of hay fever, stronger prescription medications are also available which may include immunotherapy in the form of allergy shots.



I think the most common complaints I hear as a physician, from men and women alike are, “I’m tired, I forget things, I’m cranky, I don’t have any energy to get through my day, I’m depressed”. Our modern, fast-paced lives can cause us to be chronically tired, forgetful, anxious, or feeling down. You rely more and more on popular over-caffeinated energy drinks, sodas, and coffee, to not only get you through your busy day but give you a temporary mood lift. However, you might actually have a vitamin B deficiency.

First, let’s talk about the ways in which different factors in your life might be contributing to a depletion of B vitamins:

Stress: Many of my patients are burning the candle at both ends working long hours, maintaining family life duties, juggling kids schedules and the financial pressures of managing a home. They lack sleep, get very little exercise and go through their daily routine exhausted. Chronic stress of this nature can really burn out B vitamin stores and impair your nervous system.

Bad Diets: Along with fast paced lives, many of my patients depend on take-out and fast-foods. These foods tend to be high in carbohydrates which deplete B vitamins. They don’t eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables that provide good sources of B vitamins. Many people have stopped eating meat, especially red meat, which is one of the best, most absorbable sources of B12 that exists.

Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol depletes the B1 vitamin thiamine, a deficiency that can be very detrimental to your nervous system and mental processes. Too much alcohol over a prolonged period can leave you mentally foggy, unable to concentrate, with word finding difficulty and a poor memory.

Aging: Just simply getting older causes us to develop Vitamin B12 deficiencies because our ability to absorb it from our food lessens with age. In fact, men over 40 are at higher risk for developing B12 deficiencies and Alzheimer-like dementia as a result. This condition is reversible with B12 supplementation.

Get Adequate B Vitamins

I’d like to share with you the importance of adequate levels of B Vitamins in your diet. There are 12 B Vitamins, all with their specific role in human health, but the most common deficiencies occur in B1, B2, B9 and B12. The best way to get all B Vitamins is from your food as the body can break down natural sources better. However, supplementing with a good B-Complex Vitamin formula can be added insurance in maintaining proper levels.

B Vitamins are water soluble and are washed out of the body through excretion of urine so toxic levels are rare. However, B12 is the only B vitamin that stores itself in your liver, kidneys, and other tissues, so inadequate intake might not show up until its completely depleted. A simple blood test at your physician’s office can show if you are deficient in B12.

Below is a brief outline of what these 4 particular B vitamins do; in what foods they can be found, and the symptoms associated with the deficiencies.

Vitamin B1-Thiamine:Maintains energy, muscles, nerve functions, mental focus. Good food sources include sunflower seeds, tuna, cooked black beans, green peas. Deficiencies are rare unless you have a high alcohol intake. Symptoms are loss of appetite, weakness/tenderness of muscles, numbness and tingling, “pins and needles” sensations in feet.

Vitamin B2-Riboflavin: Supports energy at a cellular level. Along with B6 and B9 (folic acid) maintains normal homocysteine levels crucial for heart health and prevention of heart attack. This is especially important for men as they are at higher risk for heart disease. Good food sources include calves liver, crimini mushrooms, venison and yogurt. Those most prone to deficiencies are alcoholics, lactose intolerant individuals, and women who use oral contraceptives. Deficiency symptoms are light sensitivity, tearing, burning of the eyes, skin cracks at sides of mouth, peeling of skin around the nose, and genital lesions.

Vitamin B9-Folic acid: Crucial for pregnant women to prevent severe neural tube birth defects in infants. Maintains normal homocysteine blood levels and helps prevent arteriosclerosis. Since folic acid fortification regulations of commercial foods, stroke and heart attack rates have decreased by 15%. Good sources of B9 folic acid include leafy green vegetables (fresh is best as heat destroys folic acid), liver, lentils, legumes, brown rice, poultry, pork. Deficiency symptoms include severe anemia, elevated homocysteine levels, gastric upset, impaired brain and nerve functions.

Vitamin B12-Cyanocobalamin: Maintains proper red blood cell formation and the integrity of nerve tissue and neurological function. Good sources of B12 are red meat, fish and dairy products. Though B12 deficiencies can occur in both women and men, older men seem particularly vulnerable to it. Deficiency symptoms include anemia, tingling or numbness of the toes and fingers, confusion, forgetfulness, Alzheimer-like dementia, muscle weakness, susceptibility to infections, and low sperm counts.

To ensure that you don’t develop B vitamin deficiencies, you need to lessen stress levels by adding more exercise and enjoyable activities to your life along with adopting healthier sleep habits. Aging is inevitable, but our decreased capacity to absorb Vitamin B12 as we grow older is easily remedied. Supplementation of B12 via pills, or even injections by your physician, can help us stay mentally sharp and energetic. Including good food sources of B vitamins in your diet and limiting consumption of alcohol will also help you prevent deficiencies and the diseases they can cause.

Feline Leukemia is a very deadly killer to your cat. This is an incurable virus, one not to take lightly. This virus is responsible for more deaths of cats in the world than any other disease, condition or infection out there today. Male and outdoor cats are more likely to get this virus than female and indoor cats. Outdoor cats roam a lot more than indoor so they are more susceptible to various diseases and infections where ever they go.

There are a few different ways healthy cats can contract this virus from cats that are already infected and those are: sneezing, biting, wounds, blood transfusions, mouth and nose contact, sharing a litter box, mutual grooming, and sharing food dishes.

The different symptoms and signs that your cat might have contracted Feline Leukemia are: decreased appetite/stamina, blood in stool, depression, diarrhea and constipation, weight loss, and even infertility. Feline Leukemia can weakened the Immune system so infected are more highly susceptible to germs that normal healthy cats are not.

Since Feline Leukemia is such a deadly virus it is very important to get your cats tested and vaccinated for the virus. Most of the time Feline Leukemia will result in death, There is no known cure. 2% to 3% of all cats have Feline Leukemia in the United States alone. Feline Leukemia can pass from a nursing mother to her kittens. Kittens are 7 times more likely to contract the virus compared to adult cats.

For more information on Feline Leukemia including tips and other conditions check out Cat Health Guide [http://www.cathealthguide.info].



If you don’t want to come back to Juvenile Hall, when you get out, DON’T BREAK PROBABION! Kids come back here for the dumbest reasons. They drink alcohol and use drugs; they don’t go to school. They go out at night when they should be at home, etc.

When they end up back in Juvenile Hall, they are very upset with themselves because those seemingly “little things”, weren’t little, they were big enough to get themselves locked up again.
When you go home, you must learn to be obedient. You have to learn to be patient. To be smart. You must to be honest. You have to learn to be away from your friends (even your girl friend or boyfriend), or do things you don’t want to do. You have to obey your parents and follow the rules.
If you don’t, you will just mess up your life more and waist more of your time, in Juvenile Hall.
You can’t be sneaky and think you won’t get caught, because you will. It’s just not worth it.

Think of how it feels now to be in Juvenile Hall, and how excited you are to get out and go home. Then think of how it will feel if you have to come back, because you did something stupid!
Your first mistake was doing something wrong, and ending up in the system. Now you are in the system, you have to be doubly careful, because you will be watched more carefully. You have so much more against you now, because you have a record, and it’s so much easier to get locked up, again because of your history.

You have to use your brains and think before you do things. If you are just foolish, thinking nothing will happen to you – it will – and, before you know it, you’ll be back in the navy blue sweats locked in a room again. I see kids here time and time again!

Be smart! Make some goals while you are here so you will know what you will do, and what you won’t do, when you get out.

If you are foolish and end up back in here you can’t blame anyone but yourself, because you know better!

Be a Winner in Life! DON’T BREAK PROBATION