2012 January Issue OUT NOW! 09/01/2012
How did you spend the last day of 2011? Make any New Year's resolutions?? In this month's edition of the Feel Teal Club magazine, hear what the "STARS" said about their resolutions...Titans welcome: Lisa Kaster & Christin Nicholson...10 Ways to Go Green and Save Green.... heartfelt article by Jo Foster about her son's journey and struggles with brain issues,upcoming ovarian cancer events, news & various articles and so much more! Add Comment Shelly shares thanks and tears.... 29/11/2011
OCTOBER ISSUE-Feel Teal Club Magazine 04/10/2011
The October edition of Feel Teal Club's magazine has again, hit the internet stands- Complete with its regular segments, this issue shares one mother's love for her daughter (who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer), and the steps she has taken to spread the word to others....we go behind the scenes of an event planner and witness first-hand the efforts of those who go above and beyond the call of duty to get the "awareness" message heard... Our 'article of the month' offers an amusing insight into the writer's recent medical experience, while reminding us of the importance of knowing our bodies! Download available here: 
Post Title. 11/09/2011
We have been holding-off with the announcement, but can now share this exciting news with the world...ovarian cancer has a song! Thanks to a collaboration between music producers/engineers and some great vocals, the song "One Last Chance" was born! Thanks to patience and much perseverance, we also have a wonderful video to accompany and I MUST send a BIG "thank-you" to Loni Reeder.....a beautiful "friend", and the co-producer/designer, Loni has done us all proud! So all that's left to do, is to share the link which I sincerely hope my "titans" will post anywhere and everywhere.....this song is for ALL faces of ovarian cancer, those who lost their battles and those who fight on!! Let's give them and ALL who campaign for early detection, a reason to celebrate....this song could be JUST what the doctor ordered! Let's continue to give awareness a chance! SONG: One Last Chance PERFORMED BY: Jordan Cook WRITTEN BY: J. Cook / R.W. Dooley ARRANGED AND PRODUCED BY: R.R. Finch Copyright 2011 – The Feel Teal Organization/Australia – Titans of Teal 2011 Campaign September means "awareness"! 03/09/2011
The Feel Teal Club's September Issue is packed with Ovarian cancer news & events....come celebrate "awareness" as the USA and friends turn on the teal! NO cats & dogs on the menu! 07/03/2011
This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar. Traumatic Brain Injury-brain impact in skull 20/02/2011
Why Men Suffer More Acquired Brain Injury 16/12/2010
What defines a Traumatic Brain Injury? The National Head Injury Foundation (NHIF) describes traumatic brain injury as, “an insult to the brain caused by an external force that may produce diminished or altered states of consciousness, which results in impaired cognitive abilities or physical functioning”. In other words, injury caused by things such as a blow from a blunt object, a bottle, a wall, or an object like a bullet penetrating the skull, will cause injury, sometimes permanent, that affects the way we think and behave. It may cause no loss of consciousness, or may result in death or a coma or what has become know as a persistent vegetative state. The Facts in Brief * It is estimated that 2-3 males sustain a traumatic brain injury for every one female. * The peak age range is 15-24 years. Also a high incident in the very young and elderly. * It is estimated that for every one person admitted to hospital, three will be seen in hospital emergency departments and allowed to go home. * Estimates of hospitalization following head injury in Britain, the United States and Australia is between 200 to 300 per 100,000 of the population. * Recovery may be complete or partial. Some people will require periods of hospitalization and rehabilitation. * Improvement following severe brain injury can take up to 10 years, or even longer. * More people are surviving severe brain injury resulting in a rapid growth of young disabled who more often than not will require some sort of support for decades. * More people are requiring specialist services. * Trauma is the most common form of acquired brain injury. * Approximately half to 70% of all traumatic brain injury are caused by motor vehicle accidents. * Other common causes involve falls (particularly in the very young and elderly), assaults and sporting accidents. * There is a high association of brain trauma with lower socio-economic status. So Why More Men? The peak age for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is between 15 and 24 years. The reason for this is that men are more likely to engage in activities that make them more vulnerable. It is estimated that between 50%-70% of TBIs are the result of road traffic accidents, cars crashes, motor bikes, push bikes. Motor vehicle insurers know that men are more likely to make a claim than women as a result of accidents, hence premiums are often higher for men under the age of 30 or sometimes 40+. Young men are also more likely to get into fights involving weapons and fire arms, often after drinking too much alcohol. Men are also more likely to engage in high risk or contact sports such as karate, football, hockey, etc. The last of the main contributors to head injury in men involves work. Men are far more likely to be employed in occupations that carry some form of industrial risk and that often involve heavy equipment or manual labor. The likelihood of accidents increase where proper safety precautions are not followed, or when for any number of reasons such as illness or fatigue, men lose concentration. One clear implication of the statistics is that most incidents of traumatic head injury are avoidable. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Psychosocial Consequences of Head Injury Traumatic brain injury can mean many long-term psychological and behavioral difficulties. Because every head injury is different, it is impossible to predict the exact outcome for the survivor. While generalizations can be made, it is important that treatment professionals and other concerned persons note that individuals may present few problems or a combination of several problems. Some deficits following head injury are painfully obvious; others are extremely subtle and become evident only during intensive clinical evaluation (Lezak 1978b). Alcohol and other drug abuse professionals working with head injury survivors commonly deal with clients who appear to function normally in most settings but who are unable to understand the concepts of alcohol or other drug addiction or to benefit from traditional treatment modalities. To work effectively with survivors of traumatic brain injury, it is vital that alcohol and other drug abuse professionals acquaint themselves with the unique problems these clients present. The following discussion of the more common consequences of head injury is drawn from general knowledge in the field of brain injury rehabilitation. For more detailed information, the reader is directed to Levin and colleagues (1982), Edelstein and Couture (1984), Lezak (1978a, 1978b, 1983), and Brooks (1984). Impairment of memory-Post-traumatic amnesia is one of the most common consequences of head injury. For many survivors, memory for events and conditions prior to their injury is generally intact while short-term memory for recent events is disrupted. In practical terms, this means that brain injury survivors might remember the events of their high school prom in great detail but forget what was served for breakfast this morning. Some survivors may try to fill in the gaps with confabulation, a usually sincere attempt to mask memory deficits that is sometimes misinterpreted as dishonesty. Impairment of recent memory makes it difficult for many survivors to retain information and generalize new learning from one setting to another. Decreased self-awareness and insight - Many survivors of traumatic brain injury experience a reduced capacity for insight, self-monitoring, and awareness. They may have difficulty seeing the relationship between their behavior and the resulting consequences and may experience confusion or frustration in their attempt to understand situations. Symptoms Blurred vision, distortion of objects, minification of objects, paled out colours, may see a spot (black or grey). Rarely in both eyes (10% or less). What is it? It is a detachment of the central retina responsible for colour vision and sharp vision. Generally the cause can not be traced. Some authors claim realtionship with stress, alcohol and tobacco. Typically occurs in men 25-55 years of age, in women at an older age. Treatment Steroids are now not used in the treatment of CSR. A mild sedative, carrot extracts are the only form of medication given. LASER is indicated when the detachment persists for more than 6 months. Or in case of occurrence in the other eye after a permanent visual deficit resulted from a previous episode. Or when the occupation of the patient requires prompt restoration of vision. Meningococcal disease 01/12/2010
Meningococcal disease is caused by bacteria (germs) called meningococci, also known as Neisseria meningitidis. Meningococci bacteria can cause: Meningitis (an infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord) Septicaemia (a blood infection) There are many strains of meningococci, but the strains that cause almost all disease in Victoria are called serogroup B and serogroup C. Most common in winter and spring Cases can occur all year round and in all age groups, however, they are more common during winter and early spring. Children under five years of age and young adults aged 15 to 24 years are most commonly affected. In Victoria, about half of the cases are over 15 years of age. A common bacteria that usually causes no harm Meningococci live naturally in the back of the nose and throat in about 10 per cent of the population without causing illness. They are not found on the lips or teeth. People of any age can ‘carry’ the germs without becoming ill and carriers develop immunity to the strains they carry. Although everyone is a carrier at some time, carriers are most common amongst young adults, especially men and smokers. In a small number of people, a particular strain of the bacteria manages to get through the lining of the throat, enter the blood stream and cause meningococcal disease. The bacteria are difficult to spread The meningococcal bacteria are difficult to spread. They are only passed from person to person by regular, close, prolonged household and intimate contact with secretions from the back of the nose and throat. Research has shown that neither saliva nor salivary contact is important in the transmission of meningococci bacteria. In fact saliva has been shown to slow down the growth of meningococci. Meningococcal disease is uncommon Meningococci are only found in humans and cannot live for more than a few seconds outside the body. You cannot catch meningococcal germs from the environment or animals. Most cases occur ‘out of the blue’ and are unrelated to any others. Outbreaks where more than one person is affected are rare. Signs and symptoms – infants and young children The signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease in infants and young children are: Fever Refusing to take feeds Irritability, fretfulness Grunting or moaning Extreme tiredness or floppiness Dislike of being handled Vomiting Diarrhoea Turning away from light (photophobia) Drowsiness Convulsions or twitching Rash of red-purple pinprick spots or larger bruises. Signs and symptoms – older children and adults The signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease in older children and adults are: Fever Headache Neck stiffness Discomfort when looking at bright lights (photophobia) Vomiting Diarrhoea Aching or sore muscles Painful or swollen joints Difficulty walking General malaise Moaning, unintelligible speech Drowsiness Confusion Collapse Rash of red-purple pinprick spots or larger bruises. Get further medical help if you are still worried You know your family and friends better than anybody else. If somebody close to you has some of these signs and symptoms and you are worried that they are much sicker than usual, seek medical help immediately. In the very early stages, meningococcal disease can appear to be like other, less serious illnesses. Your doctor may not immediately recognise this illness. Do not hesitate to seek medical help again – even if it’s only been an hour or two since you last went. If the person seems to be sicker or has suddenly developed a rash or becomes drowsy – get medical help. Young adults should not be left alone if they suddenly develop a fever – they may become seriously ill very quickly. Early antibiotic treatment is vital If meningococcal disease is suspected, an antibiotic (usually penicillin) is given immediately, by injection. People with meningococcal disease are always admitted to hospital and may require admission to the Intensive Care Unit at first. The sooner that antibiotic and other treatments begin, the less damage the disease will cause. However, this is a very serious infection, which can progress very rapidly despite the best treatment. Close contacts are offered antibiotics Most contacts, such as school and work friends do not need antibiotics. Very close contacts of an affected person are offered a short course of clearance antibiotics. These people may be: Members of the same household. A girlfriend or boyfriend. Anyone who has stayed overnight with the person who is unwell in the seven days before the illness. Children in a day care or preschool centre where the affected person attended. It is important to understand that these clearance antibiotics are very good at getting rid of meningococci bacteria from the throat, but they are not a treatment for meningococcal disease Vaccines – how they work There are no vaccines that protect against serogroup B disease. There are two different types that protect against serogroup C disease conjugate vaccines and polysaccharide vaccines. Conjugate vaccines There are different brands of conjugate meningococcal serogroup C vaccine available. The vaccines contain meningococcal serogroup C ‘sugars’ joined with an inactive protein of either diphtheria or tetanus toxoid and additives aluminium phosphate or hydroxide. The ‘conjugate’ vaccines (Menjugate, Mengitec and NeisVac-C) can be given to all people of all ages, including babies from six weeks of age. These protect against serogroup C disease and provide long lasting immunity. Since 2003, a single dose of conjugate meningococcal serogroup C vaccine has been offered to all children turning 12 months along, with their other routine immunisations due at that age. Children and adolescents aged one to 19, are eligible for free vaccines until 2006 through a staged national meningococcal program. Polysaccharide vaccines Polysaccharide vaccines (Menommune and Mencevax) cover several serogroups not usually seen in Australia. They are useful for people travelling to places such as Africa and Asia, and pilgrims to the Haj where these serogroups are more common. They are considered to be a travel vaccine and not recommended for general use. They cannot be given to children under the age of two, and only provide protection for about three years. What to do if you suspect meningococcal disease If you think a person has symptoms that suggest meningitis or septicaemia, contact your doctor immediately or go to the nearest hospital Emergency Department. Early diagnosis and treatment are vital. Where to get help Your doctor Emergency Department of your local hospital Things to remember Meningococcal bacteria are only passed from person to person by regular close prolonged household and intimate contact with secretions from the back of the nose and throat. You are the expert in your family’s health – if you are worried, seek immediate help. It is important to go back to the doctor for more help if you are still worried. Meningococcal C vaccine provides good protection from one strain of meningococcal disease. PDF (Portable Document Format) version of this article. |   About the Author
Debbie Stevens is a published author, wife, mother and born-advocate. Founder/creator of the "Feel Teal" campaign, Debbie spends much of her time raising awareness to ovarian cancer, while researching other issues to share with the general public.  Deliberately Debbie ArchivesJanuary 2012 CategoriesAll | ||
