Popping iodide pills in BC, despite the Experts
By Frank Moher Updated below I travelled to a local health food store on Monday and bought some kelp tablets. I was actually after potassium iodide, but they were already sold out. I am not naturally a health food store habitué — as I write this, I’m finishing up a Teen Burger meal — but [...]
Red, warm, and close to the heart
By Jodi A. Shaw I’ve never been shy about my distaste for Valentine’s Day. I don’t endorse or encourage celebrating it, I don’t accept Valentine’s Day gifts from anyone other than small children who have an innocent appreciation for the “holiday.” Instead, every year I close my eyes, plug my ears, and wait for it [...]
Say goodbye to Meridia — and all other diet pills
by Jodi A. Shaw Surprise, surprise, another diet pill may be pulled from store shelves. Meridia, manufactured by Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories, is under review by the FDA after a study raised concerns that the pill increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Yesterday, fully half of the FDA’s advisory panel recommended that it be [...]
Leaping Flames
By Jodi A. Shaw From the very beginning of the H1N1/Swine Flu drama, I’ve had zero intention of getting a flu shot. Nevertheless, even I am infuriated by the preferential treatment given to the Calgary Flames players and their families. I don’t blame the Flames’ medical team for requesting special treatment (it doesn’t hurt to [...]
Alberta’s doctor dilemma
By Jodi A. Shaw I just wanted to go to the doctor. Alberta has been suffering from a physician shortage for several years, but it’s become especially keen lately. With Calgary’s population just over 1,070,000 and growing, an estimated 200,000 Calgarians are currently without a family doctor. It’s a complex issue – fewer doctors are [...]
What about the kids?
By Bev Schellenberg Now here’s a thought: According to the crown prosecutor in the case of Christopher Pauchay, the father of two children who froze to death while in his care, it’s important that people care for the children they have. Marylynne Beaton says the three-year sentence handed down on Friday, March 6th, sends an [...]
Dentists: focus!
By Bev Schellenberg The next time you book your annual check-up with your dentist, consider getting rid of a few wrinkles or puffing up your lips with a botox treatment at the same time. British Columbia is the first province in Canada to permit dentists to shoot botox into their patients’ wrinkles and lips, joining [...]
Alberta delivers on midwives’ potential
By Jodi A. Shaw I prefer not to know the finer details of child birth. Instead, I’d rather wait my turn to experience it, and find out the good, the bad, and the ugly of pregnancy and delivery. A pregnant co-worker, however, has been spoiling some of the secrets for me . . . and [...]
The mammogram scam
Marnie Ko It takes a brave man to criticize long established traditions and years of prevailing medical wisdom. But on the weekend, Dr. W. Gifford Jones, aka Ken Walker, M.D., a syndicated columnist writing for over 200 newspapers, including the Edmonton Sun, did just that. And he knew when he did it that he was [...]
Babies and non-smokers first
Marnie Ko One week ago, I sat in a packed walk-in medical centre with my child, waiting restlessly to see a doctor on a Sunday. I had hoped the clinic would be faster than the nearest hospital, and while our visit was urgent and could not wait until a weekday, it was not a life [...]
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