#Cancer Treatment Myths

[cbccindia]

Unveiling the Truth: Cancer Treatment Myths and Facts at CBCC India

Introduction

Navigating the complex world of cancer treatment, especially in regions like Trichy and Agartala, can be overwhelming. With abundant information available, distinguishing between cancer treatment myths and facts becomes crucial. At CBCC India, we are committed to providing accurate, evidence-based information to help guide patients through their treatment options.

Debunking Common Myths

Myth: Natural Remedies Can Cure Cancer

While natural cancer remedies might offer comfort and support, they should not replace conventional cancer treatments. CBCC India emphasizes the importance of evidence-based treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, backed by scientific research.

Myth: Chemotherapy Is More Harmful Than Helpful

Chemotherapy truths often get overshadowed by fears of side effects. At CBCC India, we ensure that chemotherapy is administered with the utmost care, balancing its efficacy in combating cancer with manageable side effects.

Conclusion

In our efforts to provide top-tier cancer care, CBCC India continuously educates about the realities of cancer treatment. Whether it's in Trichy or Agartala, we aim to replace misconceptions with facts, ensuring that our patients are well-informed and prepared for their journey ahead.

[comprehensiveoncology]

Heard something about cancer and not sure if it's true or just a myth?

[therossgarden]

I’m not British, nor a royal family fan, but I must say my piece.

My mother had a tumor, a few years ago. It was benign, but we did not find out until months after the diagnosis. Those were dark, ugly times for my family and I. If my mother’s colleagues or acquaintances treated her the way you treated Kate, I would have not spared any kind words for them. So I am doing the same here.

The way you all speculated, mocked, derided, made a meme out of this and wished all the worse things to Kate Middleton simply because she disappeared from the public eye for a while, something Windsor and the royal staff had already stated, is astonishingly embarrassing.

The media team repeated multiple times that she would go back to her duties after Easter, and needed to rest, but instead of respecting this you made fun of her and made her into a joke. And maybe the monarchy in this day and age is nothing more than a joke, who knows. But those people are real. They are humans as much as you and me.

To those who bullied Kate Middleton into making a message to talk about something so delicate as cancer, something she did not want to do to protect her children: you disgust me. I hope you had your fun, because now you are covered in shame. An embarrassment.

A woman might be a princess, the future queen, but she is still a mother and a human. And facing cancer, we are all the same. Some are luckier, some aren’t. Some have access to treatment, some don’t. But cancer is still cancer, and if anything it makes her just like anyone else. Human. Not an unreachable queen or myth.

I hope now you will realize your cruelty in the past days and weeks. You might not like her, but she is not undeserving of respect. Out of all the royals, not her. And if your blind hate can’t possibly get past this, it’s your problem, and your lack of empathy.

My condolences to the princess of Wales and her family.

[renlyslittlerose]

Yesterday was my sixth month post-op date.

On the one hand it's been absolutely wild to me that I went through such a major surgery and returned to living my normal life almost two months out from the surgery. But at the same time, I'm still dealing with some issues. And any time I start to get frustrated I have to remind myself that I had organs removed, scar tissue and endo lesions cut out, an ovary drained, and cysts removed. That takes *time* to heal, and sometimes it's that last 5% that takes the longest.

Scar tissue has formed again, which I knew would happen. I can feel it pulling on my left side when I breath to deep or move in a certain way. I can also feel it behind my belly button, tugging away now and again to remind me of the surgery. I can still feel gas bubbles sliding over my old sutures and that hurts. Like. A lot. My lower half still gets sore now and again, especially after walking for too long or sitting for too long. I think I'm gonna go to a pelvic floor therapist soon, but I keep balking at the price.

As for my health? Better in some respects, but much the same in others. I don't regret the surgery in the slightest - not having to worry about bleeding ever again, dramatically decreasing my risk for ovarian cancer, and completely eliminating cervical cancer chances is a great boon. And my digestion feels way better - I can actually eat spicy food!

But a part of me wishes that this was a cure, even though I knew it wasn't. I'm sometimes struck with the reality that this is a *lifelong* condition, and even removing organs and lesions and other detritus isn't a cure. But I also take care to remember that we're on the frontier of endo treatment - it's going to get better and better with each passing year. At least, I have to hope it will. And maybe in the future there will be a cure, and maybe they'll be people who are diagnosed after me that won't have to resort to the extremes I did to get some relief. Maybe one day it'll be as easy as getting a preventative vaccine, and people won't ever be diagnosed with this disease.

As for now, I continue to heal, to educate, and to support. I open myself up to questions from anyone and everyone, trying to dispel some of the myths and satisfy people's curiosity. I should get a shirt that says 'Ask Me About my Vaginal Cuff'.

And for those who have been supporting me these last six months - thank you 💗

[flagellant]

lmao the obesity article from huffpo you reblogged is so insanely incorrect

First off, the whole "Your body is just doing what it's supposed to do, you're fat because you're MEANT to be fat!" while also saying "about 40 years ago, Americans started getting much larger" hmm... Why only Americans? Why only 40 years ago?

That seems odd, that Americans, specifically, would suddenly change to being naturally fat. Even today America has a much higher rate of obesity than other places like Japan. How is that? Wonder what would be discovered if we looked at when things like beet sugar, corn syrup, etc. started to be commonly added to foods 🤔

And then the "diets don't work!" spiel, along with emotionally charged reports of people starving themselves until they passed out.

What diets specifically doesn't work? Were the people getting enough calories? Did they stop the diet, and then the weight came back? Did they start with small, gradual changes or completely overhaul their entire meal plan right away?

They say "95% to 98% of research shows diets fail" what research? What studies? What was the sample size? What were people eating? Were they given any help to maintain their diet or encourage any other healthy habits, or were they just given a list of foods to eat and sent on their way?

It sounds like ALL the diets they talk about in the article are shitty. People starving themselves, people doing useless fad diets, etc. and presenting it as if weight loss is IMPOSSIBLE. Which is crazy, considering all the people I've seen who lose weight, maintain the loss, and feel insanely better than they did when they were obese.

Maybe it's not that "diets" don't work, but that the diet industry doesn't work? After all, what would happen if they encouraged people to change their relationship with food completely, starting with small, gradual changes, and work on fixing their gut microbiome and cutting out unnecessary things from their diet like processed sugars, corn syrup, etc? Then people would lose weight. Then they wouldn't need expensive diet plans anymore.

And then the industry has no more customers. Just like if Apple makes phones that actually work and aren't pieces of trash, then they wouldn't be making money from people buying new iPhones every other year. Same with the clothing industry, and the pharmaceutical industry, and every other industry.

For someone who always talks about people researching things and checking out the sources on information before automatically believing it ya'll don't seem very good at it lmao

I'd like to start off with saying that I definitely agree with you in that the way the diet industry is structured exists to predate upon invented insecurities, just like nearly any cosmetics aimed at body alteration to some degree (makeup included). We also agree that it is fundamentally built to ensure failure and ongoing failure as a norm, in the same way that we're never going to get a proper cure for cancer when the cancer industry is so insanely prevalent and profitable.

That said, I understand your...frustration, let's call it, sure, about the fact that no, I did not do any further digging into this and took it at its word. You have my apologies for that.

However. I'd like to use this as a tool for transparency and assuming best intent. Your tone and treatment of me in this is rather hostile and I don't see the purpose that it serves. If I'm someone who claims to find accuracy in reporting important, then yes, accuracy needs to be had. And it was as simple as just Googling "95% diets fail". First result is an article from the NYT debunking it and explaining why it's a myth and bad statistics.

But that same article gets me to the heart of why I'm writing things out this way: you brought it up yourself, in fact, though in deciding to get petty you probably missed the subtext. For over forty years now these numbers have been used and spread around to the point where countless literal professional doctors don't have any idea that it's false. After all, we live in a society where diet industries have for pretty much ever been able to operate with nearly no regulation, fat people aren't actually given a shit about from medical professionals and are just told to get GPS, etc...you could even say this is a systemic issue which started long before I and likely you (and most reading this) were born.

Nobody learns these things on accident. You're absolutely right that if I looked it up and researched the claims I could easily have found out their validity to be nonexistent. But why would I? This isn't new research. This isn't anything that goes against anything I was ever taught. It's just a fact of life, just the way things are. People thought the universe was geocentric.

So with that said, I have to admit that while I've done my best to not vent my irritation at you or anyone else, it is deeply frustating, sure, we'll call it, to have you walk up to me and act in this way. It would be one thing if this wasn't a case of unlearning systemic bias and normativity. That'd be on me, absolutely.

But instead of thinking things through like an emotionally mature individual and going "Hm, this dude who says it finds research/accuracy important posted some stuff which was wrong, which I'm aware has a history going back multiple decades and is still going strong. Maybe the reason they didn't do any followup research was because they've lived their entire life hearing this same statistic over and over again and therefore thought that their systemic biases were accurate and saw nothing wrong because they couldn't,"

you decided to be a cunt for no fucking reason and you knew it because you had to go on Anonymous to hide any possible consequences coming your way for your actions. So thanks for informing me about this, I'm genuinely grateful and we, again, completely fucking agree ideologically, but/so fuck you for thinking that acting like a fucking 10th grader with a gotcha was a better use of anyone's time than just typing out "Hey that diet thing you reblogged is actually completely false if you look it up" to which I would have gone "Oh shit you're right, here's some followup research I did about this thing and how it's a systemic bias that needs to be unlearned".

[holycatsandrabbits]

I'm thrilled to announce my folk horror story The Morrigan will appear in Illustrated Worlds magazine!

A woman dealing with the aftereffects of cancer treatment takes a job caring for an elderly woman who exhibits strange behavior. Based on the Irish myth of the Morrigan, and my own experience with cancer. Release date TBA

Part of the house had burned. The old woman’s daughter had warned Cynthia of that, but Cynthia had imagined some small damage: soot on the wall perhaps, charring by the window where the smoke had been drawn outside. But Cynthia could see the blackened part from the gravel drive as they pulled up.

The house was small and gray. There were two stories, with the lower one looking feeble, like it was not quite up to the task of carrying the upper half on its shoulders. One entire room on the top floor was black and deformed, folding in on itself in swollen, cracked beams. Long, curling tendrils of rot snaked out from the burned room onto the rest of the house, as if the long-ago fire still wanted to spread.

DannyeChase.com ~ AO3 ~ Linktree ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers

Image credit

[vomitdodger]

Alright fellas, highly rec you read and/or save this one for future reference.

From Dr Malone’s substack (which I also rec you sign up for) and deals with the myths of prostate cancer starting with the PSA test. First two paragraphs:

The excessive medical response to the Covid pandemic made one thing abundantly clear: Medical consumers really ought to do their own research into the health issues that impact them. Furthermore, it is no longer enough simply to seek out a “second opinion” or even a “third opinion” from doctors. They may well all be misinformed or biased. Furthermore, this problem appears to predate the Covid phenomenon.

A striking example of that can be found in the recent history of prostate cancer testing and treatment, which, for personal reasons, has become a subject of interest to me. In many ways, it strongly resembles the Covid calamity, where misuse of the PCR test resulted in harming the supposedly Covid-infected with destructive treatments.

[stonecrusherdrawsthearts]

World of Heroes R - X-Force

Ohaiyo, Dudes, Dudettes, and Genders that don't identify with Dude! The name's Deadpool, and this is X-Force. We're a group of highly trained mercenaries dedicated to getting the job done by any means necessary. Don't be surprised if the situation gets crazy, because that's where we get shit done!

MEMBERS

Deadpool - The team leader and the Merc with the Mouth! I used to be just another troublemaker on the street until I got my cancer diagnosis, and my dear old brother Slade (or are we calling him Deathstroke here) chipped in to give me an experimental treatment. The treatment didn't just make it so I could survive the cancer or whatever else life threw my way (mostly knives and guns) but it opened my mind to the secrets of the universe. And I'll admit, I got a little... nutty as a result. But hey, these guys trust me enough!

Domino - One of the first to join X-Force, a girl with a bit of vitilago going on that is extremely lucky. While I personally don't believe in luck as a superpower or even a concept, she does have a habit of surviving the odds with barely a scratch, and things do tend to work out her way. So maybe... yeah, no, Luck's a myth made by society to cope with the fact that sometimes you screw up.

Wolverine - Okay, I can explain. This guy ISN'T the same Wolverine that works with the X-Men, but rather a transdimensional duplicate brought here from a universe where the missions of the X-Men didn't have quite the positive impact they did here. He's been through some shit as a result, but the fact that he's here means he has a chance to remake a name for himself. Of course there is the complication that there are now two Wolverines running around, but hey. At least this one doesn't have to worry about taxes.

Shatterstar - Another of the first to join X-Force, Shatterstar claims to have come from an alien world and was one of its greatest warriors. Personally, I think this guy heard about the Kryptonians or Tamaraneans and decided to ape their choices to stand out. No judgement, just... what kind of a name is "Mojoworld"?

Colossus - Technically an X-Man I had regular encounters with, Colossus and I have become friends through the classic method of "we fight each other enough that we just kinda stumbled into a casual relationship." Sure, you look at the guy, you see a big hulking mass of metal in the shape of a man, and think "Oh, this guy must be brutal." And he is, but he often tries to excuse his own shortcomings by going on about what makes people heroes.

Negasonic Teenage Warhead - The one X-Man I can say is cooler than Wolverine on name brand alone. Sure, it's attached to a college student who never quite grew out of her emo punk-rock phase, but her energy manipulation powers make it fit like nobody's business. Y'gotta respect a girl who fits her brand no matter how little she respects you back.

Yukio - Negasonic's girlfriend, electrokinetic extraordinaire, and all-around sweetheart. I think she's probably the most chill person I have ever met, always facing everything, even my bullshit, with a smile on her face and a pep in her step. She's the kind of girl I know I'll always appreciate on my side, even if she dresses like a substitute soul reaper on the mission. Wolverine's a little more cautious of her for some reason, but I don't wanna pry.

[mariacallous]

The myth that there is a humane way to execute someone who wants to live is getting harder to maintain in Alabama.

In early 2018, the state tried to execute a terminally ill man, Doyle Lee Hamm, whose veins had deteriorated from drug use and treatment for cancer and hepatitis C. Executioners, whose identities are concealed but who typically do not have medical backgrounds, repeatedly jabbed him in the legs, ankles and groin as they tried to set the IV line. They stopped only when the death warrant was close to expiring and Hamm’s groin was covered in blood. 

A few weeks later, the state authorized a new execution method: death by nitrogen gas. At the time, it was purely hypothetical. Two other states allow it, but there had never been a known instance of a nitrogen execution. 

That changed on Thursday, when Alabama killed 58-year-old Kenneth Smith by affixing a mask over his face and forcing him to inhale only nitrogen. He “appeared to shake and writhe on the gurney, sometimes pulling on the restraints” for at least two minutes, followed by several minutes of heavy breathing, The Associated Press reported.  

“It was the most horrible thing I think I’ve ever seen,” said the Rev. Jeff Hood, Smith’s spiritual adviser, who has observed five executions in the past 13 months. 

This was Smith’s second time in an execution chamber. A little more than a year ago, he spent four hours strapped to a gurney, awaiting execution as his final appeals made their way through the court system. Executioners jabbed his hands, arms and collarbone before finally calling off his lethal injection. The botched execution left him severely traumatized. He experienced nightmares, hypervigilance, hyperarousal and dissociation up until his death. 

Smith’s 2022 experience was the third in a series of consecutive botched executions in Alabama. 

In the lead-up to Smith’s death, his lawyers urged the courts to block the nitrogen execution, warning that Smith risked facing a slow, painful death by asphyxiation — or even surviving but in a “persistent vegetative state.” 

The state attorney general’s office dismissed those concerns, claiming that nitrogen is “perhaps the most humane method of execution ever devised,” a baseless supposition undermined by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s recommendation that nitrogen not be used to euthanize most mammals. Rats who were exposed to nitrogen gas showed signs of “panic and distress” before they died, the group said.  

The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the execution to proceed, with the three liberal justices dissenting. 

“Twice now this Court has ignored Smith’s warning that Alabama will subject him to an unconstitutional risk of pain. The first time, Smith’s predictions came true,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissent on Thursday, just before the execution. “This time, he predicts that Alabama’s protocol will cause him to suffocate and choke to death on his own vomit. I sincerely hope that he is not proven correct a second time.” 

“The world is watching,” Sotomayor wrote.  Other executing states are watching, too. As states struggle to carry out lethal injections in the face of litigation and opposition from drug companies, many are looking for new ways to kill — including firing squads and even cyanide gas, the preferred killing method of Nazi Germany. That the Supreme Court allowed Alabama to evade accountability over one secretive execution method by simply switching to another will not go unnoticed in other states.

[mk-writes-stuff]

Ok long list of things I'd like to know more about, feel free to ramble to your hearts content

I'd like to hear a little about Tatum

Orazca sounds like an interesting place?

the Wraith that's a kickass name for a ship will we see it alot ?

How do angels fit into the story?

“Feel free to ramble to your heart’s content” is my favourite sentence :)

Tatum is one of the three main characters of the Pirates’ Roost. They are a tidemage (think avatar the last airbender waterbenders) who, at the beginning of the story, works for Captain Jetti, the captain of the Drowned Gull. Tatum is widely believed to be her best friend but in actuality hates her because she’s violently abusive and essentially holding them hostage (they’re dying of cancer and the only known treatment is synthesized from her magical blood). Jetti forces them to do a lot of really horrible things with their powers and they feel very guilty about that

Here’s a picrew of them:

Jetti does get killed eventually, so Tatum gets free of her, but that brings the whole “dying of cancer” thing back, so the crew has to find a way to save them. Which, perfectly enough, segues pretty smoothly into Orazca!

Orazca is a lost city of the Sun Empire, one of the major powers on Ixalan. It was created around an immensely powerful magical artifact called the Immortal Sun that served as a magical amplifier. It was lost for a while (Sun Empire myth says a winged lion with the face of a man stole it away) but was recently re-found. It no longer has the Immortal Sun (that vanished mysteriously and the people who know what happened haven’t bothered to tell) but it still holds a remnant of its power, allowing the city to amplify the powers of mages who are in it. For a healer mage, for example, this could let them cure otherwise-incurable diseases :)

As for the Wraith (credits to my gf for this one), we don’t see too much of it - it’s the main ship of one of the first antagonists. It’s a smuggling ship owned by a sigil-mage captain named Blythe and it can (among other things) turn invisible and turn the winds in its favour. Or, at least, it can until Merry, its sigil-host runs away. Blythe wants him back by any means necessary - but, in Merry’s defense, Blythe is also the sort of woman who carves magical sigils into her crew

The angels… well now I have to go into Ixalan angel lore. There are two kinds of angels on Ixalan. There are the Core angels, who come from the center of the world (Ixalan is a hollow earth) and are magically-empowered immortal humans. They, honestly, aren’t super relevant

The other kind of angels no one really knows exactly where they come from (except Cephlo, who isn’t telling - again credits to my gf for him). A mysterious man named Cephlo appeared to Tatum one day and essentially kidnapped them to torture and drug them into transforming into an angel. Tatum was able to escape, albeit with vestigial wings that needed to be removed and chronic back pain, but the rumour spread and a siren named Morrigan who lost her wings in a fire hunter Cephlo down and demanded that he turn her into an angel. He agreed, although he’s to this day really confused as to why she wanted it. She got a reputation for hunting slavers across the seas and becomes good friends with Captain Amelia

Thank you for the ask! Lmk if there’s anything else you’re curious about, I’m always happy to share :)

[ukrfeminism]

A man who murdered his girlfriend and three members of her family in south London has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 46 years. 

Joshua Jacques, 29, killed Samantha Drummonds, 27, her mother Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo, 45, her grandmother Dolet Hill, 64, and Ms Hill's husband, Denton Burke, 68, in Bermondsey in April 2022.

The scene found by police was described as being like "a horror movie". 

There was a cry of "coldblooded murderer" as Jacques was sent down. 

Addressing Jacques in the Old Bailey dock during sentencing, Mr Justice Bryan said the defendant's offending had been contributed to by an increased daily intake of skunk cannabis, and that he was "well aware" of the impact on his mental health.

'Salutary lesson'

The judge told Jacques it was a "horrific catalogue of murders inflicted by you in the most brutal of circumstances on three generations of the same family".

"It is a salutary lesson to all those who peddle the myth that cannabis is not a dangerous drug," Mr Justice Bryan added as Jacques appeared emotionless.

The defendant had murdered his girlfriend and three members of her family at the home in Delaford Road for "no apparent reason", he added.

The judge said the jury had heard Jacques had doubled his consumption of skunk cannabis in the days before the killings. 

'Drug-induced psychosis'

It was likely that Jacques had had a row with his girlfriend Samantha, which had triggered the killings that followed, the judge said.

"You and you alone bear responsibility for any such row, and for what occurred during your drug-induced psychosis," Mr Justice Bryan told him.

He added that Jacques had expressed no remorse prior to the sentencing hearing, during which the defendant had had a statement read out on his behalf in which he apologised and said he was "disgusted" with himself.

The judge paid tribute to the victims' family for their dignified manner during the trial, adding: "No sentence will ever be enough to reflect their loss." 

Following the hearing, Ms Hill's daughter Tracey-Ann Henry told reporters outside the court that Jacques should have been handed a whole life order, meaning he would never be released from prison, but added: "Justice has been served."

Chyloe Daley, Mr Burke's niece, agreed, saying: "We'll accept this for now but there is no bringing them back."

'I've lost four family members who won't come back'

Every morning, Tracey-Ann Henry, the daughter of 64-year-old victim Dolet Hill, awaits a phone call that never comes.

"I spoke to my mum every day," she explains in the run-up to Jacques' sentencing hearing. "Sometimes, four times in the day, even when I'm at work."

Ms Henry said she realised something was wrong when she tried to call her mother as usual and she did not pick up.

Ms Hill had been recovering from cancer and had just completed her final radiotherapy treatment when she was murdered in the home she shared with her husband and fellow victim Denton Burke.

Another of her daughters, Tanysha Ofori-Akuffo, also known as Racquel, sometimes stayed at Ms Hill's home to help care for her. She was also killed by Joshua Jacques that day. 

Granddaughter Samantha Drummonds, Jacques' girlfriend who was another of his victims, had been living there too because her own flat was undergoing renovation.

Concerned that she could not get hold of her mother, Ms Henry rushed to the house but found it cordoned-off by police.

"I said, 'I want to talk to my mum'," she recalls. She said the police officer asked what number she lived at, and then went to check with a colleague. "He said, 'oh, you need to sit in the car with me'."

Growing increasingly worried on her way to the police station, Ms Henry said she had used her phone to check the news headlines, remembering saying: "Four people are dead, that's mum, Racquel, Samantha and Denton."

The shock was so great, Ms Henry can barely recall what happened next, although she does remember police wanting to ask her what she knew about a man called Joshua Jacques.

He had been arrested at the scene by armed officers, who found him naked in an upstairs bathroom, screaming "Allah, take me", "kill me now", and "God please forgive me".

Later, at Lewisham Hospital, Jacques said: "I ain't even in the wrong, I did them for sacrifice," and warned: "I will do something stupid again."

Ms Henry said she had only met Jacques once, a few days earlier. "He was like a normal person," she said. "It's not like he was acting strange or anything."

Family members said it was difficult to listen to the evidence in court. "It felt like he had no remorse," Asheka Jones, the niece of Mr Burke, says. 

"Having mental health issues is one thing, but when you are abusing drugs, it's just horrible. I've lost four family members who won't come back."

Ms Henry said she would remember her mum as a "loving, bubbly person. She loved to cook, you won't come to the house and don't get fed" she added.

Although she had been trying to think of the good memories they had shared, she said she found it difficult to look forward to the future.

"If I go on holiday, most of my holidays are with my mum, so, it's really hard for me."

"Things will never be the same, there will always be that empty hole," Ms Jones agrees. "When I think of them, I think of this warmth they had, the humour. I feel like everyone was filled with such joy that can't be replaced."

[live-fast-pet-frogs]

The Good Lawyer: a surprisingly positive experience

So if you remember my last post about ABC’s backdoor pilot “The Good Lawyer”, which is also the 16th episode on season 6 of “The Good Doctor”, you know I was very skeptical about the representation of someone with OCD, especially with the wording they used in the early synopsis of the episode.  I thought I would share my thoughts again AFTER I watched the actual episode, and let me tell you I think it was a lot better than I originally thought. Just in case it wasn’t obvious I have OCD, and have had OCD since I was 2 years old, and I have been in treatment for it since 2020 and am scheduled to come off my meds soon as my compulsions have become essentially non-existent and my intrusive thoughts are quite manageable with only occasional meltdowns (so basically nothing I can’t handle). I am also a film student about to get my masters degree this autumn so this review I’m writing will hopefully come from an informed place, but since I am not a medical professional there might be some misinformation. Feel free to correct me if I got something wrong about OCD, I am basing this off mine and my friends’ experience who are/were also struggling.  1. The myth around OCD=tidy gets debunked really early on in the episode where Shaun tells Lea about hiring Joni as his lawyer for his malpractice trial.

Shaun explains to Lea that people with OCD are not, in fact just neat and tidy, but they suffer from intrusive thoughts and manage them by carrying out compulsions. I was happy this got addressed, even though it is kind of the bare minimum.  2. Joni’s OCD.

Joni exhibits typical compulsions for OCD which emphasize her obsession with the number 3, and tapping different objects three times. We find out that she developed OCD after she lost her father at a young age, and later on it became her coping mechanism as her mother struggled with alcoholism.

Not only do we see her compulsions, as an audience we also get to “get into her state of mind” when she experiences the intrusive thoughts.

When Joni gets intrusive thoughts, the space around her seem to get distorted and narrow, loses colour and the camera pans closer and closer to her face, emphasizing the panic, anxiety and loss of focus. I find this super relatable as I really tune out the rest of the world when I get my thoughts and I can even stop midway through conversation, losing my train of thought (which happens to Joni during trial as the plaintiff’s lawyer’s chair squeaks as he leans back on it). 

Joni also experiences a fair share of health anxiety, which is actually how she gets introduced in the episode, worrying about whether she can develop cancer from the material of her wooden workdesk.

She even goes as far as covering bits of her furniture in plastic and taking her “outside” clothes off in a bag the moment she gets home.

While the health anxiety I find relatable (because I totally don’t ask my bf whether I got a TBi every time I hit my head even to a small degree), I am not sure about the plastic bits. It seems a bit excessive to me, and I don’t see the point behind the plastic “doorways” in the house. If we get a proper show out of this I hope it gets explained what Joni’s health anxiety is triggered by because at this point it just seems like something to be added to “haha person with OCD is a neat freak”. 

Another thing I also was unsure about, is the way the intrusive thoughts went in Joni’s brain.

“Fix this or bad things will happen.” 

What bad things? Not to be a hater, but since my OCD doesn’t allow me to say certain trigger words out loud, “or bad things will happen” is the really toned-down version I give to my friends. With OCD, the bad things can be anything. In Joni’s case, since we saw her doing compulsions in the flashback scene in hopes that it will stop her mother from dying, it might be related to the health of her loved ones. Maybe if they varied, like “Fix this or mom will die”, or “Fix this or my client will go to prison”, “Fix this or my sister will get into an accident” it would have been a lot better. 

3. The people around Joni

So from this episode we gather there are two significant people in Joni’s life: her mentor and her sister. 

Her sister is also her carer in a way, but it also seems like she is enabling her and indulging her in her compulsions. This is very realistic that when your loved one has OCD it seems easier for you to accomodate their needs by giving reassurance or even creating an environment for them where they can carry out their compulsions. This is the wrong approach, and again, if the show gets green-lit I hope it gets explored. No blame on people supporting their loved ones with OCD but it is important to get the word out that this behaviour is damaging and can stall the problem or even make it worse on the long run. The best help a person with OCD can get is therapy, meds or both. 

Joni’s sister also seems to believe the current situation is better for Joni, since she doesn’t need to “hide her rituals”, to which Joni quickly reminds her that she isn’t happy this way, because her coworkers and boss treat her as an embarassment and hide her from the public eye, in a small closet-sized “office” where she can do “research” and not interact with others so nobody can see the state she’s in.

Joni’s mentor, Janet is what you would expect: a stone-cold career woman who absolutely cannot tolerate mistakes. (at least on the surface). The only reason she hasn’t fired Joni yet is because the latter threatened to sue the law firm for firing a disabled employee in a discriminatory way. Janet regularly belittles Joni, calls her out for her public rituals or meltdowns over intrusive thoughts.

However, she is also protectice of Joni and believes in her ability to be a good lawyer. Idk, I am not sold on Janet yet, she seems very much like a J.K. Simmons from “Whiplash” kind of mentor who bullies her protegees only to then take credit when they manage to thrive.  We also find out the reason why Joni became a lawyer is because Janet was assigned to one of the court cases on whether Joni and her sister would get taken away from their mom and go into foster care.

So yeah. I am curious to see their dynamic in the future.

4. OCD being a superpower

My biggest fear was that after reading the synopsis where they referred to Joni’s OCD as a “superpower”, we would get her to have scenes like Shaun, where he just randomly comes up with solutions because he is autistic. I cannot emphasize more that autism and OCD are two completely different conditions that may have similar symptoms but are VASTLY different. OCD is a mental illness, autism isn’t. OCD is treatable, autism isn’t because it is not an illness. 

but this also gets debunked quite quickly, Joni is simply a smart and detail-oriented person, who works well despite her diagnosis, not because of it. She explains to Park that her brain, unlike most people’s is very focused on details, which can be true for an individual who has struggled with OCD since childhood. It might be why I’m good at finding clues and solve every escape room and riddle, I don’t even know. 

But it seems like it was just the synopsis of the episode written by an absolute knob, and the actual portrayal of the character isn’t “OCD Ex Machina”.

Overall, I actually liked this episode and really hope it gets a show because the main character is quite interesting, is played by an actress with OCD (Kennedy McMann who also campaigned for the character’s illness to not be portrayed as a superpower) and I am actually curious to learn more about her and the people around her. There is potential and I do think people with OCD could and would enjoy it.

[mirandamckenni1]

Can Ejaculation Lower Your Prostate Cancer Risk? Ft. Dr. Stacy Loeb In today's episode with Stacey Loeb, we're delving into the critical topic of prostate cancer — sifting truth from myths and exploring both prevention and treatment options. Dr. Loeb, a professor of urology with a personal investment in the field, joins us to debunk common misinformation about "miracle cures" and highlight the importance of lifestyle choices such as a plant-based diet, regular exercise, and the power of social connections in reducing cancer risks. Thanks for watching!! Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content: https://ift.tt/hmS82JG Schedule an appointment with me: https://ift.tt/Fysrzlt ▶️Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:03:23 - Prostate Cancer Prevention Discussion 00:04:22 - Importance of Diet and Lifestyle 00:08:02 - Role of Supplements 00:09:26 - Risks Associated with Misinformation 00:19:19 - Frequency of Ejaculation and Prostate Cancer Risk 00:23:42 - Lack of Early Warning Signs for Prostate Cancer 00:27:58 - Discussion on Digital Rectal Examination 00:29:07 - Prostate Cancer Screening Considerations 00:35:11 - Stopping Prostate Cancer Screening 00:37:33 - Role of MRI in Prostate Cancer Diagnosis 00:38:34 - Limitations of Traditional Biopsy 00:46:02 - Investigational Treatments & Lifestyle Impact 00:48:01 - Navigating Misinformation & Reliable Sources 00:49:30 - Accessing Support & Advocating for Education 01:08:36 - Encouraging Early Screening & Wellness Practices 01:02:12 - Testosterone Therapy 01:12:56 - Emphasizing Purpose & Social Connection 01:14:12 - Conclusion: Promoting Self-Care & Community Support https://twitter.com/LoebStacy https://ift.tt/Imvt6FC Prostate cancer foundation https://www.pcf.org/ Zero Prostate Cancer https://zerocancer.org/ Urology Care Foundation https://ift.tt/jaUAg6W Watch the video till the end and let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you like this video, please SUBSCRIBE and don’t forget to press the bell 🔔, like, comment and share. Stay safe and Love all. 😍 Rena Malik, MD is a urologist and pelvic surgeon on youtube to educate people about all things urology including erectile dysfunction, how to increase testosterone, problems with sex, premature ejaculation, urinary leakage, or incontinence, overactive bladder, urinary tract infections, prostate issues and more. ▶️Check out my Amazon storefront (affiliate links included): https://ift.tt/WzsUYMo. ▶️Coupons & Discount codes (affiliate links included): https://ift.tt/q5n2r10 -------------- ▶️Please Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@RenaMalikMD/?sub_confirmation=1 ▶️Visit my website: https://ift.tt/86aOUSQ ▶️Listen to the podcast: https://ift.tt/hGBq01r --------------- ▶️Follow Me On: • Instagram: https://ift.tt/xu6y5sF • Twitter: http://twitter.com/RenaMalikMD • Facebook: https://ift.tt/qpYWf7v • Tikok: https://ift.tt/i1L2On8 • LinkedIn: https://ift.tt/KiDMV5I • Pinterest: https://ift.tt/gmfU6yt --------------- ▶️Sign up for my e-mail list and get more content from me: https://ift.tt/n6maveV ▶️Get your FREE OAB Guide: https://ift.tt/QzoD8W3 --------------- ▶️Check out these playlists: • A Urologist explains what is edging and is it SAFE: https://youtu.be/qN23jUSSdVM • Penis Problems?! Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation & More: https://bit.ly/3wwivzS • Overactive Bladder Treatment: https://bit.ly/3hMzBoP • How to Increase Testosterone: https://bit.ly/2T9QJKV • Women’s Sexual Health: https://ift.tt/ykQIDEe -------------- ▶️DISCLAIMER: This video is purely educational and does not constitute medical advice. The content of this video is my personal opinion and not that of my employer(s). Use of this information is at your own risk. Rena Malik, M.D. will not assume any liability for any direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of the information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness, or death. -------------- via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbLwm2eyyK0

[basavatarakam-cancer-hospital]

May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month. Our Senior Neuro-Oncologist, Dr. K. Venkateswara Rao, offers an insightful exploration into brain tumors in our latest video. He addresses common myths and facts, outlines diagnostic procedures, and discusses treatment options for brain cancer. This comprehensive overview provides essential information on brain tumors.

[keithsandwich]

Astrology Ramblings - Sariel

(because I've been listening to Astrology podcasts)

Warnings: 1) These are just ramblings, don't expect many conclusions here. 2) Traditional Astrology is my thing. 3) I'm talking planets and signs as symbols, and a real person is far more complex than a Sun sign.

Saturn is the anti-light.

Saturn rules two signs: Capricorn (Gilbert) and Aquarius (Sariel). Capricorn opposes the light of the Moon (Cancer), and Aquarius opposes the light of the Sun (Leo).

Sun is the King.

Aquarius also have this thing about it: no planet finds exaltation when in it. Basically, if you think of Aquarius as a house, it belongs to Saturn. Every other planet can visit it but they'll have no special treatment, except for Sun, who'll be treated poorly. You can say it treats everyone equally and makes the Sun step down from its higher ground.

It's interesting to me that the King had brought Sariel to the palace when he was already deep in his disgrace. A disgrace that was originated when he became King, so he was already a very poor King at this point, a Sun with no light. And he had taken this marginalized Saturn boy, the complete opposite of a prince, to tutor his children, among them the future King.

Sariel is the Saturn brought by a fallen Sun to put limits in his children and in the future Sun.

And he did a great job as tutor, and does a great job as regent. He knows everyone's places, including his own, but he doesn't lower his head or give any prince more than it's needed.

(Zeus, as an eagle, kidnapping Ganymedes)

The myth of Aquarius is the myth of Ganymedes, a young man kidnapped by Zeus to serve the Gods. But to never become a God himself. The symbol of Aquarius is a lone man. Aquarius is a symbol of inadequacy, of the feeling of not belonging.

The Sun is huge, so it's absence leaves a huge space to be filled. A space as wide as Aquarius's loneliness. A space Sariel has to fill until the next king is chosen.

Aquarius can also be related to the traditions of role reversals between slaves and Kings (Saturnalia) and mock-kings (Sacea). Slaves and prisoners being treated as Kings. Saturn is boundaries, so it also relates to the idea of limiting the King's actions, of reminding him of his own mortality (Akitu), and of the power of the commoners (hi, Belle! But not exclusively) over him.

Sariel is a King in the shadows and a big brother in the shadows to the Princes. His place is in the shadows, always. In the absence of light. The only suitor who can never, ever, become a real King.

It's also funny that he started wearing glasses to be respected, by looking older than he is. Saturn is the planet of the elderly, of the maturity and experience, and since his appearance did not conveyed it, he had to fake it.

[puppyexpressions]

What You Need to Know About Spay And Neuter Myths

Pet overpopulation and euthanasia are a continuing problem. Be a part of the solution: spay or neuter your pets.

Spaying or neutering your dog is an important part of responsible pet ownership. Unneutered male dogs that are not able to mate experience frustration, which can lead to aggression. Unspayed female dogs attract unwanted attention every six months. From a psychological and biological point-of-view, it is the best thing for your dog.

When you get your dog spayed or neutered, be sure your dog is in a calm and balanced state. Never spay or neuter a frustrated, nervous, tense, aggressive, or anxious dog!

In the United States, seven puppies and kittens are born for every one human. As a result, there are just not enough homes for the animals, and according to the Humane Society of the United States three to four million dogs and cats are euthanized every year.

Sterilizing dogs and cats has been hailed as the most effective method for pet population control. You can help save lives by spaying and neutering your pet. If pets can’t breed, they don’t produce puppies that end up in animal shelters to be adopted or euthanized. Currently, over 56% of dogs and approximately 75% of cats entering shelters are put to sleep.

The perpetuation of myths about spaying and neutering and the high cost cause many people to avoid the procedures, but the fact is sterilization makes your dog a better behaved, healthier pet and will save you money in the long run.

Myth #1: A dog will feel like less of a “man” or “woman” after being sterilized.

This myth stems from the human imposing their own feelings of loss on the animal. In fact, your dog will simply have one less need to fulfill. A dog’s basic personality is formed more by environment and genetics than by sex hormones, so sterilization will not change your dog’s basic personality, make your dog sluggish or affect its natural instinct to protect the pack. But it will give you a better behaved pet.

Neutered dogs have less desire to roam, mark territory (like your couch!) and exert dominance over the pack. Spayed dogs no longer experience the hormonal changes during heat cycles that turn your pet into a nervous dog that cries incessantly and attracts unwanted male dogs. Sterilized dogs are more affectionate and less likely to bite, run away, become aggressive, or get into a fight.

Myth #2: Spaying and neutering will cause weight gain.

Dogs do not get fat simply by being sterilized. Just like humans, dogs gain weight if they eat too much and exercise too little or if they are genetically programmed to be overweight. The weight gain that people may witness after sterilization is most likely caused by continuing to feed a high energy diet to a dog that is reducing its need for energy as it reaches adult size.

Myth #3: Dogs will mourn the loss of their reproductive capabilities.

Not true. Dogs reproduce solely to ensure the survival of their species. They do not raise a puppy for eighteen years. They do not dream of their puppy’s wedding. They do not hope for the comfort of grandchildren in their old age. Female dogs nurse for a few weeks, teach the puppies rules, boundaries, and limitations and send them off to join the pack. Male dogs are not “fathers” in the human sense of the word; they do not even recognize puppies as their own.

Myth #4: Spaying and Neutering is expensive.

Today there are enough low cost and free spay and neuter programs that this can no longer be an excuse! Even if these programs are not available in your area, the emotional distress and money spent on medical treatments you will save down the line makes it an investment that will be worth every penny.

Sterilization reduces the risk of incidence of a number of health problems that are difficult and expensive to treat. In females, it eliminates the possibility of developing uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the chance of breast cancer. Also, some females experience false pregnancies and uterine infections that can be fatal. Prostate cancer risk is greatly reduced in males. By sterilizing your pet, your dog will live a healthier and longer life.

Efforts by programs such as SPAY/USA already seem to be having an effect. In 1980, approximately 23.4 million animals were euthanized. Twenty-two years later, the estimate was down to 4.6 million. In towns and cities that have already implemented sterilization programs, the number of companion animals who had to be euthanized is showing a decline of 30 to 60 percent.

The truth is that neutered and spayed dogs are better pets. And though we’re heading in the right direction, the problem of euthanasia continues. Be a part of the solution. Spay or neuter your pet today!