Archive for the ‘Hormone Clinic’ Category

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In 2012, shortly after their wedding day, Jake Anderson and Deborah Bialis hoped to start a family. Because Deborah had a history of ovarian cysts, the couple decided to pursue in vitro fertilization (IVF).

We pursued IVF because if one of my cysts ruptured, it could damage my chances of becoming a biological mother, says Bialis.

Like many couples facing fertility challenges, Jake and Deborah sought the advice of a fertility doctor and were told that they were excellent candidates for IVF and embryo freezing. But when the first cycle was cancelled due to a medical oversight, the couple became understandably discouraged.

We decided to go to another clinic and our new doctor reassured us that we had an excellent chance of having a baby via IVF, Bialisexplains.We felt hopeful, again.

But, Deborah and Jake were shocked when their second round of IVF didnt produce any embryos.

We were in a crisis,Anderson tells Babble.

As young and healthy adults, they never imagined that getting pregnant would be so difficult. But after two rounds of unsuccessful IVF, they were heartbroken and, like so many couples who struggle with infertility, worried that their dreams of parenthood might never come to fruition. After months of treatment, the couple wasnt any closer to having a baby.

Our fertility was crashing before our eyes and it was devastating,says Anderson.

In the meantime, the cost of medical tests, hormone injections, blood draws, and fertility treatments were mounting, and before they knew it, the couple had $75,000 of medical bills to pay.

Deborah and Jake were filled with grief, because they never imagined they would face infertility. They were also confused because their doctors had given them so many mixed messages.

We realized that theres a broad range of opinions and different types of medical care when it comes to treating infertility, says Anderson. Much of the information that clinics provide, such as IVF success rates are reported by the doctors, but we saw a need for information thats patient-driven.

Their personal experience inspired them to create FertilityIQ, a website where infertile couples, families, and women can find comprehensive information about fertility doctors, IVF clinics, and medical procedures such as genetic testing and egg-freezing. Similar to Consumer Reports, patients provide reviews of their doctors and fertility clinics as a way to share information with others.

FertilityIQ launched a little over a year ago. And this month, in honor of Infertility Awareness Month (and to celebrate their sons first birthday), Jake and Deborah are giving away a free cycle of IVF to another couple in need.

After years of infertility, we were finally blessed with a baby, and we want to help make someone elses dreams come true, too, says Bialis. We hope that our gift will lighten the financial burden that IVF brings.

It is more expensive to be infertile in America than in any other developed nation.

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Many women who struggle with infertility believe that biology and science are the two most important puzzle pieces that lead to successful IVF conceptions. But Anderson says that insurance coverage plays a significant role, too.

It is more expensive to be infertile in America than in any other developed nation, he says.

Research shows that the average cost of an IVF cycle is $23,000, and that most women will need more than one cycle to become pregnant. Unfortunately, very few insurance plans cover the cost of these treatments, and only 15states mandate that insurance companies offer fertility benefits to their subscribers.

In fact, new research released just last week and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) states that the cost of IVF often prevents women from pursuing a second round of treatment. Because of this, women with IVF insurance coverage are almost 10 percent more likely to conceive than women without these health benefits.

Who knew there was such a hefty price tag attached to an infertile womans chances of becoming a mother?

These stressors can really wreck a family, says Anderson. Not only is infertility a financial burden, but its also emotionally taxing.

By offering their IVF grant, Deborah and Jake hope to help at least one family bring new life into the world.

The couple will offer one family (grantee) $10,000 to use towards an IVF cycle at a clinic of their choice. The grantee can also give the cycle to another friend or family member in need. To be considered for the grant, the potential winner needs to leave a review of their fertility doctor on the FertilityIQ website by April 27. All reviews are anonymous, and patients who have already written reviews are automatically entered into the drawing.

Were asking for more doctor reviews because this information really helps the fertility patients who use our site,explains Anderson, who notes that this past year, FertilityIQ helped over 100,000 patients find the right fertility doctor. The couple hopes that this number only continues to grow, so that more families can benefit from this information in the future.

Even in the depths of a familys struggles to have a baby, members of the FertilityIQ community go out of their way to help each other, Anderson adds.This simple act of kindness is priceless.

It certainly is.

This New York Clinic Is Helping Moms with Postpartum Depression in a Whole New Way

Article Posted 2 days Ago

More:
Why This Couple Is Giving Away a Free IVF Cycle to Two Hopeful Parents - Babble (blog)

Middle-aged men jonesing for a boost in vitality are turning to steroids in increasing numbers, say researchers and health professionals. Men in their 40s, 50s even 60s and 70s are turning to hormones to fight the effects of aging, including weight gain and decreased libido, according to The Guardian.

Joseph Kean, a visiting research fellow at Liverpool John Moores University, said that usage has doubled in the number of men 50 and over in the past five years. He told The Guardian, Guys are saying they just want to stand a bit taller and feel they can stand alongside the younger generation who are much more aware of how they look."

But the vision of a buffer, more energized you comes with caveats including the potential for worsening sleep apnea, heart disease, blood clots, and prostate complications.

Testosterone levels decline early on, starting at around age 30. This drop can lead to any number of unwanted side effects and problems, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the National Institutes of Health. Low-T as it is often referred to, is responsible for much more than just weight gain and decreased sex drive. It is correlated with insulin resistance, low muscle strength and development even poor cognitive function. So it's a given that men would want to head off this decline and preserve their vigor for as long as possible.

We have come across a lot of older men using [steroids]. Its almost like hormone replacement therapy [for menopause relief] for females. Steroids can help you lose body fat as well, Julien Baker, an applied physiology professor at the University of the West of Scotland, told The Guardian. The evidence isnt there about what the long-term impact is yet. We are not sure what these drugs are doing to you at that age, but everyone perceives it as safe.

Magazines geared toward rejuvenation through hormone replacement have sprung up, as have clinics that promote testosterone replacement therapy in the United States and abroad.

The Juice Clinic in Sheffield, England, is one such service for people using steroids and image-enhancing drugs. Sid Wiffen, the clinic's team leader, told The Guardian he has noted an increase in older men asking for help. Steroid use for older men is often about the youthful effects, and about body image and energy levels. I hear talk of men feeling more pressure now to look good, so they are more likely to go to the gym and dress well," he said. It can be dangerous, and it does worry me. Lots of people we see are keen to make an informed decision about their steroid use, but some get information elsewhere and its not always good.

That elsewhere includes the internet of course, where misinformation on the topic flourishes. The healthier, safer route by far is to seek the advice of a physician and get a prescription.

Steroids, officially known as anabolic-androgenic steroids, were first developed for medical use in wasting conditions. Their possession or sale without a prescription is illegal in the United States, though some people are able to get them online or in gyms. Some countries permit legal possession, including the U.K., though it is illegal to supply them there. Steroids come in pill form, injectables (intramuscular), and topical gels.

Baker said while there could be some benefits for older men, the risks should be well understood. Introducing something your body stopped producing naturally may lead to repercussions or have health implications, he said. Theres not enough research out there to look at that. Someone taking steroids at 50 its not clear what might happen to them in the future.

Once users discontinue the use of steroids, many report withdrawal symptoms such as low mood and anxiety, something men should keep in mind as well.

2017 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.

See the original post:
Boost in Steroid Use Among Older Men - Newsmax

An LGBT lobby group in Sweden has been mocked for producing an unnecessarily explicit and overtly PC sexual rights pamphlet aimed at gay and transgender asylum seekers.

The graphic 32-page booklet published by the non-profit RFSL group, the Swedish Federation for LGBTQ Rights contains a series of cartoons depicting people of differing skin tones having solo sex, three-way sex, gay sex and one picture of a wheelchair-bound man having sex with a transexual man.

One of the men who crops up in several of the cartoons is particularly hairy, for some reason, while there are also various pictures of sex toys. The pamphlets language is blunt, using a variety of coarse slang terms for sex acts and organs which some may consider questionable.

Titled Sexual Health and Rights in Sweden and listed on the groups website since March 2, the pamphlets introduction reads: This brochure is a guide for you who are newly arrived in Sweden and identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or queer (lgbtq)In Sweden, anyone who is 15 years old or older can agree to have sex. This is called consenting to sexual acts. There is no law against same sex sexual practisesAs an asylum seeker or undocumented migrant, you can get emergency healthcare.

Among the bizarre sex cartoons it also offers this advice to trans asylum seekers:

If you are trans you can get medical help transitioning into a body that suits your gender identity. You can also change your legal gender. To get trans healthcare you often need to visit a healthcare centre and ask for a referral to a gender clinic. There are six clinics in Sweden. Stockholm and Lund have youth clinics that treat people above the age of 16. Some transgender persons want hormone treatment. Some also want chest surgery, genital surgery and hair removal. Most of these services, like surgery and hormone treatment, cost no more than any other doctors visit.

Many have been withering about the pamphlet. One observer, calling himself Sargon of Akkad, wrote simply: So tolerant, so diverse.

More:
Swedish LGBT Lobby Group Publishes Bizarre Sex Brochure for Trans Asylum Seekers - Heat Street

It is not uncommon for pet owners to feel nervous about visits to the veterinary clinic if their pet has experienced fear during a previous visit.

It is important people remain compassionate toward fearful or fear-based aggressive animals so we can better enable them reduce their anxiety and learn that certain stimuli are not scary.

First, we must understand that fear behaviors have a stimulus, a physiological change within the pet and a behavioral change that is outwardly expressed.

Second, we need to imagine entering the veterinary clinic from the animals point of view.

While many pets enjoy car rides, not all do, so they may be feeling anxiety just from the car trip.

Once they enter the clinic there are many other sights, sounds, smells and memories that lead to fear. There may be a big dog sitting across from them, or a vocal cat or an unusual smell.

Once in the exam room, we must observe their nonverbal communication and adjust our approach accordingly.

Our ultimate goal is to reduce physiological changes to stressful stimuli so that the pets mental state is in a place where they can learn the situation is not scary.

Our pets have very subtle ways of communicating fear with us prior to cowering, growling, barking or biting. Signs of nervousness include lip licking, whale eye (when the pet looks to the side and the whites of the eye are visible), pacing, panting, scratching when there is no itch, and yawning.

These are called displacement behaviors, and are used to signal to the fear-inducing situation that the animal is nervous and wants to engage, but is not feeling confident in doing so.

Our goal in the exam room is to help your pet feel safe and secure so its brain can learn that the situation is not scary.

Ways to overcome this are with high-value treats, praise and rewarding confident behavior. We should never punish displacement behaviors growling, cowering, barking, or biting.

Punishment may teach the dog not to display these signals and could lead to bites without warning. We also need to make sure that we are not reinforcing fearful behavior. Our goals are to desensitize and counter-condition their responses to fearful stimuli.

Behavioral managements for pets with fear-based aggression will need to be further individualized because the bite risk is higher.

With patients with a known bite history, their safety as well as the safety of our staff are of utmost priority.

For animals with fear-based aggression, certain medications may be prescribed prior to visits to help the dog cope with stress.

It may take months or years to rehabilitate a fear-based aggressive dog. In some cases, it may be even be challenging to hospitalize or board these patients because of the stress it can cause them, which could in turn delay healing.

This type of stressful event may actually undo progress that has been made to help them feel less stressed in the exam room.

It is not uncommon for us to recommend delay-boarding them because of the risk of undoing progress in their rehabilitation.

There are also many ways we try to reduce stress in the exam room. One of the ways we attempt to help cats is by using a quieter, calm tone of voice; Feliway feline-appeasing hormone spray on towels; and restraint techniques that make them feel safe.

A stress response is very common for indoor-only cats because they are not exposed to new environments as frequently as outdoor or indoor/outdoor cats.

Often, just the carrier and car ride can make cats feel stressed! It is important to expose them to the carrier in nonstressful settings so they become more accustomed to it.

Even taking joy rides can help.

As most dog owners know, canines can be very sensitive to our feelings and stress levels. I recommend owners also take deep breaths and relax on the way to the clinic and in the exam room, because this helps reduce stress in their pets.

We recommend dogs come into the clinic on an empty stomach so we can feed them treats brought in by the owner or ones we keep in the exam room as counter-conditioning. We then tailor our restraint techniques based on the dogs body language, displacement behaviors and stress level. Some dogs are even scared of the white coat, so I sometimes choose not to wear one.

It is important to remember that stress and fear can be managed with compassion, diligence, counter-conditioning and, in some cases, medication. We do not want to ignore our loved ones communication with us.

Danielle Carey, DVM, is an associate veterinarian who practices mixed-animal veterinary medicine at the Animal Clinic of Walla Walla. Contact her at 509-525-6111.

Image: Priority Pet Clinic via Flickr; unedited

Read the original here:
VET VIEWS: Understanding your pets' fear in the veterinary clinic - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

For decades, research singled out saturated fat and cholesterol as the prime dietary villains in heart disease. Following a report that the sugar industry quietly funded much of that research, sugar has found itself in the spotlight.

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Sugar has deleterious effects on the heart, and its important to be aware of them, notes Haitham Ahmed, MD. It has a negative impact on your lipids, your weight and your risk of diabetes. And it provides calories with no nutritional benefits.

Heres a breakdown of sugars impact on lipids, the substances in your blood that contribute to heart disease:

Sugars impact extends beyond the bloodstream. When you eat sugar, your blood glucose levels quickly rise. This causes an immediate spike in insulin, the fat storage hormone. The more sugar you eat, the more insulin you secrete, and the more fat you build up.

When you have more fat, you become more resistant to insulin. So you secrete more insulin, which leads to more fat storage, explains Dr. Ahmed. This vicious cycle results in prediabetes and diabetes, weight gain, and metabolic syndrome.

Over the past 20 years in developed and developing countries, weight has gone up, along with the incidence of obesity and diabetes.

In the 90s, the bottom layer of the food pyramid was all cereals, bread and pastas. Those were the foods we were supposed to eat more of and collectively, as a society, we gained a tremendous amount of weight, says Dr. Ahmed.

Because low-fat foods were supposed to be heart-healthier, manufacturers added sugars such as high-fructose corn syrup to make their products more appealing.

In 2015, recognizing that sugar has become a problem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revised its dietary guidelines. Now, it says added sugars should make up no more than 10 percent of our total calories. And at least half of our complex carbohydrates should come from whole grains.

The sugar in fresh fruit is packaged with beneficial fiber, vitamins and minerals. Many large studies, including a 2016 study of 500,000 Chinese adults, show that fresh fruit consumption lowers blood sugar, and the risk of death from heart disease and stroke.

A half-cup of orange juice and an orange may each have 20 grams of carbohydrate, says Dr. Ahmed. The juice is absorbed right away, spiking your blood sugar so that your pancreas wants to rapidly secrete insulin. But the fibers in the orange delay its absorption, so your blood sugar doesnt spike as much.

Foods with a low glycemic index like fresh fruits and veggies, and whole grains help to stabilize blood sugar. Foods with a high glycemic index like punch, pizza, potatoes and pancakes spike blood sugar, inviting insulin resistance and weight gain.

Dietary studies have produced conflicting data. But one diet has proven over and over again in large scale, high-quality, randomized, controlled trials to significantly lower the risk of heart disease and to help people live longer with less dementia.

Thats the Mediterranean diet.

Focusing on healthier fat sources like fish, nuts and olive oil, the diet is heavy on veggies, beans and legumes, favors white meat over red, and includes low-fat dairy. And, needless to say, sugary desserts are scarce.

Its not really a diet, its more a style of eating, says Dr. Ahmed. Its easy, anyone can do it, and youre not starving yourself or limiting calories. So its sustainable. And its filled with stuff we all love to eat.

All the data show that crash diets can be effective in the short term. But people quickly regain those lost pounds and, over time, put on even more weight, he says.

None of which is good for your heart.

If sugar can harm your heart, are artificial sweeteners the answer for a sweet tooth?

Im not a fan of artificial sweeteners. Lots of studies show that diet beverages dont help people lose weight, says Dr. Ahmed. And drinking more than two artificially sweetened beverages a day may increase your risk of heart disease.

Researchers have a few theories about this, he explains:

Neither artificial sweeteners nor sugar are a good idea for most people, says Dr. Ahmed. If you want to quench your thirst, its best to drink unsweetened seltzer or water. The only time an artificially sweetened beverage is better is when you have diabetes and have to prevent blood sugar spikes.

More here:
Why a Sweet Tooth Spells Trouble for Your Heart - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic (blog)

Being happier, more optimistic is indeed good for your health Idaho Statesman A Mayo Clinic study found that people who have high anxiety have a moderately increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease decades later so do pessimists. Why does attitude affect your health? Chronic pessimism dings the immune system and ...

The rest is here:
Being happier, more optimistic is indeed good for your health - Idaho Statesman

If your daughter, aged between 12 and 13, has been complaining of irregular periods, facial hair growth and weight gain, dont ignore the signs, instead be alert. These are the symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a lifestyle-related disease that spikes speedily among women. Over the years, young girls also are falling prey to this disease and its a worrisome trend.

A study conducted by Metropolis Healthcare Ltd, a multinational chain of pathology laboratories, reveals shocking facts about PCOS. It states one in five women suffers from PCOS problem. East India leads the chart with one in four compared to North India, where it is one in five. In this study, 27,411 samples of testosterone were collected from women between 15 and 30 years of age for 18 months.

It showed that 4,824 (17.60 per cent) women face hormone-associated risk with polycystic ovarian syndrome. East India showed alarming levels of 25.88 per cent women affected, followed by 18.62 per cent in North India. The increasing trend is predominant in women between 15 and 30 years. Earlier, the trend was seen

in women between 28 and 35 years but now girls between 15 and 24 years are falling prey to PCOS. College students with problems of obesity, late periods, puberty acnes and stomach wrinkles come to my clinic with the issue, Dr Asha Sharma, a senior consultant at Apollo Cradle, Delhi, says, adding that even girls between 12 and 13 years are coming with the problems.

Imbalance of hormones in the body hampers the functioning of ovaries. Instead of producing one egg a month, ovaries start producing multiple immature eggs, which can be called cyst. And because of this, ovulation does not occur regularly, says Dr Manika Khanna, Director of Gaudium IVF, Delhi.

A drastic change in our lifestyle contributes most to PCOS cases. Children take a lot of beverages these days, which increases sugar levels and cause hormonal imbalance in the body, says Dr Sharma. Insulin moves glucose from the blood to cells to use as energy. When cells dont respond normally to insulin, the level of sugar and insulin in the blood rises. Too much insulin increases the production of androgens that cause imbalance.

Consumption of refined carbs in the form of fast and processed food also worsens the problem. Fast food and sedentary lifestyle disturb metabolism causing hormonal imbalance among girls. Studies have revealed that sometimes PCOS causes chemical changes in the mothers womb. Also, if a mother has PCOS, there is a 50 per cent chance that the daughter will also have it. A combination of genetic and environmental factors causes PCOS.

If the initial signs are ignored or not diagnosed in time, it can cause Type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure. PCOS in older women could even lead to cancer of the uterus. Dr Abha Majumdar of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, says, Undiagnosed PCOS can lead to infertility and multiple abortion problems. Around 30 to 35 per cent women come to our clinic for IVF treatment. Dr Khanna adds that most infertility cases related to PCOS are from the northern states.

PCOS cannot be diagnosed with just one test. Vaginal ultrasound, blood sugar and insulin test along with some hormonal blood test are carried out to ascertain PCOS. If three tests give positive results, only then we start treating a patient for PCOS, says Dr Majumdar.

With the help of early symptoms, doctors can treat PCOS patients with medication and changes in lifestyle. Good food habits and regular exercise can keep PCOS at bay.

See the article here:
Hormones harm as life loses its style - The New Indian Express

Kandace Cahill, founder and director of Well Woman Acupuncture, in her Boulder office on Tuesday. (Paul Aiken / Staff Photographer)

Boulder-based Well Woman Acupuncture is a woman-owned health clinic specifically designed to treat women using a combination of western and Chinese medicine.

Founded in 2006, Well Woman just expanded to Longmont with a clinic at 738 Coffman St.

"We've been doing so well here (in Boulder) and it was a need that needed to be filled," said owner Kandace Cahill.

We sat down with Cahill to learn more about her practice:

Why did you start an acupuncture practice?

I've always been interested in health and healing, I was very drawn to OB/GYN (health and management of pregnancy), and I became interested in alternative healing and acupuncture. For me, it was the best of both worlds coming together.

So I'm guessing you're not afraid of needles?

No, and for those who are, I'd say just give it a try, it should be painless. We try and create an oasis, because where you come for the acupuncture, the environment is part of the healing. What I always tell new patients is if you're able to relax to the point of falling asleep, that's great.

Is there something specific about women's health that responds well to acupuncture?

Absolutely. When it comes to women's health, it's a very complex field with lots of aspects to consider. It's really the kind of work where integrating western and Chinese medicine is imperative.

Chinese medicine as a standalone is absolutely wonderful, but when it comes to women's health, western medicine is really valuable. Integrating the two worlds so we give comprehensive care is really important.

We treat everything from menarche to menopause painful periods and acne, hormone imbalances, insomnia, stress, anxiety, depression, headaches, allergies, digestion. Fertility is large part of what we do. We work closely with doctors to provide the best support for women.

What are you most proud of in your career?

The thing I'm most proud of is that, even though we've grown to be quite big over time, we still have a big commitment to our clients we want them to have a great experience. Having our patients feel really valued and honored along the way means a lot to me... the importance placed on the people.

What's your ultimate vision for Well Woman?

My vision is that we would be the go-to place in Boulder County for anything related to women's health. I want everyone to know that there are more options. People say to me all the time, 'Oh, I didn't know Chinese medicine could treat that!'

Acupuncture treats anything. I sometimes have this fantasy of riding around Boulder with a bullhorn yelling, 'People of Boulder! Have you thought about acupuncture?'

Bethany Alvarez, For the Camera

Link:
Seeing a need to be filled, Well Woman Acupuncture expands into Longmont - Boulder Daily Camera

Special to the Daily |

The author in a full-leg knee brace one week after ACL and meniscus surgery. Crutches are mandatory for the first six weeks while the menisci heal.

The author's leg one week after ACL and meniscus surgery. The repair requires six holes: five standard cuts around the knee for the repair, and one ju...

Close-up of the author's leg one week after ACL and meniscus surgery. The repair requires six holes: five standard cuts around the knee for the repair...

Close-up of the author's leg one week after ACL and meniscus surgery. The repair requires six holes: five standard cuts around the knee for the repair...

KneeHab 101 series

Knee injuries are a part of sporting life in the mountains. Over the next few weekends, the Summit Daily sports section will print weekly articles about ACL/MCL injury, surgery, rehab, recovery and prevention, featuring interviews with local doctors, physical therapists and pro athletes. Theyre the only knees youve got show them some love.

Have a suggestion for the series? Email sports editor Phil Lindeman at plindeman@summitdaily.com.

Week 1 A club I never wanted to join, injury column

Week 2 Anatomy of an ACL/MCL injury

Week 3 Yoga for ACL/MCL recovery

Week 4 ACL surgery 101

Week 4 Slice, dice, make it nice, surgery thoughts and fears column

Week 5 Myth-busting for knee injuries

Week 6 Post-surgery recovery, rehab and physical therapy

Week 7 Man on the street: Summit locals talk knee injuries, video

Week 8 Long, hard road, recovery column

=========

Cost of an ACL repair

Lets be clear: without insurance, I wouldnt be getting my ACL surgically repaired. The total cost of the operation, surgery facilities and post-op rehab would be more than I could afford: nearly $42,500.

Luckily, I had insurance through my employer when I was injured. But even that didnt combat steep upfront costs, and I didnt add outside costs by seeking a second opinion or surgeon. Its the harsh reality of elective surgery in the U.S. right now: After talking with billing departments at local hospitals, I found that collecting 50 percent of all fees upfront has been standard since the introduction of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. I paid nearly $2,450 before going under the knife.

Insurance vitals

Provider Anthem BlueCross BlueShield

Plan type PPO (single person, no dependents)

My monthly cost $134, or $67 per paycheck

Deductible $650

Max out-of-pocket $5,650

My responsibility 20 percent of total charges until max out-of-pocket is met

Vail-Summit Orthopedics (surgeon, MRI, other scans)

MRI $845, paid half upfront ($422.50)

ACL and meniscus repair $10,848.64

My responsibility $2,169.70, paid half upfront ($1,084.85)

Remaining charges $1,507.35, including remaining MRI fees ($422.50)

Edwards Surgery Center (facility, anesthesia, etc)

Surgery fees $29,109

Facility co-pay $175

My responsibility $2,500, dropped from full 20 percent ($5,821) due to meeting out-of-pocket, paid half upfront ($1,250)

Remaining charges $1,250

Post-op therapy (Avalanche Physical Therapy)

PT sessions $120 for assessment session, $70 for all follow-up sessions

My responsibility $20 per session (paid full $190 upfront while insurance processes)

Total $960 and up, based on 3 sessions per week for 4 months (possibility of $0 after out-of-pocket is met through other fees)

Medical equipment (Medequip)

Full knee brace roughly $600

Crutches roughly $150

Movement machine roughly $900, declined

Total $750, pending insurance

Post-op prescription drugs

Oxycodone (5mg) $10, down from $33.29 without insurance

Morphine extended release (15mg) $23.49

Total $33.49

Totals

All items $42,546.13

My responsibility roughly $7,258 (before out-of-pocket)

Paid upfront $3,393.34, minus medical equipment ($750)

Balance remaining $3,864.66

=======

Helping Mother Nature help herself

For decades now, orthopedic surgeons have tried to answer a pressing question: How can we speed up Mother Nature for joint repairs?

The question begins with the ligaments, tendons and cartilage that combine to make joints. Unlike muscles and skin, these tissues dont have high blood flow the key to quick tissue recovery and so rehabilitation takes longer than for cuts, bruises and even broken bones.

At two ortho clinics in the Vail area, Vail-Summit Orthopedics and The Steadman Clinic, surgeons are on the cutting edge of joint repair thanks to a pair of acronyms: PRP and BMAC. Platelet-enriched plasma (PRP) and bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) are two relatively new biomedical solutions for the problem of tissue recovery. During ACL and other knee procedures, doctors at both clinics prefer using a combination of both solutions to give Mother Nature a helping hand long before sutures are healed.

Heres how it works: PRP and BMAC solutions are taken from the patient before an ACL repair, and then re-injected during the procedure. BMAC harnesses the power of stem cells for healing by mimicking other tissue: less than a year after surgery, bone marrow cells taken from the pelvis will show up as ACL cells in the knee. All BMAC cells are harvested from the patient, which skirts the touchy ethical issues that surround research with donor stem cells.

Dr. William Sterett at Vail-Summit Orthopedics admits the jury is still out on the efficacy of both solutions, but with strong evidence for positive results (and little evidence for negative ones), he recommends the duo for all ACL repairs.

Editor's note: This article is part of an eight-week series about ACL, MCL and other knee injuries, featuring professional and first-hand info on surgery, rehab, recovery and prevention. See the Summit Daily sports section every Friday or Saturday for the next installment, and head online to SummitDaily.com for past articles.

Take it from a freshly injured skier: shop around before you sign your name on the dotted line at a surgery center.

On June 24, 2016, longtime Breckenridge local Josh Barilar was skiing a steep northeasterly couloir on Fletcher Mountain one of several craggy peaks surrounding Breck's hometown 14er, Quandary Peak when the snow gave out beneath him. It wasn't quite a true avalanche, he remembers, but it was enough to pull him uncontrollably down the tight, rocky chute before slamming him into a craggy outcropping.

"The accident was pretty much a fluke, and that's what everyone agreed on," said Barilar, who was skiing that morning with two partners, including backcountry maven Aaron Rice. "If this had happened in an open snowfield, we'd be laughing. It was like having a carpet pulled out from under you."

When the snow settled, Barilar had no concussion and only a broken finger, but his knees had been brutalized. His left knee was bruised it didn't return to normal color for nearly five months and the cartilage in his left knee was horribly mangled. The rocks managed to miss his MCL, ACL and menisci, but the overall joint damage was just as severe. He was airlifted out of the couloir after five hours and taken immediately to the hospital, where he stayed for two days while doctors pondered the damage.

The first diagnosis was grim: Barilar might never walk again, and he surely wouldn't run again. That didn't sit well "I know I'll run again," he says and so he sought second opinions from Vail-Summit Orthopedics and The Steadman Clinic, both based in Vail.

In August, the Vail-Summit surgeons told him 16 months of recovery with one immediate procedure. Steadman surgeons told him two procedures one to see what's wrong, a second to repair the damage and a more palatable 10 months of recovery. Both clinics were confident he would walk, ski and bike again they just couldn't agree on a timeline.

"Just because one doctor says one thing, don't be afraid to get a second opinion," said Barilar, a 32-year-old who was on Vail Resorts insurance when he got injured. "I was torn and didn't know what to do, but I had a lot of good advice and good guidance because the therapists in this county are amazing. You really can't pick a better place to get injured."

Knees in need

Ask for an orthopedic surgeon in Vail or Breckenridge and you'll hear the same thing: they're the cream of the crop surgeons who regularly repair world-class athletes with the U.S. Ski Team, NHL, NBA, England's Premier League and other top-notch teams from across the globe.

But knee pain isn't limited to the pros. Every year, roughly 5.5 million Americans see orthopedic clinics for a knee problem and about 1 million opt for outpatient surgery, like an ACL, MCL or meniscus repair, according to an article in the March 2015 edition of Scientific American. Another 700,000 have one or both knees totally replaced, the article continued, with many cases traced to quick-cutting sports: tennis, soccer, basketball, skiing.

Of all the potential knee injuries, skiers are most susceptible to MCL and ACL damage. It comes down to the sport's movement: legs are attached to long, extended anchors (aka skis), and when these anchors get torqued, they can wrench and tear the intricate tissues of your knee joint. Because these tissues don't have good blood flow the key to quick healing they take months to mend. Some ligaments, like the ACL, won't heal at all if fully torn.

"Ultimately, if the knee is unstable, painful and there are functional limitations, the knee needs to be stabilized via a ligament reconstruction or repair," said Eric Dube, a physical therapist with Howard Head Sports Medicine. Without surgery, he continues, "there is a real risk of injuring other structures in the knee, like your menisci, cartilage, or other ligaments."

But recent studies suggest knee surgery isn't viewed the same across the world. In Europe, doctors are more likely to prescribe rehab instead of surgery for ACL injuries, while the opposite is true in the U.S. The findings are unusual: European studies show little difference between rehab-only and surgical patients, while American studies show that rehab-only patients are more likely than their surgical peers to develop meniscus issues after three to five years, according to physical therapist Paula Ashbaugh with Avalanche Physical Therapy.

"It's really interesting: In the long term, not everyone needs to get the ACL repaired," Ashbaugh said. "It depends on your sports and activity. Anything where you pivot and jump basketball, beach volleyball, tennis you want to get it fixed."

The $43K knee

So you've opted for surgery. Now you've got to pay for it.

Local ortho surgeons might be the best in the world, but that also means they charge more than surgeons in Denver or other regions. When paired with statewide increases for health care premiums jumps of 20-46 percent in 2017 alone, according to past Summit Daily reports even patients with health insurance need to brace for steep upfront costs from services like MRIs, prescription medication and post-operative equipment. Without insurance, an ACL repair in Summit County is unaffordable at roughly $43,000 (see sidebar).

But is it worth it? Yes, doctors agree. Sure, their livelihood is on the line, but veteran knee surgeon Rick Cunningham with Vail-Summit Orthopedics makes a compelling case.

First, ortho surgeons are better than ever before at placing new ACLs. Cunningham's colleague at the clinic, William Sterett, takes four X-rays of a patient's knees, calves, pelvis and femurs before an ACL repair. Together, he says the collection of images helps him match the new ACL to the patient's anatomy and posture.

"It comes down to placing the ACL anatomically," Cunningham said. "Here, where we are, there are doctors who do enough of these surgeries that we know what to look for right away."

Second, surgeons are discovering new and better ways to work with tissue. ACLs are repaired with one of several tendons, including those taken from cadavers, but Vail-Summit doctors are finding that the quadriceps tendon is best for young, active skiers. It lowers the chances your body will reject foreign tissue, he says, and boosts chances of long-term strength.

"We would hope that a repair is lifelong," Cunningham said. "There are some factors that help us achieve that and number one in my mind is using patient tissue instead of donor tissue for younger patients."

The meniscus question

But the biggest reason to repair a blown knee? Simple: another few decades of skiing with little residual pain, weakness or irritation.

"We're so much better at fixing ACLs than we were 10 or 15 years ago," Cunningham said. "We have a better understanding of where to place the ACL based on where it used to live. We're getting better than ever before."

So is technology. Along with improved techniques, ortho docs are also toying with biotech solutions for knee repair. The two most common platelet-enriched plasma and bone marrow aspirate concentrate (see sidebar) are taken from the patient and injected into the knee during the procedure to boost recovery. Another, more radical solution replicates tissue like the C-shaped meniscus with a 3-D printer. This option isn't approved for human patients yet, but researchers at Columbia University Medical Center say it could be the key to "true joint regeneration," according to the Scientific American article.

For ACL patients, the meniscus is a true wild card. Doctors won't know how badly it's damaged until they cut into a knee, and popular solutions have included shaving off entire portions of the tissue a harbinger of arthritis later in life. A 2013 study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that shaving the meniscus, known as a meniscectomy, was no more effective than a simulated operation for pain relief.

Now, to bridge the gap between meniscectomy and experimental implants, ortho surgeons are getting getter at stitching the menisci back together. This means no loss of natural tissue only an extra six weeks on crutches while the stitches heal.

"You hear horror stories on the internet all the time, but you can't get alarmed when you read these opinions because there's a whole history behind these things," skier Barilar said. "You have to do your own research to find out what you need."

Long road to normal

Because the damage to Barilar's knee was so complex and because he'd already been laid up for nearly three months he opted for the Steadman approach: two procedures, 10 months of recovery. Between and after each operation, he did physical therapy with Howard Head in Vail and the clinic's newest addition: KAATSU.

Barilar describes the KAATSU treatment system as a blood-pressure cuff for your leg. At PT, he wraps the cuff around his right leg and does the typical exercises, like calf pumps, lunges, squats and more. The KAATSU system tricks his body into thinking it's working harder than it is by slowing blood flow, which naturally produces human growth hormone.

"The best analogy I could come up with was like a donut on a baseball bat: you take it off and you can swing the bat faster," Barilar said. "I took off the cuff and it honestly felt easier to walk."

Barilar's first operation was in August 2016 and the second was in November. By February of this year he started walking again his first real steps after being on crutches for nearly seven months.

"It's pretty wild to think that my muscle is coming back very, very well," Barilar said. "I'm not even five months out and I'm already lifting 40 pounds in lunges. You listen to your body that's your best doctor and I've been able to do those exercises. It's crazy."

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KneeHab: Cadavar tissue, KAATSU and questions to ask before ACL surgery - Summit Daily News

You'll have less stress Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley/Shutterstock We're all pretty hard on ourselves, criticizing everything from our thighs to our parking job to our off-hand comments at work. And it's not without consequences. "Harsh self-criticism activates the sympathetic nervous systemfight or flightand elevates stress hormones such as cortisol in our bloodstream," says Emma Seppala, PhD, science director the Stanford University Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, and author of The Happiness Track. Too much cortisol can lead to problems ranging from weight gain to cardiovascular trouble. Enter self-compassion, which means treating yourself the way you'd treat a friend who's going through a hard timewith support and understanding, instead of criticism. Studies have shown that using self-compassion techniques can reverse the negative trend of criticism and cortisol. "When you practice self-compassion, you reduce the stress hormone cortisol, which takes away the state of stress," says Deborah Serani, PsyD, award-winning author of Living with Depression and a psychology professor at Adelphi University. "The more you stay with positive thoughts, the more dopamine surges, which floods your body with feel-good hormones." How can you practice self-compassion? "Instead of saying things like, 'How could I have done this? I'm such an idiot!' you might say, 'I had a moment of absent-mindedness and that's okayit could have happened to anyone,'" Dr. Seppala says. Learn 15 five-second strategies for shutting down stress in the moment. You'll lower your heart rate poylock19/Shutterstock In fight-or-flight mode, your heart pounds and your blood pressure spikes. "People are threatened when they're struggling, so the natural threat response is to attack the problemwhich in this case is yourself," says Kristin Neff, PhD, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, author of Self-Compassion and a pioneer in the field. This instinctive mechanism is why we're so apt to be hard on ourselves. But by shutting down your body's fight-or-flight response with kindness, you'll slow your heart rate and blood pressure, which helps your cardiovascular health. "When the heart rate is flexible, which means it can adjust to whatever's happening, that's a sign of not being in this fight or flight, so you aren't so reactive and you're able to actually adjust more," Dr. Neff says.Here are 9 ways to stop the damage of negative self-talk.

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Ector Middle School student heading to state science fair Odessa American The Mayo Clinic website said Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to ...

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Ector Middle School student heading to state science fair - Odessa American

Here's what bleeding or periods for more than five days or a week might indicate. Read to know more!

Periods typically occur once a month, which usually lasts for not more than 7 days (5 or 3 days for some). However, sometimes periods might last longer than the usual, which might indicate something is wrong with the body. Also known as menorrhagia, prolonged periods can indicate a hormonal imbalance or changes in the uterus, which should not be ignored. It is wise to consult a gynaecologist at the earliest to know the exact cause of it and get treated. Dr Nupur Gupta, Gynaecologist and obstetrician, Well Woman Clinic, Gurgaon, explains the common reasons for prolonged periods or menorrhagia. Also read about8 things your gynaecologist wants you to know.

1. Dysfunctional bleeding: Known as abnormal uterine bleeding, it is caused due to hormonal imbalance in the body. In most cases, it indicates an anovulatory cycle, a condition in which the ovaries do not produce egg but, there is bleeding from the uterus. It is common seen in a woman of reproductive age (mainly 18 years to 35 years). Here are10 commonly asked questions about periods answered.

2. Bleeding disorders: It is commonly seen in girls of adolescent age or puberty, then your doctor might recommend blood tests to rule out a bleeding disorder. In some cases, even an ultrasound of the lower abdomen might be recommended by your gynaecologist to look for changes in the uterus. Hence, if you have prolonged periods after menarche, it is wise to consult a doctor. If a bleeding disorder is ruled out, it might also indicate the lack of iron and vitamins. In such a case, you might also need counselling and prescription of multivitamins to improve your condition.

3. Thyroid disease: Yes, prolonged bleeding could be due to low levels of thyroid hormones in the body. Hence, if you have hypothyroidism or suffer from thyroid disorders, it is wise to consult a doctor get it treated as it could be due to the medications fo the hormonal changes that happen in the body due to low levels of thyroid hormones. To diagnose thyroid disease, your gynaecologist might recommend blood tests.

4. Hyperprolactinemia: It is a condition characterised by high-level of prolactin, a hormone which is needed for breast development during pregnancy and also to induce lactation in new mothers. Hyperprolactinemia is common during pregnancy, however, if pregnancy is ruled out and you have prolonged periods, get in touch with your gynaecologist to rule out hyperprolactinemia, which is seen in the case of stress, use of certain medications, kidneys disease and tumours.

5. Perimenopause: The right age of menopause in Indian women is 47 51 years. However, there are chances that you might suffer from early menopause or perimenopause. Hence, if you have prolonged periods at the age of 40 45 years, it might indicate perimenopause. Moreover, if you have postmenopausal bleeding (bleeding a year after your periods have stopped) do not ignore it. Your expert might recommend an endometrial biopsy to rule out cancer. Heres more on what is early menopause and how can I avoid it?

6. Uterine fibroids and polyps: Another cause of prolonged bleeding is uterine fibroids, which are benign growths of smooth muscles in the uterus, which are not cancerous. On the other hand, uterine polyps are an overgrowth of the cells in the lining of the endometrium, which are usually non-cancerous in nature. Moreover, chronic inflammation of the cervix, known as cervical erosion, might also lead to prolonged bleeding.

7. Cancer: Lastly, prolonged bleeding for more than a week, especially in women in the age group of 45 years and above might also be a sign of cervical cancer. Hence, your gynaecologist might recommend ultrasound and pap smear to rule out the cancer of the uterus and the cervix. In some cases, hysteroscopy (a procedure in which an endoscope is used to check the uterine cavity) is also advised to be on a safer side.

Hence. if you have periods for more than a week or bleed for long (with or without spotting), then it is wise to consult your gyanecologist to rule out cancer and other common gynaecological problems.

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Published: March 31, 2017 10:55 am

Disclaimer: TheHealthSite.com does not guarantee any specific results as a result of the procedures mentioned here and the results may vary from person to person. The topics in these pages including text, graphics, videos and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only and not to be substituted for professional medical advice.

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7 reasons you have prolonged periods (more than 5-7 days) - TheHealthSite

Read More: benefit, Bingo, Diversity Richmond, drag bingo, drag performers, fundraiser

Bingo: its not just for blue-haired grandmas and church basement fundraisers anymore.

Diversity Richmond is set to host its Drag Bingo and the Party Thereafter, an event that mixes grandmas bingo night with all the fabulous flare of drag.

Robyn Bentley, Special Events/Fundraising Chair for Diversity, is thrilled to have Diversity hosting Drag Bingo.

LGBT folks and their allies love bingo and drag, she said. Its a way for us to all get together and help raise money and have a lot of fun.

Bentley has a long history of LGBTQ advocacy, starting as a volunteer for the Triad Health Project on the AIDS Memorial Quilt display at the Greensboro Coliseum. Her first taste of Drag Bingo was as the Ball Girl for Philadelphia AIDS Funds GayBingo! Monthly fundraiser.

When asked about some of her favorite memories, Bentley immediately laughs and brings up O69.

Whenever O69 is called, everyone stands up and says ooohhhhh 69! she explained. So, theres a little wink-wink joke there.

This isnt the first fundraising event for Diversity Richmond, which feature events such as art shows, support groups, and social hours, and its not even its first bingo event.

We had a bingo in December at Diversity Richmond, and people liked it a lot, she said. However, Bentley explained that the previous event was hosted by traditional bingo providers, without any sequins or glitter in sight.

This event is set to have all the bells and whistles (and glitz and glam).

Its different than regular bingo because theres drag numbers during bingo, she said. Then, theres an after-party with a drag show.

Zakia McKensey, under the name Zakia Jamaceye, will be the hostess for the Drag Bingo event.

This will be my first time actually hosting a drag bingo, she said, but Ive been affiliated with Diversity Richmond for seven or eight years.

McKensey is a prominent figure in Richmond as an advocate for the transgender community and the LGBTQ community at large. She has previously worked at Health Brigade, formerly the Fan Free Clinic, in HIV prevention and was also one of the pioneers behind its transgender health clinic, providing local trans clients with hormone replacement therapy and overall healthcare.

She is also the C.E.O. of Nationz Pageantry System, which showcases talents of male entertainers and female impersonators. Not only is Mz. Nationz 2016, Tarena McCray, scheduled to make an appearance, but Nationaz Pageantry will be holding more events at Diversity in the upcoming year, including the 2017 Duke & Duchess Closetball.

In short, this is not McKenseys first event with the organization and certainly wont be the last.

Diversity Richmond provides a space where people feel safe and people can come have a good time, she said. Theyre doing a lot of great things in the community to create events that honor members in the community or provide fun, safe spaces or educational spaces for people in our community.

McKensey said attendees can expect a fun-filled night at the Drag Bingo event while supporting a good cause.

High energy performances, lots of laughter and fun, raising money for Diversity, and also winning some money with bingo.

Depending on how Drag Bingo performs, it may become a regular staple at Diversity.

Were trying different things, Bentley said. Were trying this to see how this goes and see how people like it, and if lots of people show up, it will give us a lot of incentive to do another.

Regardless, the event is set to be full of laughter, glitter, and prizes.

Its just like grandmas bingo but way more fun, she said. And, you have a chance to win $1,000 so come on out.

Drag Bingo will be held on Friday, March 31 at Diversity Richmonds Event Hall at 1407 Sherwood Ave in Richmond. The 18+ event will start at 7pm, $15 gets you seven $100 games plus entry to the Party Thereafter, while party-only entry starts at 9pm for $5. Extra game packs and Instant Bingo will be available for purchase. Wine & beer will be available after 9pm and food will be catered by Nacho Mamas.

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Arts & Events - GayRVA

Core Care adding primary care and other medical services The San Luis Obispo Tribune Cambrians soon will have more in-town choices for medical care, with family practice, primary care and regenerative medicine coming to Core Care in early May, according to the clinic's founder Kirk Azevedo. He said that CORECareMD is partnering with ...

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Core Care adding primary care and other medical services - The San Luis Obispo Tribune

Scientists have unveiled a five-organ female reproductive system on a chip small enough to hold in your hand. Photo by HyacinthEmpinao/STAT

BOSTON So-called organs on a chip small blobs of tissue growing in lab dishes that mimic the function of their human counterparts have promise for basic science and drug development. And those efforts are scaling up. On Tuesday scientists unveiled a five-organ female reproductive system on a chip small enough to hold in your hand, and showed that it could simulate a 28-day menstrual cycle.

The chip is part of an effort funded by the National Institutes of Health to build an entire human body-on-a-chip a creation that would involve all of the organ systems and allow researchers to run unprecedentedly precise experiments on human tissue. Other research groups are also working on chips that mimic multiple organs, for instance the liver, heart, and blood vessels.

In this case, the chip is about the size of a hardcover book and studded with Lego-like blocks, each of which is hollowed-out and holds bits of tissue growing on plastic scaffolding: ovary, fallopian tube, uterus, cervix, liver. (The ovary samples come from mice ovaries are rarely removed from healthy women while the tissue for the fallopian tubes, uterus, and cervix comes from women who had hysterectomies.) The blocks are connected by minuscule tubes to simulate how the real organs communicate with each other in the human body.

Those tubes allow hormones to flow between the miniature organs. By feeding the right cocktail of hormones into the ovary block, the researchers were able to coax the miniature organ to release an egg, and to produce hormones that flowed into each organ downstream, causing them to behave similarly to how they do in the human body.

READ MORE: From ovary to uterus: studying the overlooked transport in between

This is the first menstrual cycle on-a-chip, said Teresa Woodruff, the studys primary investigator and a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

The results were published Tuesday in Nature Communications.

All about EVATAR

The chip dubbed EVATAR, a portmanteau of the biblical Eve and a representative avatar could someday be used to test the effects of drugs on human tissues before putting them into the human body. Right now, animals play that role but scientists wonder if animals different physiology might be one reason that so many drugs never make it into the clinic.

Building the EVATAR was a team effort, with multiple groups working to build the organ systems and a crack team of biomedical engineers in Cambridge, Mass., handling the design of the chip itself.

Jonathan Coppeta, a biomedical engineer at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, was part of that team, which built the piping system that moves fluid between the organ blocks. Its controlled by 62 pumps that can be turned on and off independently. Each of those pumps uses a pinky-sized electromagnet to move about a millionth of a liter of fluid at a time.

Such a precisely controllable system allows scientists to do things that wouldnt be possible to do in a real person, like change the rate at which hormones flow from one organ to another, to study the effect of that hormone on the organs.

READ MORE: Inside the sci-fi world of growing human tissue and organs in the lab

But because its still early days in the organ on-a-chip development, there are lots of unknowns. Researchers will inevitably face the question: If it doesnt kill the chip, does that mean its safe in a person?

Could it potentially be better than an animal model? said Jeffrey Borenstein, a biomedical engineer at Draper. Yes, because youre using human cells. Is it perfect? No, because there are always going to be limitations.

Reproductive biology researchers unaffiliated with the project noticed one particular limitation in the teams model of a uterus. The lining of a human uterus consists mainly of two types of cells but on the chip its primarily one type of cell, pointed out Warren Nothnick, vice chairman of the department of molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Nothnick said that could hinder the systems human veracity, because the underrepresented cell type gives rise to endometrial cancer. But altogether, he said, the paper is really groundbreaking.

Dr. Julie Kim, a Northwestern professor who led the team that built the uterus block, said that encouraging this particular type of cells known as endometrial cells to grow properly in lab-built organs is an open challenge. She hopes to build more life-like uteri in the future: My dream is to create a menstruating uterus in a dish.

Pharma showing interest

One of Woodruffs next steps is building personalized EVATARs, whose miniature organs are grown out of stem cells from individual people. That could allow researchers to test how a drug would impact a particular person, based on their biology.

Men have to wait, but perhaps not long within a year, Woodruff hopes to have more results to share about the male version of the project, nicknamed ADATAR.

Already pharmaceutical companies are starting to show interest Woodruff said that she has tested some AstraZeneca drug candidates to gauge their impact on the female reproductive system.

Drapers chip can support up to 12 organs, so researchers could use this chip to simulate different organ systems. The lab is also using similar technology to build custom chips for pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer.

Meanwhile, Woodruff is looking for participants to provide stem cells that could be used to make custom organ systems, which she said should happen over the next year.

This article is reproduced with permission from STAT. It was first published on March 28, 2017. Find the original story here.

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How to build a female reproductive system that fits in the palm of your hand - PBS NewsHour

The Daily Banter

Utah's New Anti-Abortion Law Deliberately Puts Women's Lives At Risk The Daily Banter ... blocks the production of the "pregnancy hormone" progesterone. Without this hormone, the lining of the uterus breaks down and the pregnancy is no longer viable. This can happen in a few hours or a few days. Mifepristone is given to the patient at ...

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Utah's New Anti-Abortion Law Deliberately Puts Women's Lives At Risk - The Daily Banter

Nicholas Kristof titled his recent New York Times column Shes 17 and needs birth control, but given the rise of domestic sex trafficking and the proliferation of sexual exploitation of teens in our nation, a more fitting title might be Shes 17 and being sexually exploited. I should know. I was a teen girl who got help at a reproductive health clinic, which only concealed my abuse by a much older man.

Ironically, the no questions asked reproductive services provided at some womens health clinics do nothing to prevent this kind of abuse, and may in fact prolong it. Kristofs article unwittingly provides an example of how easily young womens exploitation goes unchecked. The health-care visit he describes fails to provide much in the way of true health care.

Kristof portrays a 17-year-old girls visit to a family planning clinic that also provides abortion. A grandmotherly nurse practitioner tests the teen for infections of various sorts and advises her to use a condom, adding, If he doesnt want to use a condom hes not worth it. She also persuades the teen to have a long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) implanted in her arm so she can continue her risky behavior with less likelihood of pregnancy.

No mention is made of this underage girl being asked about her partner, how old he is, or what pressures she might be under to continue in one or multiple sexual relationships. Neither does our grandmotherly nurse mention the side effectsassociated with these hormone-emitting LARCs, some of which have been linked to increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and blood clots. No worries, though, as we can assume this teenager would have to sign a consent form to release the clinic from responsibility in the event of health problems down the road.

This, according to Kristof, is the epitome of health care. Obscuring the fact that there are dozens of community health centers in every state that provide the full range of womens health care without participating in abortion, Kristof claims that denying tax money to abortion providers would result in the loss of critical health services.

But perhaps the services many of these agencies offer are less about womens health than about controlling the birth rate of the poor. Kristof himself provides a cost-benefit analysis, saying, An IUD or implant costs about $1,000, while a single Medicaid birth costs the public about $13,000. But the beneficiary of money spent on birth control is the clinic and the pharmaceutical industry, not the woman. The savings for one less child on Medicaid go to the state, while federal tax money pours into the clinic via Title X funding and family planning grants. This flow of cash seems to help everyone but the patient.

This model of health care, which so often fails to protect young women while promoting abortion and birth control, has been around for a while. As a young teen in 1973, I went to an early version of just such a clinic. The nurse did not ask about the man involved in my unplanned pregnancy. If she had, she might have learned that I was the 15-year-old victim of statutory rape by a 38-year-old man. She might have discovered that I was seeking an abortion to escape this situation. She might have found help for me. But no questions were asked.

If my parents had been informed, they may have been able to help me deal with the pregnancy and the molester. But instead, the clinic knowingly allowed an acquaintance to sign the consent form permitting me to be sent out of state for an abortion without my parents knowledge or consent.

The life-altering event that took the life of my first child left me with a deep misconception about love, sex, and responsibility that led me down a dark path for years to come. No one among my peers or in that clinic ever suggested that I had been victimized and needed to be protected. Instead, I was made to feel that the whole traumatic incident could have been avoided by using contraception.

I learned the lesson well. In future relationships, I made sure to use artificial contraceptives, promising myself to never again be so careless as to get pregnant. Sadly, contraceptives did nothing to keep me safe from STDs, heartbreak, abuse, and eventually another unplanned pregnancy while using birth control, followed by the very thing I promised myself would never happen again: another abortion.

While the loudest voices in the media keep telling us that contraception prevents abortion, the facts compiled by Planned Parenthoods own research arm, the Guttmacher Institute, show that more than half of unplanned pregnancies resulting in abortion occurred while the mother was using contraception in the previous month. This, together with my own experience, convinces me of the failure of birth control to reliably prevent abortion. The false sense of security that comes with birth control use can lead to continued risky behavior.

It took me many years to learn what the womens clinic in 1973 failed to teach me. Eventually I discovered the truth: each of us is meant to be loved and cherished. Human beings long for relationships that are loving and giving, rich and deep, and even self-sacrificing.

As mothers, we are meant to give our lives for our children, not to take their lives in abortion. Fathers are meant to protect and care for those they love, especially their children. We are all meant to have respect for our bodies, and to nourish ourselves with healthy, natural, and curative medicines, not to inundate our bodies with artificial hormones.

If I, a grandmotherly, post-abortive, wounded and healed woman, could speak to Kristofs 17-year-old girl, I would tell her this: If you are being coerced, abused, molested, or raped, I can get help for you. If you are in a relationship with someone who doesnt love you, isnt ready or willing to commit to you in marriage, and isnt willing to protect you from the harm that comes from casual sex, he isnt worth it.

You deserve to be treasured, not used. You are worthy of love. Do not accept anything less.

Nancy Murray is a freelance writer and blogger. She is also a member of Women Speak for Themselves.

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Kristof's Birth Control Advice Hurts Women And Demeans The Poor - The Federalist

Fertility restored?

Bentom Wyemji/EyeEm/Alamy

By Jessica Hamzelou

The doctor said I was peri-menopausal, says WS, who would prefer to remain anonymous. I was ovulating, but the follicles were empty most of the time. He told me that my chance of getting pregnant was less than one per cent.

Ever since her first child was born in 2009, WS has been trying for another. Doctors told WS that her levels of a hormone called AMH, which is released by eggs, were way below normal. One of her ovaries looked shrunken, and was no longer ovulating.

She was advised to try IVF as quickly as she could. I had six rounds of IVF over two years, says WS. At the beginning I was full of hope, but after the third attempt, you start crying and questioning yourself.

After the sixth attempt, WS was advised to give up on trying to have a baby using her own eggs, and to consider egg donation instead. We were really done with IVF then, says WS. We sold all of the baby stuff.

But last year, WS came across an article about an experimental fertility treatment, offered by a clinic in Greece. At the Genesis Athens Clinic, Kostantinos Sfakianoudis and his colleagues draw blood from a patient, centrifuge it to isolate plasma that is rich in platelets, and then inject it into the womans own ovaries or uterus. The team think the treatment has rejuvenating properties.

WS flew to Athens, where she paid a thousand Euros for the treatment, which was completed in a day. She returned to the clinic the next day so the team could check for any problems, before flying back home.

Back in Germany, WS went back to a local fertility clinic for a last attempt at IVF. When she told her doctors about the treatment shed undergone in Greece, they laughed. But the IVF produced three follicles including one from her previously defunct ovary.

One of the eggs was in particularly good shape. This egg was fertilised, and the embryo was re-implanted a few days later. I was somehow full of hope, WS recalls. I had never had a good quality egg before.

WS is now 23 weeks pregnant. I feel special, she says. To me, its a miracle I got pregnant. Were really happy. Its a girl.

Read more about the experimental treatment WS and more than a hundred other women have tried.

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They said I was peri-menopausal. It's a miracle I got pregnant - New Scientist

If you have been having difficulty getting pregnant and your periods seem extra intense, you might want to talk with your doctor about endometriosis. Its a common condition that affects approximately 11 percent of women in the U.S. between the ages of 15 and 44, and is most common in women in their 30s and 40s, according to womenshealth.gov.

Endometriosis classically causes painful periods with heavy bleeding and sometimes spotting between periods. It can also cause pain with intercourse, and fatigue. It can even mimic irritable bowel syndrome with symptoms like bloating, nausea, constipation and diarrhea.

With endometriosis, the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, grows outside of the uterus, most typically into the fallopian tubes, ovaries and the lining of the pelvis. Since its tissue from the uterine lining, it thickens and breaks down just like your uterine lining during your normal cycle, causing excessive bleeding and cramping.

I see it commonly in my practice at MRH Medical Clinic, said Dr. Scott Ellis, OBGYN physician. If women are having trouble getting pregnant and they have the classic symptoms, we check for endometriosis.

The good news is that its treatable. If you have endometriosis and want to become pregnant, Ellis, or his partner Dr. Eileen Joyce, can perform laparoscopic surgery to remove scar tissue from the uterine lining, or remove endometriomas cysts that form in the ovaries. This conservative surgery can increase your chances to conceive. You can also try hormone therapy for a while to suppress endometriosis, then go off it and try to get pregnant.

Endometriosis can cause problems in the fallopian tubes, disrupting the motility of the egg during ovulation, Ellis said.

For women not trying to get pregnant, hormone therapy is often the first line of treatment. By controlling the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, physicians can lessen painful symptoms. Birth control pills, vaginal rings, patches, shots and the progestin IUD are common choices. Surgery is saved for when hormone therapy fails, or the pain is severe.

Surgery is a last resort, but it can successfully lessen pain by removing scarring, adhesions and endometriomas, Ellis said.

The cause of endometriosis is not fully known. There are theories, as outlined by the Mayo Clinic, including blood flowing back into the fallopian tubes and out into the pelvic cavity during menstruation, abdominal cells transforming into endometrial cells, embryonic cells becoming endometrial cells, immune system disorders, and others.

Were not sure what causes it, but we think it has to do with changes in the germ cells that form the uterus in vitro. When you were an embryo, those germ cells may have migrated down along your spine and become stuck in places they were not supposed to be, Ellis explained.

Ironically, the severity of your endometriosis does not correlate with the pain you feel. In other words, you can have mild endometriosis with severe pain, or severe endometriosis with little or no pain. The only way to diagnose endometriosis definitively is through exploratory surgery, where an OBGYN doctor inserts a camera through your belly button. Ultrasound does not provide a full picture.

Join me at the Health Fair on April 1 for a talk on endometriosis, with a slide show demonstrating its effects and time for questions, said Dr. Eileen Joyce, OBGYN.

If you are concerned that you might have endometriosis, consider talking with your doctor or making an appointment with Dr. Ellis or Dr. Joyce, by calling MRH Medical Clinic at 970-826-2420. Please note that after May 1 this number will change to 970-826-8230, with the move of Womens Health to its new location within the hospital.

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Endometriosis: A cause for painful periods, heavy bleeding and some infertility - Craig Daily Press

FAIRFAX, Vt. -

Starting a family is an exciting decision for a lot of expecting moms. While the reward is great, being pregnant is not always easy. Imagine nine months carrying a child while handling a chronic condition at the same time.

Like many parents, Ginger Vieira is obsessed with her 2 year-old daughter Lucy.And now the Fairfax couple is looking forward to bringing home baby number two in a couple of months.Its amazing that I can produce an entire life in the same body that cant even sustain itself, says Vieira.

Her body can't live without insulin, a hormone she barely produces. She has Type 1 diabetes which means a longer checklist during that nine month stretch before her baby gets here. Vieira says she has to check her blood sugar 10-15 times a day and wears a continuous glucose monitor.I would love to see what pregnancy is like without Type 1 diabetes, says Vieira, where the biggest worry of the day is like getting your pants on and that they fit.

I think the typical woman that goes through pregnancy --it already seems like a lot, says Vieira, but then when you throw the responsibilities of Type 1 diabetes...

Its a lot of work to be pregnant with Type 1 diabetes, says Doctor Marjorie Meyer, Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Vermont Medical Center.Doctor Meyer works closely with the diabetic clinic at UVM.She says about 3,000 mothers give birth in Vermont a year and 50 of them have diabetes.The highest risk is the rigor to control the blood sugar for a long time and the rapid changes that occur, says Dr. Meyer.

Which means these soon-to-be moms need to be in constant contact with their doctors.But most women who have type 1 have a good idea how to manage their health before starting a family.Just like any other woman, says Dr. Meyer, to optimize your health status before conception is key.

Back home in Fairfax, Vieira says she's just thankful for the healthy, beautiful toddler she has now.Pregnancy is an awesome thing, says Vieira. Im incredibly grateful that even though my body cant make insulin, it can make Lucy

Vieira is an author and just completed a book called "Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes" to help other moms like her.

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Type 1 diabetes and pregnancy - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports- - WCAX

He Clinic for Men Pairs French, Thai aesthetic surgeons in discreet, luxurious Thonglor setting

Leading doctors from France and Thailand have joined forces to open a unique aesthetic-treatment center for men He Clinic Bangkok.

Dr. Richard Diacakis, a 20-year plastic surgeon from Paris, and his former student, leading Thai plastic surgeon Dr. Chayut Fungtongjararoen, head the luxurious, comfortable and discreet male health facility in the Thonglor section of the Thai capital that opened March 14.

The He Clinic for Him is dedicated to enhancing your life, inside and out, through aesthetic treatments and procedures developed exclusively for men. The clinics holistic approach employs techniques perfected over two decades and has been are enhanced by the expert staffs thorough knowledge and use of the highest-quality products.

Come and experience a full makeover of mind and body through a variety of facial procedures, anti-aging and nutrition programs, and intimacy enhancement. Options range from blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty to blood, allergy and hormone-level checks, to hyaluronic acid injections to augment intimacy.

From my first years as a doctor, I felt there was a need for top-quality aesthetic procedures to enhance the well-being of the modern man, Dr. Chayut said. Now we have realized this dream and are ready to offer the best in men's intimacy enhancments, aesthetic, nutrition and hair services. We are happy to serve all your specific needs,

A cornerstone of He Clinic for Mens approach is 100% confidentiality. Most men prefer to keep their personal health issues and sex lives private. At the He Clinic for Men, appointments are limited so each patient proceeds immediately to a private suite where they meet with an individual medical counselor who helps select the best-possible solutions to various mens health issues.

Counselors thoroughly answer all patient questions on mens health problems, issues and challenges. And all personal information is kept in digital form in a secure database.

The He Clinics philosophy is your satisfaction is our goal. We work directly with leading authorities at our new, modern clinic in Bangkok and provide a discreet location where you can feel comfortable for a full makeover of mind and body. Our mission is to help you, as a successful man, be the best you can be.

About the Doctors

Dr. Diacakis, He Clinic for Mens founder, earned successive degrees in microsurgery, hand surgery, anatomy, general surgery, plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeries from 1997 through 2000. He worked as clinic-assistant chief of Paris hospitals before joining the famed Chirurgie Esthtique Paris aesthetic-surgery clinic in Paris where he perfected his techniques over the next decade. He is committed to what he calls "surgery of well-being", which has culminated in his newest total lifestyle clinic in Bangkok, the He Clinic for Him.

Dr. Chayut was already one of Thailands leading aesthetic surgeons when he began his studies under Dr. Diacakis in 2014. After doing his residency in a public hospital, Dr. Chayut spent the next six years mastering the arts of rhinoplasty, alarplasty, mentoplasty, blephaloplasty, lip reduction, buccal fat removal, and penoplasty.

Location and Contact Info

The He Clinic for men is located in the second floor of the Fifty-Fitth Thonglor building at 90 Thonglor Soi 2 in Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok. They are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call them at +66(0)2-381-5155.

Visit He Clinic for Mens websites or follow its social-media pages for more life-changing stories on the web at HeClinics.com on Facebook at HeClinics and on Instagram at HeClinicFor_Men.

Media Contact Company Name: He Clinic Contact Person: Public Relations Email: info@heclinics.com Phone: 087 804 9542 Address:Fifty-Fifth Thonglor 2nd Flr, 90 Thonglor Soi 2, Khlong Tan Nuea City: Watthana State: Bangkok Country: Thailand Website: http://www.Heclinics.com

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Unique Men's Health Clinic Offers 'full makeover of mind and body' in Bangkok - Digital Journal

March 20, 2017 6:30 PM

PITTSBURGH(CBS) It is the one thing that none of us can stop. Time marches on, even if our bodies dont quite keep up.

You know when youre not as alert, not as focused, not concentrating like you used to be, Paul Kozlicki, an former toy company executive who lives in Minnesota, said.

In his mid-60s, Kozlicki said he and his wife felt that clock ticking.

I wasnt as active, getting lazy, a little less productivity. Not getting things done, Kozlicki said.

For many men, its just part of getting older. Some doctors call it andropause or male menopause. With a woman, its clear when menopause begins. For men, its less clear. Its generally thought to be when testosterone levels gradually drop.

Isnt this just part of getting older?

It could be. But if theres a solution out there, why wouldnt you want to find it? Kozlicki said.

Dr. Mark Erhard is a cardiologist. He and his wife run a clinic in Wayzata specializing in bio-identical hormone replacement, treating men with what they consider to be abnormally low testosterone.

This is so under-diagnosed, Dr. Mark Erhard said, pointing to research suggesting that two in five men in their 60s have low testosterone.

Dr. Lisa Erhard is an OB/GYN who was doing hormone replacement on menopausal women. She said women would then ask her if she could do anything to help their husbands, who had become grumpier old men.

To have a patient come back and say, I feel like myself again, thats wonderful, she said.

Theres no debate that as men turn 40, testosterone levels start to fall. The question is whether lower levels of testosterone affect things other than sexual desire and activity.

Drug companies like the makers of AndroGel and Axiron argue that testosterone can solve a lot of problems. Perhaps youve seen commercials for topical sprays or gels to fight Low T.

Kozlickis search for answers led him to the Erhards Wayzata clinic. He was given a male hormone health questionnaire with 30 questions, including: Is sex less satisfying? Are you easily annoyed? Is your thinking not as sharp?

Patients with enough yes answers are given blood tests, and Kozlicki tested with what Mark Erhard considered to be a low level of testosterone.

Below the range I should be in for my age group, Kozlicki said, characterizing his level.

Kozlicki had six of tiny bio-identical testosterone pellets implanted beneath the skin near his behind, which he said he didnt feel at all. But he felt the results within a week.

It changes their lives, Mark Erhard said. Ive warned some guys. Are you ready for the change? Youll have energy youve not felt in 25 years. Youll see life differently.

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Kozlicki said his quality of life was good before testosterone therapy and great after.

I literally had a great night sleep. Im jumping out of bed in the morning, he said.

Test results confirmed the pellets had more than tripled his testosterone levels.

But testosterone therapy is relatively new, and the data on whether it works on more than just low libido is mixed. The possible upside is big for men looking to keep their edge, maybe even a larger upside financially for drug makers.

This is an area of interest, absolutely. Its a huge question, Dr. Bruce Redmon, an endocrinologist at the University of Minnesota who specializes in male reproductive and sexual function, said. I think a lot of the better science would question how many of those benefits are real.

The University of Minnesota is part of a large new study just published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 50,000men older than 65 were screened for low testosterone, but only 800 tested low enough to be included.

Of the 700 who completed the year in the study, the half put on testosterone gels had better sexual desire and activity, they reported walking more strongly too.

Men who received testosterone reported better sexual function, including activity, desire, and erectile function, than those who received placebo, researchers said.

But testosterone did not improve focus, change sleep, or lead to walking longer distances.

However, testosterone was associated with small but significant benefits with respect to mood and depressive symptoms. Men in the testosterone group were also more likely than those in the placebo group to report that their energy was better, researchers reported.

Because only men older than 65 were tested, and for just one year, researchers recommended larger and longer trials. The only large study so far is from the Kansas City VA Medical Center, looking at medical records of tens of thousands of veterans. It found a strong relationship between treating low testosterone and a significant reduction in all-cause mortality, [heart attack], and stroke.

Which begs the question: Why are people so happy with their results after paying for treatment?

There may be a placebo effect in some cases, Redmon said.

On the other hand, Mark Erhard says he sees the results in his patients.

You optimize a testosterone level, you dont see a placebo. Thats why more than 90 percent who start this therapy stay with this therapy, he said.

Kozlicki says he, without a doubt, is a believer. He says taking testosterone pellets has turned back the clock.

I used to walk one mile a day, now Im walking six. I found myself more active, more alert, focused. And just getting more things done, he said. It works. I feel like Im 30. Everything improved. My whole life improved dramatically.

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Doctors Say Some May Be Suffering From 'Male Menopause' - CBS Pittsburgh / KDKA

Three former BachelorcontestantsKaitlyn Bristowe, Carly Waddell, and Andi Dorfmanreunited in Chicago last week to promote boutique egg-freezing clinic Ova, where pal (and Bachelor winner)Whitney Bischoff works as a nurse.Waddell froze her eggs one year ago at Ova, and Bristoweis going through the process now.

Both women have talked about their experience on social media, and the sense of relief it has brought. In a post on Instagram,Waddell called egg-freezing "the best backup plan."And BachelorettestarBristowe wrote on Twitter that it has put her mind at ease: "I'm taking control of my future!"

But the decision to freeze your eggsisn'tas simple as it mightseem. To learn more, we spoke withBrooke Hodes-Wertz, MD,assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at NYU Langone Medical Center. She walked us through some of the common misconceptions about the procedure, and what women need to know before they call a fertility clinic.

It'sactually best to freeze your eggs before you turn 35, says Dr. Hodes-Wertz. Fertility rates gradually decline as we get older, she explains, so you have a higher chance of success if you freeze your eggs at a younger age.Some women in their 20sarent really thinking about when they want to have kids, so it tends to be most beneficial for women in their early 30s," she says."Maybe they havent settled down yet, but theyre thinking about it and their eggs are still good.

This is one of the biggest myths about egg freezing."Its not as easy or straightforward as people make it out to be, says Dr. Hodes-Wertz. "It's very time consuming."

First, youll meet with a physician to go over your medical history. You'll also geta blood test and abaseline ultrasound. You may need to go off birth control a month before the process begins.

Then you will give yourself hormone injectionstwo to three times a day. At least every other day, you'll return to your doctor's office for more ultrasounds. After about two weeks, depending on your body's response to the hormones, you will undergothe egg retrieval process. While you're sedated, your doctor will insert a long needle into yourvagina to pull out the eggs.

At Dr. Hodes-Wertz's clinic, about 20% of patients end up doing a second round of egg retrieval, since a greater number of eggs raises the chances of getting pregnant.

RELATED: 9 Things Every Woman Must Know About Her Fertility

The week after can be really uncomfortable, says Dr. Hodes-Wertz. The ovaries are very swollen, and you can feel really bloated and full. Most doctors recommend avoiding exercise during this time,she adds, sincethe swollen ovaries cantwist and cutoff their own blood supply.

Its not typical for most insurance providers to cover any part of egg freezing. And it can be pretty expensive. Dr. Hodes-Wertz says to expect a bill somewhere between $9,000 and $15,000 for the injectionsand procedure, plusabout $1,000 per year to keep the eggs frozen. Some centers do this exclusively and they offer much more economical rates, but its still expensive, she adds.

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At most clinics, about40% of procedures result in a live birth, says Dr. Hodes-Wertz.A lot of steps can go wrong,"she explains. "Not all the eggs are going to survive the thaw. Not all of them will be healthy eggs, take fertilization, or grow in culture.

And not all clinics are created equal. Dr. Hodes-Wertz encourages women to research a clinic'ssuccess ratebefore they move forward with the procedure.Some clinics are more experienced than others, and you want to make sure you pick a place that has a lot of experience with thawing [eggs]out, she says.

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5 Myths About Egg Freezing - Health.com

March 21, 2017 by From Mayo Clinic News Network, Mayo Clinic News Network

Dear Mayo Clinic: How is thyroid cancer treated? Does it always require taking out the thyroid? When is iodine treatment used, and how does that work?

A: Treatment for thyroid cancer usually involves removing all or part of the thyroid gland. In cases where thyroid cancer is advanced or aggressive, radioactive iodine treatment may be recommended after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that couldn't be removed during surgery. For very small papillary thyroid cancers (less than 1 centimeter in diameter and completely confined to the thyroid on ultrasound examination), it may be reasonable to avoid surgery and monitor them periodically without treatment. This is termed "surveillance" and requires annual imaging of the thyroid with high-quality ultrasound. These small thyroid cancers are low risk for progression, especially in persons over 60.

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the midline of your neck, about halfway between your Adam's apple and your breastbone. Your thyroid gland produces two main hormones: thyroxine, or T4, and triiodothyronine, or T3.

Thyroid hormones impact many cells within your body. They maintain the rate at which your body uses fats and carbohydrates, help control your body temperature, affect the working of your nervous system, and influence your heart rate. Your thyroid gland also produces calcitonin, a hormone that helps regulate the amount of calcium in your blood.

Thyroid cancer is not common in the U.S. When it is found, though, most cases can be cured. Surgery to remove all or most of the thyroid - a procedure called a thyroidectomy - is often the first step in treatment.

Thyroidectomy typically involves making an incision in the center of the neck to access the thyroid gland directly. In addition to removing the thyroid, the surgeon may remove lymph nodes near the thyroid gland if the cancer is known or suspected to be spreading outside the thyroid. Then, those lymph nodes will be checked for cancer cells. An ultrasound exam of the neck before surgery can help doctors determine if lymph node removal is necessary.

When thyroid cancer is found in its earliest stage, and the cancer is very small, it may only be necessary to remove one side, or lobe, of the thyroid, and leave the rest in place. In that situation, the thyroid still can function and produce hormones.

When the entire thyroid is removed, lifelong thyroid hormone therapy is required to replace the thyroid's natural hormones and regulate the body's metabolism. In addition to supplying the missing hormone the thyroid normally makes, this medication also suppresses the pituitary gland's production of thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH. That's useful, because there's a possibility that high TSH levels could foster the growth of any remaining cancer cells.

If thyroid cancer is found in its later stages, if it's a more aggressive form of cancer, or if it is cancer that has come back after earlier treatment, then radioactive iodine therapy may be recommended after the thyroid has been removed.

Radioactive iodine comes in a capsule or liquid that's swallowed. The therapy works because thyroid cells naturally absorb iodine. So when the medicine is taken up by any remaining thyroid cells or thyroid cancer, the radioactivity destroys those cells. Because the thyroid is the primary site where iodine is absorbed by the body, there's a low risk of harming other cells with this treatment. Afterward, the radioactive iodine leaves the body through urine.

If thyroid cancer is not cured with a combination of surgery and radioactive iodine therapy, then chemotherapy, external radiation therapy or other treatment may be necessary. Fortunately, surgery cures most cases of thyroid cancer, and the long-term outlook after the procedure is usually excellent.

Explore further: ATA guidelines available as pocket cards, mobile apps

2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(HealthDay)Two additional quick-reference tools, which offer guidance on management of various thyroid disorders, have been launched by the American Thyroid Association.

Thyroid problems are five to eight times more likely to impact women than men. However, Baylor College of Medicine's Dr. Ruchi Gaba cautions that any person, regardless of gender or age, can be affected by thyroid issues.

Dear Mayo Clinic: I have hypothyroidism and take medication for it. When researching online, I read that I should avoid kale and spinach. Is this true? I enjoy a kale or spinach smoothie almost daily and don't want to give ...

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists and doctors are embarking on the first-ever clinical trial to determine if a genetic test they pioneered could successfully spare patients with nonaggressive thyroid ...

Levels of thyroid hormone in babies influence insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas, according to a new study published in the Journal of Physiology.

The incidence of thyroid cancer has tripled in the past three decades, yet the reason for this is not clear. Dr. David Goldenberg, chief of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical ...

Discovery of the BRCA genetic mutation in the mid-90s represented a breakthrough in breast and ovarian cancer prevention. About 5-10% of breast cancer cases and 10-18% of ovarian cancer cases can be attributed to two BRCA ...

Faced with the negative quality-of-life effects from surgery and radiation treatments for prostate cancer, low risk patients may instead want to consider active surveillance with their physician, according to a study released ...

A large, new study of adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) correlates 80 cancer-related gene mutations with five subtypes of AML, which are defined by the presence of specific chromosomal abnormalities. The findings might ...

Scientists identify two signaling proteins in cancer cells that make them resistant to chemotherapy, and show that blocking the proteins along with chemotherapy eliminate human leukemia in mouse models.

Genetic mutations that cause cancer also weaken cancer cells, creating an opportunity for researchers to develop drugs that will selectively kill them, while sparing normal cells. This concept is called "synthetic lethality" ...

Combining single-cell genomics and computational techniques, a research team including Paul Robson, Ph.D., director of single-cell biology at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), has defined cell-type composition of cancerous cells ...

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Thyroid cancer: treatment and prognosis - Medical Xpress

Over the course of seven years, Sezenia Tzeni endured seven rounds of in vitro fertilisation. Typically, women undergo only three or four IVF treatments before either getting pregnant or giving up. But for Tzeni and her husband, conceiving a child was more important than almost anything else.

"My mother and friends told me to do an adoption," 36-year-old Tzeni told Gizmodo. "But I wanted to feel it, to feel the feeling of pregnancy and the moving in my belly."

Each time, though, the cycle of hope and disappointment became more devastating. After the seventh round, finally, she stopped trying.

Then, in 2015, a friend told Tzeni, who lives on a small island in Greece, about a clinic in Athens called Genesis. There, a gynecologist named Konstantinos Sfakianoudis claimed to have found a way to rejuvenate ageing ovaries with a blood treatment typically used for healing wounds. So far, Sfakianoudis says, the technique has helped nine women nearing menopause who were having difficulty conceiving to get pregnant via IVF. In pre-clinical trial data provided by Sfakianoudis, 11 of 27 menopausal women saw menopause reversed, with hormone levels returning to those associated with fertility, and menstruation beginning again. Two of those women were able to generate healthy eggs, and one of them got pregnant, though she has not yet given birth.

In another case study, a menopausal German woman treated by Genesis got pregnant and gave birth, according to information Sfakianoudis provided to Gizmodo.

Now, the group is planning to bring its treatment to the US. Genesis is currently in the process of enrolling 50 patients in a clinical trial in collaboration with scientists from UC Berkeley and a La Jolla IVF practice. But the clinic's work has engendered plenty of scepticism. Its bold claim suggests it has managed to reverse a milestone event in a woman's life in a sense, to undo the process of ageing itself. But other than a brief presentation at a conference last winter, Genesis has yet to publish its findings. And even if its technique works, some wonder: Is reinstating fertility in women well into their 50s and 60s something we should even really be doing?

"We were sceptical, too, when it started to work," Sfakianoudis told Gizmodo, via phone from Greece. "Now I could not be more optimistic."

This seemingly miraculous treatment contradicts what has been considered fact since the 1950s: That women are born with all the eggs they will ever have. Estimates suggest that from the time she is born, a woman loses about 1000 egg cells, called oocytes, a month. At puberty, oocytes begin to mature, and during each cycle of ovulation, usually just one ripens to maturity. Eventually, at some point, conventional wisdom holds that a woman's supply of oocytes runs out. Her ovaries stop producing the hormones needed to maintain fertility, and she enters menopause.

Over the past decade or so, though, a small trickle of research has challenged this picture. In 2004, a reproductive biologist then at Massachusetts General Hospital named Jonathan Tilly published a paper suggesting that in mice, oocytes were regularly replenished by stem cells. If he was right (and if the finding held true in humans) it meant that stem cells could be harnessed to produce new eggs, perhaps even reverse menopause. His work was and still is controversial. But since then, new research by Tilly and others gave the idea more credibility. A year after his initial study, Tilly announced that he had identified bone marrow as the source of those egg-producing stem cells. In 2009, a team in China reported that they had similarly isolated "female germline stem cells" in the ovarian tissue of mice, which they then transplanted into infertile mice. Eventually, the mice were able to give birth.

The Greek group's work is rooted in this idea, that a woman's ovaries might just need a boost from stem cells, or something else to kickstart egg production again. Instead of stem cells, though, Genesis turned to a blood treatment known as platelet-rich plasma (PRP). It's an old practice typically used to help muscle and tendon injuries heal faster, though just how effective it is for healing remains unclear. The idea is to spin down a sample of a person's blood in a centrifuge to isolate molecules that help trigger tissue and blood vessel growth, then inject this enriched blood back into the body, hopefully stimulating tissue regeneration to help a wound heal faster. Bone marrow transplants and (the far less invasive) PRP transfusions contain similar growth factors, so Genesis put two-and-two together and began offering their clients transfusions of PRP.

Genesis' idea isn't totally without precedent. At least one fertility clinic in New York offers PRP as a "ovarian rejuvenation treatment" for a cool $US3500 ($4550), citing, accompanied by many asterisks, a single case study presented at a conference of a postmenopausal woman who gave birth after being treated with PRP. A 2015 Chinese study of five infertile women with thin uterine linings all became pregnant after PRP infusions stimulated that lining to grow thicker. A similar trial is currently underway at UCSF. Meanwhile, OvaScience, a biotech startup founded by Tilly, is working to rejuvenate egg cells from older women by adding new cytoplasm and mitochondria.

In 2015, the Greek clinic began treating patients past and nearing menopause with PRP, as well as younger women who had other conditions like uterine scarring that made it difficult to conceive. They found that in all three scenarios, PRP seemed to stimulate egg production. Additionally, and notably less scientifically, they concluded that "the overall state of feminine mental and physical health appeared to improve significantly with the restoration of youthful hormone levels".

Last July, Sfakianoudis's team presented early results at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology annual meeting in Finland. More recently, the clinic partnered with a biotech firm with transhumanist leanings, Ascendance Biomedical, to spin the treatment off into a company, Inovium.

The US trials are an effort by the company to gather more data to back up their findings and lend it legitimacy. The trial will be held at the Center for Advanced Genetics in Carlsbad, CA and supervised by Michael and Irina Conboy, a husband and wife research team at UC Berkeley known for their pioneering work studying ageing and rejuvenation in mice.

Still, it's hard not to raise an eyebrow at a company that mixes up the name of the scientist who supposedly inspired its work on the "science" tab of the company website. (Inovium referred to scientist Jonathan Tilly as "Dr Roger Tilley". When Gizmodo pointed this out, the company edited the page, but still spelled Tilly's name incorrectly.) More troublingly, Inovium and Genesis are offering women that are desperate for children and willing to pay a very high price a treatment for which they still have published no peer-reviewed data, have done very small studies, and have little more than untested theories to explain how it all actually works.

"I would be very cautious proceeding with such a clinical investigation," said Christos Coutifaris, president-elect of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. "Infertility patients are very vulnerable," he added, referring to the emotional toll that fertility treatments can take.

Genesis is the biggest private fertility clinic in Greece. Fertility is big business the industry is expected to surpass $US30 billion ($39 billion) by 2023 and Genesis' founder, Kostas Pantos, envisioned turning Greece into a hub for medical tourism in this fast-growing market. Since opening in 1995, the clinic has often been at the forefront of fertility technology, with early forays into genetic screening of embryos and research identifying which embryos are most likely to make it to term.

So far, more than 60 women who were either past menopause or having trouble getting pregnant have received PRP treatment at Genesis, including Tzeni, according to Sfakianoudis. In over 75 per cent of those cases, the clinic claims that hormone levels (AMH, FSH, LH and Estradiol) returned to "youthful levels". The nine women who ultimately wound up pregnant after undergoing PRP and IVF were between 36 and 54, and experienced no complications.

"We're still in the very early process of trying to figure out when it works, how it works, and why it works," Sfakianoudis said.

Ultimately, the end goal is to publish the results of the US trial in a peer-reviewed journal.

Michael and Irina Conboy, the Berkeley scientists who have signed on as advisors and researchers on the project, said that while it's plausible the treatment works and early data is promising, a proper pilot study is needed before anyone can really judge anything.

"What I like most about this trial," Michael Conboy told Gizmodo, "is that it sounds very unlikely it will harm anyone."

Unlike traditional PRP transfusions, which require donor blood, the Greek clinic's procedure uses a patient's own genetic material, removing their blood plasma, enriching it, and then injecting it back into the ovaries in a relatively noninvasive procedure. The study will look at menopausal and perimenopausal women looking to conceive, and follow them through IVF treatment and, if all goes well, birth.

The Conboys said that they were enticed by the clinic and spin-off company seeking to back-up its wild-sounding claims with actual science.

"They specifically mentioned that they don't want to be another Ambrosia," Irina Conboy said, referencing the Silicon Valley startup that offers blood transfusions to youth-seekers based on questionable science. "All of this needs to start with a study," she added.

The Conboy's own lab has found that old blood can be damaging to younger mice, and that young blood is not as effective at rejuvenation as fans of the theory, like billionaire Peter Thiel, have hoped it would be. The couple's work, though, has also indicated that regulating certain blood proteins that change with age to maintain youthful levels can allow stem cells to more effectively repair the body, as they do in youth.

"The idea is that the stem cells themselves are not too old, but it's the environment around them that suppresses them," Conboy said.

PRP, he speculated, could be sending signals to stem cells in the ovaries that produce oocytes to regenerate.

The trial is still in its early stages basic details, like whether or not UC Berkeley will officially oversee it, are still being worked out.

Even if the trial does indicate Inovium's treatment is effective, though, it is not likely to quell all detractors. The treatment raises questions of whether women at or nearing menopause should be having children at all. Because risks of pregnancy complications increase with age, most IVF clinics have an upper age limit under 45 years of age. In some countries, like Israel, performing IVF over a certain age is illegal. Most of the women Sfakianoudis's team have treated so far have been between 45 and 64.

For Tzeni, Sfakianoudis concluded that her pregnancy woes were due to chronic inflammation in the lining of her uterus.

At first, the clinic tried treating the inflammation with several different antibiotic pills. Still, there was significant inflammation. Then they tried PRP. The inflammation disappeared.

"He told me, 'Now it's perfect to have embryos success,'" she said of Sfakianoudis. "He told me, 'Don't worry, you will have children and I'm sure you will have twins.'"

After another round of IVF, on 17 September 2016 she gave birth to twins.

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"It's a disgrace, the way in which your government has treated our state." South Australia's premier, Jay Weatherill, didn't mince his words when he was standing face to face with the federal government's minister for energy Josh Frydenberg on live TV during a press conference about the state's energy policy.

The Federal Government has announced a $2 billion expansion of the Snowy Mountains hydro scheme, increasing the 4,000 megawatt output by 50 per cent - a plan that will power up to 500,000 homes. The decision has been met with much impressed nodding from fellow politicians, and now here's what experts have to say about it.

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The Incredible Plan To Restore A Woman's Fertility And Defy The Limits Of Nature - Gizmodo Australia