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You want to know how most of these enlarged prostate problems get spotted?
Ticked off wives.
No joke.
Most of the men with enlarged prostates are married and their wives go nuts when they have to get up 4 or 5 times a night to go to the bathroom. Finally the pester power works and the guys go see the doctor and get the diagnosis. By the way, frequent urination is one of the symptoms, men.. just keep that in mind.
Here are a few links regarding enlarged prostates, which are really quite common.
This explains things further when it comes to enlarged prostates, symptoms, etc.:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000381.htm
And this is a press release from the Mayo Clinic that explains more about the study I mentioned:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2006-rst/3612.html
Okay. It's 3:45pm and I'm off to bed for an extended nap. This morning shift is wearing me out! :-)
Email me: sstricklen@kgw.com
If you saw tonite's story you saw that most-clever-mosquito-trap that the guys and gals at Multnomah County Vector Control use to catch the little besky buggers ('little pesky buggers'? I sound like my grandma).
The secret bait?
Dry ice.
But here's the thing.. once the dry ice lures them in by releasing the CO2 that they love, you need a secondary method to catch/contain them. VC (Vector Control) uses a bucket right below the dry ice that has a light to draw them in and a fan that sucks them down into a net. A few C or D sized batteries to run the show and poof.. no more irritating mosquitoes. Of course, the fan has to keep running or else they'd fly out but you get the idea.
And as for the way mosquitoes like to sneak into your home... screen windows!! Case in point, my girlfriend Lisa has these two cats who basically play Cirque Du Soliel on her window screens. They have made holes big enough for mosquitoes to squeeze through, and while I haven't been bit at her house or ever seen one inside... it is the trusty screen that allows many a bloodthirsty beastie into all of our homes to feed on us. And by the way, while I tell you how grossed out I am by it, the video I posted a while ago (you tube..) that some of you checked out.... did I tell you that the infestation comes from mosquitoes? Yup. Yet another reason I should buy stock in DEET. Or the makers of that lemon eucalyptus oil. Anyone tried that? A friend told me today it works great for him.
Once again, here's the number to call if you live in Multnomah county and spot a dead bird that is basically fresh (eww) and is a Corvid (i.e. crow, scrub jay): 503.988.3464.
Picture time!! Since we're talking mosquitoes I thought I'd share this picture (which is ridiculously blurry) of a thing someone sent me in the mail. It is a typewritten note from about three years ago that says the mosquito virus is in Oregon and that I should take caution. And then the sender squashed a mosquito and taped it to a piece of paper and mailed it to me.
And then here is a photo from Joe (Hi Joe!). Speaking of cats, his cats have great personalities. This one is the size of a 3rd grader. Her name is Chloe and she would have a BMI of at least 30 ((which ties into my previous post)).
And yes, for those of you who emailed me ((Joe, Greg, etc.)) Russ is on vacation which is why I'm working this nutty shift. It ends for me next week and then things are back to normal. :-)
You know the drill.. feel free to email!! sstricklen@kgw.com
That's a debatable topic for sure, and one that I can't shed much light on considering I have no children and didn't play any sports as a kiddo. I was a total bookworm, so much so that my parents used to threaten to take away my library books if I didn't get my chores done. I got into competitve swimming in high school which I loved. I was a distance swimmer. Nothing like the feeling of sweating in the water. Yup, it totally happens and is truly an odd sensation.
Okay, some good links to share.
The Mayo Clinic has this excellent resource for parents on choosing the right activity depending on your child's age:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fitness/SM00057
And here is a link about getting girl's involved with sports. Notice it actually comes from a tobacco prevention effort by the government. That's because team sports help keep kids from smoking:
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sport_initiatives/daugthertips.htm
And speaking of sports-- have you seen this blog??
http://www.sportsbusinessradio.com/
My friend Brian does this radio show and we got to talking at lunch the other day about how it seems like everyone is blogging these days. But I have to tell you I am NOT happy that he neglected Terry Tate, Office Linebacker from the list of top 10 sports commercials. :-)
Have a great weekend! I'm going to check out the Vancouver Jazz and Wine Festival:
http://www.vancouverwinejazz.com/main.php
I need to take pictures. I haven't posted any in a while. Maybe you should send me a few!!
sstricklen@kgw.com
And then we have some friends who are getting married. I'm anchoring the am show next week too, and man o man am I pooped!!!
Julia wrote me about a couple of stories and blogs:
Re: Moms/Dads and weight gain -- I'm divorced and my daughter has spent considerably more time with her dad than my son has in the 10 years since we separated. Dad and daughter are heavy, and son and I are not, though I don't know where that 17 year old boy puts all that food he eats! I think you have to also consider the treats factor of visiting dads -- sugar splurging in addition to fast food. Dad and I have been vegetarians for over 30 years and the kids are too, through no choice of their own, but still too much fat and sugar is a bad thing.
Congrats on training for your second half marathon. That's great! I tried marathon training twice, and wound up with stress fractures both times. For some reason my mother always told me that narrow feet with high arches was a desirable trait, but then she never was a runner! So I got the hint -- I'm not built for that kinda mileage. However I'm off soon to do my lunch hour esplanade loop. I love the afterglow.
Yup. I need to run this weekend but I'm not doing 8. TOO tired!
sstricklen@kgw.com
Okay, remember how in Star Trek Dr. McCoy could wave that scanner over someone and just know what was wrong?
Well, back then things like MRI's and CT scans and other imaging tools that can visually dissect the body into paper thin slices didn't exist. And, I love that the CyberKnife inventor says Star Trek inspired him. No, I'm not a trekkie but I do think that's pretty sweet.
Here's a link that explains MRI:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/mri.htm
And here's a link that explains CT scans:
http://www.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/hw233596.asp
Don't forget the PET scan:
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/3400/3462.asp?index=10123
What else am I missing? I know there are more but I'm just drawing a blank.
By the way my favorite episodes were always the ones where they beamed down to an alien planet. The planet always seemed to look the same. The aliens were almost always sinister. The rocks that would inevitably tumble down on them would always have the bouncy quality of styrofoam.. but I loved it. You?? Shoot me an email: sstricklen@kgw.com
Response time ((I love this part. On second read, apparently I love everything today: CyberKnife, Star Trek, bouncy boulders.. you name it, I love it.))
Joanne writes about the BMI story: These BMI scales and similar methods infuriate me. It is NOT an accurate judge or indicator of anyone's health and can be very misleading.
According to the BMI and waist measurements I am boarderline obese but look completely balanced and normal. If you would like a picture I can send you one - real photo or digital. I constantly work out, have good muscle definition, KMOW my family history and body type (large frame, heavy boned) and continue to have very low B.P. and cholesterol.
Due to this BMI index I am considered overweight and am charged more per month on my life insurance even though my health is EXCELLENT. It is considered a risk.
Sally writes about choleserol: Congratulations on your overall cholesterol number of 110. However, as my cardiologist says, “What makes up that number is more important than the overall number.”
As my birth family has heart disease, I see a cardiologist regularly. My number is 200 and it’s great. My LDL and triglycerides are in the mid-normal range. The reason it’s so high is my HDL is 112. (My brother’s and sister’s are about 35 - 40.) I have scrubbing bubbles in my veins! Steph's note: Yeah, my HDL to LDL ratio is about a 2. It's still low, but everything on me is low..... Sally's ratio is really amazing.
Tonya wrote me about the warming hospital gowns. She works for the company that we featured in our report: Since I am a Temperature Management consultant for hospitals, I have to add that warming patients before surgery is not only comforting .... it reduces the patient's chance for getting a surgical site infection. Reducing infection is the 1# reason hospitals warm patients during and after surgery. New studies show great clinical benefit from warming them before their surgery - so that the patient doesn't lose body heat while under anesthesia and while they are lying there in the cold OR room. Steph's note: But what I think is really important is the fact that it hides your butt. I'm kidding, kidding!! This is a great extra tidbit!
Email me: sstricklen@kgw.com
I'm anchoring the morning show this week and the next, so forgive me if I seem a little punchy. I'm pooped! :-)
He is! At least according to his BMI.
What's your BMI? I'm 24.9 which puts me right at the cusp of being 'overweight'. I'm not worried about it (hence my willingness to share)... since my cholesterol is super low (like less than 110 overall), my blood pressure is good (120/80), and I am training for my second half marathon (logged 21 miles this week). Of course, I wish my pants were like one or two sizes smaller but in the big scheme of things-- that's sooo not important!
Here is a BMI calculator you can check out:
http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
And here is another way you can check out how you stack up:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator/waist-circumference.php
Here are a few of the things Oregon is doing to combat the problem of obesity according to the CDC:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/state_programs/oregon.htm
And here is a link to more on this study from my new favorite website:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/AcuteCoronarySyndrome/tb/3956
I like this site because like WebMD, doctors review the article. I also like this one because it is written for doctors and other healthcare providers so I feel like I get even more specifics about a particular study.
Response time:
Amy wrote me reminding me to talk about Little Women..(thanks!!) Okay, I enjoyed it. But you have to keep this in mind anytime you ask me about stuff like this... I like everything!! Well, almost everything. I couldn't figure out CATS, and I tend to like stuff that's weird. I mean, I know what the premise is (or lack thereof) but I just didn't get it. I took John to it with me and now he won't go to any musicals anymore.
Back to Little Women. The gal who was in the lead role was a real spitfire with a big voice and loads of energy.. and she was a stand-in!! My friend Siobhan and I were surprised she was a stand-in and not the full time lead. Some of the people in this cast have unique voices.. one gal sounds really warbly and almost operatic to me, and there is a guy who just doesn't sound like anyone I've heard before. There are a lot of lines in this musical compared to others I've seen. In other words, they aren't singing the entire time. But it's a sweet, sweet story.. one that I hadn't read.. so, of course, I got choked up. Siobhan put it well when she said if you have a young kiddo who has read the book and loved it-- this is a GREAT musical to take them to.
Have a fabulous weekend!! My girlfriend Sara is having her bachlorette party this weekend and Sunday I'm going to the Street of Dreams to basically stand around and drool, take pictures, and remind myself on the drive home that no one really NEEDS a house that big! :-)
sstricklen@kgw.com
If you have a gambling problem call this helpline:
1 (877) 2 STOP NOW.
That's probably the most important thing I can share.
I talked to Jeffrey Marotta, Ph.D. with the state. He's a gambling addiction expert who knows his stuff inside and out. I asked him who went into treatment more-- men or women. He said 10 years ago more men had a problem with gambling.. now that's changed so that in recovery programs they tend to see a 50/50 mix. I overheard that all of the people at the Salem center are women, but that may just be by chance.
He also said that of the people who develop a problem the vast majority are addicted to video poker (in the high 70% range). That has to do with how easily accessible it is. 18% are casino gamblers and the remaining 2% are equally split between things like Bingo and internet gambling.
Couple of points: the closer you get to a casino, the percentages flip flop.. so about 80% of the people entering treatment near a casino will have gambled there. Basically, it all boils down to what's close.
He also thinks the internet doesn't have a larger chunk of people with gambling problems because people aren't comfortable with the internet.... yet. He says in Europe people have a different level of comfort so you see a lot more people using the internet to gamble which then leads to a higher percentage of problem gamblers there.
Response time: Joe made this joke about the "fat/thin" blog: I'm not sure about Mom = thin, Dad = fat, I'm curious about...
My personal (non scientific) research has concluded:
Watching too much Food Network = Fat
And Mark LOVED the maggot video and plans of showing it to his daughter who he says will think it's cool, too... GROSS you guys.. Gross. :-)
Email me anytime!! sstricklen@kgw.com
I want one of those forced air warming hospital gowns for my house. No more warming the freezing feet on poor John.
In doing a little poking around on the internet I learned there are all different types of warming (and cooling) machines. There are machines that keep your body fluids at a certain temperature by warming them if they need it (it's like your blood flows through a tube/bag that gets warmed by a highly specialized machine). No joke.
There are machines to warm you from the underneath.. there are machines to warm the IV fluids they give you. Those actually warm up pretty quickly on thier own, BUT when you are in surgery the theory is it's actually a little less taxing on your body to get fluids that aren't refridgerator cold.
But I do like the gowns.. and I especially like that they are closed on the backside.
Here is a link to the company that makes these particular gowns:
http://www.bairpaws.com/arizanthealthcare/bp.shtml
Tuality hospital says the gowns have some benefit. While they are disposable, the hospital believes they are better for the enviroment because they aren't using so much bleach, detergent, and water to constantly wash blankets and cotton gowns. That saves them money on energy costs, and so it's seems to be a wash (ha). And if the cost is a little bit more overall, Tuality says it doesn't mind because patients are so much happier/warmer/calmer etc.
Here's a link to Tuality Hospital: http://www.tuality.com
By the way, you should NEVER just stick the hose under a blanket and turn up the heat-- that can burn you.
Share your thoughts: sstricklen@kgw.com
Amy writes that she's headed to Costa Rica Friday and is freaked out after watching that video I posted in a previous blog. I told her if she comes back with one of those hitchhikers to NOT call me to do the story.. GROSS!! ;-)
I need to tell you about Little Women.. don't let me forget. Til tomorrow!
Happy Tuesday!! I'm going to Keller Auditorium to see Little Women tonite so I'm pretty thrilled that I'm getting off work on time tonite. I originally chased a different story than the Herceptin story, but it fell through. I'd tell ya all about it, but I'm "efforting" it for tomorrow.
In the meantime, here is additional information on the Herceptin study out of Texas. By the way, the doctor I interviewed for the story (Dr. Chui) hadn't done media interviews before. He did GREAT!!
Okay: the link...
MD Anderson Study
And here is the study abstract:
http://www.jco.org/cgi/content/abstract/JCO.2005.04.9551v1
And here are the other two breast cancer stories that crossed the NBC wires. This is the NBC write-up that I'm basically ripping off the wire-service:
Radiation
A study from the University of Pennsylvania found women with early stage breast cancer who received radiation therapy to the left side of the chest were at a slightly increased risk for heart disease as many as 20 years after having had the radiation.
This was especially true for women with high blood pressure. However, left-sided radiation therapy was not associated with an increased risk of death from heart-related problems.
Researchers say that while radiation techniques continue to improve patients should closely monitor their cardiovascular health.
Nearly 1,000 women were studied. About half had right-side radiation, while the other half had left-side radiation. The women were followed from 10-20 years.
Steph's note: here is the full study!!
http://www.jco.org/cgi/reprint/JCO.2006.07.7909v1
Genetic Testing
An estimated 192,000 women in the US are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. 36 to 85 percent of women who carry a specific genetic mutation can expect a cancer diagnosis.
The question is: who would benefit most from genetic testing?
New research on more than 23-hundred African-American and Caucasian women found brca1 mutations were significantly more common in white women while the brca2 mutations were slightly more common among African-American women.
Overall about 4-percent of all breast cancer cases carried one or the other mutation.
Among breast cancer cases, brca1 mutations were found in 10.2 percent of Jewish women, compared with 2 percent of non-Jewish women.
Response time: regarding the posting below about who spends time with the kids and how it influences thier weight.. a friend jokingly writes:
because mom more likely to = fresh food, and dad more likely to = fast
food. Case in point: My husband to this day will not eat either hot
dogs nor mac & cheese after two years living with his dad post-divorce.
That's all his dad knew how to cook. He can't even eat homemade mac &
cheese, the thought makes him ill. He can, however, eat at Good Dog Bad
Dog, so methinks it's selective nausea. :)
Have a fabulous night!! sstricklen@kgw.com
I worked on special reports today so the producer created a little medical segment which I'm getting ready to do here in about a half hour. One of the stories is interesting: Kids who spent more time with mom weigh less and kids who spend more time with dad weigh more.
Here is a link to the full report.. it's a WHOPPER at more than 200 pages, but we're really only interested in the summary/conclusions which you can find right there in the index.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ccr19/
And here is a link to the FDA's reponse to the study that was the genesis of the portable defibrillator story that I ran last week.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01429.html
Happy Monday!!
sstricklen@kgw.com
So, my Thursday 5pm story on the little portable defibrillators mentioned there is a difference between sudden cardiac arrest and a heart attack. Given how many American's die from sudden cardiac arrest (330,000 to 335,000 a year) and given how many people have cardiovascular disease, it's important to know the difference.
Ta Daaa!
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4741
And here is a link to the local office of the AHA:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200279&division=PMA021
If you have an AED at your place of business or at home, you can always call the phone number that is on most of those devices to see if there is an active recall. Another option is to check with your local American Heart Association office. It can help you get the info you need.
Okay, response time!!
Mark writes in response to my blog about how everything I like to eat or drink is bad for me: Hi Steph!
Don't worry Steph, next week there will be another study saying eat all you
want... In moderation:-)
It drives me nuts that every few years the eating habits of everyone goes
thru the wringer. Just because someone has a new book coming out or a new
study was completed showing the good or ill of a certain food, drink, etc...
And if you watched that totally GROSS video ((see previous posting)) that Lary sent me.. he wrote me back to tell me that we have a mutual friend (Doug) who used to have the same problems with his horses. Ewww.
Picture time!
Phojo Brian snapped these while out shooting a story that airs tomorrow actually. A lot of folks are on vacation so I tried to get a day ahead by shooting two stories today. No, the story isn't about kittens. It's about stroke. The kitties were an added bonus.
I think I look like I'm strangling it in this pic, but she's actually totally snuggled in and purring.
And here they are 'helping' us put up the lights:
Shoot me an email!! sstricklen@kgw.com
Well.. it's 5:43pm and I think the magical blog fairies have fixed our glitch uploading the blogs. Let's see if this works:
Today's topics:
-- Parkinson's
-- A creative way to get a message to the inmate in your life
-- The single most disgusting thing I've ever, ever seen and why my friend Lary should be flogged for showing it to me. ;-)
First, the most important part: Parkinson's.
Sometimes when I do these health stories I convince myself I have the very symptoms of what I'm covering. And while I've never done anything other than ponder it (in other words I'm not a hypochondriac) I do offer these early symptoms of Parkinson's with that caveat.
A slight tremor is probably more likely to come from the caffiene in my coffee (especially since I drink decaf or occasionally half-caf) than it is from early onset Parkinson's... BUT, knowing these symptoms can sometimes help you or your doctor put two and two together.
* Change in facial expression (staring, Iack of blinking)
* Failure to swing one arm when walking
* Flexion (stooped) posture
* "Frozen" painful shoulder
* Limping or dragging of one leg
* Numbness, tingling, achiness or discomfort of the neck or limbs
* Softness of the voice
* Subjective sensation of internal trembling Resting tremor
Often celebrities raise awareness for issues facing society (think Angelina Jolie, etc.) and Michael J. Fox is no exception for his Parkinson's work:
http://www.michaeljfox.org/
And I liked this link about alternative therapies because it's open-minded enough but also isn't selling false hope:
http://www.parkinson.org/site/pp.asp?c=9dJFJLPwB&b=238635
Don writes that he just went to the store and bought some healthy fats to replace other fats in his diet. On his list: avocados and nuts! He had open heart surgery and wants to stay healthy. Go Don!!
My good friend Mary writes: I checked out your health blog today. What a riot. I love your personal touch. I wanted to know about the fats, etc. not to mention the old age forgetfulness.
I actually met Mary about a year ago on a story and we totally hit it off. She's the one who is a riot, if you ask me. We have a great time when we hang out.
Okay, I snapped this picture while going live out in front of the Multnomah County Jail on Friday. Do they have windows there you can actually see out of??
And finally.. you MUST have a strong stomach to watch this. My friend Lary sent this to me and I actually looked it up to learn more because apparently, feeling queasy the first time wasn't enough for me. It's beyond disgusting and is so gross I can't get the story out of my head. It's one "health" story I will never cover!! YUK. You have been warned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWFPSMcPXms&search=maggot
Email me with something, anything else so I can stop thinking about this.
sstricklen@kgw.com
That's it.
I'm done.
Everything I like to eat and drink is pretty much bad for me.
Next they'll tell me about the hidden dangers of blueberries, or what's in strawberries that's silently screwing up my health.
Okay, I'm totally overdoing it, but you get my point. That's why when I pitched this story on how quickly one meal high in saturated fats can affect your health I was truthfully a little bummed to hear the news. Now I have absolutely NO excuse to let my eating habits slide.
Honestly, I think my bigger health issue actually isn't the type of fats I eat since I love veggies, salmon, fruits, etc. My issue is portion control. Maybe I need to buy little teacup saucers to eat from ((click here to see what I mean:http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/07/30/diet.cues.ap/))
Okay, heart healthy fats: you want 'em, I got 'em.
This is a really excellent link: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=532
I have two food tips to share, and if you read this regularly you'll get the joke when I tell you I'm reasonably certain neither will burn your house down. That only happens when I cook it.
#1) Do you make popcorn on the stovetop? I do, and switched to olive oil. It actually works great and has never smoked or burned on me. It gives the popcorn a subtle taste that I totally love.
#2) If you have a coffee grinder get some whole flaxseed. It's in the bulk food section. Store it in the fridge in a container (it keeps forever) and grind up thoroughly as you need it. Put it on anything that might taste good with walnuts (which is what it tastes like to me): spinach salad, chicken, in my brown rice, pasta. It's an awesome addition and super good for you!
Share your thoughts: any good heart healthy tips you want to share? Recipes? Fire away at will and I'll get 'em posted.
sstricklen@kgw.com
Scott in Hood River was nice enough to share this pic of the Porche parade that's in town. Sweet!!!!
sstricklen@kgw.com
Okay, just in case you missed it-- here is the dementia risk test we came up with.
Answer yes or no to the following questions:
Are you overweight?
Do you smoke?
Do you have high cholesterol?
Do you have high blood pressure?
Do you avoid exercise?
The more "yes" answers you give.. the greater your risk for dementia. Of course, as we mentioned at 5pm.. these risk factors coincide with your risk of cardiovascular disease too.
Now, here are a few nuggets you can only get here.
This is a link to the press release released from the Swedish team that worked on this.
http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=130&a=15241&l=en
The OHSU doc we talked to (Dr. Jeffrey Kaye) says that area of the world does a lot of work in aging related research because the population is getting older there AND the national health system makes it a) easy to follow people over time and b) a good incentive to get a handle on the most expensive diseases facing that population.
Notice the part about your education... seems the better educated you are the lower the risk of dementia. Why? They don't know with certainty but there are working theories. The most common theory is that people with less education typically make less money and then have less access to things (like good healthcare) that make thier wealthier counterparts healthier. The most controversial theory centers on the suggestion that less educated people might be inherently less intelligent and may additionally possess subtle differences in thier brains that account for the greater rates of dementia.
Um, yeah.. I can see why that would be controversial!!
Lets move onto safer ground. To reduce your risk of dementia there are some simple things we can all do and I bet when you read this list you will groan.
#1) Eat right. Yeah, that means I need to put down the Salt-N-Vinegar chips.
#2) Get enough sleep. Check! Well, except last night ((see posting below))
#3) Exercise. Double check! I'm training for my second half marathon and lift weights.
#4) Be as healthy as you can. Okay, I can try harder here.
Are you groaning? Well, you know what-- these little tips are good for so much in life. I think if all of us gave it a better shot we'd be better off.
Links to puzzle websites.. I looked at two that didn't charge a fee and weren't out to sell your information all over the web. Please check them out for yourself before signing up. The theory on the puzzles is that anything that keeps your brain moving is really good for you. It's like lifting weights for your gray matter.
http://www.braingle.com/index.php
http://www.brainbashers.com/index.asp
Allrighty then.. til tomorrow? sstricklen@kgw.com
That's what it sounded like to me.
No, I didn't get shot. Someone about 2 blocks from our live truck fired off 5 shots Sunday night. I got called into work and was putting together my 10pm story when I turned to the phojo I was working with and asked him if he heard gunfire. He was knee-deep in editing and heard nothing. No one around me seemed concerned.. and there were hundreds of people out for the impromptu street party on MLK. I immediately (and sheepishly) called the station and told Adriene on our assignment desk that, "um.. well, it totally could have been a car backfiring but.. um.. I'm pretty sure I just a bunch of gunfire." BAM!! The scanners go crazy on the desk, the cop cars in the neighborhood fire up thier lights and sirens and then I realize I really did hear shots.
No, I didn't get shot. And I wasn't freaked out or anything like that. It was just someone exercising a considerable lack of judgement. Most thankfully, no one got hit by any stray bullets. It's too bad too but up until that point there had been hundreds of people having a good time with relatively minor problems. One jerk and the whole thing gets cast in that light.
Hey.. you know how I love photos.. well, check this out. Scott sent me this photo he snapped off his back deck. He lives out by Hood River.
Cooool.
I got two emails that referenced an autograph.. in one day. I can go MONTHS without mention of an autograph so to get two kind of got my attention.
Matt writes: I'm very impressed by the work you guys do and how much you guys care about the community! Your news is mainly true about everything and I'm glad to know when I'm on vacation i always can count on KGW for the truth!
Thanks and God Bless!
P.S. If your not too busy can I maybe get your autograph please?
But he addressed it to "KGW" so maybe he sent it to everyone?!
And Teresa and Kaitlyn write: We'd like to thank you for your autograph at the Rose Parade. We think your job is very interesting. It looks like a lot of fun. We enjoyed talking to you. Thank you for your time.
Your #1 fans,
Theresa & Kaitlyn
Okay, that's really really nice. I think my job is interesting too. Not many people like coming to work everyday, and I'm so fortunate because I'm always learning something new and trying to share it with everyone who watches... okay, enough. My boss didn't have to pay me to say that but it sure sounds a little cheesy. :-)
Ciao! sstricklen@kgw.com
Update: No.. none of us in the studio knew there was a black hole in my story. It was a problem actually unrelated to the story that happened in a part of the station we call master control. We watched it in the studio just fine. Had I known I would have said something... Sorry!!
Honestly, I didn't know Oregon and Washington had the highest incidences of breast cancer in the country. So when Chris McDonald from the Oregon and SW Washington Komen foundation told me that I knew it would make it into this blog.
No one knows what causes breast cancer which makes it hard to pinpoint why we face a greater risk of it per capita. One theory that I've heard before that was reiterated today is a vitamin D deficiency. You can read more about that here:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/116/112304.htm
And it's probably not better screening here, either. That's because we also have a high rate of mortality from breast cancer. AND.. if you document the illnesses you'll notice it's clustered around the I-5 corridor. Really facinating!
By the way, if you know a woman who uses the BCC program and needs help during this transitional phase... please call this number:
1 (800) 4-CANCER
Onto responses:
Joe writes in response to my totally awesome chicken experience ((see previous posting below)): I saw the picture! I had to look away though, because I was eating at the time! :) kidding!
Does your husband cook much? Mary and I both cook, but she's better than I am. She has never made a bad steak..in fact, she's good at most everything (she made a wonderful chocolate zuchinni bread last weekend). She claims I cook chicken better than her, though.
Yeah, my husband does cook and judging by those pictures I'd say he is better than me. Today is our 4 year wedding anniversary and I think I will play it safe and order pizza. ;-)
Michael writes about this commercial we air that cracks him up: So, on the screen it says "Are You oxygen dependant?" while someone says it......duh! Everyone is. What the commercial I think is trying to say is, Are you dependent on oxygen tanks.
I told him I like the "Intermittent Claudication" commercial we run at noon. I had never even heard of it until I saw the spot.
Laura writes about her weakness food: I can not keep cashews in the house, I eat them all --then when my husband wants to make Chinese food, oops they are all gone. oh but they were sooooo good.
Then there are oatmeal cookies fresh out of the oven, now who can resist that, the first one is so good but the ones that follow are even better.
And finally how 'bout some pictures.
These are from camping last weekend as a huge family park owned by some friends of ours. Been in thier family forever. Very much so a kids thing so let me explain a few of the photos. We stopped there on our way to my husband's family beach place....
First John and I camping... things look normal at this point.
Then our good friend Scott's mom Carol. I've know her for a long time. Only there's something a bit off about the photo. Any guesses so far?
Now here is a picture of Scott and Cary's kiddo Emery. Yeah. For some reason we're all wearing antlers made of sticks. She wins for being the cutest.
And finally our good friends Scott, Cary, Em (as in Emery) and Cal (as in Calvin). They moved back to town not too long ago and John and I absolutely had a blast hanging out with them. The antlers are primarily forthe benefit of the kids (or the young at heart). We all wore them as we marched to a nearby field to play games.
Zap me an email!! sstricklen@kgw.com
Allright.
Lots of ground to cover.
First: What's your food weakness?? Email me: sstricklen@kgw.com
Mine is..... peanut butter. How weird is that?!! It's not cookies or ice cream or even potato chips (unless they are salt and vinegar.. then I'm hooked) but peanut butter. John has had to hide it in the house so I don't eat it all. It makes great camping food but is definitely one of my "anytime" favorite foods. Oh yeah, also avocado. Not just half or maybe one.. but a whole lotta avocado. I keep those out of the house too unless I'm making guacamole... which, by the way, usually turns out better than my chicken ((see post below)).
Now, today didn't tank like yesterday.. so I'm feeling much less stressed.
The bosses had me chase one story until about 11:30am and then realized it was not going to happen. I switched gears and called on this other story they wanted me to look into... so I got in touch with Legacy to see about getting reaction to the obesity/phone survey story. The PR gal at Legacy struck gold and lined me up with not one.. but TWO interviews at 1:30pm.
Happy happy happy.
I got back and had to anchor these little mini-news-update things we call "oprah cut-ins". Two run during her show and one runs before. Then I anchored the webcast ((Have you checked that out yet?? We post it weekdays at 3:45pm on the website)). Usually Tracy does it but she's off today and Laural and Joe were "in with the consultants". Bottom line is this: I got the script to the phojo much later than I like which was the only downer to today. Oh yeah, and I wolfed my lunch down in about 15 minutes but that's nothing new.
Speaking of food (come on, that's a good segue!!) let's talk about the mistake we all make when we eat. It's portion-distortion. Now before the dieticians and the ultra-fit and the pretty-fit write in to tell me you never ever suffer from portion distortion... you have to keep in mind you're in the minority... the healthier minority... but the minority nonetheless.
Dr. Patterson points out we are on average 10 pounds heavier than our grandparents. Sedentary jobs don't help, but neither does all that food we're eating. One trouble spot: restaurants. We, as customers, demand whopping portions to feel like we're getting value for our dining dollar, but it's a waistline killer waiting to happen. Dr. Patterson says people battling obesity who have to eat out all the time have the toughest time because so much of what's out there isn't healthy.
A couple of suggestions that dieticians have passed along to me over the years: eat something small at home before you show up at a restaurant like an apple or banana. No joke.. it totally works.
Another tip: drink water with your meal. So simple and it helps your stomach tell your brain it's time to stop eating.
And the thing I've done from time to time at restaurants that serve large portions is ask for half the meal in a to-go box before it ever shows up on the plate. The server will do it for you and you'll have an added meal later ((or a very large snack)).
Now onto some more interesting findings from this study.
*19 percent of obese people said they always read nutritional labels on food packages compared with 24 percent of normal-weight people.
*29 percent of obese people said they eat out at restaurants three plus times a week compared with 25 percent of normal-weight people.
The phone surveyors asked: How often do you eat all of the food you are served at restaurants?
*41 percent of obese people said they always did while 31 percent of normal weight people always did.
Picture time.. I forgot to do this. Meet Cosmo Kramer. Okay, he's just Cosmo but he's named after the Seinfeld character. I snapped this photo after interviewing a woman on the door-to-door blood draw story. Cute, huh??
And if you were a duck having a swab stuck in your you-know-what.. how would you feel about this crowd?? What you can't see are the twenty people next to me. This was after the swabbing when they banded the ducks. It was for that bird flu testing story I did last week.
Email me: sstricklen@kgw.com
Hey there.. Joaner wrote me and asked:
Hi Stephanie;
Thanks for your spot on high blood pressure & shallow beathing. Could it be replayed since the film went crazy? I would like to get off meds....it's bad stuff!
You do a great job!! : )
Ask and ye shall receive!!
The breathing/high blood pressure story will run at noon today (Wednesday) if you want to check it out. Here is some additional information as well from a very 'spot on' reporter with the Associated Press. Her stuff is always well-written and accurate.
By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Take a slow deep breath, then exhale just as
slowly. Can you take fewer than 10 breaths a minute?
Research suggests breathing that slowly for a few minutes a day
is enough to help some people nudge down bad blood pressure.
Why would that brief interlude of calm really work? A scientist
at the National Institutes of Health thinks how we breathe may hold
a key to how the body regulates blood pressure -- and that it has
less to do with relaxation than with breaking down all that salt
most of us eat.
Now Dr. David Anderson is trying to prove it, with the help of a
special gadget that trains volunteers with hypertension to
slow-breathe.
If he's right, the work could shed new light on the intersection
between hypertension, stress and diet.
"If you sit there under-breathing all day and you have a high
salt intake, your kidneys may be less effective at getting rid of
that salt than if you're out hiking in the woods," said Anderson,
who heads research into behavior and hypertension at the NIH's
National Institute on Aging.
An estimated 65 million Americans have high blood pressure,
putting them at increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney
damage, blindness and dementia. Many don't know it. Hypertension is
often called the silent killer, because patients may notice no
symptoms until it already has done serious damage.
Anyone can get high blood pressure, measured as a level of 140
over 90 or more. But being overweight and inactive, and eating too
much salt -- Americans eat nearly double the upper limit for good
health -- all increase the risk. Indeed, losing weight, physical
activity and cutting sodium are the most effective lifestyle
changes people can make to lower blood pressure. Still, most
hypertension patients need medications, too.
While they know risk factors, scientists don't fully understand
the root causes of hypertension: What skews the body's usually
finely tuned mechanisms for regulating the force of blood pounding
against artery walls, until it can't compensate for some extra
pounds on a couch potato? Understanding those mechanisms could
point to better ways to prevent and treat hypertension.
Enter breathing.
Meditation, yoga and similar relaxation techniques that
incorporate slow, deep breathing have long been thought to aid
blood pressure, although research to prove an effect has been
spotty.
Then in 2002, the Food and Drug Administration cleared the
nonprescription sale of a medical device called RESPeRATE, to help
lower blood pressure by pacing breathing. The Internet-sold device
counts breaths by sensing chest or abdominal movement, and sounds
gradually slowing chimes that signal when to inhale and exhale.
Users follow the tone until their breathing slows from the usual 16
to 19 breaths a minute to 10 or fewer.
In clinical trials funded by maker InterCure Inc., people who
used the slow-breathing device for 15 minutes a day for two months
saw their blood pressure drop 10 to 15 points. It's not supposed to
be a substitute for diet, exercise or medication, but an addition
to standard treatment.
Why slow-breathing works "is still a bit of a black box," says
Dr. William J. Elliott of Chicago's Rush University Medical Center,
who headed some of that research and was surprised at the effect.
Slow, deep breathing does relax and dilate blood vessels
temporarily, but that's not enough to explain a lasting drop in
blood pressure, says NIH's Anderson.
So, in a laboratory at Baltimore's Harbor Hospital, Anderson is
using the machine to test his own theory: When under chronic
stress, people tend to take shallow breaths and unconsciously hold
them, what Anderson calls inhibitory breathing. Holding a breath
diverts more blood to the brain to increase alertness -- good if the
boss is yelling -- but it knocks off kilter the blood's chemical
balance. More acidic blood in turn makes the kidneys less efficient
at pumping out sodium.
In animals, Anderson's experiments have shown that inhibitory
breathing delays salt excretion enough to raise blood pressure. Now
he's testing if better breathing helps people reverse that effect.
"They may be changing their blood gases and the way their
kidneys are regulating salt," he says.
If Anderson's right, it would offer another explanation for why
hypertension is what he calls "a disease of civilization and a
sedentary lifestyle."
Meanwhile, health authorities recommend that everyone take
simple steps to lower blood pressure: by dropping a few pounds,
taking a walk or getting physical activity, and eating less sodium
-- no more than 2,300 milligrams a day -- and more fruits and
vegetables.
About the story crashing and burning on air.. Mark writes:
Yeah, I *tried* to watch it, but it had a black line in it. I found it quite funny (no offense) [none taken, Mark!!]. Maybe when it gets recued, it will work better. You handled it really well.
On to the next story ;-)
They're having me chase two stories today.. we'll just have to see which ends up making air.
TTYS (talk to you soon) Steph
sstricklen@kgw.com
Wow. Anyone see the 5pm?? That was sooo not fun. And I thought my day sucked *before*.
Honestly, all you can do is laugh and let it go. It's the nature of live TV. Stuff happens, stories crash mid-playback, and you just have to hope you have your wits about you enough to recover unexpectedly on-air.
Alright, I'm out of here. Going to practice some of that "slow-breathing" at home.
Email me: sstricklen@kgw.com
Yeah, sorry to be so indelicate about, but it did.
I tried to work on this great story in Vanouver and called multiple times only to never even get one return phone call from the business. We pulled the plug and switched me to a different story at 12:30pm.
I contacted a PR gal with a local hospital to try and find a doctor to talk about this hypertension/breathing story. She worked really hard to line someone up but got shot down by doctors right and left who were just too busy-- not to mention it was already after noon.
At 2:45pm I called OHSU which has a couple things going for it when it comes to the media. #1) It has a full complement of PR people who tend to have relationships with the people we need to interview-- making those people more willing to help them out in a pinch.. #2) A fair number of their doctors split time between patients and research which means generally I have a better shot of getting someone who isn't overwhelmed with patients.
OHSU could do it and set a time of 3:50pm. Yup, 3:50pm. As in 1 hour and 10 minutes before the news begins. As in I am writing this blog before I have even shot my interview. We'll just have to see if it makes air. ;-)
Now, onto the important stuff!!! Here are a few key things you can do to lower your blood pressure that don't involve medication.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/treat/treat.htm
Let me say this about the "reduce salt" tip... you can do it, but it's awful at first. Your tastebuds crave the salt and everything tastes bland BUT after a few weeks you actually do get used to it and then when you eventually try something salty it blows your tastebuds apart! At least that's what happened to me. I cut out the salt because high blood pressure runs in my family so I figured I'd better get used to it now, rather than later. I don't miss it... honestly.
AND... here are the things that can lead to high blood pressure in women!
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/issues/issues.htm
Response time!!
Mark must have been psychic as he emailed me today to say:
Going to the doctor sure put the crimp in the old diet... Now, I have to
watch every single gram of sodium, all because of my stationary edema.
Finding foods that I like and that are quick to prepare all have a boatload
of sodium!
Now I have to relearn how to eat... Oh YUM! Remember, Old dogs, new
tricks... Well, new tricks are hard to learn for this old dog. Not that I'm
not willing to give it a shot, but it may take me a while to get into the
groove of how to do things differently.
And boy did you let 'er rip on the Landis front.. here is a sampling!!
James writes:
One of the world's best known experts on the use of performance enhancing drugs is in town today for the LiveStrong Ride in North Portland. Why don't you just ask Lance Armstrong how he got away with blood doping all these years. Also ask why he didn't teach Floyd his secrets.
Pat writes:
The damage is done? By whom? I get pretty frustrated with the "news" media's tendency to declare people guilty before all the facts are in. But you seem to have taken that a step further by making Landis a poster boy for doping -- even if he's innocent. Do you really think that's fair?
Ryan sent this picture.. aren't they the CUTEST?! Carter and Hailey:
And here is the fast skinny on my pathetic attempt at BBQ'ing. I followed this recipe I read in a local magazine for brining chicken although clearly I messed something up along the way.. like, oh.. I don't know, switching water for rocket fuel.
The chicken exploded on the grill.. you saw the flames ((see previous posting)). Joe wrote me to helpfully suggest I call it cajun chicken. Ryan wondered if that was my husband grilling (it is). Poor guy.
The best part-- I was over at our friends Matt and Heather's house. I was super excited to have this great chicken recipe and was so pumped to bring it all over. they have this fabulous place in Battleground and have had us over before. We're remodeling so I though it would be nice to bring dinner to them.
This is the final photo.. as snapped my Matt's cell phone camera. It looks like a lump of charcoal with a side of barf. I *promise* you the pasta tastes better than it looks in this photo. :-)
Email me: sstricklen@kgw.com
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