The Saturday Evening Post articles from March 2005

The Saturday Evening Post archives from March 2005

Lawsuits--a crisis in medical care.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... In your last issue, you discussed how fear of lawsuits had created the flu vaccine shortage and was drying up the supply of vaccines altogether ("How Lawsuits Brought On the Flu Vaccine Shortage," Open Forum, January/February 2005). In the...

Obstetricians at risk.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... "Why Your Doctor Might Quit" really touched a tender chord in our family. My daughter will have to leave her children and drive 30 miles from her small town to find an obstetrician to deliver her baby come April. We hope the Congress will...

Preventing macular degeneration.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... I was diagnosed with macular degeneration six years ago and am very interested in the article "Dodging Macular Degeneration with Greens." I am wondering if it would be possible for you to give me some ideas on how to find an...

Screening for aneurysms.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... In the issue of Sept./Oct. 2004, an article on aortic aneurysms was printed. Please send me the hospitals where this test is performed. I live in New York City. Thank you. Evelyn Tabakman Bronx, New York Editor's note: Bob Dole...

Microchips in humans?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... Was it possible already in 1969 for doctors to implant microchips into human body parts? Is it possible to annul the effects of microchips without removing them from the body? Sharon Hart New York, New York Editor's note:...

Zinc gluconate helped ringing ears.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... My dear mother called me one day when she was 89. She said, "My ears and head are ringing, I'm miserable. What should I do?" I told her that I'd take her to the doctor, whenever she could get an appointment. I had picked up a recent...

Relief from vertigo.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... In the Nov./Dec. issue of The Saturday Evening Post, you mentioned some exercises that might possibly help to alleviate the symptoms of vertigo. I have been bothered for quite a while with vertigo. I would appreciate having a copy of these...

Irritable bowel syndrome.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... IBS--I have a hint to help control it. It works for me. I was sick from July '03 to January '04 with IBS. I used many dollars' worth of Imodium and it didn't help at all. I used cholestyramine and other things. The doctor put me on...

Hope worked for Dr. Groopman.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... Your article in the February 2005 issue on the positive effects of hope on illness was a joy to read. It turns out that all those old sayings about keeping a good attitude were right after all! Bless Dr. Jerome Groopman for reminding us...

New hope for Crohn's disease.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... I am writing you in the hope you can help me shed some light on a disease my grandson is suffering from--Crohn's disease. He is now 28 years old and hospitalized again with a setback. No one seems to have much knowledge or cure for his tragic...

Following iron Mike's advice.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... The story on former Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints Coach Mike Ditka ("Mike Ditka--Tackling Men's Health," Jan./Feb. 2005) was an interesting read. It's nice to see how Iron Mike is telling men to reduce their risk of heart attack by...

Gluten-free recipes for celiac sprue.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... I was diagnosed with celiac sprue in November of 2003. Since that time, I have been in misery trying to find a diet that will work. We managed to locate prepackaged mixes that are gluten-free--some work and some do not. Perhaps you can...

Dumb luck.(Comic)
March 1, 2005... "Oh drat! Your father has the car keys." "Psst, here's that twenty bucks I owe you." Just my luck I invent a fire and he invents a diamond ring. Well, hello there friend! Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've had...

The Wit and Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin: his enduring wisdom leads us to a higher appreciation of his genius.(Poor Richard Speaks)
March 1, 2005... Among the divines there has been much Debate, Concerning the World in its ancient Estate; Some say 'twas once good, but now is grown bad, Some say 'tis reform'd of the Faults it once had: I...

Tips for vibrant health and beauty at every age.(Look Good, Feel Good)(Brief Article)(Excerpt)
March 1, 2005... Deep-Clean Your Face and Body Women and girls of all ages can enjoy reading the book Skin & Nails: Care Tips for Girls [c]2003 by Pleasant Company. Here's a sample of do-it-yourself beauty potions: Sugar Scrub (for your body): Mix...

Growing older, staying strong.(Look Good, Fell Good)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Strength training on two or three days staggered through the week can help counteract the loss of muscle mass sometimes linked to aging. Experts say that gaining strength may also improve balance, mobility, and the ability to climb stairs. For...

Common protein may repair heart damage.(Cardiovascular News At A Glance)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... A protein that the heart produces during the heart's development could be redeployed after a heart attack to help the organ repair itself, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have found. The new mouse-study findings...

Watch your waistline.(Cardiovascular News At A Glance)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... What is your belt size? To reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, men should aim for a waist circumference of less than 40 inches. For women, a measurement of less than 35 inches is desirable. People with body shapes...

Heart-healing statistics.(Cardiovascular News At A Glance)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... * More than one million Americans have blood cholesterol higher than it should be, and more than half are women. Reducing total cholesterol by 10 percent might lower the incidence of heart disease 30 percent. * Anyone--young or old,...

New approaches to heart disease.(Cardiovascular News At A Glance)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The current focus on diagnosing and treating heart disease has expanded greatly in the past 10 years. An example is the recent Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT). In addition to participating as an investigator in the TACT trial, Dr....

Actual school excuse notes: hilarious notes from parents who get an F for logic, but an A for creativity.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him. Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot. Dear School: Please excuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and...

Unraveling the genetics of bipolar disorder: by participating in ongoing studies of families at risk, Post readers are helping researchers identify suspect genes involved in the development of bipolar disorder.
March 1, 2005... Researchers exploring the role of genetics in bipolar disorder are launching an exciting new study and asking for your help. Over the years, hundreds of Post readers and their families have generously participated in bipolar disorder surveys...

Worshiping by laptop: making new spiritual connections, wirelessly.
March 1, 2005... Church is all about making connections--with God, with ministers, with other churchgoers. A fast-growing northern Indiana church is offering a new kind of worship connection: a wireless broadband Internet link. Wi-Fi worship takes place at...

The English tongue licks its wounds: a tangled tongue or a word that should be herded back into its pen can bring the world what it can never really get enough of--a good reason to laugh.(Book Review)
March 1, 2005... The Revenge of Anguished English by Richard Lederer, 192 pages, St. Martin's Press, $22.95 The richest language in the world, English (comprised of almost one million words) is also the most vulnerable to abuse. And that's just fine with...

Troubled waters.(Post Scripts)(fish keeping)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... My wife, a prekindergarten teacher, labored to keep goldfish and guppies thriving in her classroom aquarium. When her newest boarders departed for that tank in the sky, we journeyed to the local pet megastore. The sales associate asked, "What...

They Don't Mean "Rock 'n' Roll".(Post Scripts)(Poem)
March 1, 2005... They Don't Mean "Rock 'n' Roll" When I was young Pursuing my vocation. The initials R and R Stood for rest and recreation. But as years flew by And I aged with grace, Those letters now mean Repair and...

Other fish to fry.(Post Scripts)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... After checking into his motel, a fisherman struck up a conversation with an old man who had been watching TV from his easy chair in the lobby. Curious about fishing conditions in the nearby river and lake, he asked the oldster if he did much...

Get that ice, or else no dice!(Post Scripts)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... when a young man was about to go out and buy his prospective mate a present for the first time, he asked her size. "If it's clothes, I wear small," she replied. "If it's diamonds, I wear large." --Christopher M. Tome

Oh, dry up!.(Post Scripts)(prayer for rain)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... A farming community was going through a drought, which prompted a visiting preacher to pray for rain. The following day it rained so hard, it ruined the crops. "That's what happens when you get a preacher that isn't familiar with...

Sister act.(Post Scripts)(garage sale)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Before our garage sale, with all proceeds going toward the children's after-school center at a local church, Dan, my brother, lectured us that we needed to think of the sale as a business, focusing on the sales and profits. Sister Angela,...

Prime Time.(Post Scripts)(Poem)
March 1, 2005... Prime Time I'm officially forty-five And more than glad to be alive. Though middle-aged, ah yes, it's true, I will not say my life's half through. Many live a century plus score, And I intend to live some...

"Deer" me!.(Post Scripts)
March 1, 2005... A man was walking through the zoo, looking at all the animals. Finally he came to an animal he didn't recognize. It was a baby deer. He walked over to the attendant and asked, "Pardon me, but can you tell me what kind of an animal that is?" ...

Second thoughts.(Post Scripts)
March 1, 2005... The worst thing about having extrasensory perception (ESP) is that friends call you a know-it-before-all. --Lawrence P. McGuire

Pungent prevention.(Food In The News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... An onion a day is better than an apple for keeping the doctor away. Onions harbor an arsenal of disease-fighting phytochemicals. But all onions are not equal in this respect. Cornell University scientists recently studied shallots and 10...

Eggs: better than they're cracked up to be.(Food In The News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Hard-boiled nutritionists once classified all eggs as cholesterol raisers and a cardiovascular risk. Now studies show the nutritionists were only partly right. A recent research study on the effect of eating eggs showed that eggs do increase...

Health hints for the kitchen.(Food In The News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... * Use Romaine lettuce in salads. It has three times the vitamin C and six times the vitamin A found in common iceberg lettuce. * Have a headache when you are cooking? Cut a lime in half and rub it on your forehead for fast relief. * As...

Bean bonus.(Food In The News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Beans, rich in protein, folate, calcium, and fiber, now have another nutritional feather to stick in their caps. The latest USDA studies have placed them at the top of the list of antioxidant-rich vegetables. In the bean world, black beans are...

Foods team up for health.(Food In The News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... It is better to eat broccoli with your chicken than to eat broccoli or chicken alone, say researchers at England's institute of Food Research. The scientists are studying the synergistic effects of foods acting together to promote health. They...

Funny at any speed: with his knack for steering straight for the funny bone, Dave Coverly's new Speed Bump cartoon collection takes readers on a laugh-filled joyride.(Book Review)
March 1, 2005... Speed Bump: Cartoons for Idea People by Dave Coverly, 170 pages. ECW Press. $16.95 He's not your ordinary cartoonist. With a degree in philosophy and two in creative writing, Dave Coverly's humorous inspiration runs deep. Not too deep,...

Finding God in the Questions: in a candid new book, the well-known and respected physician-journalist shares his personal journey and exploration of spirituality: an interview with Dr. Tim Johnson.(Interview)
March 1, 2005... A familiar face to millions of Americans, Dr. Timothy Johnson is the medical editor of ABC-TV and host of Good Morning America's "On Call with Dr. Tim Johnson." For almost three decades, Dr. Tim has reported on medical breakthroughs, sharing...

Headache history: how a common ailment--the headache--became the center of a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry in the United States.(Post Bookshelf)(Book Review)
March 1, 2005... Pain and Profits: The History of the Headache and Its Remedies in America by Jan R. McTavish. 239 pages. Rutgers University Press, $23.95 The present-day specter of Americans streaming to Canada to buy low-cost medications is nothing new....

The post recommends.(Post Bookshelf)(Book Review)
March 1, 2005... The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren This best-selling guide to living is written for Christian believers. Rick Warren, founding pastor of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, enjoins us to ask not what God can do for us, but...

The declaration of independence for dummies: what if our country's senior Founding Father were to come back today? He might have to give us a refresher course on the precious union he helped to create.(Benjamin Franklin)
March 1, 2005... For the Bicentennial of our country in 1976, our founder Benjamin Franklin appeared to author Isaac Asimov in a series of dreams. Franklin wanted to discuss the development of the country he was so instrumental in creating. Unbeknownst to...

Easter art on parade: our Easter art hunt turns up a treasure of holiday paintings by some of America's best magazine cover illustrators.(The American Illustrators Hall Of Fame)
March 1, 2005... When it came time for painting those delightful Easter covers, our illustrators inevitably reached into their satchels and pulled out their brightest pigments. Before four-color printing, however, readers were left to imagine just what those...

Focus on diabetes: to reduce or prevent your risk of diabetes type 2, foods high in fiber and rich in omega-3 provide a foundation for year-round health.
March 1, 2005... Finding healthy and delicious recipes that feature antioxidant-rich vegetables, dietary fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids--important ingredients in the daily diet, especially for individuals with type 2 diabetes--remains a challenge for today's...

Heart health: ask Dr. Zipes: a noted cardiologist answers your questions.
March 1, 2005... Reader: I am 91 years old and take atenolol 50mg twice daily. My blood pressure is 135/53. The new suggested normal blood pressure is 120/80 or less. Is my top number (systolic) too high and the bottom (diastolic) number too low? Dr....

New strategy for diagnosing bipolar disorder: can diagnostic brain scans help identify patients with bipolar disorder? Interview with Dr. John D. Port.
March 1, 2005... Researchers are developing a promising new tool to help in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, a complex condition affecting 2.3 million Americans. At a recent meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, scientists at Mayo Clinic...

New way to detect heart disease: noninvasive technology allows cardiologists to view a 3-D image of the heart.(Healthy Heart Report)(Interview)
March 1, 2005... New imaging scans are allowing physicians a noninvasive, closer, and detailed look at the heart, described as similar to holding a living heart in the hand. Until now, the most accurate procedure used to measure the degree of plaque buildup was...

The perfect squelch.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The big-city detectives worked a 48-hour week with many extra demands on their time. So they were justly disgruntled when informed that they had to attend a six-month training course, which would lengthen their day by at least two hours. ...

Can you name this picture?
March 1, 2005... ... contest: The Saturday Evening Post will award $100 to the author of the winning limerick for this picture. Your limerick must contain exactly five lines. Send your entry on a postcard. Entries will not be returned. Enter as many times...

"Amazing details of Washington's dining habits".(Old Cookbooks Reveals)(The Martha Washington Cook Book)(Book Review)
March 1, 2005... Canton OH, Special--With hundreds of servants at her command... a person would think our first First Lady was a woman of leisure. Not so... according to a new historical discovery. A long out-of-print volume entitled, "The Martha...

Parenting problems.(Comic)
March 1, 2005... "Well, son, when you do have your act together, don't plan on casting me in the supporting role. " "You can't begin to imagine how embarrassing it is to be seen with you. " "How in the world do you make three ounces of food into four...

Where in the World?
March 1, 2005... You don't have to be a world traveler to recognize these places. In fact, this issue they are all located in the good old U.S.A. We've given you some clues to help you guess the location, You have a one-in-three chance of getting them right and...

Where do you think you are?
March 1, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] East, West. North. or South, each of the areas above appears on the map of a single state or province. Can you identify these locations? If you find the game too easy (but you won't), try to guess this issue's theme....

You be the judge.(retirement income tax)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... When the Reverend Goodbody retired after a quarter century during which he tripled the congregation and built a new church, members of his grateful flock voted him $200 a month as a retirement gift. He settled down happily in a small,...

A question of balance.(Medical Mailbox)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: I enjoy The Saturday Evening Post and your "Medical Mailbox." The omega-3 fat in coldwater fish is also found in flaxseed. The seed has omega-6 fat also. Is omega-6 good or bad for you? Earl H. Fuhrman Hanover,...

The case for niacin.(Medical Mailbox)
March 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: Regarding your comments in the May/June 2003 Post "Medical Mailbox" about niacin and heart health: I'm interested in taking niacin for its gradual benefit to increase HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and to...

Botox for facial tics.(Medical Mailbox)
March 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: For a long time, I have been bothered very much by a nervous tic on the right side of my face. I can't make eye contact with people because I am self-conscious that they are staring at the twitch. Is there anything I can...

Chelation therapy and chronic pain.(Medical Mailbox)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: I read with great interest Marie Stevan's letter about peripheral neuropathy (PN) in the Sept./Oct. 2004 issue. I also have nondiabetic PN. Nearly every source of information I have been able to locate is related to...

Cold medicine may raise your BP.(Medical Mailbox)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: I have heard that some decongestants and cold medications can raise one's blood pressure. Which products should I avoid? Margerie Smith Minneapolis, Minnesota Hypertension expert and researcher Dr. Myron...

Diabetes drug may aid fertility.(Medical Mailbox)
March 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: Do you have any information on prescription Glucophage in helping achieve pregnancy? I have a niece who had been married 17 years with no children. Her doctor put her on Glucophage, although she is not a diabetic. Within...

Treating dizziness at home.(Medical Mailbox)
March 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: In the Nov./Dec. issue of The Saturday Evening Post your advice for Mrs. Scheuemann's dizzy spells was the M.E.P. procedure. What is this procedure, step by step please? Joe Aleman El Paso, Texas Many...

Reader needs help for halitosis.(Medical Mailbox)
March 1, 2005... Dear Dr. SerVaas: I need some help. I have had bad breath for many years. I brush two or more times a day, also my tongue each time, but it continues to be offensive to others. I've seen a dentist before and no help. I see a dentist every...