Dr Feelgood Saturday 1st February 2002

AUSTRALIAN HONOURS  

Last weekend the annual list of Australia Day Honours was published. Several hundred Australian citizens received recognition for the contribution  they have made to our country through endeavours including science, business, charity, the art, public service or the military. There are also bravery and other community awards.

Some of the people are well known public figures but the vast majority are local heroes. The Australian Honours system is a way that our unsung community minded people can be recognised by their peers. 

There are a number of categories in the Australian Honours and you don't have to be a politician or  a public figure to nominate someone if your think they deserve an honour - there is a procedure to follow but it it important to know that the idea of the honours  is to recognise those  real "doers" in our midst. 

The Medals - 

Australian Honours - Order of Australia - Gallantry - Bravery - Distinguished/Conspicuous/Nursing - Meritorious - Australian Service/Campaign - Champion Shot/Unit Citations - Commemorative - Long Service Awards .

Amanda O'Rourke is the Director of  Australian Honours Secretariat  and she will be joining me in the studio today to tell us how the system works. 

for more information on the Australian Honours you can call - 1800 55 22 75 within Australia 

or Click HERE to visit the "Its An Honour" website  - where you can search for people who have already received awards or find out how to nominate someone

www.itsanhonour.gov.au 

congratulations again to ALL those who were recognised by their peers.

 

THE CURSE OF TUTANKHAMUN'S TOMB  FINALLY DEBUGGED  

Ancient Egypt's young King Tutankhamun’s tomb was opened in 1923. Soon after rumours began that those who ventured into it were cursed when some of those including sponsor, Lord Canarvon died. Like many good stories the rumour got bigger and bigger and sometimes you'll hear tell that  all those on the expedition died ....

I recall in a medical lecture I attended while a student that someone explained these deaths by a bacterial lung infection that was living in the droppings of pigeons who nested in the tomb ....... and that when the archaeologists entered the tomb they disturbed the dust and inhaled the spores........then, it was alleged they died of a pneumonia type disease .

It would seem that new research says NEITHER is true ! 

Dr Mark Nelson is  doctor who works in Epidemiology - the study of population and health statistics . He has looked at the facts and come up with some interesting information which was published in the British Medical Journal Christmas edition - maybe the whole thing could have been newspaper beat up !!

click HERE to go to the British Medical Journal - search for Mark Nelsons Article on Tutankhamun - you can see an abstract for free. 

Click HERE to read an article in History Today  

Click HERE to visit the Tutankhamun Exhibition in UK Website ! 

-SUPPORT GROUP OF THE WEEK - 

AUSTRALIAN CROHN'S AND COLITIS ASSOCIATION 

 INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE  

I have received many emails from people wanting more information on inflammatory bowel diseases  Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. 

Like many of the topics we discuss on this program these conditions are often not spoken about much in public - maybe because its not considered polite to talk about disorders of the bowel? Well here goes ......

It is estimated that Inflammatory bowel diseases affects 23,000 Australians - thats a rather good reason to talk about it. It is treatable and can have serious complications if not treated properly - thats another good reason to talk about it. And also there is some new treatment coming our way - thats a very, very good reason for talking about it ! 

Prof Peter Gibson is the  President of the  Gastroenterology Society. His special interest is Inflammatory bowel disease and he will be helping us understand the condition and how it is treated,

Angela McAvoy AM, us the  Managing  Director of the  Crohn's & Colitis Association 

Click HERE to find out all about Inflammatory Bowel Disease by visiting the Crohns and Colitis Association Home Page.

QLD or NSW 1800 220 522 fr

VICTORIA ( 03) 9726 9008 

 South Australia (08)8449 4357 

 Tasmania  (03)6437 6184 

Western Australia 1800 138 029

 EXERCISE - LETS DO IT 

I will persevere with my gym work ....I will persevere with my gym work ....I will persevere with my gym work ....I will persevere with my gym work 

Gough Whitlam once said -  ITS TIME !  - well I am biting the bullet - I have started back at the Gym for 2003 ..........I am going to make this new years resolution  last ......like a puppy - its for life not just for Christmas ............ but HOW do you make the committment to exercise last -

Craig Harper  is one of Australias leading Personal Fitness Advisors . He is an  Exercise Physiologist he is in the midst of writing his first book  on the topic of exercise and attitude - maybe exercise happens in your head first ......if it isn't happening there ( the commitment that is) then you probably wont last ........

  Click HERE to Visit Harpers Personal Training - Craig Harper's Homepage.

 

PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATION 

If you suffer a cardiac arrest, your heart stops beating and circulation stops. It may take only 3 minutes of lack of oxygen to the brain to cause irreversible damage to it  and will lead to death if there is no intervention. This is why CPR ( cardio pulmonary resuscitation) is an essential skill that everyone should be familar with, We know the best chance someone has of survival is if their cardiac arrest is witnessed and that onlooker commences CPR immediately. 

A cardiac arrest is NOT a heart attack. Although cardiac arrest may happen as a result of a heart attack, a cardiac arrest is due to a short out in the wiring of the heart's delicate nerve circuitry and which CPR will keep the heart pumping  and sometimes get it back in rhythm . It may well require some work on the electrics in order to get it started.

We've all seen dramatic TV scenes of doctors or nurses with paddles that they place on a patients chest and yell STAND CLEAR - These machines are defibrillators - they send a certain amount of electricity through the body to restart the heart - rather like jumper leads get your car battery going again ! 

Modern  cardiac defibrillators are so high tech and automated that with minimal training almost anyone can use them and maybe possibly save someone's life ! 

Ambulance Paramedics are skilled in the use of Cardiac Defibrillators and most States Ambulance Services are equipped with the devices. The problem is NO Ambulance service in the world could hope to reach a cardiac arrest within 3 minutes unless they were already on site. This is where YOU come in! You can make a difference by knowing CPR but not a new age is dawning .........

In Victoria the Government has taken the initiative of subsidising three public access defibrillators in strategic public places - Sovereign Hill Tourist Centre, Federation Square in Melbourne CBD and Healesville Sanctuary. Strategic personnel have been trained in their use and it is hoped that these will be the first of many such devices that WILL make a difference to outcomes of CArdiac arrest 

Greg Sassella CEO Metropolitan Ambulance Service Victoria will explain more about defibrillators - 

I think it would be great to see large sporting clubs - especially golf clubs consider purchasing a defibrillator and getting people trained in its use !! MAS Victoria can give more information - call their administration  office on 03 9840 3500

Click HERE to  visit MAS Metropolitan Ambulance Service Victoria 

Click HERE to Visit your local Ambulance service

CELEBRITY CHECK UP 

TONIA TODMAN 

 

Got a problem with your decoupage or hassle with your tassles maybe your pompoms simply aren't pomming ....  Well Tonia Todman always has the answer. She's the queen of Craft in Australia and you'll know her from her long running TV segments on Good Morning Australia and previously on Healthy Wealthy and wise .

Tonia also has a website with all her GMA fact sheets !! 

Tonia joins me as this week's Celebrity Check up

 

 

Click HERE to visit Tonia's Website

 CONVENIENCE FOOD FOR BUSY PEOPLE

Well now that I am on the fitness campaign - I suppose I have to change my definition of convenience food - it no longer means something greasy or crispy from a drive through and it certainly wont have fries with that ! 

Food preparation wont  involve your index finger or Call connect ! 

David Braim is the food writer for the Herald Sun Sunday Magazine  he's going to give us a hand with having something ready to go in the fridge so we don't have to prepare food by dialing ! 

COCHRANE COLLABORATION  UPDATE - ACNE MYTHS 

The latest information released by evidence based medicine experts at the Cochrane Collaboration is a review of ACNE -  Maybe there are some myths worthy of busting ( just don't squeeze ). Hilda Bastian will join us again to tell us about the latest findings

Click HERE to visit the Cochrane Collaboration Consumer site - go to hot topics ! 

Click HERE to visit the Cochrane Collaboration professionals site - click on the latest issue

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN .....DREAM INTERPRETATION 

I think everyone has woken from  a vivid dream and wondered  what that dream meant ...... was it a deep seated worry their their brain is  trying to get up to the conscious  level or even could it be a prophecy that some  6th sense is attempting to make

.........or are dreams just a cataloguing service - a sort of nocturnal backing up of the hard drive when the body's system is idle ......

Jane Theresa Anderson is a scientist and the  author of  'Dream Alchemy'. She's an expert in interpreting dreams . I cant wait to ask her about some of mine .......

click HERE to visit Jane Theresa Anderson's Dream Network