SUNDAY 1st  DECEMBER 2002

MIGRAINES

 Headaches are common  - I doubt there would be anyone who has never experienced one. The two most common types of headache are a " tension headache " which is related more to the muscles on the outside the skull and "Migraine" which is related to blood vessels inside of the skull.

I often see people with recurrent or persistent headache who are naturally nervous about the diagnosis. Almost all fear they may have a brain tumour. 

The pattern of headache including triggers and relieving factors as well as associated symptoms can indicate the cause.

Migraine can be extremely debilitating. Not only the throbbing pain but the accompanying nausea and common visual disturbance can be distressing for the person. The recurrent nature of migraine can interfere with enjoyment of life and work ! 

Migraine is a word some people use to describe any headache - but it does have some specific features and although there is no specific cure - there is good treatment available. 

There is a very good fact sheet to be found at the Brain Foundation site - click HERE to read it 

Dr John Haywood is a neurologist with a special interest in headache and he will be joining us to tell us all about Migraine, its cause  and  its treatment 

 Click HERE to visit the Brain Foundation - a support and information group for Brain related conditions 

click HERE for an American site with an enormous number of  links to  headache and pain sites 

SINGING WITH WHALES 

Dr Doolittle might talk to the animals .....but Sheree Marris talks to whales......well almost ! Sheree is an expert in sea life - from the sex life of sea horses to the courtship practices  of crabs and the serenades of  whales  - Sheree knows it all ..... Sheree is an aquatic scientist  and still in her 20's  she has already amounted a  string of awards for outstanding achievement . She's written a book and has another on the way. When you call her on her phone she has a Flipper voice to greet you. .. Sheree is coming in to the studio to tell us about communications in the deep 

click HERE to visit Sheree's Website Vision of Blue 

WORLD AIDS DAY 

December 1 is  World AIDS Day. You might think that because you no longer see the Grim Reaper Ads of the 1980's  on TV that HIV is no longer a problem - In the studio we will be joined by a young mother from Africa- both her parents are dead as a result of the infection, Her husband also has the infection - her children do not. Her story is all to common in her home country of Zambia 

Her name is Princess Kasune Zulu. She is one of 40 million people world wide who are HIV positive . World Vision has brought her to Australia to highlight the need for understanding of the plight of Africa.  More over she wants to raise awareness of 13 million orphans in Africa who lost their parents from this infection .Princess  and her husband Moffat are trying to set up an orphanage for these children. 

Back home in Africa Princess has her own radio program called POSITIVE LIVING - she is trying to break down the stigma still associated with this infection 

Think about this .......The HIV epidemic hit the world headlines in the early 1980's. Australia like many western countries was quick to mount huge public health education campaigns to teach people about the infection and how to avoid getting it.  In Africa and other developing nations it wasn't that easy or prompt. This virus cant discriminate who it infects - only people discriminate .....

We need to be aware that the virus is around and we need to do three things - 

keep trying to find a cure and vaccine 

support  the people who are infected to live without stigma 

never forget the safe sex message 

click HERE to visit the WORLD AIDS DAY SITE

Click HERE to visit the WORLD VISION SITE 

click HERE to find out more about Princess 

CELEBRITY CHECK UP

 The Kermond Family 

In Medicine there has always been a debate about  NATURE vs NURTURE . What is more influential  genetics or environment  on a persons development and behaviour? 

Our celebrity check up today will look at this ....well actually its more an excuse to talk to several talented people in one go ! 

4th Generation Kermond,  Wayne Scott  knocked us out by running up a wall as Cosmo Brown in Singing in the Rain right  across the country ! The show is now wowing them in Singapore .

But wait , there's more - that young lad in the early part of the show ? Thats Alexander( Zan to his friends)  - the 5th generation Kermond on stage ! 

We'll be talking to the fabulous Kermonds - when  Wayne and Alexander join us just before their matinee performance of Singing in the rain in Singapore/ And then its over to Grandpa Warren, who was born in the proverbial suitcase . He'll be joining us in the studio .

Click HERE to learn more about Wayne Scott Kermond and family ! 

SETTING UP A SUPPORT ASSOCIATION 

Last week on the program a lot of interest was  generated in support groups- You may recall the comments from the founder of the Keratoconus association about the paper work and red tape in setting up such a group.

If you've eve tried to set up a club or association or been part of a committee you'll empathise. 

These days some Charities can be big business and so need professional people at the helm. There are even university courses you can do! 

Prof Myles McGregor-Lowndes is the Director of the Centre of Philanthropy and Non-Profit Studies Queensland University of Technology . This centre runs courses for people wanting to work in the sector. Also they conduct research  into the issues surrounding Philanthropy and Non Profit business.

Myles will  be joining us to explain some of the finer points of the business of philanthropy ( and may  we'll be get some free advice ! )  

click HERE to visit the Centre for Philanthropy and Non Profit Studies 

click HERE for a site listing Australian Charities 

TAX AND CHARITY  

Have you ever bought an item at a charity auction , a ticket in a raffle, a ticket to a charity function or  given an item for auction and wondered ....hmmmm can I claim this on tax ?  And then been totally confused by the answer ? 

have you ever wondered whether the tin shaker at the traffic lights is really part of a registered charity - how can you tell a registered charity anyway ? 

Kathy Grueber is from the Australian Taxation Office in Canberra. She's going to help us understand tax and charities .........

Click HERE to visit the ATO Charity ( now that sounds like an oxymoron!)  area . 

( after visiting their site I can understand the need for a university degree in the subject ! )

.......and now for the arachnophobes - like me ! 

SPIDERS

 FOCUS ON WHITE TAILS 

Lampona cylindrata

Someone stopped me in the corridor at the radio station the other day and asked me if we could do a segment on white tail spiders. So I have over come my fear of spiders for you ! 

The white tail is a common house dweller right across Australia and of recent time it has come under the media spotlight with reports of horrible complications from bites. Reports of People with areas of skin loss and recurring ulcers seem to have popped up a lot lately. 

But how much do we actually know about this spider and its bite ?

Dr Geoff Isbister is an Emergency Physician and Expert in toxic insect bites. Geoff works at the Department of . Clinical Toxicology and Pharmacology, Newcastle Mater Hospital  He is doing research into spider bites and this included the white tail . It seems there is confusion about this arachnoid. Mainly because not all bites are witnessed so it is difficult to be sure whether all these responses are always due to this spider. 

Geoff will be joining us to tell us what we Do know about the White Tail Spider and other 8 legged friends as well

click HERE to visit Geoff Isbisters research site 

Click HERE to visit the Australian Venom research Unit 

click HERE to read more about the White tail 

LOVE YOUR WORK 

RAPTOR KEEPER !

Main Entry: rap·tor 
Pronunciation: 'rap-t&r, -"tor
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin Raptores, former order name, from Latin, plural of raptor plunderer, from rapere
Date: 1873
: BIRD OF PREY                   

from merriam webster dictionary online 

Richard Naissbitt is the  head keeper of Raptors at the fabulous Healesville Sanctuary - but he is not just a bird trainer- Richard is passionate about these magnificent creatures of flight and especially about their rehabilitation of injured or sick birds.

He has written a book on rehabilitation of raptors and also is part of a non profit organisation called Raptor Track where rehabilitated birds are tracked using radio technology after they have been released to follow their progress in the wild . We'll be talking to Richard about his interesting job 

Click HERE to visit Richard's site and learn more about Raptor Track 

Click HERE to visit Healesville Sanctuary 

Click HERE to find out more about Richards book 

HOW TO HAVE A HARMONIOUS HOUSE  

FENG SHUI 

ATHENA MERCURIO  from Feng Shui Style is an expert in this ancient art. She's written articles in national magazines, appeared on TV and currently has  a Feng Shui Q&A in the Herald Sun news paper.

Athena will join us to see whether our CHI is flowing properly and help us rearrange our lives and homes to improve our wellbeing 

ps. sorry the page is late today but I did the thing we all dread .....I thought the dialogue box said click ok to save - it actually said click ok to revert to last saved version ..........had to do it all again ....DOH!