Ken Guthrie has more to deal with than just your average mid-life crisis. He was born with Down syndrome and is now approaching mid-life. But what happens to those with intellectual disabilities as they age? Kenny’s caretakers and family open up about the types of challenges he faces as he grows older. They tell why his case is special, and why there’s hope for others like him.
Filed under Radio
Organic food isn’t just found at the farmer’s market anymore. Nor is it only limited to the produce section of the 
grocery store. “Organic” labels are popping up everywhere from cookie packages to Kraft Dinner.
So if given the choice between regular and organic you go the latter, right? Isn’t organic healthier?
To answer this question, we first have to understand exactly what organic food is. Organic.org explains that “organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.”
So what does that have to do with Kraft Dinner? Nothing, really. An organic stamp does not make a product healthier. Organic junk food is still junk food. Organic labels do not magically lower the calorie count or increase the nutrients of food. It is simply an example of companies latching on to a popular marketing strategy, one that will give them an excuse to sell their products at an inflated price.
There are times when buying organic is worth the extra cost. The Environmental Working Group regularly puts together a list of the “dirtiest” fruit and vegetables. Peaches have topped all the lists with the highest pesticide load of all the produce they tested. Rounding out the top five are apples, sweet bell pepper, celery and nectarines.
The best produce in terms of pesticides are onions and avocados, along with corn, pineapple and mango. It may seem like a long and varied list, with not much commonality between the good and bad foods. But the most susceptible produce seems to be fruit with thin skins, while the better foods are those with a tougher exterior. Of course, peeling and thoroughly washing your produce will also help.
Before you even start looking at the organic packages in the cracker aisle, you should be scoping out the selection of organic meat and dairy. Many farms use antibiotics and growth hormones on their animals. These can have just has much, if not more of an effect than pesticides on your produce (and Kraft Dinner for that matter!) Cattle, for example, are often given a growth hormone to increase milk production. Like pesticides, these hormones have been linked to several cancers, as well as diabetes and hyperthyroidism.
Organic foods are at least monitored and certified. Labels like “all natural” are not currently regulated and do not carry the same guarantees as those that are organic. For something to be called “organic,” it must be made with at least 95% organic ingredients. Foods with less than 70% organic ingredients aren’t allowed to make organic claims, save from in the ingredients list.
Organic food is simply food made the way nature intended. Even if packaged foods are made of all organic ingredients, they are still processed in a facility far from your home and kitchen. There is something that just feels so inorganic about that process.
The organic phenomenon is just the latest in a string of marketing ploys that pull at the health conscious consumer. It’s also been seen with 100-calorie packs of foods like Cheetos, Oreos and Twinkies. Sure, portion control is great. But an apple is also a sweet, crunchy, portion controlled snack. Wouldn’t that be the healthier choice?
In the end, it always comes back to eating whole, fresh foods made at home. That is truly the healthiest way to eat.
Michael Pollan put it best, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Filed under Print
It’s been just over nine months since Kayla Wilcox discovered she was pregnant.
“I always wanted to have a baby,” she says.
But sitting at her dining room table, there are no signs of a baby anywhere in the house. It’s quiet and clean. Wilcox is still as tiny as ever.
“Instead of growing a baby, I grew a disease. A series of tumours in my womb that happened as a result of placental cells growing abnormally.”
It started last January, when Wilcox, 26, went for her first pre-natal check up. Wilcox and her husband were excited about the pregnancy. Starting a family has always been a dream of theirs.
But the doctor did not have good news. Wilcox learned her pregnancy was not viable and had to be terminated. Not knowing much about the options she was given, Wilcox chose to take a pill to induce miscarriage.
“Despite everything I went through I still say that one of the worst days of this entire experience was the day I was told that my pregnancy wasn’t viable,” she says.
This was the first misdiagnosis for Wilcox. Her doctor thought she had a blighted ovum, a common cause of miscarriage when the fertilized egg attaches itself to the wall of the uterus.
However, almost a month after taking the pill, Wilcox says she was still miscarrying.
“I didn’t know what was happening to me. I really had no way to gauge because it was my first pregnancy, my first miscarriage.”
She eventually went to the emergency room and was told she may have miscarried twins. They performed an emergency D&C, a surgery that scrapes the wall of the uterus to remove any tissue that was not purged naturally. It wasn’t until that tissue was tested that Wilcox learned it wasn’t twins, but a molar pregnancy.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, a molar pregnancy happens in 1 out of 1000 pregnancies. It is when the egg is fertilized incorrectly and leads to abnormal tissue growth in the uterus. Molar pregnancies are also called gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). Wilcox miscarried for so long because tissue was continuously growing inside her uterus. She says she suspects they would have diagnosed the disease a lot sooner had there been a follow-up after that first check up.
“Now knowing what I know now about molar pregnancies, I wish that I had pushed more for a follow up. But I wish my doctor would have said okay, well let’s just give you another ultrasound, let’s just see if you retained any product.”
After the emergency surgery, Wilcox was monitored weekly. Her doctor was checking her hCG levels to see if the pregnancy hormone was decreasing. But it was not. Wilcox says the levels rose, fell, then plateaud. With the plateau, her disease took a terrible turn. It indicated the cells were cancerous.
“It was a malignancy because it had the ability to grow and spread to other organs,” she says, “That’s why they started me so quickly on chemotherapy once that happened because the disease can actually spread to your liver, your lungs, your brain.”
By this point, it had been nearly five months since Wilcox first thought she was pregnant. She says she had to deal with daily reminders that her plans of starting a family had gone horribly wrong. She watched her friends get pregnant and have babies while she was now getting tested to see if the disease had spread to her lungs.
“I was absolutely terrified. But at that point just having had the disease for so long I was really getting anxious to just say ‘Okay, if I’m going to need treatment then give me treatment.’ I was tired, I was ready to move on with my life. “
Luckily, the disease was contained to her uterus. Wilcox started chemotherapy on June 30th. She was given a PICC line in her vein so she could receive treatment more easily, rather than frequent IV treatments. But Wilcox had complications with the PICC line. The radiologist had a hard time inserting it into her small vein and caused nerve damage. Wilcox says the pain kept her awake at night, only adding to the fatigue caused by treatment.
“Had I not had PICC line complications, my experience with chemotherapy would have been half as traumatic.”
Wilcox received a concentrated dose every two weeks. She says she suffered from a lot of fatigue, but the side effects were otherwise very manageable. She did not lose her hair, but says it did thin significantly. She says the most upsetting part was looking in the mirror after getting a new dose.
“I would be either pale or yellow and my eyes would be sunken in. To just look for life in myself was upsetting, and to just see myself so ill and to feel so unwell.”
Wilcox says she tried not to feel too much self-pity. She regularly saw people in worse condition at the oncology clinic. Her chances were good, GTD is almost 100 percent curable with chemotherapy.
“I knew it was what was necessary to beat the disease and get my life back,” she says, “and I also knew that I was doing a lot better than a lot of the other people on chemo and I was thankful for that.”
Wilcox spent the summer on chemotherapy. Her hCG levels went down, then disappeared. By August 25th, just days before her birthday, she had her last treatment.
The effects of chemotherapy can last for months after treatment stops. Wilcox says she is still weak and fatigued, but is slowly getting her strength back. She’s now back at work on a part-time basis.
It has been a life-changing experience for Wilcox. She says she always thought cancer could affect her one day, but never so soon.
“Cancer is rampant in my family, especially on my father’s side. So I guess I had this idea that down the line one of these days that it might happen, but not in my twenties, and not as a result of just trying to have a baby.”
Wilcox still dreams of having a baby one day. She hopes to try again once she feels ready. She says she still has a long way to go both mentally and physically before she gets there. There is also a chance the same thing could happen again.
“My chances of having a molar pregnancy are now about seven times higher than they were before. But they’re still only one to two percent,” she says, “I feel like the stats are on my side.”
Wilcox says the experience has also given her a new perspective on life. She says she doesn’t focus on small things as much and now looks at people a little differently.
“I think many people would look at me and they would never even imagine what I went through this year, they wouldn’t know. So I look at people differently now. I wonder what they’re carrying on their shoulders and it makes me more patient with people who aren’t maybe that friendly or patient.”
The experience also taught Wilcox how to look after her own health. She researched her condition extensively and learned how to become her own advocate. She says there was a lack of information in the medical community about her disease and often felt like she was educating the people who should have been educating her.
“You’re very scared going through something like this, but you’re all the more scared when you’re dealing with the medical community and they don’t understand it.”
She thinks it’s important for pregnant women to know about GTD and molar pregnancies. While the conditions are rare, she says it’s something that women who miscarry should be aware of. Most importantly, Wilcox says women need to listen to their bodies and visit the doctor if something doesn’t feel right.
“If you do have symptoms or problems that you didn’t anticipate, find out what they are and make sure that your doctor gives you the follow up that you need.”
For more information on gestational trophoblastic disease, visit the American Cancer Society website at cancer.org.
Filed under Print
How useful is a degree from St. Thomas University?
According to Wikipedia, it’s worthless…
Filed under Television
Cory Dow stands on his make-shift stage, belting out improvised riffs on his electric guitar. His fingers are covered in blisters and he says he thinks he’s starting to get carpal tunnel.
“So far I’ve been playing about 5-6 hours per day, which has so far caused quite a bit of tendon damage and has resulted in quite a bit of forearm bruising.”
Dow is just one of the many musicians who lined the sidewalks of Fredericton during the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. He said at times there were as many as 50 people who would stop to listen on their way to the big shows.
Dow moved to Fredericton just a few years ago after leaving a job in the financial services industry. The thirty-something said music beckoned him and he could not ignore the call. But it hasn’t been easy.
“I’m down two inches in the waist,” he said, “I spent my entire savings and retirement savings and I have a wife and three children and we’re all getting hungry.”
This is Dow’s first recognized gig since leaving his job. His wife and kids watch nearby. Dow said he’s grateful for the opportunity to be one of the festival’s many street performers. He said he’s even more grateful for the coins in his guitar case.
“It’s riches,” he said, “I’m seeing people throw in what they don’t have, and that’s very flattering.”
Musicians have to apply for permission to perform on the streets during Harvest Jazz and Blues. Every performer gets amplifiers and microphones, accompanied by an official ‘Street Performer’ sign.
Jamey Luvs is just a few blocks down the street from Dow, singing a Black Crows song in front of the Royal Bank. She’s no stranger to performing on the streets of Fredericton. She said she busks everyday around lunchtime and was asked by a festival organizer to apply for the permit to perform.
Luvs said playing during the jazz and blues festival is a stark contrast to her usual lunchtime gigs.
“They provided me with power. Usually, I just play acoustically and this is great because I don’t have to sing so hard,” she said, “The street’s blocked off to cars, it’s great for a street performer, you couldn’t asked for any better.”
Luvs started performing on the street because she had no rehearsal space at home. She said the best part about using it as a rehearsal space is an audience is already built-in.
Luvs does not hide her enthusiasm for performing outside, nor does she show any jealousy towards those playing in the big white tents.
“Live on the street, it’s so direct contact,” she said, “Direct, immediate contact is awesome.”
There’s a wide variety of musicians who perform on the streets during the festival. There is an Elvis impersonator on a corner, drawing in huge crowds of people. There’s a Jack Johnson sound-a-like who looks like he just came in from the beach. On King Street, there’s Petunia, a local musician who is known for his love of yodelling.
Petunia is also no stranger to performing on the street. He’s played his country-folk songs on sidewalks across the county. He’s even got a hitchhiker’s diary on sale for $4 out of a suitcase.
Petunia is known for his quirkiness as a musician. Illustrating this is a tiny trumpet-like mouthpiece attached to his neck.
“It’s a Stradivarius kazoozaphone,” he said, “It’s made by Stradivarius and shipped to me personally.” *
Petunia performs almost every year for the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, whether it be on the street or in a pub. He said it’s always fun.
The street performers had no trouble bringing in crowds during the festival. With Queen Street closed, the downtown area was packed. At one point, dozens of people crowded around performer Owen Steel. He was taken aback, saying “You guys do know that Buddy Guy is playing just down the street, right?”
The street performers of Harvest allow festival-goers the opportunity to stumble across several types of music just by walking down the street. It also provides a great service to the musician. It allows them to play to crowds who would otherwise never be exposed to their music.
Dow said most of the time, busking is quite hard.
“A lot of times you get escorted away by merchants. So unless you get a permit it’s very difficult to busk in a downtown area.”
Dow is excited to be a part of the festival, and even more excited to have people listening to his music. He said it’s days like these that he feels blessed – regardless of the bruises and blisters.
*Note: There is no evidence that a Stradivarius kazoozaphone is anything but a fancy looking kazoo.
Filed under Print
How far is too far?
A common question, but it seems one Canadian columnist has been answering this question a lot in recent days.
Heather Mallick, a regular contributor to the CBC website and Guardian UK, has come under fire in the United States for a column she wrote about Republican vice-presidential hopeful, Sarah Palin.
The column, “A Mighty Wind blows through the Republican convention,” (CBCNews.ca, September 5, 2008) consists of Mallick’s bitter and unforgiving take on the Alaska governor.
Some of the passages quoted by Fox News over recent weeks include, “She added nothing to the ticket that the Republicans didn’t already have sewn up, the white trash vote.”
Mallick continues with, “Palin has a toned-down version of the porn actress look favoured by this decade’s woman, the overtreated hair, puffy lips and permanently alarmed expression.”
The column shocked some of the hosts at Fox News and have since run several related stories.
Greta Van Susteren, host of “On the Record”, went as far as calling Mallick a “pig.”
To regular readers of Mallick’s column, this particular attack on Palin comes as no surprise. Mallick has never been known to sugar coat her thoughts, nor does she ever pretend to be anything but left of centre.
The most disturbing aspect of the column is not its contents, but the reaction it stirred at the Fox news network.
Van Susteren wasn’t the only Fox news host to attack Mallick on Palin’s behalf. Megyn Kelly, host of “America’s Newsroom,” shouted at Ottawa Citizen columnist, David Warren, about Mallick’s comments.
Warren is one of Canada’s few conservative columnists who respectfully disagreed with Mallick repeatedly on his television appearances.
Kelly, a usual reporter on the Palin beat, was angry about Mallick’s remarks. She turned what should have been an intelligent interview into a near shouting match.
Shocked, Kelly said, “Is this what actually passes as political commentary at a publicly funded broadcasting company in Canada?” She continued by calling the column “condescending and crude.”
The best part came when Kelly told Warren the CBC is “obviously a far left organization itself, which is disturbing to the citizens of Canada that are not of that view.”
It’s no secret the CBC is a left organization. Just as it is no secret the Fox news network is a right organization. Further, by expressing such disgust toward Mallick’s comments, Kelly also sheds her journalistic objectivity to show favouritism toward the Republicans.
Warren seemed a little too calm and thoughtful compared to Kelly’s bulldog approach. He did however make a few good points.
He said the anti-Sarah Palin sentiment expressed in Mallick’s column is not new to him, adding it’s the usual kind of thing he hears when out with fellow journalists.
More importantly, when Kelly asked if the column can even be considered analysis, Warren said it’s important for these ideas to be expressed openly. Once in the open, he said, then we as a public can choose to support them or shoot them down.
Isn’t that the point of columns? Supposed experts provide their opinions on topics that we as a public can either choose to agree or disagree with?
It seems Fox news has forgotten this very important aspect of journalism and democracy.
The Palin hating isn’t unique to Canada either. Bill Maher created a website called freelevi.org. It’s dedicated to rescuing the 18-year-old who is now obliged to marry Palin’s daughter after getting the girl pregnant. According to Maher, Levi is America’s number one political prisoner, “When the 17-year-old daughter of the vice-presidential candidate running on the Jesus ticket is ‘out to here,’ it’s just better that Levi was introduced as the fiancee. Looks a little less white trashy.”
Oh no, there is that “white trash” term again.
So if Bill Maher can say it, why can’t Heather Mallick? Given, Maher was more humorous than Mallick in his approach. Mallick tried to be funny, but the jokes flopped and the text had a sharper tone.
Mallick’s column has received nearly 1600 comments on the CBC website. Most of the comments are angry Americans, brought there by links on Republican and Christian blogs. There have now been enough complaints about the column to warrant the CBC ombudsman to look into the matter.
It’s not surprising that so many right-wing Americans were offended by Mallick’s column. It is however, important to remember that it was just that – a column. Mallick was not pretending to be a journalist when she wrote it, nor has she ever said her articles are completely objective.
Perhaps her words were a little too harsh and probably in bad taste. What should be remembered here are the thoughtful words of Ottawa Citizen contributor, David Warren. It’s not whether these thoughts are just or warranted, but those who have the courage to put them out in the open for public debate should be given credit where credit is due.
Filed under Print
Tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world.
But what makes it so popular?
I visited a teahouse in Fredericton to find out.
Filed under Radio
