Chronic Bits 

Grand Rounds is also fresh today over at Protect the Airway, where once again a theme reigns supreme. We luv it! And for newbies: Grand Round archives. More from Protect the Airway... 

Change of Shift, an excellent nursing blog carnival run by Kim of Emergiblog, is fresh - edition #5 is up. Check it out!

New research from Ohio State University on "intuitive eating" shows that women who accept their bodies "as is" eat healthier. Dr. Tracy Tylka, the study's co-author, says, "The message that women often hear is that some degree of body dissatisfaction is healthy because it could help them strive to take care of their bodies. But it may be just the opposite: an appreciation of your body is needed to really adopt better eating habits." Read on for the full scoop.

In the September issue of O, the Oprah magazine, writer Mary Fischer examines chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in detail, interviewing famous CFS folks like Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit, and Michelle Akers, a world-champion soccer star. Check it out!

Babe Allison of DiabetesTeenTalk (read our profile) is participating in The Walk to Cure Diabetes, sponsored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the world's leader in funding research for Type 1 diabetes. The Walk is JDRF's largest fundraiser, and while the average walker usually raises $100, this year Allison wants to raise the support of 100 people - like you! Because Allison herself has Type 1 diabetes, it means even more to her to have lots of support. To help out, donate online at her personal walk page, or mail a payment to: Allison Blass, c/o JDRF, 7460 SW Hunziker St., Portland, OR 97223. Every little bit helps - thanks!

Grand Rounds turns 100 this week, and Dr. Charles does a great job of hosting, with tons of hilarious, thoughtful and interesting health care stories. Check it out! New to Grand Rounds? Catch up with the archives.

Recently we wrote about the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA). Brian, a reader who specializes in Zen Shiatsu wrote in to say that "many of the physicians (on that site) may not have had complete training in acupuncture." He recommends also visiting the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine for a list of fully trained practitioners. "Note, too, that the NCCAOM certifies practitioners of Chinese Herbology and Asian Bodywork Therapy (ABT)," he says. "The NCCAOM online practitioner directory is a good resource for finding qualified practitioners of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, and ABT." Another online directory, this one for ABT practitioners only, is found on the web site of the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA). Thanks, Brian!

"My chronic illness is invisible but my hope shines through!" That's the slogan of the National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week events being held by Hopekeepers magazine. As part of their activities that week, check out chat room sessions with experts and great articles on a variety of issues. Get the full scoop here.

Isn't that number disgusting? It's hard to fathom - you're at a party with 19 other people, and five of them are in pain. You get on the bus and every fifth person is in pain. Outrageous! The Rocky Mountain News takes a look at the state of pain in the U.S. and what we can do to stem the tide.

Rapid HIV tests - from which patients can learn their diagnosis in mere minutes - are increasing the number of people who actually know their results (and then can act on them). Reuters reports that in a study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, only 52% of people tested traditionally came back to get their results, compared to 90% of rapid-test HIV recipients. The study was releases at the 16th Annual AIDS Conference in Toronto last week.

Merck has been ordered to pay $51 million to a man who had a heart attack after taking Vioxx, the fourth case to find in favor of a patient (Merck has also won four cases). With more than 14,000 cases to go (almost 30,000 plaintiffs) according to the New York Times, it seems we're in for a long road of legal battles. For those of us who loved Vioxx while it was around, it's a bittersweet time.

So says a new German study, covered by BBC. The lead researcher suggested that doctors have patients repeat back a summary of what they think they heard in the appointment to confirm a clear understanding. Yea, right - has anyone reading this been to an appointment in the last 10 years that was long enough to do this? Not us... grumble grumble. Thanks for the lead, Babe Sarah!

In our recent newsletter, we asked people how they stay cool in the heat. Babe Julie pointed us to this great site that talks about strategies for staying cool even without air conditioning. Enjoy!

From the National Women's Health Resource Center, check out this primer on prepping for flu season, including a flu shot locator and nine common myths about flu.

We've been so busy it's hard to keep up, so we're a little tardy: Check out Grand Rounds, fresh this past Tuesday, at Hospital Impact. It's a beautiful thematic collection, truly lovely - you'll want to check out every post. Great work, Tony! And, for Grand Rounds newbies: archives.

Tune in this saturday morning, Aug. 19, at 9am to hear Editrix Jenni on "Live from the Heartland" - broadcasting on WLUW 88.7 FM from the lovely and delicious Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park. We'll be chatting about "convergence media" - using multiple media (especially online) to spread a message on the cheap.

From Babe Anne, check out this excellent "This I Believe" piece on accepting bipolar disorder. From Kay Redfield Jamison's excellent short essay: "...unless one wants to live a stunningly boring life, one ought to be on good terms with one's darker side and one's darker energies." And: "...above all...one should learn from turmoil and pain, share one's joy with those less joyful and encourage passion when it seems likely to promote the common good." Editrix Jenni think she's found her new idol. A must-read for all ChronicBabes...

The world premiere broadcast of "Think HIV: This is Me" will be hosted by MTV on Friday, Aug. 18 at 7pm (pacific, central and eastern time zones). Also on that day, ThinkHIV - a new web site from ThinkMTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation launches, with "vlogs" (video logs) of young folks with HIV in every U.S. state. Dig it.

Join the Lupus Foundation of America, Illinois Chapter (LFAI) and Bloomingdale’s for a fun filled day of shopping and philanthropy! Every ticket purchase of $10 benefits LFAI in its entirety. Plus, when you turn your ticket in at one of the Bloomingdale’s four stores during The Shopping Benefit on August 30th, Bloomingdale’s will donate an additional $5 to LFAI! The Shopping Benefit is a storewide event featuring special savings, gift incentives, entertainment, fashion events, children’s activities, product demonstrations and much more. Get the full scoop here.

After a whirlwind weekend in New York City to celebrate the Real Hot 100 (more on that later), Editrix Jenni returned home last night to a lovely profile in Crain's Chicago Business. Sweet!

Grand Rounds is fresh over at Mexico Medical Student, whose theme this week is "Culture Convergence." This is a great edition - complete with musical interludes you can download while you're reading stories about Yupik Eskimo home remedies and the science behind deja vu. And be sure to check out the Grand Rounds archives for lots of good reading.

Envision Solutions, LLC and The Medical Blog Network have launched the "Taking the Pulse of the Healthcare Blogosphere" survey. The study is the first systematic attempt to gather comprehensive opinion and demographic data from the global community of healthcare bloggers. The 2006 edition of the survey will run from July 31 to September 29, and is open to individuals and organizations that devote at least 30% of their blogging time to healthcare-related topics. Learn more about the survey and participate. (The final results will be presented at Healthcare Blogging Summit 2006 on December 11 in Washington, D.C.

Here at ChronicBabe HQ, we luv Susie Bright's writings on sex and feminism. And we luv her blog! A couple days ago she wrote about her experience at the BlogHer conference in San Francisco, and it's a piece very woman blogger should read. We think the same marginalization that comes along with writing about sex in a frank manner ALSO invades the realm of health writing; why else would we have so many women who ask to write for ChronicBabe anonymously, for fear of retribution from employers, family, friends? Makes you think! So, read on from Susie...

A Chronic pal just acquainted us with the Empowered Fe Fes, a group of young Chicagoans who are "disabled, female and proud." This great story tells how they partnered with BeyondMedia to create their own video and show off their girl power. We luv the Empowered Fe Fes!

If you want all of its natural nutrients, that is. New research by the USDA shows that watermelon at room temperature has higher levels of antioxidants lycopene and beta-carotene. Read on for more information.

The American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse gathers information on more than 800 organizations of all types, plus information on how to start your own self-help group. Also: use local clearinghouses throughout the U.S. and Canada to find groups in your 'hood.

We love 'em! Babe Marisa pointed us to t-shirts from the Nth Degree, which tackle diversity, disability advocacy, humor - with slogans like "Feisty and Non-compliant" or "Honk! I've Got C.P." Check them out!

The Guts & Glory Walk, benefiting the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, is taking place in the Chicago area this month and next - on August 27 at the Naperville Riverwalk, and on September 10 at Independence Grove in Libertyville. Learn more from the Chicago Chapter!

First come, first served: The "Take Control with Exercise" DVD is available for free from the Chicago Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. Call 1-800-735-0096 to order your copy now!

Another fabulous edition of Grand Rounds, the "weekly best of the medical blogosphere," is hosted today at Inside Surgery. Your morning reading material awaits! Newbie? Learn more about Grand Rounds.